Jaire Alexander may not be the only Packer traded: 3 more players who could get dealt this spring
We know the Green Bay Packers are looking for offers on Jaire Alexander, but with contract decisions looming, Brian Gutekunst could seek out value elsewhere as well.
Good morning!
Jaire Alexander likely won’t be back with the Green Bay Packers whether it’s by trade or by release at some point. Last week, Jason looked at why neither has yet happened. But he’s not the only player who makes sense as a trade piece for Brian Gutekunst to dangle.
On today’s The Leap newsletter, we look at three other Packers who are both potentially valuable to other teams, and could be worth more long-term to Green Bay as trade bait.
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Malik Willis
Peter Bukowski: The national reporters are doing their best to let everyone know teams are very interested in New England Patriots backup quarterback Joe Milton this offseason on the back of one game at the end of the year. Somehow they want us to forget Milton fell to the sixth round in the 2024 because, despite his prodigious arm strength, his accuracy has been about as reliable as a news story shared on Facebook by your kooky extended family.
And look, maybe there is interest in Milton. But it was one NFL game. Malik Willis played well in parts of four games including two starts last season in place of Jordan Love. Had he qualified for any of the efficiency metrics, Willis would have been one of the most efficient quarterbacks of the ‘24 season.
Matt LaFleur found a way to use Willis as a runner, revamped the run game on the fly to accommodate his backup quarterback’s strengths, and in-game put Willis in situations to succeed.
Willis came back to take a late lead against the Chicago Bears in their ill-fated Week 18 tilt and made the key throw to Jayden Reed against the Jacksonville Jaguars to seal a game ready to slip through the Packers’ beer-holding fingers.
The most prudent path would be for Gutekunst to keep Willis through the draft, and wait for a team to get desperate either post-draft or during training camp when a quarterback gets hurt.
Willis provides a rare thing for the Packers: quality backup quarterback play. He proved how valuable that can be. Green Bay does not make the playoffs if Willis plays even 10 or 15% worse. A trade offer would have to land them significant compensation to give up that value, but we see teams act out of desperation for quarterbacks every offseason.
Romeo Doubs
When Buffalo Bills slot receiver Khalil Shakir got $53 million over four years, the clock started for the Packers to get a deal done with Doubs. And if a deal isn’t likely to get done and Green Bay finds a boundary receiver who can play right away, Doubs starts looking very appealing to receiver-needy teams around the NFL.
Doubs drew praise from Aaron Rodgers during training camp, a rarity for the four-time MVP and former Packers signal-caller. But Doubs never took the step from being a quality possession receiver to the kind of player capable of being the engine of a passing game. We’d see flares and flashes, bursts of plays, even stretches of games where Doubs made every play the Green Bay offense needed.
Then, he’d fade into the background.
He’s never had a 60-catch season and there are always the issues last season that got Doubs suspended over a complaint surrounding his targets.
Let’s say the Packers use a top-100 selection on a receiver they love. Would a team give up a Day 3 pick to have Doubs on the final year of his deal and then they can decide whether to extend him? A team like the New England Patriots in need of receivers who can play right now for a young quarterback with a mountain of cap room makes sense.
Rasheed Walker
Admittedly, this one is a long shot but the money for Aaron Banks opens the door here. With Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker each set to have their contracts expire next spring, the Packers likely gave Walker’s money to Banks. Tom earned a top-of-market right tackle deal and Walker played well enough last season to be looking at $20 million per year as a solid left tackle.
Green Bay could pay both, but Elgton Jenkins already owns an extension, Banks just signed, and Tom will have his deal sooner rather than later. Would the Packers allocate that many resources to the offensive line, particularly when they drafted Jordan Morgan in the first round last year?
Moving on from Jenkins to save money after committing to him as the center as we expect would only open a new void in that group. While the Packers don’t know for sure if Morgan can play, if the team didn’t have Walker, they’d likely be giving the former Arizona standout every opportunity there. If he fails at tackle, Sean Rhyan’s contract will also be up next spring.
Morgan could play right guard as the long cost-controlled contract on the line.
For all the same reasons it would make sense to trade Doubs now rather than lose him for nothing in free agency, it makes sense for Walker who would command a higher contract price but also plays a position of much greater scarcity. The Kansas City Chiefs just gave Jaylon Moore, a backup for the 49ers, $30 million over two years and he’s not half the player Walker has proven to be as part of an elite offense.
Would a team give up a top-100 pick for him? If one would, Green Bay would have to think twice about how much they want to pay this offensive line, balancing how valuable it to be to chase a Super Bowl this year with depth no other team in the NFL would be able to match at the position.
Doubs can't catch what ain't thrown to him. Personally, I don't want to trade any of these players. I'm still a little salty we let TJ Slaton go for peanuts.
Other than Jaire, who do you believe is most likely to be traded before training camp? My guess is Doubs.