Packers: Why trading for a star wide receiver will be difficult
The Sammy Watkins signing almost certainly won’t be all the Green Bay Packers do at wide receiver this offseason.
Far and away Green Bay’s top offseason priority is rebuilding a wide receiver corps sans Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
If the season started today, the Packers’ top three receivers would be Watkins, Allen Lazard, and Randall Cobb. All three are talented, but Green Bay currently lacks a true WR1, and possibly even a WR2.
One possible solution is via the draft.
Green Bay could come away with one or more receivers from the following: Chris Olave, Treylon Burks, Drake London, Jameson Williams, Christian Watson, George Pickens, Jalen Tolbert.
Any one of them could fit well in Green Bay’s offense. Even better if the Packers draft two of them.
But there’s no guarantee when it comes to rookies producing in year one. It may take a few seasons to reach their potential. That’s time the Packers can’t afford to wait.
The other option is free agency. However, the only free-agent receiver who could potentially be a true WR1 is Odell Beckham Jr., and he could miss most of the 2022 season due to a torn ACL.
So, what about a trade?
Why trading for star receiver could be difficult for Packers
What if the Packers were able to pull off a blockbuster deal for a star wide receiver like DK Metcalf, Terry McLaurin, or AJ Brown?
All three have one thing in common. They are entering contract years. That’s both a blessing and a curse for the Packers.
On one hand, these players only having one year remaining under contract could help them find a way out of their current teams.
If you’re the Seattle Seahawks, for example, and know Metcalf could be gone for nothing in 2023, why not listen to potential trade offers? It could make sense.
However, even if one of these star players was made available, the Packers being able to pull off the deal is another thing altogether.
The first is compensation for the trading team.
Davante Adams landed the Packers picks in the first and second rounds. Tyreek Hill was traded for a first, second, two fourths, and a sixth.
Trading for a star wide receiver would likely cost Green Bay something in the same range. A first-round pick at least. Possibly more.
Well, the Packers do have the draft resources to make it happen. They own two first-rounders (Nos. 22 and 28), two second-rounders (Nos. 53 and 59), and a third-rounder (No. 92). In theory, they could send a first and second to the Seahawks for Metcalf and still have picks in the opening two rounds.
But then they would effectively be swapping Davante Adams for DK Metcalf. Metcalf is a rising star and is younger, but Adams is the best wide receiver in the league.
And it’s not like Metcalf would be a cheaper option.
That brings us on to the most significant point.
Yes, Metcalf, McLaurin, and Brown all have expiring deals in 2023. All three also have low cap hits in 2022 as they are on rookie contracts. But that’s about to change.
The wide receiver market has exploded this offseason. According to Over The Cap, Tyreek Hill’s new deal is worth an average of $30 million per year. Davante Adams’ deal is worth $28 million a year. Even Christian Kirk landed an $18 million-per-year deal.
If the Packers traded for Metcalf, McLaurin, or Brown, they have two choices. Either accept it’s a one-year rental or be willing to spend big.
The Packers are unlikely to trade away premium picks for one season. So they would need to work out a long-term extension.
That’s where it could get difficult. Can the Packers afford to pay in the range of $28-31 million per year?
They also need to give extensions to Jaire Alexander, Rashan Gary, and Elgton Jenkins in the near future.
If they can make all of this work, then why not? If the Packers could get a player like Metcalf, McLaurin, or Brown for a first-round pick and can pay them and can still pay Alexander, Gary, and Jenkins — great!
But that’s a big if, and why trading for a star wide receiver could be a challenge for the Packers.