Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers talk during a timeout by the Los Angeles Rams during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field on November 28, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers are looking for a new No. 1 wide receiver and an NFC rival is expected to put one on the trade market presently.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler appeared on a Sunday, April 3 episode of “SportsCenter” and reported that Seattle Seahawks Pro-Bowl wideout DK Metcalf is available to interested teams for “the right price.”
#Seahakws star WR DK Metcalf can be had at “the right price” despite the team saying he’s not available, league executives tell @JFowlerESPN
“This starts with DK Metcalf right now. He is a name that’s been buzzing in league circles in a big way,” Fowler said. “I’ve talked to some executives who think that maybe he would welcome a change or maybe Seattle might be willing to move him at the right price.”
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Metcalf Trade to Packers Has Gained Steam in Recent Days
GettyWide receiver DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks makes a reception for a touchdown.
Fowler’s report came three days after Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported on March 31 via the “You Pod To Win The Game” podcast that several executives around the NFL are “almost certain” Metcalf will be dealt this offseason. Robinson mentioned the Packers as one of the top contenders for the wide receiver.
“[A lot] of teams [are] convinced that DK Metcalf isn’t going to be a Seattle Seahawk when the season starts next year,” Robinson said. “A lot of teams [are] asking, ‘Are they open to dealing him? What’s the deal? Are they actively shopping him? Is he a pocket listing? Do we have to call to find out? Are they already talking to teams about him?'”
“And it’s funny because the two teams everybody brings up is they’re like, ‘Clearly, the Packers or the [Kansas City] Chiefs, they’re talking to [Seahawks general manager] John Schneider, right? They’re trying to peel that guy off,'” Robinson added.
Trade For Metcalf Could Cost Packers As Many As Four Draft Picks
GettySeattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf in a game against the Detroit Lions on January 2, 2022.
If the Packers decide they want to get in the Metcalf game, it isn’t going to be cheap. The wideout is scheduled to make just a little under $4 million next season in the final year of his rookie contract.
However, his asking price per season once he’s up for a new deal heading into 2023 could be upwards of $25-$30 million annually after former Packers wideout Davante Adams and former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill set the market in that range this offseason with their new teams — the Las Vegas Raiders and the Miami Dolphins, respectively.
And it won’t just be the backend that will be expensive for Green Bay if the team can acquire Metcalf — they’ll also likely have to surrender serious draft capital on the frontend of the deal, as well.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report suggested in a piece published Monday, April 4 that the Packers’ price for Metcalf would be the two picks they acquired in the trade that sent Adams to the Raiders (the 22nd overall pick in the first round and the 53rd overall pick in second round), as well as the 140th pick in this year’s draft and a third-round pick in 2023.
However, Sobleski also posited that Green Bay could keep Metcalf long-term without paying him an exorbitant annual amount for several years following next season.
Green Bay might have to invest a little more draft capital to get the younger Metcalf in return, but the idea of making him the league’s highest-paid wide receiver probably isn’t in the cards. Obviously, the former second-round pick will get paid but likely not to the same extent [as Adams], especially if the Packers are willing to extend him as a part of the trade agreement.
An earlier investment is smart business anyhow, considering Metcalf should experience an uptick in production playing alongside [Packers QB Aaron] Rodgers. The idea of a veteran acquisition is another wise approach because the four-time league MVP is notoriously hard on young wide receivers.
Green Bay can invest one of their two first-round picks on a wide receiver and hope the incoming rookie pans out, or it can make a strong push to bring one of the league’s best young targets into the fold.