Packers move on from highly-touted weapon in proposed trade but the move could easily backfire in real life
Luke Musgrave is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Nonetheless, trading him away at this point is a risky proposition based on how the tight end room is built.
Three years ago, the Green Bay Packers essentially rebuilt their tight end room. They allowed Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis to walk in free agency (both ended up signing with the Chicago Bears), and then used two Day 2 picks to select Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft.
Now, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano suggests that the Packers could separate the duo. On his list of potential trades for AFC teams, Vacchiano mentioned Jon-Eric Sullivan, former Green Bay executive and now the Miami Dolphins general manager, and Jeff Hafley, former Packers DC and now Dolphins HC, could find a way to acquire Musgrave.
Proposed trade sends Musgrave to the Dolphins for a fifth-round pick
In this trade scenario, the Packers would get the 151st pick from Miami. The interesting aspect for Green Bay is that Musgrave is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
“First, the Dolphins should be in fire sale mode, getting rid of every valuable asset they have for draft picks. But while they’re doing that, they can’t leave new QB Malik Willis without help on offense, especially if they’re trying to see if he can be their quarterback of the future. So it makes sense to bring at least one familiar weapon from Green Bay with him. Musgrave didn’t exactly light it up for the Pack after Tucker Kraft tore his ACL last year, but he’s still a 6-foot-6 target with good receiving skills who has been battered by injuries in the first three years of his career. There’s an upside and the cost could be low, since Kraft is coming back to the Pack.” — Ralph Vacchiano
Risk for no good reason
While getting a fifth-round pick back for one year of Musgrave isn’t necessarily a bad outcome after three years of underwhelming production, it’s a decision that could easily backfire.
First, because Musgrave is still a talented pass-catching tight end — he doesn’t get more snaps and opportunities because of his issues as a blocker. But with Tucker Kraft back and without many great alternatives on the roster, Musgrave is still a valuable second tight end with an obvious offensive role.
But more than that, Kraft is recovering from an ACL injury. While the timeline matches for him to return in time for Week 1, it’s hard to predict for sure if that will happen — or how well Kraft will play early on. Especially now that the Packers lost Romeo Doubs in free agency, it’s not the time to move on from more experienced offensive weapons.
Outside of Kraft and Musgrave, the Packers’ tight end room has Josh Whyle, Drake Dabney, McCallan Castles, and Messiah Swinson. Maybe the team drafts another player later this month, but tight end is an especially difficult position for rookies. The difference between the 2026 fifth-rounder and whatever the Packers would get from Musgrave in a compensatory pick two years from now is probably not worth this type of risk.