Green Bay Packers free agency 2017: Top 5 targets
By John Buhler
Nick Perry
Outside Linebacker, Green Bay Packers
The Packers will have to use the franchise tag this offseason. The most likely candidate to get him with that big pay day on a one-year deal would have to be outside linebacker Nick Perry. That would cost the Packers a projected $14.6 million to keep Perry around for another year.
Overall, Perry picked a great time to have a breakout season in his contract year. Perry had a career-high 11 quarterback sacks in his fifth year in the league out of USC.
Could Perry garner more than the franchise tag on the open market? That is a very real possibility for him and it would cost the Packers dearly. Green Bay has leaned on Clay Matthews III as its dominant outside linebacker for years. Having Peppers the last few years had masked Perry’s lack of development until 2016.
Given that Peppers is in the twilight of his career and Matthews has likely exited his prime, it would be foolish for Thompson to let Perry walk out of Green Bay for nothing. A franchise tag seems likely, but he could get a multi-year deal this offseason.
If Green Bay doesn’t pay Perry eight figures this spring, then some team in dire need of a pass rusher at outside linebacker absolutely will. Perry will be one of the 25 players that will hit pay dirt financially this offseason in unrestricted free agency.