Round 1 Pick 26 (From Miami) QB Jordan Love Utah State

@vitaflo posted:

If the 2020 season is canceled (which is certainly possible) this is actually a pretty smart pick.  There wouldn't be any college players to scout next year which means the next time you can confidently draft a QB with tape is 2022, and there's no guarantee there's a good prospect then.  Love is also only 21.  He's 2 years younger than Joe Burrow.  He has time on his side.

If you like a guy enough to think he's a future starter and you can grab him, given all else that's going on right now in the world, it may have been a pretty smart move to pull the trigger now.

Spot on.   Or continue to snivel and cry. 

How many Superbowls have we won with “the great” Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre. 

One year wonder (Non Super Bowl winning)  Shit on the sidewalk San Fran  is now the bar. 

I do appreciate this pick in the middle of a pandemic with no sports. Not sure I could spend more than two minutes discussing boom or bust in regards to Patrick Queen.

Couple intangibles not discussed. Good looking chap, important at the QB position. Cool name also and will eventually be 'JLove' to all of us. Only problem with C-Boy on this is he has a tough road to hoe to get this out of my brain when 'JLove' is said (or typed):

@Boris posted:

Colts & Seattle had a deal worked out Colts have 34 & 44 so they had ammo to move up. 

Once Packers jumped Seattle & selected Love, Colts pulled out of trade. Pretty simple. 

And let's not forget Tennessee. The Tannehill contract is really only for a couple of years and, oh yeah, he's still Ryan Tannehill.

On a serious note, if the braintrust sees Love as a special talent and all their other first-round projections were off the board, they made the correct choice.

I will also add, we all see the decline in 12's game. I watched a replay of the Pitt Super Bowl and 12's arm strength just jumped off the screen and I am not sure if he has that anymore and maybe the club sees more physical decline soon.

Note 12 is still elite (IMO) but obviously the club felt Love was too good to pass on.

Another thought. Always a lot of discussion on Rodgers'' 'chip on his shoulder.' Maybe that chip has healed a bit too much. The Pack might have just took a hammer and chisel to it.

Move really does mirror the one they made in 2005- a QB available in the later first round that they felt was simply too good to pass on. Obviously they were right about AR and time will tell on Love.

I'm old. I went to bed before the pick. Because I'm old I woke up at 11 pm to pee. My iPad was by my bed, but I was afraid to look at it knowing this pick might be Love. I'm glad I waited till this morning because it would have dramatically impacted my sleep. What an absolutely terrible pick...Even if he is outstanding, Rodgers plays for 4 more years. The only positive about trading a fourth rounder to move up , is Gutekunst has been terrible with late round picks. Gutekunst has made some very nice moves. Overall he has improved this team, I appreciate that, but man has he had his difficult times...Jaire Alexander in 2018 was a great selection and then a complete whiff on the rest of the draft. .Rashard Gary was dominated  by average tackles last year...maybe he gets better, I'm not banking on it. Maybe Gute recognizes a second waive of  Covid 19 in the fall will cancel the season and so an immediate impact wasn't necessary. I jumped up and down with joy when we picked Rodgers in 2005, this time I came here to b#tch--sorry and thank you-I feel better now.

This is a really shrewd draft selection for a few reasons.  

First, the guy has talent.  He has the tools to play and play well at the next level. Could he flame out?  Sure he could.  But I actually think this is less of a risk than Miami taking Tua at 5 or SD taking the Oregon guy where they did.  Burrows was the only real elite QB prospect and if you miss at 5 or 6 that’s much different than missing at 26. 

Second, this should piss off and hopefully motivate Rodgers to play at or near the top of his game all the time.  Sometimes a little competition (real or perceived) has a way of lighting a fire under your ass.  The bottom line is 12 has gotten too comfortable and yes his skills have and are declining so you need to think about the future. 

Finally, they have him for 5 years at a very affordable price.  If Rodgers falls off a cliff or demands a trade 2-3 years from now ala Brent it frees up a lot of money to add players around him.  That might be the best thing about this pick.  Today they don’t need him.  But come 2-3 years from now it may be a brilliant insurance policy. 

The guy I wanted was Jefferson but MN took him so Love makes a lot of sense. 

For all the outrage I have to ask - was taking Rashaun Gary at 12 a smart choice?  You take a guy that high in the draft he’s got to at least be a factor in the rotation.  He’s the pick we really should be questioning. 

@michiganjoe posted:

Don't see any middle ground with that pick- it's going to be either unbelievably brilliant or an unbelievably bad decision by the GM. 

Kind of like Rashan Gary

@Tschmack posted:

...taking the Oregon guy...

 

It seemed to me that the red flags were same for JLove and Herbert. I suspect the narrative would be different if Herbert fell and he was the choice.

@Chongo posted:

Kind of like Rashan Gary

Also like Gary in terms of the organization's belief in his talent level. 

But Herbert has some warts as well.  That’s my point.  Had he been there at 26 I would have pulled the trigger to draft him as well.   But is he a slam dunk at 6?   I guess if you are the Chargers that desperately need a QB.  

It’s so much better to not have to take a guy based on pure need because you can talk yourself into just about everything.  Kind of like Ron Wolf taking 3 corners in a row to counter Moss.  The best player of the group was Mike McKenzie in the 3rd round. 

@Boris posted:

Colts & Seattle had a deal worked out Colts have 34 & 44 so they had ammo to move up. 

Once Packers jumped Seattle & selected Love, Colts pulled out of trade. Pretty simple. 

No way was Indy giving up 34 and 44. Had to be 34, 75 and maybe one of the late rounders.

I'll ask my buddy from the Colts and see if he knows anything. 

@Timpranillo posted:

 

If you really wanted a development QB, go get Fromm or Eason or Hurts in the 2nd or 3rd. Hell, I'd argue all 3 are much better than Love anyway. 

You don't have to argue, you can just sit back and let history show us if you would have been right or not.

When I found out he was the pick, I wondered if he could fill a gap and stop the run. Maybe he's just the next, younger, Taysom Hill type guy and GB plans to use him at WR, QB, RB, ILB and all around special teams player?

He's 6'4", has long arms and most importantly - BIG hands!

@Blair Kiel posted:

You guys all wanted a wide receiver that Rodgers won't trust for 3 years, didn't you?

I wanted a line backer who could make a tackle sorta close to the line of scrimmage.

I also think this speaks volumes as there might not be any football this fall, college or NFL.

Really surprised by the pick, but as someone said, we as fans have the luxury of focusing on the here and now, Franchises, GM's and coaches don't.

Time will tell.

The pick is not as crazy as it seems.  Rodgers is not the QB he used to be and his contract is effectively up in three years, when Rodgers turns 40.  Brady and Brees have made it work at age 40 but Rodgers relies more on his athleticism than both, so I think Rodgers sees more of a decline in the next three years.  And when it happens, it's a cliff.  Look at Favre.  And even though Manning won that Super Bowl, his play was so bad that last year that it was actually a minor controversy to bench Brock Osweiler for Manning in the playoffs.  

Love is the high ceiling-low floor QB that makes sense for a stable team like the Packers to gamble on.  There will be no QB controversy until at least year 3, which means Love can sit back, learn and fix the issues with his mechanics (just like Rodgers did).  Love will be able to see how a great QB prepares Monday-Saturday and better understand Rodgers' decision making process (which seems like Love struggled with).  At that point, it's up to Lefleur and Love to make this work.  It's also fairly low risk. You can walk away from the 26th pick pretty easily if it just doesn't work.  Yeah the media will blow it out of proportion if he fails and it's never good to miss on a first rounder but if there's a 20% chance Love turns into a franchise QB, it's probably worth it.    

The negative - I kind of bought into the idea that I've lived through 28 straight seasons of hall of fame QB play and that I wasn't going to see another great QB in a Packer uniform my lifetime.  So my frame of mind was to restock the cupboards at WRs, fix the run defense, and bolster the depth on the OL to make a run for another Super Bowl these next two years.  That's really the basis for my disappointment in the pick.  Obviously Gute didn't grow up a Packer fan so doesn't see it that way, which is probably a good thing.   

Whatever.  I'm going to pretend that they were going to draft the next Damarious Randall or Derek Sherrod with this pick if they hadn't taken Love.  Makes the pick that won't see the field for 2-3 years much easier to swallow.  I just pray they get a legit WR in the second or third.  

@CUPackFan posted:

The pick is not as crazy as it seems. 

It's moving up for Jordan Love, not the idea of picking a QB even in the first. 

Sorry, Love isn't a lap faller.  Ryan GooblyPace kind of stuff.

Hope Love is a HOFer but the rest of the draft better be adding immediate or near immediate contributors at certain positions.

I'm also of the agreement that thinking the Packers will land and 3rd HOF QB is unlikely.  It's also why I'm pretty encouraged by Mayo's offense because you can build a solid run offense with a capable QB and really good defense.  Guess we'll see.

Obviously, time will tell. If 6 WRs didn't go in the first 25 picks, maybe they pick one of those guys. 

Back up QB was a roster need, so there is that.  I can only hope freedom from Gary Anderson and some quality coaching can help the kid become really good (hoping for another HOF is pretty selfish and not fair to Love).  Expectations should be high because he is a first round QB and this does little to help the current team, but not every QB we use a first round pick on needs to be a HOF.  

As for AR, sure, I bet he is pissed.  I have no problem with that.  We were a game away from the superbowl and he wants young players to help get over that hump.  Other than ESB, Lazard and MVS, there are probably other players hoping for a kid who could move the needle now.  Crabtree seems to think the narrative that AR will be a horrible teammate to Love is bullshit (but what does he know, he doesn't post on a message board).  I just hope Love has a bunch of awe shucks in him, because GB does not like a thinker.  

Crossing my fingers for Jordan Taylor in the second.  

https://www.stampedeblue.com/2...nearly-became-a-colt

.....and now you know....the rest of the story

@AdamSchefter: Looking over pre-draft interview notes, and this sentence about where Utah St. QB Jordan Love would go jumped out: "I know that LaFleur would almost mandate his pick if it got to a certain point."

Can’t tell who Scheftie got this from, but really brings LaFleur into this decision as a potential driver. Hmmm....

@AtTheMurph posted:

You don't have to argue, you can just sit back and let history show us if you would have been right or not.

When I found out he was the pick, I wondered if he could fill a gap and stop the run. Maybe he's just the next, younger, Taysom Hill type guy and GB plans to use him at WR, QB, RB, ILB and all around special teams player?

He's 6'4", has long arms and most importantly - BIG hands!

Reading this in conjunction with CuPackFan's post it struck me that maybe the mobility is what they want as part of a run offense.  Maybe they aren't looking for a Rodgers or Favre pocket passer but a Cam Newtonesque type of QB, which would make sense in Mayo's offense.  It may be gravy if he can avoid boneheaded passes and actually stay in the pocket when needed.   I guess a good indicator could be what type of WR they draft. 

I doubt the Taysom Hill thing though. 

I personally don't like it but it is a viable approach especially if you're not banking on landing another Favre or Rodgers.  I just hope they aren't abandoning Rodgers final years.

The thing that does concern me about Love is the 20 TD vs. 17 interceptions he threw last year. He seemed to regress in that department. 

I'm glad they didn't get Herbert. Maybe I'm basing too much on the Rose Bowl because that's the only game I saw him play, but I thought he looked a future NFL bust in that game. He ran well, but he's not that type of QB in the NFL. 

@El-Ka-Bong posted:

Back up QB was a roster need, so there is that.  I can only hope freedom from Gary Anderson and some quality coaching can help the kid become really good (hoping for another HOF is pretty selfish and not fair to Love).  Expectations should be high because he is a first round QB and this does little to help the current team, but not every QB we use a first round pick on needs to be a HOF.  

As for AR, sure, I bet he is pissed.  I have no problem with that.  We were a game away from the superbowl and he wants young players to help get over that hump.  Other than ESB, Lazard and MVS, there are probably other players hoping for a kid who could move the needle now.  Crabtree seems to think the narrative that AR will be a horrible teammate to Love is bullshit (but what does he know, he doesn't post on a message board).  I just hope Love has a bunch of awe shucks in him, because GB does not like a thinker.  

Crossing my fingers for Jordan Taylor in the second.  

I have zero expectations for Love.  I also think Rodgers probably doesn't really give two shits.  He already played with Kizer.

Also, I don't think Rodgers will be a shit at all.  He, Coach Boyle and Coach Kizer had to navigate McVince's last years so I don't think Rodgers is the petty type.

John Schneider said he was talking with Packers GM Brian Gutekunst when he was told "sorry, we got a better deal. It happens."

— Curtis Crabtree (@Curtis_Crabtree) April 24, 2020

I think the Packers passed on a run defender more than a WR with this pick, so the media framing it like Gute chose to draft Rodgers' replacement rather than give him more weapons is misguided.  Just creates a better headline.  

I would have liked to see them draft Queen or Josh Jones.  I think Queen is going to be a stud.  And unsure if Jones was going to be great but it's never bad to add depth and a potential starter at OT.  

And I don't care the Packers used a late 4th to trade up.  Hit rate on a late fourth rounder is probably less than 30% - just as likely to get Vince Beigel or J'Mon Moore as you are to get Jamal Williams or Blake Martinez.  If Love's your guy, trading a fourth to get him will be forgotten if he ends up being a good QB.  

Based on his contract and the dead money it would take to not have Rodgers on the roster, you are looking at him being the starting QB for the next 2 years barring injury. They may be planning to move on in 2022 the way his contract is structured.  There's probably no chance he sees 2023 in a Packer  uniform. 

He costs 30 million more to move on from than to keep in 2020 with a 51 million dollar cap hit if he's gone. 

He costs only 5 million more to cut than to keep in 2021, but he would still count 36 million against the cap to move on from. 

In 2022, it gets interesting. His cap hit actually goes UP that year to 40 million and he would cost 17 million in dead cap to move on from. So they save 23 million if they move on. You have to think the contract was structured the way it was to force a decision at this point. 

Andrew Brandt on the Love choice:

 

 Andrew Brandt

@Packy posted:

Rodger’s play has declined the past several seasons.  Read quite a few who thought it was time to draft a QB high.    Get the next guy now and let him sit and learn for a couple years.  I think Love was the BPA on our board.   Surprising but hope it works out for the best.  

Some mocks had GB drafting Love at 30.  Others had us drafting Eason in the 2nd round. Someone in the Packers' Organization said we should't be surprised if GB drafts a QB. I think it was Gute who said that, too. What surprised me is that GB moved up to do this as I felt Love would have been their at 30. Some other team must have been ready to trade up to get Love, over GB. That makes this a bold move by Gute to get his man. I hope this works out, as well.

Jordan Love was NOT going to last until the 30th pick. 

I don't know how much more I can post from Rapport & Scheftie to help you.

Bottom Line....he's a Packer now. Get used to it. I think Rodgers having some competition is a good thing. 

I'll say this.  If decision making is Love's issue then having Rodgers around is an ideal scenario.  My concern is if Love, like Kizer or Hundley, can't override/relearn shitty college tendencies. 

I also think the "Rodgers is pissed" mantra is just silly.  He very likely will enjoy the competition if you can call it that.  To say Love is anywhere near competing with Rodgers yet is pretty obtuse.

Love me some @AndrewBrandt

He's a great follow on Twitter

Packers still have 8 picks left with (3) in the 6th round so I expect them to move up.

R-E-L-A-X -- draft isn't over yet.  The real drafting starts today & tomorrow. Friday & Saturday are when the real GM's take over. 

@MichiganPacker2 posted:

The thing that does concern me about Love is the 20 TD vs. 17 interceptions he threw last year. He seemed to regress in that department.

The main reason I have a problem with Love isn't simply the regression but how bad the regression was to the point it was frequently commented on.

Boyle went through the same scrutiny and he was a UDFA. 

I don't think we're in a world where Love is competition for Rodgers.

Now you did it!
Fedya is going to link Peter & Gordon's "World Without Love"

@MNPackman posted:

 

 Andrew Brandt

 @AndrewBrandt

·57m

 Packers fans: they will get short-term help for Aaron, just not in the first round, long way to go. And, they hope, they have secured the future of the franchise.

Given his two-year drafting record, how could any rational Packer fan possibly entertain doubts that immediate help is on its way with Gutey having 8 more picks in rounds 2-7?

Is there a J'Mon Moore or MVS like gem in the 4th (oops forgot no 4th rounder anymore) or 5th round that Gutey is waiting to pounce on to improve the WR corps?

How about a 3rd round steal at ILB like Oren Burks to upgrade the deficient talent at ILB?

And with Tramon not re-signed, maybe Gutey devotes another 2nd round pick on a CB as he did with his 2018 2nd round steal Josh Jackson. 

@Boris posted:

Jordan Love was NOT going to last until the 30th pick. 

I don't know how much more I can post from Rapport & Scheftie to help you.

Bottom Line....he's a Packer now. Get used to it. I think Rodgers having some competition is a good thing. 

Link

Gutekunst also tried his best to downplay the idea of Love being Rodgers’ successor, saying, “I think that’s probably not a fair (statement). I don’t think you can put that on him right now. Right now, I think he just needs to come in and learn and try to become the best quarterback he can be. We did draft him in the first round, so we like a lot about him. We think he has a very good upside to become a starter in the National Football League.