Packers Advised to Sign $34 Million DB to Replace Starter

Getty Safety John Johnson III, formerly of the Cleveland Browns.

One high-level secondary addition remains available to the Green Bay Packers, should they choose to make a run at him.

The advice from Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus on June 28 was that the franchise should pursue former Cleveland Browns safety John Johnson III after Green Bay’s four-year starter at the position became the latest ex-Packer to defect to the New York Jets.

We’re a broken record here, but the Packers simply cannot continue to pour draft resources into their defense and consistently perform as a mediocre unit. And that’s what could happen once again if they enter the season with major question marks at safety.

Johnson didn’t have a great second season with the Browns, with his 17 missed tackles the most of his career by nearly double, but he was playing behind a porous defensive line and has bounce-back potential in him. Johnson is a rangy defender who can play all over the field and could be a major bargain this late in free agency.

John Johnson III Best Remaining Option for Packers at Safety After Adrian Amos Signs With Jets

GettyFormer Green Bay Packers safety Adrian Amos will play for the New York Jets in 2023.

Spielberger acknowledged the irony of the Packers pursuing a safety in free agency at this point in the offseason, but added that there is a compelling argument for it.

“This may look like a strange move, considering the only real free agent addition of note thus far for the Packers is former Houston Texans safety Jonathan Owens,” Spielberger wrote. “But now that Adrian Amos has officially reunited with Aaron Rodgers in New York, yet another signing on the back end would make sense.”

Amos spent his last four seasons in Green Bay, but his play fell off significantly in 2022 from the three previous campaigns. The Packers chose to go another way at the position this offseason, adding Owens and former San Francisco 49ers safety Tarvarius Moore.

They join Darnell Savage, Rudy Ford, Anthony Johnson Jr. and Dallin Leavitt as the safeties on the depth chart as of Tuesday, July 4, per ESPN.

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GettySafety John Johnson III, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, remains a viable free agent option for the Green Bay Packers in 2023.

Spielberger was careful to mention that adding Johnson at a “bargain” is the ideal situation in Green Bay. The safety most recently signed a three-year deal worth $33.75 million total with the Browns in March 2021. Cleveland released him this offseason with one year left on that contract in the interest of salary cap savings.

The 2017 third-round pick has never made a Pro Bowl, though he has been durable throughout the majority of his six-year NFL career. The 27-year-old has played in every regular season game in four of those six seasons and missed just two appearances in 2021. Johnson played only six games in 2019 due to injury.

Green Bay had approximately $14.3 million in cap space remaining for the upcoming season as of July 4. Another potential area of need for the Packers is outside linebacker, depending on the rehabilitation progress of Rashan Gary after he tore his ACL in Week 9 of last season.