The Green Bay Packers still have over half of their season left to play, but time is running out. While they still remain within striking distance of a playoff spot, the main focus of the season has been to evaluate what they have in Jordan Love. Through six games, Love has not exactly lit the world on fire, completing just 57.5 of his passes for 1,263 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
On the surface, it appears that Love is the lone one responsible for the offense’s struggles. Indeed, there are many fans that are ready for the team to move on from the 2020 first round pick.
While Love has been far from perfect, he is not the only one to blame, though. One of the consequences of rolling with a group of pass catchers that are either rookies or second-year players is that they make many mistakes, too. From wrong routes to dropped passes, Love’s wide receivers and tight ends have not done him many favors.
This is why, in order to give the Packers a better idea of what they have in Love, one former NFL general manager believes Green Bay should target Hunter Renfrow at the NFL trade deadline.
Former NFL GM Argues a Hunter Renfrow Trade Would Give the Green Bay Packers a Better Idea of What They Have in Jordan Love
Randy Mueller is a former NFL executive who was the general manager of the New Orleans Saints from 2000-2001 and Miami Dolphins from 2005-2007. He was the NFL Executive of the Year in 2000 and also has held front office roles with the Seattle Seahawks and Las Angeles Chargers.
Now a writer for The Athletic, Mueller recently published an article detailing several trades that he would like to see before the NFL trade deadline on October 31.
One of the trades he suggests would see the Packers adding former Pro Bowl wide receiver Hunter Renfrow in hopes that his experience would allow Jordan Love to have a more reliable target in the passing game:
“The Packers have — by age — the NFL’s youngest offense at 24.9 years, and at the wide receiver position it even skews lower at 23.5. Former Packers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb are now Jets, and their experience, perspective and consistency have a value that might have been underestimated. If the Packers can find it within themselves to add a veteran receiver, or even two, I think it would make everyone’s life on offense easier.
“Hunter Renfrow of the Las Vegas Raiders has been in the witness protection program so far this season. Now 28, he’s the same Renfrow who had 103 catches in 2021. He has a mind-boggling eight catches on 12 targets this season (both fifth on the team) and is playing 36 percent of the offensive snaps.”
Given the fact that Renfrow has not been productive this season, and that he missed seven games last year with injury, the Raiders’ asking price may not be that high. Wide receivers with more upside than Renfrow have been traded for Day Three NFL Draft picks, so Brian Gutekunst would not have to part with much draft capital.
Does a Green Bay Packers Trade for Hunter Renfrow Make Sense?
The Packers were pretty adamant that they were ready to move into the future with their young core of pass catchers. That is why veterans like Lazard and Cobb were allowed to leave via free agency. They knew that there would be growing pains with such a young core, and the only way that the youthful skill players will get any better is by playing.
In that sense, a trade for Renfrow would not make sense. Adding a veteran wide receiver that would take snaps away from their rookies and second-year pass catchers would defeat the purpose of allowing them to learn through getting all the reps possible.
But on the other hand, there is no position more important in team sports than that of quarterback, and their evaluation of Love should take precedent over their evaluation of their wide receivers. In this sense, a trade for Renfrow is completely logical.
In 2021, Renfrow caught 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl that season and appeared to be a player on the rise.
A combination of injury and the Raiders’ trade for former Packers’ wide receiver Davante Adams cut into his targets, though. Now, though healthy, Renfrow barely sees more than one pass thrown his way. The Raiders are certainly not using him, and the Packers wide receivers desperately need a leader.
In the end, it will all come down to what the front office feels is the best direction going forward; but if they are really serious about accurately evaluating Love, they would do him the favor of getting a veteran wide receiver.
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