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I know some people might not consider this a revelation . . .
But nobody has stated it this definitively, and she is very plugged into the Green Bay Packers, and has great sources there.
NFL Network reporter Stacy Dales reported today on one of their shows – “[The Packers] want the 13th pick from the Jets.”
Now, I think most of us assumed that, but nobody has stated it that definitely, and the fact that she’s so plugged into that organization, and has great sources, makes this significant.
She stated it without hesitation and with no caveats – “[The Packers] want the 13th pick from the Jets.”
Is that too much to give up?
Well, we had Sal Palantonio on the SiriusXM Show I do with Vic Carucci and he said, “I might be in the minority, I think he’s worth the 13th pick.”
I jumped in and said, “Even if it’s just for one year if Rodgers retires after the 2023-24 season,” and he said Rodgers is still worth a first-round pick.
Douglas, who loves the draft, clearly would prefer to keep the pick.
“The 13th pick is obviously a high pick in the round,” Douglas said. “You really have a great opportunity to bring in a strong player. Picking in the top 15, picking in the top 20, the odds of hitting on those guys usually go up.”
So with the Packers wanting the 13th pick overall (along with probably some other things), this staredown between the Jets and Broncos could drag on for a while, and that doesn’t seem to concern Robert Saleh.
“If there’s a great rapport with the coordinator, there’s really no urgency,” Saleh said. “The quarterback, if he understands the system, if the quarterback knows it, it’s just a matter of just refining skills and doing all that stuff. So there’s no hurry.”
Yes, the QB has “great rapport with the coordinator.” And yes, the QB “understands the system,” but what about all the important work in the off-season program, which starts on April 17, to get on the same page with his receivers, offensive line and so forth?
The Packers felt one reason they struggled on offense last year, was Rodgers not participating in their off-season program after they drafted two receivers and signed a veteran free agent, after the trade of Devante Adams.
“Not surprisingly, the Packers started the 2022 season slowly, with Rodgers struggling to develop chemistry with his new receivers — and often appearing visibly frustrated by the rookies,” Mike Silver wrote for Bally Sports. “It was almost worse that Rodgers seemed to turn it on down the stretch, leading Green Bay to four consecutive victories with its season on the line before losing to the Detroit Lions on the final Sunday of the regular season, a defeat that cost the Packers a playoff berth. Some of Rodgers’ bosses felt that the late run proved their point — that had the quarterback been so invested from the get-go, the season would have proceeded far differently.”
Quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were always big on off-season passing camps to develop timing with their targets. Ironically, Brady, at the end of his career, wasn’t as into last year, and look the results for Tampa Bay. Not saying that was the only reason the Bucs struggled, but it contributed.
So while there is no urgency as we sit here right now in late March, if he ends up missing some of the off-season program, due to a protracted Jets-Packers staredown, that could be problematic.
March 27, 2023
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