It's been quite a week in the world of the Green Bay Packers. There has been more activity in the past seven days than you sometimes see in a month or two of the offseason. Let's review...
Chris Brooks - Re-signed. 2 years, $4.8M. The Packers value Brooks' skill as a 3rd down pass protector, occasional ball carrier and key special teams contributor. Emmanuel Wilson was allowed to hit free agency, leaving Josh Jacobs as the only RB currently on the roster, that is, if you don't count two players on the reserve/future list (Damien Martinez and Pierre Strong Jr.) and the perpetually injured Marshawn Lloyd. I think the Packers look at Brooks as a Bo Melton type (a team-first guy that will do whatever you ask of him).
Zaire Franklin - An extremely rare player for player trade for the Packers (and uncommon for the NFL in general), Franklin is exchanged for DT Colby Wooden. Franklin comes in as an immediate replacement for Quay Walker. The Packers exchange some athleticism in Walker for experience, availability (missed only one game over the last four years) and production (four straight 100 tackle seasons) in Franklin. Wooden was asked by the Packers to play different roles in different seasons, but likely doesn't fit into what new DC Jonathan Gannon will look to do (probably more of a 3-4 system). He is in the last year of his rookie deal, and the Packers drafted Warren Brinson and kept UDFA Nazir Stackhouse on the roster last year, so Wooden becomes expendable.
Nick Niemann - 1 year, $2.5M. Thank Goodness! Niemann led the team in special teams tackles last year despite missing 10 games after being injured in Week 7! A no-brainer signing.
Sean Rhyan - 3 years, $33M. Similar to what the Packers weren't willing to give John Runyan Jr. (which he got from the Giants), but the Packers were in a bind here. The free agent center options were limited and if the Packers are aiming toward a Super Bowl this season, they couldn't gamble on landing a center in the draft capable of starting right away. Rhyan was pretty steady when moved into the center spot, so this was a case of "the devil you know is better than the one you don't".
Rashan Gary - traded for a 2027 4th round pick. This was the only real surprise for me. Not that the Packers would give up on Gary, but that they were able to get a fourth round pick in 2027 for a player that showed very little once Micah Parsons got injured. I love the sweet irony of Jerry Jones trading Micah Parsons and then his desperate search for a replacement brings him back to the Packers. Thank you Jerry!
Darian Kinnard - 1 year, $3.7M. Every team needs a "break glass in case of emergency" lineman that you can throw into a game and know he won't be a disaster. Kinnard can step in at either tackle or guard and also found a role as the sixth lineman when the Packers went with heavy formations.
Elgton Jenkins - Released, Packers gain $19.5M in cap space. this was the surest of all sure things that were going to happen this week. Nothing against Jenkins, who had some very good years for the Packers at guard, but you won't find one person anywhere that will tell you they should have kept him at that price.
Kristian Welch - I find it rather interesting that the Packers brought Welch back after already signing Nick Niemann. Most pundits are assuming they will battle it out for the Packers sole "special teams specialist" spot on the roster, But what if, just IF, the Packers are entering a new era where they might be willing to keep both of these special team aces? Welch is capable of holding a role as a backup linebacker and the Packers will likely want to keep five at the position (Cooper, Franklin, McDuffie, Hopper and ?). So could it happen? Not likely, but I wouldn't mind it.
BREAKING NEWS... Skyy Moore is a packer? The Packers signed a returner? What the hell is going on out there? (meanwhile, Rich Bisaccia is sitting on his front porch saying, "Now they're going to care about special teams - WTF?"
Bo Melton - ERFA - Reportedly was tendered and will be back with the Packers. Matt LaFleur's favorite player was a lock to be tendered.
Donovan Jennings - ERFA - Reportedly was tendered and will be back with the Packers. OL depth is a concern, so a warm body was needed.
Nate Hobbs - The Packers pro scouting dept messed up on this one. They went and signed an often-injured player for big money and then tried to move him to a different position. One where the whole world sees how badly you messed up, which allowed a big play. Hobbs didn't make a good impression in camp, teeing off on his own teammates even after he was warned to knock it off. Then he spent the entire season in and out of the trainer's room, which personally I didn't mind after seeing some of his attempts to cover receivers in space. Anyway, according to Rob Demovsky, he's designated as a post June 1st release, which nets the Packers $8.8M in salary cap space versus only $838K from a straight out release. That's a win.
Benjamin St-Juste - 2 years $10M. Here it is - your BIG Packers free agent signing! OK, so you're not excited, but stay with me here. First of all, he's an actual boundary cornerback, not a nickle corner the Packers think can play outside (see Nate Hobbs). Secondly, CB help of ANY kind is sorely needed and appreciated. He's no Pro Bowler, and hasn't even been a starter, but he played in a quarters-based scheme with the Chargers and had his most effective year. Finally, he had close to 300 special teams snaps for the Chargers last season. So you don't have to be excited, but yes, this is a solid move.
More Salary Cap Manipulations
Xavier McKinney restructured - gained 9.2M in cap space
Aaron Banks restructured - projected to free 12M in cap space
Curreent cap space estimated at $24M per Ken Ingalls (see below). This provides money for doing Kraft and Watson extensions and maybe something else.
I have the Packers at $38.3m in cap space after the draft and post June 1 cut of Hobbs.
Subtract $14m for practice squad and in-season stuff.
$24.2m effective - They are setting up for something. pic.twitter.com/ceHfG9MXFH
— Ken - Packers Cap (@KenIngalls) March 10, 2026
Malik Willis - 3 years, 67.5M from the Dolphins
Kingsley Enagbare - 1 years, 10M from the Jets
Quay Walker - 3 years, 40.5 M from the Raiders.
Go Pack Go!