Green Bay Packers: 5 Players to trade for in 2020 NFL offseason
By Joe Kipp
The Green Bay Packers have a strong roster on paper. Here are five players they should trade for this offseason to get even stronger.
The Green Bay Packers may have came one win away from the Super Bowl in 2019, but the current makeup of the roster needs some retooling. With quarterback Aaron Rodgers entering the final stretch of his career, the Packers may need to acquire veteran help at key positions to make a real run at a championship.
NFL teams are always looking to find an edge, and trading away draft capital for known commodities has become more popular over the last few years. Before the last decade, many teams didn’t even attempt to trade for star players. But under the current collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLPA, some front offices have gone the route of trading their high draft picks in favor of experienced veteran players.
For instance, the Los Angeles Rams traded two first-round picks to the Jacksonville Jaguars for cornerback Jalen Ramsey before the 2019 trade deadline last October. The Cleveland Browns traded a first-round pick and a few players to the New York Giants for Odell Beckham Jr. last offseason. Trades for star players have become increasingly popular in recent years.
The Packers used to be a team that relied strictly on utilizing the draft for stocking their roster with talent. Under former general manager Ted Thompson, Green Bay rarely utilized free agency, let alone acquiring players via trade.
Under Brian Gutekunst, who became the team’s general manager in 2018, the team has seen increased activity in free agency, particularly last offseason with the additions of Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Adrian Amos and Billy Turner.
Additionally, Gutekunst stated during his end-of-year press conference in January that the Packers were active in trying to acquire an “explosive playmaker” during the trade deadline this past October. Could Gutekunst have some more tricks up his sleeve once the new league year begins in March? Here are five trade targets the Packers should pursue this offseason.