Trade Watson?

[gopkrs]

I hope you're right, but I don't think there was anything this season to suggest that.

I think it's just as simple as he's in his final year, we weren't going to re-sign him, so we got good value for him.

I think there must be an element of their not seeing the big potential that a bunch of us were hoping for.

 

[OldSchool101]

I can't remember an offseason where we traded 3 players. Crazy times in Green Bay, and I kinda like it. It seems like we are trying things that normally aren't the Packers way of doing things... As a norm, we draft and develop, resign our own players, or let them walk in FA for comp picks. Trading contributing players off the roster were never a common thing. Sure we traded, Rodgers one year, Adams another. Favre way back, but not 3 in one offseason. Is this the Policy effect?

Maybe. Personally just an observation but all of us tend to get emotionally involved in our own, which is ok it’s natural. Crap I was dismayed when Jordy left. Now I know I’m in a minority but I think this could go down as a Top 10 Brian move looking back 10 years from now. 2 draft stabs at areas we’ve done decent and $2.75Mil in the bank. These are guaranteed picks now and 1 of those happens week after next. That’s turn around!! I’m 100% confident there is a player in that top 150 area that is better than Dontayvion Wicks has been recently. Don’t throw things at me now I’m like Belushi behind a fence!

 

[OldSchool101]

I look at many moves from value. Meaning there’s a $price to justify anything really. This move just paid for St Juste $3m guaranteed $. So really in my mind they got Wicks and we got St Juste, 2026 RD5 + 2027 RD6. We buffered our CB room with a guy that’s good enough to steal CB2 from Valentine. Now we have the draft flexibility to pick a little more loose come Day 3.

Nothing meant to damage Wicks as we all know he could bounce back with a good QB and put up 600-700 yards etc. Yet he could also finish 422 yards and 3TD’s and that’s not going to get a big contract.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Why not let him play out his contract and get one more year from him. Whatever comp pick they would get is comparable or better to what they are reportedly getting.

"2 birds in the hand is worth 1 in the bush"

Getting pick #153 in 2 weeks and a 2027 6th round for a guy that won't see a lot of playing time, unless guys ahead of him get injured, is smart. Waiting around for a potential 2028 comp pick for Wicks wouldn't have been prudent.

Gute covets draft picks and Wicks was low enough on a pretty deep WR room that this was too good of a deal to pass up. I also think it tells you something about what the coaches felt about Wicks, he wasn't going to be a breakout WR for the Packers. Possibly Wicks was one of those guys that wasn't happy about his role on the team?

Oh, this also saves the Packers $3.674M.

 

[DoURant]

To those who don't think we got enough for Wicks. He was going to be fighting for our 4th WR w/Savion. We got a 5th Rd pick this year and 6th next year... for a guy who was best case scenario our WR#4. Sure we lost some depth at the position, but we can Draft or sign a FA who could provide or improve that depth.

 

[milani]

I can't remember an offseason where we traded 3 players. Crazy times in Green Bay, and I kinda like it. It seems like we are trying things that normally aren't the Packers way of doing things... As a norm, we draft and develop, resign our own players, or let them walk in FA for comp picks. Trading contributing players off the roster were never a common thing. Sure we traded, Rodgers one year, Adams another. Favre way back, but not 3 in one offseason. Is this the Policy effect?

Whether Gute or Policy it certainly is Un-Thompson like. The active 53 man roster come Sept. 4 may be the most unpredictable one we have had in a few decades.

 

[OldSchool101]

Also as a GM I imagine the Draft is really a highlight of your year. The lure of striking Gold will always draw a GM to listening to offers. My guess is we resign Watson as our Numero Uno and that’s fine. He’s got a skill set that’s hard to replicate. We know Golden is likely here 3 or 4 more years at minimum. That’s 2 Solid. Also Kraft is really a Duo TE/WR of sorts and he’s not going anywhere. 3 Solid.

We have a great Slot in Reed for 1yr Plus Savion in limited looks the part. He’s only going to get better and build off his Rookie campaign.

Now is the time to groom a WR to add that gives us 4yrs at Cheap cap impact. I’m not surprised if Brian uses #52 or #84 if the perfect candidate is there. Hurst or Lance would be amazing to pair with Watson. That would give GB a stable of Receiver talent to elevate off their 2025 plateau.

Imagine for a minute having
Watson
Reed
Golden
Lance
Savion
Skyy

Having just an extra RD5 draft pick is a good opportunity for GB to stress WR again and really pump up that Room.

 

[mradtke66]

Is this the Policy effect?

I doubt that.

Trades are rare in the nfl due to cap considerations. You take any outstanding bonus in an accelerated cap hit. And other teams are less inclined to trade for players that will be cut in a month or two.

This is more an odd occurrence where players were planned to move on from regardless still had at least some value, the cap implications were the same or better vs cutting them, and we had excess players at those positions.

I call this just a goofy confluence of events that might not happen again. Or could happen every other till the end of time.

 

[milani]

Maybe. Personally just an observation but all of us tend to get emotionally involved in our own, which is ok it’s natural. Crap I was dismayed when Jordy left. Now I know I’m in a minority but I think this could go down as a Top 10 Brian move looking back 10 years from now. 2 draft stabs at areas we’ve done decent and $2.75Mil in the bank. These are guaranteed picks now and 1 of those happens week after next. That’s turn around!! I’m 100% confident there is a player in that top 150 area that is better than Dontayvion Wicks has been recently. Don’t throw things at me now I’m like Belushi behind a fence!

By 2027 we may have a few new go to names on the roster at which time we may part with Watson. But 2026 is a year that he will be needed. Jordy suffered that preseason ACL in 2015 which hurt us that season. He was still good when he returned but when he went to the Raiders you could see he had lost a little. Kind of expected.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The more I look at the Wicks trade, the more I like it.

Just the Packer WR depth chart alone makes it look like a smart move.

- Watson
- Reed
- Golden
- Moore
- Williams

Watson and Reed have expiring contracts, but unless traded, are locks as the #1 and #2/3 WR. Golden is also a lock for the roster as your #2/3 WR. So that leaves Skyy and Williams competing for the #4 and 5 spots, as well as competing against each other for return duties. Had Wicks been kept, he would have been competing with Golden, Reed and Watson for snaps. If everyone stays healthy, I don't see him playing ahead of any of those 3.

Now throw in the fact that the Packers probably won't be able to afford to keep Watson, Reed and had he stayed, Wicks. Which means Gute probably is going to draft at least 1, if not 2 WR's to keep the WR room fresh and turning. Where would that rookie(s) fit into a depth chart had Wicks not been traded? As the #7 WR that never suits up for a game and probably requires the Packers to keep 7 WR's on the active 53?

Trading Wicks frees up a spot on the roster and WR depth chart. A spot I think that Gute will fill with a mid round pick. Or, if a WR that Gute covets is there in the 2nd round, he grabs him and now Watson/Reed are not a priority to resign.

 

[Firethorn1001]

I can't remember an offseason where we traded 3 players. Crazy times in Green Bay, and I kinda like it. It seems like we are trying things that normally aren't the Packers way of doing things... As a norm, we draft and develop, resign our own players, or let them walk in FA for comp picks. Trading contributing players off the roster were never a common thing.

Trading the players they traded makes logical sense from a performance/contract/roster standpoint however, seems a little too coincidental that guys that maybe their playing time was a little suspect in 2025 (and probably 2026) are gone on the heels of MLF talking about communicating roles better. Would not surprise me in the least if some of these moves were related because of that.

 

[Sanguine camper]

Wicks was a 5th round pick in '23... Gute got back a 5th in '26 AND a 6th in '27. If others passed him up on the depth chart & would've taken away his game snaps why not get some value for him?

I think Wicks has outperformed his draft status. He's a valuable depth player at WR. Since its the Packers, he will be needed to play plenty of snaps in 2026 due to injuries ahead of him.

I doubt there's anybody behind him that could seriously compete with him for his role. I just see more value in his 2026 production and a 2027 comp pick than what they received. If 2026 is a lost season due to the injury load, then the trade makes more sense. If the Packers are serious contenders in 2026, then his lost production will be sorely felt.

 

[Sanguine camper]

"2 birds in the hand is worth 1 in the bush"

Getting pick #153 in 2 weeks and a 2027 6th round for a guy that won't see a lot of playing time, unless guys ahead of him get injured, is smart. Waiting around for a potential 2028 comp pick for Wicks wouldn't have been prudent.

Gute covets draft picks and Wicks was low enough on a pretty deep WR room that this was too good of a deal to pass up. I also think it tells you something about what the coaches felt about Wicks, he wasn't going to be a breakout WR for the Packers. Possibly Wicks was one of those guys that wasn't happy about his role on the team?

Oh, this also saves the Packers $3.674M.

The Packers would get a 2027 comp pick for Wicks. He would've played a big role in 2026. Its the Packers, you can count on plenty of injuries. Depth players are more valuable on the Packers because of that reason.

I agree that there are probably other issues involved in dumping Wicks. He may be unhappy and complaining about his backup role.

Another problem with the trade is that it helps Philly. They have handled the Packers to say the least and making them that much harder to overcome in any playoff scenario isn't smart if you think the Packers are a 2026 contender.

Perhaps given the big injury load, 2026 has been discounted in favor of ramping up for a run in 2027.

 

[gopkrs]

I think it would be a good idea to get Heath back on the team.

 

[OldSchool101]

The Packers would get a 2027 comp pick for Wicks. He would've played a big role in 2026. Its the Packers, you can count on plenty of injuries. Depth players are more valuable on the Packers because of that reason.

I agree that there are probably other issues involved in dumping Wicks. He may be unhappy and complaining about his backup role.

Another problem with the trade is that it helps Philly. They have handled the Packers to say the least and making them that much harder to overcome in any playoff scenario isn't smart if you think the Packers are a 2026 contender.

Perhaps given the big injury load, 2026 has been discounted in favor of ramping up for a run in 2027.

I still just think he’s at best #4 in pecking order, possibly #5. Likely had no plans to get an offer in 2027.
He was pacing around 450 yards 3TD when he injured. That’s highly debatable if it’s worth a pair of draft picks and around $2.5Mil extra over a Rookie.

Also we have Reed, Moore and Williams all playing Slot. Which is where Wicks was used a bunch. Just too much overlap and time to start utilizing Golden and Savion. Moore is also an underestimated depth piece. Love that guys ability to come back when the play breaks down and he catches everything.

 

[GreenNGold_81]

Great trade, getting something for Wicks now is better than getting a possible 7th round compensatory pick later. Philly is likely losing AJ Brown, so it doesn't necessarily strengthen their team, and it gives Gutey some ammo to possibly move up to get earlier picks this draft. With the depth charts people are posting, don't forget, Melton is still here and it seems LaFleur loves to have him around.

 

[DoURant]

The Packers would get a 2027 comp pick for Wicks. He would've played a big role in 2026. Its the Packers, you can count on plenty of injuries. Depth players are more valuable on the Packers because of that reason.

I agree that there are probably other issues involved in dumping Wicks. He may be unhappy and complaining about his backup role.

Another problem with the trade is that it helps Philly. They have handled the Packers to say the least and making them that much harder to overcome in any playoff scenario isn't smart if you think the Packers are a 2026 contender.

Perhaps given the big injury load, 2026 has been discounted in favor of ramping up for a run in 2027.

No, if he played this year in Green Bay, he would be for a comp pick in 2028. The guys we lost in FA this year are for 2027 comp picks.

 

[OldSchool101]

Great trade, getting something for Wicks now is better than getting a possible 7th round compensatory pick later. Philly is likely losing AJ Brown, so it doesn't necessarily strengthen their team, and it gives Gutey some ammo to possibly move up to get earlier picks this draft. With the depth charts people are posting, don't forget, Melton is still here and it seems LaFleur loves to have him around.

Amen.
We now have 8 picks. Before this move I was racking my brain on ways to get an extra selection or two. Particularly in the RD4,RD5 area. My first thought was trading a 2027 RD4 for today’s RD5, but most times a trade partner would want a pair with 1 from this draft.

This move makes total sense to me. Now much is about the deal. As an example, had we only gotten a 2027 RD6 and Wicks Cap hit been $1.3Mil etc? I’d be left scratching my head there.

Also we got a security blanket in Skyy Moore. Also Melton is now entering Year 4, so he’s pretty primed in MLF systems. Maybe he’s a tick behind Wicks but if Wicks full time had 550 yards and 5 TD’s Bo would have 425 yards, 3 TD’s. It’s just not much of a discrepancy for a depth player.

 

[Sanguine camper]

I still just think he’s at best #4 in pecking order, possibly #5. Likely had no plans to get an offer in 2027.
He was pacing around 450 yards 3TD when he injured. That’s highly debatable if it’s worth a pair of draft picks and around $2.5Mil extra over a Rookie.

Also we have Reed, Moore and Williams all playing Slot. Which is where Wicks was used a bunch. Just too much overlap and time to start utilizing Golden and Savion. Moore is also an underestimated depth piece. Love that guys ability to come back when the play breaks down and he catches everything.

Moore and Williams haven't shown any indication that they can replace Wicks. Maybe, but so far it wouldn't be based upon performance. What makes Wicks so valuable as a depth player is his versatility. He can play the slot but can move outside if he has to and not be a big liability.

Any good depth player like Wicks is a luxury and can be traded for picks if the starters stay healthy. In Green Bay, that's just wishful thinking.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The Packers would get a 2027 comp pick for Wicks. He would've played a big role in 2026. Its the Packers, you can count on plenty of injuries. Depth players are more valuable on the Packers because of that reason.

No, if he played this year in Green Bay, he would be for a comp pick in 2028. The guys we lost in FA this year are for 2027 comp picks.

Yes, on the possibility that Wicks may have brought a 2028 (not 2027) comp pick. However, what a lot of people forget is that just because you lose a player in Free Agency, doesn't automatically give you a Comp pick. I would go so far to say that given the cap situation for 2027, the Packers quite possibly will be big spenders in free agency. If they are, those FA signings would cancel out losing players like Wicks in regards to Comp. picks.

So this notion of "we lose a comp. pick" if we trade/cut this guy, is not always accurate.

 

[OldSchool101]

This WR trade almost surely locks down Watson from trade talks. Di much so we could almost rename the thread imo.

Moore and Williams haven't shown any indication that they can replace Wicks. Maybe, but so far it wouldn't be based upon performance. What makes Wicks so valuable as a depth player is his versatility. He can play the slot but can move outside if he has to and not be a big liability.

Any good depth player like Wicks is a luxury and can be traded for picks if the starters stay healthy. In Green Bay, that's just wishful thinking.

See I think you’re overemphasizing lack of depth.
Also as you turn a Roster by position group you have to balance the bigger contract with some Rookie deals.

GB could technically go into the season without drafting at WR. I’m being serious.
Watson year 5
Reed year 4
Savion Year 2
Golden year 2
Melton year 4
Skyy year 5

Imo GB SHOULD draft 1 WR before RD6 area. Yet if we didn’t we could function no problem. I also like Sheppard. That cat looked great last Preseason. He was one of our top 10 most impressive offensive players last year and I think had a real shot from the bottom of unknowns. We were just too stacked. As it is Sheppard is all the way into Practice squad already.

That’s our problem. Either Kraft being a regular target we’ve got so many options that Wicks is an afterthought. I don’t think he’s bad, he’s just covered up with a Star TE1, plus 3 WR2 types.

 

[OldSchool101]

Plus we’ve got serious big time speed.
Golden 4.29
Watson 4.36 (I think he’s closer 4.32)
Skyy 4.41
Melton 4.34
Jayden Reed 4.45

Slowpoke Savion 4.49

Has GB ever had a WR room where every player was 4.2’s. to 4.4’s in the 40 yard? That’s speed

 

[PackerFanInMS]

A 5th round pick is a steal for Wicks, then you add a 7th round pick next year which makes it even better. Hopefully, that pick will be more or at least as productive as Wicks no matter the position. Good deal to me.

 

[milani]

The more I look at the Wicks trade, the more I like it.

Just the Packer WR depth chart alone makes it look like a smart move.

- Watson
- Reed
- Golden
- Moore
- Williams

Watson and Reed have expiring contracts, but unless traded, are locks as the #1 and #2/3 WR. Golden is also a lock for the roster as your #2/3 WR. So that leaves Skyy and Williams competing for the #4 and 5 spots, as well as competing against each other for return duties. Had Wicks been kept, he would have been competing with Golden, Reed and Watson for snaps. If everyone stays healthy, I don't see him playing ahead of any of those 3.

Now throw in the fact that the Packers probably won't be able to afford to keep Watson, Reed and had he stayed, Wicks. Which means Gute probably is going to draft at least 1, if not 2 WR's to keep the WR room fresh and turning. Where would that rookie(s) fit into a depth chart had Wicks not been traded? As the #7 WR that never suits up for a game and probably requires the Packers to keep 7 WR's on the active 53?

Trading Wicks frees up a spot on the roster and WR depth chart. A spot I think that Gute will fill with a mid round pick. Or, if a WR that Gute covets is there in the 2nd round, he grabs him and now Watson/Reed are not a priority to resign.

Need to look at a late draft pick or sign a cast off in August for when guys get hurt. Historically, that happens every year in GB. So a chance for a veteran to revive his career. There should be about 3 or 4 available.

 

[DoURant]

Yes, on the possibility that Wicks may have brought a 2028 (not 2027) comp pick. However, what a lot of people forget is that just because you lose a player in Free Agency, doesn't automatically give you a Comp pick. I would go so far to say that given the cap situation for 2027, the Packers quite possibly will be big spenders in free agency. If they are, those FA signings would cancel out losing players like Wicks in regards to Comp. picks.

So this notion of "we lose a comp. pick" if we trade/cut this guy, is not always accurate.

That is correct, my post was more to clarify that letting Wicks go after the 2026 season would not yield a 2027 comp, that it would be 2028.... if one was allotted.