Packers set to land former first-round pick in ‘bargain’ deal.
During NFL free agency, the Green Bay Packers will be seeking for affordable ways to beef up their run defense, and there is a former first-round choice who will be available at a “bargain” price.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently linked San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw to the Packers, describing Green Bay as a “logical suitor” to sign him in NFL free agency. He is coming off a career-best 3.5-sack season with the 49ers and might sign at a lower cost as a late bloomer in the league.
“The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, two teams that struggled against the run in 2023, would be logical suitors if Kinlaw’s limited resume keeps his asking price low,” Knox wrote in his February 1 post regarding bargain-bin free agents.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst recognized that the team’s salary cap situation will improve during the 2024 offseason. While Over the limit currently expects them to be $2.86 million over the limit, they have alternatives for clearing space through veteran layoffs, restructures, and contract extensions.
“We’re getting to a little bit better spot than it has been in the past,” Gutekunst said during his end-of-year news conference on February 1. “It’s never perfect, but I do feel that whatever opportunities are out there in free agency that we’ll be able to do that.”
Javon Kinlaw Took a Step Forward for the 49ers in 2023
Kinlaw’s performance as the No. 14 overall choice in the 2020 NFL draft has fallen short of expectations. He failed for San Francisco’s Super Bowl runner-up defensive line as a rookie, then had serious injuries during the next two seasons, limiting him to only 10 games between 2021 and 2022. Before the 2023 season, the 49ers looked to be moving on from him, signing Javon Hargrave and declining Kinlaw’s fifth-year option.
Fortunately for him, Kinlaw rebounded well during the 2023 season, finishing with 3.5 sacks and four tackles for loss while appearing in all 17 games. He has also had two additional tackles for loss in the playoffs, one in each of the 49ers’ wins. There were certainly tough moments along the road, but he improved during the season and positioned himself for NFL free agency.