Easily the biggest shocker of the NFL draft’s 1st round came in the last hour. That was when the Green Bay Packers dropped a bomb by trading up from 30th overall to 26th overall to select Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. While some immediately conjured images of 15 years prior when Aaron Rodgers fell to Green Bay at 24th overall, others were more than a little hesitant to make that comparison.
Rodgers was considered an elite prospect in 2005 and the best quarterback in the draft to many. That he didn’t go #1 overall and fell so far remains one of the biggest mysteries this side of the millennium. Love came into this draft with no such fanfare. He was the fourth quarterback selected. One many felt had concerning flaws in his game. Yet the Packers, despite going to the NFC championship and having Rodgers locked up to a brand new contract, chose to trade up and take him.
Why?
They would have people believe it’s simply a smart decision to start looking towards the future as any team would. Some outside the building aren’t buying that. Bob McGinn of The Athletic, who has covered the team for many, many years has a different theory.
“Is Jordan Love that someone? That’s what matters, and believe me when I say the jury’s out among personnel people across the NFL. The mixed reviews tend to be more no than yes…
…The Packers’ infatuation with Love didn’t mesh with what his value seemed to be around the league. Talented or not, he had a disappointing year for Utah State in 2019. Many doubts have been raised about Love. One thing he isn’t is a can’t-miss prospect.
Public niceties aside, my sense is LaFleur, fresh from a terrific 13-3 baptismal season, simply had enough of Rodgers’ act and wanted to change the narrative. With a first-round talent on the roster, the Packers would gain leverage with their imperial quarterback and his passive-aggressive style. If the Packers do indeed want to become a running team next season, they surely wouldn’t want Rodgers rocking the boat and becoming even more difficult to coach.”
Jordan Love feels like little more than a power play
It’s hardly a secret that Rodgers has made his displeasure with the organization known the past couple of years. This is what helped lead to the ousting of Mike McCarthy as head coach. Things got weirder when it was revealed his replacement, Matt Lafleur, was hired without consulting him. Even as the Packers went on winning last year, there was always an undercurrent of tension between the coach and quarterback.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
The fact that the team intentionally traded up for Love and didn’t give Rodgers a heads up? McGinn is onto something. It feels like Lafleur and GM Brian Gutekunst did it to keep Rodgers quiet and put their own stamp on this organization. All the while they’ve set things up to get awfully ugly one or two years from now when that rookie contract of Love’s starts to become a concern.
Perhaps the golden horseshoe at quarterback will continue for Green Bay. However, it seems they drafted Love for the wrong reasons. That never bodes well for the future.
