The Green Bay Packers are sitting at 5-1-1 on the season, but they are still looking at ways to improve the roster. The Athletic's Dianna Russini released a story on Saturday, digging into some trade nuggets she's been hearing from sources around the league. Part of her report focused on the fact that the Packers are making some calls.
"The Ravens and Packers are also looking for corners," Russini wrote. With the trade deadline on Nov. 4, the clock is ticking, and moves are being made, but this revelation is just the latest example of how they feel about Nate Hobbs.
Packers Looking for CB Help on the Trade Market
The Packers agreed to sign Hobbs on a four-year, $48 million contract during free agency, but he's been underwhelming thus far, to say the least. Green Bay even benched Hobbs against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 8.
They had Carrington Valentine step in his place, who gave up three catches on five targets for 31 yards and a touchdown. Despite playing well, the Packers aren't handing Valentine the job and are giving Hobbs another chance to prove himself.
Nonetheless, the fact that Green Bay is actively looking at other options doesn't paint a positive picture of how Hobbs is viewed in-house. Considering they gave him $16 million guaranteed, they weren't expecting to have him benched and seeking reinforcements elsewhere after two months.
In six games for Green Bay this season, Hobbs has 19 total tackles and just one pass deflection. According to Pro Football Focus, he owns a 59.6 overall grade (57th among 113 graded cornerbacks) and 54.4 coverage grade (80th among 113 graded cornerbacks). He has a 127.1 passer rating allowed and 13.8 yards given up per reception.
The biggest reason for his slip in production is that the Packers have lined him up on the outside. He's been most effective when playing in the slot, but Green Bay has Javon Bullard playing there. Since they aren't looking to move Bullard out of his spot, they are looking at other ways to improve at corner.
Valentine gave them a boost, but clearly, they want some more help back there. Looking for help at cornerback ahead of the trade deadline is telling on how Hobbs is viewed. While they are saying all the right things about him, benching him against the Steelers seems like step one in finding a way to get Hobbs off the field.
It'll be interesting to see if Green Bay makes a move at DB, but it's obvious they want to improve in that area.