Packers Miss On Cole, Canty

Two of the Packers targets in the Packers free agency quest have disappeared with defensive tackles Colin Cole and Chris Canty signing with the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants, respectively.

Cole didn’t re-sign with the Packers and reportedly signed a deal with Seattle worth $21 million over five years, with $6 million guaranteed.  Cole will play defensive tackle.  There is a little mystery over the numbers in Cole’s contract, as the initial numbers reported by NFL.com were off, and agent Neal Cornrich wouldn’t give Tom Silverstein exact numbers.  The Packers would have most likely used Cole at defensive end in their 3-4 scheme, but Cole is better suited to play defensive tackle in Seattle’s 4-3 defense, making the Pacific Northwest a better fit for him.

Canty signed in New York for $42 million over six years, with $17.25 million guaranteed.  It is said he will play defensive tackle on a strong defensive line.  The Packers wanted Canty to play defensive end in Green Bay as he had with the Dallas Cowboys, but the allure of New York was too much.  In New York, he will shuffle along the defensive line with Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Mathias Kiwanuka.  The signing of Canty bolsters an already dangerous Giants pass rush, pushing the defense up among the elite in the league.

The Packers weren’t going to to guarantee $6 million to Cole and they definitely weren’t going to guarantee $17.25 million to Canty. The bargain hunting of the Packers continues, even though as free agency goes on, more questions remain on what they will do with the No. 9 pick in the draft.