The Green Bay Packers started their offseason with a big move as they parted ways with linebacker Christian Kirksey after a lone season in Wisconsin. He previously signed a two-year, $13 million contract in last year’s offseason but ultimately failed to live up to the expectations set upon him.
He registered a total of 77 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and two interceptions in 11 games played for Green Bay. More than anything, the Packers’ decision to release him was to make room for more cap space in a bid to make significant additions to their roster in the coming offseason. Kirksey’s current contract incurred a cap hit of $7.6 million for the 2020 season and is set to carry $2 million worth of dead money.
Despite being cut, Kirksey is still heading to the peak of his career at 28 years old and can still serve as a serviceable asset to any team that is lacking production in their run defense.
Here are the two best fits for the Iowa product heading to the 2021 NFL season:
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills may have overachieved in 2020 but they could’ve done even better if only they had a deeper defensive rotation. Their inconsistency on defense eventually haunted them in the postseason when they gave up 24 points to the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round, before their offensive attack saved them and scored 27 to advance to the next round.
After a great game against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round, the Bills’ defense faltered once more when they faced the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier didn’t have an answer to the Chiefs’ scoring run as opposing quarterback Patrick Mahomes easily led his team to a 38-24 victory.
Needless to say, the Bills desperately need a versatile linebacker who could come in and improve their run defense that ranked 20th in the league, and Christian Kirksey would be a great option. In fact, veteran defensive end Trent Murphy is already heading to the offseason as an unrestricted free agent while pass-rusher Jerry Hughes is entering the final year of his deal in the coming season.
While rookie defensive end A.J. Epenesa is turning out to be a promising player, the Bills would be wise if they can add more depth in their defensive rotation for the coming season. Addressing the gaping holes in that area of the field may potentially turn the Bills into a more complete team that can make longer postseason runs in the years to come.
Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones already made a bevy of moves to address their dismal defensive unit last season. However, the experiment didn’t work out as their recruits underwhelmed, thus leading to their failure to contain opposing offenses. They were only listed in the 21st spot in yards per pass attempt allowed while settling for the 28th place in points allowed per game.
Despite the lowly rankings, all hope is not yet lost for Jones and his Cowboys squad. Former Pro Bowl linebacker Jaylon Smith proved to be a bright spot for the team as he amassed 154 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and an interception in 16 appearances.
Meanwhile, veteran linebacker Leighton Vander Esch was productive as he recorded 60 total tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble last season. Despite his numbers, he still found himself missing significant action as he broke his collarbone in Week 1 and sustained an ankle injury in the last two games of the season.
On the other hand, another tenured veteran in Sean Lee has yet to decide if he will still play in 2021 after his one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Cowboys has already expired. Similar to Vander Esch, the 34-year-old was ruled out for a number of games as he had to undergo hernia surgery in the early stages of the season.
Amid all the uncertainty in the linebackers group, the Cowboys can certainly use a player like Christian Kirksey who is aiming to have a comeback season after going through an injury-derailed campaign in 2020.
