I want to be clear up front: I don't think what you're about to read is going to happen. If you angrily clicked on this because you're skeptical that there's any real substance to this blog, you're absolutely right. And doesn't being right make you feel better about clicking in the first place? We all win.
We're entering the two week franchise tag window this week, which means NFL teams are about to get *real* messy with some of their best and most valuable players. It's a recipe for hurt feelings, which in and of itself is a recipe for GOSSIP. And like the most passionate NBA fan in your life will tell you, gossip is way better than actual games.
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ESPN knows there's no time like the present, which is why they started this week with a big ol' roundup of where every NFL team stands in regards to their most likely tag candidate. The Packers blurb isn't all that interesting – surprise, they're not going to use it – but you don't even need to go outside of the division to find a report that does raise the eyebrows a bit. ESPN Bears reporter Courtney Cronin wrote that the team is probably moving on from both wide receiver Keenan Allen and offensive lineman Teven Jenkins, the last of which is particularly interesting for a certain very-trolly wing of Packers fans.
Teven Jenkins could be an interesting depth signing for the Packers' offensive line
"Chicago's top two pending free agents -- receiver Keenan Allen and guard Teven Jenkins -- wouldn't qualify for the tag for a number of reasons. Allen will be 33 this season, and Jenkins missed 23 games over four seasons because of injury. It's more likely the Bears let both players walk and find their replacements in free agency or the draft."
While the Packers certainly are in the market for another star wide receiver, considering it's no longer 2016, that probably rules Allen out. I imagine both sides will survive.
What *is* more interesting, though, is the idea that the Bears are going to let Jenkins walk. He's been a frustrating watch for the last four years in Chicago, with spurts of really impressive play hampered by a long list of injuries; he's never played more than 13 games in any season yet. But as a swing guard, you can do a lot worse. In 13 games this season, Jenkins had Pro Football Focus' 18th best overall guard grade (out of 135), 15th best pass blocking grade, and 20th best run blocking grade.
The Packers don't seem like a team that desperately needs another offensive lineman, but Jenkins' overall grade would have been the 2nd-best on Green Bay's line. He obviously wouldn't be a replacement for Josh Myers, but Jenkins has played across multiple positions on the line with the Bears and is still only 26. Between the versatility, the age, the performance, and the fact that the Bears are willing to let him walk, I can't think of too many moves that would, at the very least, be funnier. And sometimes, that's what's most important in free agency.