Sure. Is he free cap wise though?

I’d be quite willing to swap LVN for Sweat (medical input on his knee notwithstanding) and any late round inducement necessary to get it done. Youth for them, a known performer for us and for Les than 2.5 million more next year.

However, investing more than 30 million in cap in Sweat and LVN next year (and the 5 or so more this year we can’t carry over) is not an option I’d even consider for 2 reasons. One it’s ludicrous to commit 30 million in cap to a position group on top of what we are paying Parsons. Secondly it means we are holding back Sorrell, Cox, DDS etc and in 2 years it’s very possible both LVN and Sweat would be gone.

Bad roster planning cap wise and player development wise. Pick your poison, but we can only pick one. I’d go with the trade if Sweats’ knee hasn’t really degraded. But to claim we should have both is a non starter for me.

IMO Were in a Fantasy Football Rebuild.
Age is the Red Flag with his knees.
Performance drop offs, start at 28.
You pay for Elite, explosive athleticism.
His costs are still too high,
for a body that is deteriorating quickly.

We need more pressure up the middle.

We need DL that can tackle.

The shortest distance to the QB is a straight line.

We need to collapse the pocket.

If the Packers are interested in adding Sweat, they'll likely have to outbid the Eagles--so it depends what the price would be. The Packers still have other options such as Clowney, and if they're looking for a potential temporary fix, this would be a good one. I kind of surprised we haven't heard any news about the Packers being interested in him.

Maybe our collection of CBs isn't perfect, but it's a lot better than it was last year. There's room for optimism here.

I think the "championship window" for the upcoming season is a little overblown. Are we on the same level as the top two or three teams in the NFC? I don't think so yet. There's still a lot of development to be done with the rookies and younger guys, so letting them do just that isn't a bad thing.

I might save the draft capital for a back like Allegier if something goes wrong with Jacobs. He's a bruiser, and our offense needs someone that can gain yards after contact. Our in-house options have little or no experience, so the Packers would need to find someone who can carry the load. Allegier is also great on the goal line, solid on pass pro, and a reliable checkdown option.

"You can't have too many pass rushers". I've heard it before and I understand the sentiment............but last year we had enough decent WRs that some of them became dissatified with their frequency of use. Exactly the same can happen with Edge guys this year.

If you put Josh Sweat into the mix, it's a very good bet that your rushing group is overall better......for now.

But, doing that also inhibits all the young up-and-comers who all want snaps, guys like Oliver, Sorrell, DDS, even Cox. You could easily end up with more dissension, as these players lose many snaps that all go to Sweat, instead. If we only had one rising young player, Sweat makes more sense, but with three or four young guys who all want to be out there, it will be hard enough as it is to give everyone some action...........and that applies doubly when Parsons comes back.

Personally, I'd go with who we have and hope that one, some, or all, can rise up with improving play due to meaningful action, as they hone their craft.

There is one more caveat to getting Sweat. Next year is said (at this time) to be a banner year for the draft. Picks have more value in good years than they do in poor years* and the Packers have positioned themselves to have a good haul with their comp additions. I'd like them to keep as many of those picks as possible, so they have the ammo to move around the draft to where they want to be, to get the prospects thay really want.

* On another tack, despite 2026 being considered a poor year draft-wise, I though Gute did an especially good job getting value throughout this draft. I would be a liar if I said I always like his picks, but this year I think he knocked it out of the park (though as usual it is the test of time, that is the final arbiter).

Optimism and Potential don’t win Super Bowls just ask the Rams .

" Neither does dissension in the locker room....
At some point you have to trust the young guys and give them their shot. Good play gets them more snaps, poor play gets them less and ultimately, off the team."

Come on Turo, teams don't just stand pat with their roster because they are afraid of hurting someones feelings. The idea is to upgrade and get better. Good players look at it as competition, and they think they are better than the other guy. The bottom line is that the backups haven't produced anything to merit starting in GB other than being on the team and playing that position. I can't see risking the season on unproven players. This isn't a high school or college team that wants to "see what they got in the younger players." This is a money-making pro team that either wins games or their coaches get fired.

Parsons is out for at least 4 games. GB needs insurance at pass rushing Edge, almost every article you read says the same thing. We have the money so that's not an issue. Here are the options:

Cheapest- Sign Epenesa if he's healthy, there's only 1 way to find out, bring him in for a visit/medical evaluation. He is probably as good as anyone we have other than Parsons and could be signed for -2-3 years at 27 years old.

Best bargain-Sign Clowney-he is projected to get $5 million. He played for $3.5 last year. He is still really productive and I predict he could have a career year across from Parsons. A 1-year rental.

Best all worlds-trade for Sweat if the price is right, he is a legitimate proven NFL pass rusher coming off his best statistical season, even on a bad team just like Garrett when playing from behind in every game. Great pass rushers were a common denominator in 2 games we lost to bad teams last year. It would be shocking if Sweat didn't have even better sack and pressure stats playing across from Parsons.

A big factor almost no one is considering is we wouldn't need Sweat for more than 1 year and unlike Epenesa, Clowney, or whoever, we could trade Sweat next year for more than we spent on him. If we wanted to, we could negotiate Benson or Conner into the deal, that solves the RB shortage we have too.

We need a proven pass rusher, standing pat and hoping the young guys come thru is a dangerous game to play. The beauty of signing any of these 3 guys is that none will play 50% of the snaps so the young guys still will get a ton of work. We only need to sign a player for 1 year and even at $10 million, Sweat is a good option and a bargain considering what even average Edge rushers make now. He also has no guaranteed money after 2026. Get something done now, don't wait until the best options are exhausted. Then we can move on to strengthen OL and TE, our last 2 question marks.

If the idea is to try to win it all every year, then GB needs to move now. The Rams have raised the bar, Seattle, Philly and the whole NFC North are better. GB won't even get out of the NFC North if they don't try to get better.

Van Ness seems to be close to his ceiling. He remains a tease, many thinking he's about to suddenly explode his on field production. He hasn't yet...I wish he would.

He was also a tease when drafted. Big, strong, fast, run stopping bull rusher. He still is a big strong, fast run stopping bull rusher coming off his worst season of production as a Packer. He also missed 8 games.

NFL OLineman are quite good at neutralizing bull rushers...especially one trick pony bull rushers like Van Ness. Cannot discount his run defense. It's solid.

With Sorrell, Cox, Jr., Oliver, DDS...there is talent there. All 4 should be able to rush the passer as good as Van Ness...probably better. Can they defend the run as well as Van Ness?

Van Ness is likely gone after this year, unless he suddenly becomes Hercules 2026. The other 4 Edge prospects are talented and would benefit from NFL development.

Would the Cardinals, in the midst of a serious youth/talent rebuild, entertain a trade of 29 year old Sweat for 24 yr old Van Ness?

It is interesting to envision Parsons and Sweat manning the edges on Thanksgiving Eve vs the Rams.

The Packers have a number of young pass rushers including Sorrel, DDS & "Baby Micah". They need to see what these players look like in training camp and the preseason before giving up a draft pick and stunting their development on what likely would be a 1 year rental. Also ,as previously mentioned the money he would be owed would be better off allocated to extending Watson, Kraft and Wyatt.

If there is more pressure on the QB by the DL, there is less pressure on the DB's. Everything on a team is a moving part, that, if they work together, can become greater than the sum of its parts.
Adding a known quantity instead of (again, still) hoping the younger players take that "next step" just seems sensible. Look at the Rams. They are not afraid to use picks (which are always a crap shoot) to get players who have proven themselves in the league. Again, this just seems sensible.
This has to be done with forethought and making sure the player being brought in not only is a good fit in the defensive scheme, but is a good person, teammate, and someone who will be likely to stay healthy over the course of an increasingly longer season.

I wouldn't spend either draft or cap capital on Sweat. Why? Because if Parsons misses the first 4 games or even a few more our opponents will double team, chip him or even triple team him knowing that we have no other proven pass rushers until Parsons returns. Yes, the combination of Parsons and Sweat could be very effective once Parsons returns but at what cost to the development of our younger pass rushers.

I would prefer to see what we have in our young pass rushers while Parsons is out rather than take snaps away from them not only while Parsons is still out but also when he returns and the Packers have both Parsons and Sweat on the field. Let the young guys play while we have a chance to evaluate them.

If the Packers are going to make any fiurther moves this offseason I would that they pick up a run stopping DL and/or another RB in case Jacobs is suspended. However, if the DA cannot come up with any evidence to support the charges I see no reason why Jacobs won't be on the field during the 2026 season.
Thanks, Since '61

Well the Cardinals must have read this piece, as they put out a release through Rappaport that they are not trading Sweat to the Packers (Specifically mentioned Green Bay), or anyone else.

I have to ask, what is the threshold for "stunting the growth" of the 1st and 2nd year players, especially DDS, Sorrell, and Oliver? Do they have "freshness dates" on them that they have to be used by? I don't get this argument at all. Just because a player has not played much in his first couple years doesn't mean they are no good or a bust. LVN is pushing the limits right now but I wouldn't call him a bust. Signing a solid bridge veteran at Edge is great insurance for Parsons missing time and young guys to play but not put the world on their shoulders.

It is scary to think LVN could be a starter when the season starts, that seems like desperation. And while I think DDS, Cox, Sorrell, and Oliver can contribute in 2026, I just can't see anointing 1 of them to be getting 50% of the snaps. That's why signing a basically 1 year veteran bridge like Clowney or Sweat makes sense. Neither played 50% of the snaps last year and wouldn't this year in GB. But even in the limited amount of snaps they had, they also produced 8.5 and 12 sacks last year. Why not take that and add what the other young guys can produce getting the other 50/60 % of the snaps.

Both of those vets are strong against the run too. Are the young guys strong there too? Trading for Sweat has to be a good deal for GB too, he is not worth a 3rd round pick. Maybe not a 4th to us unless we get a RB too. Or the trade of LVN for Sweat is intriguing too. The Rams just gave up a better Edge than LVN for Garrett, who is in a different galaxy than Sweat. But if we could trade LVN for 10-15 sacks from Sweat and pick up a RB like Benson, that is a big win for GB and Arizona gets a 24 year old Edge with great, untapped potential. That could work.

Otherwise signing Clowney for $4-5 million for 1 year is a no brainer.

You dress 21 guys on defense.
Ideally, 5 of them are outside defenders....DEs and Edges.

VanNess, Oliver, Sorrell, Cox, Mosby. And of course Mr. P after the first four games. And we have other guys on the roster right now that are trying to at least hang onto a Practice Squad spot.

I think that there are limited reps in training camp and I'd just as soon spend them on the guys we have. What we should hope for is that down the stretch, in the clutch moments, we line up Parsons and somebody else who is at least capable of playing his position. If you look at Sorrell's video highlights, he looks like he could be a surprise this year.

I think we have the guys we need, assuming Parsons and somebody else can stay healthy. And we have some decent backups, who play about 40% of the snaps.

The Front Office, since the end of the season, signed Hargraves as the big FA signing. Removed Walker and replaced him with Franklin at half the cost. . Signed St. Juste. Drafted Cisse. I'm not really sure who else we need on defense; I think we're pretty close to having the guys we'd like to have, but I do know that people get injured, sometimes seriously, in training camp, or the exhibitions. We're a long way from the 53 man roster stuff, but I think the roster is pretty well stocked at this point on defense.

Too bad for us. If we can believe the Cardinals, they refuse to trade Sweat. I wanted him badly. He, Parsons, LVV —Wow! And I believe Hargrave and Zaire were very helpful additions.
Now, I believe we must give consideration to Clowney.
Go Packers!!!

It would be nice to swing a deal for both Sweat and Trey Benson. Of course we would have to give up something in return.. Trey Benson is an excellent RB and would more than compenstae for the loss of Josh Jacobs. Mybe even trade Jacobs in the deal?