The Lass Word: Jordan Love, Upon Further Review
Packers chose promise over productivity.
By KenLass
For what it’s worth, the current buzz around the league seems to be that Aaron Rodgers will return to the Packers for the 2022 season. If that turns out to be true, it would likely mean a third year of little or no production from 2020 first round draft pick Jordan Love.
One of the criticisms of the selection of Love with the 26th pick is that it did not address a current need. I don’t agree with that. Back-up quarterback was a need. At the time, Green Bay’s back-up was Tim Boyle. Boyle was certainly a fan favorite, but he wasn’t good enough. That was borne out in three starts with the Lions, all losses, in which he compiled a QB rating of 26.4.
The broader and more pertinent question is whether the Packers would have been better off drafting a player who could have been of more immediate help in getting them to a Super Bowl. With two years of hindsight, we can take a more realistic look at that issue.
Let’s begin by reviewing what the team’s needs seemed to be heading into the 2020 draft. The prevailing wisdom indicated the greatest necessity was to bolster the receiver position. Keep in mind, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard and Equanimeous St. Brown had not yet established themselves. Randall Cobb was gone. Besides Davante Adams, the cupboard seemed pretty bare. The tight end spot was also wide open. Few anticipated Robert Tonyan was going to break out the way he did that fall. If anybody figured to take command of the position, it was Jace Sternberger. The departure of Blake Martinez created a gap at inside linebacker. The Packers also knew they would not be able to re-sign both of their running backs, Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams. With Jones being the priority, they needed an eventual replacement for Williams.
Brian Gutekunst elected not to address any of these needs with his first round pick. Instead, he traded up for Love. What were his options?
At the receiver position, most of the top prospects were already gone. Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Reagor, Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk were all off the board. No other receiver was taken in the first round after Green Bay’s turn. However, the first two picks of the second round were Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman. Higgins has become an excellent number two pass catcher for the Bengals, forming an effective complement to rookie sensation Ja’Marr Chase. Pittman emerged this year as a star for the Colts. Would one of them have been significantly more productive the past two years than MVS or Lazard? On paper, at least, the answer seems to be yes. Would they have been the difference in getting the Packers to a Super Bowl?
It was not a good draft for tight ends. Only one was taken in the first two rounds. The Bears chose Cole Kmet with the 43rd pick. Addressing that position was not an option for Gutekunst.
At inside linebacker, many Packer fans coveted Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray. But the Chargers snatched him up with the 23rd pick. Murray has gone on to a couple of indistinguished seasons in Los Angeles. Green Bay did pass on Patrick Queen. Queen was selected two spots later by the Ravens. He has been just so-so, flashing at times, but not consistent. Evidently, the Packers did not have a first round grade for him, or at least had Jordan Love graded higher. Would Queen have made Green Bay a Super Bowl team? Undrafted rookie Krys Barnes played as well as Queen in 2020, and certainly De’Vondre Campbell was better in 2021.
Running back presents an interesting review. The Packers passed on Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who was taken with the last pick of the first round by the Chiefs. They also passed on D’Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor, JK Dobbins and Cam Akers. Here again, it is clear the team did not have a first round grade on any of them. Taylor, the former Wisconsin Badger, busted out into stardom in 2021, rushing for more than 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns. Edwards-Helaire has been a solid contributor for the Chiefs, but has had trouble staying healthy. Swift is the number one back on a bad team in Detroit. Dobbins missed the entire 2021 season with an injury, and Akers missed all of the regular season, returning in the playoffs for the Rams. Green Bay surprised most observers by taking Boston College running back AJ Dillon in round two. Clearly, Gutekunst was looking for a specific type. A power back who could excel in the cold of December and January.
Should the Packers have taken Taylor with their first round pick? It wouldn’t have made sense with Aaron Jones in the fold. Even after the departure of Jamal Williams, Taylor would not have gotten enough touches to break out the way he did in Indianapolis.
Looking further down the second round list, was there anyone there worthy of being Green Bay’s first round selection? You see names like safeties Grant Delpit and Antoine Winfield Junior. Both good players, but not thought at the time to be first round talents. Besides, the Packers were set at safety with Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage. Green Bay also passed on cornerback Trevon Diggs and receivers Van Jefferson and Chase Claypool. Nobody anticipated Diggs would break out the way he did in 2021, and there’s no way you would have taken Jefferson or Claypool in the first round.
So what can we conclude from this? Yes, the Packers certainly could have gotten more immediate productivity in the first round of 2020 by taking someone like Higgins, Pittman or maybe Queen. But would it have made a significant difference in getting them to a Super Bowl? With the benefit of two years of hindsight, the answer is most likely no. Instead, the team took a roll of the dice on a raw but talented quarterback who may be the hope of the future, or a terrible bust.
It was a risk worth taking.
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Ken Lass is a former Green Bay television sports anchor and 43 year media veteran, a lifelong Packers fan, and a shareholder.
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Comments (101)
rememberWhitehurst
February 18, 2022 at 07:00 am
Reading the article, I was having the same reaction I had on draft day, yelling internally "Trade down!" They could have moved back significantly and still got Chase Claypool, who went 23 picks after Love, or Van Jefferson, (31 picks later) adding extra picks instead of blowing the fourth round, making them far less likely to overdraft Dillon and Deguara. Claypool and Jefferson were both major draft crushes for me, but Higgins and Pittman also fit the bill. Dillon looks good now, but they still grossly overpaid for him in draft capital. I fully believe he would have still been there in the third, if not the fourth, and they still could have taken him later. I appreciate much of what Gutey has done in Green Bay, but this draft is not one of them. I thought it was a display of Mike Sherman level drafting then, and my opinion hasn't changed. Go Pack Go, but I can't put a positive spin on the 2020 draft. Love, Dillon, Deguara, and Darnell Savage are examples, to me, of Gutey falling in love with certain players and overspending instead of letting the draft come to him. I would way rather have Juan Thornhill, Chase Claypool, and whatever else the Packers could have got with the extra picks acquired plus the three fourths traded away, than Savage and Love. Who knows, with a few more mid-round depth pieces, maybe the special teams could have even been a little better?
dblbogey
February 18, 2022 at 11:08 am
"far less likely to overdraft Dillon"
That's when I quit reading your comment.
rememberWhitehurst
February 18, 2022 at 05:17 pm
Sorry, but that's incredibly simplistic thinking. My point about Dillon has nothing to do with whether he is a good player or not. It is about the cost paid for him. The Athletic had him at 113 on their consensus big board, Mock Draftables at 125, Pro Football Network at 131, and The Draft Network at 139. These are not perfect measures by any means, but it sure gives the impression that Dillon could have been had at least a round, if not two or three, later, especially with the extra picks the Packers would have had available under my approach. 62 is way too high.
Overvaluing running backs in the modern NFL is just not a recipe for success. It is entirely possible to win a title without a running game, but not without a passing game. The Rams won the Super Bowl this year by rushing for 43 yards, or 1.9 yards a carry, after finishing 25th in the league in rushing, lead by Sony Michel, who they acquired for a 5th and a 6th round pick. The champion Buccaneers were 28th in rushing and finished off their title with Leonard Fournette, after he was released by the Jaguars. The 2019 champion Chiefs were 23rd in rushing, lead by Damien Williams, an undrafted free agent in 2014.
I like Dillon, but that doesn't make drafting him at 62 a good use of resources. Dillon may someday run through people in the snow as much as any of us could ever dream, but it will mean nothing without a first rate passing game. "What if" is a terrible game to play, and it's easy to believe a healthy Bakhthiari combined with merely poor special teams play would have resulted in back to back championships anyway, but a little 2020 investment in that passing game would have been a big help too.
stockholder
February 18, 2022 at 07:59 am
No it wasn't a risk worth taking. He went up to get Love. Losing a Fourth rd pick. The solution was simple. Win the draft! Take what you need. And sign a veteran QB for back -up. We needed a ILB and WR. The 4th should have been packaged to move up in the second rd. The LB chance was a failure in rd. 5. Patrick Queen did make the All - Rookie team. And Gutey failed to get Rodgers better WRs. Tee Higgins was considered a late first rd to the packers. And he could of used the forth to go up and get Claypool too. While the argument for a short yardage RB was needed. It was obvious that he would be the packers best pick. The best option: if he didn't want Queen was to trade back. But I believe Higgins and Chin were his mistake. And I would have traded the 3-4 for Dillard. The truth is when you pick later. You take a rd. earlier.
jurp
February 18, 2022 at 07:52 am
"The solution was simple. Win the draft!" God, you're funny. Thanks for the laugh!
BTW, it's "fourth", not "forth".
dblbogey
February 18, 2022 at 11:13 am
Anybody remember how lousy Rodgers was the 2 seasons before the Love pick? An aging QB coming off two down years. Sounds like a good time to pick a QB. Whether they picked a winner remains to be seen.
jannesbjornson
February 18, 2022 at 09:44 pm
Yes, 4000 yards , 26 TDs and 4 picks...really falling off the cliff in 2019. 25 TDs and 2 picks in '18. When you have a triggerman all you need to do is bag a veteran journeyman to back him up.
egbertsouse
February 18, 2022 at 07:28 am
Given all that has happened the last two seasons and Murphy’s obsession to keep Rodgers around for a couple more years, only the world’s most deluded Packer fanatic can look back and say that trading a 4th to move up to draft Jordan Love in the first round was a smart move.
jurp
February 18, 2022 at 07:49 am
It was a sound move at the time, given how Rodgers had been playing and that we desperately needed a more competent backup QB, as Ken points out.
But who knew covid was coming? And that Rodgers would pick himself back up and turn his regular-season game around?
Murphy's apparent obsession that a QB who amasses great regular season stats and then flames out in the playoffs will eventually get us a Super Bowl is the delusion, shared with too many Packers fans.
stockholder
February 18, 2022 at 07:56 am
It wasn't a sound move when you look at Gutey's later moves. Petine was the DC. It cost him his job. If Gutey wanted a RB. Taylor was the better pick in the draft. The point about the draft; is hope for the future. Total up the picks given away, and the FAs that saved Gutey's bacon.
jurp
February 18, 2022 at 08:27 am
Taylor (whom I'm a huge fan of) is not the same type of RB at all as Dillon. If we were going to draft Taylor, then there would've been no reason to re-sign Jones. Jones, a proven commodity, able to help immediately vs. Taylor, a rookie who didn't really come into his own until 2 seasons later. See how that works? Same thing with J. Williams, adequate but not quite what we needed, vs. Dillon, exactly what we needed, in Gutekunst's and his draft team's opinion. The debate (which can never be solved, so it's useless) is whether we took Dillon a round too early.
The point of the draft is NOT "hope for the future"- if it were, then Love's pick is absolutely spot-on, because he's a "help in the future pick", like Gary - it's about building a team for today AND for tomorrow.
The FAs that "saved Gutey's bacon" were SIGNED BY GUTEKUNST! He was doing his job to build the team we needed. Sheesh - did you think they just materialized in Green Bay without Gutekunst's knowledge?
Exactly - and I mean EXACTLY - whom would you have drafted with the fourth round pick we used in the trade-up for Love? And, using only pre-draft analyses, exactly WHAT would that player have brought to the Packers?
stockholder
February 18, 2022 at 10:01 am
JURP - PETINE WAS THE DC. I SAID I WOULD HAVE TAKEN CHIN EARLIER. WHY? BECAUSE PETINE PULLED HIS LB FOR AN EXTRA SAFETY. WITH THE 136 PICK THEY TRADED FOR LOVE. ---L'JARIOUS SNEED S. COULD HAVE BEEN THE PICK.-- HE WAS CONSIDERED A SLEEPER. HE WAS DROPPING BECAUSE OF HIS CHILD HOOD TROUBLES. HE IS CONSIDERED A RISING STAR .
dobber
February 18, 2022 at 10:51 am
Then it sounds like Pettine cost Pettine his job...not BG.
"L'JARIOUS SNEED S. COULD HAVE BEEN THE PICK.-- HE IS CONSIDERED A RISING STAR ."
The Sneed whose numbers all went down this year in his second season, allowing nearly a 70% completion percentage and a QB rating over 90?
stockholder
February 18, 2022 at 10:22 pm
Family trouble. There was also an OL they could have taken. They did need a RT. (Turner then went to RT.) But I picked S because of my example of chin.
jannesbjornson
February 18, 2022 at 10:33 pm
Chinn was solid from his film. Winfield is better, but as we saw this season, an on/off guy with injuries. They went up for Savage and put money on Amos, so safety was a no go with a high pick. A lot of talent in that second round. It would have been nice to have had three selections.
stockholder
February 18, 2022 at 11:18 pm
Wait a second. --- Chin made the all Rookie team as a LB/s with over a 100 tackles. The thing you and others are forgetting. Was Greene being used and kept getting hurt. And thats because he didn't have somebody as good as Campbell. So he had to go with the speedy Greene. Until he got hurt. Then nobody worked.
jannesbjornson
February 19, 2022 at 07:50 am
Winfield was also All-Rookie and a Pro bowler. I see your point about Pettine calling the D, but his system had two-years to deliver and two strikeouts. The kid Walker displaced Campbell in Atlanta so he was free to move.
He is a guy Gutedkunst needs to resign. Green was a 50/50 proposition if he shows up to play. He was there because they had no cover ILB.
dblbogey
February 18, 2022 at 11:16 am
I wish you were the GM.... for the Vikings.
stockholder
February 18, 2022 at 10:09 pm
If I was, Captain Kirk wouldn't be their Qb.
BirdDogUni
February 18, 2022 at 10:52 pm
LMAO... He would be this year, because it would be absolute idiocy to get rid of him with his salary guaranteed.
Oh, wait... Maybe he wouldn't be their QB, if you were the GM... ; )
jannesbjornson
February 19, 2022 at 11:41 am
When Aiyuk was snagged by Lynch he should have traded down into the Two round for another pick. Taylor was there, Higgins and Van Jefferson for pro WRs. They were probably looking to extend Jones and went with a power back with Dillon. I advocated for Dillon two years running to get this guy as your power back, just as I advocate for a true Fullback in LaFleurs schemes. Dafney is a guy and a liability on Sp. Teams. Diggs was a head scratcher as he had a One Grade by many scouts. If they rated King over Diggs in the Film Room, well, time for the self-scout of the scouts and pink slips. C'est La Vie. They had Three shots at it. Four times will not be the charm.
Spock
February 18, 2022 at 08:06 am
jurp, You said exactly what I was going to (only better). At the time it looked like Rodgers was going downhill and if JL was their last player rated as first round going up with just a 4th rd. pick lost should have (and may still be) excellent value in the draft.
Coldworld
February 18, 2022 at 09:30 am
Rodgers is going downhill. He was less efficient this year and he’s less mobile. It’s minor and from a high start. It is masked against weaker teams, but it’s there in the stats. There was a drop off this year that isn’t hidden. That doesn’t mean he’s not good, but it does mean he’s going to need more protection and help, not less.
Love is a high risk/reward pick. Gute has spoken about the importance of taking those because when one pans out you get a player who can make a difference that you’d no right to get. That’s not a new philosophy in the NFL. Especially for teams perennially picking late. The team very openly stated that and the belief that they had time to develop him (unlike many others). I believe they had in mind a similar apprenticeship to Rodgers.
Maybe they were right and maybe wrong. But if they are right it would be a massive win. Right now it’s unknown. So was Rodgers at this point and he’d had 2 years of now forbidden WB schools, 2 full preseasons and 2 years running the scout team ( Love has one of each and no QB school. I was an early champion of Rodgers, but not that early.
We can’t know if Love was a great pick or a huge miss, but if your scouts think you can get a true difference maker for the future, going for it is hardly unsound. Trust your evaluators or you are doing a lot wrong organizationally. If they now keep Rodgers, some other team may reap the benefit. That would be just another weight around the neck of the leadership.
Love might just be the best QB prospect available this year. A second or third for that would be the inverse of the Favre transaction that made Wolf, started this era and, actually, we’d be getting less than we paid for Favre, a player his then coach swore would never see the field again, before the trade. Be careful where fear and supposition take you. Favre made that team cringe for decades.
Love might yet be the next QB on the roster to win a Super Bowl in the future. Scary thought? But back in 2007 we were convinced Rodgers wasn’t going to.
Jgilmor08
March 04, 2022 at 09:24 pm
There’s no argument from me on your point. It’s absolutely true, no one has a clue what Love could end up being. I also think since he hasn’t had much opportunity to throw to the ones it makes it hard to build chemistry. That however makes my point that much more. I truly feel, and this is my opinion, that the organization should be putting more value on the weapons they put around the quarterback. Regardless of who’s throwing the ball I think it’s extremely important to have the horses to support whomever that is. As it stands right now I don’t think Love will have success with this team. Not because he’s a bad pick or not talented but because if you look at every other super bowl team including Green bays in 96-97 and 2010 there was great talent catching the ball.
Look at the upper echelon teams throughout the league. They put a premium on WR. Why? Well mostly because it’s a passing league. I don’t think devaluing the position has given AR or Love much chance to really flourish and succeed. I don’t think I would call it a sharp decline in Rodgers though. It’s kind of a tough argument to suggest the league MVP is declining.
The last point I want to make is the emphasis every GM puts on wanting to have their legacy draft pick. Ron Wolf traded for Favre. When TT came in he selected Rodgers. Love was a chance for Gute to draft his quarterback. It remains to be seen whether it was to the detriment to the team. But ever since Green Bay replaced stud receivers with UDFA and sixth rounders it just happens to coincide with his ‘decline’. I guess it’s tough seeing all the teams that do value the position enough to draft in the first round playing in Super Bowls. Regardless of who’s throwing the rock there needs to be subjective discussion on what’s putting them in position to succeed.
Spiker
February 18, 2022 at 10:15 am
Right. I have been screaming this from the rooftops
HawkPacker
February 18, 2022 at 08:20 am
I guess that i am deluted.
two things: i believe that gute thought Love was the best pick available after jefferson was selected by the vikings and he wanted talent at a very important position.
secondly, rodgers just came off his second so so season and thoughts around the fo was probably that rodgers was regressing as he was getting older.
looking back, i think they should have gone after jefferson a pick before the vikings.
its all about timing!
jurp
February 18, 2022 at 08:31 am
I wish we knew more about how that first round developed. It may be that we did indeed try to trade up to the pick before the Vikings, but that whichever team held that pick wanted too much draft capital for it. I wonder how some here would've reacted if we had traded up for Jefferson by giving up our third and fourth round picks for him.
Coldworld
February 18, 2022 at 09:33 am
There were rumors that we were exploring that, but the cost would have been very high in lost opportunities too. To be fair, I say that as one of the few that loved the Dillon pick.
dobber
February 18, 2022 at 09:44 am
Shortly after the start of the 2020 league year in March, the Vikings traded Stefon Diggs to the Bills for their first round pick (the one used to take Jefferson, #22 overall) and some other stuff.
The Vikings were firmly in pick #22 for 6 weeks before the draft. For those who claim the Vikings "outsmarted the Packers" to get Jefferson, there was no outfoxing of the Packers by the Vikings to jump into that spot on draft day. The Packers would've had to move from #28 to #21 to get ahead of the Vikings to get Jefferson (they were unlikely to get a draft day deal from the Vikes for #22)...which would've required...
1. finding a willing trade partner
2. offering up much more than pick 28 and a 4th rounder.
I'm tired of hearing about players on other teams' rosters who were drafted 2+ years ago...
jannesbjornson
February 18, 2022 at 10:20 pm
They would have needed to deal with J-ville @ #20 because Philly was going to bag a WR. Everyone mocked Jefferson to Philly, but they jumped on Reagor and Pederson was eventually fired. I still feel they wanted Aiyuk. Gutedkunst scouted him in person two years running and he fit the slot, motion, and deep speed guy they needed to run LaFleur's offense. Lynch was thinking the same way. When Aiyuk was off the table, they moved on Love.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
February 18, 2022 at 11:13 am
And also having benefit of hindsight!
The final chapter on Love is far from being written. Let's give him some time.
Coldworld
February 18, 2022 at 08:37 am
Maybe what it shows is the the GM had a plan reflected in the drafts and Murphy decided he preferred a different one. Murphy built this structure for a reason, I’ve always doubted that he and his close ally Ball had actually stopped calling shots on roster and coaching matters.
I don’t think anyone other than the soon to retire Murphy would believe mortgaging the future to the hilt to try to win with Rodgers after the last couple of years would help their career. It’s Super Bowl or bust and the odds of success are weak at best. Failure is going to be very ugly for the team and careers. Murphy though will be retired, possibly Ball too.
jurp
February 18, 2022 at 04:24 pm
Murphy cannot retire too soon for me.
jannesbjornson
February 19, 2022 at 08:00 am
Retired or Replaced?
Coldworld
February 19, 2022 at 09:39 am
Just gone and his opaque structure and “genius” Ball within him. Back to the Wolf structure, no meddling and no hiding places.
jannesbjornson
February 19, 2022 at 11:47 am
Never cared for low-Ball from day one.
HarryHodag
February 18, 2022 at 08:36 am
Call me delusional, but it was a risk worth taking. Hindsight is always 20-20.
Lets look at your hero, Aaron Rodgers, when he was drafted. Alex Smith came off the board first, then AR slid all the way through the ranks to the Packers at number 24. Why did 22 other teams take a pass on AR? Many had QB's, but a talented draft pick is something you take a flyer on. Only Ted Thompson, who at the time had a league MVP in Favre at QB, saw the future. Everyone was shocked beyond words. Websites popped up to fire Ted Thompson. I should know, I was on them. I thought he botched the situation with Mike Sherman and now...Aaron Rodgers? But in looking back, Thompson did the right thing.
He had a QB that was moving on in age and wanted to school Rodgers in the pro game before throwing him to the wolves. AR was hardly a sensation when he first started. But gradually he made fewer mistakes and evolved into...Aaron Rodgers.
To make the argument that the Packers would have won the Super Bowl if they took another player and had the fourth round pick is ludicrous. The fact is the draft is a 50-50 crap shoot, win some, lose some. Gute was saying he wasn't going to sit back, take a player with a lower grade and moved to possibly protect the future.
Love hasn't played much because Rodgers has been so good. But how long can that last? And, at what cost? Then what? Rodgers could be one play away from retirement due to injury. He could simply retire. Then I'm sure the 'faithful' will be all over Gute for not finding the next superstar QB just hanging around.
The QB class in the draft this year is bad, so even if Rodgers stays, Love should stay as the most experienced backup and is cost effective. But by next year a decision must be made to keep him or find the next QB.
dblbogey
February 18, 2022 at 11:22 am
And next year's QB class looks pretty strong.
jurp
February 18, 2022 at 04:39 pm
That could be very good news if AR goes, we start Love, and Love isn't all that good. We'll certainly get a top 20 draft pick (and maybe top 10) in that case.
NitschkeFan
February 18, 2022 at 09:25 pm
Comparing the Rodgers pick to the Love pick is so very very wrong. Every packers fan has written about this 100 times in the past few years so it still surprises me to see someone so wrong about it.
Sorry but you are re-writing history. Rodgers dropped in the draft but was thought by many ratings agencies to be a top 1-3 pick and by almost everyone (who expressed an opinion at that time) at least a top 10 worthy pick.
No one on the planet thought that of Jordan Love. He didn't "fall" to the Packers who thought he was so much higher on the draft board that they couldn't pass on him. It was a huge surprise to almost everyone that Love was drafted that high.
Picking up a potential #1 overall pick in the Packers spot in the 20's was only a question to the loyal Farve fans, not to anyone knowledgeable about football.
Jgilmor08
March 08, 2022 at 10:33 am
Thank you! In what universe is drafting a back up quarterback with a first round pick and fourth sound reasoning? Also keep in mind that this ultimately meant reaching for Deguara because they didn’t have the fourth round pick anymore.
Packers0808
February 18, 2022 at 08:04 am
Everybody is a critic and a coach. Seems like a lot of people are in the wrong jobs on both sides of the ball for Packers! It is what it is and over. Hindsight???????????
Swisch
February 18, 2022 at 08:12 am
Fortunately for the Packers, they haven't been bad enough to be able to draft at the beginning of the first round; so, they found a way to get a guy at the end of the first round who seems to have the talent to be picked at the beginning of the first round, but who was discounted due to lack of experience at the college level.
It seems like a great move to me.
If nothing else, as has been pointed out here at CHTV, the drafting of Jordan Love sure seems to have motivated Aaron Rodgers to revive his career. That's worth it in itself.
However, I'm hopeful about Love being a quarterback who can lead the Packers to a Super Bowl in the next two or three seasons, and I sure hope he gets his start as of now.
Love has apparently been the opposite of Rodgers by quietly going about his business as a football player. What a refreshing change that would be in Green Bay. Please may it be done.
[email protected]
February 18, 2022 at 08:15 am
“ But would it have made a significant difference in getting them to a Super Bowl? With the benefit of two years of hindsight, the answer is most likely no.“
How does one draw this conclusion?
Do the Bengals reach the SB without Higgins?
He averaged 100 yards receiving the last 3 games in the postseason and accounted for 35% of the passing offense production. There isn’t a Bengals fan out there that will tell you they reach the SB without Higgins.
Also, intangible benefits of teams having to focus on another WR threat beyond Adams immeasurable. Maybe Rodgers does a better job spreading the ball around too. He has certainly shown in the past that when he has a group of quality WRs that he likes to spreads the ball around.
jurp
February 18, 2022 at 08:35 am
Ah, but that's hindsight. If they don't draft Higgins, who is their Number 2 WR? Maybe they get into the OBJ sweepstakes this year instead? There's no way to tell, as Belicheck has shown with his 2019 #1, the draft can be the worst kind of crapshoot.
Rodgers "spreading the ball around" while Adams is on the field is the stuff of fantasy. We have a huge sample size at this point that shows it just doesn't happen whenever Rodgers feels insecure. Which is apparently every playoff game.
Coldworld
February 18, 2022 at 08:57 am
We have ample evidence that the performance in the playoffs wasn’t a fluke. Repetition of similar on and off field mistakes/weaknesses should be a powerful warning. This is not just about Rodgers but Rodgers has not been able to cure it.
Repeating the same thing with Rodgers a year older and the roster more reliant on youth and weaker is something no objective observer would bet on leading to success. Hopefully Rodgers is aware of that, because it seems that Murphy and some of his team at least can’t.
The gamble is huge. Not only do we surrender any value Rodgers may have, but we will be piling cap in to the period after he retires. Probably 3 years with a large cap percentage devoted to departed players (even allowing for the projected tv cap boost), mid low draft picks and a thin roster forced by cap poverty and retaining aging players then departing (with likely no compensation either).
If this sounds like a wisely managed franchise to you, then we differ. Actually, to me it sounds like one that’s departed it’s senses or just not caring what happens for a decade. Unless they can honestly say that they know that they can fix LaFleur and Rodgers. If they could, then why have we thrice seen very similar reruns with the bonus of the ST fiasco this year?
If you believe Rodgers plus this pared down roster brings a significant hope of a Super Bowl triumph, I wish I could have what you are on. Prepare for frustration, decline and then a precipice when the debt falls due.
jurp
February 18, 2022 at 04:42 pm
Uh, Coldworld, we're on the same side of this issue. Did I fail to write coherently or did you respond to the wrong poster?
Coldworld
February 18, 2022 at 06:32 pm
I was attempting to follow on from the thrust of your point. Sorry, probably should have said that.
jannesbjornson
February 19, 2022 at 08:07 am
Did Rodgers spread the ball when he had Nelson, Jennings, Jones and Driver on the same squad?
EnemyTerritory
February 18, 2022 at 04:23 pm
Would Higgins have had QB1s trust? No guarantee that Higgins or any other rookie WR would have ever broken out/through
HarryHodag
February 18, 2022 at 08:37 am
If 'if' and 'buts' were candy and nuts it would be Christmas everyday.
croatpackfan
February 18, 2022 at 09:13 am
Aaaah, Ken. I understand it is hard to find a issue to write and to have interest from people. But discussing about Packers QB is already very tiresome.
I believe it would be intetesting to have insight what any of us were posting after Packers drafted Jordan. I know that my first comment was: all you need is Love!
That was not because I'm sure that Jordan is future HOF, but as much as I know about players assessment and drafting, I can calmly say that Jordan can be everything from bust to HOFer.
All those claims that Jefferson or Claypool or whoever you pick should be better than Packers WRs already (or still) on the roster is ridiculous. Just ask yourself why Davante, MVS, Lazard etc needed 2 to 3 years to show their quality.
And tell me, how much is different playing at college level and NFL level. Is it large? If it is how you will adapt to NFL level, if you yre not playing or you are not targeted from your HOF QB because he has no trust in you. Through practice? You must mean those walk through practices.
We saw how Taylor and Winfree, Deguara and P. Taylor catching the ball with no problems from Jordan (yea, he is bust, I know), but they are not even targeted from HOF QB. God help. Those players were catching throws from Benkert, but not from HOF QB. Is it possible that all those your favorite WRs, not drafted in the 1st round by Packers would be called busts, because they did not earned trust from HOF QB for 2 to 3 years?
Can you explain me, stupid one who believe drafting Jordan Love was correct move, why HOF QB do not use all resources when he is working and earning huge salary. Why those players are on the field at all. You can have 4 busts + DA as receivers as far as you ask future HOFer.
Thank you.
TarynsEyes
February 18, 2022 at 09:42 am
If drafting Love was based on the FO believing that Rodgers was in decline, it now seems that the FO doesn't believe in Love if they are willing to retain Rodgers at all cost to the future and where Love will be at least a 4-year bench warmer with no playtime to grow, if even able. If the FO has a real belief in Love as the future for GB, trading Rodgers wouldn't be a question or the Sword of Damocles hanging over their head, a damned team either way.
Rodgers wasn't in decline, he was disgruntled with the loss of players he wanted in recent years, McCarthy, and the Love selection simply made him poised to prove the FO wrong, and he did, twice, by winning what gives HIM prestige and not the team or FO. But with that, Rodgers has created an unavoidable collapse to the team and now holds the FO hostage, and Love is nothing more than a pawn on the chessboard meriting no real value to the FO, especially if they are all-in are retaining Rodgers. That makes the drafting of Love even more ridiculous now than when it actually happened.
The Fo has dug a hole because of the Love selection, and now they need to see it through by trading Rodgers for all they can get now as next year they get nothing. I know, some will say the best chance to win the SB this coming season is with Rodgers, and as much as I have been a Rodgers supporter over the years, I find the question to be simple. Really? After the last 3 attempts, do you really believe that to be true? I don't and the situation going forward doesn't give credibility to that thinking, and neither does Love, but Love might be all we have left as fans, and no, I don't believe in the 'Love conquers all' mantra' because love commands blind-optimism. How's that worked with many a player and FO move over the years for those under its spell?
croatpackfan
February 18, 2022 at 10:34 am
"it now seems that the FO doesn't believe in Love if they are willing to retain Rodgers at all cost to the future and where Love will be at least a 4-year bench warmer with no playtime to grow"
I do not agree with your opinion TarynEyes. It looks like Packers will hire Tom Clements for QB coach and many connect that hire with AR request. But it may be another explanation. Tom Clements was Packers QB coach from2006-2011, when he was promoted to replace Joe Philbin as OC, after JP take HC job at Miami.
We know that AR had dreadful technique and that was a lot of coaching efforts were invested in correction of his technique. I assume they are bringing already retired (Tom is 68) coach to the staff not because of AR, or at least not only because of AR. I assume that Tom Clements main job will be to prepare Jordan Love for the future. So, they might think that Jordan Love needs just another year of good coaching and he will be ready.
I, personally, prefer trade of AR and giving Jordan growth by fire, but again, that might be to dangerous if Jordan Love is not even near ready by some technical issues in his motions and throwing. For me that would be more sense for the hire of Tom Clements. I also suspect that Mike McCarthy take the credits for developing Aaron Rodgers, but work and improvement of Kyler Murray (Tom Clements was his QB coach in his first 2 season!) tells me that Tom might be the reason why AR perfected techniques of QB playing.
FO may think they need additional year for Jordan Love. But, who knows...
jhtobias
February 18, 2022 at 09:56 am
Why review love he has played one game ? I think gute plan was to draft him and get a third round pick in 2022 draft along for him .
Heck if we had picked Higgins or whoever would not have mattered rodgers would not have thrown to them anyway .
Who cares
SanLobo
February 18, 2022 at 10:02 am
As I understand GBs draft process, they prepare a board ranking every potential candidate. They then look at which candidate is highest on the board when their selection comes around. Obviously need also plays a role, which is why GB trades up, or down at times. That’s why they took Rodgers when they did…remember TT’s famous quote, “Trust the board.”
So, if we are judging the FO on its ability to evaluate candidates, based on later NFL performance, that may be fair…though there are lots of variables like injury, scheme, coaching, etc…
But asserting whether or not a particular player would have gotten the team to a Super Bowl, that is a huge hypothetical leap and doesn’t support any kind of conclusion either way.
Spiker
February 18, 2022 at 10:08 am
I do not believe drafting any receiver would have made any difference. Rodgers has Davante eyes, and nothing will change
rodgersrules
February 18, 2022 at 10:51 am
To still contend, at this point, that the Love pick wasn't an unmitigated disaster? Is Gutekunst your brother-in-law or something? One win from the Super Bowl and you give up TWO premium picks for a guy who, it now appears, will never contribute anything? Good Lord. I hope you have a real job because you really suck at this.
dblbogey
February 18, 2022 at 11:29 am
We need a "Block this user" feature for people like you.
Coldworld
February 18, 2022 at 11:44 am
RodgersRules as a name probably explains all. The phrase “love is blind” (no capital letter intended) comes to mind for some reason.
jurp
February 18, 2022 at 04:49 pm
I'd think it was an alternate handle for Stockholder except that this poster uses correct punctuation.
DILLIGAF
February 18, 2022 at 02:30 pm
Love had one full regular year. Rodgers had 3 and still went 6-10 in his first season. I'm sure you were complaining when Rodgers was drafted too.
jannesbjornson
February 19, 2022 at 11:53 am
The defense gave away four games in 2008 or they would have ended up 10-6. Players, not Plays.
jurp
February 18, 2022 at 04:48 pm
They gave up a fourth rounder for Love, not "two premium picks". Sheesh.
Qoojo
February 18, 2022 at 10:55 am
Nothing like hindsight drafting. When they selected Love, covid and lockdowns were ramping up. No college football was the rumor, which means that they would have limited to no recent evaluation material for drafting QB the following year. They picked a QB they liked so that they could have flexibility at this exact moment, and maybe have a decent backup QB.
Leatherhead
February 18, 2022 at 11:05 am
First off, you WANT no productivity from your backup QB. That's a GOOD thing, because it means you're keeping your starter healthy.
Second, Love is an insurance policy and investment plan all in one. You need a backup QB, and you hope he can go in there and give you a chance to win. You'd also want him to improve with all the coaching and practices and meetings he has. You'd assume a young man of 22 could be made into a stronger man. So the guy you have at 25 is stronger and smarter and better than the guy you drafted a few years ago He has more value. That's an investment.
Third, I want to refresh some memories about Jordan Love in in the 2020 draft. There's a website called nflmockdraftdatabase.com that has assembled a multitude of mock drafts from CBS, SI, Draftek, etc. and Jordan Love was the consensus #25 pick. Virtually everybody had this guy as a first rounder, some as early as the top 20.
Jordan Love was a consensus first round value. That's the fact. It's entirely possible he was the BPA.
Then, let's look at the QBs taken before and after him and see how they're doing.
Joe Burrow was the consensus #1 pick. He's doing pretty well, despite taking a bad injury his rookie year.
Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert were the consensus #2 and #3 QBs. Tua has started 21 games and gone 13-8 with a not-particularly-strong team around him. Herbert has started 32 games, gone 15-17. His passer rating is like 99 or so and he was Offensive Rookie of the year.
Then we get to Love. He was the #4 QB.
Then Jalen Hurts, who was considered a consensus late first, early 2nd round guy. The Eagles took him and he's gone 9-10 as a starter, and although he started in the playoffs, the Eagles were beaten by the Bradys. Statistically, he's not really at the level of the Top 3 but he's certainly a competent NFL starter.
As Ron Wolf said, the biggest mistake you can make in the draft is to pass over a franchise QB. I agree. Love is insurance and an investment and it was a damn solid move to draft him.
Leatherhead
February 18, 2022 at 11:08 am
duplicate
Thegreatreynoldo
February 18, 2022 at 03:16 pm
The CHTV draft guide had Love graded as a first round pick. On the big board they had him 15th.
Coldworld
February 18, 2022 at 04:35 pm
I had forgotten that one.
BirdDogUni
February 18, 2022 at 09:56 pm
So did Gutey apparently.
I admit at the instant the pick came in, I was really pissed. (As I was when TT drafted AR.)
It took me three years to get over TT drafting AR. It took me about 3 hours to get over Gutey drafting Love. When I saw a couple of the people who raged against the pick, I was easily converted.
Now that it's going on 3 seasons removed, and we don't know for sure if AR is coming back, it looks almost genius. Almost. If we do bring AR/DA back, it doesn't have quite the same shine as if we were trading AR and rolling with Love now does it? ; )
Jgilmor08
February 18, 2022 at 11:10 am
It stands to reason when people continue bringing up Rodgers and his ‘poor’ couple of seasons prior to drafting Love was the exact cause of drafting Love in the first place. Before diving into that let’s look at the general setting going into that draft…
Rodgers had finished with (I’m not looking up the exact stats) 26 tds to 4 int 4,000 yds 65% completion percentage and a rating around 98. Are these spectacular? Not in this era of qb play and run and gun style offense. But stats can manipulate anyone’s argument. When you consider A Jones had something like 18 tds that season it suggests every short yardage touchdown went to Jones instead of Rodgers on a PAP. Would his season have been considered so mediocre if he ends up with half of Jones touchdowns? 35 tds to 4 int 4000 yards and 65% completion percentage while Jones has 9 tds and 1500 plus yards? Something as simple as a play call can make or break a players statistical season very easily.
I digress back to the initial point. The drafting of Love in the first. Now I’ll admit I was absolutely all in on Jefferson after the season he had with LSU. I hoped they snagged him more than anything. The question is with Green Bay needing a wr for the 5th consecutive off season why wasn’t the front office more aggressive going after one? All this talk about Rodgers needing to trust his receivers is very over blown. How do I know this? Well MVS literally dropped 12 passes between two seasons yet the ball kept coming his way. This organization has usually found great success when they don’t hoard draft picks like they were coming out of their own pay checks. This team should’ve traded up to about 21-22 pick in the draft which would have left them with plenty of talented receivers on the board to choose from. Instead they went half way in and traded up 2-3 picks trying to be cute and not lose the draft picks. Now ask yourself, where would this team be if they had drafted Jefferson instead of Minnesota but didn’t get Deguara or Love because of it? I understand this organization is a draft and develop one but big risks equal big rewards. If anyone disagrees then head over to the Rams team site and tell me if they care about draft picks?
Yet here we are another off season and another draft needing a wr. You saw with De’Vondre Campbell how wrong the traditions of the front office were by not valuing a middle linebacker all those years. I wonder if it ends up being the same with them not valuing wr for so long if that also proves to be the wrong decision.
GB- Wr 2nd rd Wr 7th rd Wr- UDFA TE- UDFA
LAR- Wr 1st rd Wr 3rd rd Wr 2nd rd TE 4th rd
Cin- Wr 1st rd. Wr 1st rd Wr 2nd rd TE 5th rd
Need to surround your stud with talent
Leatherhead
February 18, 2022 at 12:10 pm
It's hard to take the argument "we needed a WR " very seriously when we led the league in offense in 2020. Obviously, we didn't "need" anything. But yes, we could have had a superduper WR. That means we could have thrown more passes!! We could have given it to Jones and Dillon less. We could have put more and more of our hopes on Aaron Rodgers right arm. We could have thrown less to Adams! We could have not thrown to Lazard at all!! In fact, he'd be on the bench where he isn't any help to the run game at all.!!
Once Upon A Time, we had a great young QB and we'd put 4 primo receivers on the field and throw it a bunch. We led the league in offense in 2011 and 2014. But as the QB got older, those hit and sacks started costing us. He missed half of 2017 and played hurt all 2018 after taking a sack in the opener. We missed the playoffs both years.
So the decision was made to protect the QB. Run more, pass less. When we do pass, we're going to throw it to our backs more. We're going to throw it to Adams more than we throw it to all the other WRs put together. That's our offense. Our #2 is only going to get a couple of targets each game and he's a blocker on most plays.....where Lazard excels. Why we "needed" to get a superduper WR to do that is a mystery to me.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
February 18, 2022 at 03:18 pm
Truly impressive!
Jgilmor08
March 04, 2022 at 09:43 pm
The run more, pass less had nothing to do with Rodgers breaking down. It’s the strategy of football. Playing in a passing league means smaller backers, Nickel and dime personnel and pass rushing specialists. When you have a physical team it’s generally easy to ram it down another teams throat.
However comparing a slow footed big bodied WR who was passed on by every team 7+ times vs a jordy Nelson or Davante Adams (both second rounders) isn’t a great argument. This is where stats can be used for any argument. You believe that since we don’t throw to the #2 wr then the team shouldn’t value that position. How do you know if that’s not a product stemming from that players inability to consistently get open? One leads to the other. One could argue that Lazard has benefitted from Rodgers but Rodgers hasn’t benefitted from Lazard.
Let’s look at the last 6 Super Bowl teams? Or even the last three times Green Bay has gone to the Super Bowl. Was there 6th rounders and undrafted free agents throughout the entire skill position group or was it high draft capitol used to build up the position?
None of this has anything to do with Rodgers getting hurt. However the ball coming out of the qbs hand has a lot to do with the O line and it’s injuries. It’s also why the Niners double teamed Adams AND Cobb throughout the game. Almost as if they wanted to take away a couple of options knowing the other supporting staff wouldn’t beat them. I don’t know why a team would stake their chance to a Super Bowl double teaming Cobb if it had nothing to do with the teams success in the divisional round.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
February 20, 2022 at 08:33 pm
Let's see....neither Ron Wolf, Ted Thompson, or Gutey seems to put a high value on a WR in Round 1 based on the drafts the past what 30+ years? Wolf is in NFL HOA and between these three GM's during that time they won 2 SB's, played in a 3rd, had the 2nd best regular season record in the NFL, and won something like 15 division Championships.
I think these 3 guys are/were good at what they did don't you? Tells me there must be reasons for not investing in WR's in round 1.
Jgilmor08
March 04, 2022 at 10:10 pm
Not sure if you just don’t recall or what’s happening but let me break down them not valuing receivers in the draft. You may recognize some of the names as they all had a huge impact on the organization and it’s success. Also the success of the GMs that drafted them. Teams don’t need to take a receiver in the first round to value the position but don’t pretend like some of the best picks these GMs made were WR’s and more often than not they picked them early and year after year.
Ron Wolf:
Antonio Freeman
Robert Brooks
Mark Chumura
Bill Schroeder
Donald driver doesn’t count since he was a flyer in the 7th
Bubba Franks
Ted Thompson:
Greg Jennings 2006 2nd
Will Blackmon (pr/kr exclusively when drafted)
James Jones 2007 3rd
Jordy Nelson 2008 2nd
Two seasons after these stockpiled picks at WR Green Bay won the Super Bowl. The following year they had one of if not the greatest offense in the leagues history.
Ultimately these GMs are human. They do sometimes get away from what got them the success to begin with but pretending like the two HOF general managers simply loathed receivers is wrong. It could be argued that the receivers they did value led to all those division championships and superbowls. But yes I agree partially. The first two general managers were good at what they did. The third remains to be seen.
splitpea1
February 18, 2022 at 11:32 am
In hindsight, it was not a risk worth taking if the QB was only going to start two full games (one of them meaningless), with the apparent intention of hanging on to Rodgers as long as possible (I'm still holding out hope that this won't be the case, though).
Who knows whether a WR like Higgins would have helped the Packers get to a Super Bowl, but it certainly wouldn't have hurt our chances--that is, if Rodgers would have elected to throw to him when open. WR was a need at the time, and still is.
For the most part, I'm really not in favor of using first round picks on players that are either very raw or have to sit for years until they get a chance to start. Gary was an exception, though, and it paid off. As far as the QB goes, it's not written in stone that he must watch and wait for three years like Rodgers until he gets his chance. Look at Farve: he subbed for Majik against the Bengals and he never looked back.
croatpackfan
February 18, 2022 at 01:44 pm
Are you informed about theory of chaos? I ask you seriously. Because this is serious scentific theory. To make it simple, I will use very common name for Theory of chaos - The Butterfly Effect! The butterfly effect is an often misunderstood phenomenon wherein a small change in starting conditions can lead to vastly different outcomes.
So, if Packers was able to draft Jefferson or Higgins AR might suffered career ending injury and than you have what? All those ifs are ridiculous. Jefferson might have some problems in Packers offense or Higgins would not suit Packers locker room. We do not know what would happen if Packers drafted either of them, nor if Packer drafted TJ Watt. He might not be so effective in Packerd D. Who knows?
When you are thinking about business, you need to think about future, you have to move pieces to secure your future (not individual one, but company future!). So, you might miss some lucrative opportunities, because that opportunities might jeopardize your future. You have to think about many interactions and moving pieces. That is manager job. And, as many here was pointing out that fact - football is business!
Roadrunner23
February 18, 2022 at 12:14 pm
1. Rodgers re-ups for 2 years then retires a Packer
2. Adams extension
3. Tom Clements coaches Rodgers for 2 years and retires again
4. Mark Murphy retires in 2 years
5. Packers win 2 Super Bowls
6. Packers pick up Loves 5th year option and he begins a new Packers era in 3 years
There, a fairy tale ending and every body is happy 😆
dobber
February 18, 2022 at 01:54 pm
I think the Lions, Bears, and Vikings front offices have nightmares about that kind of scenario on a regular basis.
jurp
February 18, 2022 at 04:55 pm
You forgot 7., where we enter Cap Hell and become the new LOLions for the rest of the decade.
I strongly believe that the Clements hire was for Love, not AR.
Gee
February 18, 2022 at 05:37 pm
I hate the cap hell that is coming if this "plan goes through", but remember the Saints missed the playoffs, by the Rams losing in week 17.
Coldworld
February 18, 2022 at 06:37 pm
The Saints hit the real pain this year though.
dobber
February 19, 2022 at 10:26 am
That still makes the Saints at best an average team that missed the playoffs with a huge cap problem.
BirdDogUni
February 18, 2022 at 09:59 pm
I hope so too. I want it to come out after the fact that AR, when he was in GB after the season we helping get all the ducks in a row, he suggested hiring Clements for Love, but I'm a sucker for stories like that... ; )
Alberta_Packer
February 18, 2022 at 01:12 pm
If the Packers strategy to select Love was based on the apparent decline of Rodgers - then the FO was half-right. Rodgers has been a disappointment in the last 3 playoffs - as It appears that these games have become too large for him. In contrast is the regular season, where Rodgers is at his best. So while I think that the Packers were prescient in taking Love - it is the Packers record of drafting/trading for QBs which concerns me most. Simply, they are not good at it.
Aside from Rodgers, who fell into their laps, the FO has whiffed on every QB that they've drafted - including Brohm, Flynn (aside from a few good games), Hundley etc. Also the Kizer trade amounted to nothing. So if Love was to succeed as an NFL QB - he would become the outlier to the FOs drafting record (QBs).
Personally, I think that Love needs at start at least 5-6 games in order to see whether he can be the Packers next QB - or not. At this juncture, I certainly choose hope over disappointment.
wildbill
February 18, 2022 at 01:47 pm
Love=Kizer 2.0
dobber
February 18, 2022 at 01:53 pm
Kizer made 15 NFL starts as a rookie for a team that--we're now finding out--was trying to lose games. In the long term, your analysis may prove to be correct, but I think they're not the same kind of passer. I'm not sure that's not just a knee-jerk comparison.
Coldworld
February 18, 2022 at 04:39 pm
Flynn was damn good value. He was brought along by our new/old QB coach too.
Kenny2022
February 18, 2022 at 02:53 pm
I like how this article can say, 'well, nobody could know that diggs would break out and do this or this player would do that.' Then in the same article make the point that undrafted krys Barnes played better than queen. Like that was a known thing that was gonna happen
Thegreatreynoldo
February 18, 2022 at 03:21 pm
I did not like the Love pick. In hindsight, I do not like the Love pick.
I've indicated why in the past.
Coldworld
February 18, 2022 at 04:48 pm
I didn’t like it at the time. I’ve subsequently been reconciled to some extent by the potential upside and a realization that I don’t want to be completely dependent on Rodgers any more than it was wise to be on Favre.
BirdDogUni
February 18, 2022 at 06:15 pm
If Rodgers decides to ask for a trade next week, I think it was a hell-of-a-pick, even though I hated it at the time.
I don't know what is going to happen, and I have no idea if Love will develop into a viable starting QB for the Pack or someone else. I do know he has talent. Maybe Clements coming back is exactly what Love needs, IDK.
If AR comes back, I like the pick even less than I did at the time, but with AR getting older, Love waiting to come off the bench isn't a bad thing either.
Guess we'll all have to wait and see. Father Time is undefeated. Hindsight is 20/20.
The Packers are forever...
jurp
February 18, 2022 at 05:01 pm
TGR, look at it as a "bridge pick" - if we trade AR, then we get one year of Love. Just for grins, lets say that Love proves to not be the QB of the future and we have a crummy record. We then use our much improved draft position to draft a better QB in 23's draft, who then takes us to the land of milk and honey.
The problem isn't Love, the problem is that AR cannot, for whatever reason, win playoff games anymore. Picking Love is water under the bridge - he'll either sink or swim, should he ever get the chance to start. Having Clements as his coach will be a tremendous asset for him, so I'm optimistic that, while not HOF caliber, he'll be more than capable of getting us an SB win.
LeotisHarris
February 18, 2022 at 04:56 pm
Ken presented us with a solid and persuasive argument for drafting Love. I agree with him. We'll see how the kid develops as a player.
The "if only Gute had drafted an impact player to get the Packers to the Super Bowl" gang is an ever-shrinking segment of the fan base who can't accept that Aaron Rodgers can't get Aaron Rodgers back to the Super Bowl. I know, I know, team sport, lousy special teams, can't stop the run, blah blah blah, but when The Smartest Guy in the Room had the ball in his hands with the game to be won, he made bad decisions. TWICE.
Aaron Rodgers has had all of the external support he's needed for additional Super Bowl opportunities. He squandered those opportunities. They're gone.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
February 20, 2022 at 08:12 pm
Leotis,
Always so well thought! Well done!
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
February 20, 2022 at 08:12 pm
Leotis,
Always so well thought! Well done!
Jordan
February 18, 2022 at 06:18 pm
If the Packers used their 2005 Rodgers pick on someone else, would it have helped Favre and the Packers beat the Giants in playoffs in 2007/2008 and possibly win the SB that year?
jannesbjornson
February 19, 2022 at 08:30 am
At that time, Rodgers could have started against the Giants, he was capable as per his performance at Dallas. He was the mobile QB to help defuse the Giants rush. It was more of a defensive fail and Mac Carthy avoiding the running game that ruined their chances.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
February 20, 2022 at 08:16 pm
Have always thought Favre should have played one more year with Packers after leading them to NFCCG. Rodger took a 13 victory team year before and if memory serves me right won 6 games the next year during his first year starting. Packers squandered a potential SB team that year.
Jgilmor08
March 08, 2022 at 11:01 am
For everyone that remains in the ‘Jordan Love was a good pick because wasting it on a WR Rodgers wouldn’t even throw to anyways’ camp I hope to bring some perspective to your opinions. As humans we are all guilty of something called recency bias. This means we only take in account the most up to date examples rather than simply looking at the stats. Take 2011 for example when Rodgers maintained access to a great receiving core.
Jordy Nelson. 1263 15 tds. 27% of passing yards / 33% of touchdowns
Greg Jennings 949. 9 tds 20% of passing yards / 20% of touchdowns
Jermichael Finley. 767. 8 tds. 17% of passing yards / 17% of touchdowns
James Jones 635 7 tds 14% of passing yards / 14% of touchdowns
Donald Driver 445 6 tds. 10% of passing yards / 11% of touchdowns
This accounts for 87% of Rodgers total yards and 93% of Touchdowns. This almost implies that when given appropriate receiving talent the quarterback is more than capable of spreading the ball around.
But I’m sure Maholmes hasn’t had much to throw to, Brady definitely didn’t have quality players to throw to, Garoppolo had practically nothing, Burrow is practically throwing to defensive backs. Stanford just won it all with a ton of nobodies. Yes it’s clear as day undrafted free agents are pretty much the key to superbowls. I bet if we traded our first rounder this upcoming draft we could get tons of UDFA in return. That’s value! (Please note that is sarcasm I’m well aware of how the process works))