Getty The Packers could acquire DeSean Jackson before the trade deadline.
The Green Bay Packers could be in the market for another receiving weapon following Robert Tonyan’s season-ending ACL injury.
News of the severity of Tonyan’s injury were confirmed by his agent early Friday afternoon on October 29. With the Packers already operating without Marques Valdes-Scantling (hamstring) since Week 3, the Packers have been playing with a depleted receiving corps the entire season.
With the trade deadline near on Nov. 2, the Packers could be in play for another weapon for Aaron Rodgers. According to CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo, the Los Angeles Rams‘ DeSean Jackson is a possible option for Green Bay.
“Green Bay just suffered the loss of tight end Robert Tonyan, so the Packers may be in the market for a new receiver to help offset that loss,” says DeArdo. “The Packers went out and signed Randall Cobb at Aaron Rodgers’ request this offseason, so it’s not unreasonable to think that they would do the same with Jackson if Rodgers makes a similar request.”
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Jackson Seeking Trade Out of Los Angeles
The 14-year veteran is seeking a trade, with Rams head coach Sean McVay announcing on Friday, October 29, that the team is allowing Jackson to look into trade options.
“I think what it boils down to is opportunities that I think he’s deserving of and the situation and some of the circumstances that surround him,” McVay said.
The former three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver signed a one-year deal worth $4.5 million in the offseason. However, despite the Rams’ hot start to the season, Jackson has been a sparsely-used weapon in the offense.
The speedy receiver has caught just eight passes for 221 yards and a touchdown this season. In fact, he’s caught just three passes for 80 yards over the past three weeks. During the team’s Week 7 win over the Detroit Lions, Jackson played in just four snaps.
The Rams already possess one of the best receiving duos in the league in Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. When asked if the potential departure of Jackson would leave a void in the offense, McVay was dismissive of that notion.
“No. I don’t think so,” McVay said. “I think he’s a tremendous player who has a great track record and resume and I think that all the circumstances surrounding that that want to be able to be open-minded. This hasn’t exactly been probably what he envisioned, and I think he deserves an opportunity to see if there’s better options for out there for him.”
Packers Lacking in Weapons Outside of Davante Adams
With Rodgers likely entering his last season in Green Bay, it wouldn’t hurt for the Packers to add a deep-threat to their receiving core as they brace for a potential Super Bowl run.
Jackson is arguably the best deep-threat receiver of his generation, averaging 17.5 yards per catch for his career while leading the NFL in that category on four different occasions.
The Packers could just a jolt on offense. The team currently ranks 16th in NFL in points scored per game (24.0 PPG) and the unit overly relies on Davante Adams. The All-Pro receiver has caught 52 of the 96 passes caught this season by Packers wide receivers (54.1%).
The second-closest receiver is Randall Cobb with 17 passes caught for 194 yards and a team-leading four touchdowns.
Adams is currently averaging 14.3 yards per reception to lead the team. Bringing in a deep threat such as Jackson would fill a void of the Packers and give Rodgers a potentially reliable weapon — something he’s currently lacking at the receiver and tight end positions outside of Adams.
While there will likely be a number of contending teams vying for the services of Jackson before the trade deadline, the Packers — at the very least — should make a run at this home run threat of a receiver.