Shortly after the Green Bay Packers made a major move in free agency by signing guard Aaron Banks, they suffered a setback by losing a key defensive starter.
As reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Cincinnati Bengals have signed defensive tackle T.J. Slaton to a two-year, $15.1 million deal.
This is a significant loss for the Packers, as Slaton played a crucial role as the nose tackle in Jeff Hafley’s defense. He started every game over the past two seasons but will now be joining a new team on the first day of free agency.
With this move, the Packers’ need to address their defensive line has become even more urgent. While they had already planned to focus on the defensive line this offseason, Slaton’s departure adds more pressure to their search for interior help.
Earlier in the day, the Packers focused on strengthening their offensive line, adding a new interior lineman to prevent a repeat of the issues they faced in January’s playoff game due to injuries. Now, they will need to bolster their defensive line as well. While the pass rush needs attention, losing Slaton creates a new gap. Kenny Clark could step in to take over Slaton’s nose tackle role, but he’s at his best when able to make plays. The Packers will likely need to bring in multiple interior defensive linemen and edge rushers before Week 1.
Slaton’s contributions may have gone unnoticed, but he was a consistent and reliable presence in the Packers’ defensive line. He earned a well-deserved payday.
It’s not surprising that many mock drafts have the Packers selecting a defensive lineman early, with Oregon’s Derrick Harmon being a popular choice at No. 23 overall. He would be an ideal complement to Clark.
Though losing Slaton is a blow, the Packers’ offseason work is far from over. The need for defensive line reinforcements has intensified, but the team will have plenty of chances to address the position moving forward.