Plenty of Packers fans believed their defense was ready for Super Bowl contention the minute the franchise landed Micah Parsons. The unfortunate truth in Green Bay is that the team's uneven start to the 2025 campaign confirms that coordinator Jeff Hafley's secondary is still a weak spot.
GM Brian Gutekunst and his staff hoped that landing Nate Hobbs in free agency would solidify the franchise's options at cornerback. The high-priced free agent has struggled mightily when he's been able to stay on the field. There is some hope that his play will pick up as he gets healthy but being checked for a concussion after a blow to the head on Sunday night's tie with the Cowboys won't help.
Even if Hobbs does bounce back and play more like the cornerback the Packers believed he could be, it's possible nickel back could still be his best position. That leaves Green Bay looking for help on the outside as the NFL Trade Deadline approaches.
Finding a high-quality starter for a reasonable price via an in-season trade will be nearly impossible. That's why the Packers need to set their sights on a player capable of being a league average starter. Calling the Bengals regarding the availability of Cam Taylor-Britt might be the perfect low cost add for the team's scondary.
The Bengals could help the Packers solve their problems in the secondary
The Bengals should be trying to trade everyone who isn't nailed down in the aftermath of Joe Burrow's injury. That, combined with Taylor-Britt's impending free agency make him a player Cincinnati should be willing to move.
The Packers should read the Bengals' desperation and avoid overpaying for a cornerback who probably will not be anything more than an average starter at this stage of his career. The upside for Green Bay is that he is a durable defensive back at a position of need. That is a big plus for a team that's suffered through Jaire Alexander's struggles in recent seasons.
Taylor-Britt's lack of long-term future with the Bengals should make his acquisition cost pretty low. The Packers should open negotiations with a sixth-round pick with the willingness to go up a round if the Bengals try to play hardball. Anything more than a fifth-rounder would be an overpay so Gutekunst should draw a hard line there.
In the end, Taylor-Britt is not the sort of big-name acquisition some Packers fans are hoping for, but they've already made that move with the Parsons trade. Now it's time for Green Bay to find some modestly priced pieces to put around him on defense. Adding Taylor-Britt to their cornerback mix would do just that for head coach Matt LaFleur.