The Green Bay Packers have a few key areas in which they need to make upgrades this offseason and one particular path toward improvement became obvious during the first session at the Shrine Bowl on Tuesday.
General manager Brian Gutekunst was spotted talking to Las Vegas Raiders staffers, inspiring trade rumors given the respective positions of the franchises.
There is plenty of time for teams to pull of trades, especially with the 2025 NFL Draft coming up. That said, there are a handful of Raiders that the Packers should target during the coming months.
1. Jakobi Meyers, WR
The Packers need some sort of upgrade at wide receiver with Christian Watson facing a long recovery from the significant knee injury he suffered. Jakobi Meyers has become a high-level player coming off his first 1,000-yard season, making him the ideal veteran addition to this wideout group.
He's only 28 years old with a managable cap hit next year, after which he'll become a free agent. Meyers caught 87 passes for 1,027 yards and four TDs despite some of the NFL's worst quarterback play, so it's exciting to imagine what he could do with Jordan Love, to say nothing of Matt LaFleur's offensive scheme.
Originally an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots, Meyers burst onto the scene in his second season with 729 yards. He's eclipsed at least 800 in each of the last four campaigns since, playing in at least 14 games every year.
That last part is crucial given the injuries the Packers have dealt with at the position. Green Bay needs stability, making Meyers a logical fit. If the Raiders don't intend on re-signing him after his contract is up in 2025, or if he doesn't want to stay with a struggling franchise, then the Packers represent a perfect trade partner.
Should Green Bay make the move, Meyers could lead the team in receiving immediately.
2. Maxx Crosby, DE
This would certainly represent a home-run trade and one that'd require a hefty return. Maxx Crosby is one of the NFL's premier defensive players with four Pro Bowl nominations and two All-Pro honors in just six seasons.
He's a passionate player and widely respected, though he's never experienced true playoff success. The Packers could give him that opportunity. Staring down another rebuild with no legitimate path to a Super Bowl, why wouldn't Crosby consider a move to a team with a strong foundation in an inferior conference?
Crosby has 34.5 sacks in the last three seasons, he'd instantly transform an improving Packers defense and give it an edge that'd rival the top in the NFC.
The elephant in the room is the Raiders' hiring of Pete Carroll. It feels unlikely that he would've signed up for the job if he thought Las Vegas was about to start shipping off players, yet he may approach things from a realistic perspective as well. Trading Crosby for draft picks and young pieces could help jumpstart the rebuild, indicating there's at least a potential conversation to be had.
The Raiders have to compete with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and a rising Denver Broncos team. Green Bay is in a difficult division but either way, they're in a much better spot to compete than Las Vegas is.
Crosby is the type of player who can win Defensive Player of the Year. Pairing him with Edgerrin Cooper and Xavier McKinney would give the Packers true difference-makers at every level of the defense and is an idea worth pursuing.
Maybe the Raiders would balk at a potential offer. maybe they wouldn't. That's on Brian Gutekunst to find out.
3. Michael Mayer, TE
Brock Bowers' emergence as a First-Team All-Pro and perhaps the best receiving tight end in the league makes Michael Mayer expendable. It's easy to forget that he was the 35th-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after an illustrious career at Notre Dame. At only 23 years old, there's a lot of upside left untapped.
The Packers have committed heavy resources to tight end in recent years with Luke Musgrave and Tyler Kraft. While Kraft excelled in 2024, Musgrave has struggled to make an impact. Mayer was a better prospect than both of them and could give Love an additional weapon in a passing game that faltered down the stretch.
Mayer has just 460 receiving yards and a pair of TDs in his brief career, though Matt LaFleur would likely utilize him better than Las Vegas has. He put up 2,099 yards and 18 TDs during three years with the Fighting Irish, showcasing his immense talent with regularity.
Green Bay could use someone with his skillset to catch contested passes in the red zone. Mayer is under contract for two more years at a low cost. Assuming that the Raiders are phasing him out in favor of Bowers, which is a safe assumption, perhaps they'd be interested in recouping some draft compensation.
Las Vegas has enough holes to fill on the roster that they need as many draft picks as possible. The Packers are just a few pieces away from competing for a Super Bowl and Mayer was just recently considered to be a high-impact receiving prospect. Improving Jordan Love's receiving options is a priority, so this makes sense for both sides.
We'll see what the Packers have in store, but they have assets, draft capital, and needs to pursue. Taking advantage of rebuilding teams like the Raiders is a great way to improve, so here's hoping the front office is aggressively pursuing additions like this one.
