5 unexpected free agent signings Packers could still make happen

4. Packers should sign pass rusher Justin Houston

You can never have too many pass rushers in the NFL.

Guys that can get after the quarterback are extremely valuable and for good reason. When you are trying to close out games, you have to have a pass rush coming from all angles in order to win. Having a good pass rush can be the difference between winning 9 or 10 games and making the playoffs and winning just 5 or 6 games and watching the playoffs from home.

Justin Houston has been one of the league's best pass rushers ever since he arrived all the way back in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Georgia. Although he's not the Defensive Player of the Year caliber guy he once was, Houston is still a valuable piece off the edge who has 55.5 sacks since 2016, one of the most prolific in the league over that timeframe.

He had 9.5 sacks, 17 QB hits, and 25 pressures a season ago. The credentials are certainly there for a player like Houston, but why would the Packers want to sign him? The Packers already have strong players off the edge. Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, rookie Lukas Van Ness...Those guys are all going to play big roles for the team this season but Houston can be like a three-point specialist coming off the bench.

What team doesn't want one of those?

At this stage of his career, Houston doesn't need to be playing 800 snaps to be effective. He just needs to get on the field in obvious pass rush situations throughout the game and go do his thing. And it could be the difference of winning a couple of games this season.