By Lenn Robbins
Football has it’s $50 million man. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has everything he wants, right?
Well, he no longer has his favorite target, wide receiver Davante Adams. You see there’s a price to pay for paying one player $50 million. You also don’t get to keep the terrific edge rusher, Za’Darius Smith, who sacked quarterbacks 26 times in 2019-20 before sitting out last season (back) but signed with the rival Minnesota Vikings. You don’t get to keep one of your secondary receivers, Marquez Valdes-Scantling. And you don’t get to make a big splash in free agency.
Sure hope that $50 million was the right move. Makes you wonder what becomes of Jordan Love, the quarterback taken with the 26th pick in 2020 NFL Draft.
But the Packers have their quarterback. Green Bay has the NFL’s MEB – Most Eligible Bachelor in Rodgers who reportedly has split from actress Shailene Woodley.
Now for the – let’s call it – $500 million question: Are the Packers, who finished tied for the best record in the NFC last season at 13-4, still good enough to win a Super Bowl? Excellent question.
For all you Cheeseheads, the answer objectively can be, “Yes!” Rodgers, 38, is coming off his fourth MVP season. His career touchdown-to-interceptions numbers (449-93) are computer game good. His arm was touched by the hand of Hermes. He even was the best Jeopardy host not named the late, great Alex Trebek.
Rodgers should work behind a terrific offensive line, assuming tackles David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins are fully recovered from ACL tears. There is no better running back tandem in the NFC than Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. The defense, which boasts what might be the most athletic linebacking corps in the NFL – Quay Walker, Rashan Gary, De’Vondre Campbell – should match last year’s numbers of 21.8 points and 328 yards allowed per game.
Here’s the rub: The Pack didn’t give Rodgers $50 million to hand the ball off and watch the defense put on a show. Green Bay will throw the ball and this is the group that will need to earn Rodgers’s confidence, if not respect: Veteran slot receiver Randall Cobb, developing wideout Allen Lazard, rookie Christian Watson and the underachieving Sammy Watkins.
The group has looked good in OTAs but this is like putting retread tires on a McLaren 720S.
“It’s early,” Rodgers said this spring. “I’m not going to make a lot of impression statements about them. But the most important thing is the mental part right now. As much as there’s conversation around the importance of me being here and how much that means to the young guys, the most important thing for the young guys right now is to learn the offense.
“Like I’ve said many times, there’s two offenses. There’s the offense on paper and then there’s the offense that gets run on the field. They need to learn the offense on paper first, and once they get that down, then we’ll have plenty of time in training camp to get the other offense down.”
So sayeth the NFL’s $50 million man.
Major Moves: Trading away Adams might not be the biggest obstacle for the Packers to overcome. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is now the Broncos head coach. He took quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy with him. Adam Stenavich was promoted to OC and Tom Clements came out of retirement to work with Rodgers. If there’s a delicate relationship in the NFL it’s between Rodgers and his quarterback coach.
Free Agency: The biggest move was in house. The Packers kept Campbell, signing him to a five-year deal worth up to $50 million. He posted 145 tackles, two interceptions, two sacks and two forced fumbles last season. Big keep. Watkins started his career in Buffalo before playing one season with the Rams and the last two with the Chiefs. The former No.4 overall pick has never matched the hype. But if does…
Draft: The Pack traded Adams to the Raiders for a first round pick (No. 22) and a second round pick (No. 53.). They used the former on Georgia LB Quay Walker, a 6-4, 240-pound specimen. The used their own first rounder (No. 28) on Georgia (Hint: Georgia’s defense was really good last season) DL Devonte Wyatt, a 6-foot-3, 315-pound beast. (Hint: The Packers defense should be really good this season).
But the pick that will garner all the attention is Watson, who the Packers traded up for in the second-round. Watson has every measurable to make for an exceptional NFL WR – 6-foot-4, 208 pounds, and a 4.36 40. But he played at FCS power North Dakota State, not, uh, national champion Georgia. He might turn out to be the next Devonte Adams but he doesn’t know how to set up defenders the way the former Green Bay WR did and Adams was an excellent blocker.
Warning: Three things we know about Rodgers: 1. He’s a highly intelligent dude. 2. He will go down as one of the greatest QBs in NFL history. 3. He’s a narcissist. If the new receiving corps doesn’t get it going by the midway point of the season, Rodgers could become a headache – a $50 million migraine.
Key Early Game: It’s so tempting to go with the Week 1 showdown at the rival Vikings.
But, Green Bay travels to Tampa Bay in Week 3, which means Rodgers vs Tom Brady.
(Notice to probation officer: I will not be taking any phone calls the afternoon of September 25.)
Record: 12-5. The over/under on wins at DraftKings is 11. The Packers are all but guaranteed four wins because of home-and-homes with the Bears and Lions. That’s seven wins out of the other 13 games. It’s not about the regular season anyway. Green Bay hasn’t won a Super Bowl since 2011.
Fantasy: Rodgers threw for 37 TDs and 4 Ints last season – amazing numbers but he’s had three seasons of 40 or more TDS (2011, 2016, 2020). He’s a tempting choice. But without Adams, and the uncertainty of starting a rookie, it makes us think Rodgers might drop below 35 TDs. We’re taking the under.
BetBasics.com Bite: The Packers have won three straight NFC North Division titles and seven of the last 11. Their odds of making it four in a row is -200, not an attractive wager. But the Vikings at +300 match up well against the Pack, the one difference being at QB where Kirk Cousins has never been included in the same sentence as Rodgers until now. We took the Vikings at +275 months ago.