Getty Blake Martinez #50 of the Green Bay Packers awaits the snap against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on September 16, 2018 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Vikings and the Packers tied 29-29 after overtime.
One of the NFL’s top tacklers during the 2019 season is less than a month away from hitting the open market as a free agent, and there are no guarantees the Green Bay Packers will be bringing him back for next year.
The 26-year-old inside linebacker has been a central piece in the Packers defense for the past three seasons and finished the most recent campaign with a career-high 155 tackles, good for second-most in the league behind Seattle’s Bobby Wagner. Though, Martinez has also been criticized for his limitations as a run-stopper while his reputation as a tackling machine could be used to chase top dollar on the market this offseason in free agency.
“It’s been a tough year from that aspect, of understanding it could be my last one with the Packers,” Martinez told reporters following the Packers’ loss in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 19. “I put a lot into this year, whether it was the offseason, OTAs, fall camp — everything. It was a great group of guys to be a part of. It was a special year to me. I’ll look back at this as one of the most fun years I’ve had on a football team, and then the uncertainty of what’s going to happen next.”
Should the Packers opt to let Martinez walk once free agency opens on March 18, here are three teams that could potentially benefit from signing him to a lucrative new contract.
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Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are in the market for a new leader inside their defensive system after declining the option on 30-year-old veteran Nigel Bradham earlier this month. While he might fetch a higher price than they are willing to pay, Martinez has all the right qualities to step into his shoes and elevate the unit to the next level. Not only are his tackling numbers a significant bump from what Philadelphia has been getting from Bradham, but he also is constantly available. He hasn’t missed a start since late in his 2016 rookie season and has played more than 1,000 defensive snaps in each of his past two years.
Cleveland Browns
How the Browns address current starter Joe Schobert’s free agency could completely turn this possibility on its head, but a decision to move on from their previous centerpiece would open up the door for Martinez to take the reins. While both linebackers have produced at similar levels since being draft out of the same class in 2016 and are both high-output tacklers, Martinez would offer the Browns a more physical presence in the middle who misses fewer tackles. The only problem with a Schobert-to-Martinez transition for Cleveland is the latter proved worse in coverage in 2019 with opposing passers completing 83.8 percent of passes against Martinez with 7.7 yards per target.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens never found an adequate replacement for C.J. Mosley in 2019 after the dynamic inside linebacker signed a five-year, $85 million contract with the New York Jets last offseason, but there is no time like the present with both of Baltimore’s starters — Josh Bynes and Patrick Onwuasor — set to become free agents next month. Martinez offers both tackling prowess and developed leadership skills that would seemingly make him an ideal fit to lead the Ravens defense, especially with a talented secondary behind him to assist. Considering his youth, there are far worse options out there for the Ravens to invest in for the long-term future.
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