Yoop wrote: ↑26 May 2021 11:00
there is no such thing as a sure thing pick, and that includes top 10 picks, specially chosing QB's and DL.
I don't see the positives that you do by keeping a disgruntled Rodgers, everyone will look at this as us punishing a player because that player spoke up about the way the team treats un wanted players, that in itself is already bad in the eyes of UFA and other players, I'd never support this, and shame on the FO if this is how this plays out.
what needs to happen is the FO needs to accept there responsibility for the way they've treated past players, and make up for it by doing whatever is neccessary to appease Rodgers, learn from there mistakes, and move on.
I don't mean to say the top 10 pick will definitely be a good player. I just mean to say knowing which pick you are trading for before you make the trade is invaluable, and based on any trade value chart, a current year top ten pick is worth more than a current year 25th pick and a future year first.
But you're right. I think Gutey needs to address the team and acknowledge mistakes, offer an open door, perhaps create a players' council, perhaps name a staff member to manage difficult communications. I think he needs to come clean and admit more fault than he feels he has committed. I think any resolution or mediation of any conflict anywhere in the world requires coming to the table willing to admit fault and with an active plan to alleviate concerns and reduce the chances of the same mistakes happening again.
I think the best way to go about this is for Gutey to make it clear to the players who ARE in attendance that he listened to what Rodgers has to say. He wants to get out ahead of this. And Rodgers' stance is going to create improvements for how the entire team feels "treated" or "handled" when situations are more delicate or dicey. Not that he needs to make sentimental decisions, but that he needs to address those decisions tactfully and take the time to let voices be heard before finalizing them. Even if it doesn't affect the outcome.
I once dated a woman and when we argued she felt like she wasn't being heard or listened to. She said she KNOWS I am a thoughtful person who probably does listen, but she couldn't help but feel, in the moment, that I was just waiting for my chance to talk and respond rather than listening and weighing her input. I responded to that information by starting each of my responses with a brief restating of her case. Like "ok, so you're saying we should [X] because [Y], but I think the better result is [Z] because [Q]."
The outcome didn't change. My position didn't change. My ability to express my opinion didn't change. But she knew I had heard her because I repeated a paraphrased summary statement. Gutey needs to refine his communication procedures to ensure that everyone FEELS heard. If he does that to the team, to the players who are in house, then the in-house atmosphere gets better, AND Rodgers is seen as the hero leader who delivered it, which allows him to come back feeling like he won something, if he so chooses, but also decreases any tension or animosity in the locker room about his absence. Like, man, he may not be here with us, but he delivered for us.
That's a kind of result that manages to keep people together, with Rodgers, but without undermining Jordan Love's place on the team, either. Because it's not a zero-sum game.
