Packers Huddle

Yoop wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 09:50

there will be another Love nexy year and the year after.

APB wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 11:21

Yoop wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 09:50

there will be another Love nexy year and the year after.

That's the thing that bums me.

We came oh-so-close to a SB berth last year and were positioned to make another strong run if we could fill a few holes with immediate contributors. So far, all we've done is lose a couple more significant pieces (Bulaga, Martinez) and replaced them with two arguably less talented and/or injury prone FA's. Oh, and an injury prone possession receiver in Funchess.

Not seeing a whole lot of roster progression there.

And now to see the GM select yet another piece for the future when it's very likely an equal caliber prospect will be available in any given year and the frustration builds. I mean, yeah, Love has talent but he is very raw and coming from a small school system which will require significant time to develop. Those guys are there every year. Heck, I'm not even convinced he's a viable backup to Rodgers this first year.

Add in we gave up a 4th to move up and it's, well, just a bit deflating.

Yoop wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 11:41

APB wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 11:21

Yoop wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 09:50

there will be another Love nexy year and the year after.

That's the thing that bums me.

We came oh-so-close to a SB berth last year and were positioned to make another strong run if we could fill a few holes with immediate contributors. So far, all we've done is lose a couple more significant pieces (Bulaga, Martinez) and replaced them with two arguably less talented and/or injury prone FA's. Oh, and an injury prone possession receiver in Funchess.

Not seeing a whole lot of roster progression there.

And now to see the GM select yet another piece for the future when it's very likely an equal caliber prospect will be available in any given year and the frustration builds. I mean, yeah, Love has talent but he is very raw and coming from a small school system which will require significant time to develop. Those guys are there every year. Heck, I'm not even convinced he's a viable backup to Rodgers this first year.

Add in we gave up a 4th to move up and it's, well, just a bit deflating.

I get the feeling we are just threading water, along with those losses is the fact that we will have a tough time keeping Jones, Bahk, Clark, even Adams a year or so later, to me we needed to max out the value of slot 30 the best we could with a ready to contribute player, we could have just about as easily moved up for Ayuik, Queen, and instantly fixed a position, instead I think the answer ( specially with last years 12 slot pick I wont redundently bore you with) is guty would like to win with Rodgers, but he's more concerned with after Rodgers is gone, at least thats how it looks to me.

British wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 11:38

It's going to be fun though if he hits and we get *another* star QB to keep the streak going. Would be the ultimate trolling of the entire league.

As for 2020, had we selected an OT like Josh Jones as suggested by many fans, there's a good chance they wouldn't have started anyway. So not much difference to the 2020 line up.

The simple fact the entire offense will have a second year in the new scheme they only just learned last off-season should see a considerable improvement.

Getting to the NFCCG with a rookie head coach and a new scheme was pretty good. There's more to team improvement than a single first round pick.

APB wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 11:21

We came oh-so-close to a SB berth last year and were positioned to make another strong run if we could fill a few holes with immediate contributors. So far, all we've done is lose a couple more significant pieces (Bulaga, Martinez) and replaced them with two arguably less talented and/or injury prone FA's. Oh, and an injury prone possession receiver in Funchess.

Not seeing a whole lot of roster progression there.

And now to see the GM select yet another piece for the future when it's very likely an equal caliber prospect will be available in any given year and the frustration builds. I mean, yeah, Love has talent but he is very raw and coming from a small school system which will require significant time to develop. Those guys are there every year. Heck, I'm not even convinced he's a viable backup to Rodgers this first year.

Add in we gave up a 4th to move up and it's, well, just a bit deflating.

APB wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 11:21

Yoop wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 09:50

there will be another Love nexy year and the year after.

That's the thing that bums me.

British wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 11:38

It's going to be fun though if he hits and we get *another* star QB to keep the streak going. Would be the ultimate trolling of the entire league.

As for 2020, had we selected an OT like Josh Jones as suggested by many fans, there's a good chance they wouldn't have started anyway. So not much difference to the 2020 line up.

The simple fact the entire offense will have a second year in the new scheme they only just learned last off-season should see a considerable improvement.

Getting to the NFCCG with a rookie head coach and a new scheme was pretty good. There's more to team improvement than a single first round pick.

Waldo wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 12:19

British wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 11:38

It's going to be fun though if he hits and we get *another* star QB to keep the streak going. Would be the ultimate trolling of the entire league.

As for 2020, had we selected an OT like Josh Jones as suggested by many fans, there's a good chance they wouldn't have started anyway. So not much difference to the 2020 line up.

The simple fact the entire offense will have a second year in the new scheme they only just learned last off-season should see a considerable improvement.

Getting to the NFCCG with a rookie head coach and a new scheme was pretty good. There's more to team improvement than a single first round pick.

This. And there is big time discounting the improvement potential of the existing players on the roster.

A few examples:

Jenkins - Yes kid was very good, but we can all see the obvious potential here, which he hasn't yet reached. All pro level play is certainly a very real possibility. He's the best looking rookie lineman we've seen in GB at least going back to Sherman's tenure.

Sternberger - He was hurt, didn't play much, and didn't really flash (nor disappoint). TE is the position least likely to make an impact as a rookie I believe. People penciled in TE as a high need, completely ignoring this potential because it isn't proven. It is certainly within the realm of possible and not even unlikely that he's at least a competant starting TE for us this year, which is a pretty big departure from what we've had since #88 went down.

MVS/ESB - WR is considered the greatest need of all and everyone has moved on from all developmental guys in GB. MVS flopped hard when given a chance after flashing as a rookie, ESB got hurt and never got that chance to sink or swim, despite also flashing. Go back and look at what people though of Davante "can't catch a cold" Adams after his 2nd year. 3rd year was and still is the year when WR's start to show it. Driver was a total bum until his 4th year, he was a classic developmental guy. The answer to this hole of course is to draft a guy that hopefully is the rare receiver is that is actually good as a rookie, solving all of the team's receiving problems and obviously bringing a Lombardi. Nevermind also that our star RB looks like Marshall Faulk as a receiver, tho the playcaller and QB seem to forget this fact way too much.

Gary - People have moved on from Gary way too fast. While I don't think there's that much marginal benefit to be gained from actually being even better rushing the passer (they absolutely dominated at it at times), its not hard at all to see Gary pushing Preston for playing time and carving out an even bigger subpackage role. Preston started strong but reverted to the player that made his former team (and fans) pretty meh about resigning him as the season went on. Gary was a very efficient producer when on the field as a rookie.

Savage - Started strong, but he was swimming a bit later in the year. Not hard to see a big jump coming here, he was better as a rookie than Burnett or Haha were.

Adams/Keke - DT is not a young players position, and both of these guys are young players. It is entirely reasonable to expect a jump as they get closer to their prime. DT is a position with a long history of teams giving up on guys on rookie deals, only to hit with their 2nd team. Also where journeyman tend to do well (remember big fat Greene with us in 2010; last year Mike Pennel with KC helped shut down Henry and send them to the Superb Owl)

Alexander/King - After blowing everyone away as a rookie, Alexander at a big fat bowl of humble pie at times last year when he rose to be the #1 guy. King has his moments, but finally healthy, he showed that the flashes he showed prior are nowhere near consistent enough. Yet. Both of these guys are still a couple seasons from their prime.

One offseason for MLF will probably net big gains in terms of actually tailoring the offense to the personnel he has. I don't think he expected his RB to be near the receiver he was. This offseason is also likely to have much more Rodgers feedback into it (and vice versa, he can push Rodgers harder to correct his weaknesses). Favre's first season with MM wasn't nearly as good as his 2nd.

Waldo wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 12:19

MVS/ESB - WR is considered the greatest need of all and everyone has moved on from all developmental guys in GB. MVS flopped hard when given a chance after flashing as a rookie, ESB got hurt and never got that chance to sink or swim, despite also flashing.

Yoop wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 11:20

Madcity_matt wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 10:58

Reality is every pick in the draft is a dart throw, there are no guarantees. This was not a 4/23/2020 decision by Green Bay. They identified him as a player they think could be great at the most important position on the team, and they were planning on getting him if he got to sniffing distance. Rodgers has been awesome for us, but he's getting older, and has had missed seasons for health. If it turns out that Love is as good as they think he is, here's some food for thought- even in 2021 if I understand it, the cap savings beats the dead money on Rodgers deal, and by 2022 it becomes a fairly easy out. We've been fortunate to have great QB play for the last 30 years here, and this gives us a realistic opportunity to continue that streak.

what would the dead cap be if Rodgers decided to sit out and force a trade? even if he renegociated to lower the cap hit it would stii be huge, now I don't expect this to happen, but I wouldn't be shocked if he did it, just look at all the power struggles, and blame he's taken for what has been poor team management over the last 5 years, zero impact players on offense, in fact the last 1st round pick on offense ( not counting Love) was Sherrod, a lineman, and a bust at that.

NCF wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 12:15

APB wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 11:21

Yoop wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 09:50

there will be another Love nexy year and the year after.

That's the thing that bums me.

Its something I could not possibly disagree more with... unless we use a Top-10 pick... then CAN YOU IMAGINE the backlash?

26) Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers (via Dolphins)
With Aaron Rodgers on the back nine of his career, the Packers wisely select a young quarterback to groom as his successor. Love is not a finished product at this stage of his career but spending a few seasons working on his craft in the shadows of the two-time MVP could serve him well when he takes over down the road.

WINNERS:

Green Bay Packers
The pick: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State (No. 26)

I love this landing spot for Love, a developmental quarterback who had a rough season after the Aggies lost a ton of talent around him. He threw 17 interceptions (most in the FBS), but you can't blame him for all of those. And you also can't coach the arm talent he has. Yes, the Packers traded a fourth-round pick to move up four spots to get Love, but Matt LaFleur now gets a young quarterback who can sit behind Aaron Rodgers and learn, just as Rodgers did all those years ago under Brett Favre.

Rodgers might not like the pick, but he is 36 and can't play forever. He knows he's not on the clock -- he has been there. Green Bay still has the talent to win now, but I like the move thinking long term. And look for Green Bay to target a wide receiver on Day 2.

Joe Burrow is a Bengal (as expected), Tua Tagovailoa is a Dolphin and … Jordan Love is a Packer? The quarterback selections on Day 1 of the draft, which also included the Chargers taking Justin Herbert, were relatively straightforward until No. 26, when Green Bay traded up to nab the Utah State QB....

26. Fifteen years ago, the Packers drafted a quarterback in the 20s to be the heir apparent to Brett Favre. And now they do it again with Jordan Love, who’s facing similar challenges as his predecessor, Aaron Rodgers. It is easy to see the Patrick Mahomes flashes with Love’s loose passing skills and downfield anticipation. And if Matt LaFleur can get him to eliminate the bad mistakes, Love has a very high ceiling as a passer. He goes to a situation where he won’t be pressed into action before he’s ready.

Aaron Rodgers has publicly said he wants to play into his early 40s. He recently turned 36. I’ll do the math for you: he wants to play another five or six years. After the Packers drafted Rodgers in the first round in 2005, he sat behind Brett Favre for three years. On Thursday night, they drafted quarterback Jordan Love. Earlier Thursday night, Rodgers went on the Pat McAfee Show and said, “We haven’t picked a skill player in the first round in 15 years, so that would be kind of cool.” That player was Rodgers 15 years ago. Now, the Packers use a first-round pick on an offensive skill player for the first time since they drafted Rodgers. And it’s another quarterback. Even with more pressing needs at wide receiver, offensive tackle, defensive line and inside linebacker, the Packers chose the guy they want to be their quarterback of the future, a decision that will be met with immense public scrutiny and ultimately define Brian Gutekunst’s tenure as general manager.

From the GM’s Eye: The Packers and Cowboys made unexpected but smart Day 1 picks

On Thursday night, Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst did what he is supposed to do in his role: he protected the franchise.

He focused on the long-term success of the team over a short quick fix with his decision to spend draft capital on a young quarterback. Moving up to draft Utah State’s Jordan Love at No. 26 may have upset a few people along the way — most notably the team’s current star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers — but, in reality, all that can matter to Gutekunst is how he can sustain success. Always having a quarterback with great potential on the roster is a huge first step toward accomplishing that goal. The Packers, who drafted Rodgers in the first round as the future successor to Brett Favre 15 years ago, know that better than anybody.

Of all the moves in the first round of the 2020 draft on Thursday, two jumped out to me as practical and smart selections that altered the team’s original course for the good of the board while taking the long-term view into account. Those two moves: The Packers trading up to select Love and the Cowboys drafting Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb at No. 17

Worst night: Aaron Rodgers
In the biggest story of the night, the Packers traded up from 30 to 26 for Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. From a team-building perspective, there’s nothing wrong with that move. Rodgers is 36, and it’s reasonable to look for a young quarterback. But think about it from Rodgers’ view. The Saints have done everything in their power this offseason to go all-in on 2020 to try to win a Super Bowl with 41-year-old Drew Brees. The Buccaneers traded up to get an offensive tackle for 42-year-old Tom Brady. And the Packers, well, they used the first round to draft Rodgers’ successor (or at least tried to). This came after an offseason where the Packers did nothing (I’m not counting the Devin Funchess signing) to give the offense a boost. They haven’t used a first-round pick on an offensive player since 2011 (tackle Derek Sherrod), and they haven’t used a first-round pick on a wide receiver since Rodgers has been there. Last summer, Packers fans quickly grew tired of the constant analysis of the relationship between Rodgers and head coach Matt LaFleur. Now it’ll be the same thing with Rodgers and Love in 2020.

Green Bay Packers
Draft pick: Utah State QB Jordan Love (No. 26 overall)
Day 1 grade and analysis: A-
I thought Jordan Love was worth a first-round selection. The Packers did as well. In a mirror reflection of the 2005 draft, the Packers pick a first-round quarterback to learn behind Aaron Rodgers, just as they picked Rodgers to groom behind Brett Favre.

I believe Rodgers has at least a few more years of high-level performance in him -- should they have selected someone to help Rodgers excel during that time? Some Packers fans will think so. However, Love could help Green Bay win games over that span if Rodgers gets hurt again. Plus, there wasn't great value at receiver at the end of the first round; I expect the Packers to meet that need in Rounds 2 or 3 in a deep class. They also have needs at linebacker (Patrick Queen was available at No. 26), cornerback (same goes for Jaylon Johnson and Kristian Fulton) and right tackle (Josh Jones), but the players remaining at those spots did not offer as much value as Love. The Packers expect to pick near the end of the first with Rodgers as their QB1, so they figured they would get their guy while they could. They found value at the game's most important position.

They gave up the 30th pick in Round 1 and a fourth-round pick (No. 136) to get Love, which is standard fare for this type of move.

MOVING DOWN
Aaron Rodgers' training camp mood: Perhaps Rodgers will learn from his awkward early seasons with Brett Favre and truly embrace being a mentor for quarterback Jordan Love, the Utah State product who was taken No. 26 overall on Thursday night. But the Packers' decision to move up four spots to secure their QB of the future will inevitably lead to a lot of annoying questions for Rodgers over the next few years. Because of the guaranteed money in Rodgers' contract, it's hard to imagine the Packers moving on from him before 2022, when Rodgers will turn 39. That's a fair guess for when Love could take over, if he develops under Packers coach Matt LaFleur.

Love was a fascinating prospect to evaluate. Perhaps the most talented quarterback in this class, his arm and movement ability reminds me more of Patrick Mahomes than anyone since Patrick Mahomes. It's ideal that Love can sit on the bench for a few years to clean up his decision-making and mechanics, just like Rodgers once did in Green Bay. (Love was far less accurate and made worse decisions than Rodgers or Mahomes did in college.) It's now up to Rodgers to make like Favre and make the decision as difficult as possible. This draft felt unlike anything we've seen before, but the selection of Love was a reminder that NFL time is a flat circle.

paco wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 07:54

Waldo wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 07:39

paco wrote: ↑

23 Apr 2020 22:35

Jordan Love is 20. He is going to sit behind Rodgers for a few years and hopefully do exactly what Rodgers did at that 26th spot.

Seriously? I didn't realize he was that young.

That does make me like the pick quite a bit more.

That was one underappreciated thing about Rodgers, he was so young that by the time he was starting, he wasn't much older than the rookie QB's, despite sitting for 3 years. Matt Ryan is only a few months younger than Rodgers.

Sorry, I was wrong about his age. Bad info posted on twitter. He's 21, 22 in November.

paco wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 13:04

British wrote: ↑

24 Apr 2020 13:22

Didn't realise he was so much younger than Burrow.