NFL News

[Futureshock]

I admire his persistence in trying to find the right one…

[Futureshock]

Aaron Rodgers “definitely” plans to finish career with the Packers

Posted by Josh Alper on June 7, 2022, 5:46 PM EDT

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Aaron Rodgers isn’t sure how many more years he’ll play in the NFL, but he knows he plans to play them all for the Packers.

Doubt about his future in Green Bay came to an end early this offseason when Rodgers signed a three-year contract with the team. The structure of the contracts makes it a year-to-year call for Rodgers to continue playing and he told reporters on Tuesday that he won’t be factoring the possibility of playing for another team into those decisions.

Rodgers said he’s “definitely” planning to take all of his remaining snaps with the same team that made him a first-round pick in 2005.

“If you say I’m for sure playing two more, three years and then you have a magical season that ends with a championship and think that that might be the best way to ride off, I don’t want to commit to something,” Rodgers said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “You say, I’m only playing one more year and you have a bitter taste in your mouth and still got the drive and the passion to play one or two more years, I just don’t want to get pigeonholed into it. So I’m focused on this season. I’m never gonna drag it out in the offseason. The conversations I’ve had with [General Manager] Brian [Gutekunst] have been very honest and direct, and that’s not going to change, and we’ll sit down after the season, hopefully after a championship and figure out what the next step is.”

Any championship aspirations will hinge on how well Rodgers meshes with a wideout group that features a number of new additions following the departures of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. This week’s minicamp is Rodgers’ first chance to work with those new arrivals and they’ll need to make some strong connections in order to put up the kind of offensive numbers needed to stay in the hunt in the NFC.

[Futureshock]

Aaron Rodgers: Packers made a competitive offer to Davante Adams

Posted by Charean Williams on June 7, 2022, 4:19 PM EDT

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Aaron Rodgers announced on March 8 he was returning to the Packers for 2022. Nine days later, the Packers traded All-Pro receiver Davante Adams to the Raiders.

Pete Doughterty of ESPN asked Rodgers on Tuesday whether the quarterback was “taken aback” when Adams told Rodgers he wanted to leave. Rodgers defended General Manager Brian Gutekunst and executive vice president Russ Ball for “stepping up” in their long-term contract offer to Adams, on whom the Packers had used the franchise tag.

“We had some really honest conversations about my future here, and how long I wanted to play, and his own thoughts about his future and where he wanted to play, live and raise his family,” Rodgers said, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “The team obviously stepped up and made a competitive, or even more compelling, offer. Ultimately, Davante thought it was best for him and his family to be in Vegas, so that was tough for sure, but I love Tae and love our connection. I’m a little biased, but it’s hard to think of a better player I played with. He had a chance to be the all-time record in a lot of categories at receiver for us. I thought that might be a little nugget that would kind of keep him here, but Tae made a decision that he thought was in the best decision for him and his family, and I can’t fault him for that at all.”

Rodgers said he did not try to “recruit” Adams to stay in Green Bay.

“We were talking almost every single day,” Rodgers said. “If I feel like I’ve got to recruit a guy like that back to the Packers, I’ve already lost.”

The Packers honored Adams’ wishes in trading him to the Raiders, so he could reunite with Derek Carr. But Rodgers surely will miss Adams on the field.

Adams caught 238 passes for 2,927 yards and 29 touchdowns the past two seasons in earning back-to-back All-Pro honors. That’s an average of eight catches for 98 yards and a touchdown per game.

[Futureshock]

Bill Belichick: It’s a good time to streamline things offensively

Posted by Myles Simmons on June 7, 2022, 1:07 PM EDT

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The Patriots’ offensive transition continues to be shrouded in mystery.

Head coach Bill Belichick conceded in his Tuesday press conference that the team is streamlining its offensive terminology. But when asked other questions about the offense, Belichick offered no details.

“Well, we’ve had a lot of changes offensively in the last couple of years,” Belichick said. “It’s a good time to streamline things. We did that defensively a couple of years ago and feel like this is a good time to do it offensively. So, yeah, there’s an element of that every year.”

Does that mean the Patriots are running a new offensive system? Belichick was asked that and had a three-word answer.

“I don’t know.”

He responded to, “How big are the changes you’re making?” in a similar way.

“I don’t know,” Belichick said. “We make changes every year. I wouldn’t be able to rank them.”

Later asked if the Patriots were more just changing their offensive terminology, Belichick again said, “I don’t know” — this time smiling and shaking his head.

“Yeah, I mean, if [you’re asking] if we’re going to run the veer offense, no, that’s not what we’re doing,” Belichick said. “I’m not really sure what we’re talking about here.”

Of course, Belichick knows what reporters are asking. He’s just not saying how the Patriots are changing things, which is his right. After all, it’s still months away from Week One.

New England is reportedly trending toward having Matt Patricia call the offensive plays this season. He’s been working with the offensive line during the offseason program.

The Lions head coach from 2018-2020, Patricia was New England’s defensive coordinator from 2012-2017.

[jaadam4]

Wow, DeShaun Watson has some serious issues. He’s rich and is a celeb. You’re telling me he couldn’t head to the club and just snatch up some girls to give him a happy ending?

[Futureshock]

Wow, DeShaun Watson has some serious issues. He’s rich and is a celeb. You’re telling me he couldn’t head to the club and just snatch up some girls to give him a happy ending?

IKR?

He has a serious "fetish" he needs to figure out how to legally, and with consent, deal with. Regardless about football.

[JGSpartan]

The problem is probably that the lack of consent going in IS the fetish or at least part of it.

[jaadam4]

There’s prob a lot of truth to that. Either way unless he forks over a ton of money it doesn’t seem to be going away. I’ll be curious to see how long he can take the pressure of this

[froot loops]

[Futureshock]

The problem is probably that the lack of consent going in IS the fetish or at least part of it.

Yes. I agree. You would think he could walk into any bar, or anywhere in Houston, and convince some chick(s) to play along. Many would be excited to say they slept with a "star." But it is obvious that he wants that "surprise" thing. We're all proud of our... Bornday present, but he wants women to get WOW'd by his.

If he hasn't conquered that demon, the Browns better hold on to Baker. Even if he gets past the current cases, he'll just bring more onto himself.

[Topweasel]

Yes. I agree. You would think he could walk into any bar, or anywhere in Houston, and convince some chick(s) to play along. Many would be excited to say they slept with a "star." But it is obvious that he wants that "surprise" thing. We're all proud of our... Bornday present, but he wants women to get WOW'd by his.

If he hasn't conquered that demon, the Browns better hold on to Baker. Even if he gets past the current cases, he'll just bring more onto himself.

There is a reason why they haven't traded Baker and it has nothing to do with what teams are offering or lack of interest. It is completely driven by the fact from the very beginning they knew they where going to have to run without Watson for sometime. My guess is they always figured the whole first year. The weirdness with the first year that allows him to not lose anything but the vet min if he was suspended all year is all the evidence you need for that. The question is does Goodell have the balls to do what he should which is Ban him. Though that is a sham, he can just say that Watson has shown a determination to change and let him play in 2023, but a Ban either way is a good first start.

[jaadam4]

There is a reason why they haven't traded Baker and it has nothing to do with what teams are offering or lack of interest. It is completely driven by the fact from the very beginning they knew they where going to have to run without Watson for sometime. My guess is they always figured the whole first year. The weirdness with the first year that allows him to not lose anything but the vet min if he was suspended all year is all the evidence you need for that. The question is does Goodell have the balls to do what he should which is Ban him. Though that is a sham, he can just say that Watson has shown a determination to change and let him play in 2023, but a Ban either way is a good first start.

I don't know, I think Baker is way done in Cleveland. He and the club seem pretty set to part ways no matter what. I know there's only a certain amount of starting jobs in the league but it seems like they're both done with each other.

[Topweasel]

I don't know, I think Baker is way done in Cleveland. He and the club seem pretty set to part ways no matter what. I know there's only a certain amount of starting jobs in the league but it seems like they're both done with each other.

Then they would take what they could get. Considering how they handled this you wouldn't want Baker as a backup to Watson. It would be a disaster in the locker room. I can't think of another reason why we haven't seen Baker traded for a third or fourth by this point. Hawks, Carolina, Falcons could all take a flyer on him. He has more trade value now then waiting till camps start and Baker would have to learn the offense on the fly.

Nah I think from day one they planned on keeping Baker through this season because of the looming suspension.

Now whether Baker is willing to play ball. That's a good question. He really was public with his protest on the move to get Watson. I doubt he has the it that Brees had knowing Rivers was the chargers heir to push through an prove them wrong. Baker is going to play with his mind on his next team if he plays at all.

[Futureshock]

Then they would take what they could get. Considering how they handled this you wouldn't want Baker as a backup to Watson. It would be a disaster in the locker room. I can't think of another reason why we haven't seen Baker traded for a third or fourth by this point. Hawks, Carolina, Falcons could all take a flyer on him. He has more trade value now then waiting till camps start and Baker would have to learn the offense on the fly.

Nah I think from day one they planned on keeping Baker through this season because of the looming suspension.

Now whether Baker is willing to play ball. That's a good question. He really was public with his protest on the move to get Watson. I doubt he has the it that Brees had knowing Rivers was the chargers heir to push through an prove them wrong. Baker is going to play with his mind on his next team if he plays at all.

Maybe the other teams think he isn't that good; or the attitude(s) he has displayed makes him a potential cancer that other teams do not want to - trade for.

P&S:

A lot of teams are still fuming about the money and structure of the Watson deal.

[Futureshock]

Jordan Love: I’ll take what I’m given and run with it

Posted by Josh Alper on June 10, 2022, 8:21 AM EDT

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Aaron Rodgers was in Green Bay for the Packers mandatory minicamp this week and that meant Jordan Love didn’t get to run the first team offense the way he has throughout the voluntary portions of the team’s offseason program.

Love will get more chances to do that this summer, but he’ll be locked to the bench if all goes as planned for the Packers during the regular season. Given Rodgers’ new contract, it’s not clear that Love will ever get the chance to pilot the Packers in a meaningful game but the 2020 first-round pick is adamant that he isn’t focusing on that part of his future.

Love said that he’s “more comfortable, relaxed, and being able to process things at lot faster” than he was earlier in his career and that he’s continuing to devote his energy to getting better rather than whether or not his future lies in Green Bay.

“I am human,” Love said, via Jason Wilde of Madison.com. “And that stuff’s going to be there, regardless. But I think I do a pretty good job at compartmentalizing it. I don’t even want to think about that stuff. I can’t control what’s going on, I have no idea what might happen. So rather than stressing about things that might happen, things that might not happen, I’m just here right now. I’ll take what I’m given and run with it.”

Rodgers said this week that he plans to finish his career with the Packers, but gave no hints about when that might be. Unless it is after the 2022 season, it’s hard to feel confident that Love is going to be his successor in Green Bay’s offense.