Davante Adams is not the only Green Bay Packers free agent that New York Jets fans should eye
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams may be the most sought-after free agent in the NFL this offseason if he actually does leave Wisconsin. However, he is not the only Packer who will command interest on the open market.
Here are five impending Packers free agents that New York Jets should watch closely in Saturday night’s playoff game between Green Bay and San Francisco (8:15 p.m. ET, FOX).
Click here for a list of 49ers free agents to watch.
WR Davante Adams (Jersey No. 17)
Not much needs to be said about Davante Adams, who leads the NFL in receptions (432), receiving yards (5,310), and receiving touchdowns (47) since 2018.
Adams’ per-game averages over the last two years (7.9 catches for 97.6 yards and 0.97 touchdowns) put him on pace for 135 receptions, 1,659 receiving yards, and 16 receiving touchdowns per 17 games.
Adams just turned 29 in December, so he should still have at least another two years of his prime left.
Per Spotrac, Green Bay is currently projected to be $38 million over the cap in 2022 (second-highest in the NFL), so retaining Adams – or any of the free agents on this list, for that matter – could be a tall order.
LB De’Vondre Campbell (Jersey No. 59)
The 2021 season was 28-year-old De’Vondre Campbell’s sixth in the NFL, but he proved to be a late bloomer with a breakout season in his first year as a Packer.
Campbell had an incredible season as a tackler, racking up 146 total tackles while missing only four tackles, per Pro Football Focus. That gave Campbell a missed tackle rate of 2.7%, which was the best in the NFL among qualified linebackers.
Coverage was another strength for Campbell, who allowed only 6.8 yards per reception. That ranked second-best at the position.
Campbell was named a First-Team All-Pro for his efforts in 2021.
Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is familiar with Campbell. Ulbrich was the linebackers coach for the Falcons throughout each of the four years that Campbell spent in Atlanta after being drafted by the team in the fourth round of the 2016 draft.
“Every single day after practice, he’s out there with me working,” Campbell said of Ulbrich in 2017. “Whether it’s pass rush or Plan D stuff, that’s extra. That’s something that he doesn’t have to do. But he’s out there doing it with me. It just shows that he believes in me. He knows that I’m right there with him.”
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CB Chandon Sullivan (Jersey No. 39)
Green Bay has a pair of free-agent cornerbacks for Jets fans to keep an eye on. We start with slot man Chandon Sullivan.
Sullivan played more snaps in slot coverage than any other player in football during the 2021 regular season (477). He was solid, allowing the ninth-fewest yards per cover snap (1.03) while in slot coverage. Sullivan gave up three touchdowns but balanced it out with three interceptions.
The question marks with Sullivan are his shaky tackling, poor run defense, and mediocre overall grade at PFF (which suggests his coverage numbers could be a fluke). Still, he’s someone to keep an eye on as a 25-year-old corner with a track record of good slot production over a large sample of reps.
CB Rasul Douglas (Jersey No. 29)
A native of East Orange, N.J., Rasul Douglas was drafted by the Eagles in the third round of the 2017 draft while Jets general manager Joe Douglas was working as Philadelphia’s vice president of player personnel.
Douglas was an up-and-down player over his first four years (three with Eagles, one with Panthers) until having his best season yet with the Packers in 2021. Serving as a starting outside corner for Green Bay over 12 appearances, Douglas picked up career-highs of five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) and 13 passes defended.
Only 51.6% of passes thrown into Douglas’ coverage this year were completed, the seventh-lowest rate out of 96 qualified cornerbacks. Douglas’ allowed passer rating of 49.6 ranked third-best, trailing only J.C. Jackson (47.8) and A.J. Terrell (47.5).
Douglas will turn 28 in August.
C Lucas Patrick (Jersey No. 62)
With Laurent Duvernay-Tardif hitting free agency, the Jets will be in the market for a starting right guard. Re-signing Duvernay-Tardif will likely be the team’s first mission. If that does not come to fruition, the Jets will be on the lookout for a replacement.
Lucas Patrick has been starting at center for the Packers since Week 5 of this season but is a versatile interior lineman who has played extensively at left guard (459 snaps), center (958 snaps), and right guard (1,065 snaps) throughout his five-year NFL career.
Over 12 appearances at right guard in 2020, Patrick allowed zero sacks and zero quarterback hits. He gave up 11 total pressures (all 11 of them being quarterback hurries) over 423 snaps in pass protection, a rate of 2.6%. For perspective, that number would have ranked fourth-best among qualified guards in 2021, falling directly between Dallas’ Connor Williams and Tampa Bay’s Ali Marpet.
Patrick has never graded well as a run blocker, although his pressure numbers in pass protection have been good over the past three years. He will turn 29 in July.
Even if the Jets re-sign Duvernay-Tardif or go in another direction at right guard, Patrick’s versatility makes him an intriguing depth option for all three interior spots.
