Count the Green Bay Packers among the teams interested in acquiring striker JJ Watt, who was released by the Houston Texans on Friday.
According to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated, the Packers are one of about a dozen teams already interested in Watt.
The fit seems almost perfect for both sides. The Packers could certainly use a versatile and disruptive defensive line player like Watt to strengthen the defensive front and create a fast championship level pass. Watt, a Wisconsin native, would have a chance to chase a Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, who have won 26 regular season games since 2019 and have advanced to the NFC title game in each of the past two seasons.
It is possible that Watt is the final piece of the Super Bowl puzzle for the Packers. And Watt is almost certain to have an interest in joining the Packers, the team he hoped to grow.
The financial side is where pairing gets complicated. Watt appears to be a highly coveted player in the open market, as expected, and the Packers still need to pour more than $ 20 million to stay below the expected salary cap of 2021, even after restructuring David Bakhtiari’s business to make room.
GM Brian Gutekunst has many ways to free up more space for the cover and free up enough space for Watt, but several other moves would be needed.
The pros of adding Watt seem to outweigh the risks, although the former Badgers star should be considered 32 next month and has missed much of three seasons since 2016 with serious injuries.