Packers Front Office Ghosted Fans Day After Halloween
Fans worldwide expected fireworks on November 1st as the Packers desperately needed help at wide receiver, but we got tricked instead of treats. Unfortunately, the front office was unable to make a deal.
The Packers currently sit in second place behind the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North. The Vikings are surging ahead and are now three and a half games ahead of the green and gold. The Detroit Lions season is lost, and the Chicago Bears are a half-game back from Green Bay. The Packers have looked like a shell of themselves from the start of this season, and not much has changed after eight grueling weeks. Fans are rallying at the gate for general manager Brian Gutekunst to be fired as soon as possible.
Who Were The Packers Targeting?
Per the front office, Green Bay was all-in on Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool. With the Steelers’ season over, Claypool was valued as a target for several teams based on his hands, speed, and health. According to the Steelers, the Packers did reach out to engage in trade talks. The Bears and Packers both submitted the same offer for the young stud receiver, but at the end of the day, the Steelers felt that the Bears’ second-round pick would be lower than the Packers. So it’s not just NFC North fans that don’t trust the Bears.
The Packers’ second target was Houston Texans lead receiver Brandin Cooks. Cooks is a journeyman wide receiver, similar to quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He moves from team to team and never stays long. After the trade deadline halted, news broke out about why Cooks wasn’t dealt to a team. Reportedly, the Texans wanted a second and fourth round for the stud receiver while also taking over the $18 million fully guaranteed contract for next season. No team wanted to spend that much on the 29-year-old, especially with his lengthy injury history. Cooks was frustrated and was ultimately ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
One of the main reasons Houston was unable to trade WR Brandin Cooks was because it wanted second- and fourth-round picks in return for him, per sources. No team was willing to trade a 2 and 4, and assume Cooks’ $18 million fully guaranteed money for next season. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 3, 2022
Packers Trade Deadline Grade
Even though Aaron Rodgers signed a three-year contract extension on top of the two years remaining on his current contract, it doesn’t mean he can’t retire at the end of this season. Rodgers has mentioned several times that he doesn’t plan on playing into his 40s like Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. This season was deemed a boom or bust for the Packers organization. Every game, you can see Rodgers’ frustration on the field and the sideline; it’s unclear if he’ll hang up his cleats at the end of this season if Green Bay doesn’t reach the playoffs.
I give the Packers a C+ grade for doing nothing at the trade deadline. Worst case scenario could’ve been spending a fortune on Brandin Cooks and having him refuse to play based on our record since we aren’t a strong contender to make playoffs. The best-case scenario would’ve been obtaining Claypool and even an extra offensive lineman, but there wasn’t any news surrounding the Packers looking for a lineman, unfortunately.
Conclusion
Nine games are left in the regular season to reset and win some games. The Packers have been playing up and down to the skill level of the opposing teams versus their style. If the Packers can continue to play as they did against the Buffalo Bills in Week eight, they can quickly rack up seven or more wins. The Packers would have a strong chance of making the postseason at ten wins. However, there’s still time for the Vikings to fall apart; their offense can’t carry the defense forever.
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