⚡ FREE AGENCY DEBATE: Should the Packers take a chance on Asante Samuel Jr.? The potential upside is massive — but the risks could haunt Green Bay’s secondary for years.

The trade deadline came and went without a major move from the Green Bay Packers, but they are still in the market for defensive help to push them over the top towards a Super Bowl.

Free agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. is set to visit with the Packers, as well as the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers, in the coming days, after being cleared medically to return to the football field following spinal fusion surgery back in April.

Green Bay has a need at corner, with Nate Hobbs set to miss time with an MCL sprain, his second absence of the season with a knee injury. In the immediate future, that leaves only Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine as the outside corner options who have played any meaningful NFL snaps, with safety/corner hybrid Javon Bullard able to man the slot position.

Even if the Packers were a perfect picture of health at cornerback, there would still be an argument for bringing Samuel in. Although the team spent $48 million on Hobbs this offseason, the position group was built on a budget in terms of draft capital investments.

Of the four healthy natural cornerbacks on the roster, only Valentine was a Packers draft pick, and a seventh-rounder at that. In a salary cap league, compromises have to be made somewhere in terms of roster building, and Green Bay chose corner as the position to scrimp a little.

The decision to move on from former All-Pro Jaire Alexander seems to have been justified, as he was a healthy scratch with the Ravens in recent weeks and was just flipped to the Eagles for a late-round pick swap.

On the other hand, the Packers’ subsequent plan at the position has produced mixed results, with their corners looking more than capable in stretches – mostly when the pass rush has been as advertised and has forced the ball out quickly – but has also struggled at times.

They also just saw 2025 seventh-round pick Micah Robinson claimed off the practice squad, further depleting their depth.

So, should Green Bay sign Samuel? Let’s examine the pros and cons.

First and foremost, Samuel would arguably instantly become the Packers’ most accomplished cover corner, in terms of draft pedigree and NFL track record. He was drafted 47th overall by the Chargers back in 2021, while Hobbs is a former fifth-rounder and Nixon went undrafted.

In four seasons with the Chargers, Samuel’s catch rate allowed of 62.2% as a pro was better than any of Nixon, Hobbs or Valentine can boast, his passer rating allowed of 91.4 is only bettered by Valentine at 89, as is his PFF coverage grade (66.9 for Samuel compared to 68.1 for Valentine).

He also has significantly more ball production than Green Bay’s current corners. His nine interceptions (counting playoffs) are more than Nixon, Hobbs and Valentine have combined (eight), and he also has 30 pass break ups by himself compared to 44 for the trio of Packers.

Samuel is a strong athlete, running the 40 in 4.41 seconds ahead of the draft. He has a 7.47 relative athletic score (RAS) out of a possible 10, with strong scores for explosion and agility.

He is a small corner at 5-10 and 180 pounds, but crucially for the Packers, has done most of his work on the boundary in the NFL, which is what they need. Bullard has been steady in the slot this year, and Nixon and Hobbs (once healthy) are also capable of playing there.

The vision of Hobbs transitioning back to outside corner was not particularly panning out before he got hurt, so having Samuel to potentially play on the perimeter in both the short and long term could be very valuable.

While his recent injury history is concerning, suiting up for only four games last year, Samuel played 35 games between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He has not been constantly in and out of the lineup.

He turned 26 years old last month, so there is a chance he could be more than just a short term signing for Green Bay. Based on his previous play with the Chargers, he would have been a sought after player in free agency this spring if he had been healthy.

On the flipside, the injury risk is a very real issue to discuss. Spinal fusion surgery is no joke, and the procedure apparently addressed a problem Samuel has had since he was born, and he described the problems he had last season as: “a stinger in both shoulders.”

At his size, it could be difficult to hold up against the rigors of an NFL season over time, and even if he is indeed healthy, it is fair to question whether he will still be the same player post-surgery.

While he is a solid cover corner, Samuel has not been a strong run defender, which is also not aided by his size. He has a 54.8 PFF run defense grade and a 41.5 tackling grade through four seasons. If he is essentially filling in for Hobbs, the quality of run defense could be noticeably worse.

The Packers’ interest in Samuel is likely to be legitimate. As a smaller corner, he is not their usual type, although they did host him on a pre-draft visit ahead of the 2021 draft, and there is a history of those players ending up in Green Bay later down the line.

They do have plenty of other corners on the roster with more prototypical size though, and with Alexander no longer on the team, there may be room for one smaller guy in the room. They drafted Robinson this year, and while he is taller than Samuel, he weighed in the low 180s.

Signing Samuel seems like the kind of move the Packers should aggressively try to make happen. They are trying to win a championship this year, and it would carry little risk, as they would not have to part with a draft pick or hand out a lucrative contract to see what Samuel can do.

He would not be stealing snaps or blocking the path of a young, premium draft investment, which is something that has likely put the Packers off from adding veteran help in the past.

If Samuel manages to stay healthy and plays to his previous standard, it could give their secondary a real boost, and there is potential for the two sides to stay together beyond 2025 in a best-case scenario.

Time will tell whether the Packers make an offer to Samuel after his visit and manage to fight off competition to secure his services.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Should Packers sign Asante Samuel Jr.? The case for and against