Hey Since'61!

My thinking on this has evolved over the course of the offseason, like a lot of fans. We've gotten a bit more info, but not a lot.

What I see is our HC, Matt LaFleur, is insanely intelligent, hard working, competitive, and he's a planner. He knows the workings inside 1265 Lombardi Avenue better than any of us. I have no doubts that MLF has planned for this scenario, and that he has been in constant communication with Jordan Love the entire way through.

I'm sure they have developed plans, training regimens, etc. to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Really, yesterday, after finding a bit of video of Jordan Love and Equanimeous St. Brown working out together, running patterns and plays, it really made me feel a lot better regarding the situation all of us Packer fans are in now. The fact that it was ESB, too. That's telling.

The thing about Jordan Love is the guy is super bright, and super competitive as well, and he and Matt LaFleur very likely have a special HC/QB relationship. When I say that, I think they will be of one mind in what needs to be done. I bet Matt has drilled all of the important points into Love's brain to help him succeed, while pointing out the other superfluous garbage to ignore.

As fans, I think we might be very, very surprised by what we see with Jordan Love as QB1 running Matt LaFleur's offense. There will be bumps along the way, but, he will be learning new things with every game, and I think Love's confidence will grow over the course of this season.

I don't think there is any chance Bortles sniffs the field this year except for maybe some garbage time. He's there to help guide Love along the way. This could be really good. Just my hunch.

If Love and Davante, and MVS, and ESB, and Lazard, and Amari, and Deguara, and Tonyan start lighting it up? Look out.

For the Fans, one man's reality is another man's delusions.

Everyone's a realist...we just don't all subscribe to the same reality.

Grasp at straws much? stockholder?

Actually nobody questioned Loves football IQ.
But in the Q universe all the weak brain death make up stuff because they have no facts or education.

Tony Pauline’s summation:

“Love looked like a franchise quarterback after the 2018 season, but he watched his game take a step back last year. He pressed and tried to take too much on his shoulders throughout the 2019 season, which ended up in disaster. Love had a solid week of practice at the Senior Bowl, tested well at the NFL Combine and comes with great upside, but he will need to be properly coached and developed.”

I think that’s a little more representative of the player and the dilemma.

I disagree that venom is being thrown toward Love, however I agree that he deserves his opportunity. Unfortunate that the opportunity comes under these circumstances, but if he is a baller as some suggest, he'll rise and do the team well and put the conversation to rest. I think the odds are stacked against that being the case - at least in the next few years. Love's ability is a beautiful mystery and his story will unfold over the next few years so time to relax (sorry, I could not resist). I suspect the bare facts are that Love is not ready at this moment to take the reigns - if he were ready, I imagine packers would have traded. With the offense we really only need a game manager (like SF) to do well.

I'd prefer we stick with Rodgers and shoot for a superbowl attempt or two over the next couple years. Striking distance doesn't happen that often, and who knows how well this team will hold together over the next 3-4 years and contracts come due. GB is a small market and it takes some work to recruit players, and I think the great QB tandem of Favre and Rodgers added a bit of appeal and hope the this becomes a trifecta, but that is yet to be seen.

i do think Rodgers is as masterful at the business of football as he is at the QB role, and he is working on changing a paradigm where players wrestle control from the front office. It takes an amazing talent to pull that off. will be curious to see how it ends for him. I'm guessing not well, but I also think this will fail to end well for anyone involved in this saga including Gute and Murphy. I think ML might be the only guy to escape the drama semi intact if his offense is able to maintain without a mastermind driving it on the field - yet to be seen.

I’ve often wondered what Stafford could have been had he landed with a different team. The guy played for a team known to be a dumpster fire produced by a completely dysfunctional FO. Still managed to look like a decent player. How would Rodgers have faired there during that period?

Yeah, and Rodgers was called "a clone of Harrington and Boller" before his draft. Didn't make it so, did it?

"It’s Ironic that Rodgers may have done more to harm Loves development than Favre ever did to him by cold shouldering him."

Hard to say, because ultimately I think ARod plays 2021 in GB and Love is the #2. But the fact that ARod is absent (and, frankly, doesn't need this work) gives #10 plenty of opportunities to work on mastering fundamentals within the offense. He's got to get his processing up to speed, and that will take reps and time. He's starting to get half of that now.

What the what? dobs, he nuked all the bridges. He's not coming back.

All those words and niceties AR professed to Kenny Mayne were damage control PR. Nothing more.

I don't know what he is asking for. I think guaranteed money in 2022 at the least. My April 12th article re-worked his contract. It had a $15.6M guaranteed option bonus in 2022; that was before we knew he wanted out or had issues with management, so that's what I thought was reasonable in the ordinary course of dealing with the salary cap. I have no idea whether that would have been enough, or if he wants guaranteed money in 2023, or a big raise over the $66.5M in cash he is still scheduled to receive over the next three years.

Interesting times, anyway.

GG,
Interesting you think Billy Turner will be included in a packaged deal, or that Chubb and Surtain II will be included.

I do agree should there be a trade there is a high probability of multiple players being involved. I simply have no idea who they might be. What I do know is Denver needs to provide a combination of talented players (this year), along with future draft choices.

While the idea of getting Surtain II is very appealing we already have Stokes lessening the need for Surtain II. Could they be swapped? Maybe!

I do not see a reason for Dalton Risner on the offense line like some are mentioning. Pack have so many OL already.

Drew Lock, while I do like the idea of the Packers picking up Lock who is only 24 years old we now have Blake Bortles. We really do not need him. However, Denver will need unfortunately to unload either Bridgewater or Lock. Sadly, it is my belief the Packers end up with Bridgewater who I have never liked his game.

This leaves me with only four current players on the Denver roster that makes any sense to me for the Packers to take and at best they only end up with two of them.

1. Chubb who is coming off ankle surgery. He makes the most sense providing immediate DL help. Chubb would make the defense formidable.
2. Noah Fant is a very young 2nd year TE who is on his way to becoming an NFL star. Runs a 4.5 in the 40 yard. Tonyan's a FA next year and Sternberger has yet to show anything after 2 seasons. Noah would be a game changer on offense. Line him up inside and outside. Noah would fit perfectly within LF's offense trying to confuse defenses. Adding Fant with Tonyan and Amari inside would be fun to see. I see Fant having significantly more impact for Love, particularly in his first year or two than Cortland, or Jeudy.
3. Coutland Sutton would be a great addition as a young and talented WR. However, he is rehabbing from knee surgery after being injured in week 2 last year. I see Cortland less likely to be included because of his knee even though he will be ready to go in week 1.
4. Jeudy is a 2nd year WR and star in the making. He too would also be a great addition.

Subsequently, I see either Lock or Bridgewater (preferably Lock), Chubb, and either one of Fant (preferably), Jeudy, or Cortland coming to Green Bay along with 2 #1 first round draft choices. Yes, there likely is a Packer player going along in the trade and an exchange of lesser round picks. If we want to really go crazy I would very much enjoy seeing an aging Adam's being packaged in this trade along with Rodger's. In turn the Packers get either a young Jeudy, or Cortland along with a 2nd round pick, or instead of the 2nd rounder we get Hammler at WR. Now that would really make for a block buster trade. It would also further benefit both Love and the Packers for many years to come.

I think if he's got the pieces around him, a good OL, he could be a game manager in this offense and it would be productive...I'm not going to speculate on how productive. If that's the case, though, why not put Love in there and allow him to manage the offense. Keep it simple and limit mistakes.

I honestly don't see any vet QB they might be getting if ARod is dealt as being any substantially better than Bortles. Yes, even Teddy. I wouldn't waste my return compensation on a middling QB you don't plan to use any more than a season...and maybe not even that.

Of course it is pathetic. He is NOT COMING BACK.

This narrative about this being about more money and a guarantee is all made up. Where is that coming from? There is nothing to confirm that that is what Aaron Rodgers wants or demands. I have yet to see any legitimate sourcing of that for it to even be considered "information." Certainly have heard that bandied around for months. Not saying you made this up either... just that I have yet to find any credible sourcing that this is in fact the case within the last two months.

I don't think for one second he wants any of that. All he wants is out of Green Bay. Pure and simple.

As for teams being interested, there is one team with the cap space, the need for an NFL MVP QB, and the gunslinger mentality to go for it and pull the trigger on an Aaron Rodgers trade: the Denver Broncos.

Do you think John Elway is afraid of Aaron Rodgers having a problem with upper management? I'm pretty sure I know your answer: Hell no.

I don't think there is any reason to worry. The Green Bay Packers are about to embark on a new era, and there is a lot to be excited about moving forward. This may not be going exactly as planned, but, the Green Bay Packers have all the necessary pieces in place to win now. With Matt LaFleur's guidance, a HC who is 26-6? A HC who has personally guided TWO QBs to MVP seasons? I'll take that scenario any day.

The tea leaves. They speak loudly.

"I think we may find ourselves playing with Rodgers being at home and paid this year. Another year older won’t help him either."

He would report week 12 to get this season to count on his contract and give himself as many suitors as possible. That's when it gets to be a shitty mess. Imagine a Packers team muddling along at 5-7, or 6-6 at week 12 with #10 as the starter, and #12 announces he's ready to report?

That's when the media shitstorm would really start.

And Chubb is missing OTAs due to a minor ankle procedure (bone spur removal) and will be fine by training camp. Hmm. Easy to read too much into things, though.

How come Rodgers, who signed the largest K in NFL history in 2018, didn't have any problems with the FO then?

How come the other Aaron, named Jones, expressed his gratitude to the Packer organization, its fans and Green Bay?

Do not be manipulated by Rodgers antics. He simply wants to leverage his MVP award so he can drag his HUGE K into the big city lights of Denver or a WC city. His Boulder resident fiancé no doubt approves of the mendacious manipulation.

You do not mismanage a franchise while creating one of the largest cash reserves in all professional sports.

I don't see where his situation changes very much if he's traded. His deal will get re-worked, sure, but he has to realize that nobody is likely to give him a deal that's more than two-year or maybe three-year commitments at this point. Any deal he signs will have some bonus money and be mostly back-loaded so that teams can get out and aren't hand-cuffed to him when he hits the wall.

When the Packers deal him, he'll be right back in this place within 18 months: looking to be re-validated by more "commitment". He'll get dealt again in 2-3 years, after whatever window has been constructed for him closes and that team tries to recoup whatever value it can to make up for the capital they dealt to the Packers.

I hope that we're getting Chubb and Fuller out of the players who missed the Broncos OTA. Plus 2 #1s and a 32 or #3 pick. I would not be surprised if we send Rodgers, Turner and Adams to Denver. Maybe we also get their OG Risner. It's going to be interesting. Thanks, Since '61

We have the ability to judge Love on Love. To allow other factors to color that helps no one.’ Love is an unknown at this level. I have no idea, but demanding perfection from the outset won’t help us of him. I said the same of Rodgers.