The NFL trade deadline is gone, and the Green Bay Packers were sellers, not buyers. They dealt cornerback Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills for a mid-round pick swap: Green Bay received a third-rounder, sending a fifth to Buffalo.

But that doesn't mean the team can't think about adding players over the next couple of days. General manager Brian Gutekunst made it clear that he's rebuilding, and that's an interesting time of the roster-building process to add young players and see who can be a part of the future.

He followed a similar path in 2018, his first year as a general manager. The Packers traded away Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Ty Montgomery at the deadline. Later in the year, they signed wide receiver Allen Lazard off the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad, and he became an important part of the offense for the following four seasons.

Gutekunst can also add older players to help the young pieces develop, and there are options with decent upside to explore.

Free agents options

CB William Jackson

He was a solid starter for the Cincinnati Bengals and had one decent year for the Washington Commanders, but hasn't been good since. Last year, a back injury prevented him from playing a single game for the Pittsburgh Steelers after a trade deadline move.

WR Kenny Golladay

Golladay had been a really good receiver for the Detroit Lions, but his experience for the New York Giants was a disaster. Now he's available, and could be a decent veteran option to add in an extremely young receiving room.

DL Matt Ioannidis

Ioannidis is a solid run defender, so he would offer a skill set the Packers roster doesn't have — they are built with penetrators, and the run defense has suffered as a consequence.

OT La'el Collins

Collins is a low-floor, high-ceiling option. He's not what he once was anymore because of a sequence of knee injuries, but if the Packers feel confident he can be healthy enough, his versatility to play as tackle or guard is intriguing.

RB JD McKissic

The Packers don't have a clear answer at running back 3, so McKissic could offer a solid late-down production. He's a really good receiver out of the backfield and helps as a blitz protector.

Practice squad options

The Packers could sign players from other team's practice squads, but then it has to be for their active 53-man roster — and they guarantee them at least three weeks of salary.

Offensive options

QB Max Duggan, Los Angeles Chargers
RB Darrell Henderson, Los Angeles Rams
WR K. J. Hamler, Indianapolis Colts
WR Phillip Dorsett, Denver Broncos
TE Anthony Firkser, Detroit Lions

On offense, there are some intriguing short-term options to fill holes. But Darrell Henderson and K. J. Hamler are interesting names beyond this year, and quarterback Max Duggan is an athletic yet raw prospect.

Defensive options

CB Mekhi Garner, Philadelphia Eagles
EDGE Austin Bryant, San Francisco 49ers
S Trey Dean, New York Jets

For the defense, the Packers will probably need to add a cornerback after trading Rasul Douglas, so Mekhi Garner becomes a possibility. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent. He didn't make the initial 53-man roster, but was immediately signed to the practice squad. Trey Dean is also a rookie, while Austin Bryant is a veteran who played well in limited snaps for the 49ers.

Packers trade Rasul Douglas to the Bills

Cornerback had been with the Packers since 2021