Hello readers! The NFL offseason is past us and 32 teams will start their training camps this week as the prepare for the upcoming 2021 season. For the first time since 2019 there will be a preseason to be had as there will be a Hall-Of-Fame Game and then four weeks of preseason. In this post, I'll give my thoughts on the Aaron Rodgers drama in Green Bay, Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville, and a QB trade in Detroit and Los Angeles. Let's get to work!
Aaron Rodgers
Green Bay and public relations haven't been known to gel well together. This isn't new for the Packers as another quarterback has been the cause of drama. In the summer of 2008, Brett Favre announced that he was unretiring and wanting to come back to the Packers. The result would cause the Packers to trade their future hall-of-fame quarterback to the New York Jets. Thirteen years later, Green Bay finds themselves in the middle of a firestorm.
Aaron Rodgers is inarguably a future hall-of-fame quarterback onto himself. His case for it helped when he lead his team in a Super Bowl win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Ever since then, Rodgers has been looking for that 2nd ring. What would happen next would be 11 seasons of failure, in those 11 seasons, the Packers made the playoffs in nine of them, and making to the NFC Championship Game in four. Green Bay hasn't made past them.
Aaron Rodgers realizes that his window is closing on both the team winning a championship and in his career. Green Bay hasn't made it made it clear that they're building a winner. In the drafts, the Packers would draft players to back up their struggling defense, never to their receiving corp. Especially in the 1st round.
The recent offseason has been the ultimate will he, won't he situation for Rodgers. There was a time where he contemplated retirement, wanted a trade, and then wanted to go back to Green Bay for another season. Recently, Aaron Rodgers has chosen the route of going back to Green Bay. Whether the Packers will allow him to go back will be up to them.
My overall thoughts are that: he certainly has the right to be angry with the Packers in not giving him offensive help and drafting a quarterback in the 1st round in the 2020 NFL Draft. I get that he has been frustrated with not getting back to the Super Bowl after so many seasons back in the playoffs. What I have an issue is that he seems to be acting like a prima donna which is something that he isn't. I just hope that it is something that both the Packers and Aaron Rodgers will resolve quickly as it could lead to becoming a distraction.
Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville
With not much surprise, the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the 1st overall pick back in May. Jacksonville expects Lawrence to be their franchise's savior and franchise quarterback.
Trevor Lawrence has never known losing in his football career. Dating back to his high school days, he never lost a game, once he graduated high school and attended Clemson University, it would be much more of the same success. The chances of him going undefeated in Jacksonville in the NFL level is very unlikely. Everyone will be watching him to see how well he does though.
Jacksonville will likely have a cornerstone of the franchise and something for the team to build on. He will have some help with Tim Tebow as tight end but not as much help on the offensive line. Do not let his career waste away.
Goff in the Motor City, Stafford in Hollywood
In a surprising move for the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams, both teams traded their star quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff. Whether the trade will benefit both teams or not, we will have to see.
Matthew Stafford has been an enigma in the NFL since getting drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 Draft. Stafford has had great seasons and then he has had bad seasons. Playing for the Detroit Lions where Stafford has played for many head coaches, offensive coordinators, and quarterbacks coaches has to take a toll on the veteran. With only a few playoff appearances under his belt, Stafford hopes the trade to the Rams will revitalize his waning career.
Jared Goff, like Stafford, was a former 1st overall pick from the 2016 NFL Draft. He would play fairly alright with his first few seasons in Los Angeles. Everything would change in 2018 as Goff would help lead the Rams to a great offense and an appearance in Super Bowl LIII. The Rams would be held to 3 points as the New England Patriots would beat them 13-3. After the appearance, Goff has been lackluster as he has either been playing like a Pop Warner quarterback or a Pro-Bowl caliber quarterback. Perhaps new scenery will get Jared Goff some new life in the Motor City.
My thoughts on the trade are mixed. On one hand the Rams are getting a veteran that could possibly have a few years left in the tank. He certainly has a coach in Sean McVay that he can count on to help him. Detroit will get a quarterback that is younger and has had a few seasons of quality quarterback play that can help a team win games. I feel the Rams won the trade but anything can happen.
What's Next
Well with this post in the books, I would expect possibly another post on more thoughts prior to the start of the season and then my season predictions. Until then, see you all soon.
-Tom
