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The Green Bay Packers started their offseason with a big swing as they parted ways with linebacker Christian Kirksey after a lonely season in Wisconsin. He had previously signed a two-year, $ 13 million contract during last year’s offseason, but ultimately fell short of the expectations placed on him.
He recorded a total of 77 tackles, 2.0 sacks and two interceptions in 11 games played for Green Bay. More than anything, the Packers’ decision to release him was to make room for more ceiling space in an effort to make some big additions to their roster in the next offseason. Kirksey’s current contract has been capped at $ 7.6 million for the 2020 season and is expected to carry $ 2 million in dead money.
Despite being cut, Kirksey is still heading for the peak of his career at 28 and can still serve as a useful asset for any team that lacks production in their race defense.
Here are the two best adjustments for Iowa’s product for the 2021 NFL season:
Buffalo bills
The Buffalo Bills may have surpassed their targets in 2020, but they could have done even better if they had had a deeper defensive rotation. Their defensive inconsistency ultimately haunted them in the playoffs when they surrendered 24 points to the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card round, before their offensive offense saved them and scored 27 to advance to the next round.
After a great game against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Division Round, the Bills’ defense faltered again when they faced the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was left with no response to the Chiefs’ streak as opposing quarterback Patrick Mahomes easily led his side to a 38-24 victory.
Needless to say, the Bills are in desperate need of a versatile linebacker who could come along and improve their defense against the league’s 20th-seeded run, and Christian Kirksey would be a great option. In fact, veteran defensive end Trent Murphy is already heading into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent as pass-rusher Jerry Hughes enters the final year of his contract in the coming season.
While rookie defensive end AJ Epenesa proves to be a promising player, the Bills would be wise if they could add more depth to their defensive rotation for the coming season. Filling in the gaping holes in that area of the pitch can potentially transform the Bills into a more complete squad that can make longer playoffs in years to come.
Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones took a host of steps to tackle their dismal defensive unit last season. However, the experiment did not work out as their recruits were disappointed, which led to their inability to contain the opposing offenses. They were only 21st in yards per authorized pass attempt while settling for 28th in points allowed per game.
Despite the modest rankings, all hope is not yet lost for Jones and his Cowboys team. Former Pro Bowl linebacker Jaylon Smith proved to be a bright spot for the team amassing 154 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception in 16 appearances.
Meanwhile, veteran linebacker Leighton Vander Esch was productive recording 60 total tackles, one sack and one forced fumble last season. Despite his numbers, he still found himself missing out on important action by breaking his collarbone in Week 1 and injuring his ankle in the last two games of the season.
On the other hand, another incumbent Sean Lee veteran has yet to decide whether he will play again in 2021 after his one-year, $ 4.5 million contract with the Cowboys expires. Similar to Vander Esch, the 34-year-old has been ruled out for a number of games as he had to undergo hernia surgery early in the season.
Amid all the uncertainty in the linebacker squad, the Cowboys can certainly use a player like Christian Kirksey who aims to make a comeback after going through an injury-derailed campaign in 2020.
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