The Green Bay Packers are rolling right now, sitting at 5-1-1 following their big Week 8 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s the best mark in the NFC, and they appear to be rounding into form.
However, most Packers fans would agree that the team still needs a cornerback, which is what made watching the Los Angeles Rams — a strong NFC competitor — acquire Roger McCreary in a trade with the Tennessee Titans that much more frustrating.
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All it cost the Rams was a conditional fifth-round draft pick, and Los Angeles actually received a conditional sixth-rounder in return. So all LA really did was move down one round in the draft.
Given the need that Green Bay has at the cornerback position, it definitely seems like a trade the Packers could have made.
Then, on top of that, the Titans signed cornerback Micah Robinson off of Green Bay’s practice squad. The Packers actually selected Robinson in the seventh round of the NFL Draft back in April.
So, not only did Green Bay miss out on a very doable trade, but it also saw Tennessee swipe a young cornerback from its squad.
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The Packers have been able to get by thus far with their current set of corners. They signed Nate Hobbs in free agency, and Keisean Nixon has done an admirable job. But Green Bay could certainly stand to add some depth at the position, as evidenced by the fact that the Packers rank a pedestrian 15th in passing defense right now.
Green Bay could always try to sign Stephon Gilmore or Asante Samuel Jr., but it doesn’t seem like the Packers are interested in adding either player. Perhaps general manager Brian Gutekunst will attempt to acquire a cornerback before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, but at the current point in time, it looks like he is comfortable with what he currently has in the secondary.
Will Green Bay ultimately regret not making a move if it opts to stand pat? It remains to be seen, but in such a pass-heavy league, having enough bodies in your defensive backfield is paramount.
We’ll see if the Packers try to pull off a deal over the next week. For now, they are focused on extending their winning streak to three games when they face the Carolina Panthers next Sunday.
