The Packers and Film

With free agency jusy days away, that also means the trade market is in full swing. There are many free agents the Packers could go after, but there are also a lot of players the Packers could go after with a trade. After all, last year, the biggest impact on the team was not a free agency signing, but a trade for Micah Parsons. Here are five trades the Packers could make that would have an immediate impact on the team.

Brian Thomas Jr., WR Jacksonville Jaguars

Thomas Jr. started out his NFL career red hot, with 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns his rookie year, including people talking about him as a potential top receiver in the league. However, even though the Jaguars exceeded expectations this past year and won many more games, Thomas Jr.’s production declined drastically, with him only having 707 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns, which is why the Jaguars may look to move off of him. With the Packers struggles with their receiver core, Thomas Jr. wouldl be a great guy to trade for. Coming off a rough season, the Packers could get him without having to trade many of their assests, and he is still on his rookie contract, which would only have a cap hit of $4.9 million. My one concern with Thomas Jr. is that the Packers receiving core has struggled a lot with dropped passes, and Thomas Jr. tied for second in the NFL this past season with ten dropped passes. However, with how small his contract is, and with him coming off a down year, I believe it is a risk that makes sense for the Packers, and would help rejuvenate their offense that went through several rough moments last season.

Maxx Crosby, Edge, Las Vegas Raiders

Crosby has officially requested a trade from the Raiders, and he is one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Pairing Micah Parsons along with Crosby would be a dream come true for any Packers fan, but it also may not be realistic. Crosby has $30 million guaranteed left on his contract, and it is worth $29 million a year for the next four years. If the Packers brought in Crosby, so much of the cap space would be eaten up by just three players: Jordan Love, Micah Parsons, and Maxx Crosby. In addition, the Raiders would probably want multiple first round picks, which the Packers already gave up two for Micah Parsons. However, a defense with Micah Parsons and Maxx Crosby would instantly be one of the best defensive units in the NFL. Parsons and Crosby are both seen as two of the best past rushers in the NFL, and having them both rushing the quarterback would make any team nervous.

Renardo Green, CB San Francisco 49ers

The Packers secondary went through some tough moments last year, and are in desperate need of a spark. Grreen would be a great spark to add. A 2024 second round pick, Green has shown a lot of upside with double digit pass breakups in both seasons he has played in the NFL. He had a big impact last year, contributing to a top defense even with many defensive starters on the team injured. The Packers could use more depth at corner, and having a guy like Green would be a big help. In addition, Green’s contract is only worth $3.04 million, with none of it guaranteed, giving the Packers little risk taking him on with tremendous upside.

Rashid Shaheed, WR Seattle Seahawks

In addition to the offense and the defense, one of the areas of the Packers that went through some rough patches was the special teams. The special teams unit for the Packers has been one of the five worst units in the NFL the past three years. One of the main reasons for that is because the Packers like to use backup players for their special teams unit, when instead, they should bring in players that are specialized in special teams. Last year, Rashid Shaheed ranked sixth in the NFL in punt return yards, and averaged 14.7 yards per return, which is fifth best in the NFL. Shaheed would instantly improve the special teams unit, and help the offense for the Packers get a much better starting field position each drive. Shaheed is also a player that just won the Super Bowl, and it is always good to bring in players that know what it takes to win the big game.

Emmanuel Forbes, CB Los Angeles Rams

As I said for Green, the Packers have struggled at cornerback. Notably in the playoff game against the Chicago Bears, starting cornerback Carrington Valentine gave up multiple 20 yard passes, and the unit as a whole struggled at important moments. They gave up 250 yards to Caleb Williams, 300 yards and 4 touchdowns to Bo Nix, and 256 yards and 2 touchdowns to Jared Goff. Forbes would instantly be the cornerback one of the Green Bay Packers. He had a tremendous season for the Rams this past year. While Forbes did not have many interceptions, only tied for 23rd in the NFL in 2025, his pass breakup numbers were tremendous. He had 18 pass breakups, which was tied for 2nd most in the NFL in 2025. Having a cornerback like that for the Packers would make the pass rush even more dominant than it already is, and with Forbes starting, Nate Hobbs could be moved back to slot corner where he is far more efficient and productive.