Green Bay Packers: PFN Proposes a Trade for WR Sammy Watkins

Pro Football Network has suggested a trade that would bring Sammy Watkins to Titletown. But does that make sense for the Green Bay Packers?

Although it look a bit different than usual, NFL Training Camps are here, and when it comes to the Green Bay Packers, one of, if not the biggest question mark on the team this season is the wide receiver unit. Many are still wondering how they went an entire draft without selecting one while Green Bay’s only significant addition, Devin Funchess, has opted out.

So with essentially the same group heading into 2020, many are quite concerned that another underwhelming year from this group is going to ensue, and fans are looking for possible solutions.

However, it isn’t just Packer fans looking to boost the wide receiver position here in Green Bay, Cole Thompson of Pro Football Network has suggested a trade that would bring Sammy Watkins to Titletown.

Thompson notes that with Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and Travis Kelce, Watkins is no longer needed as the No. 2 option in Kansas City, thus making him expendable. But on the flip side in Green Bay, Thompson sees Watkins as a legit WR2 next to Davante Adams.

As far as the compensation goes to acquire Watkins, Thompson suggests a 2021 third-round pick, which the Packers could swing for the right player, especially when we consider that Green Bay is projected to land a fourth, fifth, and sixth-round compensatory pick in 2021 after losing Bryan Bulaga, Blake Martinez, and Kyler Fackrell to free agency.

If they really wanted to, they could package some sort of combination of those compensatory picks with the current picks that they already have and move back into the third round if needed. But even so, is this trade really worth it?

During his two seasons in Kansas City, Watkins has averaged 596 yards at 13.0 yards per catch with six total touchdowns and a catch rate of 63.4 percent. Overall he’s been solid, however, he isn’t the same playmaker that he once was.

In his first four NFL seasons – three with Buffalo and one with the Los Angeles Rams – Watkins averaged nearly 16 yards per catch with 25 total touchdowns. Not to mention that he hasn’t exactly had any big seasons recently with the 673 yards that he posted in 2019 being the most since his 1,000-yard season in 2015.

Injuries have also been a part of Watkins’ career, as over the last four seasons, which has spanned 64 regular-season games, he’s appeared in just 47 of them. And, of course, we always have to look at the salary cap ramifications which aren’t ideal for the Packers in this situation. With one year left on his deal, the Packers would inherit $7.875 million, and that is something that they just cannot swing in 2020.

While this move makes sense on paper and Watkins could provide some stability to the position much like Funchess, given the cost and where Watkins is currently at in his career, the juice just isn’t worth the squeeze for the Green Bay Packers.

Perhaps if this were Madden, it would be a move worth making, but the Packers are very committed to Allen Lazard, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling as compliments to Adams. And truthfully, any one of these three players have the potential to either match or exceed Watkins’ recent performances.

Now, whether that actually happens remains to be seen, but trading for Sammy Watkins isn’t the answer to the receiver position for the Packers.