The Green Bay Packers have been one of the most aggressive teams in the league over the past two offseasons when it comes to blockbuster free agency moves and trades. Why not keep that going in the 2025 regular season?
The Packers' unfortunate tie against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4 was a valuable learning experience in a variety of ways, but more than anything, the team's biggest roster weakness was exposed badly.
General manager Brian Gutekunst simply cannot sit idly by after the way his cornerbacks played against the Cowboys, allowing Dak Prescott to throw for about a million yards while missing tackles and getting burned all night long. And the Cowboys didn't even have CeeDee Lamb available.
Packers need to call up the Seahawks for veteran CB Tariq Woolen
According to multiple outlets, including our friends over at NFL Spin Zone, one of the top players potentially available at the 2025 NFL trade deadline is Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen, who has been a ballhawk in his NFL career and has potentially fallen out of favor with head coach Mike Macdonald.
"Riq Woolen just hasn't been able to find that spark he had as a rookie when he intercepted six passes and made the Super Bowl," writes Lou Scataglia of NFL Spin Zone. "He's been in and out of the Seattle Seahawks' lineup, but it's clear that the Seahawks can probably move on from him. Woolen is a 6-4 cornerback, so he's truly an outlier at the position and does have a very high ceiling in the right situation."
Woolen's size and athletic traits will undoubtedly be enticing to the Packers, but his ball skills would be an absolute gift from the football gods at this stage of the season.
Woolen, who is just 26 years old, is in the final year of his rookie contract and could also just be an inexpensive rental if the Packers want him to be.
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The idea that he could help the team now and become a second-contract player is enticing on its own, but the Packers also have a path to future value from Woolen even if he would come to Green Bay, play well, and leave for another team in free agency.
They'd almost be certain to recoup a future compensatory pick in that scenario.
The more important aspect of this potential trade idea would be what Woolen can do for the Packers now. The idea of Woolen being available initially came from Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, and perhaps the leak was something to motivate Woolen.
If the Seahawks are actually fielding trade offers, however, the Packers are an obvious potential destination. There are plenty of teams dealing with injuries at cornerback this season, but the Packers have pretty much everyone healthy and they aren't performing.
Brian Gutekunst will have to do something at the position, and this would be yet another big splash for a team that's quickly becoming known for making waves.