Divisional Round: 49ers @ Packers - Saturday, January 22nd 7:15PM

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I think the lack of weapons argument has run its course. The Packers roster is fine. It was better than fine. Frankly it was stacked this year. You can't have an all-pro at every spot on the field. The team was plenty good enough, including the pass catchers.

 

I've noticed this "no secondary WR" thing caught new legs once the "get him a defense" thing couldn't be applied anymore. Investing somewhere always means you can't somewhere else. When the QB is this good it seems like an acceptable philosophy that all the WRs don't have to be incredible... especially when the top dog is literally the best one in the league. It's just old for me at this point. A worn out, false narrative.

 

They blew it. It was not due to a lack of talent at WR or anywhere else.

[PeaveyFury]

Doesn’t matter how much draft capital you spend on WRs unless your QB actually decides he’s willing to throw to them. He didn’t throw to his hand-picked veteran receiver on Saturday that he demanded the team bring in, so what makes you think he’s throwing to a first or second-year WR?

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I think the lack of weapons argument has run its course. The Packers roster is fine. It was better than fine. Frankly it was stacked this year. You can't have an all-pro at every spot on the field. The team was plenty good enough, including the pass catchers.

 

I've noticed this "no secondary WR" thing caught new legs once the "get him a defense" thing couldn't be applied anymore. Investing somewhere always means you can't somewhere else. When the QB is this good it seems like an acceptable philosophy that all the WRs don't have to be incredible... especially when the top dog is literally the best one in the league. It's just old for me at this point. A worn out, false narrative.

 

They blew it. It was not due to a lack of talent at WR or anywhere else.

 

Plus this offense has never had issues moving the ball when Adams is out due to injury. It can be argued that they are actually more efficient because the coaching staff draws up a better scheme and Rodgers actually spreads the ball around more. There have been games where both MVS and Lazard have looked like #1-type WRs.

 

I mean, yeah, Justin Jefferson would look great in green and gold. Hell, Odell Beckham would have been a pretty interesting addition this season. But when Rodgers is in peril, throughout his career, he's looked for his #1 guy. Before Adams it was Nelson. It's gotten worse as he's gotten older, though. 2010 Rodgers was a master at spreading the ball around. This current version of him, for all the good that he does, isn't that.

[MrTPlush]

I think the whole receiving corps thing was relevant a few years ago. Like 2019 and prior. In 2019 MVS barely edged out Aaron Jones by three yards for second in receiving on the team. Last year he had Adams/Tonyan and MVS was decent...plus Jones is a weapon in the passing game too.

 

It is hard to ignore the fact he hasn't had a real #2 WR since like, Randall Cobb was in his prime. I don't think it is a huge deal when Jones/Tonyan are healthy, but it still is an obvious problem at times and certainly so when one of the other major weapons are out. Look at the remaining teams. They all have have a pretty clear/dependable #2 WR, in my opinion. The one team that sorta doesn't is the Chiefs, but they also have Kelce at TE.

 

Not saying the Packers have failed or made a mistake at the position, but I still think it is a weakness for the team and something people have a legitimate gripe about. If/When Love takes over good luck to him throwing to the guys they currently have if/when Adams leaves too.

[PeaveyFury]

when one of the other major weapons are out. .

 

Results don't agree with this point. The team and Rodgers have performed exceptionally well with Adams off the field over the past 3 seasons, for the record.

[MrTPlush]

when one of the other major weapons are out. .

 

Results don't agree with this point. The team and Rodgers have performed exceptionally well with Adams off the field over the past 3 seasons, for the record.

 

I wasn't referring to just Adams or just WRs.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

If Love is decent he'll be fine with whoever is playing WR because young QBs don't have the luxury of having little buddies. They have to throw to who is there. There is a passage about this in the Favre biography in regards to, funny enough, Aaron Rodgers.

 

"Favre was of a different era. Rodgers was now. Favre had “his” guys. Rodgers just threw the ball. When he arrived in camp, Chris Samp, a rookie free agent wide receiver from Winona State, couldn’t wait to work with his hero, ol’ No. 4. “He was such a disappointment to me,” said Samp. “If it was his turn in the quarterback rotation and he saw me at wide receiver, he’d wave Rodgers in instead of throwing to me. Just because I was no one. It wasn’t just me. He had favorites."

 

What kind of development process is that? Rodgers may not be doing this to such an extreme but I'm not all convinced their WRs are as useless as some want to think. Rodgers is a great player but was Randall Cobb really worth having on the roster? How many reps did someone else miss during the first 2 months of the year?

[Underachiever]

I think the lack of weapons argument has run its course. The Packers roster is fine. It was better than fine. Frankly it was stacked this year. You can't have an all-pro at every spot on the field. The team was plenty good enough, including the pass catchers.

 

I've noticed this "no secondary WR" thing caught new legs once the "get him a defense" thing couldn't be applied anymore. Investing somewhere always means you can't somewhere else. When the QB is this good it seems like an acceptable philosophy that all the WRs don't have to be incredible... especially when the top dog is literally the best one in the league. It's just old for me at this point. A worn out, false narrative.

 

They blew it. It was not due to a lack of talent at WR or anywhere else.

Hey! Don't take away my brain-dead talking points. Like the Packers at home in January, they never fail. I mean nobody wants to play the Packers in GB in January. Except for the 49ers, Bucs, 49ers again, and again, the Giants, Vikings, or the Falcons.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Rodgers is a great player but was Randall Cobb really worth having on the roster? How many reps did someone else miss during the first 2 months of the year?

 

I was intrigued by Cobb coming aboard, and he did have some moments this year, but in hindsight, I wish that Amari Rodgers would have gotten those slot reps. Rodgers played a lot of special teams, but he's basically starting from scratch again next season at WR ... and as the only WR currently under contract, he's likely going to have to play a huge role in next year's offense, regardless of who is under center.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Ron Robinson's Beard

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The idea of Cobb was arguably fine. History said he would not be able to stay on the field and during the most important part of the year, that's exactly what happened.

[MrTPlush]

Cobb would have been a solid pick up....had he not gotten injured and missed the better part of the last half season. Though I am sure many probably didn't want to acknowledge it because that was Rodgers "dumb and stupid idea he forced onto us". Everyone thought Amari Rodgers could do the same, but *checks notes* he ended the year with 4 receptions for 45 yards WITH 2 fumbles. After Cobb went down to injury Amari Rodgers amassed one five yard reception. Cobb didn't exactly work out amazing in the end (though he still was usefull for 10 or so weeks), but Amari Rodgers would have certainly been even worse.

 

I also don't think inferring Rodgers has little buddies and won't throw to people is anywhere close to accurate. How many times has Rodgers gone to bat for some no name scrub in training camp? Isn't part of the drama related to them releasing a scrub? Not to mention the guys on the team at this point have been around years. Lazard/MVS/etc. are far from random no names to Rodgers. I don't think Rodgers is much different than any other QB in the league. Rookies usually take time to develop and can be quite inconsistent and mess up a lot. It is part of the reason I have never gotten on the bandwagon to pummel the Packers over not drafting a WR in the first round etc. They would most likely take too long to really matter under a Rodgers led team at this point. The Packers ended up doing what I thought probably would be the most effective by signing a veteran that would hopefully gel into the offense faster (Funchess). Unfortunately he opted out one year and hit up the IR this year.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Forgot about Funchess. I wonder what he could have been on this team.

[homer]

The issue is that Cobb has been injured a lot the last three seasons or so and he's on the wrong side of 30. Him getting injured should not have been a surprise.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Everyone thought Amari Rodgers could do the same, but *checks notes* he ended the year with 4 receptions for 45 yards WITH 2 fumbles. After Cobb went down to injury Amari Rodgers amassed one five yard reception. Cobb didn't exactly work out amazing in the end (though he still was usefull for 10 or so weeks), but Amari Rodgers would have certainly been even worse.

 

I mean, this idea is just as much speculation as the idea that Amari Rodgers could have played a bigger role in the offense this season had Cobb not been there. As it was, Amari Rodgers barely got any time with the 1s, as he was basically the strict backup to Cobb. Of course Aaron Rodgers isn't gonna trust the rookie that he isn't getting any time with in practice. Cobb suffered his core muscle injury Nov. 28, and Rodgers was already not practicing (or barely practicing) with his toe injury, so he never had any chance to establish any kind of rapport with Amari Rodgers.

 

Maybe Amari Rodgers will be another nothing. But we just don't know. Because he was never given any sort of opportunity to find anything on offense this year.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The list of WRs who look like straight garbage early in their careers and become really good is 500 miles long. This place in particular consistently ignores this. Hot garbage was a term used often to describe Davante Adams. It took Jordy Nelson 4 years to have 600 yards. And before anyone says "Greg Jennings was there," well, so is Davante Adams.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Heh. People were calling for Adams to be cut because of drop issues in his 2nd season.

 

That being said, I'm still waiting for MVS to become what his potential says he should be, because he's not there yet.

 

Lazard is just a big fairly slow guy who's a (admittedly) really good blocker. I'd like Lazard for what he is if he wasn't expected to be the #2 WR.

 

I feel like the development of these guys (Namely MVS an EQSB) have been at times hampered by the way Rodgers will cold shoulder them when he's locked in on Adams, or when they drop a ball and he won't look at them the rest of a game (or 2).

[homer]

I mentioned this earlier but I was really looking forward to a breakout from MVS this year. Injuries and Covid prevented us from seeing that.

[RobertR]

Getting Tonyan back will certainly help. They probably would have won the game with a good TE. They'll certainly have to invest in a replacement for Adams, whether through free agency or draft, but I agree it's not completely dire there. DeGuara certainly should be expected to improve.

 

For the most part, this was a deep, talented team surrounding Rodgers. Obviously they'll miss Adams, but there's still talent there.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I mentioned this earlier but I was really looking forward to a breakout from MVS this year. Injuries and Covid prevented us from seeing that.

 

I think a lot of people were, myself included. He was maybe the biggest disappointment of the season, somewhere with Savage and Keke. Toward the end of last season he looked like a possible breakout player this year. I'm not sure it's going to happen for him. It feels like ESB, Lazard and MVS have been on the team for 8 years.

[RobertR]

I think the easiest cut of the offseason is Mason Crosby. He missed a bunch. And a guy that could just kick it deep into the end zone would certainly help the special teams. He's had a great career, but the time has come to move on.

[adambr2]

Yeah, Crosby is gone. He's got stretches where he's really reliable but the inconsistency and lack of a strong leg are just a little too much for the salary. I hope he just retires rather than tries to hang on elsewhere;he's made plenty in his career and I don't think he's going to have much of a market if he tries to go elsewhere, at least not on the salary he's used to.

 

If you have to spend 5th round draft capital on Parker White, it's probably worth it.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Getting Tonyan back will certainly help. They probably would have won the game with a good TE. They'll certainly have to invest in a replacement for Adams, whether through free agency or draft, but I agree it's not completely dire there. DeGuara certainly should be expected to improve.

 

For the most part, this was a deep, talented team surrounding Rodgers. Obviously they'll miss Adams, but there's still talent there.

 

I think if Rodgers is pack, so is Adams. Package deal. A lot of cap gymnastics would need to be done, but that sort of thing is done often.

 

Only way Adams is back without Rodgers here is if the Packers trade Rodgers to the Raiders, and Carr is part of the return.

[Underachiever]

I don't understand why the Packers would bring back an expensive QB such as Carr when they can get out of cap hell a lot quicker with a cheap quarterback. I don't believe Carr is good enough to take a team to the Super Bowl, especially if they still have to cut/trade the usual suspects on the defense that have been discussed to death. Carr, even with Adams, playing with a defense without Campbell, Douglas, Smith Brothers, etc. is not a recipe for success. Even less so without Adams. unless they get picks that turn into the Micah Parsons and TJ Watt of the 2022 draft.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I don't understand why the Packers would bring back an expensive QB such as Carr when they can get out of cap hell a lot quicker with a cheap quarterback. I don't believe Carr is good enough to take a team to the Super Bowl, especially if they still have to cut/trade the usual suspects on the defense that have been discussed to death. Carr, even with Adams, playing with a defense without Campbell, Douglas, Smith Brothers, etc. is not a recipe for success. Even less so without Adams. unless they get picks that turn into the Micah Parsons and TJ Watt of the 2022 draft.

 

It may be mandatory to get another team's QB in return to make the financials work. However, after a few days of quotes, I'm beginning to think the Packers are going to wave their magic cap wand around and keep Rodgers in town. Or at least try hard to do so.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Agreed that any trade of Rodgers shouldn't include a veteran starting quarterback with a sizeable contract in return as the primary part of the package. If another team really wants to trade for Rodgers and has a different quarterback with a contract they need to unload to avoid instantly putting themselves in their own cap hell, let them figure it out on their own - hell, let them deal the other QB away for additional picks they can send to GB as part of acquiring Rodgers.

 

If Rodgers is gone, the Packers need to hand the team over to Love for the next two seasons to see what they have in him - that along with making the necessary cuts and veteran contract restructures (and trading Adams after franchising him) will get the team in a much better position longterm with the salary cap, and will allow them to extend other key young players as the cap progressively increases the next few years (Alexander, Gary, Jenkins, etc).

 

I'm torn between wanting this to happen this offseason, or for Rodgers to want back after redoing his contract to resemble what Brady did in TB to make his cap number the next couple seasons very manageable and defer the cap hits into years where the salary cap will be higher. There will be a way to make both options happen if Rodgers and the front office are truly in a good spot and on the same page a few weeks from now.