OPINION: Community-Owned Packers Pass Again on Trade
One of the most unique and revered aspects of one of sports’ most iconic franchises may be the very thing holding it back. Former Green Bay Packers executive Andrew Brandt explained shortly after the passing of last Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline on the Pat McAfee Show.
“Here’s the best thing about the Packers, from working there: we didn’t have an owner,” Brandt said. “Here’s potentially the worst thing about working there: we don’t have an owner.”
The point was raised in the context of the day’s major news concerning the Packers, that once again they were close but not close enough on a potential big addition. The falling-through of negotiations with the Houston Texans regarding wide receiver Will Fuller was the latest in a series of acquisitions over recent years that have been rumored, but rarely ever come to fruition for Green Bay. According to reports, the Texans wanted a second-round draft choice while the Packers would not give more than a fourth-rounder. Brandt suggested essentially that the lack of a single, authoritative owner pounding on the table to “get this done!” was the reason Green Bay has historically not been aggressive in pursuing trades and free agents.
There were several reasons not to pursue the Fuller trade from the Packers’ perspective, including: the high cost in precious draft capital, Fuller’s deal expiring after 2020 and the unlikelihood of retaining him with a long-term deal under their current cap restrictions. A second-round pick for essentially seven regular season games once COVID-19 waiting periods elapsed certainly appeared to be a steep price. There is also the recent cautionary tale of Mohamed Sanu, who was traded from Atlanta for a second-round pick to New England last season. While with the Patriots, Sanu caught 26 passes for 207 yards and one touchdown in eight games before being cut prior to the start of this season.
Sanu going to the Patriots was also a move born out of desperate straits for New England, as their wide receiver corps had been decimated by injuries to a high draft pick and a failed attempt to corral Antonio Brown. While Green Bay’s needs extend beyond a single player, it has become abundantly clear that an infusion of talent at the deadline at their lingering needs at wide receiver and interior defense was necessary. Recent history would also show the Packers have hardly batted 1.000 on second-round picks, as the list from 2015 includes some hits like Elgton Jenkins and Kevin King, some misses like Josh Jones, Jason Spriggs and Quinten Rollins and some who have failed to stand out like Josh Jackson and AJ Dillon.
The Packers’ existence as a publicly-owned team is emblematic of their special relationship with their fans, and stock owners like myself hold that status in high regard. However that ownership model may dilute the power of the position despite team president Mark Murphy’s best attempts. There is something about the authoritative rule of a single team owner who you know pays all the bills that just commands respect in a way other models cannot. The lack of that model creates a vacuum of aggressive thinking, which may contribute to decisions that seem more motivated in maintaining a consistently competitive team that gets no one fired as opposed to taking risks that could blemish individual records.
The majority of the Brady-Belichick era in New England would tell you however that the teams that push the envelope and occasionally make aggressive player acquisitions are the ones who most consistently find themselves playing late into January and early February.
