Why the Packers should look into signing D.J. Swearinger

With depleted depth at the safety position, the Green Bay Packers should look into signing D.J. Swearinger.

The Arizona Cardinals have released safety D.J. Swearinger, and the Packers should look into bringing him into Green Bay. Swearinger is a former second-round pick of the Houston Texans out of South Carolina in the 2013 draft. After a few years with the Texans, he’s bounced around in the league joining the Buccaneers, Cardinals, Redskins and then the Cardinals again.

Last season with the Redskins, Swearinger was having a solid season for himself. He was a Pro-Bowl alternate and was leading the team in both interceptions (four) and passes defended (10). After a loss to the Titans in Week 16, he publicly criticized his defensive coordinator, Greg Manusky. Two days later, he was released.

At the time, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst put in a claim for the safety, but the Cardinals were awarded his contract because they were at the top of the waiver system at the time.

The Packers are off to a better start than a lot of people predicted. With a 3-1 record, wins against the Bears and Vikings and sitting on top of the NFC North a quarter of the way into the season, the Packers are looked at as possible contenders.

With the injury of Raven Greene, the Packers are now missing their nickel linebacker. Will Redmond stepped into the position last week and struggled before he left the game with an injury.

The Packers were absolutely gashed by Philadelphia’s running attack last week. Now, the problems with the run defense are probably larger than the safety position, but having a player like Greene would definitely help.

Now that Greene is out for the foreseeable future, the Packers should think long and hard about possibly signing Swearinger. With Gutekunst’s interest in the past, he could solve some problems for the Packers.

There’s also value in having Swearinger for depth at the safety position as well. Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage are playing well, but I think Packer fans all know injuries can pop up out of nowhere and in waves. If Amos or Savage were to get hurt, there isn’t a whole lot of depth at the position. A guy like Swearinger would be some nice insurance in case of injury.

Being 3-1 and having one of the top defenses in the league is a good thing. Being able to sure up some loose ends on that defense would be even better. The offense will get it figured out and have been getting progressively better each week. Adding more pieces to the defense to make it even stronger should be a no-brainer.