The Green Bay Packers head into their bye week with a solid 6-3 record, setting up an intriguing second half to the 2024 NFL season. At Tuesday’s trade deadline, general manager Brian Gutekunst made only one move, sending linebacker Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick. This trade clears space for younger talent while providing the Packers with an additional draft asset.
With Green Bay parting ways with Preston Smith, it opens up more opportunities for Lukas Van Ness to see increased playing time. Additionally, the Packers could explore signing free-agent defensive end Shaq Lawson to bolster their depth. It will be interesting to see how the defense adjusts and performs in Smith’s absence as they prepare for the second half of the season.
In his piece for *Dairyland Express*, writer Brian Sampson suggested that the Packers should consider signing Shaq Lawson after trading Preston Smith to the Steelers. With Smith’s departure, the Packers’ defense is leaning into a youth movement, giving players like Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare more significant roles alongside Rashan Gary. However, Sampson argues that adding a veteran like Lawson could bring much-needed stability and depth to Green Bay’s pass rush.
Van Ness, the former first-round pick, has promising physical attributes but remains technically unpolished, while Enagbare has shown playmaking flashes but doesn’t quite match Van Ness’s athletic ceiling. Both will have opportunities to develop, but their inexperience might leave the Packers needing extra depth as they push through the season.
Lawson, a seasoned defender with 26 career sacks, has proven to be effective in rotational roles across multiple teams, including Buffalo, Miami, and the New York Jets. Known for his impact in situational pass-rush downs, his 6.5-sack peak season in 2019 highlights his potential to disrupt. Although he’s now 30, Lawson’s experience and reliable presence could help the Packers maintain a strong pass rush as they pursue a Super Bowl this season.
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