The Cheeseheads have spoken on a trade pitch that would ship a popular lineman out of town, though that doesn’t mean the Green Bay Packers are going to listen.
Justis Mosqueda of SB Nation’s Acme Packing Co. floated the idea of the franchise potentially trading starting right tackle Yosuah Nijman if he happens to get beat out for that spot by second-year up-and-comer Zach Tom who saw some run at the position during minicamp.
“Tom … played well in five starts as a fourth-round rookie last season,” Mosqueda wrote on Thursday, June 22. “Tom hasn’t been able to crack the ‘starting’ lineup at right guard or center, the two other positions where he’s been practicing at so far this offseason.”
Green Bay is limited in the moves it can make ahead of September to free up more salary cap space. The franchise had around $16.5 million in cap room remaining for 2023 as of June 25.
“If Tom does end up winning the starting right tackle job, what do you do with Nijman who signed a $4.3 million second-round tender as a restricted free agent this spring?” Mosqueda continued. “Moving Nijman’s contract would give the Packers some much-needed cap relief, as it wouldn’t create any dead cap on the team’s books.”
Mosqueda offered the pitch up as the subject of a fan poll, asking for input on whether the move is something Packers Nation at large would support.
The results came back an overwhelming “NO,” as just 26% of those who cast ballots got behind the notion of trading Nijman should he fall out of the starting lineup.
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