GREEN BAY, Wisconsin: Brian Gutekunst, general manager of the Green Bay Packers, had assembled championship-caliber teams in 2019–2020 and 2021. During those trade deadlines, when the Packers were dominating games, he looked at the choices at needy positions but chose not to move.
A club that was expected to win a championship in 2022 struggled right away, finishing 3-5. The Packers finished 26th in scoring even with Aaron Rodgers coming off back-to-back MVP seasons. Gutekunst went window shopping but failed to close the sale as the window of opportunity closed.
A team that was meant to be a work in progress in 2023 is not making any headway. The Packers have dropped four straight games and are now 2-5.
There is absolutely no reason for Gutekunst to be a buyer at this trade deadline if he wasn’t one at the prior four.
The Great Reset has always been the focal point of the 2023 season. Check out everything Jordan Love has to offer. I hope the new quarterback can develop together with a number of young receivers. Pay off the salary-cap credit card debt first. Subsequently, a more seasoned quarterback threw to seasoned receivers and with
Gutekunst didn’t spend in free agency, with the exception of a couch-cushion swap that was utilized for safety and to bolster the special teams. Why in the world would he want to spend so much draft capital before the trade deadline on Tuesday?
It is not a good squad, the Packers. That was clearly demonstrated by the Vikings’ losses to the Raiders (after the mini-bye), Broncos (following the full bye), and Vikings (following their Monday game against San Francisco). It won’t take a trade deadline acquisition of an offensive lineman or receiver to turn the Packers into a competitive club.
Green Bay’s absurdly youthful receiver corps has undoubtedly been a huge letdown. The lone huge play for Christian Watson happened on a mishandled coverage. In four games, he has caught 10 of 23 targets for 99 yards, excluding the 77-yarder at Las Vegas. In the past three games, Romeo Doubs has caught seven out of eighteen targets for 52 yards.
Jayden Reed, a rookie, is the lone receiver who has played more than sometimes, but his expensive mental mistakes and drops have been evident. Dontayvion Wicks, a rookie, was brutally dropped close to the goal line. In seven games, Samori Toure has five receptions.
What could be more beneficial than a seasoned receiver signed on Tuesday? A veteran wide receiver signed in March via free agency (or re-signed).
Assume the following: The Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein reported that the Packers were interested in trading for any of the three receivers—DeAndre Hopkins, Jerry Jeudy, or Cortland Sutton—on Tuesday. He’d have to find out what the offense was. He would need to align himself with Love. The entire process of growth would need to be restarted.
And for what purpose? Are Jeudy, Hopkins, and tight end Darren Waller so much of a game-changer that the Packers would win seven of their last ten games to finish 9-8 and secure the last NFC wild-card berth?
Chase Claypool did just that with the Bears in the previous season. No, he didn’t, oh, wait. For Claypool, the Bears prevailed over the Packers. In ten games, Claypool caught eighteen passes and was sold to Miami in exchange for a second-round pick.
Preston Smith, an outside linebacker, has shown everyone over the past two games that he is a capable player. There must be a rival club that could use a three-down guy who can rush the passer and establish a lead. To expedite Smith’s growth, trade the 30-year-old player and give first-round pick Lukas Van Ness an extra 20 snaps every game. Give rookie Brenton Cox, who was undrafted, a chance.
Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell returned from a three-game absence to post 14 tackles and assist in keeping the Vikings to 2.0 yards per carry. A three-down linebacker would be useful for some club, no doubt. Isaiah McDuffie, who performed admirably in Campbell’s absence, should be acquired in exchange for the 30-year-old Campbell.
The 2023 team would undoubtedly suffer if Smith and/or Campbell were traded, and the salary-cap savings would be negligible. However, the Packers have a number of voids that may be filled with a few more draft picks, provided that the salary is commensurate with the talent.
The Packers haven’t considered themselves inconsequential in December in a very long time. But this season isn’t really about this season. The focus has been on preparing the ground for upcoming seasons. For veterans like Aaron Jones and Rasul Douglas, who are proud members of the team, that would be a bitter pill to swallow, but the NFL is a hard business. The only thing that counts is the “G.”
Thus, move forward at full speed with Love, Watson, Doubs, Reed, and Luke Musgrave; obtain fair recompense for any veterans that are in high demand in the trade market.
