The Green Bay Packers outperformed expectations in 2023, coming agonizingly close to making the NFC Championship Game. With the franchise’s renovation ahead of schedule, this summer is more important than many would have predicted a year ago.
With that in mind, here are some trades, cuts, and signings the Packers should consider.
TRADE: Move back in the first round
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is open to moving up in the first round of the NFL Draft, as he did with safety Darnell Savage (2019) and quarterback Jordan Love (2020). However, given the high price, trading back is far more likely if Green Bay does not remain at No. 25.
Only the Arizona Cardinals (six) have more top-100 picks in this year’s draft than the Packers (five), which may encourage the team to move back a few spots to grab another pick. Furthermore, this year’s draft is particularly deep at cornerback and offensive line, both of which are critical needs for Green Bay.
Unless Iowa CB Cooper DeJean or Georgia T Amarius Mims fall into the Packers’ lap, trading down appears to be a sensible decision.
They might target many players later in the first or second round, including corners Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (Missouri) and Kamari Lassiter (Georgia), as well as tackles Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma) and Jordan Morgan (Arizona).
CUT: OT David Bakhtiari
Cutting the two-time All-Pro seemed too obvious, as the injury-plagued 32-year-old accounts for $40 million of the Packers’ salary budget in 2024.
Bakhtiari hasn’t been the same player since tearing his ACL during the 2020 season. Since then, he’s had five knee operations and appeared in only 13 games, missing all but one contest throughout the 2021 and 2023 seasons.
Unless he’s willing to return on a restructured deal, Bakhtiari’s Green Bay career is likely over, if only because it makes too much sense. The Packers can no longer rely on the 11-year veteran, and the $20 million in cap savings that would result from his release much exceeds the danger of re-signing him.
SIGNING: Safety Xavier McKinney
Picking up the versatile safety in free agency would fill another major void and immediately improve the Packers’ poor secondary.
McKinney is coming off a stellar season with the New York Giants, finishing as the fourth-highest-graded safety (87.8), according to Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, among safeties who played at least half of his team’s snaps in 2023, he had the lowest missed tackle percentage (5.7).
The Packers are struggling against the salary cap, which may make fitting McKinney in more difficult. According to Over The Cap, the Packers have $8.1 million in cap space, which is the third lowest among teams still in the black. However, releasing Bakhtiari and making other roster changes ahead of free agency should give Green Bay some wiggle room.
