3 Realistic Packers Trade Targets This Offseason
![Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) before Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) before](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4068,h_2288,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/325/01hqbdg11b74jceebmr2.jpg)
The Green Bay Packers head into the 2024 offseason on a positive note. The players, management, and the fanbase are all feeling good about the direction of the team after the Packers ended the year in the postseason.
Green Bay was 6-8 going into Week 16. They turned things around and won three straight games to go 9-8 and notch the No. 7 seed. The Packers went into AT&T Stadium to defeat the Dallas Cowboys 48-32 in the Wild Card Round. They ended up falling to the San Francisco 49ers 24-21 in the Divisional Round.
Despite the loss, the future is bright. There are some position groups that the Packers can improve and below we'll discuss three realistic trade targets.
3. Shaq Thompson, LB, Carolina Panthers
The Packers could use more speed and athleticism in the middle of the field. The linebackers on Green Bay's defense struggled to defend the run and be effective in pass coverage. Linebacker De'Vondre Campbell is under contract until 2026 but he had trouble staying on the field in 2023.
Campbell had an ankle and neck injury that forced him to miss six games last year. Even when he was on the field, the 30-year-old didn't look like the same player.
An intriguing name that could be available is Carolina's linebacker Shaq Thompson. Thompson suffered a fractured fibula in 2023 that made him miss the entire campaign.
He now rolls into the final year, of his four-year, $54.4 million deal. The Panthers are in the midst of a rebuild and could use any draft assets made available. Thompson is a rangy defender who owns the ability to make plays in both the run and pass game.
The 29-year-old has compiled 715 total tackles, 12 sacks, five forced fumbles, and three interceptions in his nine-year career, including 100-plus tackles from 2019-2022. He would be a great addition to the middle of the defensive unit.