Packers: Will “Right Opportunity” Present Itself at Trade Deadline?

The NFL trade deadline is now just hours away as all deals have to be made by 3:00 CST on November 2nd. So the big question on the minds of many fans is, will this be the year that we see the Green Bay Packers make a move?

History says otherwise as Green Bay is oftentimes connected with a big-name player, but the trade deadline comes and goes, and no move is made. But as I wrote in a recent article, if there is a year where the Packers do make a splash, it sure seems like this is it.

Between the $51 million in cap charges pushed from 2021 to future years along with several post-June 1st veteran additions, Brian Gutekunst and his staff are operating more aggressively than what they have in the past. While it’s far from a guarantee that a trade is made, it certainly has not been business as usual for the Green Bay Packers over the last eight months.

During Monday’s press conference, Matt LaFleur was asked about the trade deadline, and he told reporters that Gutey was “working extremely hard,” looking for the “right opportunity” for the Packers.

"“If the right opportunity presents itself, I think that’s something we could be involved with,” said LaFleur. “I know Gutey and his staff are working extremely hard at trying to find something, it’s just whether or not the right opportunity exists.”"

LaFleur’s response did seem candid for someone who usually keeps things close to the vest, mentioning that Gutey is trying to find something—but that also shouldn’t be a surprise either.

Although no moves have been made at the trade deadline during Gutekunst’s tenure as GM, as he says, he wants to be in on every conversation and has shown that he will bring in new players if it makes sense—and that is the key component in all of this.

As LaFleur said, it has to be the “right opportunity.” Gutey and Co. do not want to make a deal for the sake of making a deal—there are a number of factors involved.

With $5.03 million in available cap space remaining, according to Over the Cap, the Green Bay Packers need to be cap-conscious. How much in cap charges will hit the books in 2021? And is this a multi-year deal that they are acquiring?

Green Bay will once again be tight against the salary cap in 2022, and taking on a large contract will further complicate things next offseason. Now, if that’s the case, this isn’t to say that they can’t or shouldn’t make a trade, but the salary cap needs to be figured out first.

Then there is the compensation—what is Green Bay sending in return? They do have the draft capital to make a trade but is it a fair deal in their eyes? We all know how much the Packers value their draft picks.

In terms of positional needs, there are a few that come to mind. There is no such thing as too much depth at cornerback or edge rusher while adding to the interior defensive line depth is always a good idea. Adding another playmaker on offense is, of course, never a bad thing, and with the recent news that Robert Tonyan has landed on IR, tight end could be a position the Packers target as well.

Also, and very importantly, does the player’s skill-set fit the offensive or defensive system? And are they truly an upgrade over any in-house options?

These are just a few of the factors involved, but this is only scratching the surface when it comes to determining whether or not to make a trade. However, you get the point–finding the right opportunity is rarely easy.

At 7-1, the Green Bay Packers are at the top of the NFC through eight weeks of action, but it is a crowded playoff picture at the top with Arizona, Dallas, and Los Angeles all with one loss as well and a few teams with two. While Green Bay is a very good football team, perhaps the best in the NFL so far, adding an impact player at the deadline could be the difference between the one seed and the two seed.

I do not doubt that Gutekunst is working diligently as he looks for upgrades, but is the right opportunity available? Well, we will just have to wait and see.