Packers Targeted Darren Waller, Chase Claypool & D.J. Moore At Trade Deadline

Many expected the Packers to land a receiving threat ahead of this year’s trade deadline. However, Green Bay wasn’t able to get a deal put together.Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Packers did make a “strong run” at trading for Raiders TE Darren Waller, but Las Vegas ultimately deemed Waller to be “too valuable” to trade away.

According to Rapoport, the Packers also targeted Chase Claypool, but the Bears offered a higher second-round pick and they made calls on Panthers WR D.J. Moore. However, Carolina felt that moving Moore was a “non-starter” for them.

Adam Schefter reports that the Packers offered their second-round pick and another late-round pick to Pittsburgh for Claypool, but Pittsburgh felt that the Packers are capable of turning around their season even without Claypool.

Schefter confirms the Packers’ interest in Waller and mentions that they actually targeted him in the trade for Davante Adams this past offseason.

There was some buzz about Brandin Cooks being an option for Green Bay, but Schefter says the Packers did not express interest in trading for the veteran receiver.

Waller, 30, is a former sixth-round pick of the Ravens. He was in the third year of his four-year, $2.39 million rookie contract when Baltimore waived him coming out of the preseason and later signed him to their practice squad.

The Raiders signed him off the Ravens’ practice squad in 2018 and later locked him up to a three-year extension worth around $9 million per year. 

He was set to make base salaries of $6.25 million in each of the final two years of his deal when he agreed to a three-year, $51 million contract extension with the Raiders a few months ago. 

In 2022, Waller has appeared in five games for the Raiders and caught 16 passes for 175 yards receiving and one touchdown.