Of Interest to Packers, Jets gain 2nd round pick in trade with Browns

The New York Jets have traded wide receiver Elijah Moore and their third-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for their 2023 second-round pick. This is of interest to the Green Bay Packers because New York now has a pair of second-round picks in the upcoming draft.

A move for the Jets at the wide receiver position had to be coming with how crowded the room had become. In addition to already having Moore, Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis, and Denzel Mims on the roster, the Jets have also signed Allen Lazard and, most recently, Mecole Hardman. They may also still be looking to add either Randall Cobb or Odell Beckham, two players that Aaron Rodgers reportedly wants in New York.

Moore, who had a productive rookie season in 2021 and still has two years remaining on his contract, would have made sense for the Packers given their need at the receiver position, his fit in the Matt LaFleur offense, and his relatively low cap hit. However, while acquiring Moore is no longer an option, landing Mims or Davis — who has a large cap hit of $10.5 million and would need his deal reworked — could still be in play.

With that said, the most noteworthy aspect of the Jets’ trade with the Browns isn’t that Moore is no longer an option for the Packers, but rather, New York now has a pair of second-round picks.

Based on the many reports that we’ve heard, Green Bay wants a first-round pick for Rodgers, but the Jets aren’t exactly willing to make that happen. But as ESPN’s Rob Demovsky would point out using the draft pick trade value chart, the 13th overall pick, which the Jets have, is worth 1,150 points. The 42nd (Cleveland’s pick) and 43rd (New York’s pick) selections combined are worth 950 points–or equivalent to the 17th overall pick.

So perhaps, part of the Rodgers trade could include the Jets retaining their first-round pick but sending the Packers two second-rounders, which would give them picks 42, 42, and 45 (their own) in Round 2. Or maybe the Jets still want a second-round pick of their own, so they would send Green Bay the 42nd pick, along with other picks and a player.

Although in the first scenario described, the Packers would not be getting a first-round pick for Rodgers, something a year ago seemed unfathomable; they would still have four total picks in the top 50, giving themselves the opportunity to fill a number of needs with top talent on inexpensive rookie contracts, as they look to reset the salary cap to a degree with things turning over the Jordan Love.

Major positions of need for the Packers include safety, wide receiver, edge rusher, tight end, and interior defensive lineman. Green Bay could also choose to bolster their depth at cornerback – if Rasul Douglas is going to move to safety – and offensive tackle, especially with four picks that early in the draft.

For the time being, however, we still do not know when this trade will be finalized. There are layers to this deal beyond just agreeing on what draft picks or players to swap. Rodgers has $60 million guaranteed to him in 2023, and New York may want the Packers to pick up a portion of that tab, something that won’t be easy for Green Bay, given their tight salary cap situation.

The Jets could also be trying to rework Rodgers’ deal with him because even for a four-time MVP, paying $60 million for one season of football is a lot of money. To further complicate matters, not knowing how long Rodgers wants to continue playing football is another factor to consider in all of this as negotiations take place–potentially limiting what the Packers receive in return.

From the outside looking in, we are still very much in the dark when it comes to what negotiations between the two teams are looking like. But based on the Jets’ recent trade and their crowded receiver room, perhaps some light is beginning to be shed on what a potential trade package for Rodgers could look like.