The Packers are wasting no time dipping into free agency yet again this offseason to fill some much-needed holes. Well, assuming ILB Blake Martinez’s days are numbered, which this move certainly suggests.
Martinez finished last season ranking 5th in the league for total tackles. Many expected this to raise his potential value to be too high for the Packers to squeeze into their salary cap room, but nothing official has been announced yet. While Martinez’s tackles were obviously an asset, he just did not turn out to be the playmaker that the team needed anyway.
#Packers are signing LB Christian Kirksey, per his agents at @SPORTSTARSNYC. Two year, $16 million deal. Reunited with Mike Pettine, who was the #Browns coach when Cleveland drafted him.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 16, 2020
Free agent LB Christian Kirksey has agreed to terms on a 2 year, $16 million dollar deal with the Green Bay Packers per his agency @SPORTSTARSNYC
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2020
Kirksey spent most of last season on injured reserve with the Browns due to a torn pectoral. He also missed the end of the 2018 season with a hamstring injury. He is a prime example of a “great player…when they’re healthy…” — so we’ll see how it goes.
Kirksey was cut by the Cleveland Browns so this will have no impact on the Packers’ compensatory picks.
Shelling out $182 million in free agency this time last year, GM Brian Gutekunst has already signaled recently that they would not be able to repeat that this year.
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In related news, former Detroit Lions player OT Rick Wagner will also be added to the roster:
The #Packers have agreed to terms with free agent RT Rick Wagner, formerly of the #Lions, per me and @MikeGarafolo. This signals what has become clear, that Bryan Bulaga is gone.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2020
Wagner played college ball with Wisconsin and is originally from West Allis. He signed a 5-year deal with the Lions in 2017, but was released last week. He was ranked the 59th tackle in the league by PFF last season.
This acquisition also seems to indicate the imminent departure of Bryan Bulaga — although this is not yet official.