Green Bay has been one of the more active teams around the NFL as the Packers make decisions on who to keep, who to let go, and who to bring into the fold during the chaotic free agency frenzy.
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, The Packers managed to retain two free agents, linebacker Nick Perry and offensive lineman Don Barclay, while defensive back Micah Hyde, linebacker Julius Peppers, and center J.C. Tretter skipped town for deals elsewhere.
Perry inked a whopping five-year, $60 million contract with the Packers Thursday, with $18.5 million guaranteed. The 26-year-old posted a career-high 11 sacks last year, but he has missed 20 total games in his five seasons with Green Bay.
Barclay is back on a one-year, $1.3 million deal. Barclay backed up both offensive tackle and guard over the past two seasons.
Meanwhile, Hyde has agreed to a five-year deal worth $30.5 million ($14 million guaranteed) with the Buffalo Bills. Hyde marks just another loss to a Packers secondary which really struggled over the second half of the 2016 season.
Peppers' agent reports that the future Hall-of-Famer has agreed to a deal with Carolina, where he played from 2002-09. In Peppers' three seasons with the Packers, he racked up 25 sacks while playing in every possible game.
Tretter joins the Cleveland Browns on $16.75 million deal over three years. The Browns also signed former Cincinnati lineman Kevin Zeitler to a five-year contract as they attempt to overhaul their offensive line.
Among players who remain unsigned, the Packers have reportedly broken off talks with tight end Jared Cook, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Cook is expected to visit other teams. Running back Eddie Lacy is talking with Green Bay, Seattle, and Minnesota, his agents reported via Twitter. Lacy missed the most of the season after injuring his ankle in October last year.
The Packers’ remaining big free-agent fish is offensive guard T.J. Lang. Demovksy and Schefter reported that Lang is in the middle of visits with Detroit and Seattle, although Green Bay still has a shot to re-sign the 2016 Pro Bowler. Lang becomes even more important to the Packers now that Tretter has moved onto Cleveland.
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