Another defensive lineman has officially been tagged, and it comes as no surprise that the Green Bay Packers are going to lock up nose tackle Ryan Pickett at a cost of a little more than $7 million for the 2010 season.
“Ryan has been a good teammate and productive player for us on the field and also a good representative of the Packers in the community,” Packers general manager Ted Thompson said in a release. “We look forward to having him be a part of our future.”
The Packers can continue to negotiate with Pickett on a longterm extension. Whether one gets done or not remains to be seen. He was a crucial part of the defense’s shift to a 3-4 scheme last year and should be able to help bring along B.J. Raji, one of the club’s first-round draft picks from 2009.
Pickett made 47 tackles last season and had 25 solos for what was the league’s top-ranked rushing defense.
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