By Matt M (Twitter: @TexasTrojan2004)

Reports came out Thursday that Aaron Rodgers wants to leave the Packers.  Then, they draft a cornerback in the first round.  Does that mean they don’t want to work it out? I have seen and heard numerous conversations along these lines:

Yes, Rodgers needs weapons, but more than that, the Packers need defensive help.  In 2020 they had the 25^th fewest takeaways.  They didn’t lose the NFC Championship game last year because of offense.  They lost it because Tampa Bay forced timely turnovers and Green Bay did not. They lost because they couldn’t tackle Leonard Fournette for an early TD.  They lost because their coach, Matt LaFleur, decided to kick a field goal down by 8 from the 9-yard line with 2:05 left.  They lost because of defense, not because of offense.  The Packers were the number one scoring offense in 2020.  Defensively, they were middle of the road, coming in at the number 13 scoring defense.

As the 29^th pick in this year’s draft, Eric Stokes should help with that.  At Georgia he showed sub-4.3 40 speed, so he can run with the fastest receivers.  In his 3 years at Georgia, going up against players like Jerry Jeudy, Ja’Marr Chase, Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and Kadarius Toney (the last four of whom were the first 4 receivers drafted on Thursday), Stokes gave up 3 touchdowns”¦total.

After everything I’ve read, no draft picks are going to make Aaron Rodgers happy.  Everything points to a falling out with the front office, specifically, general manager Brian Gutekunst.  Drafting Elijah Moore, the first receiver taken after the Packers 29^th pick, wasn’t going to heal any wounds.  It probably wouldn’t have even been a band-aid.  When your GM trades up to draft your replacement, and gets someone like Jordan Love, it is not a recipe for the now reigning MVP’s happiness.  When the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers to be Brett Favre’s replacement, Favre wasn’t happy and Jordan Love wasn’t nearly as highly touted as Rodgers, so of course Aaron Rodgers is upset. Also, the Packers could have told Rodgers it was coming. Gutekunst said today, “Maybe some of the communication issues, we could have done better.”  Yes, they could have prepared him for it. To top it all off, Rodgers wants a long-term contract extension and the Packers haven’t been able to make that happen.

The Packers have lost the last two NFC Championships.  Drafting a backup QB in the first round when Green Bay was that close to the Super Bowl does not seem to be a smart move.  Use your early picks to address needs to get you closer to the Super Bowl.  This tells the team and your star quarterback that you are investing in winning now.  Spending high draft capital on your QB of the future does not. 

The rift between Rodgers and the Packers’ front office is clearly too deep for a late first round pick to mend.  So, no, not drafting an offensive weapon was not a slap in the face to Aaron Rodgers, drafting Jordan Love was. 

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By Matt M (Twitter: @TexasTrojan2004)

On January 7, 2021, the Houston Texans named Nick Caserio their new GM, and was he dealt a bad hand.  I’m talking 7-2 offsuit and first to act.  First, his franchise quarterback, Deshaun Watson, requested a trade. Then, their defensive stalwart, J.J. Watt, asks for and is granted his release.  And to top it all off: Before the new league year even starts, the first of many civil suits alleging sexual misconduct come out against Watson, making it impossible to trade him.

But Caserio hasn’t been idle. Since he’s taken over, the Texans have released around 20 players, restructured some deals, and traded away some contracts giving the team $7.348 million in cap space, which is pretty good considering they basically had no cap space when he started. While he was releasing and restructuring, the Texans’ GM also managed to sign 30 free agents, so Caserio certainly hasn’t been coasting through free agency.  Too bad so few of his transactions really move the needle.  Here are some of his more notable moves this offseason:

Releases: Nick Martin (C), Duke Johnson (RB)

Trade: Benardrick McKinney for Shaq Lawson

Free Agents: Mark Ingram (RB), Phillip Lindsay (RB), Justin Britt (C), Tyrod Taylor (QB

I like that Caserio got rid of Martin and Duke Johnson. Their contract hits were bad based on performance and releasing them freed up over $11 million.  Trading McKinney and the subsequent restructuring of Lawson’s contract likewise freed up considerable cap space.  I also like the signings of Ingram and Lindsay.  David Johnson had maybe one good game last year.  Unfortunately, his dead cap made it unwise to cut him, but they reworked his deal to free up some salary cap.  Ingram is a decent running back who can help the team in 2021 and Phillip Lindsay showed flashes in Denver, but never put it all together; hopefully, he can in Houston.  If not, both he and Ingram are on one-year deals, so they’re easy to cut.  Justin Britt is an experienced veteran center who replaces Nick Martin for much less money, and Tyrod Taylor is a serviceable quarterback who can step in depending on Deshaun Watson’s legal and trade situations. 

Overall, the adds and drops that Nick Caserio has made, while not spectacular, do seem to serve a purpose.  According to Aaron Wilson, Nick Caserio said, “What we’ve tried to do is create as much competition as possible on the team. Our focus is not position-specific. Just try to bring as many good players in the building, let the competition take care of itself.”  They have certainly brought in plenty of players but being “good” is debatable.

Arguably, the most important move Nick Caserio has had to make is hiring a head coach.  He failed miserably.  David Culley is 65 years old and has never been a head coach”¦at any level.  He has been a running backs coach, a receivers coach, a quarterbacks coach, an offensive coordinator, and most recently: Assistant head coach, wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for Baltimore.  Nowhere has he ever me THE guy.  Sure, he has plenty of experience, but there must be a reason he’s never been a head coach and wasn’t mentioned for any of the vacancies this year prior to the Texans hiring him. Overall, Nick Caserio has done a decent job in free agency, and bombed the coach search.  I give him a D. Let’s see what he does with his next hand”¦the 2021 NFL Draft.  With 8 picks, I’d say his hand is a little better than 7-2, but it’s definitely not pocket rockets, not when none of those picks are in the first two rounds.

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