Green Bay's Pursuit Of Aiyuk Should Depend On What They See In Christian Watson

After losing Davante Adams, it was back to the drawing board for the Green Bay Packers’ receiving corps. Brian Gutekunst didn’t exactly inspire confidence when he steered clear of the open market and the first round of the draft, instead building Jordan Love’s arsenal during the middle rounds. He didn’t have much to work with, either. Aaron Rodgers’ final contract, on which he played just one season in Green Bay, burdened the team’s salary cap with dead money that it's finally free from this offseason.

Therefore, the Packers never directly replaced Adams, only in the aggregate. But heading into 2024, the young talent blossoming in Love’s receiving room is turning heads. Christian Watson, the 34th-overall pick in 2022, has battled injuries but flashed when available. He’s the WR1 on paper, but Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks have each shown off their ability to take over a game offensively. All four have at least two more years on their rookie deals, and the same is true for Bo Melton and Malik Heath further down the depth chart. Gutekunst has something cooking.

Meanwhile, Green Bay’s playoff kryptonite is learning that they can’t pay everybody. However, San Francisco 49ers star receiver Brandon Aiyuk has requested a trade after months of negotiations that seemingly have gone nowhere. Aiyuk has quietly stacked up nearly 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in four seasons since the Niners drafted him 25th overall out of Arizona State. The quiet part results from the rest of Kyle Shanahan’s offensive juggernaut fighting for the spotlight, with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle producing and getting paid.

The question for Green Bay becomes: Do they dip their toe into these negotiations? Aiyuk has been on the market since before the draft, and that’s the optimal time to trade since teams are flush with assets and know their picks. The fact that a deal hasn’t gotten done speaks to either misguided optimism from John Lynch and his staff or a lukewarm market for Aiyuk’s services. With names like Rodgers, David Bakhtiari, and De’Vondre Campbell off the books, is now the time to get Love an A-List pass-catcher?

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that, according to a poll of coaches, scouts, and executives, Aiyuk ranked as the 10th-best receiver in the league. He would instantly become the biggest offensive name since Adams to join Matt LaFleur’s offense. The trade-off is breaking up the young receiving corps. Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay theorized the return for Aiyuk was Watson and a draft pick. Watson’s inability to stay on the field has to have exasperated the front office as much as it has the fans, particularly as Green Bay enters a legitimate Super Bowl window behind Love. Even if a return would consist of draft compensation, Aiyuk’s immediate insertion into the X position would come at the expense of snaps for others.

It’s worth noting that this is not the type of move the Packers typically make. Unlike his predecessor, Gutekunst has been more willing to make a splash, as evidenced by the massive deals he handed to Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs earlier in the offseason. Still, he’s yet to pull off a major trade that brings in an established player. His only major trades involving an established player were those that sent Rodgers and Adams to New York and Las Vegas, respectively. On the flip side, now is the time to start pushing the chips back in. Gutekunst’s rebuild was swift yet sweeping, and his young squad will carry momentum from a convincing Divisional run into 2024.

Having a new No. 1 every week was a fun gimmick for the 2023 Packers, who weren’t expected to accomplish much from the beginning. However, it’s an unsustainable way to press forward as a serious contender. It boils down to whether or not Watson can take a leap into that role. While he has flashed with game-breaking speed and deep routes, we have yet to see his ability as a high-volume, short-yardage guy. Passing up the potential opportunity to add proven, top-tier talent would mean maintaining confidence that Watson’s growth hasn’t fallen behind that of the young teammates and offense around him.

The new-look Packers are in a position to build upon a strong introduction to the league with a push for the NFC North — and the conference at large — with a relatively weak pool of contenders. The young receiving corps, built cheaply through the middle of the draft with fantastic scouting and development, is emblematic of the entire roster. Gutekunst is about to unload a top-of-the-market mega-deal to secure Love’s services for the coming years. If the price and opportunity are there, he should make a move to get him a receiver who can go step for step with Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Keenan Allen in the North.