Free agency tends to be a tricky and dangerous proposition. Usually, teams that overuse that avenue of adding external players find themselves overspending and without the expected return on the field. However, the safety position might be an exception to the rule.

It's such a devalued position on the market that even the top players don't make that much money if compared to positions like edge defender or cornerback. Even when an elite safety hits the market, the contract is not that big — last offseason, Jessie Bates signed a four-year, $64 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons ($16 million yearly average).

And safety is the biggest need on the Packers roster. Last year, they had to go through cheap free agency to complement the room, signing Jonathan Owens and Tarvarius Moore (who didn't even make the 53-man roster). This year, with a more comfortable cap situation, the team can add more established contributors.

General manager Brian Gutekunst indicated the necessity to add more players at the position, which can include draft and free agent options.

"Initially, pretty solid at safety, as far as the draft class goes, and then the free-agency class as well,” said Gutekunst during his. "We're going to have to add numbers there, for sure."

Josh Queipo and Kyle Dediminicantanio have written a greatly useful piece for A to Z Sports projecting the contracts of the top 105 players slated to be free agents. And the list includes 10 safeties. One of them is the Packers' own Darnell Savage, and it could certainly make sense to re-sign him. But there are also other solid options from varied price ranges. Let's list them, from most to least likely for Green Bay.

Jordan Fuller

Franchise Tag Likelihood: Low
Projected Contract: 2 years, $12.0 million, $6.0M APY, $5.5M GTD
Year One Cap Hit: $2.3 million

Fuller is the ideal target for the Packers. He played under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley at Ohio State, and had a solid four-year stretch with the Los Angeles Rams coming out as a sixth-round pick. Moreover, he is projected to be affordable, with a mid-level $6 million average per year.

Geno Stone

Franchise Tag Likelihood: Low
Projected Contract: 3 years, $25.5 million, $8.5M APY, $12M GTD
Year One Cap Hit: $4.0 million

Stone had one of the most valuable deals in the NFL in 2023, earning $1.76 million from the Baltimore Ravens. His market will certainly be much stronger this year after a really good season under Mike Macdonald, but it might still be a valuable option.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson

Franchise Tag Likelihood: Low
Projected Contract: 2 Year, $17.0M, $8.5 APY, $8.5M GTD
Year One Cap Hit: $6.0M

CJGJ has spent time with three different teams over the last three seasons. He was with the New Orleans Saints, the team that drafted, in 2021, but was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in the final year of his rookie deal. Last offseason, he signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions.

Gardner-Johnson was primarily a slot corner during his three seasons with the Saints, but last year he played almost exclusively as a safety — with the Eagles in 2022, free safety was his most frequent alignment, but he was used all over the secondary. That versatility is one of his important calling cards.

Kyle Dugger

Franchise Tag Likelihood: Medium
Projected Contract: 3 yrs, $40.5M, $13.5M APY, $25M GTD
Year One Cap Hit: $7M

Dugger is one of the best options on the market. There are two big questions, though. The first one is if he will actually hit the market, because the New England Patriots can simply tag or extend him. The other one is if the Packers will be willing to pay something around his $13.5 million per year market value. That's mostly the type of deal (considering inflation) that Green Bay gave Adrian Amos in 2019.

Jordan Whitehead

Franchise Tag Likelihood: Low
Projected Contract: 3 Year, $24 million, $8M APY, $10M GTD
Year One Cap Hit: $3.6 million

Whitehead is a solid player and knows Robert Saleh's system very well from their two years together with the New York Jets. The Packers are expected to run something similar with Jeff Hafley, so it’s an obvious connection.

Jeremy Chinn

Franchise Tag Likelihood: Low
Projected Contract: 1 Year, $3M, $3M APY, $2M GTD
Year One Cap Hit: $1.8M

Chinn was a fan-favorite during the 2020 pre-draft process, but he's had only one good season in the NFL, in 2021. His best attribute has been the pass rush ability as a blitzer. Even though he hasn't lived up to expectations, it might still make sense to add him as a flier.

Xavier McKinney

Franchise Tag Likelihood: Medium
Projected Contract: 3 yrs, $34.95M, $11.65M APY, $22.5M GTD
Year One Cap Hit: $6.5M

McKinney is one of the best coverage corners in football, and the New York Giants might just keep him. If he goes to the market, though, he's an interesting option coming out of his best NFL season.

Micah Hyde

Franchise Tag Likelihood: Low
Projected Contract: 1 years, $3.25M, $3.25M APY, $3.25M GTD
Year One Cap Hit $3.25 million

The Packers know Hyde very well, as he played in Green Bay to start his NFL career between 2013 and 2016. That was a long time ago, though. He had great years with the Buffalo Bills, but now he's 33. Even if he's able to return and play at a good level, Hyde is not the long-term solution the Packers need.

Antoine Winfield Jr.

Franchise Tag Likelihood: High
Projected Contract: 3 yrs $61.5M, $20.5M APY, $40M fully GTD
Year One Cap Hit: $9M

Winfield is the best safety of this free agent class, but that creates complicating layers. The first one is the value. He's expected to make more than $20 million annually, and that's probably more than the Packers are willing to pay a non-premium position player. The other one is that the Bucs might just franchise tag him if the parties are not able to find a deal before the tag window, because he's not the type of player teams are willing to let go.

Three perfect free agent targets for the Packers

Green Bay could add a wide receiver, a safety, and a running back to the mix