Top Potential Trade Packages for Jordan Love by the Packers and GB’s Push for the NFL Playoffs in 2024
The Green Bay Packers franchise should view the 2023 campaign as a huge success. The first season under Jordan Love produced a 9-8 regular season record and an appearance in the divisional round of the playoffs.
We expected some bumps in the road. There were reasons to doubt Green Bay’s ability to make the playoffs as the team went from having a seasoned veteran in quarterback Aaron Rodgers to an unknown in Love with an inexperienced group of receivers.
By winning six of their final eight games to qualify for the playoffs and surprising the Dallas Cowboys once they were there, they dispelled those misgivings.
They can now try to capitalize on that success and go deep into the playoffs once more in 2024. Prior to implementing any contract modifications or reductions, the Packers are $350,000 under the salary cap.
That ought to provide them ample leeway to make a few decisions, possibly including trades, to advance this roster if they so desire.
Here are three fictitious transactions that may help the Packers maximize 2024 as we get ready for the offseason to begin in earnest with free agency in March.
In August of last year, general manager Brian Gutekunst made a special effort to inform the public that he would not be trading veteran left tackle David Bakhtiari. That was back then. Now is the moment.
This offseason, the financial landscape surrounding Bakhtiari’s trade has evolved. The Packers stand to save a staggering $21 million in cap space by selling the veteran this offseason, even if doing so would have resulted in a hefty dead cap penalty.
While it may not have a big impact on the Packers’ roster, it does free up a sizable amount of contract space that they could employ to either keep their existing group of free agents or take a more aggressive approach to fill gaps in free agency.
Determining Bakhtiari’s exact value is the difficult part of trading him. He continues to demonstrate his ability to play at a high level when he is on the field. The issue is that, at 32, he has only played 55 plays this season and is recovering from a difficult knee injury.
The veteran’s contract makes it difficult for the Packers to keep him on board going ahead. Trading him would transfer his $10.7 million base salary, which is manageable, to the team that signs him.
Perhaps a conditional draft pick is the best way to proceed toward a trade. This would make sense using a modified version of the formula that the Falcons and Jaguars used to trade Calvin Ridley last offseason.
The Falcons then dealt the receiver to the Jaguars in exchange for a conditional pick in 2024 and a fifth-round pick in 2023. In the event that Ridley met specific performance benchmarks, the Jaguars would select him in the third round; otherwise, they would select him in the second round this offseason.
A conditional choice for Bakhtiari might be selected in the fourth round, rise to the third if he plays in more than half of the offensive snaps, and fall to the second round if the Jets decide to keep him past the end of his contract.
This offseason, the Packers have a serious need at left tackle, as mentioned in the David Bakhtiari trade proposal. Although Bakhtiari has been an excellent player, his injuries have rendered him unpredictable.
The Packers rarely move up or select an offensive player in the first round, but this time around there might be an exception given the need at tackle.
For a long time, the Packers have benefited from having a strong offensive line. Most of the time, Bakhtairi’s play at left tackle has contributed to that.
It will be hard to find an answer in free agency. To identify Love’s long-term blindside defender, the Packers would be better served using the draft, but they might need to move up in the selection order to get their man.
It would take some draft money to go from No. 25 to No. 14, but the Packers have a healthy supply of draft picks. Green Bay has the fifth-best collection of picks in this year’s draft, per Tankathon’s power rankings.
The New Orleans Saints may be particularly interested in that. They might gain by having more players on rookie contracts because they are always making cuts that are almost at the cap. Additionally, they currently do not possess a third- or fourth-round pick.
In exchange for a third-round pick, the Packers would be in a better position to select a left tackle candidate in the middle of the first round than a few other teams that are in need of tackles. Tyler Guyton or Kingsley Suamataia are two potential targets for this kind of action.
Finally, focusing on Garett Bolles would provide Love with superior protection going forward. The 31-year-old had a 75.9 grade from PFF last season despite playing over 1,000 snaps and giving up just three sacks.
He wasn’t afraid to express his dissatisfaction with Denver losing for a second straight season either. Given their tight cap situation, the Broncos are an obvious trade candidate for him. Russell Wilson’s release is anticipated, which will increase the value of the cap room.
Trading Bolles would free approximately $16 million for the Broncos, who are currently $25.7 million above the cap.
The Packers have five picks in the top 100 and eleven total picks in this year’s draft; they don’t typically exchange picks for players. This is the ideal time to employ a pick who has the potential to be a seasoned difference-maker.
Since tackles don’t come up for trade very often, it’s difficult to determine a fair price, but Denver, having just acquired Sean Payton in the offseason, need to seize the chance to get another Day 2 pick.
