Currently, it is a favorable time to look for a new safety to hire. PackersThe Packers are in a situation where their top 3 safeties—Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens, and another one—are all becoming free agents.This creates a significant gap in the defense that Green Bay will need to address., They might have an opportunity to recruit one of the top safeties in the market: Xavier McKinney. and Rudy FordMcKinney, a former second-round pick from Alabama, had an impressive performance last season, making him an attractive option for the Packers.
McKinney expressed interest in the possibility of reuniting with Derrick Ansley, who was his defensive-backs coach during his freshman season at Alabama, and has recently been hired by the Packers. Giants star According to McKinney, he has not spoken to Ansley recently, but he is intrigued by the prospect of reconnecting with him.There's a chance that McKinney and Ansley's familiarity could assist the Packers in pursuing McKinney.
McKinney mentioned on a podcast that he had a conversation with Ansley a couple of years ago when Ansley was with the Chargers, but he was unaware of Ansley's current position with the Packers until he saw the news.
Could Xavier McKinney be offered a 4-year, $54 million contract?Up & AdamsMcKinney and Ansley may not be very close, but their previous connection could benefit the Packers in pursuing McKinney, if they decide to do so.
Last year, McKinney achieved an impressive overall defensive grade of 87.8 from Pro Football Focus, ranking him fourth among all safeties.
Despit many safeties hitting the market recently, McKinney stands out due to his young age of 24, aligning well with the Packers' development timeline. Even though several high-quality safeties have become available, McKinney's age makes him particularly attractive to the young Packers team. The Giants chose not to franchise-tag McKinney, a decision that appears wise given the changing market conditions.
According to Spotrac, McKinney is likely to command a five-year, $52 million contract.
PFF's estimate is slightly higher, projecting a four-year, $54 million deal for McKinney. The Packers have the opportunity to obtain a valuable safety at a reasonable price.Like many others, McKinney is puzzled by the sudden release of numerous quality safeties this offseason, which is expected to cause a decrease in the safety market. McKinney expressed confusion about the high number of safeties and corners being released recently, given the league's increasing emphasis on passing plays.
He finds it concerning to witness numerous defensive backs being released, especially considering the league's shift towards favoring passing plays. McKinney is uncertain about what the future holds in this regard.
The Packers' decision to bring on Derrick Ansley has caught the attention of free-agent safety Xavier McKinney, who played with Ansley at Alabama, and made him interested.
“I honestly don’t know what’s going on with just kind of the league in general with the whole safety thing and everybody getting released,” McKinney said.
“It’s kind of mind-boggling to me a little bit, especially seeing what the league is turning into as far as it being a passing league. Just kind of seeing these DBs these past couple of days get released – star safeties, star corners, guys that are just getting released. It’s kind of ridiculous to me. But we’ll see what happens.”
