Former Packer James Jones Gives Aaron Rodgers Trade Prediction | Packers News & Rumors
"If they lose out on Aaron Rodgers this is a huge loss for this Jets organization."
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We are now only 7 days away from the 2023 NFL Draft and Aaron Rodgers is still on the Green Bay Packers roster. It has now been 36 days since Aaron Rodgers made it clear that his intentions are to play for the New York Jets in 2023.
The day Aaron Rodgers made it clear he wanted to be a Jet I thought a trade would immediately follow.
Boy was I wrong! What is the holdup??
I wonder if the NFL gives GM’s secret bonuses if they hold off making things official so that the NFL can make as much money as possible.
For all we know Roger Godell sent Brian Gutekunst and Joe Douglas a few bitcoin to keep quiet until the draft. Plus as everyone knows the NFL is 100% scripted so this would make perfect sense (I kid).
This morning I came across a clip from former Packer WR and Aaron Rodgers teammate James Jones on the Carton Show discussing his thoughts on what is going on right now with this whole Aaron Rodgers trade fiasco.
“If they don’t get Aaron Rodgers you are talking about another miserable season for Jets fans because you’re going to have to watch Zach Wilson go out there and it’ll probably be a carousel, 5,6,7 quarterbacks.”
I 100% agree. The Jets need Aaron Rodgers.
“You have a really good young defense, really good young players around the quarterback on the offensive side of the ball. You need a guy that can sling it over the yard. Aaron Rodgers is that guy. So yes, if they lose out on Aaron Rodgers this is a huge loss for this Jets organization and I don’t know if they even get to 5 wins if they do not get Aaron Rodgers.”
This is why I would be shocked if the Jets let Aaron Rodgers slip away. What would their back up plan be? Zach Wilson? The fact that they got to a point where Aaron Rodgers wants to be traded away from Green Bay and the Packers are willing to facilitate it for the right price is a HUGE win for the Jets. And as I wrote about yesterday, if the Jets let this fall through their fan base will never let them live it down.
Zach Wilson has greatly underperformed expectations in his first two years. We have to remember he was drafted #2 overall in the 2021 NFL draft. Even if you have one of the first few picks in the draft the guy you select is no sure thing. It happens consistently with top QB picks. You have a sure thing in Aaron Rodgers.
Then James Jones goes on and makes this prediction.
“And that’s why I said I truly believe something will happen before the draft because they know that. They know that they have to get something done. They know they’re a quarterback away from competing. They know that they need to make something happen.
“And the same thing for the Packers. You know that you are ready to go onto Jordan Love right now. Obviously you are talking about one of the baddest man to ever play the football game. You don’t want to just give him up for pennies or 1 3rd round pick so yeah, we gotta get the right compensation that we feel is for Aaron Rodgers and I think that is what is holding it up and as the draft gets closer this will heat up.”
All sides benefit from a trade getting done before or on draft day. Both organizations can move on with plans for the future.
But as James Jones mentioned, if you are not getting the compensation you want for Rodgers then don’t go through with the deal. If the Jets aren’t willing to pony up draft capital, other teams may be able to. We’ve heard the rumors about the 49ers in the past couple weeks…
Can you imagine if we got to draft night and the 49ers swoop in and make a trade for Rodgers??
While I’d rather the Packers trade with an AFC team if the only way we get a sufficient return on Rodgers is by trading him to an NFC team like the 49ers then I am fine with it. If Rodgers was only 30 years old my opinion would likely be different. If he did go to San Francisco and dominate for a year or 2 it would be hard to watch no doubt, but the Packers should do whatever it takes to build up a young foundation around Jordan Love even if it means sending Rodgers to an NFC rival.
While we are on the 49ers topic their QB situation is a little bit up in the air right now. Here’s what NFL.com’s Kevin Paltra had to say a few days ago,
“With Trey Lance also coming off a season-ending injury, the Niners could have one of the most intriguing quarterback battles come training camp later this summer. If healthy, Purdy enters as the favorite, but he might not be ready to go for Week 1, as coach Kyle Shanahan indicated last month, which could open the door for Lance -- or theoretically Sam Darnold -- to run away with the gig.”
We all saw how 7th round draft pick Brock Purdy came out of nowhere last year and led the 49ers deep into the playoffs until his unfortunate elbow injury in the NFC championship game. There seems to be a chance that he will not be ready by the time the season starts. The 49ers do have Trey Lance and Sam Darnold on their roster, but I think the 49ers wouldn’t be afraid to take a swing at Rodgers if the Packers and Jets don’t end up coming to an agreement.
The 49ers are already one of the most complete teams on both offense and defense and Aaron Rodgers would take them over the top and easily make them favorites in the NFC. The issue is that they don’t have a 2023 1st or 2nd round draft pick. They still have their 2024 1st round pick. They have so many offensive weapons that they could throw in someone like WR Brandon Aiyuk or TE George Kittle in a trade to give Love much needed receiving help.
The 49ers have shown in the past that they are not afraid to take big swings. Last year they gave up a 2nd,3rd, 4th, and 5th round draft pick for Christian Mccafrey.
You don’t think they’d be willing to give a 1st and potentially a 2nd for Aaron Rodgers? I think they 100% would. And if that is what Christian Mccafrey went for I would be shocked if the Jets were really trying to trade for Aaron Rodgers by sending anything less than two 2nd round picks.