NFL: The Green Bay Packers’ defense held opponents to 17 points per game over the final five games of the 2023 regular season. That is a trend that the team is hoping continues into the 2023 season. With the massive amount of turnover on the offensive side of the ball, the defense may be asked to keep the team in close games while the offense finds its groove. One defensive position that has question marks surrounding it going into next season is Safety. That could change drastically.
According to a recent projection from Sports Illustrated, safety Kevin Byard is among one of ten star players who could switch teams before the start of the regular season:
Back in April, Byard reportedly wanted to be traded without a new deal in place.
In the weeks since, general manager Ran Carthon hasn’t made a move in either direction, leaving Byard’s future up in the air. For the reloading Titans, the 30-year-old safety could be a nice trade piece to acquire draft capital while shaving off future salary.
Should Carthon move Byard, the Titans would recoup $28.2 million over the next two years. However, the star safety won’t come cheap to the team getting him, with base salaries of $13.6 million in 2023 and ’24.
The Packers have a defensive unit that has a ton of potential going into 2023, an elite safety would round it out.
What Would A Packers – Titans Trade For Kevin Byard Look Like?
Kevin Byard has been one of the best safeties in the NFL over the last few seasons. A third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Middle Tennessee State product already has two All-Pro and two Pro Bowl nominations on his resume. He is extremely durable, never missing a single game in his career and remaining very productive in 2022.
With 108 tackles, four interceptions and six passes defended, he is a versatile safety that can transform a secondary instantly. He is the highest-paid free safety in the NFL but has earned that distinction, registering a 79.5 defensive grade at PFF last season along with a 78.0 run defense grade and 81.0 pass defensive grade. It would likely take a premium draft pick to pry him away from the Tennessee Titans, but here is our proposal:
Green Bay Packers Receive:
- Safety Kevin Byard
Tennessee Titans Receive:
- Safety Darnell Savage
- 2024 Third Round Draft Pick
- 2024 Seventh Round Draft Pick
What Would Kevin Byard Do For The Packers Defense? (NFL)
With the loss of Adrian Amos this off-season, the Packers may be looking for a defensive leader at the safety position. The signing of safety Johnathan Owens was certainly a step in the right direction for the Packers’ defense. Owens brings durability and reliability to a position that desperately needed it.
Pairing Owens with Byard would immediately make the Packers’ safety duo one of the best in the league. It is no secret that the Packers love to blitz with Joe Barry as defensive coordinator. Having sound safety play is crucial in those situations as to not get beat deep.
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