The Green Bay Packers’ secondary has been under fire each of the last two years.
Their secondary was their biggest weak point in 2016 and 2017.
In 2016 they were looking for big leaps from Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins. Both were slowed down by injuries and inconsistent play.
In 2017 the Packers looked to remake their secondary. They drafted Kevin King with the 33rd overall pick. They also signed veteran Davon House.
King was injured most of the season. House was either injured or inconsistent. He was little more than the average player he had been throughout his career.
That is fine when he was slated to be the teams fourth option at corner. It’s not ok with the expectation that he would be the top corner on the team.
This offseason the Packers are again looking to remake their secondary. Randall was traded. Morgan Burnett was allowed to walk.
House remains an unrestricted free agent that the Packers reportedly have shown interest in re-signing.
In theory, the signing makes sense. The Packers are currently looking at a starting lineup that includes Kevin King and recently re-signed Tramon Williams.
King is being groomed to be their top corner. Williams is back because he is coming off a great year and has experience in new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s defense.
There are other options, however, that the Packers should be looking at should they choose to bring in another veteran at cornerback.
If there’s anything each of the last two seasons should have taught the Packers is that a team can never have too many capable cover corners. The position has been ravaged by injuries each of the last two seasons.
The other thing the Packers should have learned is that they need to get better at the position.
Williams’ return will provide a boost, but he is 35-years-old and only capable of lifting the unit so much.
House was an average player, and by all accounts a great guy in the Green Bay community. He seemed excited when he signed a contract to return last season. He called Green Bay his home.
That makes sense, it’s where his career began.
Because of his age and level of play last season, it’s unlikely that he will be expensive.
Bargain hunting is one of the signs of a good General Manager. Getting good players on cheap contracts. It’s what any GM in the league wants.
The issue with the Packers looking at House is there are still better options on the market.
The reasoning for House to be brought back is simply because the team is familiar with him. He does not know any more about the new defense than the Packers’ first round pick this April will.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Bashaud Breeland both represent better options for the Packers at this point in time.
Rodgers-Cromartie is a player that gives positional versatility. He’s capable of playing both outside and in the slot. House is only able to play on the boundary. It’s unlikely that King or Williams are slot corners either.
Breeland is unlikely to transition well to the slot, but he is a better player than House. The Packers were reportedly interested in him before he signed with the Carolina Panthers.
He remains a free agent because of a foot injury that caused him to fail his physical. It’s possible the Packers are waiting for him to be able to pass a physical before rekindling their interest.
The Packers should be looking to get better players at the position that has plagued them in recent years.
House would simply represent trying to get by with what they have known. Brian Gutekunst has shown a willingness to use outside resource. He should continue to explore all avenues to upgrade his team’s achilles heel.
Whether that’s a free agent like the ones previously listed or someone on the trade block. They should be looking at both of those options as well as April’s draft to improve the secondary.
Signing House would represent complacency.
For that reason, the Packers should be looking at different options as opposed to a reunion tour with an average player.