The NFL world is impatiently awaiting the finalization of a trade involving Aaron Rodgers between the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets. The 2023 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, which means that fans’ patience, which was already wearing thin, is all but eroded. With most fans accepting that the deal is a foregone conclusion, they just want to be able to move on. One would assume that the two teams want to do the same. Both organizations need to plan and be ready for the upcoming season. Each has team activities scheduled for mid-April. Would they not want the offseason’s longest drawn out story settled before then?
ESPN’s Dianna Russini gave a bit of an update on the progress of the trade today. She also hinted at what the Packers are looking for as part of their return for the four-time MVP.
The Green Bay Packers Want to Trade Aaron Rodgers Before the Draft
During her segment on ESPN today, Russini said, “This deal is getting closer and closer. I’m told Green Bay wants this done before day 1 (of the draft). They want to add weapons for their young quarterback.”
The 2023 NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 27. Both the Jets and Packers have team workouts prior to that date. The Jets start theirs on April 17 while the Packers begin their offseason team activities on April 18. One would think New York would want their new starting quarterback in town for those workouts. If Rodgers continues to skip offseason activities as he did in Green Bay, one would assume the Jets would at least like to have him on the roster at that point.
For the Packers, they already know that Jordan Love is going to be their starting quarterback in 2023. However, it would be good for the team as a whole to be able to put this whole situation behind them. It will be a lot easier to look to and prepare for the future once the trade is done.
What Weapon(s) Are the Green Bay Packers Looking to Add?
One New York Jets player that has been consistently mentioned in various trade proposals is wide receiver Corey Davis. He will be entering his seventh year in the NFL, and would become the senior statesman in the Packers’ wide receiver room. Head coach Matt LaFleur stated at the NFL owners’ meetings that he wants the Packers to add a veteran wide receiver. Davis certainly fits that bill.
Last season, Davis played in 13 games and caught 32 passes for 536 yards and two touchdowns. His best season was in 2020 when he was with the Tennessee Titans. That year, he played in 14 games and caught 65 passes for 984 yards and five touchdowns.
One thing to keep in mind is that Davis would come with a salary of $10.5 million. Currently, the Packers have about $21 million in cap space. It does not take a mathematician to see that Davis would cut their available cap space in half. Sure, the Packers will clear some space by moving Rodgers, but that $40 million dead cap hit can’t follow him to New York.
Davis is in the final year of his contract. It is possible that Green Bay could ease his cap hit by offering him an extension. If they are serious about adding a quality veteran for Jordan Love this offseason, that may be what they have to do.
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