Well, this was a fun week in the world of Packers news, wasn't it? Who says Combine week is only about NFL prospects running through drills in their sweats? The best part of that comment is that none of the news I'm initially going to talk about has anything to do with the Scouting Combine itself. So, let's get into it. 

Banning The Tush Push

I still can't get over using that name. That title makes me think I'm about to start talking about radio stations refusing to play the classic ZZ Top song "Tush." As much as I enjoy that little old band from Texas, and I still think of their appearance in the Super XXXI Halftime Show as one of my favorite moments from that Packers victory, this is about the Philadelphia Eagles' play. This past week, a member of the Packers proposed banning the play in the NFL rule book. It's a little ironic as the Packers have been one of the few teams to have success stopping it in the last year, but we're told that the Packers proposed it on behalf of several other teams. 

So, how do you like that? If true, the team from little old Green Bay is somehow sticking up for the little guy who's afraid to speak up. I guess Green Bay isn't so little after all. Packers President & CEO Mark Murphy has been vocal about wanting it out of football in the past, so the Packers' proposition wasn't a surprise at all, whether requesting it for someone else or not. I will say that I'm a bit impartial on the ban. When you think about it, this is no different than a receiver catching a short pass just shy of the first down marker, getting stood up, and having the offensive line come help push him across the line to gain. We see it happen often, and everyone loves it. So, is doing it right off the snap all that different? Teams just need to think of ways to stop it, and many have, just not as consistently as they'd like, I'd imagine. 

My one knock against it, however, is wondering if keeping it going could open up a can of worms for other "run-assisting" moves. What's next, two linemen lifting the Quarterback over the pile? This may be a ridiculous example, and that action is already illegal, but finding creative ways to assist the ball carrier may become a point of focus for offensive coaches if the Tush Push remains legal. I don't believe in banning the play, but the NFL needs to keep their heads on a swivel to ensure rules aren't bent elsewhere as a test to their allowance of that particular action. 

Jaire Alexander

It came out this week that the Packers are indeed looking to trade CB Jaire Alexander. GM Brian Gutekunst said this week that they are open to him sticking around, but things have been a bit frustrating for both parties, and it's come out through various sources that the Packers have been entertaining offers. This isn't a surprise. All signs have been pointing to the Packers and Alexander parting ways for some time, but this time, it may be a matter of when rather than if. 

Injuries have kept the star corner off the field for 50% of the last four seasons. There's likely no one more frustrated with that fact than Jaire Alexander himself. It's known that the Packers are a better team on defense when number 23 is healthy, but when a player's availability becomes unreliable, it makes keeping that player around difficult when you're trying to put together a championship team. I've been an Alexander fan almost from Day 1 and made sure to purchase a #23 jersey halfway through his rookie season, so it will be a tough breakup if that's what comes out of this. But it will be understandable. 

It will be interesting to see if the Packers are indeed able to find an acceptable trade partner for Alexander with considerable compensation. At this point, I feel the Packers should feel lucky to get anything for Jaire Alexander, considering his questionable availability. He is an excellent corner when available, so he could still fetch draft picks, but where is the question. According to some recent rumors, the Packers are expecting to see a good return for Jaire and will use that compensation to make up for the draft capital they send to other teams for other players' services. Whether or not that rings true, we'll just have to find out, perhaps within the next month or so. 

DK Metcalf Rumors

Friday morning, Packers media was set ablaze when Seahawks reporter Corbin K. Smith posted to social media that the Packers had an offer on the table with the Seahawks for WR DK Metcalf. This isn't very far-fetched as it is known that the Packers were interested in Metcalf heading into the 2019 Draft and reportedly tried to make a trade to select him but were unsuccessful. Metcalf would fill a void currently in the Packers' receiving corps, so this gained some traction until Smith then stated that the Seahawks are looking for the Packers' first-round, #23 overall pick, a young receiver, and an early day 3 pick.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is a bit rich for what we would normally see the Packers entertain. In the past 25 years or more, the Packers haven't really been on the receiving end of a marquee player in a blockbuster trade. One of the reasons is their unwillingness to overpay. For the most part, it's worked in their favor. So, the idea of Brian Gutekunst sending a 1st, 4th, and a player like Romeo Doubs to the Seahawks for DK Metcalf is basically ludicrous. Packers reporter Matt Schneidman later nixed these rumors, stating that his sources informed him that no such offer was on the table at all. Corbin Smith, of course, stands by his reports and sources that it is true. 

Tis the season for smokescreens, and who knows which reporter's info may be true or not, but the idea of Metcalf in a Packers' uniform is very intriguing, just not for the cost that is being implied. 

Deebo Samuel Trade

Early Saturday evening, it came out that San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel had been traded to the Washington Commanders for a 5th-round pick. Many were unsure of how to view the trade, with some calling it a steal for Washington that they got a good player at a low cost, and others a steal for San Francisco that they even got anything for Samuel at all.  Samuel is 29 years old and has struggled with injury in the last few years, as well as a drop-off in production. But some think he could still be very effective for the Commanders. 

Of course, as with any trade at a Packers' position of need, many are beside themselves that the Packers didn't pull off this trade. I think some fans just get lost in the fact that a player whose name they recognize got traded at a position of need and get upset that it wasn't the Packers. They don't know anything about the players' current situation, nor the logistics of the trade; they just react because they know the name. First off, we have Deebo Samuel at home. The "Deebo" role on the Packers is occupied by Jayden Reed at the moment, and I would argue that Jayden Reed does it much better than Samuel could at this point in his career. Second, the Commanders took on $22M, which is Samuel's entire 2025 pay-off. I'd rather the Packers spend that money elsewhere.  Third, you don't replace an injured player with another injured player. The Packers need to replace Christian Watson in 2025, given that his recovery may take half, if not the entire season. Replacing him with a player that suffers injuries here and there would be very counterintuitive. 

This is a trade I'm glad the Packers didn't make. Deebo may find some success in Washington, but he's not what the Packers need right now. Hopefully, if a trade is what the Packers want for a new receiver, they will find a much better target.