The team is currently in first place. The Packers made a mistake by trading for QB Aaron Rodgers before the season, and now that they are struggling without him, it’s time to admit their error. They should trade Jordan Love at the NFL Trade Deadline to fix things up with A-Rod
The “Jordan Love Packers” is a mistake that the Green Bay Packers have made. The team has been in disarray since Aaron Rodgers’ injury and they need to make some changes. They should trade Jordan Love at the NFL Trade Deadline. Read more in detail here: jordan love packers.
With a 7-1 record and the most spectacular victory of the Matt LaFleur era behind them, it’s time for the Green Bay Packers to confess they were mistaken in attempting to move on from Aaron Rodgers a few years too soon. The Packers need to go all-in on Rodgers and deal backup quarterback Jordan Love before the NFL trade deadline in 2021.
Rodgers is coming off a season in which he was named MVP and is in contention for another. He’s committed emotionally in the team’s success, and his leadership has led to a seven-game winning run for the Packers.
The Packers are not only one of the greatest NFC teams, but they also seem to be the best team in the NFL. General manager Brian Gutekunst has developed a strong club that has survived numerous key player injuries, and with some of those players expected to return shortly, the Packers might be a juggernaut.
As the NFL playoffs approach, now is the time to make a move and cement Green Bay’s position at the top. Green Bay needs to win the Super Bowl, and a significant trade before the deadline would enhance the club while also demonstrating to their MVP quarterback that the front office is now all-in.
The Green Bay Packers must confess that choosing Jordan Love was a mistake.
In the first half of the preseason game at Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers #10 Jordan Love dives back to make a ball against the Houston Texans | Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
Every club with an aging great quarterback has a succession plan, so the Packers’ front staff didn’t make a mistake there. Investing in the future of the company by drafting a quarterback like Love in the first round.
Gutekunst did not make a mistake when he drafted Love. When he picked Love, he made a mistake.
Only a few months after losing in the NFC Championship game to the San Francisco 49ers, the Packers moved up and selected Love. Rodgers had bought into LaFleur’s system and was once again playing transcendent game, and they seemed to be a piece or two away from another run to the Super Bowl.
Green Bay’s decision to trade up to draft a quarterback in the first round was a smack in the face to Rodgers, and it was an indication that the team was more concerned with the future than the present. To be fair, having an eye on the future is an important part of a general manager’s job, but given the Packers’ current roster, one can’t help but wonder where they would be now if Gutekunst had taken a guy who could play in his first two seasons.
Of course, proponents of the Love deal would argue that the Packers are still one of the best teams in the league, but the choice surely set the stage for the offseason drama of 2021. Rodgers was on the verge of being traded or retiring from the Packers. If Gutekunst had selected a wide receiver or linebacker instead of Love, that would not have been the case.
Love didn’t play in 2020 and only saw action in the preseason of 2021.
In this “last dance” season, Green Bay has a lot riding on it.
The Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love #10 and Aaron Rodgers #12 work out at Ray Nitschke Field during training camp | Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Rodgers has been more happier of late, and winning has undoubtedly contributed to that. The truth is that although the harsh sentiments from earlier in the offseason seem to have faded from view, they aren’t necessarily out of mind for the star quarterback.
The Packers’ situation is complicated by the fact that Davante Adams, their premier wideout and probably the best wide receiver in the NFL, isn’t contracted beyond this season. In the year 2021, he and Rodgers seemed to be on their way to their own “final dance.”
Green Bay isn’t assured a future with both Adams and Rodgers, so unless something spectacular happens, 2021 will be the Packers’ best opportunity to win another Super Bowl in the Rodgers era.
Gutekunst would not confess anything, but he seems to be aware of the situation.
Despite injuries to Za’Darius Smith and Jaire Alexander, he has been proactive with personnel changes and has done all he can to keep the defense solid. Following Jaylon Smith’s release from the Dallas Cowboys, the Packers signed former Houston pass rusher Whitney Mercilus a few weeks later. Rasul Douglas, who made the game-winning interception against Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals, was signed off the Cardinals’ practice squad only a few weeks before making the game-winning interception for Green Bay.
Gutekunst signed linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, who is a Pro Bowler for Green Bay, earlier this summer.
The Packers have finally become more aggressive, and as a consequence, they are winning.
Jordan Love’s anticipated comeback might send Green Bay over the top.
Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love #10 throws a ball against the Houston Texans during a preseason game at Lambeau Field | Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
Green Bay might be getting healthy at the perfect moment, with guys like David Bakhtiari, Adams, and Za’Darius Smith all likely returning shortly. That’s a phenomena the Packers and Rodgers are familiar with, since their 2011 Super Bowl run was largely due to injured guys becoming fit as the season progressed, and the players who stepped in for them in the meantime developed into strong role players on a deep team.
The Packers’ 2021 season seems frighteningly familiar, but Gutekunst still has gaps to fill.
End of the rope With a knee injury, Robert Tonyan will miss the remainder of the season. There’s a major hole right there in the offense. Aside from tight end, Green Bay’s offense could still need a capable No. 2 wideout to complement Adams. That’s another issue Gutekunst should think about before the deadline.
Despite a succession of backups stepping up due to injuries, the Packers have been winning on defense. Another standout defensive lineman or secondary player might propel Green Bay to the next level.
A more aggressive move at the trade deadline may send Green Bay over the top, and dealing Love would be the most aggressive.
There are organizations who would jump at the opportunity to take on a project like Love since he’s already showed he has the potential to be an NFL starter in his limited plays.
The Houston Texans are presently starting Davis Mills. Wouldn’t the Texans enjoy a crack at a quarterback like Love with Deshaun Watson presumably on his way out the door? Perhaps a deal with Brandin Cooks returning to the Packers would be beneficial.
For the New York Giants, Daniel Jones has been a disappointment. With a guy like Evan Engram answering Green Bay’s new tight end necessity, the two famous NFL organizations may be on the verge of a win-win situation.
When Rodgers was said to be searching for a trade, the Denver Broncos were said to be quite interested. If the Broncos send Jerry Jeudy or perhaps Von Miller back to the Packers, might Love serve as an interesting consolation prize?
Of course, Gutekunst would have to work out the numbers, but the NFL’s dirty little secret is that the salary limit is really a formality. Good general managers understand how to manipulate the cap by deferring payments or giving incentives. The fact is that no matter how awful Green Bay’s financial condition is, Gutekunst will be able to pull off a deal if he wants it badly enough.
For the Packers, trading affection will achieve a number of goals.
The Packers can recommit to Rodgers while simultaneously signaling to Adams that his long-term performance is important to the organization with a single move. Gutekunst may then extend both players, putting the controversy to rest for everyone involved.
The Packers can also provide the missing element to enable Rodgers and his colleagues eventually break through in the NFC and win another Super Bowl.
If Gutekunst plays his cards properly, the Packers might still win numerous Super Bowls, and the topic of Rodgers’ succession can be postponed while he cements his legacy in Green Bay.
RELATED: It’s Time for the Green Bay Packers’ Most Important Offensive Weapon to Be Respected… Aaron Rodgers Isn’t the Problem
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