The Green Bay Packers are making one thing clear with this offseason. They are trying to get younger. The offense especially is full of rookies and second-year players as well as players like Jordan Love who are “veterans” but haven’t gotten a lot of playing time. One analyst suggested that the Packers should continue to get younger by trading veteran defensive end Preston Smith
Analyst: Green Bay Packers Should Consider Trading Preston Smith
Here’s the case for it. Smith turns 31 in November and is probably not a part of the team’s long-term plans. While they just signed him to a four-year extension last offseason, moving on from him would save them a little bit of cap room long-term. This is money that could be used to extend Rashan Gary who is a part of the future at only 25 years old. Also, with Kingsley Enagbare and Lukas Van Ness on the team, the team could decide they would rather give reps to them rather than Smith.
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The Case Against It
Veterans are always necessary for any team. The cap savings are also not enormous where it is a slam dunk to move off of him. A team can also not have too many edge rushers. While Smith would be taking away some snaps from young players, defensive coordinators love to rotate players in order to keep their legs fresh. There will be plenty of snaps to go around. What it all boils down to is compensation. If the Packers can get a decent return, they should pull the trigger. Maybe some team has an injury early in the season and is willing to overpay to get a veteran.
My gut tells me that Preston Smith will be on the Green Bay Packers for the whole year. However, Brian Gutekunst has proven he is not afraid to make bold trades. Ultimately, it might come down to how productive Smith is this year and what Enagbare and Van Ness look like on the field. If they look ready to take the reigns of the defense, Smith could become expendable.
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