Bryan Bulaga’s long run with the Packers in Green Bay would appear to be over.
The Packers agreed to a two-year deal with former Badger tackle Ricky Wagner on Monday morning. Wagner was a fifth round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2013 and signed a five-year free agent deal with the Detroit Lions in 2017. Detroit decided not to pay the $9 million due in 2020, releasing him March 13th in a cost cutting move.
The Packers were able to sign the West Allis, Wisconsin native right away because of his release in Detroit. While with the Ravens and Lions, Wagner started 87 of 102 career games.
Bulaga started all 16 games for the Packers last season but is expected to get a considerable bump in pay elsewhere.
The Packers also signed former Cleveland Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey, who was released by the Browns in March. Kirksey gets a two-year deal worth $16 million with the Packers.
Kirksey, who is entering his seventh season in the NFL, has played in just nine games over the last two seasons with the Browns because of hamstring and pectoral injuries. He previously hadn’t missed any time during his first four NFL seasons with the Browns. He was Cleveland’s third round pick out of Iowa in 2014 when Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine was the head coach in Cleveland.
The legal tampering period is underway. Teams can begin signing unrestricted free agents as early as Wednesday.