Packers 2023 Discussion Thread

[young guns]

Are there rules in place, if the Packers brass does the math and would prefer a post June 1 trade, to prevent some sort of gentleman's agreement where the picks are done to our liking and they trade us those players after June 1?  I see no scenario where something like that isn't leaked if it were tried either.

I'm fine with what happens, I just don't want this to drag out forever.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I think it's pretty much a 0% chance Rodgers is our QB next season. He is too intentional of a personality to go through all this for nothing. Maybe it's the Jets, maybe not, but I just can't see that guy entertaining team visits for something he isn't going to do. Obviously it's not completely in his court, but I think both sides want a separation and one is imminent. 

Definitely feels weird. I don't sense a lot of sadness from fans. We are a lot more desensitized to sports heroes being traded in 2023 than 2007. Other factors at play, too, but it's still just...weird. I get the sense most don't hate AR but they aren't crying over his exit like I would have guessed many years ago.

[DR28]

Per Schefter.... Increasingly likely Love is starter in 23.

If actually true, it's about damn time!

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

9 minutes ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

I think it's pretty much a 0% chance Rodgers is our QB next season. He is too intentional of a personality to go through all this for nothing. Maybe it's the Jets, maybe not, but I just can't see that guy entertaining team visits for something he isn't going to do. Obviously it's not completely in his court, but I think both sides want a separation and one is imminent. 

Definitely feels weird. I don't sense a lot of sadness from fans. We are a lot more desensitized to sports heroes being traded in 2023 than 2007. Other factors at play, too, but it's still just...weird. I get the sense most don't hate AR but they aren't crying over his exit like I would have guessed many years ago.

I think most appreciate what he has done on the field over the last 15 years. I also think many have grown tired of the off-the-field weirdness. 

[superfly]

20 minutes ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

I think most appreciate what he has done on the field over the last 15 years. I also think many have grown tired of the off-the-field weirdness. 

Nothing weird to me 🤷‍♀️. He is 39 years old, we’ve experienced a solid 15 years of winning, alot of heartbreak in the playoffs, as well as the RELAX Super Bowl. All parties know the end is coming sooner rather than later (within a couple years unless you’re Tom brady) so if we need to part ways it’s understandable.

[CheezWizHed]

2 hours ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

I'm pretty sure Clark has already been restructured this offseason to improve that cap hit for 2023 as much as possible.  I do agree a Bakh restructure could help alot - but they be better off doing nothing with that contract to keep cap and roster decision flexibility with him next offseason.  Heck, if Rodgers is traded and they do need some extra cap room for a rookie class I wouldn't be opposed to trying to deal Bakh for picks or proven NFL talent, also - I think a post June 1 trade of Bakh would have significant cap savings.

Gary extension does carry some risk with him recovering from the ACL injury, but also would make sense for some cap savings.  

Doh! Yes, you are correct about Clark.  I was looking at old data.  Regardless there are ways to survive this offseason if we trade Rodgers.

This article lists it at $23M.  I'm sure the Packers just keep a few of those in their back-pockets in case Rodgers retires/un-retires as some were concerned about. Not enough to do much in FA, but enough to survive. 

I'm not worried about Gary.  He is still young and athletic. I doubt an ACL at this point is too much of an issue.  Certainly not the concern they used to be. 

2 hours ago, young guns said:

Are there rules in place, if the Packers brass does the math and would prefer a post June 1 trade, to prevent some sort of gentleman's agreement where the picks are done to our liking and they trade us those players after June 1?  I see no scenario where something like that isn't leaked if it were tried either.

I'm fine with what happens, I just don't want this to drag out forever.

This always makes me chuckle when I see people suggest this.   If you are going to spend draft capitol to get a QB, you want him in the building ASAP to start integrating with the team.  There were reports (rumors) that the Packer front office wasn't happy with Rodger's laissez faire attitude towards learning his new WRs this past offseason (I wasn't at least).  No one is going to trade for him... then wait to get him.  Doesn't help those rookies that the other team would draft (and not sign?) to sit and wait either.  And no, they won't just go show up at the other team's facilities either.  Lawyers and insurance will prevent that if NFL rules don't. 

If Rodgers is traded post-June 1, it is going to be an emergency Favre-esque trade for a 4th round pick because we had no other choice. 

50 minutes ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

I think most appreciate what he has done on the field over the last 15 years. I also think many have grown tired of the off-the-field weirdness. 

I think many people identified more with Favre than Rodgers.  Favre's deer-hunting, wrangler wearing, lawn mower riding, personality seems to fit more with the regular fan than Rodger's more CA-lifestyle type personality.  And especially over the past years as he has either changed or let people know more about himself. 

Or maybe having been through it once with Favre, we are overconfident that we can do it again with Love.  Either way, I'm tired of the drama of it all (some generated by Rodgers, MUCH generated by the media). Once I decided that I don't think we can win a SB in the next year or two with Rodgers, I was set on moving on. 

[MrTPlush]

1 hour ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

I think most appreciate what he has done on the field over the last 15 years. 

Honestly, I don’t think they do. 
 

And I don’t think people realize if Love isn’t the answer they are going to get this cold harsh reality of Packers and Super Bowl won’t be even slightly muttered for a decade. 
 

I am fine moving on, but the future isn’t exactly what everyone has been used to for a quarter century…and I don’t think some really grasp that.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

2 minutes ago, MrTPlush said:

Honestly, I don’t think they do. 
 

And I don’t think people realize if Love isn’t the answer they are going to get this cold harsh reality of Packers and Super Bowl won’t be even slightly muttered for a decade. 
 

I am fine moving on, but the future isn’t exactly what everyone has been used to for a quarter century…and I don’t think some really grasp that.

I've heard this idea thrown around before that the Packers are going to go back to the 70s/80s version once Rodgers is gone, should Love not work out, and I don't buy it. Well-run NFL organizations typically are able to right the ship quickly and effectively. I personally think that, while Favre and Rodgers certainly deserve their share of the credit, the organization itself has been run well over the last 30 years, and I don't buy that it's suddenly going to fall off a cliff. Not for a second.

[MrTPlush]

Just now, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

I've heard this idea thrown around before that the Packers are going to go back to the 70s/80s version once Rodgers is gone, should Love not work out, and I don't buy it. Well-run NFL organizations typically are able to right the ship quickly and effectively. I personally think that, while Favre and Rodgers certainly deserve their share of the credit, the organization itself has been run well over the last 30 years, and I don't buy that it's suddenly going to fall off a cliff. Not for a second.

Sure, they could bounce back. Part of the problem though is #1 the past few years doesn’t exactly scream well run. Not sure they are a disaster, but it hasn’t exactly been smooth. Also #2 Love has been waiting years and looks to be passable. While that’s good, if it turns out he is decent, but not great…we are going to spend years not having top picks for a QB.

Also, I think there is a notable difference between a true Super Bowl contender like we have been…and being a weird fringe team with a non Top 5 QB that still dreams/thinks they can win. The later is much more likely to end in a Super Bowl…almost required.

That being said I do think the league is different and the league may not have the insane QBs of Rodgers generation. It just feels, outside of honestly Mahomes, the QB position becomes much less special than it did with Manning/Brady/Rodgers/etc. trotting out there every year.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I think there's a difference between an organization falling off a cliff for an extended period of time primarily due to poor management, and an organization taking an extended step back into the NFL blob after their HOF quarterback isn't under center anymore.  Packer fans haven't been in that blob for 30 years and honestly don't remember what it's like to have a decent quarterback that needs a talented roster around him to be a consistent playoff contender - otherwise there's an ebb and flow to contention windows and a much higher turnover in the front office/coaching levels of an organization that tends to lead to quarterback turnover, too.

Only Peyton Manning has won more league MVPs than Rodgers in NFL history, and there are 7 MVPs between Rodgers and Favre over the last 28 seasons....not having a 1st ballot HOFer who's going to be an annual MVP candidate leading your team is a huge step backwards in terms of having a shot at winning a title year in and year out.  I think Rodgers is at the end of his career in being considered a MVP-caliber quarterback due to age and physical limitations beginning to creep back into his game (particularly in cold weather, a common theme for aging star quarterbacks), so I'm ready for the Packers to move on from him even without factoring in the salary cap/financial benefit of trading Rodgers.

I don't care about any of the "off the field weirdness", and frankly I doubt front offices do either.  

[PeaveyFury]

32 minutes ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

I don't care about any of the "off the field weirdness", and frankly I doubt front offices do either.  

Eh, maybe an acquiring front office might not as they don't have first-hand knowledge. But I'd think that it's at least part of the factor in the Packers' decision even if it's a small one. If he's as standoff-ish and holds grudges in public, I'd imagine that it's far worse behind closed doors.

[bjkrautk]

https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/49ers/nfl-rumors-raiders-pursue-jimmy-garoppolo-if-aaron-rodgers-quest-fails?cid=Yahoo&partner=ya4nbcs

 

Hadn't seen a suggestion the Raiders were in on Rodgers prior to this, possibly because the ESPN story is behind their pay-wall.  Maybe there's a bidding war we don't know about?

[sveumrules]

Yeah, for as underwhelming as only two Super Bowls might feel, the Packers have ostensibly been the 2nd best team in the NFL for the last 30 years with Favre and Rodgers under center.

Maintaining that kind of performance over any extended period of time moving forward post-Rodgers will be incredibly unlikely, so it's just a matter of how far they fall.

Could they win ten games next year and make the playoffs with Love at QB? Sure, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[jerichoholicninja]

It's not like the NFC North is chock full of talent right now. The Vikings won with smoke and mirrors last year and have a merely average QB on the downside of his career with a terrible defense. The Lions appear to be on the rise but who knows who Jared Goff really is. And they too feel like a team that really overachieved last year and I could totally see them only winning 5 or 6 games next year, getting Campbell fired, and starting over again. The Bears are the real wildcard long term. They've got the cap space to go crazy and Fields could be something special, as long as he stays healthy but that coaching staff looks like they're determined to end his career before it even starts.

Unless Love is a total flop I don't think the Packers are destined for disgrace the next few years. More likely they're a team that's good enough to win the division most years because of the weak division but ultimately lose in the first round.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Just my opinion but I don't really find Rodgers to be all that weird. He does some mildly oddball stuff like a million other athletes all looking for an "edge" and happens to talk to his friends about it on a podcast. That show has snowballed so many things he's spent 90 seconds talking about into much bigger deals than they are. I barely consume any of it and hear about it when my Dad calls me to tell me why he hates Aaron Rodgers.

That said I think moving on is fine. I wish him the best though - hope he wins a lot of games and another SB.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Not too difficult to come to this conclusion when you read between the lines, but Russini is typically pretty solid on her scoops. I think Packer fans need to come to the realization that big changes are in order. At this point, I just hope to not be underwhelmed by the trade return. If it's something like a 2nd and a conditional pick next year, I'm going to be disappointed ... especially considering what other mediocre QBs have been valued at via trade (washed Russell Wilson) or via free agency (Jones, Carr, etc.) Teams are paying a premium for even average QB play, so if Rodgers has pledged to play multiple years for the Jets, the compensation needs to be significant. 

[homer]

being underwhelmed by the return is a  very real possibility if the Jets pay all of Rodgers salary. I'm just hoping for at least one first round pick. 

[kestrel79]

I'm preparing myself to be underwhelmed by the return...last year was the chance to cash in. But I get it you don't want to trade your QB coming off back to back MVP seasons I get it. Hindsight is 20/20.

Only way we get something a little better back is if other teams are really in the running like the Raiders too and there's some competition.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

36 minutes ago, homer said:

being underwhelmed by the return is a  very real possibility if the Jets pay all of Rodgers salary. I'm just hoping for at least one first round pick. 

That's where I'm at as well. I would expect this year's 1st rounder, and anything more than that is gravy. Anything less than that, though, and I'd be pretty disappointed. I realize that it's different situations, but the package that Denver gave up last offseason for Russell Wilson was pretty huge for a player who was coming off a pretty bad 2021 season in Seattle. Granted Wilson is quite a bit younger, but he looked done in Seattle, and he followed it up by looking washed in Denver. But Wilson has never been in Rodgers' stratosphere talent-wise, either.

[SeaBass]

I've seen stuff about them getting a 2nd and maybe a conditional 3rd in 2024. There was an article I read last night, or maybe it was a tweet, that said that apparently the Packers aren't concerned about holding out to get the absolute best trade value, their focus is about simply getting something fair to get the trade done.

Of course I would be thrilled to get the Jets 1st round pick this season so I'm still hoping, just feeling like it's not going to happen.

[Fear The Chorizo]

59 minutes ago, kestrel79 said:

I'm preparing myself to be underwhelmed by the return...last year was the chance to cash in. But I get it you don't want to trade your QB coming off back to back MVP seasons I get it. Hindsight is 20/20.

Only way we get something a little better back is if other teams are really in the running like the Raiders too and there's some competition.

I do think there are multiple teams that would be interested in trading for Rodgers - but the Jets make the most sense with Hackett there...although it would be ironic if Rodgers stays in GB or goes elsewhere, the Jets' offense continues to stink and Hackett is fired for the 2nd time in as many years after he was hired by other organizations with the thought of him being a key to land Rodgers.

Part of the return of trading Rodgers is getting out from under his contract and the yearly drama that follows around what an aging HOF quarterback will do at the end of each season, and handing the keys to a different young QB who is as ready as he'll be to become a starter.

[PeaveyFury]

19 hours ago, sveumrules said:

Could they win ten games next year and make the playoffs with Love at QB? Sure, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Frankly, I'm not ENTIRELY sure that's the plan. They may take 2023 as a reboot year to clear cap and reload for 2024 and beyond. There's validity to that mindset, though I do think the team is more talent-laden than we seem to give them credit for.

[SeaBass]

10 minutes ago, PeaveyFury said:

Frankly, I'm not ENTIRELY sure that's the plan. They may take 2023 as a reboot year to clear cap and reload for 2024 and beyond. There's validity to that mindset, though I do think the team is more talent-laden than we seem to give them credit for.

This is honestly what I've assumed for the last couple seasons with the "will he or won't he" be traded shenanigans. It's hard to expect playoffs in year one of Jordan Love under center, especially considering they didn't make the playoffs last year WITH Rodgers. I'm a little surprised people seem to think they'll still compete this season when/if Rodgers is traded. I think it's a big reason that Rodgers is amenable to a trade in the first place, that him staying in Green Bay isn't going to translate to being an upper-tier contender.

[DR28]

Nevermind - stupid Twitter.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

1 minute ago, DR28 said:

Trade is done per Schefter.

Well, you aren't wrong.