GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – For the first time in five years, the Green Bay Packers played beat the clock on the National Football League’s trade deadline. General Manager Brian Gutekunst has sent veteran defensive back Rasul Douglas and a 2024 5th round draft choice to the Buffalo Bills getting Buffalo’s third round pick next year in return. The 29 year old, 7 year veteran was a productive player on the field and a sought after media quote in the locker room almost from the moment he arrived in Green Bay. Plucked off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad in October of 2021, Douglas brought a host of big plays with him. In just his second start, he picked off Kyler Murray in the end zone with :15 left to play, securing a Packer win against his former Cardinal team. In back to back games in December, Douglas returned interceptions back for touchdowns, going 33 yards against the Rams and a 55 yard pick six against the Bears. In just 12 games played, Douglas finished with 5 interceptions with 105 return yards and 13 pass break-ups, earning him alternate votes for the Pro Bowl. The following spring, Green Bay signed Douglas to a three year, 21 million dollar contract. In 12 starts last year, Douglas had four more interceptions. He started all seven games this season for the Packers. Douglas was originally a third round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, playing there for three years. After spending 2020 in Carolina starting 11 games for the Panthers, Douglas was released. He signed with the Raiders that off-season but got cut at the end of training camp. Within a week he was a member of the Houston Texans for a couple of days and the Arizona Cardinals where he spent the first month of the season on their practice squad before the Packers signed him.
The Packers have unloaded another veteran player however at a position that is precariously thin right now. Jaire Alexander has been nursing a sore back ever since a walk-through collision with practice squad quarterback Alex McGough forcing him to miss two of the last three games. Eric Stokes finally got activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list right before the Denver game before he pulled a hamstring on his 4th snap, landing him on injured reserve for at least three more games. Draft pick Carrington Valentine and free agent Corey Ballentine are expected to receive increased playing time. Slot corner Keisean Nixon is also a possibility to move outside.
With the acquisition of Buffalo’s third round pick, Gutekunst will now have five selections in the first three rounds next year, their own pick in each plus the New York Jets 2nd round pick in the Aaron Rodgers trade.
