The Packers Shouldn’t Trade Any Veterans At the Deadline - Zone Coverage (2024)

November 5 is a big day in this country.

Oh, you thought I meant the presidential election? No, I’m talking about the NFL trade deadline!

For the first time this season, the NFL pushed back the trade deadline by a week, moving it to after Week 9. That gives teams an additional seven days to assess their position and decide whether to go all in to improve their roster or trade players for future assets.

We’ve already seen some early moves. A couple veteran wide receivers found new homes when the New York Jets acquired old friend Davante Adams, and the Buffalo Bills got Amari Cooper. If this indicates what’s to come, the next two weeks could be wild.

The Green Bay Packers are 5-2 entering Week 8. It has been a roller-coaster start. From the Week 1 loss in Brazil and the fear of losing Jordan Love for an extended period to a backup quarterback winning two games, the Packers are winning despite turning the ball over and sloppy play from both the offense and special teams.

Previous Packers teams might have crumbled in similar situations, but not this one. This year’s team looks like full-blown Super Bowl contenders heading into the halfway point of their season. But could they be sellers at the trade deadline, similar to last season when they shipped Rasul Douglas to Buffalo in a surprising trade deadline deal?

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport’s reporting, two Packers veterans are “generating interest” around the league. Defensive end Preston Smith is reportedly on several teams’ radars, while offensive tackle Andre Dillard is also drawing attention. While Smith and Dillard serve different roles, it doesn’t make sense for the Packers to trade either of them – or anyone else, for that matter.

Smith was the oldest player on the roster at 32 until the Packers signed kicker Brandon McManus last week. Smith may not be the same high-impact player he was in 2019 when the Packers gave him a big contract during their off-season spending spree, but he’s still an important part of their defense.

Over the past 15 games, including the 2023 playoffs, Smith leads the team with seven sacks, 2.5 of which came this season. He also ranks first on the team in pass-rush productivity and second in pass-rush win rate. Smith is also a solid run defender, posting a 65.1 run-defense grade, ranking 60th out of 183 qualifying players in 2024 while playing 56% of the defensive snaps so far in 2024. While his 57.8 overall PFF grade may not be outstanding, Smith remains reliable in almost every category. He is also the epitome of durability, having missed only one game due to injury in his entire career.

Some might argue that trading Smith could be a good thing. It would create more playing time for 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness, as well as Kingsley Enagbare, Brenton Cox Jr., and preseason standout Aaron Mosby. However, none of these players have been particularly impressive this season.

Van Ness has a 46.6 PFF grade. Enagbare has made an impact in spurts, but he’s never been a full-time starter. Throwing them into starting roles could wear them down just when the Packers need them most. Trading Smith would also only create $2.17 million in cap space – hardly a pressing need when the Packers are already sitting at $14.18 million. For a team struggling to generate pressure with just four rushers, trading Smith doesn’t make sense.

Unlike Smith, Dillard hasn’t contributed much this season. Still, he serves a valuable purpose as insurance. According to Rapoport, teams view Dillard as a “stop-gap” option. Starting-caliber offensive tackles are hard to come by in August, let alone in the middle of the season. That’s why teams are reportedly inquiring about the veteran’s availability.

Dillard has yet to play up to his first-round draft pick status, giving up 12 sacks in just 12 games last year in Tennessee. However, he played better during the second half of training camp and secured his spot on the roster.

In April, the Packers signed Dillard to a one-year, $1.125 million contract to provide veteran depth. With first-round pick Jordan Morgan playing guard, Green Bay’s backup tackle options are 2024 sixth-round pick Travis Glover and undrafted free-agent Kadeem Telfort. Both have struggled to get active on game days up to this point.

That’s not enough to protect the team’s playoff aspirations if starting tackle Zach Tom or Rasheed Walker misses time. Moving Elgton Jenkins to tackle in a pinch could weaken two positions. Keeping Dillard is far more valuable to the team than any late-round pick they might receive in return.

When the Packers traded Douglas last year, they were a young, unproven 2-5 team. It seemed like they couldn’t get out of their own way offensively and severely underperforming defensively. General manager Brian Gutekunst saw an opportunity to get some value on an older player who didn’t figure into the team’s long-term future. He also wanted to get impressive rookie Carrington Valentine more snaps.

The 2024 Packers are in a much different situation. They’re a full-fledged Super Bowl contender at 5-2 and showing some resilience last year’s team didn’t through seven weeks. They will lean on any veteran who would appeal to another team in some form or fashion to help them win the Super Bowl.

Green Bay is still the league’s youngest team, but they have some veterans at key positions to help balance out the roster. While Smith and Dillard are the only two Packers players rumored to be drawing interest, other veterans could also attract attention.

Linebacker Eric Wilson has proven he’s more than just a special teams player with his recent performance with the defense. The Packers recently reactivated defensive lineman Jonathan Ford to the active roster, giving the Packers six defensive linemen. A team needing a big body up front might inquire about someone like T.J. Slaton, who’s in a contract year.

Regardless of who calls for what player, the Packers should respond like my three-year-old when I ask if he’s interested in going to bed: “No, thank you.”

Dan Saia

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