Green Bay Packers: 3 Players to trade for ahead of deadline
Green Bay Packers: 3 Players to trade for ahead of deadline
No. 1 DE Clelin Ferrell (Las Vegas Raiders)
When he was drafted No. 4 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Raiders thought they were obtaining a dynamic playmaker on the EDGE who can wreak havoc on the quarterback. Since being drafted though, Ferrell has played in 31 NFL games, starting 26 of them tallying 6.5 sacks in three years counting this season.
Five games into the 2021 campaign, Clelin Ferrell has yet to start in the Raiders lineup and it seems that a departure is rather likely given the end of the brief Gruden era as the team looks to re-configure some facets of the team. This is where the Green Bay Packers can come into play.
Ferrell was forced to play as a down defensive lineman as opposed to his natural stance as an up-linebacker on the edge. The 6’4″, 265-pound pass rusher doesn’t have the muscle mass to take on the interior line, but he has the speed and explosiveness to attack from the outside, which is exactly what Green Bay needs after Za’Darius Smith went down to injury.
They need a home-run hitter. The team is able to generate pressure, but they can never finish the play as opposing quarterbacks have been able to extend plays outside the pocket and run for big gains. Ferrell placed opposite to Rashan Gary will give the Packers two rushers who can explode through the tackles and crush opposing quarterbacks before they even know what happened.
A new change of scenery for Clelin Ferrell could be exactly what he needs. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and he should be shining bright in the eyes of the Packers’ front office.
His lack of production can cause his value in a trade package to be irrelevant. If the team wants to shape up their pass-rush, this is a guy who can do just that. In the worst-case scenario, Ferrell serves as a reliable rotational piece and gives the rest of the group a breather on the sideline. Best-case? He becomes hated by the Raiders because he breakouts for 10+ sacks for Green Bay.
The options are available, and with teams taking their time to see how they want to attack, the plan is right in front of general manager Brian Gutekunst if he truly wants to win it all with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.