Packers face tough decision with Damarious Randall’s fifth-year option

The Green Bay Packers need to decide this offseason whether to exercise Damarious Randall’s fifth-year option.

Three years into Damarious Randall‘s career with the Green Bay Packers, we’ve seen both the ups and downs.

At times he’s made some outstanding plays. But we’ve also seen the opposite.

New general manager Brian Gutekunst will decide this offseason whether to exercise Randall’s fifth-year option, which would ensure he is under contract through the 2019 season.

If the Packers decline the option, Randall would become an unrestricted free agent following the 2018 season.

Randall played some of his best football as a Packer in the second half of the 2017 season. He also stayed relatively healthy, missing just two games all year.

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His play at the backend of the season is encouraging. His struggles in 2016 could be put down to injury. Randall had midseason groin surgery, missed six games and played through a number of other injuries.

Randall has 10 interceptions in three years, and led the team in picks with four this season.

If he can build off of his improved play next year, it will go a long way to fixing the Packers’ problems in the secondary.

Last year Green Bay picked up Ha Ha Clinton-Dix‘s fifth-year option, and it’s proved to be a good decision.

Clinton-Dix just finished his worst season as a Packer. Had they declined the option, Gutekunst would now face the difficult decision of determining how much to offer Clinton-Dix to ensure he re-signs. Now they have another year to evaluate his performances.

If he gets back on track, Clinton-Dix will earn a long-term deal. If he struggles, the Packers might let him walk in free agency.

Picking up Randall’s fifth-year option would also make sense. It would give the Packers another two years to evaluate their 2015 first-round pick at a relatively low cost.

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What do you think? Should Green Bay exercise Randall’s fifth-year option?