Packers: Positions to strengthen before the trade deadline
Where should the Packers look to strengthen before the trade deadline?
The trade deadline is a week away. Should the Green Bay Packers be active, and which positions should they look to strengthen?
General manager Brian Gutekunst was rumored to be in the market for an offensive player last season before the deadline, but with no deal available he was happy with, the Packers opted against it.
Should he look for a trade again this year? The answer is yes. But where should the team aim to improve?
Wide receiver
This is the obvious one. Wide receiver remains a concern for the Packers outside of Davante Adams. Yes, the Packers have found success with and without Adams in the lineup this season, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be in the market for more talent at the position.
If they don’t get a receiver, OK. This offense has been dominant regardless, and last week’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wasn’t due to a lack of a number two receiver.
However, if there’s a deal to be made, Gutekunst should do all he can to make it happen. Adams is one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, but imagine he had a consistent second option alongside him.
Finding a player on an affordable deal will be the key, but imagine the Packers added a talent like Jamison Crowder, Will Fuller, or Brandin Cooks. Each receiver would bring a different skill set to Green Bay, but the point is that all three could make an impact in Matt LaFleur’s offense.
Fuller has dealt with injuries throughout his career, but he’d be an exciting addition. Marquez Valdes-Scantling hasn’t offered anywhere close to the type of consistency the Packers need and has a catch rate of just 44.1 percent this season.
Fuller has 490 yards and five touchdowns in seven games this season and is averaging a career-best 15.8 yards per reception. Put him in this Packers offense next to Adams and the sky is the limit.
Anywhere on defense
Getting some help along the defensive line might seem the top priority, but really, the Packers should look to add talent on defense regardless of position. If there’s an opportunity to improve, take it.
Ideally, that would involve trading for someone who can help them up front.
The New York Jets might want a lot for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, but if they’d accept a couple of Day 2 picks, Gutekunst should make it happen. Williams was the third overall pick in last year’s draft and could be a game-changing addition to this defense.
How about J.J. Watt returns to Wisconsin and chases a Super Bowl ring with the Packers?
If the Packers can add more talent on defense before the deadline, they should do it.