The Green Bay Packers won’t be replacing Jordan Love without an injury this offseason, so the team can land Jordan Love before the NFL trade deadline.
Green Bay has an impressive roster of skill position players, but they are the youngest college group in the league and have made some rookie mistakes this season.
The Packers have struggled to score in the passing game or push the ball downfield since Week 2.
So the most logical path to increased relevance is to add talent that sparks the offense and helps Love build confidence.
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Bleacher Report’s Christopher Knox suggested on Friday, Oct.
27 that Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton is the top pick in that regard. The Broncos beat the Packers last weekend, but are still 2-5 and one of the league’s favorite sellers before the Oct. 31 deadline.
The Green Bay Packers are on a three-game losing streak and appear unlikely to play in 2023.
Their only focus is the development and evaluation of quarterback Jordan Love.
The Packers need to know if Denver is willing to trade one of their receivers, namely Courtland Sutton.
Sutton doesn’t have the upside as a true No. 1 receiver, but he has a 1,100-yard season on his resume and is a very solid option.
This season, he has a 125.2 passer rating when targeted.
Sutton’s confidence could have a big impact on Love’s development.
Courtland Sutton is approaching a career year with the Broncos.
Sutton, 28, is coming off the best season of his six-year NFL career.
In seven games, he has caught 31 passes for 351 yards and five touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference.
Extrapolated over a 17-game season, Sutton has a career-high 75 catches and 12 touchdowns.
His 852 receiving yards would be the second most of his career behind the 1,112 he set in 2019, Sutton’s only Pro Bowl year to date.
Green Bay needs to beat the Minnesota Vikings this weekend to justify the deal before the deadline.
At least in the context of a team still hoping to compete in 2023.
However, the franchise’s plans for Love include adding veteran options to the game at some point in the relatively near future.
The Packers, a cold-weather team with questions at QB, may see the free agency pursuit of a top wide receiver as an unsustainable prospect. Their only other options are blockbuster deals, many of which are expensive and often hard to find.
So a move to Sutton could be very important if Green Bay decides they can use him.
The Packers will trade Courtland Sutton Works in 2023, even though the team is not in contention.
If the Packers have a chance to pursue Sutton, it could be their best shot at a proven cap space next year.
Sutton is entering the second season of a four-year, $61 million contract extension that runs through 2025.
As of Saturday, Green Bay has $7.5 million in cap space and $17.6 million for 2,024.
The Packers have spent a lot of money on the defensive side of the ball, and over the past two years they’ve built much of their offense through draft capital. Green Bay is likely to give outfielder Rashaan Gary a multi-year extension worth more than nine figures, meaning the team will soon be sending more money to the defense.
But Green Bay can save $21.5 million this summer by cutting or trading David Bakhtiari.
By the end of this season, Bakhtiary has missed 38 of 51 games over the past three years and will be a free agent in 2025.
The Packers can and should put money back into the offense and see what’s in store. Love, who becomes a free agent in 2025, is barring an extension.