4 teams that could sign Russell Okung in free agency
By Dean Jones
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers suffered a substantial loss when their exceptional left tackle David Bakhtiari tore his ACL. This was a body blow to their chances of securing another Super Bowl, which eventually ended with a shock home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This sort of injury normally comes with a significant period of rehabilitation, so it remains to be seen just how big a role Bakhtiari will play in 2021. If his rehabilitation casts some doubt within the organization, then getting someone like Russell Okung to fill the void short-term until the undisputed No. 1 option makes a full return to health is a smart move.
Green Bay isn’t renowned for making significant moves in free agency. There is also the need to extend key guys such as Robert Tonyan, Corey Linsley, and Allen Lazard, so they might decide that any free financial resources should go into keeping what they already have.
The Packers were a 13-3 team, after all.
But the struggles of Aaron Rodgers without Bakhtiari were noticeable in the pressure cooker of the postseason.
Okung proved more than capable during his time with the Carolina Panthers last season, which was a fleeting contribution thanks to some frustrating injury problems of his own. So there is no doubt he could make a difference to a winning organization that has another window of opportunity in 2021.