If General Manager Brian Gutekunst and the Packers are looking to take a big swing this offseason, there might be an opportunity to transform the defense and elevate Green Bay into the realm of legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the NFC, in one fell swoop.
Despite major strides in the secondary, and safety Xavier McKinney quickly developing into an All-Pro in his first season in a Packers uniform, Green Bay lacked a dominant pass rusher to elevate coordinator Jeff Hafley’s unit.
But, given that the Packers enter this offseason with one of the youngest rosters across the league and upwards of $36.4 million in cap space, 16th most in the NFL, Gutekunst has the chance to add a veteran difference-maker.
Could the Packers Trade for Myles Garrett?
Whether it is a bold move to acquire Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro Maxx Crosby or former Defensive Player of The Year, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, there could potentially be some big-name and big-time difference-makers available this offseason.
The Athletic‘s Matt Schneidman suggests that Gutekunst and the Packers go all-in on a trade for Garrett, if the Browns make him available.
“The devil on Gutekunst’s shoulder should entice him to trade for a Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett,” Schneidman writes for The Athletic. “No matter how much it takes or how unlikely it seems given the Packers’ organizational history with such trades (if they’re even on the block).
“That would show urgency and could vault Green Bay into Super Bowl contention. If the price for Crosby or Garrett is too steep, maybe drop a bag on the Philadelphia Eagles’ Josh Sweat in free agency. The last sentence of bullet point No. 2 applies here, too, just in the opposite way. A great way to help an average cornerback group is to ensure it doesn’t have to cover for long.”
Either Garrett or Crosby landing with the Packers would certainly be a shot across the bow at the rest of the NFC, and a major step towards Green Bay closing the suddenly sizable gap on teams like the Eagles, Commanders, and Lions.
This past season, Garrett produced 14 sacks–for the second consecutive season, one year removed from taking home Defensive Player of The Year honors.
Garrett, 29, has long established his reputation as one of the premier defensive players in the sport, with 102.5 career sacks through his first eight seasons to go with 352 total tackles while in the midst of a seven-year streak of producing double-digit stacks.
The Packers have the resources, and the need to make a bold move, but whether that is the course Gutekunst and Green Bay wind up taking remains to be seen.
