Source: Packers Trying to Keep Rasul Douglas But No Deal

Added off Arizona's practice squad, Rasul Douglas changed the course of the Packers' season as well as his career.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With the NFL free-agent negotiating window having opened on Monday, the Green Bay Packers would like to re-sign Rasul Douglas but there is “no truth” to a report the team is “expected” to keep the big-play cornerback, according to a source.

There is league-wide interest in Douglas after his stunning 2021 season, according to a source, and Green Bay’s cap problems could stand in the way.

Douglas saved the Packers’ season. After Jaire Alexander suffered a shoulder injury in Week 4, the Packers desperately needed a cornerback. They tried to acquire former All-Pro Stephon Gilmore from the Patriots. Not long after the Panthers announced they had brought home the South Carolina native, the Packers announced they had signed Douglas off the Cardinals’ practice squad.

It turned out to be one of the great practice-squad raidings in NFL history.

Douglas played in 12 games, beginning with the Oct. 17 game against Chicago. Isaac Yiadom started that game and was benched after a poor opening series. Douglas, with the Packers for just 11 days at the time, replaced him in the lineup.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history. Starting only nine games, Douglas led the team and tied for fourth in the NFL with five interceptions. There were game-saving interceptions against Arizona and Cleveland, and pick-sixes in victories over the Rams and Bears.

Of 88 cornerbacks to play at least 50 percent of the defensive snaps, he finished second in passer rating (51.9), seventh in catch percentage (52.2), 11th in forced incompletion percentage (15.0) and 13th in snaps per reception (13.3), according to Pro Football Focus. He arguably was the best player on special teams, as well.

It was a season-changing season for the Packers and a career-changing season for Douglas. A third-round pick by Philadelphia in 2017, he wasn’t re-signed by Carolina in free agency last offseason and failed to make the rosters of Las Vegas and Houston during training camp this summer.

He opened the season on Arizona’s practice squad.

“Everything. A lot,” Douglas said late in the season of what this season meant for him. “Everything I envisioned. Not the end goal but just my play style, opportunity, coaches, everything. It means a lot to me.”

Douglas played this season under with a league-minimum contract of $990,000. As one of the top available cornerbacks, he will make many times that amount, whether it’s with Green Bay or some other team.

“Rasul’s another great addition to our 2021 team and we’d love to have Rasul back,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the Scouting Combine. “He’s been in this league for a little while and had some success, but what he did for us this year, specifically when we had some injuries to Jaire and stuff, it just really solidified our football team, especially on defense moving forward. Obviously, the big plays that he had – the big, splash plays – but he did stuff for us on teams, he did stuff in the run game that maybe don’t make the headlines. We’d love to have Rasul back.”

How he’s viewed by the rest of the league will be fascinating. In his first four NFL seasons, he started 29 games and intercepted five passes. Green Bay was his sixth team. In a case of skill, coaching, scheme and opportunity meshing, he intercepted five passes and led the NFL with two pick-sixes in merely nine starts. The Packers haven’t had a player with more interceptions since Casey Hayward had six in 2012.

“Probably a little bit more (money). But nothing crazy,” Douglas said of his next contract.

No doubt his agent, Damarius Bilbo, will be seeking more than a “little bit” more money for his client.

Green Bay Packers: 2022 Free Agency

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All-Pro linebacker De'Vondre Campbell will return on a five-year, $50 million contract,

Packer Central was the first to report

. He turned a one-year, $2 million contract into a Year 1 payout of $16.25 million.

Released: OLB Za’Darius Smith

Releasing two-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith produced more than $15 million in cap savings. He missed most of last season with a back injury.

Extended: OLB Preston Smith

The Packers extended outside linebacker Preston Smith after he recorded nine sacks in 2020. The upcoming season would have been his final one under contract. The extension resulted in more than $8 million of cap savings.

Released: RT Billy Turner

The Packers released offensive lineman Billy Turner, who started 43 games at three positions in his three seasons with the team. Elgton Jenkins or Yosh Nijman would wind up in the lineup.

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