Preston Smith to the Steel City

[Tony Oday]

Per Schefter

[bobblehead]

It would make sense.

[ThunderDan]

What are we getting for him? TJ Watt? Ha ha ha ha.

[mgordo]

What are we getting for him? TJ Watt? Ha ha ha ha.

A 7th rounder. I don't know. Seems like we could have done better than that.

[King Friday]

We won’t get much, but it’s better than nothing. He was a good Packer and I wish him the best. He just wasn’t an ideal fit for the way our defense is evolving.

[ThunderDan]

Our DLine isn't good as is. This seems like a mistake if we don't have someone to take his snaps.

[pittstang5]

A 7th rounder. I don't know. Seems like we could have done better than that.

If only a 7th, imo, that's kinda sucky. Then again, I think he was gone after this year anyway, he'd have to take another big pay cut, if and a big if, they still wanted him around. His salary was crazy next year and beyond. I guess better to get something now than nothing when he's cut.

I'd feel a little better if Van Ness was coming along nicely, but I haven't seen diddly from him this year.

[ThunderDan]

Only cost us a $12M cap hit to trade him.

[Teamcheez1]

Only cost us a $12M cap hit to trade him.

No cap hit to trade him.
Savings is from erasing his salary from the books in 2025.
His snaps have been drastically reduced since the beginning of the season.

[ThunderDan]

We have $12M in dead cap now. It might offset what we were going to pay him for the rest of the year of not having to pay his salary anymore.

[ThunderDan]

Spot rake has it at 8.8M. I am not sure but I trust Over The Cap's number more.

[red]

he needed to go, he wasn't adding much anymore

but really, just a 7th?

[Fosco33]

I was fine w/ letting him go last year. Same for Jaire and Quay.

It’s clear we need a vet in the WR to smack some stick stuff to these young pups gloves.

[Teamcheez1]

Among players who have rushed the passer at least 100 times this season, according to TruMedia, Smith ranked 143rd in pressure rate.

[Joemailman]

he needed to go, he wasn't adding much anymore

but really, just a 7th?

He has a $12 million dollar base salary nest year, so this is probably just for this year. Can't expect to get too much for that.

[run pMc]

Preston was a great get IMO from WAS in FA back in the day, and he's been a good player and Packer. I wish him well.

That said, I think this was a decent move.
This is a salary dump pure and simple. Check his cap numbers in 2025 and 2026 - it saves GB a bunch of money in the future. He was highly unlikely to be on the roster next year.

His snaps were decreasing each week and he was seen as miscast in Hafley's 4-3. At 31 going on 32 years old, he'll fit better in PIT's D as depth. Opens up snaps for others.

Do you think he was making a big impact in the pass rush this year?

[Teamcheez1]

I think the Packers sniffed around, but players they wanted were too pricey or not available.
The Giants refused to move either Slayton or Ojulari, which seemed odd since they are on the last year of their contracts.
We might have been interested in Lattimore from the Saints, but he has had injury issues this year.
Newsome from the Browns was mentioned, but he hasn’t played any better than what we currently have on the roster.

An Edge would have been nice, but it was slim pickings.
It takes two to tango.

[Bretsky]

Not really a cap savings because imo we would have cut him after this year. He wasn't a fit for the new D

So instead of getting nothing after we cut him we picked up a 7th.

Hopefully Van Ness pulls his head out of his ass and shows something soon.

How is Gutebag in round one, anways ? Van Ness...Morgan....Walker....

Aside from Jordan Love, I don't think his hit rate is stellar.

[sharpe1027]

He wasn't contributing and needed to go. He also has a pretty big salary. Why can't we get more than a 7th? The same reason we are getting rid of him.

[Patler]

I figured Smith was on his way out of town when Mosby played as much as he did against the Lions. It was their test to see how life would be without Smith. I thought Mosby did some good things, just as he did in preseason. He was kind of disruptive, anyway.

That said, the only savings to the Packers is his remaining salary this year. Cutting him in the off season would have had the same cap ramifications as trading him now, except that, if they wanted, they could have designated for the dead cap hit to be spread over 2025 and 2026.

[Patler]

Smith has been doing as much as anyone else. He is #2 on the team in sacks this year! :-D

[sharpe1027]

They're clearly making room to sign Willis.

[NewsBruin]

The older I get, the more willing I am to gripe about irrelevant things.

I'm irrationally irritated about all these trades using late-late-round draft picks as Exact Change.

Back In My Day, we'd trade a journeyman or a rental for a 3rd or a 5th round pick and someone would keep the change. Now it's a player and a seventh for a third and a sixth and two years' away seventh. I was led to believe there was not this much math needed.

[texaspackerbacker]

I saw #53, really looking good last game, and I had to look it up to see who that even was - Aron Mosby, maybe the reason Preston was expendable. I recall Mosby looking pretty good in the preseason too.

[bobblehead]

We have $12M in dead cap now. It might offset what we were going to pay him for the rest of the year of not having to pay his salary anymore.

I think that was on the books the rest of this year no matter what. We don't have him anymore so I guess that makes it "dead". We get cap relief next couple from what I understand for a guy who isn't a 4-3 down lineman. He was ceding snaps to the youngsters as it was.

[Sparkey]

I think that was on the books the rest of this year no matter what. We don't have him anymore so I guess that makes it "dead". We get cap relief next couple from what I understand for a guy who isn't a 4-3 down lineman. He was ceding snaps to the youngsters as it was.

Completely agree. Now Mosby and Cox will get more time spelling Van Ness. May or may not pan out on the field but it definitely helps the Packers cap wise the next two years.

On the Steelers side, the trade should help them this year.

[run pMc]

There are 9 Edge players currently listed in the top 50 on nfl mock draft database, Preston turns 32 soon and was in decline. They were going to move on and probably draft a new player.
He was falling down the depth chart and getting Mosby/Cox Jr. some snaps doesn't have much downside. R7 picks aren't worth much more than fliers on guys or as a way to snag a guy who might be a high demand UDFA more cheaply.

If the pass rush suffers even more than it has, we'll know it was a bad trade. I do think Preston will do better as a backup in PIT's 3-4. It's probably a win-win for both teams and the players.

[Joemailman]

Mark Kaboly
@MarkKaboly

Preston Smith said he requested a trade a couple of weeks ago.

Likely just realized he was not a fit in this defense.

[red]

Mark Kaboly
@MarkKaboly

Preston Smith said he requested a trade a couple of weeks ago.

Likely just realized he was not a fit in this defense.

kind of a win win for everyone

[sharpe1027]

Interesting that he wanted a trade. Hopefully it was because he saw the talent behind him and knew he was going to be replaced.

[Fritz]

I think he saw the scheme was not a fit for him.

He was a good player for Green Bay, a solid, solid dude and I wish him all the best.

Now Lukas Van Ness needs to get his ass in gear and start improving so he doesn't end up as Lukas Van Less.

I hope Mosby lights it up and lights a fire under Van Ness's ass.

[bobblehead]

He came out and said it was because he wasn't a fit in 4-3. He said that he has been an OLB in 4-3 his entire life. Decent article about it on one of the sites I skim. Maybe lombardiave.com

[Patler]

Green Bay did right by Smith. He was a good, reliable player who renegotiated when needed without raising a stink, missed just one game and was an all-around good Packer. When he no longer felt right in the new defense, and wanted out, GB found a sound, competitive team to send him to. A 7th from Pittsburgh is basically a preferred free agent.

Smith should like it in Pittsburgh.
Nice job, Gute.

[MadScientist]

I would have liked Green Bay to have gotten more than just a 7th, but aging players with big contracts don't have huge value. They gave Preston a great landing place.

[run pMc]

Anyone surprised Doubs didn't get traded, given the weird kerfuffle before the LAR game?

That he wasn't tells me it's either been sorted out or they will wait until offseason.

[Joemailman]

Anyone surprised Doubs didn't get traded, given the weird kerfuffle before the LAR game?

That he wasn't tells me it's either been sorted out or they will wait until offseason.

With Watson and Wicks not stepping up this year, I don't see them trading Doubs. He's clearly their #2.

[MadtownPacker]

Anyone surprised Doubs didn't get traded, given the weird kerfuffle before the LAR game?

That he wasn't tells me it's either been sorted out or they will wait until offseason.Trade the only guy that catches the damn ball? Damn, I wanna try some of the one you’re smoking.

[MadtownPacker]

With Watson and Wicks not stepping up this year, I don't see them trading Doubs. He's clearly their #2.
I don’t know about that. He could be the number one also. 6 catch difference.

[Joemailman]

I don’t know about that. He could be the number one also. 6 catch difference.

I think Reed is #1 because he is the guy opposing teams have to worry about the most due to his explosiveness. His YPC is by far the best on the Packers. Doubs is more the possession guy you want to go to for 1st downs.

[MadtownPacker]

I think Reed is #1 because he is the guy opposing teams have to worry about the most due to his explosiveness. His YPC is by far the best on the Packers. Doubs is more the possession guy you want to go to for 1st downs.
I know man. I just gotta rub it in for those who’ve been hating on him since the preseason.

[run pMc]

For the record, I don't think they should have or should trade Doubs, as just curious what others thought. Now I know lol
Doubs is the guy most likely to make the tough catch, he doesn't have the separation skills of Wicks or the dynamism of Reed. He's an okay WR2 and good WR3. He's at least as good if not better than Lazard ever was for GB.

Back to Preston - I'll be curious to see how they divvy up snaps now. I expect LVN to benefit most, with Mosby next off the bench and then Brenton Cox Jr. maybe getting a few snaps to see what he does. I suspect Mosby and CoxJr. are both better fits in 4-3 than Preston was, or they would be in a 3-4.
Either way, the pass rush from the edge/ends has to be better. Gary has 2.5 sacks, and his pressure rate is way down (even if he's getting chipped more).

[sharpe1027]

LVN chases down plays and does okay at setting the edge. He generally hasn't shown up in the pass rush. Not very good for where he was drafted, but he's pretty much already a solid NFL player.