Ted Thompson has finally struck on the free agent market. It took a good three years, but the Green Bay Packers’ general manager made a big-time splash on Friday.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Green Bay has signed former New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett.
Former Patriots TE Martellus Bennett is signing with the Packers, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2017
This came out of absolutely nowhere. Bennett had been closely linked to the Oakland Raiders in free agency. That came after his now former Patriots team traded for his replacement in the form of Dwayne Allen earlier in the week.
Bennett, 30, recorded 55 receptions for 701 yards and seven touchdowns in his only season with New England. The veteran really stepped up with Rob Gronkowski suffering through an injury-plagued campaign.
Seen as one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the NFL, Bennett will now be on the receiving end of passes from Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. We can’t imagine a better fit for either the player or the team here.
For their part, the Packers have received a ton of criticism for being extremely inactive in free agency recently. That was only magnified prior to the Bennett signing after Green Bay itself struggled with depth last season.
This definitely changes the perception some.