The Green Bay Packers concluded the NFL Trade Deadline with a move that few expected. In just a few weeks, pass-rusher Preston Smith went from being an important element of the Green Bay defence to someone the Packers thought they could dump for very little at the deadline.
The Packers moved on from Smith when they dealt him to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a seventh-round draft pick.
Smith alleges he requested a trade weeks ago, citing his discontent with playing in a Green Bay scheme that does not let him to play to his full potential.
The Packers received an extra draft pick, which may not be worth much in the long term. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, boasts one of the league’s deepest pass rushes, with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. In the view of NFL analysts across the media landscape, the Packers were hosed.
NFL analysts hate Packers trading Preston Smith
Many of the critiques levelled at the Smith deal originated from the Packers’ meagre return. Despite his struggles this season, Smith is a competent starter, and receiving a seventh-round pick for him is a step up from throwing him away for free. This move lacks merit.
Smith may not have adjusted well to the Packers’ offseason schematic adjustments, but it does not mean Green Bay should have passed up someone with his pass-rushing talent and experience.
While the Packers are depending on former No. 13 overall pick Lukas Van Ness to become the star many expected him to be, is this the best option for a club fighting for a playoff position in a congested NFC field? Van Ness has never played more than 41 percent of the snaps with Green Bay.
The Packers have always understood that it is preferable to trade a player before they begin to decline than to wait until they have shrivelled away. However, Green Bay frequently outperforms in these transactions because they receive adequate compensation for these players. This trade is off the mark.