Packers Aaron Jones Gets Brutally Honest on Rasul Douglas Trade

The Green Bay Packers made a consequential trade ahead of the NFL’s deadline earlier this week and the effects have been far-reaching.

Green Bay sent cornerback Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills along with a 2024 fifth-round draft pick in exchange for a third-round selection next year. Perhaps the most meaningful outcome of the deal occurred inside the Packers locker room, where star running back Aaron Jones became emotional upon hearing the news.

“It was a moment I’ve never had. I’ve never had somebody that close to me get traded,” Jones said. “We both started talking and shed a few tears. It’s been a long journey for both of us.”

Jones continued on, saying that he and Douglas built a friendship before the 2017 NFL Combine and ahead of the subsequent draft, which saw the Packers select Jones in the fifth-round and the Philadelphia Eagles take Douglas in the third.

“When you got somebody on the other side of the ball who is a mirror of you, who believes in the same things, same work ethic — you know what you’re gonna get out of them,” Jones added. “It’s tough losing a brother like that.”

Rasul Douglas Considered Leader in Packers Locker Room

GettyCornerback Rasul Douglas of the Green Bay Packers.

Jones described Douglas as both a “true pro” and a “true leader,” opinions widely shared throughout Green Bay’s locker room.

Fellow cornerback and All-Pro kickoff return man Keisean Nixon spoke to media members on Wednesday and revealed a reaction similar to the one Jones’ experienced upon hearing the news that Douglas was departing.

“I am really lost for words,” Nixon said. “I understand it’s a business, but I’m still sick to my stomach, honestly.”

Beyond sadness and disbelief, Nixon displayed an undercurrent of anger, which he directed toward decision makers like general manager Brian Gutekunst who construct the personnel makeup of a locker room but aren’t actually a thread in its tapestry.

“[Douglas was] somebody who stabilized the locker room,” Nixon added. “Big part of what we was — preaching and coaching as a team. And now he’s gone.”

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst Explains Process Behind Trading Rasul Douglas to Bills

GettyGeneral manager Brian Gutekunst (left) of the Green Bay Packers speaks with head coach Matt LaFleur (right) in May 2023.

Gutekunst also spoke to reporters Wednesday, saying the franchise didn’t approach the Tuesday deadline with an intention to trade Douglas.

“It was a tough one because of what [Douglas] means to our football team,” Gutekunst said. He added that the team didn’t have much interest in trading Douglas, but that the Bills made an offer the Packers couldn’t refuse.

“Long-term, it’s going to be in our best interest,” Gutekunst said of dealing Douglas. “Anytime you get a third-round pick that’s going to be within the top 100, that’s probably going to be in the top 50 players you have on your board.”

It is impossible to know precisely how many spots the Packers have moved up by swapping their early fifth-round pick for the Bills’ late third-round selection. The NFL will not set the full draft order until the postseason has concluded, and compensatory picks around the league will also factor into the equation.

However, a reasonable guess by which to evaluate the trade is that the Packers will move up around 50 spots overall on the board. If the draft started tomorrow, Green Bay would pick sixth and Buffalo would own the No. 24 selection, per Pro Football Network.

The 29-year-old Douglas signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Packers in March 2022. Cap analyst Ken Ingalls reported Tuesday that the Packers saved $6.5 million in 2024 by trading Douglas as well as nearly $900,000 this year.

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Packers’ Aaron Jones Gets Brutally Honest on Rasul Douglas Trade

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