The Green Bay Packers are now 5-2 after defeating the Houston Texans on Sunday, making it unlikely that general manager Brian Gutekunst will be looking to sell at the trade deadline. Last season, when Gutekunst traded cornerback Rasul Douglas, the team was 2-5 after losing four straight games.
Despite this, some NFL teams are reportedly interested in certain Packers players. According to NFL Network’s insider Ian Rapoport, two names are drawing attention: edge rusher Preston Smith and offensive tackle Andre Dillard. However, their situations differ significantly and should be evaluated separately.
Preston Smith Last season, the Packers traded Rasul Douglas in exchange for third- and fifth-round draft picks from the Buffalo Bills. Given the Packers’ current standing, it’s doubtful a similar deal would be sufficient this time around.
Smith is earning $4.1 million, and trading him would free up $2.17 million in cap space. While not a large amount, it’s worth considering given the importance of the edge rusher position. However, trading Smith would also leave the Packers with $11.93 million in dead money this year and $9.88 million in 2025. The cap savings would increase next season to $7.62 million, plus $18.2 million in 2026 and $1.7 million in 2027 (a void year).
Smith has recorded seven sacks over his last 15 games, including the playoffs. Though not a standout in terms of production, he is versatile, capable of applying pressure, stopping the run, and even dropping into coverage, although coverage on receivers isn’t his strength.
Additionally, with last year’s first-round pick Lukas Van Ness not performing as expected, the Packers don’t have a clear replacement for Smith. Unless they receive significant draft capital in return, a trade seems unlikely.
Andre Dillard Dillard’s situation is quite different. He signed a veteran minimum contract with the Packers during the offseason, just before the draft. Trading him would result in $595k in savings.
Dillard has struggled to find playing time. He’s behind starting tackles Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom on the depth chart, and even third-stringer Kadeem Telfort saw action ahead of him against the Texans. Dillard has been a healthy scratch in recent games, although he was active for the Texans matchup. Any compensation for him would be a win for the Packers given his current role.
At this point, it seems likely that the Packers will have a quiet trade deadline. They don’t have significant needs, aside from perhaps additional depth at cornerback or edge rusher, but there’s no urgency to make a big move. Selling also doesn’t seem prudent, so unless a great opportunity arises, the Packers are likely to stay put.
