The Green Bay Packers began their off-season with a major change, separating from linebacker Christian Kirksey after a solitary season in Wisconsin. He previously signed a two-year, $ 13 million contract in the off-season last year, but ended up failing to live up to his expectations.
He recorded a total of 77 tackles, 2.0 sacks and two interceptions in 11 games played by Green Bay. Most of all, the Packers’ decision to release him was to make room for more space on the edge, in an attempt to make significant additions. to the cast in the next off-season. Kirksey’s current contract has reached a maximum limit of $ 7.6 million for the 2020 season and is expected to take $ 2 million in dead money.
Despite being cut, Kirksey is still at the peak of his career at 28 and can still serve as a useful asset to any team that has no production in its racing defense.
Here are the two best adjustments for the Iowa product toward the 2021 NFL season:
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills may have outperformed in 2020, but they could have done even better if they had a deeper defensive rotation. Their inconsistency in defense eventually haunted them in the postseason, when they conceded 24 points to the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round, before their offensive attack saved them and scored 27 to advance to the next round.
After a big game against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round, Bills’ defense faltered once again when they faced the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Bills ‘defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier did not have an answer to the Chiefs’ streak of goals, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes easily led his team to a 38-24 victory.
Needless to say, the Bills desperately need a versatile linebacker who can step in and improve their running defense that came in 20th place in the league, and Christian Kirksey would be a great option. In fact, veteran defensive side Trent Murphy is already heading off-season as an unrestricted free agent, while pass-rusher Jerry Hughes is entering the final year of his contract next season.
While debutant defensive striker AJ Epenesa is proving to be a promising player, Bills would be wise if he could add more depth to his defensive rotation for the coming season. Addressing the gaps in that area of the field can potentially transform the Bills into a more complete team, which can make longer postseason rounds in the coming years.
Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones has already made a series of moves to deal with his sad defensive unit last season. However, the experiment did not work because its recruits were disappointed, which led them to fail to contain the opposing offenses. They were only listed in 21st place in yards per pass attempt allowed, while settling in 28th place in points allowed per game.
Despite the lower rankings, all hopes are not yet lost for Jones and his Cowboys team. Former Pro Bowl linebacker Jaylon Smith proved to be a bright spot for the team by accumulating 154 tackles in total, 1.5 sacks and an interception in 16 appearances.
Meanwhile, veteran linebacker Leighton Vander Esch was productive in recording 60 tackles in total, a sack and a forced fumble last season. Despite his numbers, he still found himself missing out on significant action as he broke his collarbone in week 1 and suffered an ankle injury in the last two games of the season.
On the other hand, another senior veteran in Sean Lee has yet to decide whether he will still play in 2021 after his $ 4.5 million one-year contract with the Cowboys has expired. Similar to Vander Esch, the 34-year-old was sidelined for several games as he had to undergo hernia surgery in the early stages of the season.
Amid all the uncertainties in the linebackers’ group, the Cowboys can certainly use a player like Christian Kirksey, who aims to have a comeback season after going through a derailed injury campaign in 2020.
