GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers are in a holding pattern with at least one of their three restricted free agents.
They have yet to notify receiver Jarrett Boykin whether they intend to offer him one of the RFA tenders. If they do, it almost certainly would be the lowest tender, which last year was $1.431 million.
However, even that seems pricey for a player who caught just three passes for 23 yards last season despite appearing in all but three games.
The Packers could be waiting to see whether they will be able to re-sign receiver Randall Cobb, their top free-agent priority. If so, they might be willing to let Boykin walk or perhaps try to do a deal for less than the lowest tender offer. If it looks like Cobb will hit the open market, they then might want to bring back Boykin for depth purposes.
Boykin, 25, seemed like a promising prospect heading into last season. In 2013, he caught 49 passes for 681 yards and three touchdowns after he moved into the lineup when Cobb sustained a fractured lower leg and missed 10 games.
Boykin opened last season as the No. 3 receiver but was quickly surpassed by rookie Davante Adams. Boykin, who refused to talk to reporters all season, had as many dropped passes as he did receptions last year and most of the season was relegated only to special-teams duty.
Teams have until March 10, when free agency opens, to submit tender offers for restricted free agents. If they don't do so, then those players are free to sign with other teams without their old team having the right to match the offer.
Last offseason, the Packers let one restricted free agent, safety M.D. Jennings, walk without a tender offer, and he signed a minimum contract with the Chicago Bears. But the Packers tendered linebacker Jamari Lattimore at the $1.431 million rate. No other teams signed him to an offer sheet, and he returned to the Packers for that price.
The Packers have two other restricted free agents this offseason, offensive linemen Don Barclay and safety Sean Richardson. Both are expected to be tendered.
