Trading for DK Metcalf or Chase Young makes sense
It’s the calm before the storm. Next week, agents and team officials will be meeting but totally-not-tampering at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. There, the ball will get rolling on the 2025 free agency class.
With the Green Bay Packers finally being in a good cap situation for the first time in two or three offseasons, depending on how you want to skin the cat, most fans are expecting the biggest offseason from the club since 2019 — when they brought in linebacker Preston Smith, linebacker Za’Darius Smith, safety Adrian Amos and offensive lineman Billy Turner at the start of free agency.
So consider this your temperature check. Who do you want the team to add? Who is on your wishlist? Let us know in the comment section below.
Here are my candidates:
Pie in the sky
Trade for DK Metcalf
According to Spotrac, the Seattle Seahawks are $19.4 million over the cap going into the 2025 offseason, the fourth-worst cap situation in the entire league. I’m not sure if DK Metcalf is even being made available to teams, but he would fit exactly what the Packers are looking for right now.
Without Christian Watson, Green Bay desperately needs a man-beater and field-stretcher who can allow Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Tucker Kraft to make use of vacated space. That’s Metcalf’s whole game, and he’s a viable receiver, aside from making players around him better. If the Packers can’t get a Metcalf, especially going into a weak receiver draft, the alternative might be to re-sign Marquez Valdes-Scantling on the cheap.
Trade for Myles Garrett
Who wouldn’t want a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year with six All-Pros to his name? Oh, yeah, he’s also still in his 20s. The Packers are desperate for a pass rush right now. Lukas Van Ness hasn’t panned out as a first-round pick. Rashan Gary, while developing as a run defender, took a step back as a pass-rusher last season. Outside of those two players, there’s not much upside at defensive end on the team, which plays a scheme that demands a good pass rush.
I’m sure the Cleveland Browns will dig their heels in and try to make it work with Garrett. Trading Garrett, as he’s requested the team to do, would mean the entire franchise hitting the reset button. They would need to release or trade starting players on their team just to assume the dead cap that it would take to move Garrett, because of how poorly their cap situation has been managed since signing the Deshaun Watson contract. A man can wish, though, right?
Realistic options
Sign a starting pass-rusher
The New Orleans Saints are $61 million over the salary cap right now and their top pass-rush, Chase Young, is set to hit the market. It’s unlikely that they’ll be able to afford Young, the former second-overall pick who played for Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley at Ohio State. That’s one option.
A couple of other players who might interest Green Bay are Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, two Los Angeles Chargers who could hit the open market. Mack, who the Packers tried to trade for before, is set to be a free agent after this year. Bosa, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, is expected to be released by the team due to his high cap number.
There are enough difference makers out there at the defensive end position that it’s not a Myles Garrett or no one proposition for the Packers. Green Bay should be able to land someone, as long as there’s the want-to.
Sign a starting cornerback
Cornerback is not a position where you want to pay an over-aged player, which comprises most of the top names at the position in free agency. With that being said, there are two young outside cornerbacks who are above-average starters in this class.
The first is Bryon Murphy Jr. of the Minnesota Vikings, who cannot be tagged by the team after he and the team agreed to move his void dates this offseason. Either he signs a long-term extension in Minnesota or the 2024 Pro Bowler will be an unrestricted free agent.
The other notable name is Paulson Adebo, who we wrote a full scouting report on. We’ve already mentioned the Saints’ cap situation, which is why New Orleans will likely let Adebo walk to unrestricted free agency. The 25-year-old has amazing ball skills and probably fits the Packers’ defense better than the one he played in under Dennis Allen, who used a heavy man coverage scheme. Unfortunately, Adebo is coming off of a broken femur, though, he is already posting videos of him running 20 MPH on a treadmill.
Bring back Brandon McManus
This one is simple. The Packers tried and tried again to replace a declining Mason Crosby and failed to find success until Brandon McManus. He’s going to be one of the top, if not the top, kickers in free agency this year. I don’t want to have to hold my breath when the kicker comes on the field anymore. I’m done with that life. Just bring him back so I don’t have to worry about the position.