1 free agency move from each NFC North rival Lions fans can laugh at

2. Packers paying Xavier McKinney like a top-10 safety in the league

To be fair, McKinney is a fine player. The Packers also had a significant need at safety going into free agency, and pulled no punches to address it. But they also paid for the privilege to add him, with a four-year, $64 million deal. The contract is structured about as favorably as it can be, with a $23 million signing bonus and chunks of other money tied to other bonuses (roster bonuses, workout bonuses, per-game roster bonuses).

But tying $200,000 in per-game roster bonuses each season of the contract reflects something. In four NFL seasons, McKinney had played 6, 17, 9 and 17 games. In peak Bret Saberhagen fashion, that would mean he's due for injury-hampered year in 2024 (an even-numbered year, of course). In 2023, his PFF coverage grade far exceeded any other in his career (91.2), with a passer rating allowed of 69.8.

Some people think the Packers have surpassed the Lions in the NFC North, rooted in being a young team coming of a season with a playoff win and having made a couple big free agent signings (McKinney and Josh Jacobs).

The knock on Green Bay signing McKinney is mostly about money allocation, when it looks like they could have signed a good, top-tier safety for far less (ex: Kamren Curl) and spent the savings elsewhere.