The Green Bay Packers made the executive decision to cut Jaire Alexander after months of contract negotiations. It was widely expected that the team would at least trade Alexander to get some return if a deal couldn’t be reached. Instead, the exact opposite happened—the veteran cornerback was simply released.
“Packers GM Brian Gutekunst met in person with CB Jaire Alexander on Sunday one last time, presumably giving him one last chance to restructure/reduce his contract and when he refused, Alexander was released from the team the next morning. Jaire has yet to comment this offseason,” Packers reporter Mike Clemens wrote.
The reason behind Alexander’s refusal reportedly came down to a lack of guaranteed money in the new contract proposals.
“To not have any guarantees in there was where we had the issue. It wasn’t actually the dollar amount, it was the no guaranteed money,” his father said. “It’s kind of insulting to come to a two-time All-Pro, and somebody who gave blood, sweat, and tears to you, and to not have any guarantees.”
With that situation now resolved, the Packers may look to move on from another former first-round pick—Luke Van Ness—who has yet to meet expectations. According to Last Word on Sports’ Anthony Palacios, a trade to the Los Angeles Chargers could be a possibility.
“Just like the Ravens, the Los Angeles Chargers need a significant upgrade in their unit. Even though they have all the cap space in the world, they’ve only signed Da’Shawn Hand and re-signed Teair Tart. Between Hand and Otito Ogbonnia, Van Ness is the better man in this situation, who can help smooth out this defense alongside pass-rusher Khalil Mack,” Palacios wrote.
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Van Ness was expected to be a major contributor for the Packers, but things haven’t gone according to plan. A change of scenery could benefit both sides—giving Van Ness a fresh opportunity and allowing Green Bay to recoup some trade capital in return.
