HEADLINES

Green Bay Packers News & Rumors

Packers Targeting WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba At No. 13?

April 25th, 2023 at 5:28pm CST by Ben Levine

As part of the Aaron Rodgers/Jets trade, the Packers managed to move up two spots in the first round. Green Bay’s front office is hoping that jump will help them secure one of the draft’s top wide receivers. According to Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter), the Packers are hoping their leap from No. 15 to No. 13 will make it “easier to secure” Ohio State wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

[RELATED: Packers, Cowboys Eyeing TE Michael Mayer?]

Following a 10-reception season as a freshman, Smith-Njigba broke onto the scene in 2021. Despite playing alongside 2022 first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, the sophomore managed to haul in 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. Smith-Njigba was expected to take another step in 2022 as the top receiver on the depth chart, but he was limited to only three games and five catches while dealing with a lingering hamstring injury.

Smith-Njigba ended up declaring for the draft before Ohio State’s CFP semifinal against Georgia, citing the fact that he wouldn’t be healthy enough to contribute in the postseason. While that decision could have hurt his draft stock, precedent suggests that teams will look past his injury-marred junior campaign. It was just last year that the Lions selected Jameson Williams despite his torn ACL.

Indeed, ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rated Smith-Njigba as one of four wide receivers with a first-round grade (alongside TCU’s Quentin Johnston, Boston College’s Zay Flowers, and USC’s Jordan Addison). Now sitting at No. 13, the Packers could be in prime position to select their preferred receiver, especially if one of Johnson/Flowers/Addison is selected within the top-12. The Giants, who are currently armed with the No. 25 pick, were previously mentioned as a potential landing spot for Smith-Njigba.

Despite moving on from their franchise QB, the Packers are still looking for offensive weapons to surround Jordan Love. We heard earlier today that the team was eyeing Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, and the team also previously hosted Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid on a visit.

Packers, Cowboys Eyeing TE Michael Mayer?

April 25th, 2023 at 11:51am CST by Adam La Rose

The 2023 wide receiver class is relatively lacking compared to recent drafts, but this year will provide teams with a number of high-end options at the tight end position. One of the top prospects is being connected to a few different teams in the first round order.

Michael Mayer is widely seen as the most well-rounded tight end in this year’s celebrated class. The Notre Dame product had high-end production in each of the past two seasons in particular, totaling 138 catches, 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns. Over that time, he also demonstrated a strong run blocking ability, setting him apart from other seam-stretchers who were primarily tasked with playing a role in the passing game. Mayer was named a consensus All-American in 2022.

That has earned him interest from several teams in the pre-draft process, and led to the expectation that he will be a first-round lock. The Packers have frequently been connected to a pass-catcher of some kind with their top pick – which now sits at No. 13. Selecting a tight end could put them in consideration for Utah alum Dalton Kincaid, but SI’s Albert Breer notes that Green Bay has most often been named as a team interested in adding Mayer. The latter is likely to have a more immediate impact in the NFL given his skillset, something which could be of particular benefit for an offense transitioning to Jordan Love under center.

Should Mayer slide into the 20s on Thursday, he can still be considered a lock to hear his name called that night. Veteran NFL reporter Mike Giardi tweets that the Cowboys are high on the former Fighting Irishman, and Dallas represents his floor. The Cowboys own the No. 26 pick, and have a need at the TE spot after losing Dalton Schultz in free agency. Kincaid may represent a more direct comparison for Schultz, but Dallas has ton “a ton of work” on Mayer, per Giardi.

A number of other tight ends beyond Mayer and Kincaid are projected to be drafted on Day 2 and make a considerable impact, meaning Green Bay and Dallas will both have secondary options to choose from. It would appear their preference, however, would be to acquire Mayer on Thursday as part of their offensive re-tooling.

Jets, Packers Agree On Aaron Rodgers Trade

April 24th, 2023 at 11:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

After several weeks of negotiations, the Jets and Packers agreed to a deal Monday. Aaron Rodgers is heading to the Big Apple for a picks package that includes first-rounders changing hands, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter).

Fifteen years after it took only a conditional third-rounder for the Jets to land Brett Favre, the latest future Hall of Fame Packers QB fetched the NFC North franchise a much bigger haul. Here are the trade terms:

Packers receive:

  • 2023 first-round pick (No. 13 overall)
  • 2023 second-round pick (No. 42)
  • 2023 sixth-rounder (No. 207)
  • 2024 conditional second-round pick, which can become a first if Rodgers plays 65% of the Jets’ offensive plays this season

Jets receive:

  • Rodgers
  • 2023 first-round pick (No. 15)
  • 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 170)

As part of this trade agreement, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) Rodgers is expected to sign a revised contract to help the Packers’ cap. As it stands now, a trade would tag the Pack with $40.3MM in dead money. The adjusted contract is expected to keep the trade from becoming official for a bit, and Brian Gutekunst said (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman) the deal is not yet final and that he has not yet spoken with Rodgers. But with the terms agreed to, this weeks-long process is near the goal line. The sixth-year Packers GM said the expectation is this will be official before the draft, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

As it stands now, the Jets will owe Rodgers a $58.3MM bonus this year. It is not known how a restructure would affect the Jets’ cap, but as of now, Rodgers would be set to count barely $15MM on the AFC East team’s 2023 payroll.

This represents an interesting trade package for the Packers, as the deal does not contain any protection for the Jets if Rodgers retires after this season. At the very least, Green Bay will receive two additional second-rounders for Rodgers. The Canton-bound QB has played at least 65% of the Packers’ offensive snaps in all but two of his 15 seasons as a starter (excepting 2013 and 2017). That points to the Packers receiving the Jets’ 2024 first-rounder. Although Gutekunst said recently it would not require a first-round pick for the Packers to unload Rodgers, it looks more likely than not this deal will lead to a future first coming back to the Pack.

Rodgers met with the Jets in early March and expressed interest in joining the team soon after. The Jets also met with Derek Carr, but the Saints came in with a big offer to ramp up the pressure on Gang Green to come away with the four-time MVP. Rodgers’ current contract — a $50.3MM-per-year deal agreed to in March 2022 — runs through 2025.

While Rodgers said years ago he would love to play into his 40s, the legendary passer has flirted with retirement for a bit now. It should not be considered a lock Rodgers plays more than one season with the Jets; he said he was 90% retired going into his much-discussed darkness retreat. Favre retirement No. 2 occurred after one Jets season; an even brighter spotlight figures to be on the 2023 Jets as a result of the trade for Favre’s successor.

Shortly after signing Mecole Hardman, the Jets dealt Elijah Moore to the Browns. Armed with two second-rounders, the Jets used the first of those in this trade. They will enter this draft with a pick two spots down in Round 1, but ahead of this pivotal Rodgers-led season, Gang Green still has first- and second-round picks with which to bolster their roster.

Although rumors about this latest Jets-Packers QB blockbuster not being done by the draft circulated, this will cut the cord ahead of the team’s first offseason with Jordan Love in the starter’s spot. Talks intensified late last week, per Schefter and ESPN’s Rich Cimini, and continued into the weekend. It is safe to say the Jets will top their 2022 total of primetime games (one) this season. While the Packers’ number figures to dip, Love’s effort to follow one of the game’s all-time greats will certainly generate considerable attention as well.

In January, Gutekunst deferred to Rodgers’ four MVPs when asked if the longtime starter or Love gave the 2023 team a better chance to win. Rodgers expected to be welcomed back to Green Bay, but as the offseason progressed, this relationship — which produced a 2021 fracture that included a Rodgers trade request — encountered more turbulence. After the Packers traded up for Love in 2020, Rodgers said the prospect of him finishing his career with the Packers no longer appeared certain. The Love pick did precede back-to-back MVPs — both seasons featuring new Jets OC Nathaniel Hackett in a non-play-calling OC role — and Rodgers deciding he wanted to play the 2022 season in Green Bay. But after a disappointing season, trade winds blew again.

Rodgers, 39, is coming off a down year. He finished 26th in QBR and saw his counting stats dip across the board. But the veteran passer was playing through injuries. A broken thumb and a rib malady affected Rodgers, who was also playing without Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. While second-round pick Christian Watson showed late-season promise, a Watson-Romeo Doubs–Allen Lazard troika represented a considerable step down from Rodgers’ previous receiving corps. This led to the Packers falling from back-to-back No. 1 seeds to 8-9 and out of the playoffs, inviting more questions about Rodgers’ Wisconsin future.

The Packers have Love tied to only one more year of low-wage salaries, with their latest extended QB transition mostly preventing them from building around the valuable rookie-QB contract, but the team will finally gauge the Utah State alum’s viability as a long-term starter. The Packers must decide on Love’s fifth-year option — worth $20.27MM — by May 2. Love has thrown 83 career passes. His lone start of consequence — a November 2021 Arrowhead Stadium tilt — did not go well, but the Packers are believed to have seen substantial growth in 2022. That said, the team going from Rodgers to Love invites tremendous risk. After a 6-10 starter debut in 2008, Rodgers — one of the greatest players in franchise history — proved the Packers right. Will Love do the same?

While Love is still an unknown commodity, the Jets had seen enough from Zach Wilson. The former No. 2 overall pick entered his rookie and sophomore NFL seasons unchallenged for the starting role, but after failing to make strides in his second season, Wilson landed on the bench after holding a much-improved Jets defense back. Mike White‘s injury issues moved Wilson back into the starting lineup late last season, but the BYU product’s future as a Jets contributor is very much in doubt. After White left for Miami, Wilson remains in place as a backup, but his future as a Jets starter — this early-career redshirt effort notwithstanding — is probably over. Two years remain on Wilson’s rookie contract.

The Wilson-to-Rodgers upgrade will be massive, regardless of the latter’s 2023 form. Rodgers is a 10-time Pro Bowler who piloted the Packers to five NFC championship games and a Super Bowl XLV win. The Packers generated steady criticism for not achieving enough with Rodgers under center, but the team largely eschewed free agency during the bulk of Ted Thompson‘s GM tenure. Gutekunst proved more active, but his 2022 receiver plan constrained the superstar QB.

The Jets have operated aggressively, adding Lazard and Hardman at receiver (and pursuing Odell Beckham Jr.), and trading for safety Chuck Clark. Rodgers has begun recruiting for his new team, making a pitch to Calais Campbell, who ultimately signed with the Falcons. But it should not be expected the Jets are done adding veterans around their biggest QB name in at least 15 years. Like the Buccaneers were with Tom Brady and the Broncos with Peyton Manning, the Jets can safely be classified as “all in” around their QB prize.

They were not on the radar when Rodgers initially asked to be traded. The Broncos loomed as the most likely destination, but while the Packers could have obtained more in a 2021 or 2022 trade with Denver, a Hackett reunion will instead transpire in New York. Denver being unable to land Rodgers led the team to Russell Wilson and Hackett — after a disastrous partnership — becoming the third HC since the 1970 merger to be fired before his first season ended. Hackett will have a fascinating bounce-back opportunity.

After whiffing on Wilson and not hitting on other first-round QBs (Mark Sanchez, Sam Darnold), the Jets committed to finding a veteran and acquired the biggest name available. But this introduces high stakes. The jobs of Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas, after the team ended last season on a six-game losing streak, may well be tied to Rodgers’ 2023 success. The Jets, however, stand to be a factor in a loaded AFC. This Rodgers-in-New York period promises to be one of the most interesting partnerships in NFL history.

Packers, Jets Resume Aaron Rodgers Talks

April 23rd, 2023 at 10:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

More than one month has passed since Aaron Rodgers went public with his desire to play for the Jets in 2023. That led to the widespread belief a trade would soon follow, but neither New York nor Green Bay has operated with much urgency to finalize a move.

After a period without talks taking place, the two sides have resumed negotiating (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). That comes as no surprise, with the upcoming draft being frequently mentioned as a logical deadline for a price (and the handling of Rodgers’ contract, which includes a $58.3MM bonus owing sometime in 2023) to be agreed upon. The first or second day of the draft could very well see a deal come to fruition, depending on the nature of the draft capital which ends up being exchanged.

That has remained the sticking point throughout this process, with the Packers reportedly being willing to accept an offer not involving a first-round pick for the four-time MVP. The Jets have, understandably, been hesitant to part with a Day 1 pick this year or next for a 39-year-old player, though that factor could complicate the situation to the point where conditional selections are included in the final deal.

Green Bay remains hopeful that a 2024 first-rounder could be coming their way, but in the immediate future it remains likely that New York will part with at least one of their second-rounders. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes that one of the Jets’ Day 2 selections (Nos. 42 and 43) is still at the heart of the agreement, most of which is in place. Matt Schneidman of The Athletic corroborates that notion, adding that a trade finalized during this week’s draft will all-but assuredly include at least one of New York’s first three selections (subscription required).

The Jets could be well-positioned to add further to their new-look offense (built in no small part with the assumption that Rodgers will be at the helm soon) especially if one of the class’ top tackles are still on the board at No. 13. Their decision to move on from wideout Elijah Moore generated their extra second-rounder, and keeping one would allow them to add another notable rookie to an already strong roster. The team’s window to compete in a crowded AFC would obviously accelerate if Rodgers were indeed to head to the Big Apple for one or more seasons.

Rapoport adds that nothing is imminent at this point, but hope exists on both sides that a trade can cross the finish line this week. Such a development would put an end to one of the league’s top offseason storylines, and represent a crucial inflection point for each franchise for at least the short-term future.

Packers HC Matt LaFleur On DC Joe Barry, Secondary Plans

April 23rd, 2023 at 10:24am CST by Rory Parks

When Packers head coach Matt LaFleur endorsed defensive coordinator Joe Barry in January, it was clear that he would allow Barry to lead Green Bay’s defense for a third season in 2023, despite the opportunity to pursue candidates like Vic Fangio, Ejiro Evero, and Steve Wilks.

In his first public comments since making that decision, LaFleur explained that in addition to continuity and staff chemistry — which he had previously cited as reasons for retaining Barry — the defense’s improved performance down the stretch of the 2022 season also played a key role.

“Our defense was getting better, it was progressing,” LaFleur said at last month’s owners meetings (via Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette). “I thought Joe was doing a good job of communicating with our players. I thought our staff was doing a great job together, putting our guys in a better situation, having just more clarity on what it is we wanted to be and our play style, and I thought it got better. I felt like that was in the best interest of us to bring all those (coaches) back.”

The Packers finished the 2022 campaign ranked 17th in both points (21.8) and yards (337) allowed per game, and for a defense that was expected to be among the league’s best, that qualified as a major disappointment. During Green Bay’s five-game losing streak in October and early November, it was reported that players were becoming frustrated with Barry’s scheme and play-calling, and LaFleur acknowledged that adjustments were not made as quickly as they should have been.

Still, after Barry simplified his play-calling, and after other tactical changes — like playing more press coverage and benching underperforming safety Darnell Savage — were made, the defense got better, and the Packers nearly snuck into the postseason. With Jordan Love set to become the club’s starting quarterback, it will be imperative for Barry & Co. to carry their momentum into 2023, and if that does not happen, then Barry could be out of a job and LaFleur will be subjected to plenty of second-guessing.

Another productive adjustment that was made in the second half of the 2022 season was moving Rasul Douglas from nickel corner to the boundaries (although that move was only made due to Eric Stokes‘ season-ending knee and ankle injuries). Per LaFleur, the team will utilize a rotation of Jaire Alexander, Stokes, and Douglas outside the numbers, and Keisean Nixon will get a chance to claim the slot corner position. Nixon has never been a full-time defensive player — his 28% defensive snap share last year was a career-high — but the coaching staff is clearly high on his ability and prefers to have one player predominantly occupying the nickel role.

Nixon did earn a First Team All-Pro nod for his work as a return man in 2022, and he was retained for the 2023 season on a one-year pact that can max out at $6MM. LaFleur said that the team will create an offensive package for Nixon in an effort to get the ball in his hands more often (Twitter link via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky).

The team’s plan for Nixon means that Savage is not, as had been suggested previously, presently under consideration to man the slot. Instead, Savage will get the chance to reclaim his job as a starting safety and to work alongside free agent acquisition Tarvarius Moore on the back end of the defense. Savage is entering a platform year, so his 2023 performance will have a major impact on his financial future.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/17/23

April 17th, 2023 at 10:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Teams with returning head coaches are now free to begin offseason workouts, leading to this high number of RFA and ERFA tenders being signed. Bryant and Reaves signed the low-end tender, while the Packers gave Nijman a second-round tender. Bryant and Reaves are tied to $2.62MM salaries; Nijman is attached to a $4.3MM number. Nijman has both played left and right tackle, settling in at the latter spot after the Packers moved Elgton Jenkins back to guard last season. ERFAs are two years from unrestricted free agency; RFAs are one year away.

An August shoulder injury cost Williams his 2022 season, but the former second-round pick was trending in the wrong direction with the Patriots. New England chose Williams 45th overall in 2019 but used him as a starter only once. New Vikings DC Brian Flores was no longer with the Pats when they drafted Williams, 25, but the team will take a flier on the Vanderbilt alum.

Several Teams Interested In C John Michael Schmitz

April 16th, 2023 at 8:12pm CST by Ely Allen

Center is an intriguing position when determining draft value, as the top centers can be extremely valuable but aren’t always considered first rounders. The most recent example saw the Ravens draft Tyler Linderbaum last year to be rewarded with a top-six center, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

While this year’s top centers, Joe Tippmann of Wisconsin and John Michael Schmitz of Minnesota, aren’t entirely expected to go in the first round, Schmitz has been receiving plenty of interest and shouldn’t last long into the second round, if he’s still available by then.

We had noted a private workout with the Steelers weeks ago. Since then, Schmitz has participated in a private workout and dinner with the Jets, a top 30 visit and dinner with the Seahawks, a top 30 visit with the Vikings, and a coach workout and dinner with the Giants, according to Pat Leonard of New York Daily News. Additionally, the 24-year-old has had Zoom contact with the Texans, Titans, Colts, Bills, and Packers.

Seattle has reportedly been “all over” Schmitz, according to Leonard. After the retirement announcement of center Austin Blythe, the Seahawks certainly could use a strong new potential starter to anchor their line. The only center currently on the roster is career backup Joey Hunt, who returned to Seattle last year after two seasons with the Colts. The other team that has shown a lot of love towards Schmitz is the Jets, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. With Connor McGovern‘s contract expiring this offseason, New York could also use a young, new center for presumed quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

While center can be a tough position to pinpoint and Tippmann remains as competition for the best center prospect, the sheer amount of interest in Schmitz leads to the belief that he won’t last long into Day 2 of the draft later this month. That’s if he even makes it past Day 1.

Utah TE Dalton Kincaid Cleared Before Draft

April 16th, 2023 at 6:38pm CST by Ely Allen

This year’s draft class is extremely deep at the tight end position, and one of the top prospects faced the additional challenge of a recent injury. Despite a back injury suffered late in the season, Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid has officially been cleared for football activity prior to the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Dr. Robert Watkins sent an email to NFL teams fully clearing the 23-year-old. “Dalton Kincaid sustained a back injury while playing football on 11/26/2022,” the email said. “Subsequent MRIs have shown appropriate healing, and he has been asymptomatic with no pain and no limitation of function for at least 3 months. He is cleared to play football with no restrictions.”

The injury caused him to miss the Senior Bowl and NFL scouting combine, and a shoulder injury forced him to miss time earlier in the year, as well. The injury issues don’t help concerns about his smaller frame for an NFL tight end. Yet, Kincaid is still a stellar pass-catching option who caught at least eight touchdowns in four of five college seasons (the fifth being the COVID-shortened season).

The full clearance is big for Kincaid, who is expected to be selected in the first round later this month. He and Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer are widely anticipated to go on Day 1, while Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave and Georgia’s Darnell Washington have a chance, as well. With such a deep class, a nagging back injury could’ve really hurt Kincaid’s draft stock; a full clearance should keep Kincaid with his status as a consensus top two tight end in the draft.

With injury concerns out of the way, Kincaid has had several visits planned with NFL teams. The Ute met with the Bengals and Patriots this past week and has plans to visit the Packers in the week to come. Prior to those visits, Kincaid had spent time with the Texans, Raiders, Chargers, Jaguars, Titans, Lions, Chiefs, and Cowboys.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/14/23

April 14th, 2023 at 7:40pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: OL Kevin Jarvis

Green Bay Packers

Pittsburgh Steelers

 

Muse’s career was in doubt early when the former third-round pick was waived by the Raiders just before his second year without him ever having played a snap for the team that drafted him. After joining the Seahawks practice squad in 2021, Muse worked to get back on track after an injury-riddled rookie season.

After working his way onto the active roster late into his first season in Seattle, Muse played in every game for the Seahawks in 2022. Serving primarily as a core special teamer, Muse even began to earn some playing time on defense late in the year.

Packers Still Seeking Jets First-Rounder In Aaron Rodgers Trade

April 13th, 2023 at 10:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Gutekunst said the eventual Aaron Rodgers trade does not need to include a first-round pick, but it seems like the Packers have not abandoned hopes of collecting one from the Jets in these long-running trade talks.

The Packers are still angling to acquire the Jets’ 2024 first-round pick, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com said during an appearance on the Wilde and Tausch show with veteran reporter Jason Wilde and ex-Packers O-lineman Mark Tauscher. The Packers do not appear to be going after the Jets’ No. 13 pick this year, but Robinson adds they want a 2023 second-rounder and the 2024 first.

New York acquired an additional second-round pick in the Elijah Moore trade and now holds the Nos. 42 and 43 selections this year; the team is willing to give up at least a second-rounder in this deal. It should be expected one of them will be included in a Rodgers trade, and the talks could run up to Day 2 of this year’s draft. Unloading Rodgers by that point and picking up at least one high 2023 draft choice would be the best way for the Packers to give Rodgers’ successor, Jordan Love, more help after an 8-9 season. Should a trade not be completed by the draft, a number of possibilities enter the equation.

The Jets are balking at including a 2024 first-rounder in this deal, per Robinson, who said the Packers are open to including a 2025 draft choice in the swap in the event Rodgers retires after this coming season. Woody Johnson looks to be leading the holdup here, aiming to avoid a Broncos-like scenario that sees the asset struggling after the team parted with a monster trade haul. While the (post-Nathaniel Hackett) Wilson-Denver book is not closed, Seattle does hold the team’s No. 5 overall pick. It would seem Rodgers’ success in the Hackett-Matt LaFleur offense would protect the Jets against a similar combustion, but the 39-year-old QB’s annual retirement flirtations obviously have the Jets skittish about overpaying here.

At a Jets event recently, GM Joe Douglas expressed confidence Rodgers will soon be Big Apple-bound. The Packers owe Rodgers nearly $60MM, but that payment — which can be sent any time between now and Week 1 — is expected to be the Jets’ responsibility. How to restructure Rodgers’ $50.3MM-per-year contract — which runs through 2025 — represents a part of these trade talks as well.

With the Packers undoubtedly wanting no part of that near-$60MM payment, Rodgers will almost definitely be off their roster by Week 1. This process dragging past the draft would still turn up the heat a bit on the Jets, who will surely want Rodgers rostered before at least minicamp in June or training camp at the latest. The Jets standing down as Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo signed elsewhere obviously increases the pressure to acquire Rodgers, though Ryan Tannehill could conceivably become an emergency backup plan. The Jets have joined the rest of the league in not pursuing Lamar Jackson.

The Jets did not acquire Brett Favre until early August 2008, and with Rodgers spending the past four seasons running the offense Hackett will implement, assimilation is probably not a significant Jets concern. But the Jets can also attempt to wait out the Packers, as that bonus payment looms. That said, Rodgers developing chemistry with Garrett Wilson and Mecole Hardman will be important for the Jets, who gave longtime Rodgers auxiliary target Allen Lazard an $11MM-per-year deal.

It cost only a conditional third-round pick for the Jets to acquire Favre’s rights 15 years ago. Johnson was part of those negotiations, but his team will need to pay more for Favre’s successor. Day 2 of this year’s draft (April 28) will be the first major deadline in these negotiations.

Load More Posts