Latest major NFL trade proves the Packers made the right call by continuing to invest heavily at a premium position

The Green Bay Packers considered a trade for DK Metcalf, and he went to the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a consequence, the Steelers ended up trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys for a third-round pick and a late-round swap.

For Green Bay, it would be feasible to pull this trigger for Pickens. But despite the locker room considerations, there are obvious reasons for the Packers to avoid this type of move. The big one is money, since Pickens is entering the final year of his deal. And that's ultimately why it was so important for the Packers to take swings in Matthew Golden and Savion Williams in the draft.

"When you trade a high pick for a veteran player, you're trading a young, really good contract for a player who's proven, but probably expensive, so you're giving up a pick and salary cap space," general manager Brian Gutekunst said after last season. "You gotta weigh that. If it's the right player, if you can feel he can be a dynamic player that can change your football team, you gotta consider that, because there's not many of those guys out there. But you also have to understand what you're giving up."

Part of the Steelers' calculus to trade Pickens now is that he will soon get an extension. And with Metcalf making $30 million a year, another receiver getting something close to that was always unrealistic, especially considering that Pickens is not an elite player.

Wide receiver market

While Ja'Marr Chase got $40 million, Justin Jefferson got $35 million, it's easy to make a case about why it's justifiable to pay those truly elite players. But the second wave of receivers makes things more complicated—and that's why the Packers didn't pull the trigger on the Metcalf trade.

The Packers will face a similar situation over the next few months. Both Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are entering the final year of their rookie deals, and they might get something between $12 million and $17 million on yearly average to sign veteran contracts. Based on their productions so far, it's hard to justify that amount of money.

And that's why the decision to take two wide receivers with two of their first three picks is perfect. It's a valuable position on the field, but it's extremely valuable on the market. Since 2020, first-round wide receivers have generated $20 million on average in surplus value throughout their rookie deals, and that's a market inefficiency the Packers are right to exploit.

With Golden (and Williams to a lesser extent), Green Bay has more flexibility to allow Watson and Doubs to walk in free agency, or at least to be in a more favorable condition to negotiate a team-friendly extension if this is possible.

The receiver market is a dangerous place right now, and the Packers were correct trying to avoid those waters.