After adding eight draft prospects on the board, HC Matt LaFleur and the Packers are still moving important pieces strategically for the 2025 season. And this time it is free agency, and that is too, for the defense. If we look at the draft picks of 2025, the Packers signed four defenders which including edge Barryn Sorrell from Texas, DT Collin Oliver from Oklahoma State, Warren Brinson from Georgia, and Micah Robinson from Tulane. But even after drafting these four beasts from CFB, LaFleur now added one more defensive player from free agency.

If we look at the defense rankings of the Packers, they were great at the No. 5 position, next only to the Eagles, Titans, Jets, and Dolphins. Their defense allowed 314.5 yards per game in the regular season but also allowed 39 touchdowns. That’s a topic of little concern as allowing TDs can hamper the whole efforts of Jordan Love and the offense. So, to make the defense tighter, LaFleur has added Isaiah Simmons. 

An NFL insider, Ari Mairov, reported, “The Green Bay Packers are signing former Giants LB/S Isaiah Simmons, per Schultz. Former No. 8 overall pick joins Jeff Hafley’s defensive scheme.” The 26-year-old linebacker has played college football for the Clemson Tigers from 2016 to 2019. With his brilliant performance, the Arizona Cardinals drafted him as the 8th overall pick in the 2020 Draft. 

After three seasons, the Cardinals traded Isaiah Simmons to the Giants. His career stats? 329 total tackles, 8.5 sacks and 9 forced fumbles. However, his stint with the Giants wasn’t as impressive as with Arizona. But why did Matt LaFleur want to sign him in free agency?

Maybe the Packers know exactly what Simmons brings to the table. They might remember his 2021 season, when he tackled 105 offensive players — 70 of them solo. He also forced four fumbles and recorded 1.5 sacks. So, LaFleur knows who he’s bringing in. Hopefully, his training camp goes well.

But that’s not all. Apart from Isaiah Simmons, the Packers have another update for fans: they have released a first-year rookie defensive tackle from the team. Let’s dive in to learn more.

Matt LaFleur released 1st year defender after signing a veteran LB

NFL reporter Aaron Wilson shared an update about rookie defensive tackle Leonard Payne’s release by Matt LaFleur. Wilson reported, “The Packers re-sign exclusive rights free agent Zayne Anderson, released Leonard Payne.” Yep, the Packers are moving on from Payne. Packers Wire also reported, “The Green Bay Packers released first-year defensive tackle Leonard Payne from the 90-man offseason roster following the 2025 NFL Draft, the team announced Monday.” The Packers had originally signed him on January 15, 2025.

While announcing the update, Brian Gutekunst did not specify the reason behind Payne’s release. However, it’s fairly clear why the team would move on from a player who didn’t appear in a single game during the 2024 season — especially after drafting four top defenders and already having eight defenders on the roster.

Performance could be a factor here, or perhaps Matt LaFleur simply has a better option than Payne. Interestingly, Payne’s college football stats weren’t bad. He played three seasons with the Fresno State Bulldogs and spent his final year with the Colorado Buffaloes in 2023. That year, he recorded just 9 total tackles, along with two sacks and one forced fumble. Afterward, he signed a free agency deal with the Miami Dolphins to play in the preseason and later joined the Packers for practice last year.

The 24-year-old Payne had signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the Packers this January — with the same amount listed as his salary. Unfortunately, none of that was guaranteed. Now, he may need to explore opportunities with another team in free agency to secure a better deal.

Well, apart from Payne, Matt LaFleur‘s Packers gave a sigh of relief to cornerback Jaire Alexander. We hope he will be on the team, as Jordan Love also wants the 2018 season’s first-round pick. Let’s see what happens in Green Bay soon.