Packers urged to trade for run-stuffer to replace Kenny Clark
The Packers trading two first-round picks as part of the package to acquire Micah Parsons garnered the headlines, but losing All-Pro nose tackle Kenny Clark could prove to be an even bigger deal for Green Bay.
After all, Clark is one of the premier run-stopping interior defensive linemen in the league, and the Packers will likely need to get through some combination of Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, and the dynamic duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery if Green Bay is going to make a run at the Super Bowl this season.
However, as the NFl trade deadline approaches, general manager Brian Gutekunst could pull off a move to add a replacement for Clark and give the Packers’ run-defense a shot in the arm.
Packers linked to Nathan Shepherd trade with the Saints
There is a legitimate chance that the Saints could hold a firesale ahead of the deadline, and the Packers could stand to benefit from New Orleans becoming sellers.
Over at SaintsWire, John Sigler suggests the Packers could be an ideal trade partner in a Nathan Shepherd trade.
“Right now, the Saints don’t have a pick in two of the final four rounds next year,” Sigler wrote on September 29 . “Trades that swapped sixth rounders for defensive linemen with similar resumes like Roy Robertson-Harris and Harrison Phillips have established a precedent. Shepherd isn’t going to be part of a multiyear rebuild. Getting a pick and sending him to a playoff contender is good for both sides.”
Sheperd, 31, currently has 13 total tackles with one tackle for loss as a rotational player along the Saints’ defensive line.
If Gutekunst and the. Packers are looking for a bargain, with upside to boost this year’s defense, Shepherd could be a fascinating trade target to watch.
Broncos Trade Pitch Brings in Dynamic Former Top-5 Pick Before Deadline
The Denver Broncos touted two-time Pro Bowler and veteran tight end Evan Engram as a dynamic weapon in their offense. It has been slow going so far, and he has rarely made an impact of that magnitude. However, the Broncos could find what they seek in a trade.
The target?
Atlanta Falcons star Kyle Pitts, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2021 draft, who has yet to take off but could do just that under Broncos head coach Sean Payton.
Broncos Urged to Trade for Falcons TE Kyle Pitts
Pitts is in the midst of a breakout season, and the Falcons are very much still alive at 2-2. A lot can and will change by the trade deadline on November 4. The Broncos could still emerge as a potential trade suitor for Pitts, whose availability has been questioned.
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame and Gilberto Manzano suggested a trade for Pitts as a move the Broncos “should make” before the deadline.
The price of the deal itself could be surprisingly affordable.
Broncos get:
- Kyle Pitts
Falcons get:
- 2026 fourth-round draft pick
“This would be the biggest move the Broncos could make. Early on, it’s been a struggle for Bo Nix in his second season, who has thrown seven touchdowns and four interceptions on 5.6 yards per attempt. Furthermore, adding Pitts would free up more space for Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr.,” Manzano and Verderame wrote on October 1.
“Although he has never reached the potential many thought he had coming out of Florida as the No. 4 pick in 2021, Pitts would still be a major upgrade for Denver.”
Broncos HC Sean Payton Has Experience With Dynamic TEs
Pitts, who turns 25 on October 6, has been linked to the Broncos before. He has 20 receptions for 205 yards and 1 touchdown through four games. That puts him on pace for an 85-872-4 line. It would set a new career high in receptions and tie his best mark in scoring grabs.
The 6-foot-6 Pitts has a 1,000-yard season as a rookie, too, further highlighting his ceiling that has gone unreached in Atlanta but could be unlocked in Denver with a trade to the Broncos.
Pitts is in the mold of former New Orleans Saints star Jimmy Graham.
Payton coached Graham, a third-round pick in 2010 and former basketball player, into a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time First Team All-Pro (2013). A trade for Pitts could further Payton’s vision of re-creating the dynamic he had during the height of his run with the Saints.
Kyle Pitts Could Be Missing Piece for Broncos’ Offense
Payton appears to have his running back situation figured out with J.K. Dobbins and second-round rookie RJ Harvey. The same goes for wide receiver. Sutton headlines a group that includes youngsters Franklin, Mims, and rookie third-round pick Pat Bryant.
Engram may still prove to be the solution he has been billed as. However, he is also 30 years old and has already missed time amid an extensive injury history.
The Broncos have leaned on their other tight ends, who are better blockers than Engram.
That could mean that Pitts, whom the Falcons have shown no interest in moving despite his being on an expiring four-year, $32.9 million rookie-scale contract, would not be as fitting a trade target for the Broncos as Manzano and Verderame suggest.
