The Green Bay Packers may not have gotten everything that they wanted in return for Aaron Rodgers, but they did a pretty solid job in their negotiations with the New York Jets. They received a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and will have another second or first-rounder in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Packers made the most of the 2023 selections they received, bolstering the weapons around new starting quarterback Jordan Love. Multiple tight ends and wide receivers were selected, restocking what had become a pretty barren depth chart.
If the defense can perform up to expectations, it will take a lot of pressure off of the offense as they get going with Love as the new starter. In 2022, a shift was expected in the team’s philosophy as the defense was supposed to become the vocal point but they underperformed.
There were some people that believed Green Bay had the makings of an elite defense but they finished the season 17th in points surrendered and 17th in yardage allowed. Those numbers need to improve with the offense in a state of transition.
If the Packers wanted to get aggressive, they could turn to the trade market to bring in an established veteran to shore things up on the backend of their defense. Safety Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals would look great on the Packers.
Baker requested a trade after asking for a contract extension, which the team declined. Being part of a rebuild isn’t what Baker wants, so he asked to be traded instead. Green Bay was listed as a potential suitor and the fit makes sense. The Packers have a hole at safety with Adrian Amos still a free agent and Darnell Savage Jr. regressing in 2022.
What could a deal between the Packers and Cardinals look like? There aren’t many examples involving top-tier safeties recently to get an idea. The Pittsburgh Steelers acquiring Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins and the Seattle Seahawks acquiring Jamal Adams from the Jets are the only two.
Both of those deals involved first-round picks, but insiders don’t believe Arizona will be able to get that given Baker is older than both of those players were when they were traded and that he is seeking an extension. Fitzpatrick and Adams still had multiple seasons on their rookie deals when traded.
With that in mind, Green Bay could offer their second and third-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft to Arizona. If the Cardinals hold out for a first-rounder, the Packers could offer the Jets’ conditional second-round pick that will become a first if Rodgers plays 65 percent of the snaps.
Premium draft capital is exactly what the Cardinals want with a new regime in place and a roster rebuild occurring. The Packers get a huge upgrade in their secondary at a position of need, giving them two stars on the backend with Baker joining cornerback Jaire Alexander.
