The Green Bay Packers are among the teams interested in acquiring defensive line JJ Watt, who was released by the Houston Texans on Friday.
According to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated, the Packers are one of about a dozen teams already interested in Watt.
The fit looks almost perfect for both sides. The Packers can certainly use a versatile, disruptive defensive line like Watt to strengthen the defensive front and create a pass rate on championships. Watt, a Wisconsin resident, would get the chance to chase a Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, who have won 26 games in the regular season since 2019 and advanced to the NFC title game each of the past two seasons has.
It is possible that Watt may be the last piece of the Super Bowl puzzle for the Packers. And it’s almost certain that Watt has some interest in joining the Packers, the team he grew up for.
The financial side is where mating gets tricky. Watt appears, as expected, to be a very popular player in the open market, and the Packers still have to shell out more than $ 20 million to get below the expected salary cap of 2021, even after David Bakhtiari’s deal to restructure space clean to make.
GM Brian Gutekunst has many ways to increase more hood space and clear enough space for Watt, but a few more moves will be needed.
The benefits of adding Watt outweigh the risks, though it should be noted that the former Badgers star will be 32 years old next month and has missed big pieces of three seasons with major injuries since 2016.