This offseason will be critical for the Green Bay Packers.
Clearly, the Packers are a good team, but 2024 demonstrated that they are not yet an elite one. They finished third in their own division and were swiftly eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual NFC champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Overall, the Packers were hampered by a dearth of superstars, particularly on defense, where their pass rush was average at best. Could they look to the trade market in spring to help boost the pass rush?
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst was at the Shrine Bowl on Tuesday, scouting top college prospects. However, FanSided’s Joe Summers was particularly interested in the fact that Gutekunst was seen speaking with Raiders representatives.
Summers hypothesized that Gutekunst may be planning a major trade this offseason, maybe involving 27-year-old Raiders superstar defensive end Maxx Crosby.
“The most interesting thing that came out of Tuesday’s practices was (Gutekunst’s) conversations with Las Vegas Raiders personnel,” Summers said. “The Raiders notably have several players who could be traded as the organization looks toward a full rebuild.”
“If that happens, Gutekunst appears to be well-positioned to seize the opportunity… Finding trade opportunities could help this club improve, and someone like Crosby would be an excellent addition that would instantly elevate the Packers to the top tier.”
Few NFL defenders can affect both the passing and running offenses as Crosby. In his six-year career, he has 59.5 sacks and an impressive 105 tackles for loss, twice leading the league in that statistic in a single season.
Crosby will enter year three of his four-year, $94 million contract deal in 2025. These are the most expensive years of the contract, with roughly $53 million in cap hits.
Though the Raiders don’t require significant salary relief, they might trade in their one major asset, Crosby, for numerous high draft picks. Though it is not usual of the Packers to deal away draft picks for stars, they may have to make an exception.
