Big QB shakeup might just create the perfect market scenario for the Packers to make a bold and calculated move

If Carr can't play, the Saints will more likely than not draft a quarterback in two weeks. But it's not a clear situation. Shedeur Sanders may or may not fall to the ninth pick, and taking other names so early could be considered a reach.

Even if the Saints end up taking a quarterback on Day 2, it would make sense to give him space to develop while a veteran takes the reins in Year 1 with head coach Kellen Moore. At the same time, New Orleans is in a moment where it's tough to invest in an older player. Last year, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener played, and both were underwhelming at best.

In this scenario, a trade for Malik Willis could make sense for both sides. Willis is still only 25, so there is upside as a long-term option. And the investment would be, let's say, a third-round pick. New Orleans has two of them, and the 93rd overall would probably be enough to entice the Packers. Also, Willis is still in his rookie contract, so it's a cheap deal to make it viable for a team with endless salary cap issues.

When the Packers sent a seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for Malik Willis right ahead of final cuts last season, it was impossible to imagine how much impact he would have in the team's 2024 season, but also how much value he would gain throughout the process.

Willis started Weeks 2 and 3 for the Packers after Jordan Love hurt his knee in Brazil in the first game of the regular season. The backup also played extended time against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8 and against the Chicago Bears in Week 18.

Matt LaFleur obviously protected him to some degree, because it would be unwise to ask of him the same they ask of Love. At the same time, Willis did prove he was a more than capable quarterback. In the first game against the Indianapolis Colts, it was in fact a run-heavy gameplan, and when Willis had to throw, he was nearly perfect.

But against his former team, the Tennessee Titans, it felt much more like a normal offense. He threw the ball 19 times, completing 13 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown, but also leading the team with six rushing attempts for 73 yards and a score. Willis will probably never be a volume passer, but his ability to create outside of structure can compensate for that in the right circumstances.

If the right opportunity presents itself, the Packers can't rule out a potential trade. But it has to be for real value. Willis is entering the final year of his rookie deal, making $1.4 million in 2025. If the Packers trade him away, all the salary moves to the acquiring team, and there would be no dead money.

The Packers tried twice to draft Love's backup, with Sean Clifford in 2023's fifth round and Michael Pratt in 2024's seventh. Neither worked out well, which prompted the need to acquire Willis in the first place.

So if Green Bay does decide to move him, it would be necessary to find another option. At this point, free agente options include Carson Wentz and Desmond Ridder. It's highly likely that there would be a downgrade at the position, so the draft compensation would have to be good enough to justify the risk.

Moreover, the Packers have a somewhat tricky financial situation for 2026. This means that if Willis signs elsewhere in free agency next offseason, the Packers will probably get a compensatory pick in 2027. A trade in 2025 would have to be valuable enough to erase that too. A fifth-rounder is certainly not enough, and a fourth might not be either.

But if the Saints are willing to part ways with a Day 2 pick, things get spicier. Gutekunst highly values top 100 picks, and rightfully so. Two years ago, he traded cornerback Rasul Douglas and a fifth-round pick to acquire a third-rounder from the Buffalo Bills. He's also traded Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams for high picks. Over the past three years, no team has made more draft picks than the Packers. This year, they had "only" eight. And when Gutekunst was asked about that at the Combine, his response was "yet."

Malik Willis has been a valuable asset for the Packers, but he's not untradable by any means. Especially if it's a real opportunity to be a starter again.