Over the last few days, there has been some buzz surrounding whether or not the Packers should pursue two former All-Pro players. Both edge Myles Garrett and wide receiver Cooper Kupp appear to be at the end of their tenures with their current teams, and the Packers have been discussed as potential suitors for both. While General Manager Brian Gutekunst isn’t known for trading for high-profile players, could there be an opportunity for the Packers to make a move while much of their current, young roster is intact?
A Fix to the Packers’ Pass Rush?
News broke around 10:00 am on Monday that multiple-time All-Pro Myles Garrett requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns. The former Defensive Player of the Year appears to want a new home that will allow him to compete for a Super Bowl while the Browns begin a phase of rebuilding. Garrett, 29 years old, is coming off his seventh straight season with double-digit sacks and has proven to be in the midst of his prime. Over his eight-year NFL career, Garrett has accumulated 117 games played, 102.5 total sacks, 20 forced fumbles, and 200 QB hits. Not only is he a game-wrecker, he might be one of the best of all time at rushing the quarterback.
Myles Garrett is an elite player, and acquiring elite players is never cheap. When pass rusher Khalil Mack was traded from the Oakland Raiders to the Chicago Bears, it cost the Bears two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick to obtain Mack. The Raiders did send back a second-round pick in return, but sending multiple first-round picks is pricey. At the time, Mack was two years younger (27) than Garrett currently is, but Garrett is still at the peak of his powers. While Garrett might want out of Cleveland, the Browns won’t be looking to move him for anything less than a haul.
Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst loves his draft picks. He has never traded away a first-round pick for a player, and neither did his former mentor and predecessor Ted Thomson. Expecting him to trade two of his most coveted assets is almost a fallacy. Garrett would immediately change the Packers’ defense; he would single-handedly fix the Packers’ pass-rush issues and cover up some holes in the secondary. He is still in his prime and would fit perfectly into what the Packers want to do. That said, the Packers should not mortgage multiple first-round picks for Garrett and Brian Gutekunst likely would never do it.
If the cost to acquire Garrett were to be less than what Mack yielded in 2018, the Packers should call and explore the opportunity. Should they trade one first-round pick? Yes. Could they even throw in a later-round pick or two? Sure. But even if the Packers were willing to meet that price, there’s a high likelihood that multiple other teams would too – teams with a higher draft position than the Packers. As great as Garrett is, being the team with the highest offer and trading first-round picks in consecutive years to acquire him is not the move to make.
Adding a Veteran Presence to the Wide Receiver Room?
On Monday evening, 2021 All-Pro and NFL Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp announced that the Los Angeles Rams will be looking to trade him, and he will play for a new team next season. Kupp, 32 years old, is coming off of multiple injury-plagued seasons after having one of the most impressive seasons by a wide receiver in recent memory. In 2021, Kupp had 145 catches for 1,947 yards on his way to helping the Rams win Super Bowl LVI. Since then, Kupp has battled multiple hamstring and ankle injuries.
The Green Bay Packers head into next season with Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Malik Heath, and Bo Melton all still on their roster, but they will be without Christian Watson for much of the season due to a torn ACL. While this group of pass catchers have all shown flashes in the past, none of them took the step forward many anticipated in 2024. That leaves a lot of questions heading into 2025. The Packers would benefit from adding another top-end talent to this room, but Cooper Kupp is not it.
Whatever team ends up acquiring Kupp would be on the books for paying him $20 million in 2025 and $19.85 million in 2026. Those are steep numbers for a wide receiver who has struggled to stay on the field for the past few seasons. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com did report that the Rams would be willing to take on some of the money due to Kupp to bring his salary cap number down. That said, Kupp’s best football is likely behind him. The Packers could consider calling the Rams and offering a Day 3 draft pick for Kupp, but offering anything more than that would be ill-advised.
If the Packers did make a move to acquire Kupp, he would add a strong veteran presence to a room of young pass catchers. He has proven to be a strong mentor to young pass catchers in the past (e.g. Puka Nakua) and one could assume he would continue to provide excellent leadership and guidance for the Packers pass catchers as well. Kupp has proven to be an outstanding teammate. He has performed at the highest of levels. And while it’s impossible to know if his career is on the decline, that is not a risk the Packers should make unless it’s for an extremely low cost.
Be Smart, Not Flashy
What makes the Green Bay Packers a great franchise is that they maintain their competitive window by drafting and developing their talent, not trading away their draft capital, and being smart with their salary cap. The Packers should always be in the market to add top-end talent to their team. Myles Garrett and Cooper Kupp have proven to be top-end talents throughout their respective careers. Adding either player to the Packers would almost certainly improve the team, but it should not come at the cost that either player will be commanding.
