The Green Bay Packers have had quite the rollercoaster ride with linebacker Quay Walker. Although there were plenty of untimely penalties and lackluster moments early in his career, Walker has shown enough to convince some that he deserves a second contract with the team.
With Jordan Love’s gigantic contract extension putting a strain on the team’s salary cap and other young players like the parade of young receivers looking for long-term money, the Packers will have to be very cautious with how they spend money. Luckily for them, Walker’s value might have dropped a bit thanks to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
The Cleveland Browns have given the former Notre Dame star, who has now become one of the league’s most versatile linebackers, a three-year, $39 million contract. Given his stellar performance in Cleveland, the deal could be considered slightly below market value.
If Owusu-Koramoah only makes $13 million per year, it will be difficult for Walker and his agent to ask for more money. As a result, Green Bay could potentially keep him at a cheaper price. This, in turn, would keep one of the defense’s most important young players in town for the next five years, even after the option of Edgerrin Cooper.
Walker has made at least 118 tackles over the past two seasons while showing significant improvement in coverage. With four sacks and an interception in two seasons with the Packers, Walker is starting to make progress at the professional level.
Walker could benefit from Green Bay’s historical tendency to let young players develop rather than trade them for better talent on the free agent market. While he’s not a perfect player yet, Green Bay has to be encouraged with his high-octane style and willingness to do some work as a ball carrier.
While the Packers probably had to hold their noses after Jordan Love’s contract extension after all the other quarterback deals, they should celebrate the Owusu-Koramoah deal. The likelihood of Walker becoming a salary cap casualty has decreased.
