NEWSLETTER
The Green Bay Packers trading up to select Utah State quarterback Jordan Love was unexpected, and even unpopular in some circles.
But at least Aaron Rodgers is taking it well.
And as someone who’s willing to hear all sides of an argument, debate, or in this case, draft strategy, I’ve long been curious as to see some strong reasoning behind this move. So with that in mind, let’s move on to Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur, who offered up a curious explanation on the decision to trade up and draft Love:
Matt LaFleur on the draft: "It was just one of those situations where there were a couple guys targeted that had just previously been picked and Jordan was the next guy on the board, and so we went with the best player at the time."
Odd phrasing when the Packers moved UP for Love— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) May 28, 2020
To be clear, I don’t want to see the Packers making good moves to win football games – in fact, it’s the last thing I want (the first thing I want is Green Bay to win just the right amount of games to perpetually land in a place just not good enough to compete, but just not bad enough to rack up premium draft picks). Football purgatory is no fun for anyone, save for those who enjoy watching rivals inconstant turmoil.
Instead, I want to understand the steps behind what happened. Again, it’s not about agreeing or disagreeing with the decision, I just want perspective and a better understanding of things. And frankly, that explanation from LaFleur ain’t it.
It would be different if Love had fallen to where the Packers were originally drafting. But that’s not what happened. Green Bay traded *UP* to take Love, which suggests that he was the guy the team wanted all along. And the Packers wanted him badly enough to trade up and ensure no other team would maneuver its way to a spot to draft him. Maybe the Packers feel as if Love is a can’t-miss prospect they can’t believe everyone else passed on, hence, their need to trade for him. But instead, it feels as if Love is being talked about by LaFleur as their last resort to get a first-round value. And if that was the case, why wouldn’t Green Bay move out of the first round, collect draft capital, and stockpile picks that could be deemed to be more valuable?
Thinking this much about Green Bay’s backup QB situation is giving me a headache. Hopefully those are the only Jordan Love induced issues I have to deal with throughout the duration of his rookie contract in Packerland.
