All the recent developments at tight end seem positive for the Green Bay Packers. Starter Tucker Kraft announced he expects to be ready to play in Week 1 against the Vikings and he does not expect he’ll be on a play count. The team also signed Luke Lachey who can be the blocking tight end they had been searching for. With all that in mind, does it make sense for the Packers to consider trading Luke Musgrave before the season starts?
GM Brian Gutekunst selected Musgrave in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. One round later, he added Tucker Kraft. Gutekunst often employs the strategy of doubling or even tripling down at a position of need in the draft and/or free agency. He figured that by using a pair of day two picks on tight ends, he would solidify the position and have a better chance of at least hitting on one of the two as quality starters.
Musgrave won the starting job out of training camp and held it for the first half of the 2023 campaign. Then, he suffered a lacerated kidney that kept him out of the lineup until the regular season finale. Kraft took over as the starter and has never relinquished the job.
Musgrave has struggled since then. As the second-string tight end, he has had a limited role in the offense. The former Oregon State star has a very different skill set than Kraft. Musgrave has great downfield speed for a tight end and can stretch the field. Kraft excels at catching short passes and turning them into longer gains because he runs well after the catch and is tough to tackle. Kraft is also a better blocker than Musgrave who struggles when trying to block opposing players.
Musgrave had a big chance to prove what he could do last season when Kraft went down with a season-ending knee injury midseason. Unfortunately, he continued to struggle and even saw his playing time reduced late in the season.
Part of the problem was that head coach Matt LaFleur tried to plug Musgrave into the same plays Kraft had run. That didn’t play to Musgrave’s strengths. But even when LaFleur altered the offense a bit for Musgrave, his play remained inconsistent. Musgrave even had difficulty staying on his feet when trying to catch the football or when running after the catch.
If Kraft is healthy and ready to play from Week 1, the Packers have depth at tight end even without Musgrave. Josh Whyle made a big impression at OTAs and mandatory minicamp and seems poised to be a solid backup receiving tight end. The Packers finally signed Lachey to be their blocking tight end. They tried to add him to the roster a month ago, but he failed his physical. He passed it this time around and is now on the roster. There are other tight end candidates on the roster including Messiah Swinson, Drake Dabney, and R.J. Maryland.
The Packers intend to sign Kraft to a lucrative extension which could be worked out any time now. That makes it highly unlikely they will bring back Musgrave in 2027. With the current depth on the roster, the Packers could look to trade Musgrave before the start of the season. The return likely wouldn’t be substantial. They could likely acquire a day-three draft pick for him. Or perhaps they could trade Musgrave for help at another position where they lack depth such as running back, edge rusher, or interior offensive line.
If they hold on to Musgrave for this season and he departs during free agency, the Packers will get a late-round compensatory pick in return at best depending on how much money Musgrave signs for next offseason and other players and signings made by the Packers.
Under these circumstances, it makes more sense to explore dealing Musgrave now if they can get a good player or pick in return. It would give Musgrave a chance to revive his career elsewhere and help the Packers in the short run or the long run depending on whether they receive a player or a pick in return. Gute could always hold on to Musgrave for his final season if he can’t get a good return in a trade.