Re-sign or let go and prediction: Packers free agent S Darnell Savage
When the 2024 offseason rolls around, the Green Bay Packers will have 17 players whose contracts expire, including 12 unrestricted free agents.
I will go over each of the Packers’ unrestricted free agents from this offseason in this forthcoming series. I will also discuss the reasons behind Green Bay’s decisions to re-sign each player and move on, and I will conclude with my predictions for what the team will do.
Darnell Savage, the safety, will go next. Savage, who was on a fifth-year option to play out the 2023 season, battled injuries and missed seven games. Compared to the 2022 campaign, he was more effective on the field and assumed a leadership position in the secondary. Still, Savage exhibited general inconsistency, particularly in his role as a tackler.
With just Anthony Johnson, Benny Sapp, and Zayne Anderson on the field, the Packers currently lack depth at safety. Together, these players have played fewer than 400 defensive snaps in their careers, with Johnson accounting for the majority of Johnson’s playing time.
The Packers’ approach to the position in the draft won’t change if Savage returns or if they sign any free agents. Come April, safety will still be a top priority. But pairing a youngster with an accomplished veteran like Savage can offer some consistency at the position. Although the Packers were ready to put a lot on young players throughout the roster last season, there will be much higher expectations this time around.
GM Brian Gutekunst has frequently used an early-round draft pick to pair with a veteran. Gutekunst drafted Savage in 2019 with the signing of Adrian Amos in free agency. Gary was drafted after Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith were signed. Then, among others, Jordan Love with Aaron Rodgers, AJ Dillon with Aaron Jones, Eric Stokes with Jaire Alexander, and Lukas Van Ness with Gary and Smith.
A couple times during the previous season, Matt LaFleur would commend Savage for accepting a leadership role as a team veteran, and not just with the defensive backs but with the entire defense. As a run defender, he was even more effective, darting all over the field and making stops close to the line of scrimmage.
In addition, Savage was important in placing everyone in the ideal posture prior to the photoshoot as the primary communication on the back end. It’s no accident that Savage was absent and on injured reserve during the breakdown of defensive communication in weeks 14, 15, and 16.
Having said that, Savage experienced some highs and lows in 2023. But by having him back, the idea would be that Savage could reach new heights thanks to defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s scheme. We need to see it more frequently, but we know he is a really excellent athlete with big play potential.
Former players like Tashaun Gipson, Jordan Fuller, and Richard Sherman have frequently complimented Hafley on his ability to simplify the gameplan and let the defenders’ inherent skills take over. Hafley got his start in the NFL as a defensive backs coach.
A box safety is more necessary with more cover-1 games perhaps coming to Green Bay, and Savage performs best when he plays closer to the line of scrimmage. Not to add that at his prior stops, Hafley placed a strong emphasis on tackling. Which, along with the remainder of the secondary, should all be advantageous to Savage.
Savage will leave behind a $5.4 million dead cap penalty in 2024 unless an agreement is completed between the two before end of business on February 19th, as a result of the Packers using void years on Savage’s 2023 fifth-year option. But the Packers can save as much as $4.09 million in cap space if an extension is struck before that date. Maybe some more incentive to close a contract.
