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Pros and Cons of Packers Trade for QB Malik Willis
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Pros and Cons of Packers Trade for QB Malik Willis

The Green Bay Packers are changing course at backup quarterback behind Jordan Love. After uninspiring summers from second-year quarterback Sean Clifford and rookie Michael Pratt, the Packers struck a deal Monday — agreeing to send a seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for quarterback Malik Willis, a third-round pick in the 2022 draft. The news was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Packers could still keep Clifford or Pratt, either as a short-term option while Willis gets up to speed or — especially in the case of Pratt — as another developmental option at the game’s most important position.

This deal gives the Packers a talented quarterback, but does it solve their problem?

Here are some pros and cons of the Packers wanting to trade Willis:

Advantages

— Willis is a dynamic athlete with a big arm, giving him rare tools at quarterback. Further development is needed, of course. But talent-wise, the Packers have improved tremendously. Willis has an added athleticism as a runner and a tremendous arm — two traits that Clifford and Pratt largely lack. In his pre-draft report, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com said Willis has “elite rushing talent and a rocket-launching right arm.”

— The Packers couldn’t just sit back and wait for Clifford or Pratt to figure it out on the spot. This is a proactive move to try to fill a glaring hole in the roster for a contender for the 2024 season.

— If he can pick up the offense, Willis could be a great fit in Matt LaFleur’s run-action, vertical-based passing attack. With Love locked up long-term, the Packers have time to develop Willis into the system.

— Willis had a strong preseason in 2024, completing 20 of 27 passes and rushing for 101 yards. He made a couple of big plays (2-for-2 on passes of 20 or more yards) and had four runs of 10 or more yards. Are the lights coming on?

— Given his athleticism and strength as a runner, Willis gives the Packers a whole new dynamic at the quarterback position. As Andy Herman noted, Green Bay faces Jalen Hurts and Anthony Richardson early in the regular season, so Willis’ skills will provide immediate value to the preparation on the practice field.

— If Willis ends up being the right answer behind Love, it’s hard to argue with the price. We’re talking about a likely late seventh-round pick.

Disadvantages

— Willis has played in just 11 regular-season games and attempted just 65 passes, so his experience is limited. This is not the veteran quarterback many thought the Packers would target behind Love.

— Have the Packers found a quarterback who can come in and win a game or two if Love gets hurt? Willis, despite being in Year 3, fits more into the “development” box.

— In his limited regular-season experience, Willis completed 53.0 percent of his passes, averaged 5.3 yards per attempt, and threw zero touchdowns and three interceptions. While he showed some tackle-breaking ability as a runner (forcing eight missed tackles on 32 attempts), he also fumbled four times.

— Willis couldn’t beat out Mason Rudolph for the backup position at Tennessee.

— He’s starting over in another new offense in Green Bay. Is there anything that hampers a quarterback’s development more than constantly changing offenses? Willis has to master all the little things at the position to get better, but now he has to learn a new offense and new fundamentals within an offense. Patience is required.

— The Packers are trading away a seventh-round pick. That’s not a big price to pay, but consider that the team already used a fifth-round pick on Clifford in 2023 and a seventh-round pick this year on Pratt. And remember… Brian Gutekunst has been pretty good with seventh-round picks lately.

— The Packers traded for a player who was likely to be released. That’s sometimes the price of doing business when you want a player but are afraid you’ll lose him on waivers.