Shocking Trade Ideas Packers Should Pursue Before 2023 Season
The Green Bay Packers enter the 2023 season as one of the NFL's greatest mystery teams.
How much of last year's struggles were on Aaron Rodgers? What will the offense look like with Jordan Love at the helm? Can they still win the NFC North?
The questions are endless, and a franchise that is renowned for being consistently good is all of a sudden an unknown commodity.
It makes them a bit of a wild card as we enter the doldrums of the offseason. Free agency is over for most of the difference-makers. The draft has come and gone. Trades are the only way left to really move the needle.
As camp season approaches, here are three trades that would be shocking but worth exploring to make this year's team better or stock up for the future.
Trade for Budda Baker
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The idea here is simple. The Packers still have a need at safety this late in the offseason, and the Cardinals have an elite safety who would like to be playing elsewhere.
Budda Baker has already made a trade request. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that he wanted the move or a new deal to make him "the highest-paid safety."
However, the opportunity to get out of Arizona could be enough for him to work out a switch elsewhere. The Cardinals have been to the playoffs just once in the last seven seasons.
Baker's presence in the Packers secondary would give them an elite defensive backfield. Jaire Alexander is one of the best corners in the league when healthy, Rasul Douglas has been stellar since coming to Green Bay, and Eric Stokes flashed lockdown ability in his rookie season.
Baker, 27, would solidify the group by providing a playmaker who could align in multiple roles. The team did not bring back Adrian Amos this offseason and their free-agent additions—Jonathan Owens and Tarvarius Moore—don't inspire confidence.
The Packers are eighth in salary-cap space right now, giving them the opportunity to take on a fairly large contract for next season.
Add Grover Stewart to Defensive Line
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The Packers had one of the worst run defenses in the league last season. They gave up 5.0 yards per carry and were often bullied at the line of scrimmage.
It's a glaring need that the team didn't necessarily address. First-round pick Lukas Van Ness may be able to help as a defensive end, but it's the interior that needs new blood. Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry left in free agency, but Green Bay didn't sign anyone to replace them.
That would make defensive tackle an obvious trade target.
Grover Stewart is one of the best who could be available when you connect the dots. The Colts defensive tackle is in the final year of his contract, and Indianapolis already has big money invested in DeForest Buckner on the inside.
If the Colts don't intend to extend Stewart's contract, they might be willing to part ways with him.
The 29-year-old would be a big boost for the Packers' run defense. At 6'4", 315 pounds, he's the kind of big-bodied tackle who could come in alongside Kenny Clark and give them consistency.
Stewart's four sacks wouldn't have been a bad addition to the pass rush last year, either.
Trade Away Yosh Nijman
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The Packers have needed their offensive-line depth over the last two seasons. With David Bakhtiari and others dealing with various injuries, the team has cultivated depth up front that has bailed them out on more than one occasion.
However, keeping all of that depth can be a challenge. Green Bay lost three offensive linemen in the 2022 offseason to free agency with Lucas Patrick, Dennis Kelly and Billy Turner all signing deals elsewhere.
This offseason, the Packers managed to keep their entire crew intact, but it means there will be decisions to make next season. Yosh Nijman signed his restricted free-agent tender, which means he's slated to be in Green Bay for just one more season before becoming a free agent next year.
Nijman has made 21 starts over the last two seasons on both the right and left side at tackle. Last year, he allowed five sacks while earning a 63.1 grade from PFF.
With Zach Tom having the ability to slot in all over the line, the Packers could find the 27-year-old as the odd man out.
If that's the case, there should be a healthy market for Nijman. He's proved to be a capable starter at a position where there's always a need around the league.
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