We haven’t heard much about safety Morgan Burnett since the free agent tampering period open. That doesn’t mean there isn’t interest in his services.
The Green Bay Packers would like Burnett back, but they’re going to have some competition. Both the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears are reportedly interested. Both teams have ample salary cap space, while the Packers don’t.
The Browns started the period with a league-leading $91 million of available space. The Bears were seventh overall, with more than $53 million. Clearly, either team can throw a boatload of money at Burnett.
Burnett’s last contract averaged just over $6 million per season. Is Burnett, who is 29, worth that with his next contract? Burnett has been less than durable, lately. He hasn’t played a full 16 games since 2012. He missed four in 2017, when he finished with 68 tackles and three passes defended. However, the defense was noticeably worse without Burnett on the field. When he’s available, Burnett wears the defensive headset and gets the defense in position. The Packers initially transferred that role to Ha Ha Clinton-Dix when Burnett got hurt, but he was so bad at it they moved the responsibility to linebacker Blake Martinez after one game.
So although Burnett isn’t a big-time playmaker, he still has value to the Packers. The question is if they can afford him and if the Bears and Browns are in the mix, then the answer is likely no.
When they transferred play calling duties to Dix, and he shit the bed, that wasn’t what shocked me. What shocked me was that the coaches thought he could handle it.
Listening to that idiot introduce himself on Nationally televised games tells you everything you need to know about him. Not a tower of intellect.
Hopefully the defensive scheme won’t need players solving a differential equation to get everything lined up pre snap.
Pay Burnett as a stop gap for a couple years. He’s smart, capable and serviceable. If people overpay for him that’s a tough one. Will he take a hometown discount? I say deal Haha for a serviceable corner and maybe a pick and roll with Brice, Whitehead and Evans at free. Committing a huge chunk of money to Haha next year would be a huge mistake. You gotta have a playmaker at free safety and Haha sure as hell ain’t it.