After finishing 18th in total defense and 25th in scoring defense last season, the Green Bay Packers aren’t wasting any time in free agency to beef up a bad defense.
NFL Network reports that the Packers have agreed to terms with former Ravens edge rusher Za’Darius Smith, ex-Bears safety Adrian Amos and former Redskins edge-rushing linebacker Preston Smith.
Smith is coming off a breakout season leading the Ravens in sacks (8.5) and quarterback hits (25), but he totaled just 10 sacks in his first three seasons in the NFL after being selected in the fourth round of the 2015 draft.
Amos started all 16 games as a safety for Chicago’s top-ranked defense, but the Green Bay Press Gazette refers to him as a “mid-level starter” who played “second fiddle” to Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson.
The newspaper notes that Za’Darius Smith will likely start in place of longtime Packers star linebacker Clay Matthews, who is an unrestricted free agent. He could also take the spot of Nick Perry, whom the Gazette reports is likely to be released by the Packers.
Preston Smith was a 2015 second-round pick by the Redskins and burst onto the scene with 8.5 sacks as a rookie, following up with 4.5 sacks in 2016, 8 sacks in 2017 and just 4 sacks last season.
The Packers also are signing Preston Smith, according to a league source. Huge day for the Packers defense.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) March 12, 2019
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is also reporting that Green Bay has agreed to terms with offensive lineman Billy Turner, who grew up in Shoreview, Minnesota and attended Mounds View High School before winning multiple national championships at North Dakota State University.
Turner started 11 games at guard and tackle for the Broncos last season.
Packers are giving former Broncos' OL Billy Turner a four-year, $28 million deal with a max value of $29.5, including $11 million in year one, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2019
