Getty The Green Bay Packers are missing out on one of their top trade targets from 2022 in wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
The Green Bay Packers don’t make trades very often, but one general manager Brian Gutekunst’s top trade targets from last season is off of the board after being moved to a new team.
Prior to the trade deadline last season, the Packers were looking into the market for a veteran wide receiver to get their passing game going. Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks was one of the top names on the trade market, with several teams including the Packers inquiring about his availability.
The 29-year-old receiver ultimately stayed put, but is now on the move. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted on Sunday, March 19 that the Texans had traded Cooks to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for two late-round picks in 2023 and 2024.
Trade terms:
🏈Houston receives: a 5th round pick in 2023 and 6th round pick in 2024.
🏈Dallas receives: WR Brandin Cooks.
Cooks is on a two-year, $40 million contract extension that the Texans have agreed to pay part of in a restructure. The Cowboys have been busy on the trade market, making moves for both Cooks and former All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
Meanwhile, the Packers are hanging tight with their salary cap constraints and pending Aaron Rodgers trade.
Packers Departures and Additions
Even with the Packers waiting on the New York Jets to agree to a trade for Rodgers, the roster is already looking significantly different with players leaving and new faces coming in.
Allen Lazard will be one of the biggest losses this season, with the Packers losing their top wide receiver whose blocking ability made him an asset in the running game. The former undrafted free agent signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the Jets, presumably reuniting him with Rodgers for 2023.
He’s not the only veteran to leave in free agency so far. Tight end Robert Tonyan and defensive lineman Dean Lowry are both leaving for NFC North rivals, while Jarran Reed is reuniting with the team that drafted him in the Seattle Seahawks. Other Packers free agents still haven’t signed elsewhere, but are unlikely to return in Adrian Amos, Randall Cobb, and potentially Marcedes Lewis.
However, the Packers have brought back a few key contributors from last season, including All-Pro kickoff return man Keisean Nixon and veteran safety Rudy Ford. External additions also include long snapper Matt Orzech and another veteran safety with special teams experience in Tarvarius Moore.
It may not be the flashiest offseason, but the Packers are doing what they can given their financial limitations.
Latest on Aaron Rodgers
It’s been a long offseason for Packers fans waiting on a decision from Aaron Rodgers. While a move has yet to be made, all signs are pointing towards one happening in the near future.
Rodgers admitted that he intends to play for the Jets in 2023 during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show at the start of NFL free agency. However, Rodgers also noted that he’s waiting on the two teams to agree to a trade, saying that the Packers are digging their heels in when it comes to compensation.
Packers officials have not commented on the Rodgers situation since his comments, but reports continue to surface almost daily about negotiations between the two sides. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler most recently shared that the Jets are confident that a trade will get done without increasing their offer to Green Bay.
Regardless of the ongoing negotiations, it seems that the only logical conclusion to this story is that Rodgers will be playing in New York next season.