Getty Former 49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt could be an ideal free agent for the Packers if they want more veteran depth at safety.
The Green Bay Packers don’t have many weaknesses in their defense heading into the first week of the 2022 regular season, but if there is one spot where they could stand to add some more depth, it would be in their safety room.
The Packers have a pair of quality starters atop of their depth chart in Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage Jr., but Savage has been dealing with a hamstring injury since the first week of the preseason and the top depth players behind them — Rudy Ford and Dallin Leavitt — have mostly played special teams throughout their careers. That could be problematic if they need to limit Savage or, worst case, another injury strikes.
Fortunately, there is a recently-released veteran safety who could fit perfectly as their third safety in the rotation.
Jaquiski Tartt Could Give Packers’ Quality Fallback Plan
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine recently pushed the idea of the Packers taking a look at San Francisco 49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt, who has been a free agent since the Philadelphia Eagles waived him during final roster cuts in late August.
Tartt was a second-round pick for San Francisco back in 2015 and has started 64 games over the past seven seasons, all for the Niners. While he is crossed the threshold into his 30s and has had trouble holding up in recent years as a full-time starter, the experience he offers as a coverage player would be more than enough for a safety-net guy.
Here’s what Ballentine noted about Tartt’s fit with Green Bay:
The 30-year-old started 14 games for the San Francisco 49ers last season and only surrendered two touchdowns while holding quarterbacks to a 57.6 completion percentage.
Tartt would provide a veteran option and make the Packers a little less dependent on the health of Amos and Savage.
Tartt Fits Mold of Packers’ Free Agent Approach
Another thing that makes Tartt an appealing option for the Packers is his affordability. General manager Brian Gutekunst has tended to target low-cost veterans who are willing to sign for or near the minimum for someone of their experience. The strategy most recently paid off with De’Vondre Campbell, who signed a one-year, $2 deal with the Packers in June of the 2021 offseason and played his way to All-Pro status.
As a player with seven seasons of experience, Tartt’s veteran-minimum amount would work out to be about $1.12 million and would fall well within the traditionally spending range of the Packers. NBC Sports’ Tom Dierberger wrote on September 8 that Tartt is looking to make more than that before agreeing to sign with a team, but it might not take much more if a team — like the Packers — can offer him a shot at a Super Bowl.
According to Over the Cap, the Packers still have $6.96 million in cap space for the 2022 season, and while some of that will either be saved for later in the season or rolled over into next year, it does leave room for them to add a low-cost veteran or two to their roster. If Tartt is willing to fit into their budget, they might not find better at this point.
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