In a league with a strict salary cap, player movement is unavoidable. Every year, the Green Bay Packers and 31 other teams must make tough decisions on whether or not to keep individual players.
A few former Packers are thriving, at least statistically, during the 2022 season.
Jamaal Williams, now with the Detroit Lions, leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns with 12. He had three rushing scores in the Lions’ upset win over the New York Giants on Sunday. The Packers have only four rushing touchdowns all season.
Davante Adams, now with the Las Vegas Raiders, is fourth in the NFL in receiving yards (925) and second in touchdown catches (10). He caught a pair of scores, including the game-winner in overtime, during the Raiders’ win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. The Packers’ issues at wide receiver and in the passing game this season are well-documented.
Za’Darius Smith, now with the Minnesota Vikings, is fourth in the NFL in sacks (9.5) and second in tackles for losses (14.5). He has at least a half-sack in seven of his 10 games (including Week 1 vs. the Packers) played for the Vikings, who are 8-2 and in first place in the NFC North.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, now with the Kansas City Chiefs, is sixth in yards per catch (17.0) among players with at least 15 catches this season, and he has seven catches of at least 20 yards. Second-round pick Christian Watson is now the team’s go-to deep threat.
Context on player movement is always required.
Williams wasn’t re-signed after the Packers used a second-round pick on A.J. Dillon. Adams wanted to play in Las Vegas with Derek Carr. The relationship between Smith and the Packers soured and the team couldn’t handle his 2022 cap hit. Valdes-Scantling got a handsome payday from the Chiefs.
Teams move on from players for a variety of reasons. These are all good players, and sometimes departing players thrive elsewhere (see: Rasul Douglas and De’Vondre Campbell in Green Bay last year.)
Good teams are built for the long-term and can typically handle player departure, but the success of former Packers stings even more this year because Matt LaFleur’s team is 4-7 and sinking out of the playoff hunt.
The Packers took a gigantic step backwards in the passing game, in large part due to the departures of Adams and Valdes-Scantling, and now Williams and Smith are producing big numbers on teams ahead of the Packers in the NFC North standings.
Dillon hasn’t been an impact player in his third season, the Packers woefully underestimated the transition period at receiver and Smith is now disrupting quarterbacks while Rashan Gary is on season-ending injured reserve. It’s been no fun for Packers fans. But it’s part of the deal in the NFL, where player movement is unstoppable, margins for being good or bad are razor thin and a change in team can supercharge an already good or great player.
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