Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers talks with Aaron Rodgers #12 during warmups before a preseason game against the New York Jets at Lambeau Field on August 21, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers finally added another wide receiver to their roster by acquiring former Baltimore Ravens pass catcher Sammy Watkins last week. Though it wasn’t the splashy move fans have been waiting for, such a deal could be fast-approaching on the horizon.
David Kenyon of Bleacher Report suggested that a trade between the Packers and the Seattle Seahawks for Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf is one of the “most plausible” deals that could go down on NFL Draft Day later this month. He laid out his case in a piece published Thursday, April 14.
On paper, it’s a perfect match.
After sending Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Green Bay Packers lack a No. 1 receiver. They acquired a first- and second-round pick in that trade, creating the possibility of using any of four top-64 selections to land an established receiver.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks seem to be pivoting toward Pete Carroll’s preferred run-first style. Russell Wilson is now a member of the Denver Broncos. Between this philosophical shift and Tyler Lockett having his own big-money contract, it’s tough to believe Seattle wants to pony up for DK Metcalf’s looming extension. Why be a run-first offense yet have two high-end receivers and no franchise QB?
But if the Packers are open to extension talks, they have both a need for Metcalf and the draft capital to make it happen.
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Free Agent WR Market May Necessitate a Packers’ Trade for Metcalf
GettyWide receiver DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks carries the ball against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Lumen Field on January 2, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur spoke openly during the NFL owners’ meetings last month about the Packers’ obvious need to upgrade at wide receiver after trading Adams to Las Vegas and losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.
“Certainly, if you look at our roster right now, we definitely need to get some speed in that room,” LaFleur said. “We need a legit guy that can take off the top of the coverage. We lost a guy that was pretty good at doing that.”
The free agent options are limited and a true No. 1 is hard to see with Odell Beckham Jr. recovering from an ACL tear. The other best options on the market are Beckham’s former Cleveland Browns teammate Jarvis Landry and former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Will Fuller, though both have injury concerns stemming from last season and are more in the No. 2 wide receiver range from a talent perspective.
NFL Insider Says Metcalf’s Extension Cost Biggest Obstacle For Packers
GettyQB Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers reacts against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at TIAA Bank Field on September 12, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Conventional wisdom dictates Green Bay should be interested in pairing four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers with a comparative talent at wide receiver, especially considering the Packers just extended the 38-year-old QB for the next three seasons at an average salary of approximately $50 million annually — the largest annual contract in league history.
All of these factors equate to a trade for Metcalf making sense, particularly because he is set to earn less than $4 million in 2022 and the Seahawks appear to be entering rebuild mode. The issue is how cost-prohibitive Metcalf’s extension demands are likely to be at the conclusion of next season.
Adams and former Chiefs wideout Tyreek Hill set the top-end wide receiver market this offseason at between $25-$30 million annually when they signed their new deals with the Raiders and Dolphins, respectively. While Metcalf has not accomplished as much as either player during his NFL career, he has high upside and is expected to seek a similar deal.
Randy Mueller of Heavy.com, who has worked previously as the general manager of both the Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints, said he does not see the Packers making that kind of investment in Metcalf moving forward.
“If [the Packers] were going to [trade for Metcalf], they might have just been better off keeping Davante Adams,” Meuller said during a video interview Friday, March 25. “I think in their case, they’ve decided that they’re not going to pay a receiver $25 million per year, or even $20 million per year. And if you get a guy like DK Metcalf, guess what’s coming next? Whether he’s worth it or not, that’s what he’ll be asking for.”
The top wide receivers currently on the Packers’ depth chart are Watkins, Allen Lazard and veteran Randall Cobb.