The Green Bay Packers have finished their voluntary organized team activities and mandatory mini camp. Now, the team is off until training camp begins at the end of July. With over a month until camp begins, there is still speculation over how the Packers can continue to improve their roster. Bleacher Report published an article listing one trade that each NFL team should make before their camps begin. Here, we will analyze the deal they proposed for the Green Bay Packers.
The Details of Bleacher Report’s Trade Proposal
The Green Bay Packers Receive
- Backup tight end Foster Moreau
The Las Vegas Raiders Receive
- A 2023 third round draft pick
Why Would the Green Bay Packers Trade for Foster Moreau?
Bleacher Report justifies this trade for the Green Bay Packers by pointing out the question marks surrounding the tight end position. In short, Robert Tonyan will be out for part of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Marcedes Lewis is primarily used as a blocker and thus cannot be considered an offensive weapon for MVP Aaron Rodgers. Furthermore, Josiah Deguara has not proved that he can be the receiving weapon the Packers want him to be. In 2022, he had just 25 receptions last season averaging 9.8 yards per catch.
Of course, the Packers have already made a blockbuster trade with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. Davante Adams was sent to his childhood team in exchange for a first and second round pick. These picks turned into Quay Walker and Christian Watson. After the trade took place, there were rumblings that the Packers had tried to get a player in return for Adams. However, since Adams had been franchise tagged, NFL rules forbade them from acquiring a player in a trade for him.
Was that player Foster Moreau? Not likely, given the fact that he is a backup tight end. However, Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report argues that Moreau would be an excellent addition to Matt LaFleur’s offense:
“Going back to the Raiders could be fruitful for Green Bay. Backup tight end Foster Moreau will be a free-agent after 2022, and he’s stuck behind All-Pro candidate Darren Waller. Moreau had a career-high 30 receptions for 373 yards last year and has 10 touchdowns in his three seasons.”
Is the Tight End Situation Really that Desperate?
As mentioned, Robert Tonyan will be out for the start of the season recovering from an ACL tear. In 2020, Tonyan had a breakout season, catching 52 passes for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. His 11 scores tied the Packers’ record for touchdowns by a tight end.
Before he got hurt in 2021, Tonyan had started to regress a bit. In eight games, he was not on pace to match his 2020 production. Prior to getting hurt, Tonyan had 18 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns. His catch percentage plummeted to 62.1%. In 2020, it was 88.1%.
As Wharton pointed out, Marcedes Lewis is not used as a receiver much in the Packers offense. Without a healthy and productive Tonyan, there is a gap. While the Packers have several tight ends on their roster, none of them have proven that they are capable of producing anything close to what Tonyan did in 2020. Below is a list of the Packers’ current tight ends (excluding Tonyan and Lewis) and their receiving stats from their best offensive season:
- Dominique Dafney- 2020: two receptions, 26 yards, one touchdown
- Tyler Davis- 2021: four receptions, 35 yards, one first down
- Josiah Deguara- 2021: 25 receptions, 245 yards, two touchdowns
- Alize Mack- No NFL snaps
- Eli Wolf- No NFL snaps
Foster Moreau Could Help the Green Bay Packers
Of the five tight ends listed above, Dominique Dafney, Tyler Davis, and Josiah Deguara are the ones most likely to make the team. Davis, especially, has been named as a player that special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia is very excited about. That being said, Foster Moreau produced more in 2021, as a back up, than all three of them combined in their best receiving seasons.
Last season, Foster Moreau had 30 receptions for 373 yards and three touchdowns. However, as he is stuck behind a perennial All-Pro contender, he does not get many opportunities. With Tonyan out, Moreau could be an extra receiving weapon in an offense that is going to look much different in 2022 than it did in 2021.
If the Raiders were willing to part with him for a third round pick, it should be a no-brainer for the Packers.
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