By now, you know that Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander is on the trade block, as the Packers would be able to trim some salary by moving him.
To be precise, the Packers would save $6.8 million if they trade Alexander before June 1, which has incentivized Green Bay to try and get something done. But would it actually be in the Packers’ best interest to trade the two-time Pro Bowler? Honestly, it may not.
When Alexander is healthy, he is one of the NFL’s very best cornerbacks. Heck, during his most recent healthy campaign in 2022, he racked up 56 tackles, five interceptions and 14 passes defended.
Of course, keeping Alexander on the field has been a problem, as the 28-year-old has played in a grand total of 34 games over the past four seasons, so you can understand why the Packers may be growing tired of him, especially with two years remaining on his deal.
But perhaps Green Bay would be better off banking on Alexander avoiding injury in 2025? After all, what would be the Packers’ answer if they part ways with the former first-round pick?
Green Bay did sign Nate Hobbs in free agency, but Hobbs is not a No. 1 corner. And outside of Alexander and Hobbs, the Packers don’t really have any other reliable cornerbacks on the roster. That would mean they would have to depend on landing one one in the NFL Draft next month, which is always a risky proposition. That’s especially considering Green Bay also has other needs to fill.
The issue is that the Packers don’t seem to have much of a backup plan here. Trading Alexander would have made more sense if Green Bay would have landed one of the top corners on the market like Byron Murphy or Charvarius Ward. Heck, throw Paulson Adebo into the mix, too. But it didn’t.
As a result, the Packers find themselves in a rather precarious position concerning Alexander, and retaining him may ultimately be the safest option for a team hoping to contend for a Super Bowl next season.
Obviously, if another club comes along and makes Green Bay an offer it can’t refuse, then by all means. But what are the chances of that happening? The Packers probably aren’t garnering any more than a third-round pick (at best) in exchange for Alexander.
Moving Alexander just to clear a little bit of money off the books may not be the best way for Green Bay to go about its business. At this point, the most productive solution would be to keep him.
