Report: “Increasingly Likely” Packers CB Sam Shields Will Test FA Market

According to Bill Huber, it seems “increasingly likely” that Packers  impending free agent CB Sam Shields will test the open market in the next few weeks.

• Huber added that there was nothing new to report between the Packers and Shields regarding a possible extension.

Shields, 26, has developed into a very solid player for the Packers since he went undrafted in 2010. Statistically, Shields’ 2013 season wasn’t off the charts, but he did manage to contribute 61 tackles, four interceptions and 17 pass defenses. According to Pro Football Focus, his catch-allowed rate was 50 percent which ranks as No. 8 in the NFL for qualifying cornerbacks.

Green Bay should have plenty of cap space to work with this offseason, but they have a number of free agents and positions to address, as well as some extension candidates like Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, which means allocating a market-value contract to Shields may not be in the cards.

The Packers have Tramon Williams, Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde and Davon House at cornerback, so they could look to draft another player to develop and save the money.

Applying their franchise tag is an option, but at a projected $13.3 million, it seems increasingly unlikely that Green Bay would elect to go this route.

We have Shields listed as the No. 33 player in our Top 50 Free Agents list.