The Green Bay Packers should be happy with where they are, but not satisfied.
At 6-2, the Packers are looking good to make the playoffs. They’ve won four games in a row and recently overtook the Minnesota Vikings, who handed them their first loss, in the NFC North standings. There’s a lot to be excited about the rest of the way.
However, the Packers don’t look like a dominant team by any stretch of the imagination, and they’ve got less than a week remaining to improve their roster. So far, Green Bay has been dormant at the trade deadline, and it would be a mistake to remain that way.
The defensive line should be priority number one for the Packers at this stage, as a lack of a dominant pass rusher has been a clear Achilles heel. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report named the Packers as a fit for New Orleans Saints edge rusher Chase Young in a possible blockbuster trade on Wednesday.
“(The) Green Bay Packers could also be interested in adding a pressure man like Young as they look to chase (the) Detroit (Lions) in the NFC North,” Knox said.
“Green Bay has tallied 21 sacks through its first eight games, but it hasn’t gotten steady production off the edge. Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt leads the team with just three sacks. Starting edge defenders Rashan Gary and Preston Smith have combined for only four.”
Young, 25, once looked like an ascending superstar in the NFL. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2020. Since then, though, he’s had some ups and downs, and this season, he has just two sacks in eight games, though with 12 quarterback hits, it seems likely the sack total will climb shortly.
After signing a one-year, $13 million deal with the lowly Saints, Young should be motivated to get himself to a new team at the deadline and show out. He could make himself lots of money with a strong second half, and the Packers certainly wouldn’t complain if that helps them get a ring.
