The Green Bay Packers got to work on the roster this past weekend, agreeing to trade defensive lineman Colby Wooden to the Indianapolis Colts for veteran linebacker Zaire Franklin and re-signing center Sean Rhyan to a three-year deal and linebacker Nick Niemann to a one-year deal. The moves were just an appetizer for what was to come on the first day of the legal tampering period on Monday.
The Packers said goodbye to the two longest tenured players on the roster and a 2022 first-round pick, watched a few other free agents find new homes and re-signed an offensive lineman.
Recapping an eventful first day of free agency for the Packers:
Trade DE Rashan Gary to Cowboys
The pre-signing portion of Monday morning brought a surprise, and the good kind. The Packers were clearly done with Rashan Gary, who didn’t have a sack or tackle for loss over the final 10 games of the 2025 season and was due to count $28 million on the cap in 2026. He is a declining, expensive player. The expected result was a release. Instead, the Packers managed to get a fourth-round pick in 2027 for Gary, who will head to Dallas. In terms of getting compensation for a player who wasn’t sticking around, this has to be considered a big win for the Packers.
Lose QB Malik Willis to Dolphins
Willis signed a three-year deal, becoming the new starting quarterback for Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan in Miami. This is a terrific opportunity for Willis, who revived his career as Jordan Love’s backup over the last two seasons. He will get a chance to play with Devon Achane and Jaylen Waddle in what could be a fun, fast-paced offense, and a chance to help the Dolphins rebound as a franchise in a situation he should be comfortable with given the ties to Hafley and Sullivan. For the Packers, the departure means one thing: compensatory pick. Given the contract and expected play time, Willis will net the Packers a third- or fourth-round pick in 2027. Not bad value after acquiring him for a seventh-round pick and getting two excellent seasons of backup quarterback play.
Lose DE Kingsley Enagbare to Jets
Enagbare was a quality No. 3 edge rusher and special teamer, but the Packers were probably never going to consider paying him $10 million per season. Enagbare goes to the Jets on a one-year deal that will give him a chance to cash in again in 2027 if he’s effective in a bigger role in New York. With Enagbare and Rashan Gary departing, edge rusher could become a position the Packers target in free agency or in the draft. Micah Parsons, Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell and Colin Oliver are the current top four.
Re-sign OL Darian Kinnard
Kinnard looked like the best candidate to receive a tender among the restricted free agents, but it appears the Packers passed on the tender in favor of a one-year deal that could allow Kinnard to make more than the tender. He’ll slot in as the No. 6 offensive lineman and the top backup at guard and right tackle in 2026, and he showed last season that he can provide value as an inline tight end.
Release OL Elgton Jenkins
The Packers poked around the trade market, hoping to find a taker for Jenkins, a two-year Pro Bowler who was destined to depart Green Bay this offseason. With no suitors, the Packers released Jenkins, clearing $19.5 million from the salary cap. Jenkins is a veteran lineman with unique versatility, but he entered the offseason as an aging player coming off a major injury, and his cap number of $24.3 million made him expensive. Throw in the fact that the Packers re-signed Sean Rhyan to a $33 million deal and restructured the contract of Aaron Banks, and the writing was on the wall. Jenkins departs after seven seasons in Green Bay.
Lose LB Quay Walker to Raiders
Walker’s departure from Green Bay became expected when the Packers traded for veteran Zaire Franklin over the weekend. While the Packers made an effort to retain Walker, the two sides couldn’t figure out a price point that worked. After hitting the open market, Walker found a three-year deal worth $13.5 million per year and $20 million in guarantees, and he’ll now get to play with former Georgia teammate Nakobe Dean and former Packers’ first-round pick Eric Stokes in Las Vegas. At $13.5 million per year, Walker probably got less than he expected. His contract with the Raiders is likely to net the Packers a fifth-round comp pick in 2027.
Re-sign LB Kristian Welch
In Welch, the Packers are returning an 80-game NFL veteran who has played almost 1,500 career special teams snaps. This re-signing has everything to do with special teams and making sure Cam Achord has enough competitive pieces to build a unit in training camp. The Packers have now re-signed Welch and Nick Niemann, two special teams-only linebackers. The 53-man roster certainly isn’t big enough for both of them, so a competition is coming this summer.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Recapping an eventful first day of free agency for the Packers
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
