Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on against the Chicago Bears during the second half of a game in December 2022.
The Green Bay Packers could use a veteran pass-catcher in the locker room next season and can probably afford to part with one prominent offensive lineman.
Such is the premise for a trade proposal that would swap Green Bay’s starting offensive guard Jon Runyan Jr. for wide receiver Hunter Renfrow from the Las Vegas Raiders. The pitch originated with Jonathan Delray of Bleacher Report who last weekend explored hypothetical deals that would make sense for the Packers ahead of training camp.
“Hunter Renfrow could be a worthwhile addition,” Delray said. “In 2022, of course, we know the Raiders made this world of changes and Renfrow didn’t exactly do well with it. He played in only 10 games, he was injury-hampered all year … just not the same guy. And rumors have persisted that he’s going to be a post-June 1 trade [candidate].”
“The Raiders are looking specifically for a right guard. [Runyan] is entering the last year of his contract,” Delray continued. “[The Packers] have been continuing to talk about Zach Tom even more being an interior lineman, that he’s going to compete at center, right guard and right tackle — wherever [he] can fit in for their best five. So if you want to ship off Jon Runyan to the Raiders, it’s possible.”
Zach Tom Allows Packers to Trade Jon Runyan for Hunter Renfrow
GettyOffensive linemen Cody Conway (left) and Jon Runyan (right) of the Green Bay Packers participate in training camp in August 2020.
The swap wouldn’t be Runyan for Renfrow straight up, as Delray explained. Green Bay would likely need to include an asset in the neighborhood of a fourth-round draft pick in 2024 to make it worth the Raiders’ while.
On the flip side, Las Vegas would probably need to send the Packers a couple million dollars for the deal to make sense. Renfrow will carry a cap hit of roughly $11 million for Green Bay next season should the franchise acquire him. The 27-year-old wide receiver is entering the final season of a two-year contract worth north of $32.3 million in total.
The deal makes sense on paper, after Tom appeared in nine games and garnered five starts during his rookie campaign. The 2022 fourth-round pick played every position except center and was one of the top-10 pass-blocking tackles in the league across the snaps he saw on the outside, per Zoltán Buday of Pro Football Focus.
Moving Tom inside to the guard spot doesn’t play directly to his strengths, but with Yosh Nijman available to start at right tackle, the talented and versatile Tom has room to improve at the guard spot entering just his second NFL season.
Hunter Renfrow Adds Veteran Presence to Packers’ Wide Receiver Room
GettyWide receiver Hunter Renfrow of the Las Vegas Raiders could be a trade target for the Green Bay Packers this summer.
Renfrow makes sense in Green Bay’s wide receiver room for a number of reasons. The team’s top four players at the position heading into this summer are all playing in either their first or second professional seasons. Even three years shy of 30, that would make Renfrow by far the most experienced and accomplished pass-catcher on the Packers’ roster, including the two rookies expected to draw the most playing time at tight end.
The Raiders’ receiver earned a Pro-Bowl nod in his third professional season in 2021, racking up 103 catches for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns, per Pro Football Reference. Renfrow suffered a concussion and an oblique injury in 2022 that derailed his campaign, but his down season last year can hardly be characterized as a trend.
Given his age and the opportunity to start as a slot wide receiver in Green Bay in 2023, a change of scenery might be all it takes to vault Renfrow back into the Pro-Bowl discussion. Even if he doesn’t ascend back to those heights, he offers a reliable complement to explosive playmaker Christian Watson on the outside.
Renfrow should also have some value where quarterback Jordan Love is concerned, as he embarks on his first campaign as a starter in what will be his fourth season in the NFL.