7 realistic free agents Packers could sign in 2024
The Green Bay Packers finished in second place in the NFC North and won a playoff game in the 2023 season, nearly upsetting the eventual NFC-champion San Francisco 49ers on the road.
The Packers should feel good about the development of the youngest roster in the league, and both GM Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur should be willing to do what it takes to maneuver salary cap space and upgrade this roster in 2024 NFL free agency.
This year's free agency crop looks outstanding, even before roster cuts start to trickle in across the NFL. The Packers have a chance to be aggressive in pursuing upgrades without breaking the bank as a result, and there appear to be a number of "realistic" targets for this team coming up.
Who could the Packers come away with in free agency this offseason?
1. Derrick Henry, RB
I think one of the free agents you would have to consider for the Packers as a realistic target is veteran running back Derrick Henry. You can always supplement the running back position in the NFL Draft as well, but it's not often you get the chance to add a guy like this to your roster. The Packers will have to determine the next steps with someone like Aaron Jones as well, a player who is set to account for over $17.5 million of the salary cap this offseason.
But what makes Henry a realistic option for the Packers is first and foremost his connection with head coach Matt LaFleur. Remember, LaFleur got his job as the head coach of the Packers after he spent a year with the Tennessee Titans as their offensive coordinator. He and Derrick Henry are very familiar with each other.
A couple of other interesting factors here? The Packers could want to raise the floor of the running game in free agency with a deep crop of veteran running backs slated to hit the market. The running game wasn't exactly something they could lean on throughout the course of the 2023 season, and Derrick Henry helps you be able to do that.
Add in the fact that AJ Dillon is slated to hit free agency, and a year or two of Derrick Henry in Green Bay feels like it has a chance of actually coming to fruition.