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It went viral . . .
Talking about this story that Aaron Rodgers gave the Jets a wish list for free agents he’d like them to sign, including Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Marcedes Lewis and Odell Beckham.
First of all, it’s highly unlikely this came from the Jets or Rodgers’ agent.
Why would the Jets or Rodgers’ agent leak this and make Rodgers look like a prima donna? Rodgers’ agent, who is usually chatty with the NFL insiders, knows this particular client doesn’t want him leaking anything.
“I think Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport are really good at their jobs but when it comes to me they don’t know [crap],” Rodgers said recently.
Perhaps this came from Beckham’s agent, who is very media-friendly. What player has had more stories in the press about him in the last few years than Beckham?
And what does a wish list even mean, that if they don’t sign all four, he won’t sign with the Jets?
He’s never played with Beckham, so he’s going to refuse to play for the Jets if they don’t sign a player he never played with?
As you know now, they have signed Lazard, and while that was done on some level to appease Rodgers, it also fills a big need for the Jets.
One thing they have lacked in the last couple of years is a huge receiver, like the 6-5, 227 pounds Lazard, who will go up and win jump ball, 50-50 balls.
6-3 Denzel Mims is going at climbing the ladder to grab high passes, but isn’t great on contested passes, there is a difference. 6-2 Corey Davis was okay in his area, but he’s not like the Lazard, who is like a power forward.
The only player in the building last year like Lazard was on the practice squad, 6-4, 219-pound rookie free agent Irvin Charles. He could be good, but hasn’t caught an NFL regular season pass yet.
Look, I know this signing has a lot to do with Rodgers, but they need this kind of guy, regardless of the QB.
And Lazard’s also a tremendous run blocker, a key in their outside zone rushing attack; you need good blocking receivers on the outside.
So honestly, maybe they overpaid a tad, but this signing fills a need, regardless of the QB.
As for Cobb and Lewis, if they did sign, neither would cost a lot of money at this stage of their careers.
The name on the list that makes little sense is Beckham. The Jets already have Garrett Wilson as their #1 receiver, along with Elijah Moore and Denzel Mims. Beckham, who reportedly wants $20 million a year. Where is that going to come from if they get Rodgers and his huge salary? Beckham doesn’t make a ton of sense.
But Wish-List-Gate is probably being blown a little out of proportion. If you add one of the greatest QBs in NFL history, a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, what is wrong with him letting you know a few players he’d love you to sign?
How often when a Hollywood actor is signing on for a blockbuster movie, does he or she make it clear to the producer they’d love a couple of actors in the production? Happens all the time.
And also, with off-season and training camp work being cut way down due to union rules, Rodgers having chemistry with build-in chemistry with a few guys isn’t the worst idea.
The other thing, is everybody runs with these scoops, write stories about them, talk about them on sports talk radio shows, like they are the gospel, but a lot of these insiders, below the true upper their – Schefter and Rapoport, are wrong a lot, like on the Doug Marrone story in 2019.
So why is everyone so fast to take these stories to the bank, like they are beyond reproach?
“That’s not the reality – it’s so ridiculous,” Rodgers said today on the Pat McAfee Show about the wish list story.
We will have more on the Pat McAfee Show appearance, where Rodgers said he’d like to play for the Jets, on Thursday.
March 15, 2023
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