Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst isn't afraid to take risks.
He has spent big money in free agency and usually gets it right. Gutekunst hit a home run by signing Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney last offseason. The Packers are willing to trade up in the draft, having done so for Jordan Love, Christian Watson, and Jaire Alexander. Again, Gutekunst typically makes the correct call.
We haven't yet seen Gutekunst take the third path of player acquisition, which is to make a big trade for a veteran. He has traded away star players, including Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, but the Packers usually avoid burning premium draft picks for veteran players.
Free agency is a financial risk. Draft-day trade-ups are a value risk. Trading for veteran players combines the two.
RELATED: Packers already linked to top free agent wide receiver for 2025 offseason
There's a time and a place. Acquiring a star player via trade can elevate a team into the Super Bowl stratosphere. A.J. Brown immediately helped the Philadelphia Eagles, while Matthew Stafford helped the Los Angeles Rams win a Super Bowl.
With needs at edge-rusher, cornerback, and wide receiver, the Packers should consider picking up the phone and negotiating a deal. But who might be available?
Four possible trade targets for the Packers this offseason
Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers' future could determine whether this is a realistic possibility. The Jets have a new head coach and general manager, who must decide whether they want Rodgers back in 2025. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport believes there's a possibility Wilson will request a trade if the Jets retain Rodgers for another season.
Wilson only has one year remaining on his rookie contract (although the Jets can pick up his fifth-year option). If new general manager Darren Mougey wants to acquire a premium pick for a potential rebuild or their Rodgers successor, trading Wilson could help achieve that.
Green Bay may need to part ways with its first-round pick, but for a rising star who could become Jordan Love's WR1, why not?
Wilson has faced plenty of adversity in New York, having to overcome some poor passing offenses led by Zach Wilson and Tim Boyle. It hasn't stopped him from posting three straight 1,000-yard campaigns to begin his career while taking home the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2022.
When Wilson finally got some better quarterback play with Rodgers under center, he soon got demoted to WR2 following Davante Adams' arrival.
Wilson would undoubtedly become Love's top target, where he could reach another stratosphere and compete for All-Pro honors.
DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Another interesting name to watch in the wide receiver market is DK Metcalf, who the Seattle Seahawks could move on from this offseason.
Here's where it gets interesting: ESPN's Benjamin Solak predicts the Packers will be in the wide receiver market, noting that "they could package someone like Romeo Doubs" to make a deal, before naming Metcalf and Wilson as potential targets.
The Seahawks have a salary-cap mess to clean up this offseason, and moving on from Metcalf could be part of that. Releasing or trading the veteran wide receiver would create over $10 million in cap space. Add in that he only has one year remaining on his contract, and maybe, maybe, the Seahawks would consider listening to offers.
He could be the missing piece for the Packers, especially with Christian Watson likely to miss most of next season.
Metcalf can stretch defenses vertically, which the Packers miss without Watson, and he can hit a home run at any moment. Since entering the league, Metcalf has averaged 1,054 receiving yards and eight touchdowns per season.
A two-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, Metcalf only just turned 27 and would immediately become the Packers' best receiver.
Maxx Crosby, Edge, Las Vegas Raiders
OK, we're now entering unlikely-to-happen territory, but the Packers should at least pick up the phone and ask.
The Las Vegas Raiders enter an interesting offseason. Everything seemingly points toward a rebuild, but would new head coach Pete Carroll have any interest in trading All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby? Initially, it seemingly makes no sense, but the Raiders could demand premium draft capital in return, which could help kickstart a new era.
The Packers would likely need to part ways with at least a first-rounder — although some analysts predict it wouldn't cost that much. But in return, they would be getting an elite pass-rusher and run-defender who has made four straight Pro Bowls. He is a game-changer, having made 34.5 sacks, 87 quarterback hits, and 62 tackles for loss over the past three seasons.
Pair Crosby with Rashan Gary, and the Packers' defense would go from very good to unstoppable.
Denzel Ward, CB, Cleveland Browns
A more realistic option to land defensive help comes via the Cleveland Browns. Back to Benjamin Solak's predictions — he believes the Browns will listen to offers for veteran players this offseason, including cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II.
Ward would be the perfect Jaire Alexander replacement. They entered the league at the same time, with Ward going fourth overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He has since made four Pro Bowl teams.
He regularly makes plays on the ball, averaging 13.6 pass defenses and 2.4 interceptions per season. Ward has never finished with fewer than 10 pass defenses in a year. Compare that to Eric Stokes, who has zero pass breakups since his rookie season.
What would it take to acquire Ward via trade? Would the Browns even listen to offers? Only time will tell, but the Packers would fix a major problem by making a deal for the former first-rounder.