Getty Rasul Douglas after recovering a fumble in a game against the Chicago Bears on September 10, 2023.
The Green Bay Packers are parting ways with one of their veteran defenders with just moments to spare before the buzzer sounds at the trade deadline. They’re trading cornerback Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Along with Douglas, the Packers are also sending a fifth-round pick to the Bills in exchange for a third-round pick.
The next time the Packers’ defense takes the field — they welcome the Los Angeles Rams to Lambeau Field this Sunday — it’ll be without the 28-year-old Douglas, who is now the latest veteran on the team’s chopping block. Douglas’ exit serves as the latest testament to the Packers’ shift into a new, youthful era. Along with trading Aaron Rodgers this past off-season, they allowed experienced role players such as Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis and Adrian Amos, among others, to enter unrestricted free agency.
Packers Part Ways with One of Their Leaders
A former third-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, Douglas bounced around the league before finding a home in Green Bay. He was signed off of the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad on October 6, 2021 and thrust into action less than two weeks later. Douglas replaced Isaac Yiadom in the starting lineup in a game against the Chicago Bears on October 17, 2021 after one defensive series.
Douglas cemented himself as a mainstay in the Packers’ secondary 11 days later. Against a familiar foe in the Cardinals, Douglas sealed the Packers’ victory with a game-winning interception off of Kyler Murray.
The Packers were without Jaire Alexander for much of the season while he rehabbed his shoulder on injured reserve. It was that exact injury that prompted the Packers to bring Douglas aboard just days after it occurred. Douglas was one of the team’s three starting cornerbacks, along with Chandon Sullivan and first-round pick Eric Stokes.
Just over two years after Douglas’ arrival, he’s out the door as the Packers aim to collect as much draft capital as feasibly possible. They’re amid a well-documented youth movement under first-year starting quarterback Jordan Love. With the aforementioned trade deadline looming and on a four-game losing streak, it was always likely that the Packers would be sellers rather than buyers.
In 28 starts for the Packers, Douglas accumulated 10 interceptions — two of which were returned for scores — and 32 defended passes, according to Pro Football Reference.
Carrington Valentine Gets Bumped into Packers’ Starting Lineup
The Bills, who are currently second in the AFC East with a 5-3 record, were in the market for help at the cornerback position after losing former first-round pick Tre’Davious White to a torn Achilles earlier this season. They’ll gain the immediate services of Douglas while the Packers lose one of their most vocal leaders on defense.
A sense of stability in a shaky secondary this season, Douglas was the best of the bunch. According to Pro Football Focus, he was targeted 34 times through seven games, allowing a 67.6% completion rate for three touchdowns, one interception and five pass breakups.
There’s no alleviating the void left behind by Douglas’ departure. The Packers could be on the hunt for help at cornerback next spring, whether it be through the draft or free agency. For now, seventh-round rookie Carrington Valentine is presumed to be bumped into the starting lineup opposite Alexander while Keisean Nixon continues to handle nickelback duties. Stokes is on injured reserve for another three games with his hamstring injury following his brief return in last weekend’s loss to the Denver Broncos.
Even Alexander isn’t ascending to the typical heights that have made him a two-time Second-team All-Pro. Much of that is attributed to the back injury that’s plagued his season and robbed him of three games, though. The Packers’ medical staff is optimistic that they have a handle on the issue, as is head coach Matt LaFleur, but the unpredictability of back injuries bring about rightful caution.
Packers Pocketing Even More Draft Capital
At the moment, the Packers are scheduled to have five selections in the first three rounds of the draft in April. This is subject to change, of course, but their dismal 2023 campaign has them penciled in at sixth overall. Had the Bears beat the Los Angeles Charges on Monday night, they’d be fifth.
The Packers also have a pair of second-round picks, one of which was gained in the trade for Rodgers. Had he been able to play at least 65% of the New York Jets’ offensive snaps this season, that pick would’ve upgraded to a first, however, a torn Achilles sustained in the September 11 opener derailed that possibility.
One first, two seconds and two thirds for general manager Brian Gutekunst and co. to play with. That also leaves the Packers with more than enough ammunition to navigate the draft board however they’d like.