Remember all the way back to Week 1, when the Green Bay Packers stomped the Chicago Bears out of the gates? The vibes were great. Jordan Love was the next Aaron Rodgers, the Packers were going to win the NFC North. It was all sunshine in Cheese City.
Oh, how times change.
It turns out the Bears are not the best barometer for football competence. It also turns out that 24-year-old Jordan Love, in his first NFL season, is not quite up to snuff with the superstar quarterbacks of the league. There are flashes — man, are there flashes — but as just about everybody expected prior to Love's showy preseason, the Utah State product is experiencing some growing pains.
At 2-3, the Packers are still in second place in the division. The 5-1 Detroit Lions, however, feel like distant frontrunners. Green Bay will probably need another year or two of gestation with Love at the commands before any serious winning gets done. That is fine.
It would also help to improve the roster around Love, particularly at wide receiver. There have been plenty of positive moments between Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Romeo Doubs, but Love might benefit from a more experienced set of hands.
Here are a few ideas to spice up the Packers' passing attack.
3. Hunter Renfrow
The Las Vegas Raiders have basically removed Hunter Renfrow from the offensive hierarchy. Combine that with a pricey $13.1 million contract, and it's safe to say the Raiders cannot expect much for Renfrow on the trade market.
Renfrow is on the market, however, and Las Vegas would presumably love to squeeze a pick swap out of their veteran wide receiver before he unceremoniously enters free agency next summer. The Packers already have a viable slot receiver in Doubs, but Renfrow is a traditionally sturdy set of hands who could function as a safety blanket for the intrepid Love.
Doubs has the flexibility to line up all over the place and Renfrow, in his current state, would profile as little more than a fourth or fifth-option at WR. He has the chance to be much more than that — he's two years removed from a 1,038-yard, nine-TD Pro Bowl campaign — but injuries and the myriad unpredictabilities within Las Vegas' offense have tanked Renfrow's stock considerably.
This is a relatively cheap risk as far as trade capital goes. Renfrow can probably be re-signed on a much more team-friendly contract in the offseason and there is upside tied to his track record. So, the Packers could find themselves victors in this exchange.
2. Jerry Jeudy
The Denver Broncos appear more than willing to sell on several key pieces ahead of the trade deadline. Jerry Jeudy has been a regular in the rumor mill lately, as the fourth-year WR continues to slog through his worst season to date.
Despite operating as the Broncos' top wideout, Jeudy's connection with Russell Wilson has been spotty at best under new head coach Sean Payton. The Broncos are 1-5 with very little light at the end of the tunnel, and while it's important to note Jeudy's youth (24 years old), the Broncos need to recuperate draft capital after splurging on Wilson.
The Packers would immediately plant Jeudy into a balanced and dangerous group of young receivers, all with the unique opportunity to develop in tandem. Jeudy is under contract through 2024 at a reasonable price and just last season he posted 972 yards and six touchdowns. He would have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark if not for a couple of missed games.
Jeudy offers 6-foot-1 size and blistering speed. He is more accomplished in his short career than the other options at Love's disposal and he would add another layer of upside to a growing offense. The price is potentially steep, but there is debate over how much teams are willing to give up for former No. 15 pick.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that some teams are hesitant to sacrifice a day-two pick, while others view Jeudy as worthy of a late third-round pick. The Packers split the difference and offer a potentially juicy fourth-round pick in exchange for the opportunity to develop Jeudy alongside Love.
1. Calvin Ridley
Let's go outside the box.
The Packers were rumored to have interest in Calvin Ridley before his suspension and his subsequent trade to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags sacrificed a couple juicy picks to bring Ridley into the mix, but he has been mostly inconsistent as the nominal WR1 next to Trevor Lawrence.
Ridley has crossed the 100-yard threshold twice this season. In five other appearances, Ridley has amassed yardage totals of 32, 40, 38, 30, and five. He has been the quinessential hot-and-cold receiver, with Christian Kirk emerging as the far more reliable top target for Lawrence.
If Jacksonville decides to abandon ship, Ridley still has value. He's a physical 6-foot-1 pass-catcher with speed that can break games wide open. At 28 years old, there is still prime football left in the tank — especially after his yearlong hiatus, one has to imagine. Sure, there is a rust element to Ridley returning from such a long absence, and the Jags would be hesitant to tamper with the current balance of the offense at 5-2. But, it's clear Ridley isn't quite living up to the superstar billing he earned with Atlanta.
The Packers would present another fresh start where Ridley would profile as the top weapon. Green Bay has a deeper reservoir of receiving talent than Jacksonville, but Love is a bold passer and Ridley's speed would add a new wrinkle to an offense in desperate need of a facelift.
There has been no indication of Ridley's availability ahead of the trade deadline, but stranger things have happened. His contract expires at year's end, however, so the Packers would have to feel good about a potentially pricey extension.
