Fans of the Green Bay Packers can be forgiven if they’re not overly excited about their team’s approach to free agency. GM Brian Gutekunst and his staff promised big swings on the open market but only made three moves of any consequence. Signing Aaron Banks, Nate Hobbs and Mecole Hardman are not the sort of transactions that Super Bowl dreams are made of.
The good news for Packers fans is that the offseason is far from over. There’s still plenty of time for the team to acquire quality starters via the draft. Swinging a trade for a difference-maker could also drastically improve the franchise’s chances of winning another title next year.
Packers fans who want to get a heads up on what their favorite team might do in the coming weeks should keep a particularly close eye on the following storylines.
1. Trey Hendrickson could be a trade target
The Packers’ search for a No. 1 edge rusher rolls along this offseason. Rashan Gary has the potential to be a double-digit sack artist but his productivity can be drastically improved by the team finding a quality player to suit up on the other side of the defensive line.
Trey Hendrickson is a defensive end who certainly fits the bill. The Bengals’ recent decision to hand out lucrative contracts to several of their offensive stars raises the possibility that they might be willing to trade him if the right offer comes in.
The 33rd Team’s Ian Valentino suggests that the Packers are an ideal trade candidate for Hendrickson. He points out that Green Bay has the cap space required to fulfill the edge rusher’s contract demands.
Hendrickson would give the Packers’ defense just what they need in the short-term but it’s unclear whether or not they’re willing to give up a king’s ransom in resources for a 30-year-old defender. In a perfect world, they’d only offer up this kind of trade package for a player entering his athletic prime.
Giving up a second-round pick for Hendrickson is one thing, but paying him $30 million per season on top of that is quite another. The Packers might try to make this move later in the offseason but they’ll look for more long-term solutions before they “settle” on a veteran like Hendrickson.
2. Cornerback remains a draft need
The Packers want to give Hobbs a chance to move back to outsider cornerback in 2025 but that’s a risky proposition for a player who’s primarily operated in the slot over the last two seasons. That means he’s not an ideal fit to replace Jaire Alexander if the veteran is released before the season.
The most obvious remedy for this roster issue would be for the Packers to use a premium draft pick on a natural outside cornerback. Pro Football Network’s most recent 7-round mock draft has Green Bay using their Round 1 selection on former ECU standout Shavon Revel.
Revel’s draft stock will fluctuate heavily on his medical testing. He missed most of his last season with the Pirates due to a knee injury. If healthy, he has all of the physical tools to become a high-quailty starter at the pro level. His combination of size and speed gives him the ability to matchup against a variety of receivers in single coverage.
The Packers won’t feel pressured to draft a corner in Round 1 but it would be a real surprise if they don’t add another option on the outside with one of their early round picks. Waiting any later than Round 3 to reinforce the biggest weakness on the roster would be a mistake by Gutekust and his staff.
3. Mecole Hardman isn’t a one-trick pony
Mecole Hardman’s primary reponsibility for the Packers will be to help fill the void at wide receiver created by Christian Watson’s injury. He won’t be a star in that regard but he can do a job until the team’s top option gets healthy.
Hardman can also help Green Bay with his return skills. He’s got significant experience returning both kicks and punts at the NFL level. More importantly, he does both efficiently. It’s easy to forget that he’s made the Pro Bowl once as a returning during his career.
Green Bay has other options to return kicks and punts but they need to be careful not to overstretch Jayden Reed and/or Kaisean Nixon in that regard. At the very least, Hardman can soak up some of those reps anytime his peers aren’t 100 percent. If he returns to his Pro Bowl form as a returner he might help Green Bay win an extra game or two with his special teams play.
Under pressure from their star quarterback Joe Burrow this off-season, the Cincinnati Bengals broke the bank when they reached an agreement with their star receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase signed a four-year, $161 million extension, while Higgins finally signed a four-year, $115 million extension after being franchise-tagged for the second straight year.
Meanwhile, edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is still waiting for his new contract. Dianna Russini of “The Athletic” wrote that the team is working to retain him, despite allowing the edge rusher to seek a trade.
However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Wednesday that “it’s entirely possible” that Trey Hendrickson will sit out the entire 2025 season if he doesn’t get a new contract
Trey Hendrickson is willing to take extreme measures to get what he wants from Bengals
Hendrickson has to be the most frustrated player in the NFL right now. He was told he could seek a trade and yet, all reports indicate that the Bengals are committed to keeping him. But the market for the defensive end has since significantly changed.
It began earlier this month when Maxx Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million. That contract was eclipsed when Myles Garrett signed a record extension with Cleveland, effectively putting an end to his desire to be traded. And the Houston Texans gave Danielle Hunter a one-year extension worth $35.6 million.
Burrow already used his voice during Super Bowl media week to put pressure on the organization to keep their star players. It worked out well for Burrow, who has Chase and Higgins to throw the ball for the next four years. It would be hard for Hendrickson to accept anything less than $35 million per season at this point. Burrow must use his influence to go to bat for Hendrickson because Burrow can only do so much on his own.
Considering how bad their defense was last season, Hendrickson knows not having him on their defense would cripple the entire team as you cannot win every game in a shootout. Even if they come to terms with him on a new contract, they still need to add more pieces in the draft to upgrade their defense.
Hendrickson’s threat to sit out this upcoming season is a calculated decision. While no one truly believes he will not sit out the 2025 season, the negotiation with Hendrickson will be another hurdle they must overcome this off-season.