Amari Rodgers' tenure in Green Bay went from bad to worse in Week 5 against the Giants when he fumbled a punt.
The second-year receiver has largely been limited to special teams duty with the Packers and mistakes in that phase leave him with virtually no role with the club.
Rodgers appears not to have a good relationship with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and has been limited to just four catches for 45 yards over his first 21 NFL games. Frustration is mounting among fans, some of whom have called for the wide receiver to be cut.
However, cutting a third round pick in less than two seasons is a tough pill to swallow for NFL teams. Retaining some value through a trade is a much more palatable outcome for the Packers, and one analyst thinks there is an opportunity to complete such a deal. A new team might be a good thing for a wide receiver who wants to gain the trust of a quarterback.
ESPN staff writer Bill Barnwell wrote about potential trade deadline proposals teams should entertain. Barnwell thinks the Packers should swap Amari and a 2023 fourth-round pick with the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool and a 2024 seventh-round pick.
“Let me go back to my mock draft of trades from April and pitch a Claypool-to-Packers deal for the second time. The price is much cheaper than it was then, but the Packers still need help for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay is relying on Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs and Randall Cobb as its primary wideouts, and we saw the limitations of that grouping against the Giants in Week 5. It doesn’t appear Christian Watson is ready to jump in as an immediate starter, either.
Trading for Claypool would give the Packers access to a low-cost starter over the next two seasons while buying low on a receiver who has never played with even an average deep passer as a pro. Claypool would need some time to settle in, but he could be a vertical difference-maker by the time the Packers get to the postseason, something Green Bay could sorely use as it tries to stop teams from selling out to stop the run.
The Packers have refused to make a significant investment at wide receiver over the past few years, but given how little their passing attack has shown this season, I’m hoping Brian Gutekunst is willing to take the plunge.”
This isn’t exactly an exciting addition to the wide receiver room like Odell Beckham Jr. or D.J. Moore would be, but it’s better than keeping Amari around.
This trade makes sense for both teams and players. Rodgers would be able to start anew in an offense that rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett is leading. Pickett is learning the NFL game, and Amari would have the opportunity to grow in a young offense with fewer expectations than the current Packers team. He and rookie wide receiver George Pickens could be the start of something special in Pittsburgh.
Claypool could benefit from having a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers throwing his way. Claypool has underperformed in his first three years in the league. However, he has been paired with an old Ben Roethlisberger in the previous two seasons and Mitchell Trubisky and Pickett this season.
Claypool has the size to be a big target for Rodgers and could help be a deep threat in the passing game. He isn’t a returner, but as a wide receiver, he’s been much better than Amari. He has 11 catching touchdowns and 1,862 yards receiving. The former Notre Dame standout has also impacted the Steelers’ running game with two touchdowns and 159 rushing yards.
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