Two line of scrimmage defenders are now available to the Packers
On Tuesday, the Washington Commanders gave Jonathan Allen, their 30-year-old former first-round pick defensive tackle, permission to seek a trade partner this offseason. Early on Wednesday morning, the Tennessee Titans, who finished with the league’s worst record in 2024, did the same for edge defender Harold Landry — a 28-year-old who made the 2021 Pro Bowl — according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
This is huge for the Green Bay Packers, considering their options this offseason. Allen very well might be the best two-way defensive tackle available before the draft. It’s simply not a position that is strong in free agency. The defensive tackle class in the draft, though, should be loaded.
On the flip side, there are plenty of veteran options at the defensive end position for the Packers this offseason, even more, if players like the Los Angeles Chargers’ Joey Bosa become cap casualties. Landry being on the market should help drive the prices for these players down for Green Bay.
Whether the Packers are interested in either Allen or Landry’s services has yet to be reported on. Neither should fetch a first-round pick, so general manager Brian Gutekunst’s comments from yesterday, stating that team president Mark Murphy has okayed him trading the team’s first-round pick if he deems it necessary, don’t really apply here.
Don’t be surprised if more line-of-scrimmage defenders, a unit that the Packers need to improve this offseason, become available this week. Don’t think for a second that this news leaking while the entire league is congregated together in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine is a coincidence. Plenty of deals will be made this week, even if both sides will need to keep quiet about them until the new league year officially kicks off on March 12th.