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Trading Preston Smith made sense for everyone involved. The veteran pass-rusher admitted that he had struggled to adjust to Jeff Hafley’s system, which played into his decision to request a trade.
It only took one game for Smith to prove why he wanted a switch to a more comfortable scheme—he made a sack and two tackles for loss in his Pittsburgh Steelers debut—but the Packers also benefitted.
Green Bay created significant cap space in upcoming seasons and won’t lose much production, as Smith’s role had steadily decreased throughout the season. The next step is for Hafley to help the Packers’ young pass-rushers fill the void. Second-year Lukas Van Ness is the immediate beneficiary from Smith’s departure, but there are two other names to note.
Brenton Cox Jr. and Arron Mosby.
Cox, an undrafted free agent in 2023, played four defensive snaps as a rookie but none this season. Mosby has only played seven defensive snaps for the Packers, including five against the Detroit Lions, but that was all he needed to beat All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell for a sack.
Hafley is fired up about both players, and it sure sounded like he believes they are ready to replace Smith.
It seemingly makes little sense for a defense struggling to generate a consistent pass rush to trade away one of its most experienced edge defenders. Hafley doesn’t agree. He has full confidence in Cox and Mosby to make the most of their opportunity, and he didn’t hold back with his praise.
“When you watch our offense versus our show team, and you focus in on some guys and they start jumping out every single day,” said Hafley. “And if our offense is having a tough time blocking certain guys, or you get a guy who is all of a sudden making a ton of plays on the ball, you start watching them and watching them. I think both of those guys really started to jump out.”
Hafley then went into more detail about Cox.
“There was a string of two practices where Cox just looked like he was ready to go,” said Hafley. “It’s really cool to see when guys earn their opportunity, and I think he’s a really good example of that. I’m really, really excited for him, along with Mosby.”
This didn’t sound like classic coachspeak, either. Hafley always speaks with great energy, and his passion for the game is contagious. He sounded genuinely excited to get them out there, highlighting that the Packers wouldn’t trade Smith if they didn’t believe their young players could fill the void.
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Mosby deserves an opportunity. He starred in the preseason, closing it out with a forced fumble and interception to secure his spot on the 53-man roster. In Week 9, he immediately made an impact against the Lions by sacking Jared Goff.
Cox hasn’t had a chance to prove himself in the regular season, but that will change.
The Packers need former first-rounder Van Ness to become a significant contributor on defense. According to PFF, he has made just six pressures and one sack this season. That’s fewer than defensive tackle T.J. Slaton and defensive end Devonte Wyatt, who missed three games due to injury.
It’s time for Cox and Mosby to show what they can do. The Packers not only traded away their most experienced pass-rusher but passed on the opportunity to replace him before the trade deadline. Based on Hafley’s comments, the team’s confidence in their young edge-rushers was a big reason why.
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