There are still concerns about the overall depth of the Green Bay Packers' pass-rush group, and that's especially true now that Micah Parsons is recovering from a torn ACL, they traded Rashan Gary, and then let Kingsley Enagbare walk in free agency.
Packers fans have hoped the team adds some edge defenders this offseason. However, Green Bay hasn't been in a hurry to do that, and one analyst recently explained why it's the correct call not to be in a rush.
In an ESPN piece by Bill Barnwell, looking at the biggest remaining needs for contenders, Barnwell explained the Packers are missing edge depth, but that the solution is to wait out the market.
Why the Packers are smart to delay signing a pass-rusher in free agency
Barnwell highlighted the questions about the edge group, pointing to Parsons' health, the departures of Gary and Enagbare, and the underwhelming performance of Lukas Van Ness. However, Barnwell also detailed why it makes sense for Green Bay to wait, emphasizing compensatory picks and that the team will likely be able to land veteran edge defenders late in the offseason.
"The compensatory picks also lock in place on June 1, so the Packers could wait until then before targeting the veterans who remain on the market," writes Barnwell. "It might sound like the market would be picked clean by then, but remember that players like Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy have lingered all the way into September in recent years before signing with teams and putting together productive seasons."
As Barnwell detailed, Green Bay gave up a lot to get Parsons, so the compensatory picks that the team could land for losing Malik Willis, Romeo Doubs, Quay Walker, and Enagbare could be big for general manager Brian Gutekunst.
To guarantee those picks, the Packers will either have to wait until late in free agency to get involved or go after players who were released by their previous teams, as they did with Javon Hargrave.
However, since any signing would likely just be a depth piece to a smaller deal, it makes sense for the Packers to just wait until training camp nears. That's typically when the most established veterans, who are still productive, look to get deals done anyway.