Pros and cons of trading Preston Smith for the Packers

The Green Bay Packers tend to be passive around the trade deadline. Since general manager Brian Gutekunst took over in 2018, he has never acquired a player via in-season trade. He also hasn't sold any player in the deadline week since 2018.

But there are reasons for that. His first year as a general manager was when the team was in some sort of a rebuild, and therefore needed extra draft capital. That's why the traded away Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Ty Montgomery. Could there be a similar path this year?

One name to keep in mind is edge defender Preston Smith. There are good reasons both to keep him and to sell him, so let's analyze the situation from all angles.

Pros

Smith will be 31 in November, and it doesn't look like the Packers will be competitive any time soon. So, if the team analyzes the scenarios emotionlessly, it makes sense to trade him away and acquire draft capital that could be helpful and impactful for the foreseeable future.

There's also a financial component to it. Green Bay extended Smith's deal last year, so the cap savings right now would be minimal. But that doesn't mean money isn't a consideration. The Packers would open $930k in 2023, $2.5 million in 2024, and then the savings are significant beyond that: $17.5 million in 2025, $18.2 million in 2026, and $1.67 million in 2026 (a void year). In 2025, the last year of Preston's contract, he will be 32.

An additional benefit to trading Preston Smith is that the young players would have more opportunities for improvement. Ok, things haven't gone great on offense with a similar approach, but the defensive front has Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark as proven players to help them.

It's especially true for first-rounder Lukas Van Ness, who has played just 35% of the defensive snaps. It could also allow undrafted rookie Brenton Cox to have a role.

Cons

But as mentioned above, it's not an easy decision. First, Preston Smith is a real positive locker room leader.

"Since coming to Green Bay," Gutekust said after the extension was agreed to last year, "he has not only contributed with production on the field, but has been a great presence in the locker room and a leader for this team."

From that shocking free agency spending spree in 2019, Preston is the only player left — Za'Darius Smith and Billy Turner were released after the 2021 season, and Adrian Amos was let go after 2022.

Moreover, Preston Smith is still a valuable player on the field and he is a good complement to Rashan Gary. Smith is the Packers best defensive front piece against the run (74.4 PFF run defense grade), and Van Ness is a raw player — it's good for the rookie to play more to seek improvement, but there are clear risks for the team.

It's hard to have a clear position about this, but the verdict has to take into consideration how much could the Packers get in return for Preston Smith. He is still a valuable player, and plays at a valuable position, so there's no reason for the Packers to give him away for free. But if there's a team willing to give up real draft capital to execute the deal, Gutekunst has to at least consider the move.