Unexpected market opportunity could help the Packers finally address major roster need they couldn't fill in free agency

Huff has two years left on his contract, slated to make $16.75 million in 2025 (guaranteed) and $17.1 million in 2026 (non-guaranteed). Technically, $15.58 million of his compensation comes in the form of an option bonus to spread his cap hit, but it would travel to the new team. The Packers would have the option to exercise the bonus and prorate the cap hit, or take the full cap hit in 2025 to avoid future cap issues.

It hasn't been reported how much would be enough in terms of draft compensation to convince Howie Roseman, but taking that contract away from his hands for a player who doesn't fit the Eagles' defense is already enticing. And if the Eagles want more draft compensation, they would need to pay part of his salary.

Trading for a veteran player is not something the Packers usually do, but that's a unique circumstance.

"When you trade a high pick for a veteran player, you're trading a young, really good contract for a player who's proven, but probably expensive, so you're giving up a pick and salary cap space," general manager Brian Gutekunst said after the season. "You gotta weigh that. If it's the right player, if you feel he can be a dynamic player that can change your football team, you gotta consider that, because there's not many of those guys out there. But you also have to understand what you're giving up."

Huff had a down year playing for Vic Fangio, but he wasn't exactly a fit for the system. Good for the Packers, though, is that his best years came playing under Robert Saleh on the New York Jets, in a similar version of what Jeff Hafley runs in Green Bay.

According to PFF, he had 88.0 and 86.8 pass rush grades in his final two seasons in New York, and it went down to 68.2 for the Eagles last year. In 2023, he generated 67 total pressures, much more than any Packers player did in 2024.

"You're always looking. With pass rushers, you can never have enough,"Gutekunst added. "I thought there were times this year we did that, we were able to rush with four men. Every team in the league, that's how you'd prefer to do it, rush with four and affect the quarterback with four. There were periods of times where we didn't do that well enough, everybody understands that. That affects your football team."