Right but what if Hundley continues to increase his value as the primary backup in 2016 and 2017? I would assume he would want to become a starting QB in the league by the end of the 2017 season. If that's the case and if a healthy 34 year-old Rodgers has no plans to retire in the spring of 2018, what do you do? Let Hundley play out his rookie contract and probably receive a 3rd round comp pick in the 2019 draft or trade him for perhaps a first rounder in the 2018 draft? (I realize there are lots of contingencies here but I think this scenario while perhaps not likely, is certainly possible.)
The only way Hundley might, and I say
might, draw a decent pick in trade is if he played lights out for 5 or 6 money games in a stretch. Then he'd need to be traded right after that season, not the next year after the interest cools. In order to trade him right then, a competent reserve would need to be in the wings right then. We've seen what happens when a competent replacement is not in the wings on a team that perennially fields a mediocre defense. That's a lot of ifs, as you say, and a lot of carts in front of horses.
The "how come we can't trade Flynn" talk got awfully tedious...we don't want 4 years of that do we?
As for Hundley's current value, you were quite impressed with Tolzien's passer rating in last year's preseason. All he got was $1 mil for one year with the Packers...you can surmise that might have been his only offer. The only bankable thing from preseason play is promise and potential. Those are fine things to be sure, but they are not tradeable for anything of great consequence.
You asked earlier why he lasted until the 5th. round in a league with a dearth of young QB talent. We know that with all this read-option, spread, limited progression, out-of-the-pocket, pistol-and-shotgun-with-limited-snaps-under-center passing game that college ball has devolved into, all the prospects are something of a gamble. So what do teams look for? A strong arm and a strong bowl game resume. Hundley had all of the college system baggage like the others, but was perceived as an accurate short thrower but not with premier arm strength, and his teams had nice records but did not make the big time bowl games. That's about all there is to it.
If Hundley leaves after 4 years after sitting on the bench, then he might end up like Tyrod Taylor who did the same, the surprise week 1 starter in Buffalo. And then if he can keep the job long enough to put up enough throws, then a 3rd. round comp pick might come our way.
That's even more ifs.
Backup QBs are viewed as inessential...until you need one.
then teams would be more interested in Tolzien in free agency since they would surrender nothing more than a comp pick if won a starting job somewhere, otherwise nothing at all.
