Maybe the Packers shouldn’t be buyers at the trade deadline

Maybe the Green Bay Packers shouldn’t be buyers at the trade deadline, after all.

This time of year, contending teams often pick up the phone with the aim of striking a deal for a player before the trade deadline. A move could be the difference between winning a championship or falling short.

All season long, we’ve discussed potential trade opportunities for the Green Bay Packers.

A wide receiver to help the offense. A defensive lineman to help stop the run. Maybe some pass-rush depth.

But as we sit here, a week from the trade deadline, and the Packers 3-4, there is one question.

Why?

Why should the Packers buy at the trade deadline? Are they one player away from mounting a serious Super Bowl challenge? Based on all seven of their performances this season, they look well short.

Adding a receiver like Chase Claypool or Brandin Cooks may help the offense, but it wouldn’t magically fix everything wrong with this team.

The offense is broken. Out of sync. Trading for one player — especially a wide receiver — won’t fix it.

Trading for a wide receiver won’t help the Packers feature Aaron Jones — he had just eight carries in Sunday’s defeat to the Washington Commanders.

The harsh reality is that this Packers team isn’t one trade away from competing with the likes of the Buffalo Bills or the Kansas City Chiefs or the Philadelphia Eagles.

They are lightyears away from those teams, especially on offense.

What buying at the trade deadline does is give up valuable draft picks. Unless the Packers are trading for young, talented players for the long term, maybe the best option is not to trade at all.

Stick with what they have. If the current roster and coaching staff are good enough to figure things out, they will be contenders. If not, trading for one player before the deadline won’t make a difference.

Keep those draft picks. The way this team is playing, they’re going to need them.