We’ve seen this movie play out before.
Jaire Alexander’s departure is inevitable. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Green Bay Packers have held trade conversations and are open to dealing their All-Pro cornerback “for the right price.”
Former Packers executive Andrew Brandt translated that wording, noting that it means they likely haven’t received any good offers yet.
And they likely never will. Despite Alexander’s talent, what team will give up anything more than a Day 3 pick? The former first-rounder is among the best at his position when healthy, but those two words are a possible dealbreaker for a player who has missed exactly half (34 of 68) of the Packers’ games over the past four years.
Unless the Packers find a trade partner or believe they can mend the fence with Alexander, their only option might be to release him.
Enter the worst-case scenario.
Vikings named a landing spot for Jaire Alexander, and it makes too much sense
Aaron Jones. Za’Darius Smith. Brett Favre. Greg Jennings. If those four fan-favorites can sign for the Minnesota Vikings, so can Alexander.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports named five potential landing spots for Alexander this offseason, and the list included Minnesota.
“Would the Packers prefer to deal their former star inside the NFC North? Probably not. But the Vikings have pulled this before, convincing the Detroit Lions to cough up T.J. Hockenson,” writes Benjamin. “And if Minnesota can’t retain some of its top free agents in the secondary, including No. 1 corner Byron Murphy Jr. and emergent safety Camryn Bynum, they could pivot to give coordinator Brian Flores an even higher-upside option.”
The heartbreaking part? It’s true.
Our only disagreement is how it could happen. The Packers will never trade Alexander to Minnesota. No way. The concern is if GM Brian Gutekunst can’t find a trade partner and releases the All-Pro cornerback. That’s when the Vikings could be ready to pounce.
As Benjamin notes, Minnesota will need cornerback help if Byron Murphy Jr. departs in free agency, and Alexander could dominate in that secondary (again, if healthy).
Alexander could join a playoff contender and get some revenge on the team that gave up on him. It would follow the same heartbreaking script Packers fans have endured for years.
No team loves signing former Packers more than the Vikings, and this move just feels inevitable. Hopefully, Gutekunst can find a trade partner to avoid the worst-case scenario, but it’s hard to disagree with Benjamin’s assessment.
If Green Bay releases Jaire, a switch from Packers green and gold to Vikings purple could become a painful reality.
