The Green Bay Packers hit the jackpot with last year’s signing of De’Vondre Campbell, adding him in mid-June on a bargain contract and watching him become a stabilizer for the middle of their defense in 2021.
Could they replicate the magic again in 2022 with another under-the-radar linebacker?
Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus recently identified one free-agent target for each of the NFL’s 32 teams to pursue during the 2022 offseason and made the case for the Packers to go after Denver Broncos linebacker Josey Jewell, dubbing the 27-year-old a “phenomenal, high-floor option” to keep their inside spot from regressing.
While the Packers might instead prefer to keep Campbell under contract, they could be looking at a steep price tag after he was named a first-team All-Pro for his standout efforts during the 2021 season. Meanwhile, Jewell missed the majority of the 2021 season with a pectoral injury and will almost certainly sign for a more affordable rate despite having some good production on his resume.
Here’s Spielberger’s case for the Packers to pursue Jewell in 2022:
Whether or not Green Bay retains Campbell — which may be very difficult, given their salary cap situation — Jewell represents a phenomenal, high-floor option. Jewell was lost for the majority of the 2021 season with a torn pectoral muscle and could have a similar market as Campbell did — a one-year flier as he gets back to full strength. In 2020, Jewell graded out above 65.0 as a run-defender, a pass-rusher and in coverage. He may not be a game-changing athlete, but he could stabilize the position group for the Packers at a good price.
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Jewell Only Missed 1 Game Prior to 2021
There was a time when fans might have shrugged off the idea of the Packers signing a low-key player to fill out the middle of their defense, but their success with Campbell — who went unsigned for the first three months of 2021 free agency — emphasizes the value of taking a one-year chance on an inside linebacker and playing to his strengths within Joe Barry’s defensive system.
Jewell hasn’t racked up the same type of career production as Campbell, who averaged more than 100 tackles in his four seasons prior to joining the Packers, but his 2020 play offered several reasons for interested parties to be optimistic about him. According to Pro Football Focus, he recorded 42 stops on 386 snaps of run defense in 2020 and also received above-average marks (75.5) as a pass-rushing linebacker, notching a career-best five tackles for loss and two sacks for the Broncos.
Jewell also looked to have leveled up his pass-coverage skills in 2021 before getting hurt. He recorded one pass breakup and allowed just five receptions for eight yards over 54 coverage snaps in his two games of action, displaying better play recognition and quicker breaks on the ball. Sustainability is still a question mark given he was shut down in Week 3 for the rest of the season, but improvement is improvement.
On the surface, Jewell would seem to pose a greater health risk than someone like Campbell after missing 15 games during the 2021 season, but betting on a linebacker recovering from a torn pectoral muscle is much different than taking a chance on a player who suffered a significant leg or knee injury. It also helps that Jewell, a 2018 fourth-round pick, missed just one game in his first three seasons with the Broncos.
There are no guarantees Jewell could fit as nicely with Green Bay’s system as Campbell, but money is a major problem for the Packers in 2022 with current projections putting them nearly $50 million over the salary cap. If they want to dig into the bargain bin again — as general manager Brian Gutekunst has been known to do — Jewell could be ideal.
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Packers Urged to Sign Under-The-Radar Broncos Linebacker