A Packers-Titans trade Brian Gutekunst should've made instead of Malik Willis deal

The Green Bay Packers were rightly unsatisfied in their backup quarterback dilemma entering the preseason, as Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt didn't offer enough upside. Pratt, a rookie out of Tulane, would've been added to the practice squad had he cleared waivers, but he was instead claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Clifford, meanwhile, was the backup plan. He is on the Packers practice squad, which is fine I guess. Clifford was an average college quarterback, and he has lived up to that reputation in the pros. If Clifford is starting a game for the Packers this season, something has gone seriously wrong. That is why Green Bay traded for Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis just a week ago. Willis has a lot to prove as well, but they feel more comfortable with the second-year Liberty product than Clifford.

I, for one, still think they have a gaping hole behind Rudolph. The Titans had a lot of average quarterbacks on the roster entering camp, but Willis is the last player the Packers should've traded for. Mason Rudolph made far more sense, especially with Will Levis winning the starting job.

Could the Packers have traded for Mason Rudolph?

The Titans valued Rudolph out of camp, and rightly so. Levis is far from a sure thing, despite the flashes he showed at times in 2023. And if he flops, Rudolph is sitting behind him to take over. However, the Packers could have made an offer to push the Titans to a point of no return, which would've been my recommendation.

This doesn't sound like a lot , but Rudolph is only signed through this year. Exchanging a sixth for a fourth -- a pick with reasonable value -- is something the Titans would have jumped at.

Again, this trade will not happen. The Packers are invested in Willis for reasons I do not fully understand. Perhaps my brain isn't as big at Matt LaFleur's, but I've seen enough of Willis on the field and in practice tape to know he's not a starting-caliber quarterback, and a bad backup at worst. Rudolph has starting potential -- as he showed last year in Pittsburgh -- and at worst is one of the best backups in the NFL.

Given his experience with the Steelers, Rudolph is always ready. That is what the Packers need behind Love. Backup quarterback has never been a more important position.