Packers miss perfect chance to address their biggest roster concern before the trade deadline arrives
Cornerback Roger McCreary was available for a trade, but the Tennessee Titans ultimately sent him to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Green Bay Packers’ biggest offseason bet at cornerback hasn’t worked out as expected. After a tough performance versus the Arizona Cardinals, Nate Hobbs played only four defensive snaps against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and former seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine is clearly outplaying him.
While the decision in regards to what the Packers will do with Hobbs’ four-year, $48 million contract is a conversation for the offseason, the team just missed a big opportunity to reinforce the cornerback room this season ahead of the trade deadline.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Rams acquired Tennessee Titans cornerback Roger McCreary. It’s just a swap of Day 3 picks, with the Rams sending a fifth-rounder and getting McCreary and a sixth — a pretty reasonable price for a solid starter who’s in the last year of his deal.
Missed opportunity for the Packers
Last week, we wrote here that the Packers could’ve hypothetically acquired McCreary sending wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks to the Titans. At this point, it’s clear that Green Bay could have bought the cornerback for much less than that. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also connected McCreary to Green Bay.
There are fair reasons for general manager Brian Gutekunst to skip that opportunity. The Rams will pay around $2 million of prorated salary for the rest of the season, which is not an insignificant amount. And while the late-round swap is not expensive, the Packers probably don’t want to spend additional draft capital.
Green Bay enters next year’s draft without a first-round pick (sent to the Dallas Cowboys in the Micah Parsons’ trade) and a sixth-rounder (to the Philadelphia Eagles for Darian Kinnard).
Ultimately, McCreary is primarily a slot corner. Although he can also play as a boundary, the Packers already got one decision wrong betting that a slot corner could play outside, so it’s understandable that Gutekunst would fear another miss.
Now, the big question remains. The Packers may avoid trading more capital, and there aren’t great options on the market. Maybe, Gutekunst will just monitor Asante Samuel Jr.’s recovery from a neck injury, or the Packers will have to rely on what they already have to keep the secondary afloat.