The Green Bay Packers are at least considering the idea of replacing the veteran out of linebacker Preston Smith. According to Albert Breer of MMQB.com, Smith’s name has been mentioned in trade negotiations in recent weeks.
Here are some ideas about the Packers trying to trade Smith:
– It will be difficult for the Packers to get a team to take over Smith’s contract, especially after such a steep regression in 2020. He owes $ 12 million in 2021, including a $ 4 million list bonus on the third day of the new league year.
– So again, if there is a team that thinks Smith’s 2020 season was an anomaly, and in a way it was, his contract is not so prohibitive. If negotiated, he would count $ 12 million on the limit in 2021 and $ 12.5 million in 2022. And the team could easily go out of business after 2021 if it didn’t work out.
– Negotiations are always unlikely, and the transaction is probably a little more unlikely in this off-season, with the limit decreasing. Perhaps teams without limit problems will find it a buyer market. Or maybe teams will just wait for teams without a cap, knowing that they will have to cut players. It only takes one team to pull the trigger in an exchange for Smith, but it won’t be a surprise if the teams end up waiting for the Packers to eliminate him.
– Negotiations are not finalized until the start of the new year of the league, so negotiating with Smith would not help the Packers to solve their limit problem in the short term. This would provide flexibility at the free agency, but an exchange would not help the Packers to stay below the limit or to sign in-house free agents before the new league year. The team has yet to lose about $ 12 million.
– The Packers would eventually release $ 8 million by trading Smith. Dealing with him would provide some value – probably in draft capital, or perhaps a player – for losing him and winning a $ 8 million limit hit.
– There are two deadlines to keep in mind. Will the Packers release Smith before the new league year begins on March 17? If not, can Packers trade Smith before his list bonus expires on March 19?
– Moving from Smith has always seemed the most likely outcome, given its cost at the limit, regression in 2020 and the emergence of Rashan Gary. If the Packers manage to reach the limit before the start of the new year of the league, negotiating with Smith becomes a really attractive option. But again, it takes two to tango.
– Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst seemed to commit to Smith’s return in 2021, but it was an indifferent endorsement at best. These trade rumors confirm that the Packers are exploring all options. Would the Packers really consider having Smith back to his current limit ($ 16 million), especially if they rely on Gary as a much larger part of the defense? Doubtful.
– Which teams need edge and space cap? Browns, Jets, Colts, Patriots, Jaguars, Broncos, Ravens and Bengals can all make sense as business partners.
– In addition, the Giants were seen as a serious candidate for Smith during the free agency in 2019. Perhaps they were interested in sending a draft pick to Green Bay to pick it up this time.