The Green Bay Packers offensive line has been shaky and vulnerable this season, making it clear what the franchise’s top priorities are before the trade deadline.
Sharing O-line depth could be costly with other teams that could have top names, including the spendthrift Cleveland Browns. Another cheaper option for Green Bay is to explore free agency options like offensive guard Andrew Norwell.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report highlighted Norwell as one of a handful of free agents the Packers are considering after going 2-3. Getting the most out of this offense and maximizing opportunities for Jordan Love means putting the best possible offensive line on the field every week.
Andrew Norwell could help with that. The 6’6″, 310-pounder is versatile and played 1,121 snaps with the [Washington] Commanders last season, recording 16 starts.
In his prime, Norwell was an All-Pro guard. He is not a criminal in the run game, but has traditionally been a strong pass rusher. That would put pressure on Jon Runyan Jr. to improve his game.
According to Pro Football Focus, Runyan is 53rd among the 79 players who have seen enough snaps to qualify. PFF also rated Runyan the Packers’ worst performing offensive player through five games, behind fellow linebacker Royce Newman.
Andrew Norwell can provide the Packers with proven talent of value on the O-Line
Veteran offensive lineman Andrew Norwell remains a free agent at the start of NFL Week 7.
Norwell spent nine seasons in the NFL, starting 127 of 128 games. The guard joined the Carolina Panthers as a free agent out of Ohio State in 2014 and almost immediately became a vital part of the offensive line.
The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Norwell to a five-year, $66.5 million contract in 2018. He joined Washington last season on a two-year, $10 million deal. Norwell was released by the Commanders in late July and has remained a free agent ever since.
Norwell represents significant value in the final two-thirds of the season as a starting-caliber lineman that a team can acquire at a reasonable price. And unlike other picks on the trade block, the Packers don’t have to give up assets to get him. If Green Bay is serious about adding quality depth to its offensive line on a budget, the team should call on Norwell sooner rather than later.
The Packers O-Line has been plagued by injuries this season
Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari is out for the rest of the season.
Green Bay’s offensive line has been plagued by injuries this season, which makes an addition like Norwell all the more important.
Five-time All-Pro left fielder David Bakhtiari played just one game before knee problems sidelined him for the rest of the year. Two-time Pro-Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins also sat out several games with a foot injury.
Ballentine noted that Runyan and Josh Myers are the only two members of Green Bay’s offensive line to miss just five games in the 2023 campaign.
Max Dible covers the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns and Golden State Warriors for Heavy.com. He covered local and national news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director at BigIslandNow.com and the Pacific Media Group family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. Learn more about Max Dible
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