The Packers have played better lately, but the early-season mess still hangs over them. The offensive line has settled down some, yet the run game remains a problem, and in a stacked NFC North, “better” only goes so far. With a 1-2 divisional record and no room to waste time, Brian Gutekunst has to be active before the trade deadline.
There are a few obvious places for Green Bay to shop, and the list starts with help at receiver. Josh Downs of the Indianapolis Colts fits that bill.
He has already made it clear he wants out of a slumping Colts team, and he backed that up with his last game there. Downs is on an expiring deal and is unlikely to return under a new regime.
For the Packers, he’d bring one of the league’s most dependable slot options, especially on third down, and he’d give them another layer of protection behind Christian Watson and Matthew Golden.
The offensive line is another area that needs attention, and the tackle spots are the biggest concern. The interior has improved after some additions, but both tackles have struggled badly.
Anthony Belton still has some hope attached to him, but Jordan Morgan is described as all but a lost cause at this point. That makes Dawand Jones of the Cleveland Browns a sensible name to check on.
He has played both tackle spots and would add the kind of size Green Bay needs against heavier, more physical fronts.
Kicker is also back on the list of Packers problems. The team can’t afford to keep watching Trey Smack miss chances and leave points out there.
Spencer Shrader, another Colt, would be a logical target. He won Indianapolis’ kicker battle in training camp and, like Downs, is headed for free agency after the season.
The Colts need assets as they move into the post-Chris Ballard era, which could make him available.
The final name is Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard. With Josh Jacobs’ availability uncertain, Green Bay needs another real running back in the mix.
Jonathan Taylor would be too expensive and probably unrealistic, but Pollard makes sense. Tennessee is going nowhere this season, and Pollard brings the kind of elusive, big-play ability this offense needs if it wants more life on the ground.
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Packers Defense Is Suddenly Tied To An Intriguing Deadline Target
The Packers defense has found itself linked to a name worth watching as the NFL trade deadline approaches. Sports Illustrated analysts have floated the idea that Green Bay could look into adding help up front, with New England defensive tackle Christian Barmore emerging as a possible fit because of his contract status and a reduced role with the Patriots.
For now, it is only an angle and not a confirmed pursuit, but it is the kind of speculation that tends to follow a team looking for reinforcement in the trenches. New Englands willingness to listen would be the key variable, and Green Bays interest would depend on whether the price makes sense, with no indication yet that the two sides have actually opened trade talks. [Read more 🡒]
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Williams was a steady force around the ball all month, while Cisse kept stacking productive snaps in coverage and tackling support. For a defense trying to build momentum, having two young players recognized by the NFL is the kind of validation that can carry real weight, even if the bigger question is how long this level of play can hold up once the calendar turns. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Patriots History Includes A Few Performances Fans Still Talk About
The Packers meetings with New England have produced a handful of performances that still stand out when fans look back through the matchup history, stretching from the late 1980s to the Super Bowl era. Green Bay has had its share of eye-catching individual outings in those games, from Aaron Rodgers throwing for 368 yards in 2014 to Ahman Green rumbling for 136 rushing yards in 2002, reminders that this series has rarely been short on memorable moments.
Super Bowl XXXI remains the game that keeps coming up whenever those old box scores are revisited, with Green Bays stars leaving a lasting mark on the biggest stage. Desmond Howards return work helped define that night, and Reggie Whites presence off the edge added to a performance that still anchors the Packers history against the Patriots, even if the full story of that game goes well beyond the numbers. [Read more 🡒]