GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Aaron Rodgers was formally introduced at 1 Jets Place in Florham Park, New Jersey Wednesday afternoon. Clean cut and donning Jets gear, the four time NFL MVP spoke highly of his new employers and the team they’ve built and he’s anxious to make history for a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs in 13 years and won it’s only championship in 1969 at Super Bowl III. He also indicated his commitment to the Jets will go beyond just the 2023 season and also made some interesting comments regarding communication breakdowns with the Green Bay Packers which led to his trade to New York.
Rodgers said his Malibu home doesn’t have the best cell phone reception and the best way to reach him is via face time. During the off-season when the Packers tried to reach out to Rodgers to get an answer on his future plans, be it return to Green Bay, retire or perhaps play elsewhere, Rodgers said a Green Bay number never showed up for a face time request. General Manager Brian Gutekunst held a late afternoon press conference to say that wasn’t the case. They made repeated attempts to reach Rodgers but it never happened. Both sides admitted the point is now moot because the trade has been made. The Packers and Jets swapped first round picks, Green Bay now choosing 13 in round one while New York goes 15th. The Packers also gave up a fifth round pick but in return, acquired a second round choice Friday night, a sixth round pick on Saturday and a conditional second round selection in 2024, a pick that could rise to a first rounder if Rodgers plays in 65% on New York’s snaps this fall. Gutekunst was able to talk about the compensation Wednesday once the deal was completed. He said it was important to get the second round pick this weekend and equally important to receive compensation next year. Another key component of the deal was Rodgers signing a restructured contract that will not have the Packers pay one penny of his salary although the team will experience some salary cap pain this year with 40 million dollars of dead money to account for. Gutekunst said with free agency all but finished and the upcoming draft class to sign, finances will be tight but by next year, the books will be clear of Rodgers and the team will move forward.
And now it’s time for the picking to begin. The Packers now have 11 choices at their disposal this weekend and by turning the offense over to unproven quarterback Jordan Love, they’ll have to make the most of them all. A case can be made to select players from any position.
Quarterback – Well they won’t trade up to get one this year like they did in 2020 to take Love which signaled the inevitable end to the Rodgers era but Green Bay only has Danny Etling on the roster behind Love and another quarterback taken at some point this weekend is a probability.
Wide Receiver – Every single receiver on the Packer roster wasn’t even on the roster at this time just one year ago. Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs showed promise as rookies but there’s no question the depth must be bolstered. This pick might even come at number 13 which would be the first, first round receiver chosen by the Packers since Javon Walker in 2002.
Tight End – Another position wiped out by the departure of Robert Tonyan and the likely end of the 4 year run for Marcedes Lewis. Only Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis have any experience and the Packers are in position to grab the best tight end on the board in round one, be it Michael Mayer of Notre Dame or Dalton Kincaid of Utah. The Packers last choose a tight end first in 2000 with Bubba Franks.
Offensive Line – While a starting five appears solidified, David Bakhtiari is going to cost 40 million dollars against the cap in 2024, a price the team probably isn’t going to pay. Yosh Nijman will be an unrestricted free agent after signing a one year tender offer earlier this month. The tackle position has top notch quality with several first round prospects and the Packers might seriously think about snapping one up early.
Running Back – It’s not out of the realm of possibility even with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon on the roster. Jones did receive a restructured extention and Dillon is entering the final year of his rookie deal. The shelf life on NFL running backs is short and they may already be on borrowed time with Jones, dynamic as he is. If Bijon Robinson of Texas is on the board at 13?
Defensive Line – Departures of Dean Lowery and Jarran Reed has the team in need of reinforcements. A quality run stuffing plugger with pass rush ability is needed at some point this weekend.
Linebacker – The Packers are clearly looking for another edge at the edge position considering Rashan Gary isn’t expected to return from his torn ACL until after the season begins. Once he went down, pass rushing pressure also went down significantly and with Preston Smith on the other side of 30, Gutekunst will be tempted to snap the best available edge linebacker to open this weekend’s draft.
Cornerback – There is concern the ankle injury suffered by 2021 first round pick Eric Stokes was more severe than first thought. In a pass happy league, you can’t enough corners to cover.
Safety – Even more of a need with the departure of Adrian Amos and the question of where best to play Darnell Savage. The Packers have picked safeties late in the draft in each of the past two years and may have to address this position a bit sooner this weekend.
Specialists – Mason Crosby’s fantastic run appears over, finishing as the team’s all-time leading scorer. While it’s unlikely the Packers will draft a kicker, they’re going to have to find one somewhere.
So what’s it going to be in Round 1?
Gutekunst has options. Stand pat at 13 and a very good player will be on the board. He also has ammunition with two picks in the second round to put together a package to move up even higher and get a player he really covets. There’s a chance to he could send that 13th pick to a team further down the board and accumulate even more premium selections in the second or third round. Considering the number of holes I’ve just addressed, quantity might be better than quality this weekend.
Assuming the Packers hold at number 13, the three best options in my eyes are getting the tight end position taken care of with either Mayer or Kincaid, the best edge backer on the board be it Luke Van Ness of Iowa or Myles Murphy of Clemson, or a potential fixture at tackle in Paris Johnson Jr. of Ohio State, Broderick Jones of Georgia or Tennessee’s Darnell Wright.
Let the picking begin…..
