The Green Bay Packers offense could really use some help at wide receiver and tight end. That isn’t surprising. Going into this season, most people not named Brian Gutekunst knew the Packers would be weak at both of these positions. So that is why there has been speculation that the Packers might be buyers with the NFL trade deadline right around the corner. But where the Packers 2022 season currently stands, it seems that a deal won’t help them much. It would be best if general manager Brian Gutekunst is a spectator when the NFL trade deadline rolls around.
Brian Gutekunst Should Sit Out the NFL Trade Deadline
Questionable leadership skills aside, quarterback Aaron Rodgers would benefit if Brian Gutekunst made a deal at the NFL trade deadline. Right now, the group of wide receivers and tight ends Gutekunst has supplied to Rodgers are some of the worst in the NFL. If Gutekunst were to land a new wide receiver or tight end for Rodgers, there isn’t much doubt that he would be elated (and surprised).
But in the big picture, what good does making a deal help the Packers in 2022? The Packers are sporting a three-game losing streak. Their playoff chances are becoming weaker every week. Adding a middle-of-the-road wide receiver or tight end isn’t going to turn around this season.
Brian Gutekunst failed to provide Aaron Rodgers with pass-catching talent prior to this season. Overpaying via a deal at the NFL trade deadline won’t help the current Packers. But it could damage future Packers seasons.
Possible Targets Aren’t Worth the Possible Asking Price
In reality, the chances of Brian Gutekunst making an actual deal at the NFL trade deadline are remote, at best. When Gutekunst was named the Packers general manager back in 2018, he proclaimed that the Packers would always be looking to improve their roster. He also talked about being in the conversation when it comes to making deals for players.
Unless it has been signing players off of practice squads or claiming players on waivers, Gutekunst hasn’t really followed through on those statements. He might be making a call to a team about a possible player. But that’s as far as it goes, just a phone call.
So, it is doubtful that Gutekunst will even make a deal. But that actually might be a good thing, for once. The players that have been linked to the Packers prior to the NFL trade deadline, aren’t big-time game-changers. In fact, most of them are at best decent supporting cast members. If Davante Adams were still a member of the Green Bay Packers offense, these players might make sense. But the Packers are in need of a true number one, not a number two or three.
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool have both been linked to the Packers. Neither are game changers, but both could contribute. They are also possible targets because they are on rookie deals. With the Packers salary cap an utter mess under Russ Ball, the Packers need to go bargain shopping. The problem with either Jeudy or Claypool is that it would take a possible second-round pick to land either of them. The asking price doesn’t match the production for either receiver.
Two other veteran options are Brandin Cooks and AJ Green. Cooks is the best of the two, but still, not a game changer. He also has a larger contract, which would turn the frugal Ball away. AJ Green is well past his prime. Unless the Arizona Cardinals would accept a box of used jock straps for him, he wouldn’t be worth a deal.
Better Off as Sellers Rather Than Buyers
Nobody likes admitting that something they are doing or have done is a lost cause. When you put a lot of work into something, you want to see it through. But there are times when you just have to admit, that you need to live to fight for another day.
That could be where Brian Gutekunst and the Packers might find themselves. The Packers disappointing season has brought roster shortcomings to the spotlight. The chance of them turning things around and even earning a spot in the playoffs is extremely doubtful. If they were to trade for Jeudy, Claypool, Cooks, or Green, would it really help their playoff chances? The answer is no and with that, it might be best for Gutekunst to become a seller at the NFL trade deadline.
One player that might bring some draft capital in return on a deal is running back Aaron Jones. Jones is the best player on the Green Bay Packers offense. But he has a big contract and with the salary cap a mess, and Gutekunst having spent a second-round pick on AJ Dillon, it might be best to move him and get something for him.
If the Packers could unload defensive end/tackle Dean Lowry at the NFL trade deadline it would be a major victory for Gutekunst. Lowry has been a part of a disappointing Packers defensive line this season. While he brings nothing in terms of stopping the run, he is able to rush the passer from the inside, which might make him a trade target for other teams. The same for Jarran Reed. He signed as a free agent this off-season but has been a disappointment. Like Lowry, he has some ability to rush the passer from the inside.
Time to Prep For the Future
When you are paying your star quarterback $50 million per season, it is hard to believe you would say “we need to start to look to the future”. But where the Packers are sitting, it might be the best for the franchise they start to prepare for 2023 and beyond.
Brian Gutekunst wagered that his four-time NFL MVP quarterback could once again carry the Green Bay Packers offense with less than elite talent. His wager failed. But trading future draft choices on questionable prospects won’t do the Green Bay Packers any good. They need to accept that this season was a failure and move on.
The Packers would be smart if they moved some players by the NFL trade deadline and get what they can for them. Packers fans might not be accustomed to this, but it’s the best thing Gutekunst and the Packers can do.
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