We’ve seen this before. It will play out one of two ways for free agent outside linebacker Mike Neal.
Either Neal will sign with another team without ever hearing from the Green Bay Packers or he’ll wait around long enough that he’ll end up returning to the Packers for a minimum, one-year deal.
It seems like the former is playing out right now.
Neal noted on Twitter the other day that he hasn’t heard peep from the Packers.
Bet my phone needs to ring first…#Damn https://t.co/QbUV94YLCh
— Michael J. Neal (@mneal96) March 30, 2016
That came in response to this tweet.
https://twitter.com/kal_daniels/status/715192282182385664
Similar to Andy Mulumba, it certainly looks like the Packers have made their plans at outside linebacker and Neal is not in them.
That would stand to reason.
We’ve been over Neal’s lack of production in 2015 several times. He had 36 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble while starting 15 games AND playing more snaps than any other outside linebacker on the Packers, including Julius Peppers.
As it stands, the Packers will go into 2016 with an outside linebacking corps of Clay Matthews, Peppers, Nick Perry, Jayrone Elliott, Datone Jones and, we suspect, at least one draft pick.
If those are your six guys, you don’t really need Mike Neal.
What’s interesting is Neal has drawn interest from at least a couple teams. It has been reported that he visited Seattle and Detroit, but he obviously still doesn’t have a contract.
That would suggest Neal’s price tag isn’t in line with what teams think he’s worth.
In the end, we’ll bet Neal takes a one-year deal with someone and tries to prove his worth in 2016. We’ll also bet that won’t be with the Green Bay Packers.