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Rashan Gary Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers have a new edge rusher in the form of All-Pro, Micah Parsons, after the team sent two first round picks and Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for his services.

Parsons is currently set to start at defensive end in the Packers’ 4-3 scheme opposite former 12th overall pick, Rashan Gary, with Lukas Van Ness, Brenton Cox Jr. and JJ Enagbare set for rotational roles – particularly on third and other passing downs.

However, whilst Gary remains the starter at this point, it would not be crazy to suggest that fellow ex-first rounder, Van Ness, who has reportedly made significant strides this past offseason, could ultimately end up the preferred exterior pass rusher opposite the new signing, Parsons – at some point over the course of the ensuing season.

As such, this trade proposal sends the former Michigan man, Gary, to the somewhat edge-needy Arizona Cardinals.

Packers Proposal Sends Pass Rusher To The Cardinals

The Cardinals, with Josh Sweat and Baron Browning as their leading men at outside linebacker, are certainly in need of some additional talent coming off the edge. Yet unlike in previous years, the team is starting to enter a semi win-now mode for the potentially on-the-hot-seat head coach, Jonathan Gannon and general manager, Monti Ossenfort.

Gary, who has played the majority of his pro career as an OLB in a 3-4 base defense, would slot in nicely opposite the fre agent acquisition, Sweat, and could form a potentially dangerous partnership with the team’s promising young accrual of talent on the interior in the form of Darius Robinson, Calais Campbell and rookie first round pick, Walter Nolen.

Why Does This Trade Makes Sense For Green Bay?

The Pro Bowler has undoubtedly been a good player for the Packers, but he has rarely been able to put together the consistency, game after game, to fulfill his immense natural talent showcased in fits and spurts on the field.

Gary has never managed a double-digit sack season in six years in the NFL, and coming into the 2025 season, where he will turn 28 in December, the “still developing” excuse can hardly be used for a player who was used in a backup capacity for his first two years in the league.

Van Ness has shown signs that he can kick on – and if those signs turn into material displays come the first couple of months, Gary’s role could diminish as the season goes on.

The Packers save over $16 million in 2025 cap space by trading him prior to November’s deadline, and given his pedigree and still impressive upside and borderline unique physical traits, he would command a reasonably competitive trade package – one that could at least start to rebuild the lost capital from the Parsons trade on Thursday.

Arizona Cardinals receive: Rashan Gary

Green Bay Packers receive: 2026 third round pick, 2027 fourth round pick

Daniel Arwas Daniel Arwas is a sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com. Daniel began his career in sports writing in 2022 and has covered the NFL and college football for Gridiron Heroics and The Hammer. More about Daniel Arwas

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