Surprised? Perhaps. Yes, once again it’s the Green Bay Packers and the addition of a veteran player from another club. A year ago at this time, the franchise was still a few days away from adding free-agent tight end Jared Cook. Now as we enter the final week or so of March, general manager Ted Thompson has signed a fourth player and it’s one he hopes can help the club’s troubled defense. So who joins tight ends Martellus Bennett and Lance Kendricks, along with cornerback Davon House in “Titletown?”
Well-traveled professional
In 2015, the Washington Redskins rebuilt their defensive line with the help of free agency.
The franchise signed defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois, who had been released days earlier by the Indianapolis Colts. He inked a three-year, $9 million deal and played for Jay Gruden’s club for two seasons. Earlier this month, he was let go in a cost-cutting move. But now he’s joining the Green Bay Packers, who are looking for some depth on their three-man line. A seventh-round draft choice by the San Francisco 49ers in 2009, the one-time LSU standout is making his fourth NFL stop in nine years. In 2016, he played in all 16 games and made seven starts. Jean-Francois totaled 32 tackles, 1.5 sacks and knocked down one pass.
How does he help the Packers?
The Green Bay Packers’ three-man line features defensive end Kenny Clark and defensive tackle Mike Daniels, along with nose tackle Letroy Guion.
But there’s not a lot of experienced depth when it comes to this unit. Also keep in mind that Guion will be serving a four-game suspension to start the season, adding even more pressure to this group. It’s possible that Jean-Francois, who has played all three positions up front in this scheme, could be the Packers’ starting nose tackle for the first quarter of the season.
Coordinator Dom Capers could also use Clark up the middle and the team’s newest acquisition on the outside. It’s a nice addition to a club looking for options and Jean-Francois’ versatility is a major plus here.
