The Green Bay Packers are 5-2, and we’re 13 days from the trade deadline. The NFC North is the only division in football with all teams above .500. With such fierce competition, it only makes sense for Green Bay to be buyers at the trade deadline. They must stay competitive amidst the bloodbath to keep pace in the division.
Recently, the Packers have been rumored to be in conversations with the Cleveland Browns regarding Myles Garrett.
The Packers have a top-10 scoring defense. They lead the league in takeaways and have allowed only 22 points in the second half over the last five games. Jeff Hafley’s unit held C.J. Stroud to the worst passing performance of his career on Sunday.
Green Bay’s edge room had a strong game against the Houston Texans. Rashan Gary led the team with six pressures, three hurries, a sack, and two hits on C.J. Stroud. For context, Gary had nine pressures over the first six games. J.J. Enagbare added three pressures and three hurries. However, the Packers have invested nearly $150 million in Gary and Preston Smith, and they’ve produced inconsistent results. Together, they account for 24 pressures this season, while Garrett alone has 27. From a production standpoint, it makes sense for Green Bay to target Garrett at the trade deadline.
On the other hand, Green Bay is already investing heavily in its starting edge rushers and has over $13 million in available cap space, with $53 million in 2025. Garrett's cap number is $20 million this season, so the Packers would need to make some cap adjustments. However, would they really allocate more financial resources there, considering the team has bigger needs in other phases of the defense?
The linebacker corps is the biggest liability on Green Bay's defense. Quay Walker has the worst defensive grade of his career and the fifth-worst coverage grade among 43 linebackers with 150-plus coverage snaps. Isaiah McDuffie has the eighth-worst tackling grade among 63 linebackers with 200-plus snaps and is tied for the fifth-most missed tackles. Quarterbacks have a 121.8 passer rating when targeting him. Rookie Edgerrin Cooper and special teamer Eric Wilson have been Green Bay’s best off-ball linebackers.
There are some viable options for Green Bay at the trade deadline. Bobby Okereke is an interesting target. He's had at least 100 tackles in each of the past three seasons, and the New York Giants would face just over $5 million in dead cap by trading him. With the Giants in full rebuild mode, Okereke could be available for an early Day 3 pick.
Isaiah Simmons is another intriguing option. He has played safety and linebacker in the NFL, making him a versatile asset Jeff Hafley could deploy anywhere on the field. He has a solid 73.7 run defense grade this year per Pro Football Focus, but he has been average at best in other aspects of the game. That doesn't mean Hafley can't turn Simmons' career around. The Giants would incur just over $1 million in dead cap with a trade, and acquiring him should also cost Green Bay a Day 3 pick and $2 million against the cap.
The Packers also need a second option at cornerback to play alongside Jaire Alexander. Green Bay has already benched Eric Stokes this season, Keisean Nixon primarily plays in the nickel, and Carrington Valentine has been dealing with injuries and appeared in only three games this year.
Rumors suggest that while Green Bay checked in on Garrett, they also inquired about Greg Newsome II. At 24 years old, Newsome has 26 pass breakups and has started at least 11 games in each of the last three seasons. Newsome’s cap number for 2024 is just over $4 million, and he would be an upgrade over Stokes, Nixon, and Valentine.
Deshaun Watson is out for the year with a torn Achilles, and Cleveland is in full rebuild mode. Trading Newsome would save them nearly $3 million in 2024 and $13 million in 2025. However, the price for Green Bay would likely be a Day 2 pick, and the Packers highly value their draft capital, which makes it uncertain if they’d make the move.
Cleveland is projected to have a $4 million deficit in cap space for 2025, alongside $172 million in dead cap associated with Watson over the next year. These factors push the Browns to consider moving on from key players. However, Garrett is a generational pass rusher, and the need to trade him isn't as pressing as his potential desire to leave during a rebuild.
Like any smart general manager, Brian Gutekunst has to consider bringing in Myles Garrett. He’s building a Hall of Fame career and is stuck on a team that set itself back by giving the largest fully guaranteed contract to a quarterback in NFL history. Garrett wants to win now, and the Packers are in that mode, too. Gutekunst has seen Xavier McKinney’s impact on the back end and might want a similar force up front. However, Green Bay is already paying big money to its edge rushers and spent a first-round pick on Lukas Van Ness. They should trust their current guys to figure it out and focus on other needs.
Think you could write a story like this? Hockey Wilderness wants you to develop your voice, find an audience, and we'll pay you to do it. Just fill out this form.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.