3 players the Packers should trade for this offseason
It’s officially the offseason for the Green Bay Packers.
Matt LaFleur and his assistants wrapped up their seasons after coaching in this year’s Pro Bowl, meaning that it’s time for them to change gears towards building a team that will compete both next year and in the years to come.
One way that teams build during the offseason is through trades with other teams. The Packers haven’t made any splashy additions through offseason trades recently, but many teams have tried to build contenders via trades during the offseason. Most notably, the NFC Champion Los Angeles Rams traded for their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, during the 2021 offseason.
All-Pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ future with the Packers is far from certain this offseason, and it’s unlikely that the Packers will trade picks for players if they are forced to enter a re-tooling phase with 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love, if Rodgers demands to leave the team.
However, if Rodgers decides to stay for another season, the Packers will need to push their chips to the center of the table, going “all-in” in the hopes of a championship, similar to what the Rams did this year.
These three players could potentially help the Packers bring home the Lombardi Trophy next season, and could all be realistic for the Packers to acquire, if Brian Gutekunst is willing to be more aggressive than he’s been in past offseasons.
In the spirit of making this article as realistic as possible, the predictions will be made under the assumption that the Packers retain Rodgers, and free up enough cap space through cuts and extensions to have $10 million open for offseason acquisitions.
Let’s start with a wide receiver to complement Davante Adams.
Buccaneers WR Scotty Miller
For the Packers to free up cap space for this offseason, they’ll likely need to let key receivers walk. It’s unlikely that slot receiver Randall Cobb returns, and I predicted that the Packers will only retain one of Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
They’ll likely need to add cheap talent at receiver to give Rodgers some targets to throw at. Third-round pick Amari Rodgers will be able to fill Cobb’s position of slot receiver, but the Packers will still need to add another weapon on the perimeter.
Most Packer fans probably aren’t fans of Scotty Miller. The deep-threat receiver caught a crucial touchdown at the end of the first half in the 2020 NFC Championship game, helping Tom Brady and the Buccaneers upset the Packers at Lambeau Field.
Miller was a key cog in the Bucs’ 2020 Super Bowl team, but fell out of the lineup in 2021, catching just five passes for 38 yards and no touchdowns. However, if the Packers are forced to let Valdes-Scantling walk, Miller would be a perfect replacement, possessing the same deep threat speed that Valdes-Scantling does.
Miller’s contract would be easy for Green Bay to absorb, having a 2022 cap hit of just $996,960, per Spotrac. The Buccaneers, who will be entering a rebuild following the retirement of Tom Brady, probably won’t require too much draft capital for the Packers to trade for Miller.
One thing that Miller lacks is size. According to ESPN, he stands at just 5-foot-9, weighing only 174 pounds. He is not the type of receiver Gutenkunst usually pursues, but for a Packer team that will be fighting against the salary cap, Miller could be a perfect fit.
Saints OLB Demario Davis
This offseason, the Packers will likely need to let go of at least one, and possibly both, of the Smith Brothers (Preston and Za’Darius Smith). Both players are important outside linebackers for the Packers, especially Za’Darius, who has developed into an All-Pro player during his time in Green Bay.
Blossoming star Rashan Gary will become Green Bay’s most important pass rusher next season, but they’ll need another player to line up on the other side of the formation.
Davis’s cap hits might be a bit too large for the Packers to absorb ($23 million over the next two years, per Spotrac), but he could be the perfect fit for Green Bay. Davis has never stood out as a pass rusher, totalling only 11 sacks over the past three seasons. However, he’s been excellent as a run stopper in New Orleans, and could help shore up the weakest part of the Packers’ defense.
The 33-year-old Davis will likely become a cap casualty for a Saints team that’s in an even worse salary cap position than the Packers. The Packers should be able to get him cheap, if they’re willing to take on his cap hit.
Falcons WR Calvin Ridley
This would be a blockbuster, albeit a somewhat risky trade. Ridley is only a year removed from a breakout season where he caught 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. However, he sat out much of last season to focus on his mental health, and has not shown any signs of desiring to return for next season.
Ridley, still only 27, will have a cap hit of $11.11 million next season, before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2023. The Falcons, who are entering a rebuild, may not want to risk losing a talented player for nothing, even if he doesn’t necessarily fit the team’s timeline.
If Atlanta makes Ridley available, he’ll have plenty of suitors, and could command a hefty price to obtain. However, if Rodgers and Adams return for another season, this would give the Packers one of the, if not the premier receiver duo in the NFL.
It would be the type of game-changing, blockbuster move that Packer fans have been clamoring for for years, but never received. This could be the move that pushes the Packers over the edge, and finally to another Super Bowl.