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With the trade deadline looming next week, Packers NFL trade rumors are rolling in, though the likelihood (and fear) is that the Packers will stand pat with what they’ve got on the roster. There are holes, and the recent injuries to Eric Stokes (again) and Darnell Savage could mean that the team looks to bolster its defensive backfield in the coming days.
But a glaring weakness all year has been in the receiving corps, where there is talent but, alas, a wealth of inexperience. Jordan Love has taken over as the team’s quarterback after two seasons of waiting behind Aaron Rodgers, but he is dealing with a group of receivers who, for the most part, have even less experience than he does.
Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson have the makings of an excellent tandem. Dontavyion Wicks and Jayden Reed, too, could be long-term contributors. Tight end Luke Musgrave could be a star. Those are the five leading Packers receivers—first two are second-year players, and last three are rookies.
With that in mind, former NFL general manager Randy Mueller put forth a plausible Packers trade rumor, dubbed a, “Deal I’d Like to See”: the Packers add Raiders slot receiver Hunter Renfrow, who is eminently available from Las Vegas.
Hunter Renfrow a Reasonable Packers NFL Trade Rumor Target
The Packers have a solid history when it comes to slot receivers, whether it’s Allen Lazard or Randall Cobb or Jordy Nelson. Renfrow signed a three-year, $32 million extension last year, and could fit into that mold. It’s little wonder Mueller turned to him when looking for a rumored Packers trade target ahead of the NFL deadline.
Renfrow is only two years removed from a 1,036-yard season and a Pro Bowl appearance.
Here’s what Mueller wrote on the subject of a Hunter Renfrow trade:
“If the Packers can find it within themselves to add a veteran receiver, or even two, I think it would make everyone’s life on offense easier.
“Hunter Renfrow of the Las Vegas Raiders has been in the witness protection program so far this season. Now 28, he’s the same Renfrow who had 103 catches in 2021. He has a mind-boggling eight catches on 12 targets this season (both fifth on the team) and is playing 36 percent of the offensive snaps.
“That sounds even crazier to me when you pull up the film and still see quickness, agility, burst to separate against man-to-man coverage AND a natural feel for finding soft spots against zone. If there was ever a case to be made for a change of scenery, this is it.”
Jordan Love Needs WR Help
Certainly, the Packers offense has been in a struggle lately, just 26th in yardage at 1,739 this season. With a quarterback rating of 79.4, which ranks 27th in the NFL, Love is a big part of the problem. But in fairness to him, the Packers have not done him any favors. No matter the rumored target, the Packers need to help him at the NFL trade deadline.
Love is young and mistake-prone, but the receiving crew is younger and just as mistake-prone. He has had 5.3% of his passes dropped this season, per Pro Football Reference, and that ranks seventh-worst in the league among quarterbacks with at least 100 completions.
The plan for the Packers all along was to have Love and the receiving crew develop together, but the problem is, when Love gets into trouble and needs a veteran outlet to rely upon, there just isn’t one. Rather than learning from mistakes, the young Packers are just repeating them, over and over.
The cost for Renfrow won’t be high. Mueller suggests the Raiders could even take on a big chunk of his contract.
“If Green Bay can get the Raiders to pay the majority share of what is left of Hunter’s 2023 salary (approximately $4 million), it should jump at giving up a late-round draft pick for 2024 or beyond. I don’t think the Packers can afford to wait, either,” Mueller wrote.
A veteran slot receiver with Pro Bowl credentials? That is a Packers trade rumor worth considering.
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