The Green Bay Packers have been through quite the roller coaster with linebacker Quay Walker. While there have been plenty of inopportune penalties and lackluster moments early in his career, Walker has flashed enough to convince some that he is worthy of a second contract with the team.
With Jordan Love’s gargantuan extension poised to eat into the team’s salary cap and other young players like the parade of young receivers also eyeing long-term money, the Packers need to be very judicious about how they hand out money. Luckily for them, Walker’s value may have decreased just a bit thanks to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
The Cleveland Browns agreed to extend the former Notre Dame star, who has since become one of the most versatile linebackers in the league, to a three-year, $39 million contract. Considering how exceptional he has been with Cleveland, that deal could be seen as somewhat under market value.
If Owusu-Koramoah is only going to make $13 million per year, it will be difficult for Walker and his agent to ask for more money than that. As a result, Green Bay might be able to keep him for a more economical price. This, in turn, will keep one of the defense’s key young players in town for the next half-decade, even after the Edgerrin Cooper pick.
Packers could sign Quay Walker for cheap after latest extension news
Walker has recorded at least 118 tackles in each of the last two seasons while showing marked improvements in coverage. With four sacks and an interception to his name in two seasons with the Packers, Walker is gradually starting to take steps forward at the professional level.
Walker could benefit from Green Bay’s historical tendency to let young players develop instead of discarding them for an upgrade in free agency. While he is still not a perfect player, Green Bay has to be encouraged with his high-octane style and willingness to lay some wood as a ball-carrier.
While the Packers likely needed to hold their nose after the Jordan Love contract extension following all the other quarterback deals out there, they should be celebrating the Owusu-Koramoah deal. The chances of Walker being a victim of the salary cap have gone down.