The Green Bay Packers, as presently constituted, appear to be short one top-end wide receiver and heavy one young quarterback. A recent trade proposal would solve both problems with one bold move.
The proposition, authored by Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report on Monday, April 18, would see the Packers ship backup QB Jordan Love along with a 2022 second-round pick (No. 53 overall) and a 2022 fifth-round pick (No. 171 overall) to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for wide receiver Tyler Lockett and a 2022 fifth-round pick (No. 152 overall).
The Packers own four of the top 64 selections in the upcoming NFL Draft and are expected to use at least one of them to draft a high-end wide receiver prospect. But after trading away Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders for two of those picks and losing speedster Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency, Davenport suggested that young talent simply isn’t going to cut it in Green Bay.
The Packers’ Super Bowl window isn’t getting any wider, and the notion that the Pack can replace Davante Adams’ production with a bunch of rookies is folly. Aaron Rodgers isn’t the most trusting of quarterbacks. He wants a target with experience. One who will be where he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there.
Tyler Lockett is just that kind of receiver — a seven-year veteran who has topped 1,000 receiving yards each of the past three years. Adding him wouldn’t excite the fanbase as much as DK Metcalf, but he could possibly be had without sacrificing Green Bay first-round picks — especially if general manager Brian Gutekunst throws in a first-round quarterback prospect.
Jordan Love is a sunk cost. If he can seal improvement in the passing game, send him packing.
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Rodgers’ New Deal, Adams Trade Changed Game For Packers
GettyWR Tyler Lockett of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates in the end zone after scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter of a game at CenturyLink Field on September 27, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
The Packers have a two-time reigning NFL MVP under center in Rodgers, who the team locked up for the next three years at an average annual value of approximately $50 million per season. His extension effectively rendered the Love era in Green Bay over before it ever really began.
Love started just one game for the Packers over the last two seasons — a road contest against the Chiefs in Week 9 of last year, which Green Bay lost by a score of 13-7. The young QB completed just 19-of-34 passes for 190 yards including one TD and one INT, according to ESPN. Over six career regular season appearances, Love is 36-of-62 for 411 yards including two TDs and three INTs, per Pro Football Reference.
Green Bay’s roster is full of wideouts who have been career second- or third-options in the various offenses of which they’ve been a part: namely the recently re-signed Allen Lazard, veteran Randall Cobb and the newly-signed journeyman Sammy Watkins, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens.
The Seahawks have been popularly floated as a potential trade partner for the Packers after after trading away quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, despite the two Pro-Bowl wide receivers in Lockett and Metcalf remaining on their depth chart. The Seahawks received QB Drew Lock as part of their return in the Wilson deal and re-signed 2021 backup Geno Smith to a one-year contract worth $7 million.
While both have started several NFL games, neither is a long-term answer under center — but Love might be. That’s what Green Bay’s front office thought when they drafted him with the No. 26 overall pick in 2020 as the heir apparent to Rodgers. If Seattle — now seemingly in full rebuild mode — feels similarly about Love’s career prospects, then perhaps there is a deal to be made between the two NFC rivals.
Lockett Trade Offers Alternative to Packers Flipping Picks For Metcalf
GettyWide receiver DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The more popular trade proposition floated in recent weeks would see Green Bay send significant draft compensation to Seattle in exchange for Metcalf, including at least one first-round selection. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that as of two weeks ago, the Seahawks were refusing to entertain offers for Metcalf.
Davenport suggested Seattle might be more open to dealing Lockett, who signed a four-year extension worth $69.2 million last offseason, which locked him up through 2025. Lockett is entering the eighth year of his NFL career in 2022, having earned one Pro Bowl appearance and one All Pro selection, both of which came during his rookie campaign in 2015.
Metcalf, on the other hand, is set to earn just under $4 million next season, which will be his fourth in the league. However, he is expected to seek between $25-$30 million when he comes up for an extension in 2023. Adams and fellow wide receiver Tyreek Hill set the market for top-end wideouts in that range when they signed multiyear deals this offseason with the Raiders and the Miami Dolphins, respectively.
Metcalf’s likely contract demands, along with the trading of Wilson to Denver, fueled initial speculation that Seattle might be looking to move on from the wide receiver, who earned his sole Pro Bowl selection in 2020.
Packers Trade Proposal Flips QB Love, Draft Picks For Pro-Bowl Wideout