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The Green Bay Packers are coming off their first season missing the playoffs in nine years, which shifted the front office toward reshaping the roster. Much of these possible changes could on the defensive side of the ball with the team finishing in the bottom half of the league in several defensive categories.
One of which was their pass rush where they ranked 17th with just 37 total sacks while opposing quarterbacks held the second highest passer rating against them at 102.0. According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Packers are scheduled to hold a visit with former Pro Bowl defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson on Wednesday.
Free agent DE Muhammad Wilkerson will be visiting the #Packers Wednesday, according to a source. He has other visits set up as well, but chose Green Bay first.
— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) March 6, 2018
The 28-year-old has spent his first seven seasons in the league with the New York Jets where he established himself as one of the better defensive ends in the league. This saw him finish with double-digit sack totals twice while recording 44.5 up to this point in his career along with 405 total tackles and 10 forced fumbles.
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New York had decided to part ways with Wilkerson last week after just two years into his five-year, $86 million deal that he signed in the Summer of 2016. He had struggled to make a significant impact as a pass rusher recording just 8.0 sacks in the last two seasons, which is well below the production expected from the contract that he signed.
Nonetheless, Wilkerson is still in the prime of his career and the change of scenery could what's needed to get him back on the right track. He could immediately step in to help provide more pressure on opposing quarterbacks alongside linebackers Nick Perry and Clay Matthews along with defensive tackle Mike Daniels.
The Packers don't currently possess much salary space with just over $16.4 million at their disposal, which could limit the type of offer they can present to Wilkerson. This will be the first a few visits for the eighth-year defensive end that he will have before coming to a decision likely ahead of free agency.
