Cory's Corner: It Takes Courage To Find A Franchise Quarterback
Finding a franchise quarterback is messy. But the Packers have separated fact from fiction when it comes to finding franchise quarterbacks. Two other teams in the division are actively looking.
This isn’t a Britney Spears song, but the Bears did it again.
Chicago just got worse by getting a sixth round pick for Justin Fields. Even if the Bears move up to a conditional fourth rounder if Fields gets considerable playing time, that’s still a lost investment for a quarterback picked 11th overall in 2021.
I get that the Bears were desperate. They wanted to hit the reset button on the quarterback salary clock, but if they were going to get nothing in return for an athletic quarterback, the Bears should’ve kept him.
But having two high-profile quarterbacks on the roster was something the Bears were afraid of. The Steelers welcomed it as they made the trade while the ink on the Russell Wilson contract hadn’t dried yet.
And we all know the Packers philosophy that you cannot have enough quarterbacks. The Packers took a chance. They traded up for a quarterback that nobody believed in — while they had an all-star currently on the roster.
The Jordan Love story is still being written, but Chapter 1 was pretty amazing. There’s something to be said about doing what you believe in — no matter how much you get criticized. There aren’t many NFL general managers that have the courage to trade up in the first round for a quarterback and then sit him for three years.
It takes a lot of courage to be a general manager in this league. The Bears have had nine starting quarterbacks since 2017. They are constantly seeking something they cannot find. How bad has it been? They thought they had something in Mitchell Trubisky, but after 50 games started in Chicago, he has now been relegated to a career backup.
But it doesn’t stop in Chicago. We don’t even know who the Vikings are starting at quarterback. Minnesota has had more luck than Chicago with starting quarterbacks, but nothing has resulted from it. The Vikings sit at No. 11 and No. 23 in the first round, but if they really want to improve at quarterback, they are going to have to trade up. Starting Sam Darnold isn’t exactly the answer. Maybe the Vikings will be courageous, stick their necks and go get a franchise quarterback, but I doubt it.
That’s two teams in the NFC North that are rudderless ships. Both teams want greatness at the most important position in all of sports, but neither team is willing to risk what the Packers risked by sitting a first round pick.
Getting a franchise quarterback is messy. The Packers didn’t know they had their first one until a beautiful pass was thrown in the waning moments vs. Cincinnati and then they found the next after he sat for three years.
It takes courage to find a franchise quarterback. The Packers have it. Two of the other teams in the division don’t.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (98)
barutanseijin
March 19, 2024 at 06:16 am
That Minnesota 11 pick is juicy. That’s about where they got the delightful Christian Ponder. Aand the next Jamarcus Russell is…
Starrbrite
March 19, 2024 at 01:18 pm
Ponder—-lol—excellent!
marpag1
March 20, 2024 at 05:38 am
I just pray to God that the vikes trade up to 4 or so and then take JJ McWhatsisname from Michigan. I'd be the happiest dude ever. LOL.
NickPerry
March 19, 2024 at 06:34 am
"It takes courage to find a franchise quarterback. The Packers have it. Two of the other teams in the division don’t."
Courage? Okay, if you say so Cory. But having back to back sure fire HOF QB on the roster in 2005 and then again in 2020 when you drafted Love didn't hurt either. Sitting, watching, and learning from a HOF QB seems like a pretty good formula. Nothing courageous about that. That's just smart!
LambeauPlain
March 19, 2024 at 07:10 am
Yeah, the Packer QB development has been a smart, effective process.
Trading up for Love in 2020 did take courage.
Gutey knew he would be attacked for doing so with Mr. Mighty coming off a solid, rebound year in '19. He knew Rodgers' penchant for wanting to control the offense and be involved in decisions...knew his arrogance and self centered demeanor. And he knew the football world would widely criticize his choice of Love.
I don't know if Gutey realized drafting Love would cause such a cap busting uproar from Team Rodgers, but he certainly knew he was going to be taking incoming from all sides.
Gutey has guts.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 10:09 am
Balls the size of Door County
RCPackerFan
March 19, 2024 at 08:27 am
Knowing you are going to be having the fan base and media criticize you daily, I think it should be considered courageous.
Thompson was courageous because he drafted the heir to Favre. Favre was one of the most beloved Packer players in Packers history. But he was smart because he had an aging QB who had mentioned retirement multiple times. He was smart to try and find the next QB.
Gutey was also courageous because he drafted the heir to Rodgers. While Rodgers didn't have the same type of love that Favre had, he was still one of the all time greats. It was a different time in football as well. QB's are playing longer, and Rodgers did not say anything about retiring prior to them drafting Love. The situation was a bit different because he moved up for Love, where Rodgers fell all the way to them.
But what both GM's did was he allowed them time to develop. They knew that both weren't ready to take over as day 1 starters. So they allowed them to develop behind HOFers.
I believe that is the biggest mistake teams make with young QB's. They play them too early.
NickPerry
March 19, 2024 at 11:23 am
What's so courageous about drafting a QB when your starter SHOWED signs of decline the the previous seasons before, and that starter is what, 35 going on 36 or whatever it was? I wasn't trying to be critical, I was just point out the "Packers Way".
The Packers Way is drafting a dude a few years early to sit and LEARN. Look at all the first round QBs who have to start year one and they end up sucking... The list is long.
I just think there's a lot to be said in the POSITIVE about the way the Packer's brought along Rodgers first, and now Jordan Love. I hope I live long enough to watch the NEXT guy get drafted 10 or 11 years from now and sitting for 3 years behind Love to learn.
TKWorldWide
March 19, 2024 at 12:38 pm
Kinda makes you wonder why more teams don’t let a QB sit and learn a couple years first. Mahomes sat for one year, then exploded in year 2.
I think 1st round QBs start as rookies so often because the team has NOTHING at QB in front of them and they are looked at as saviors. Yikes. I wonder how many QBs’ careers are ruined by being thrown out there before they were ready and never really recover/improve. Manning and Aikman struggled as rookies but then excelled later.
Lots of variables to consider. Glad GB doesn’t have to consider any of them in the present and near future!
Minniman
March 19, 2024 at 01:29 pm
"Kinda makes you wonder why more teams don’t let a QB sit and learn a couple years first. "
This is where organizational stability comes into the mix.
As you intimated - this isn't rocket surgery - so why press a young person into service without seeing them day to day on the training field?
I was kind of hoping that Cory would explore this point in more detail.
Open Question - Is the premise that the solution is as simple as sitting a guy for 2-3 years behind a starter is the "secret sauce"? To that I say, just look at Jimmy Garoppolo - who sat behind Tom Brady for 2 years!
Changing point, I would argue that one of THE most influential things that a team can do for a young QB is to give them a solid offensive line - and keep them upright. Sure, skill position players need to be serviceable or better, but a QB running for his life is not an ideal career start.
The Packers also do invest heavier than other teams in bringing young QB's in - and by that I mean draft picks, not UDFA's. Remember, they traded for DeShone Kizer (after the Brown's broke him). That didn't pan out (like Brett Hundley, whom they also had at the same time), but they didn't stop looking.
In closing, I'd say that genuinely being able to instill belief into a prospect is also a major determinant. There's nothing more toxic (and distracting) than being somewhere that you never feel truly wanted!
Fields and Hurts are really interesting recent case studies. Remember, in college, Hurts got ousted as Alabama's QB1 by Tua and had to go to Oklahoma to get game time. He's since rebuilt himself and is a solid NFL QB....... arguably better than Tua (at this point in their careers). Fields, like Lamar Jackson, at college and in the NFL was always an athlete first, QB second. Jackson's sublime speed saves his bacon most, and this is the point of difference between the two.
jannesbjornson
March 19, 2024 at 06:23 pm
Mahomes could have started, but Andy Reid tried to ride Alex Smith one more time in the Playoffs. Justin Herbert started and tossed for 4,300 yards and 31 TDs. All of the 2020 QBs started from round one. By not even suiting Love up on Game Day over a stiff like Boyle was not positive development.
croatpackfan
March 19, 2024 at 01:32 pm
Nick, your claim and claim of courage are both valid.
Today, Patrick Mahomes is considered to be next legend behind Tom Brady. And he also was sitting and learning his first year drafted at Kansas City Chiefs. So, there must be some merrit in that procedure, no matter how courageous you are or not. Joe Burrow, if I recolect correctly was also sitting one season, but from injury, not by plan. After all, any rookie QB who has chance to sit and learn at least one season behind more experienced one have success in NFL. Even Kirk Cousins was sitting whole 3 seasons behind Robert Griffin III and take over after he was injured.
But many will never learn....
Starrbrite
March 19, 2024 at 01:30 pm
I’m with Nick—Courage is not the word I would have used. Ron Wolf believed it was good strategy to draft a a QB every year…or nearly every year. That’s called resourceful, tactical, shrewd—-calculated; that’s what Gutey is. Courageous…hmmm, no.
Go Packer!!!
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
March 19, 2024 at 04:31 pm
Nick, I usually always agree with you but the selection of Love was not just smart (I also state this was smart simply because I was advocating the drafting of Love before the draft and supporting the decision ever since :) but it did take courage. No doubt we will never find out whether Murphy was supportive of this decision before that infamous April 2020 draft but we know just how pissed off our starting QB became, which ultimately impacted the end of his career in GB. The 99% of posters on places like CheeseheadTV were adamantly against the draft choice of J. Love. Yes, I believe it required a lot of conviction and courage but for us crazy Packer fans like you and me, it should pay off handsomely for the next 15 + years.
cdoemel
March 19, 2024 at 10:52 pm
You’re wrong. That took real guts and focus from Gutekunst. Shutting out the noise (including Aaron Rodgers’ whining) and doing what’s best for the Green Bay Packers. That definitely took courage and conviction.
Starrbrite
March 20, 2024 at 01:30 pm
Conviction yes—courage no.
T7Steve
March 19, 2024 at 06:43 am
Two of the division teams? I think all three teams are more trade or steel than draft and develop when it comes to QBs. The Lions drafted Stafford but had to trade him and start to build a team.
Build a TEAM first or it won't matter who the QB is or how long he sits behind even a HOFer.
Cheezehead72
March 19, 2024 at 06:49 am
The Bears are doing exactly what I wanted them to do. They got rid of Fields (who does not scare me) at a loss and are going all in on C. Williams.
I was worried that they would keep Fields and trade the number on pick for many more picks and build a team around Fields. Fields may not ever be a great QB but I believe if you put a good team around him especially an OL in front of him he will be very good.
There is a reason the chant goes Dah Bears
DoubleJ
March 19, 2024 at 08:06 am
They would still be bad at QB and while that can get you some winning seasons more times that not you are middle of the pack. That is basically what they did in the late 90s to early 2000s.
TKWorldWide
March 19, 2024 at 12:41 pm
Have they revealed Williams is their guy?
stockholder
March 19, 2024 at 06:51 am
It doesn't take courage.
It only takes backing.
Even Flynn looked good in a packer uniform.
Coldworld
March 19, 2024 at 09:32 am
Flynn did, but Flynn was a Ted 7th rounder extra insurance pick to back up on the insurance pick that was Brohm against the risk that was Rodgers in year 3. TT never made any bones about that.
Brohm was perhaps TTs worst blunder and was not good as a Packer or anywhere else, so TT was wise. Flynn, like Rodgers benefitted greatly from the now contractually prevented MM off season QB school. A shame his elbow went by the time he reached Seattle.
TT had both the resolve and the courage to do what he thought right for the team. Gute has the same. You disparaged both for it at the time, so probably predictable. The implication that even Flynn can be good in Green Bay so a good QB pick by Gute is hardly worthy of credit is as flimsy as it is risible.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 10:13 am
The problem with leaving a paper trail is it leaves receipts for all of us. The one thing you can safely say for Stockholder is he is consistent. Consistently wrong.
Cheezehead72
March 19, 2024 at 11:54 am
I was really upset when TT drafted Brohm. I knew he was not going to make it.
Thanks for brining up that memory.
TKWorldWide
March 19, 2024 at 12:40 pm
Knew it? Or thought it?
jannesbjornson
March 19, 2024 at 10:40 am
It was a Quarterback's Class, get one of them. Burrow, Herbert and Love were the top dogs, then Tua. If Miami snags Love,or Herbert, the narrative changes, just like Rodgers falling to Ted, a bit of Luck.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 10:43 am
Jury is still out on Tua. Rodgers may have fallen, but Ted had the courage of his convictions. He wasn't going to pass on the best player in that draft.
jannesbjornson
March 19, 2024 at 03:18 pm
It does take courage to figure out his mock:
#33 Jordan Morgan LT Arizona
#50 Cooper Beebe OG Kansas State
#53 T. Sweat DT Texas
#65 Caelen Carson CB Wake
#88 Bucky Irving RB Oregon
#91 Jalen Ford LB Texas
#122 Mustapha S Wake
#144 Jonah Ellis Edge Utah
#160 Javion Cohen OG Miami
#188 Eichenberg LB OSU
#202 Ulofoshio LB WASH
#236 Dallin Holker FB Colorado State
#255 Dillon Johnson RB WASH
Try Nixon as a Free Safety.
stockholder
March 19, 2024 at 06:08 pm
The back 7 is too late.
I would end up trading up.
The OL are replacements and BPA.
Sure they're good picks.
But for the wrong reason.
I NOT CONVINCED ANY WILL START.
And for that reason.
You won't need C Carson if you get DeJean.
And I like are chances with what is there now.
We still have holes at safety and Depth is needed.
Who replaced Owens and Ford?
Surely you can't expect Mustapha to work.
jannesbjornson
March 19, 2024 at 06:32 pm
The OT and OG replace the current starters. . The run on DBs was frenetic in this mock. I took Beebe over a safety. The Wake Forest secondary was solid and played fast. Carson doesn't arm tackle. The only other scenario is moving Up for Q. Mitchell. He backed himself in a corner letting Douglas go for chicken feed. He will bring in another free agent safety. I would trade for a guy. DeJean will have to test well on his Pro Day. Mustapha would beat out Owens and Ford. He had the top Bench among the DBs at the Track Meet. He probably brings Ford back; unless his injury is more serious than reported. Move Walker to RT and let him compete against Tom as the swing tackle. He gave up six sacks in 11 games. Newman has to go. Protect Love.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 06:48 pm
How exactly were they backed into a corner, the team improved after Douglas left. Perhaps you missed that?
jannesbjornson
March 19, 2024 at 07:02 pm
I see zero correlation between the two events and there definitely was a dearth of INTs and plays on the ball after he left. Jaire also entered the fold late and A.Jones showed up for the final push. Douglas pulled in four more INTs playing at Buffalo, one a pick six. He also had one pick while working in Packerland, to be included in the team total of seven, for the season.
Bitternotsour
March 20, 2024 at 09:31 am
So you're arguing that they would have improved anyway, but that you're sad that they traded him.
I posit to you that Douglas contract made it impossible to keep him, that the team gained cap flexibility (haven't you enjoyed those free agent signings) and that they improved their draft position all the while getting better through the season. I'd also suggest that the Bills who traded for Rasul didn't really make any significant improvement, and now are in a similar position where they had to cut their safeties, and are in need of a restructure of Douglas contract. What about this winning proposition can't you wrap your head around?
jannesbjornson
March 20, 2024 at 01:30 pm
The probability of Douglas making a big play, as in Not dropping an INT during a Playoff, or forcing a fumble, pass breakup would be higher than a backup filling the space. The Bills were one offensive FU away from eliminating K.C. The restructured contracts were moved, last week. A 7M contract for a starting, Pro Bowl cornerback is not exorbitant. He called out Barry and the Brain Trust was offended. Yap about Jaire's take home pay as per time on the playing field, then pat Gute and Ball on the back.
porupack
March 19, 2024 at 06:51 am
Good thought provoker for the morning. Maybe there is too much about the QB and not enough about two other key elements of a successful QB: 1) some of those talented QBs need time to grow, aclimate and gain confidence, and 2) a supporting cast of players, especially the protection and a trusted no-fail outlet receiver, and 3) the coaching staff.
A lot of failed top-rated QBs were thrown into dumpster fires, and expected to resume being heisman trophies. Packers provide the blueprint model. Find an underhyped, but talented performer. Cultivate the QB in a strong cast of protection and receivers, so they grow, learn and understand its a very synergistic and interdependent system. The bears had the talent. They didn't get the other pieces to the formula of success. Go Pack! America's real team!
jannesbjornson
March 19, 2024 at 10:46 am
Mitch Trubitsky does not deliver the same results for Andy Reid as Mahomes. You can surround a Game Manager with a load of support, but he will not make the game changing plays which a true Franchise guy can execute. Love showed his exceptionalism down the stretch with the fireballs and connecting in tight windows...
TKWorldWide
March 19, 2024 at 02:59 pm
Fireballs the size of Door County?
LambeauPlain
March 19, 2024 at 07:00 am
Amazing to me, in the QB driven NFL, the bares could only get a 6th rounder for Fields.
Was Fields a flash in the pan at Ohio State where he played 2 years after transferring from Georgia in 2018?
Was Fields not ready for the NFL, declaring for the draft as a Junior after just two years starting in 2019 and the 8 game covid shortened 2020 season?
Did the bares then start him too soon, wholly unprepared to lead the Offense, and wreck his development?
I think yes, yes and yes.
Fields did not have to sit out a year after hiring a lawyer to convince the NCAA he was called a racial slur by a Georgia baseball player...and wanted the "sit out" year waived.. It was granted and he played for the Buckeyes in 2019 and helped lead the team to a 13-1 record.
Interestingly, 2019 was also the year Jeff Hafley was co DC and helped make the Buckeyes one of the best D's in college.
I think Fields was over hyped, over-rated and under-prepared to be an NFL QB. The bares exacerbated the likelihood of failure by throwing him to the wolves as NFL defenses feasted on him.
Maybe he can be reclaimed in Pittsburg. And maybe Caleb Williams can be next QB victim for the bares.
Coldworld
March 19, 2024 at 09:51 am
Fields can’t progress through his reads or read defenses. He has one of the slowest average releases of any QB in the nfl over his career too. Thanks to Chicago, it’s still unclear whether he has the internal ability to develop that, but the signs are he goes not. At best he’s lacked the initiative to do so for himself through study.
What is Fields value? He’s currently a better version of Taysom Hill. That’s not nil, he could be a gadget RB/TE/receiver and wild cat at times along side a starting QB or in special plays. However, he’s also not a bad option to come in and hold a game, if you accept that he wins by simple pass calls and letting him run. That’s not a long term winning strategy, but it can maintain possession and move the chains.
The Steelers may think it’s worth seeing if they can rebuild him as they go through a transition, but they also know he’s probably a better option to insert in a game than most back up QBs if forced and low risk while they look to groom a successor to Wilson. At worst a cheap wild card. And one they can have a back up O designed for in case Wilson goes down rather than throw in a rookie or career backup.
10ve 💚
March 19, 2024 at 11:48 am
"And maybe Caleb Williams can be next QB victim for the bares."
I feel bad for Caleb Williams, but how can we not have a good chuckle over dem bares!
😂😂😂
Starrbrite
March 19, 2024 at 01:33 pm
That’s what I said Lambeau—a 6th rnd pick is laughable.
marpag1
March 20, 2024 at 05:33 am
"Amazing to me, in the QB driven NFL, the bares could only get a 6th rounder for Fields."
You're free to have your opinion, of course, and a lot of other people share this same one. But NFL front offices obviously don't agree. If anyone in the NFL thought he was significantly better than what the Steelers gave, they would have gone after him. They didn't.
NFL front offices simply don't believe that Fields is a starting NFL QB.
RCPackerFan
March 19, 2024 at 07:15 am
I really don't get why the Bears rushed to get rid of Fields. Taking a 6th round pick for him? They could have waited and got the same deal.
The Bears were afraid of having 2 high profile QB's on the roster? Is that the truth or did the QB that they are about to draft let them know that if Fields is on the roster he will pull an Eli Manning?
One reason why GB has had success with their QB's is they have allowed them to develop. They didn't force them to play before they were ready to. Sure they will play here and there, but they aren't being thrown in as the starter from day 1. I am a believer that the young QB needs time to develop. They play before they are ready it messes with their confidence. In this league if you lose your confidence you are ruined as a QB.
I'm really surprised more teams haven't taken the same approach to finding their franchise QB.
Ferrari-Driver
March 19, 2024 at 08:58 am
"... Is that the truth or did the QB that they are about to draft let them know that if Fields is on the roster he will pull an Eli Manning?"
RC, Interesting point which I haven't seen anyone make previously. Good post.
RCPackerFan
March 19, 2024 at 10:14 am
All day yesterday I kept saying the same thing. Why would they just let Fields go for a 6th round pick. But maybe they really had no choice with the QB they wanted.
I have no clue if there is even a smidge of truth to it, but when I see things like this "But having two high-profile quarterbacks on the roster was something the Bears were afraid of." it makes me question it.
NFLfan
March 19, 2024 at 09:56 am
If Gute had had his way, Love would have been playing much sooner.
Rodgers had 2 MVP years which 'got in the way' of the plan.
This situation was not about peacefully sitting behind a QB for 3 years.
RCPackerFan
March 19, 2024 at 10:16 am
Also, Love didn't show he was ready before. Hell even this year they didn't 100% know Love was going to be good.
I believe they would have traded Rodgers the year prior had Love shown he was ready.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 10:30 am
Gutekunst wanted to trade him to Denver because Love WAS ready. How you can assume Love wasn't ready is a mystery to me. Just for the record, many people didn't believe Rodgers was ready when he took over.
RCPackerFan
March 19, 2024 at 10:53 am
"Gutekunst wanted to trade him to Denver because Love WAS ready. How you can assume Love wasn't ready is a mystery to me."
I'm not assuming. If he was ready, they would have traded Rodgers. Its that simple. If they thought he was the franchise QB they would have traded him. They had doubt with Love, and that is ok. It was that year during the season when he really began to grow and take off. But prior to that year they were not sure. We didn't hear from players about Love until last season. That is when we were starting to hear about Love is going to be the guy. And in the offseason they traded Rodgers. It was because they believed he was going to be the guy.
"Just for the record, many people didn't believe Rodgers was ready when he took over."
Yes - the fans and media away from the organization. If you listened to the players inside the organization and the people that were at every practice they new Rodgers was ready. Hell even the coach knew it because he said if he had any balls he would have pulled Favre in the playoff game at halftime to put Rodgers in.
Coldworld
March 19, 2024 at 09:59 am
Most teams want a back up who can play approximately the same O as their starter, if perhaps more limited. Fields is not that. That significantly limits his attraction as an emergency signing especially a late one. Tomlin will have time to have a Fields O in place. He can focus on Wilson and know what he’s got in Fields.
RCPackerFan
March 19, 2024 at 10:19 am
But that brings me back to my points from yesterday. If they are only going to get a 6th round pick for him, why trade him. Why not wait to see if a QB gets injured and they could get more for him. Or perhaps the light bulb goes off for him with a new offensive staff and he looks much better.
Just seems like they pulled the trigger way to fast to get rid of him.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 10:33 am
They shed a significant salary, and they didn't have to exercise his fifth year option. They cut their losses. Fields isn't a plug and play quarterback. He is a weapon, but he's not a traditional QB by any stretch of the imagination.
jannesbjornson
March 19, 2024 at 10:53 am
Purdy didn't seem to have many issues running the 49r offense as a Greenhorn. Talent wins out. Fields was an over-reach when you consider the OSU O line and receivers he played with. He seemed to be a one-read guy and the Bears tossed him to the wolves.
Starrbrite
March 19, 2024 at 01:34 pm
Great observation RC.
GregC
March 19, 2024 at 07:17 am
It would've been extremely awkward for the Bears to keep Justin Fields while drafting his replacement. That's super bad team chemistry. Part of the problem is that while Fields is a bad QB, he's not completely horrible, and I think he is well-liked by his teammates, so right off the bat, the locker room would be divided. They may have needed to cut him if they couldn't get anything in a trade. After watching Fields get completely outclassed by Jordan Love twice last year, I was hoping the Bears would keep him and not draft a QB.
All signs point to the Vikings trying to get a franchise QB in the draft, but it may be impossible to break into the top 3, and I don't know if J.J. McCarthy is worth trading very far up for. Maybe they will sit tight and draft Michael Penix.
Untylu1968
March 19, 2024 at 07:25 am
I'd say it takes balls to draft what one would think is your next franchise QB when you already have a HOFer in place (Albeit, towards the end of their roads). When you look at all the first round QB flops, luck pays a huge factor in the whole process.
My bold prediction for this year's QB crop, JJ McCarthy, will be the best of the bunch. Here's hoping the Vikings don't draft him!
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 09:34 am
The most ready out of the draft is Bo Nix. He's better than Purdy, smart, and he wins everywhere he goes. Bo Nix is ready to start somewhere, tomorrow.
Untylu1968
March 19, 2024 at 09:49 am
I also like Bo better than some of those higher ranked guys. Former Duck QBs don't have the greatest track record,
though..
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 10:17 am
Tell it to Dan Fouts, and Justin Herbert...
jannesbjornson
March 19, 2024 at 11:21 am
He is the steal of Rd One. He is better than Levis who went to the Titans. I would rank him as # three in the order.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 11:54 am
he is the one true "what you see is what you get" - i doubt he has upside as much as he's plug-and-play ready today. if Minnesota stays put I'd say he gives them as many wins as Cousin's would have.
DoubleJ
March 19, 2024 at 08:03 am
" The Bears have had nine starting quarterbacks since 2017."
The Packers have had 7 total starting QBs since Favre took over. The 4 other starting QBs besides Favre, Rodgers, and Love were all injury replacements for when Rodgers broke his collar bone.
Turophile
March 19, 2024 at 09:32 am
Courage is not the best description, though it is part of the equation, one third to be specific.
First you have to have a top QB going into the late part of his career. The aging QB is still good enough for a couple more years so you can afford to get a QB you like and let them sit. This is the luck part, already having a top QB.
Second, the new guy you acquire as the eventual replacement still has to progress to the point he is 'the guy', the next long-term QB for your franchise. This needs the GM drafting the new guy to make the right choice and the QB coach and the player himself must work to develop him. This is the skill part.
Third, there is the timing. You get a new guy two or three years before they are needed, which always results in criticism from those that think short-term, even more so because it is usually a first round pick.. This is the courage part.
Green Bay seems to have the formula for bedding in a new QB and it has worked extraordinarily well for them. It will continue to work as long as any future replacement is able to develop into a starter-quality QB. Once the Packers fail there, they are just like any other team whose need for a starter-level QB is so acute, they start a rookie QB because they have no better option.
One way out of that future dilemma (if they end up in it, which they will eventually), would be to get a veteran band-aid starter for a year, let the young QB sit, ignore the many calls for him to start that year (except as an injury replacement or for mop-up duties late game) and hope he is a fast learner who can take over in his second year.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 10:20 am
Arguably the formula for Love should have had him starting in 2022. I'd say he got nothing watching Rodgers metastasize that last year, and he (Love) would have had a years more experience behind center.
Not saying it didn't work out in the end, just saying Love was ready in 2022.
Tundraboy
March 19, 2024 at 01:50 pm
After the Philly game I think Rodgers knew too.
NFLfan
March 19, 2024 at 09:48 am
I'm on Gutey's side in this current draft but as much as Rodgers drives me crazy with his persistent headline grabbing, Gute's management of the Love draft was amateur and very poorly executed. It had the air of wanting to put his stamp on the team.
First round pick? Blindsiding a current QB? No receiver shopping? It felt personal to me.
Gute deserves his share of blame for that very tone-deaf PR nightmare.
I believe in rookie QB's sitting behind current starters but let's be real--if Rodger's hadn't had 2 MVP years, Love would have been
playing after 1 yr if Gute had his way.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 10:26 am
Tone deaf? Seriously?
I'd say it was pitch perfect, it motivated Rodgers into two consecutive MVP seasons. Maybe your feelers was hurt, maybe you took it real personal-like, but perhaps you are too sensitive for NFL fandom...
NFLfan
March 19, 2024 at 11:09 am
Yes, tone-deaf.
He has matured over the last few years but he had a well-deserved reputation for poor 'people skills'
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 11:27 am
He had no such reputation. He was Ted Thompson, but WITH people skills. You're just making shit up.
NFLfan
March 19, 2024 at 12:06 pm
@BN: You don't have to resort to insults to strengthen your position. I am not a fan of Rodger's shenanigans-maybe you missed that.
Rodgers got better for a number of reasons:
-Chip on shoulder
-Getting away from the turmoil with McCarthy
-LaFleur. He used all of his emotional intelligence to 'read' Rodgers--make him feel important, make it easier.
I am only referring to Gutekunst's lack of social finesse. Thompson, LaFleur, even Murphy, have loads more social IQ than G.
It is a people business.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 12:21 pm
OMG - I can only assume you've recently become a Packers fan. Ted Thompson had all the markings of being on the spectrum, he was anything but social and decidedly lacked all social skills. He threw McCarthy to the wolves repeatedly because of his discomfort dealing with the media. Ted was a solitary scout. He was a loner. Hell, he even played golf alone.
You can have your own narrative, but it doesn't conform to reality. I don't doubt your sincerity, but you're just wrong about Gutekunst's media skills and his social IQ.
Finally, you got it part right. It's business. Not people business, it's business, not personal.
NFLfan
March 19, 2024 at 01:19 pm
Once again, no need to insult. This is a public forum and I am allowed to have an opinion and I will freely express it. You may choose to ignore my comments or respond in a way that does not insult my knowledge and perspective. There have been a number of comments you have made that I do not agree with but there is no record of my insulting you. I often to choose to ignore.
I have been a Packer fan for many years.
I think Gute has matured and I did acknowledge that. That is my opinion.
Good day
marpag1
March 20, 2024 at 05:23 am
Amateur and poorly executed? Dude, it was friggen brilliant...
Leatherhead
March 19, 2024 at 10:27 am
The Packers organization understands the QB spot, and how to develop these guys so that they don't crash and burn like Trubisky or Fields. The Packers don't trade for Cutler. It's a big organizational advantage that the Packers have over the rest of the division, for sure. When the Packers drafted Rodgers, and Love, it wasn't a given that these guys were going to be as good as they were, but the training and development and the team around them gave them a better chance.
If getting Love caused 2 MVP seasons from Rodgers, then I guess we'll have to blame Gutekunst for that. During the stretch run, starting on Thanksgiving, Love played as well as any QB in the league. So we've gone from MVP in 2020, MVP in 2021, an average year in 2022, to Love in 2023. That's about 1 1/2 seasons without a top QB playing well, during which time we were a mostly average team. IMO, we have the best QB in the division....again. Minnesota and Chicago are starting over. Again. Goff isn't anybody's QB of the future, but Love is a guy who could throw 40 TDs this year.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 10:40 am
I think it was Ron Wolf's one absolute. If you have a quarterback you like, you go get him. He passed that to Thompson, and Thompson to Gutekunst. It's why I think it's a lock that New England drafts a quarterback with that #3 pick.
Wolf left the Jets because they wouldn't let him trade up to get Favre.
As for Love and 40 TD's, I'd say the odds just increased because they added Jacobs. Jacobs is going to be a revelation.
GregC
March 19, 2024 at 10:46 am
It's been a great thing, and there is an explanation for why the Packers have been the only team to draft QBs in the first round while still having a franchise QB on the roster. It's because the team does not have an owner. With any other team, the owner would have a personal relationship with the star QB and would not want to be perceived as undercutting him. The Packers GM, on the other hand, is just the person who is in charge of maximizing the talent on the roster, with an eye toward the future.
Tundraboy
March 19, 2024 at 01:57 pm
Yes, in any era, but in this ego media driven world, absolutely. Excellent points.
T7Steve
March 19, 2024 at 10:50 am
If they get the O-line/running game dialed in to start the season, I could see your 40 TDs prediction even come up short.
Last season was the first time the team started fast, only to struggle through the next batch of games. I believe that was due to youth, injuries and an unsettled O-line.
This season let hope they're through the growing pains and can stay healthy.
Leatherhead
March 19, 2024 at 12:10 pm
To the skeptics on the 40 TD season, who think Jacobs will get enough rushing TDs to make that unlikely.......
The NFL is a passing league, and the teams that throw the most TDs make the playoffs and advance. Cowboys, SF, Packers, Lions......Top 4 NFC teams. If you look at the top rushing TD teams, they mostly have either a running QB or a weaker QB. They score points, lots of points in some cases, but even the very best rushing TD teams score more TDs through the air than on the ground.
The Chiefs had 28 TD passes and only 9 rushing TDs. The Packers had 32 TD passes and 10 rushing TDs. When teams get near the goal line, they want the ball in the hands of their best player, and that's Love. The Packers are also one of the best goal-to-go offenses in the league (after being one of the worst in 2022)
I think Jacobs is going to help our offense, but when we get close, we're going to throw for it. That's what we do.
T7Steve
March 19, 2024 at 12:16 pm
Throw, run, whatever. Just keep mixing it up. With Jacobs, that just became easier. Jones could score a lot of TDs run or pass if he was healthy, he just wasn't healthy enough lately.
LambeauPlain
March 19, 2024 at 11:13 am
"If getting Love caused 2 MVP seasons from Rodgers, then I guess we'll have to blame Gutekunst for that." Well put.
Was it cause and effect? Looking at the personality Rodgers...it probably lit a huge fire under his ayachuasca teapot.
One beneficial difference for Rodgers that Favre did not have was Love was not actively lobbying to be the starter. By all accounts, Love was very much a Padawan to the Jedi QB.
According to Andrew Brandt, ex Packer Executive, the animosity between Team Favre and Team Rodgers was constant and a stress on the organization. Favre was constantly complaining about having to come to work everyday with a guy who was actively lobbying to take his job. Team Rodgers would be in management offices complaining if they didn't want to play him...trade him already.
Love was far more helpful to Rodgers than Rodgers was to Favre. I admire Love's demeanor and quiet confidence. More Bart than Brett or Aaron is this regard.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 11:23 am
Well considered, well said.
GregC
March 19, 2024 at 11:34 am
Why is this the first time I've heard of Rodgers lobbying to start when Favre was still the QB?
T7Steve
March 19, 2024 at 11:51 am
I was wondering that too. Not surprised and should wonder why I didn't even think of it. At the time I didn't even really think about Rodgers as an option till Favre actually retired.
Leatherhead
March 19, 2024 at 12:22 pm
Favre was insecure and he pouted. Here's a story you might not have heard.
After Favre threw 29 picks ( and 7 fumbles) in 2005, McCarthy and Thompson took a break from the Senior Bowl and went to have a conversation with Favre. Naturally, I wasn't there, but apparently they told Favre that he wasn't good enough in 2005, and that if he couldn't bring himself under control and work with McCarthy, then they were going to move on at QB.
Favre didn't like the sound of this at all. He didn't like the criticism that he wasn't good enough. So he started doing a retirement Kabouki dance about whether or not he was coming back before finally returning for the 2006 season. We were 8-8, Favre's passer rating was 72.7, he completed 56% of his passes and threw "only" 18 picks. After the 2006 season, he put his house in Green Bay up for sale. He came back in 2007 and had one of his best seasons as a Packer until he reverted to form under pressure and threw the Championship game away.
Rodgers first season was learning about how not to throw 29 interceptions. His second year he got on the field but wasn't particularly noteworthy. But after the 2006 season, you could hear the coaches saying "he just needs to play". An injury to Favre in the Dallas game opened the door for Rodgers and the rest is history.
Rodgers "lobbying" included weekly get togethers at his place. By the end of 2007, there was a "groundswell' of support for going with Rodgers.
Coldworld
March 20, 2024 at 01:07 am
I did not think that Rodgers’ camp registering impatience by 2007 was new news. Nor did I think it particularly surprising when I first learned of it.
Alberta_Packer
March 19, 2024 at 11:51 am
"Courage" is not a prime requisite for becoming an NFL GM. Competency, intelligence, experience, foreknowledge and decisiveness all precede courage.
The great majority of first round QBs fail. This is a statistical reality. However, good scouting mitigates the fail rate. The Jordan Love pick was a combination of good scouting and timely decision-making. Not much courage was necessary from Gutie.
Bitternotsour
March 19, 2024 at 12:13 pm
Your assessment is correct, but ignores the on the ground issues of the politics involved with replacing a beloved quarterback. It does require the courage of your convictions, and the willingness to take the heat. Arguably, Gutekunst was staking his career on this decision. That truly takes some courage.
Alberta_Packer
March 19, 2024 at 01:06 pm
"Courage of conviction" is apt - especially knowing that there would be blowback. So a little courage was necessary.
Starrbrite
March 20, 2024 at 11:19 pm
Geez Alberta—I’m agreeing again with you. If it happens again, I’m going to urgent care.
HarryHodag
March 19, 2024 at 02:22 pm
Since the pass has overtaken running the ball as the focus of modern professional football it is important to have quarterback who can, uh, pass. There are hundreds and hundreds of folks who come out of college who can pass the ball. Most of them don't do it very well or pass it frequently to the other team. Each year there's a scramble to get a shot at 1-5 quarterbacks who are likely to be fair to outstanding NFL QB's. So the odds of getting a great quarterback are slim. The teams that get the shot at the best QB's often are terrible teams who lead to the prospect getting destroyed.(Think Z. Wilson, etc.)
The recent rush for running backs indicates to me that much of the NFL is realizing the quest for a great QB isn't worth the price and victory can be found by running the ball , playing great defense and good special teams than passing. A 'game manager' like Brock Purdy(and the lowest of draft picks) came close to winning the Super Bowl. The QB and receiver positions are increasingly becoming populated by ego maniacs demanding ridiculous money.
The tide is turning as teams realize the cost of finding the great passer and matching receivers is becoming a financial burden on the franchises. Look at the Vikings, not that I feel sorry for them.
To put the draft into I believe the clearest perspective, check out Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk's analysis of the 2021 draft class:
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/the-2021-q...
revolson
March 19, 2024 at 02:46 pm
Also, the Packers didn’t just have Favre fall into their lap…
https://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2018/08/06/ron-wolf...
TheBigCat
March 19, 2024 at 05:21 pm
I'm just relieved the whole Aaron Rodgers drama/never-ending-soap opera is over in GB, and the entire organization can simply (!) focus on the business at hand: playing football and winning championships.
Leatherhead
March 19, 2024 at 08:05 pm
Technically, it's not over until we use pick #41 in the draft. Musgrave is the other half of the deal, and he looks like he'll be a good player for the next couple of years if he can avoid life-threatening injuries.
Players we got in trade for Rodgers will help us win a Super Bowl with a new QB. I like the symmetry of that.
Starrbrite
March 20, 2024 at 11:23 pm
It woulda been kinda cool to have the Vice President playing QB for the Pack…tsk tsk.
LeotisHarris
March 19, 2024 at 07:46 pm
Oh, so you're going to be the almighty identifier of courage, Cory? Is that right? I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest you've never once in your life hauled your azz out into the woods to search for Bigfoot have you? Huh? Yeah, that's what I thought. Lightweight.
marpag1
March 20, 2024 at 05:13 am
[The Packers] "traded up for a quarterback that nobody believed in."
This is complete bullshit. There were plenty of people who had first round grades on Love. Stop rewriting history to fit the silly narrative.
jannesbjornson
March 20, 2024 at 07:01 pm
Rated btw #24-29.