While the Green Bay Packers have plenty of talent at wide receiver, Brian Gutekunst could take a huge swing on a superstar at the position by swapping Christian Watson for CeeDee Lamb in a blockbuster trade.
Lamb is currently holding out of Dallas Cowboys training camp while he waits for a new deal. A trade could be possible if the two sides can’t work out a deal. Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay thinks the Packers could give the Cowboys a competitive offer if that becomes a reality.
Packers receive: WR CeeDee Lamb
Cowboys receive: WR Christian Watson, 2025 first-round pick, 2025 second-round pick
That’s a hefty price tag. However, Lamb has established himself as one of the best wide receivers in football. Pairing him with Jordan Love could take Green Bay’s offense to the next level in 2024 and beyond.
Is Christian Watson Expendable?
Injuries have hindered Watson’s ability to reach his full potential. But when he’s on the field, he’s one of Green Bay’s most explosive weapons.
Watson was a second-round pick back in 2022. Since then he’s put up impressive numbers when on the field. He’s caught 69 passes for 1,033 yards and 12 touchdowns over 23 games, adding another two scores on the ground.
However, Watson’s biggest issue has been staying on the field consistently. He played in just nine games this past season while dealing with hamstring issues. Even when on the field, it was clear that those issues were limiting his top-end play speed.
The Packers are hoping that a trip to Madison this offseason will help solve those issues. The visit with the Badgers medical staff revealed that Watson had a 20 percent difference in muscle mass between his two legs, which was likely a big reason for those hamstring issues.
A healthy Watson gives the Packers a much-needed vertical element to pair with the rest of their receivers. Although he could be an appealing trade piece to get a true superstar receiver in Lamb, there are few players who can replicate Watson’s vertical speed when he’s 100 percent healthy.
Latest on CeeDee Lamb
While Watson is working to stay healthy this season, Lamb is trying to get paid.
Lamb is on the final year of his rookie deal, making him a free agent in 2025. Instead of hitting the open market, Lamb is holding out in hopes of becoming one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL while staying with the Cowboys.
Unfortunately, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stated at training camp that there’s no urgency in getting a deal done with Lamb. The superstar receiver responded to those comments on X with a simple “lol” message.
Jones quickly walked back his comments about Lamb, however.
“I think I got in trouble the other day when I said, ‘Look, we’re not urgent about CeeDee,'” Jones said during a pregame broadcast. “Well, no one appreciates CeeDee being on the field any more than I do, but let me say this, he wouldn’t be taking a snap out here today if he had been here. You’ve got to use your head when you expose key players. That gives the other younger players a chance to do it.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is expecting a deal to get done between the two sides. However, if they can’t come to an agreement, a move could still be possible before the 2024 trade deadline.
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Packers Trade Proposal Swaps Christian Watson with 2-Time All-Pro