Packers former first-rounder surprisingly listed as trade candidate

As the NFL season passes the quarter-pole this weekend, all 32 teams will begin shifting their focus toward the trade deadline.

The deadline is Nov. 5, meaning teams have exactly one month after Saturday to make any last-minute acquisitions to set themselves up for success, either in 2024 or further down the road. The Green Bay Packers, however, could be in a position to do both.

Though the Packers sit at 2-2, they still expect to be a postseason team, given the amount of talent they have on both sides of the ball. They have so much talent, in fact, that they could stand to lose players at some positions in exchange for depth elsewhere.

One of those positions is offensive tackle, where the Packers have a former 2019 first-round pick in Andre Dillard who has yet to play a snap on offense this season. Logan Ulrich of NFL Trade Rumors listed Dillard as a candidate to be traded in a recent column.

"Green Bay has options for depth at tackle which could make Dillard expendable," Ulrich said. "He has traits, experience and pedigree as a former first-round pick on his side even if his tape so far in his career looks tough."

Dillard, 29, was selected 23rd overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2019 NFL Draft. He has never made more than 10 starts in a season, though, and looks to be firmly entrenched in a reserve role in Green Bay.

At 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, the Washington State product certainly has the physical tools teams would be looking for in a fill-in offensive lineman. That could mean teams who have suffered multiple injuries on their lines, such as the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, could be in the market for Dillard if he became available.

One can't expect a huge return for Dillard, but perhaps he could land the Packers a late-round draft pick that one day turns into a productive player. In the NFL, asset management is everything, and Dillard is an asset the Packers aren't making the most of right now.

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