As the 4 pm ET trade deadline passed on Tuesday, there was no news on the Packers front. They stood pat and decided not to make a move. This seems to be Green Bay’s conservative approach becoming a trend. Fans will remember last year at the trade deadline when rumors ran wild about the Packers going to nab deep threat Will Fuller from the Texans, which never panned out.
On Monday, Matt LaFleur hinted at a possible trade deadline move by Gutekunst on the horizon. “If the right opportunity presents itself, I think that’s something that we could be involved with,” LaFleur said. “I know (Gutekunst) and his staff are working extremely hard at trying to find something. It’s just whether or not the right opportunity exists.”
Rumors this year included some possible tight end targets, including Giants’ Evan Engram and Falcons’ Hayden Hurst. There were also some longshot rumors about guys like Odell Beckham Jr. Brandin Cooks or DeSean Jackson possibly being dealt to Green Bay. Defensive standouts such as Xavien Howard, Kyle Fuller, Akiem Hicks, and Fletcher Cox trickled into some Green Bay rumors as well.
We may never know the actual reasons behind the Packers deciding not to go after players. You can reasonably assume that the asking price was too high for some of these players. There were rumors that the Giants were asking for a 5th round pick for Evan Engram. Green Bay does not want to give up a valuable pick for a player that can only benefit the team for half a season. They value the draft and develop strategy way over the “all in” big trade strategy.
Fans should not be disappointed in this strategy as the Packers still currently boast one of the best rosters in the NFL. With a handful of those blue-chip star players returning soon, (Bak, Adams, possibly Z. Smith) the Packers will be as strong as ever heading into a big stretch of the season. Aaron Rodgers said on Tuesday (via The Pat McAfee show) that he likes where the Packers roster is at right now.
Green Bay has still made some very solid and cheap veteran acquisitions this year. Some are panning out well in De’Vondre Campbell, Rasul Douglas, and Whitney Mercilus. Others, such as Jaylon Smith, didn’t work. But that is completely fine. You don’t need all those cheap acquisitions to hit big, you just need one or two. The Packers are putting their trust and faith in the roster as it stands as they look to make a Super Bowl run.
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