This season was never about Super Bowl aspirations for the Green Bay Packers. Handing the reins over to quarterback Jordan Love with a youthful cast on offense would take patience. Still, the goal had to be to show signs of growth, something that hasn’t happened yet.
With the trade deadline approaching and the Packers torpedoing into irrelevance, standing pat at the trade deadline is the right move.
Let’s start with why the Packers shouldn’t be buyers.
Names fly around the rumor mill left and right when the deadline nears. For the third-straight season, Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy appears to be available. For the third year in a row, the Packers have popped up as a potential landing spot.
It doesn’t make much sense.
Does Jeudy move the needle enough to solve Green Bay’s offensive woes that have been on full display through six games?
Probably not.
Has he shown that he’s such a promising piece that the Packers would be foolish to not push chips in now in hopes of keeping him around for the long haul?
Not exactly.
Buying at the deadline doesn’t make sense for Green Bay if you’re only looking through the prism of this year. It’s far-fetched to suggest the Packers can right the wrongs simply by acquiring players at the deadline. There are too many problems, especially on the offensive side of the ball, to genuinely believe that’s the approach Brian Gutekunst should take.
Most teams that buy at the deadline are looking for a quick fix, a piece of the puzzle that furthers championship dreams. Green Bay is really (really) far away from that position.
If they want to acquire someone young, like a Jeudy, the Packers would be wise to hammer home the point that it’s a move made with an eye towards the future. Still, with Jeudy in particular, Green Bay has enough unproven talent at wide receiver that they need to filter through. Jeudy would more likely muddy those waters than he would be an instant problem-solver.
Think about Green Bay’s history. Whether it was under general manager Ted Thompson or Gutekunst, the Packers typically don’t wheel and deal at this time of the year. Each year is separate from one another, sure. Given how the Packers operate, though, it would be really surprising to see them decide this is the time to go in now. They stood firm with no moves in so many seasons with Aaron Rodgers at the helm with teams that were very much in the Super Bowl discussion.
Buying now just doesn’t make sense. Selling, on the other hand, might be more logical.
In theory, yes, a team like the Packers could try and stockpile draft assets with this year appearing to be heading south. The issue is the current roster.
Who are you trading if you’re Green Bay? Sellers are usually getting rid of veterans. Look at Green Bay’s offense.
Veteran left tackle David Bakhtiari is out for the year. Running back Aaron Jones has been banged up and, as of Friday, still isn’t at 100%.
Outside of that, the Packers have all rookie or second-year wide receivers leading the charge without a veteran piece in sight. Gutekunst isn’t trading wide receiver Christian Watson or Romeo Doubs. Jayden Reed isn’t going anywhere as a rookie. The other options don’t bring about any current value in return for Green Bay.
On defense, it’s foolish to suggest the Packers would part with someone like cornerback Jaire Alexander. He’s part of the long-term solution and in the prime of his career. The same can be said for edge rusher Rashan Gary, who is due a new deal soon.
That leaves limited options the Packers could trade if they want to be sellers.
Outside linebacker Preston Smith could be an option. Fans would riot if Green Bay sent defensive lineman Kenny Clark packing, but he’s a veteran that teams could inquire about.
The larger point remains, you can’t sell just to sell because it’s a down year. You have to have pieces to sell that make sense for both sides and, from Green Bay’s perspective, it lacks basic logic.
All of this circles back to the original point. Green Bay should, and likely will, stand firm at the deadline. They aren’t one or two pieces away from solving the riddle, and they don’t have many veterans that could net a solid return that makes sense for the Packers to deal.
The frustration is mounting both externally and internally. The goal the rest of the way should be for the offense to show some signs of life, some consistency, some semblance of cohesion. If Love and Co. can show enough, it will generate some optimism heading into the offseason. If they don’t, more questions will arise.
One thing that is certain: A trade isn’t solving anything for Green Bay in 2023.
