Several Green Bay Packers headed for the exit door on the opening day of free agency. Quay Walker is the latest.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Walker is signing a three-year, $40.5 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, with $28 million fully guaranteed. It came moments after a report that the Raiders had also agreed to terms with free-agent linebacker Nakobe Dean.
It quickly becomes clear why the Packers moved in another direction and traded for Zaire Franklin over the weekend. They were never going to compete with the Raiders, who have thrown money around in the first wave of free agency.
Why the Packers made the smart call to move on from Quay Walker
Walker becomes one of the highest-paid linebackers in the NFL, and the Packers were smart to avoid matching that offer.
He is a playmaker, and the Packers will miss his speed and athleticism. Walker can fly to the football, and he's an effective blitzer. But struggles in coverage have consistently been a problem for Walker, and he never reached the level Green Bay hoped after selecting him with the No. 22 pick in 2022.
The Packers were never going to pay that, instead going for the cheaper option by trading for Franklin.
There are some similarities between the two. Like Walker, Franklin has struggled in coverage, but he's had more success as a run defender, making the gamble well worth it for the Packers. In 2024, Franklin led the league in tackles while earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro selections. That's the player the Packers hope to unlock in Jonathan Gannon's scheme.
The size of Walker's contract will likely land the Packers another compensatory draft pick for 2027. Over The Cap is already projecting that Green Bay will receive bonus picks in the fourth round (Malik Willis), fifth round (Walker), and sixth round (Kingsley Enagbare).
Those projected picks are far from locked in, as the Packers' activity in free agency and other deals around the league could impact the order. However, Green Bay could also lose Rasheed Walker and Romeo Doubs to big-money deals, increasing the likelihood that the team maxes out with four compensatory picks in 2027.
Green Bay got ahead of the market by trading for Franklin. The team takes on a $7 million cap hit but can clear that by releasing him at any time, should they wish. It's a high-upside move without much risk.
Paying Walker $40.5 million would've been a gamble. The Packers were smart to avoid it.