The Green Bay Packers insist they will not trade Aaron Rodgers, so the NFL MVP quarterback will not be appearing on this list of the players the Packers could potentially trade at some point later this summer.
Training camp, especially towards the end, can sometimes spur trades between teams. Players fall down the depth chart, or others surprise, and teams are suddenly provided the freedom to get assets back in return for a player they may no longer need.
Here are some players the Packers could entertain trading at some point during camp:
CB Josh Jackson
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An underperforming second-round pick who may not have a spot within a deep position group, Jackson is the ideal trade candidate. His talent has flashed at times in Green Bay, but pre-draft issues on the field have lingered and injuries remain a roadblock, so rarely has everything come together for the 45th overall pick in the 2018 draft. If Jackson doesn’t have a big summer and a cornerback-needy team comes calling, the Packers might be ready to pull the trigger on a deal, even if the compensation is minimal.
LB Oren Burks
MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Just about everything that applies to Josh Jackson may also apply to Oren Burks, the Packers’ third-round pick in 2018. Training camp injuries in Year 1 and Year 2 robbed him of early momentum, and he hardly saw the field during Year 3. Can Joe Barry get Burks’ career back on track, or is he destined to be a career-long special teams player? Some team might see Burks as a reclamation project worth taking on at this point in his career. The Packers drafted Isaiah McDuffie and signed De’Vondre Campbell, and both Kamal Martin and Krys Barnes return after playing a lot as rookies, so a roster spot might be hard to win for Burks this summer. A trade out of Green Bay might be the best for both parties.
OL Lucas Patrick
(AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
This one would be a moderate surprise. Patrick started 15 games last season and can play all three interior line positions, giving him great value in Green Bay. But the Packers have also invested heavily on the interior of the offensive line recently, and trading Patrick could save the team almost $2 million on the cap in 2021. If the Packers like what they see out of their youngsters on the inside (for instance, Jon Runyan Jr., Josh Myers, Simon Stepaniak, Royce Newman) this summer, and a team needs a quick fix at guard or center and is willing to give up a draft pick, a trade involving Patrick might make sense.
WR Equanimeous St. Brown
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown is shown Monday, August 17, 2020, during training camp in Green Bay, Wis.
The Packers will have some tough decisions to make at wide receiver. Third-round pick Amari Rodgers is going to play early on, and veteran Devin Funchess will fight for a roster spot after opting out of last season. Returning receivers such as Malik Taylor and Juwann Winfree have experience in Green Bay and can play special teams. Might St. Brown eventually be the odd man out? He’s entering the final year of his rookie deal and won’t cost much on the cap, so a team in need of a versatile receiver like St. Brown might be willing to send a conditional pick to Green Bay to get him. General manager Brian Gutekunst has done well getting late-round draft picks for surplus players in the past.
TE Jace Sternberger
Green Bay Packers tight end Jace Sternberger (87) during the second day of organized team activities.
An important training camp is approaching for Sternberger, who has done little during his first two seasons and is now facing a two-game suspension to start the 2021 season. The Packers think he can be a matchup weapon, but the tight end position is deep in Green Bay and it’s unclear how Sternberger fits into a specific role when everyone is healthy. If he produces another so-so summer and the Packers are comfortable with what they have at tight end, Sternberger could be on his way out. In that specific scenario, getting something back via trade would be the ideal outcome for the Packers. Teams are sometimes willing to trade for tight ends with pass-catching talent coming out of college, mostly because it’s a tough position to learn at the NFL level, and players need time to develop. The Packers could either practice patience or find a team willing to spend an asset to get him.
WR Devin Funchess
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Devin Funchess (11) is shown during a mandatory minicamp Tuesday, June 8, 2021 in Green Bay, Wis.
This one is probably unlikely, given the lack of interest in Funchess as a free agent in 2020 and the fact he hasn’t played in a game in almost two years. But what if Funchess has a nice summer, and the Packers – suddenly flush with receivers – decide they’re content with the other players at the position? The competition for spots behind the top four receivers will be fierce. However, a couple of strong performances from Funchess could build some trade value. He’s cheap on the cap, and the Packers could save around $1.2 million by dealing him. Stranger things have happened.
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