Guion gets a 3-year contract
Contract calls for $11.25 million
Green Bay — When the Green Bay Packers secured defensive end Mike Daniels with a hefty contract extension in mid-December, the organization accomplished perhaps its most important piece of in-season bookkeeping.
By inking Daniels to a four-year, $41 million deal, the Packers saved a chunk of cash — Daniels almost certainly would have commanded more money on the open market — and successfully identified the focal point of the defensive line for years to come.
Flash forward two months, shortly after the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 due in large part to a vicious defensive effort, and the desire to solidify the front seven remains unchanged in Green Bay.
The Packers announced Friday they have reached a long-term agreement with defensive tackle Letroy Guion on a deal that, if completed, will carry Guion into his 30s.
The specifics of the deal, which were not included in a news release from the team, were reported by ESPN’s Adam Caplan on Friday morning: After playing the 2015 season on a one-year contract, Guion, who would have become an unrestricted free agent in March, was rewarded with three years and $11.25 million.
“Can’t win the Super Bowl with ‘nice guys’ on defense,” Daniels said on Twitter shortly after the news of Guion’s extension went public. “Ask the Broncos, Patriots, Seahawks, and Ravens. Glad to see Letroy come back”
Guion, 28, missed the first three games of the 2015 season while serving a suspension stemming from an off-season arrest in his hometown of Starke, Fla., last February. The incident, which escalated when authorities found a gun, three-quarters of a pound of marijuana and $190,000 in cash in
Guion’s truck after a routine traffic stop, squashed talks of a long-term contract after what had been a career year with the Packers.
Guion spent 2014 filling in at nose tackle for the injured B.J. Raji, who missed the entire year with a torn biceps, and played very solid football. He made 32 tackles and recorded 31⁄ sacks — both career highs — but settled for a lackluster contract after pleading no contest to felony possession of marijuana and paying a $5,000 fine.
He played the 2015 season on a oneyear deal worth $2.75 million and only $400,000 in guaranteed money.
After serving a three-game suspension, Guion made his debut against the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 4 and reclaimed a starting spot at defensive end almost immediately. He played in every game the rest of the way, including the playoffs, and was on the field for 31% of the defensive snaps this past season.
Though it took him several weeks to round into form, Guion finished on a high note and turned in some of his best performances over the final six weeks. Using his massive frame and impressive strength — he stands 6 feet 3½ inches, weighs 335 pounds and looked chiseled following his suspension — Guion proved to be stout against the run and made a number of block-shedding plays that stood out on film.
“It’s ridiculous, man, it’s ridiculous,” rookie defensive tackle Christian Ringo said in a recent phone interview with the Journal Sentinel. “That kid is strong. He’s good country strong. Oh yeah, good country strong.”
Guion finished the regular season with 21 tackles, including two tackles for loss, but saw a significant decline in his pass-rushing numbers. He managed just one quarterback hit in 2015 and failed to record a sack.
The extension of Guion muddies the future of Raji, who also is scheduled to become a free agent in March.
Though he played mostly defensive end in 2015, Guion offers the Packers a potential replacement for Raji at a discounted price. Guion is a nose tackle by trade and spent several years as a nose for the Minnesota Vikings, with whom he spent the first six seasons of his career before signing with the Packers in 2014.
The presence of Mike Pennel, a developing young player with massive size, provides another potential option on the interior of the defensive line. At 24, Pennel turned in the best season of his career and played multiple positions for coordinator Dom Capers.
Additional depth along the line could be provided by Ringo, drafted in the sixth round by the Packers in 2015, and Josh Boyd, who spent the majority of the season in injured reserve with a broken ankle.
With Guion secured, the Packers will not be compelled to overpay for Raji if he hits the open market in March. A talent-rich draft class for defensive tackles adds another factor for general manager Ted Thompson and his staff to consider.
Raji, 29, played elite-level football in the early part of the season before a nagging groin injury slowed him down. He finished with 22 tackles and six pressures.