Packers' Top Trade Candidates Ahead of 2024 Training Camp

The Green Bay Packers offseason has mostly been about acquiring and retaining players this offseason. General manager Brian Gutekunst mostly stuck to the organization's philosophy of building the team through the draft with few exceptions.

However, part of that process is identifying players that could be shipped off to other teams for draft capital. Whether it's a big move like trading Aaron Rodgers or Davante Adams for draft picks or a small transaction like getting a seventh-round pick for offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen last year, he generally finds a way to add to their stash of draft picks.

The Packers hope to build on last year's promising campaign, but the thing that has made them consistently good is their willingness to stick to their philosophy. That includes trading away a few players every year.

As the Packers head into training camp, it's a good time to take inventory of the players that Gutekunst might want to consider making available. From a well-known defensive name to some lesser-known assets, here are three of their top trade candidates based on salary cap ramifications and the current roster makeup.

RB AJ Dillon

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AJ Dillon

AJ Dillon just signed a one-year deal to stay with the Packers, but that doesn't mean he couldn't still be traded. The one-year pact carries very little guaranteed money at just under $200,000 for his signing bonus.

On one hand, that's a cost-effective deal for the Packers. Dillon's was much less efficient last season but he still had over 800 total yards from scrimmage and shouldn't be breaking down after four years of being a complementary back.

The Packers could decide to keep him on the roster and he'll have a justifiable cap hit.

However, the Packers also drafted MarShawn Lloyd in the third round of the draft after signing Josh Jacobs in free agency. Those aren't moves the team would have made if they felt confident in Dillon's fit with their offense moving forward.

Jacobs will be the team's top back to start the season. It's reasonable to assume that Lloyd will be the No. 2 early in the year. That would leave Dillon as the third running back, but they have intriguing young options in Emmanuel Wilson and Jarveon Howard.

If either of them stands out in camp, they could put Dillon on the trade block.

OG Royce Newman

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Royce Newman

Offensive line depth is always in demand. While there are some questions for the Packers offensive line there are also a lot of options. The Packers have 14 lineman on the roster right now and had 11 on their initial 53-man roster in 2023.

Royce Newman could find himself on the fringe of useful and expendable as the team figures out which linemen to release.

The 26-year-old started 16 games as a rookie in 2021. He's had a diminished role in each season since. Last year, he made just two starts, played 183 total offensive snaps and earned a PFF grade of just 44.3.

The Packers are a team that continually invests in the offensive line and this offseason was no different. They drafted three offensive linemen, including first-round pick Jordan Morgan. They also signed Andre Dillard.

There could be teams out there who believe they can get something more out of Newman. Starting experience is valuable in the league and there aren't a lot of teams with a surplus of offensive line talent.

The Packers could be an exception and their willingness to deal Newman could score them an additional draft pick as Newman reaches the final year of his contract.

DT Kenny Clark

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Kenny Clark

Here's the big one. This isn't an argument that Kenny Clark should be traded. He's still performing at a high level and he just set a career-high for sacks with 7.5 last season.

But if the Packers are looking to make a deal and want to bring back some draft capital, then Clark is a prime candidate. He'll turn 29 years old during the season and he's on the final year of his contract.

The Packers already have $13.7 million invested in him next season in the form of a void year on his contract. The question is whether they will want to spend the additional money necessary to actually get him under contract.

Clark has said that there have been talks about a contract extension and Gutekunst has said that the team would "love to keep him around".

In other words, it seems like both sides would prefer to work something out. However, Clark was right around the age that Davante Adams was when the Packers traded him to the Raiders. There were different circumstances, but both were up for new contracts as they neared their age-30 seasons.

If Clark's terms for a new contract are too rich for what the Packers want to pay, it could make sense for them to move on and re-stock their draft pick coffers.