The Green Bay Packers are of to a 2-2 start following their Week Four loss to the Detroit Lions at home. While the team has been inconsistent on both sides of the ball, there have been plenty of things that have given fans reason to be excited for the future. Such things include Jordan Love leading the largest fourth quarter comeback in franchise history and his early chemistry with Romeo Doubs.
Additionally, second round pick Jayden Reed has been a pleasant surprise on offense. While many expected him to be the starting slot wide receiver, very few saw him on pace for over 800 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns.
However, Love, who leads the NFL with 10.2 yards per passing attempt, also is near the bottom of the league in completion percentage. To be clear, this is not all his fault. While he has overthrown several players on deep passes, many others have been dropped or have fallen incomplete due to poorly run routes.
These, of course, are because of the incredible youth at the wide receiver position. In order to help boost the offense and help Love move the ball down field, Bleacher Report‘s Alex Ballentine suggests that Green Bay trade for a former 1,000-yard receiver.
The Green Bay Packers Are Encouraged to Trade for Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver Marquise Brown
The Arizona Cardinals are currently 1-3 and playing without Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray. As they seem to be once again heading for a top-five draft pick, they may be looking to add as much draft capital as they can in order to rebuild their roster. Marquise Brown, who had 1,008 receiving yards in 2021, may be their most tradable asset.
As for the Packers, Ballentine writes:
“Adding one more deep threat could be enough to really unlock this passing game, which is good because the run game has struggled behind an offensive line that is beat up.
“Marquise Brown is a name to track as the trade deadline approaches. He’s in the final year of his contract and the Cardinals still don’t have Kyler Murray in the lineup. He could be available. At 26, he could wind up being a part of the young core the Packers already have lined up.”
Brown is currently averaging 59.8 receiving yards per game, which puts him on pace for 1,016 yards this year.
The Pros of the Green Bay Packers Trade for Marquise Brown
The pros are quite obvious: adding a wide receiver of Brown’s ability to the inexperienced pass catching group of the Packers can only help the passing game. According to PFF, Brown has a 74.4 offensive grade, which would rank second among Green Bay wide receivers (Doubs has a 77.3 grade).
Aside from Brown’s rookie season, in which he had 46 receptions for 584 yards and seven touchdowns, Brown has never had fewer than 58 receptions and 700 yards in a season. This includes last season when he was limited to just 12 games, but posted 67 catches for 709 yards and three touchdowns.
A reliable, experienced wide receiver could be what it takes to jumpstart the Packers’ offense quicker.
The Cons of the Green Bay Packers Trading for Marquise Brown
As Ballentine mentions above, Brown is in the final year of his contract. This means that the Cardinals’ asking price may not be too high, perhaps a mid-to-late round draft pick. The problem with that, though, is that the Packers are highly protective of their draft picks.
Brown’s being in the final year of his contract is also a drawback to a potential trade. While he may provide a spark now in 2023, there is no way to guarantee that he would stay in Green Bay beyond this season. The Packers’ always looking ahead to the future does not correlate with making a “spark” trade in a season that is all about growing.
Finally, the Packers’ young, inexperienced wide receivers will not grow if there is another veteran on the team taking their snaps. If Green Bay wants to build a contender that will remain relevant for years to come, they need to go through the growing pains now.
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1 Comment
I think they should have drafted Jaxon over Van Neas