So I know the second the news broke of the Jets acquiring that additional second rounder I personally believed that was the beginning of the trade snowball finally picking up steam and we were headed towards a two - second round picks as the top of the trade for Rodgers...
...I'm still in that thought process but truthfully I see only two main directions this thing goes:
1 - Traded for the Jets two 2nd rounders in 2023 as the main chunk of the package. Yes conditionals or future picks will be involved and possibly some depth level players but those two picks are the centerpiece if you will. I've shared thoughts on this type of package but essentially I envision both 2nds this year, conditional Day 2 pick 2024 and perhaps a conditional 2025 if Rodgers plays in 2024 for them (few lower level Depth players possibly sent our way like Denzel Mims). Packers would ship Rodgers, perhaps as high as one of our 5ths back to them and a 7th this year...plus maybe a late day 3 pick in 2024 too.
2 - We truly don't do anything until Post-June 1st. This would save the Packers about $14M to this year's cap by spreading the hit...BUT means ZERO draft equity return from this year's draft and the only this year return would be players in the deal AND/OR signed with the saved money. The draft equity is pushed to 2024 and likelihood more will come back due to Jets picks being worse than this year's picks they hold as they would be expected to be improved. This option has benefits to both teams - Jets don't just not have to come off the 13th pick but they truly push everything in on Rodgers, but also can continue to surge their roster with young talent with three top 50 picks and even if Rodgers is only there for one year they would have a surplus even more so of young talented roster you would think. Packers benefit fiscally and set up a lot of draft equity in 2024 should Jordan Love prove to be a flop and you have to push to a QB...that plan could be the only thing that saves Gute's job should the team falter in 2024 if he can right the ship then.
I know I've toed the line on some islands over the years - been right some and been wrong some...I'm truly beginning to think #2 could be the smarter of the options here from a future perspective of GB. Get back some player haul this year, add cap space for couple signings, build up 2024 draft equity and roll. Perhaps you can get the Jets to send back a collection perhaps some of these: Carl Lawson, Corey Davis, Jeremy Ruckert and Denzel Mims. Rework Lawson and Davis's contracts with small extensions if you want and Mims is a lowball dice roll in a room you have a lot of space in....if Ruckert was included he's a second year TE out of Ohio State we know Gute liked and again is a room we need some bodies in. If you told me Gute spun Rodgers into say Carl Lawson, Jeremy Ruckert and say Mims on the roster this year + a 2024 1st and a 2024 3rd or 4th....maybe a Day 3 conditional in 2025 I think you gotta take it.
**2B Option**- The Packers instead of pieces ask for a "high level" ceiling guy and do a post June 1st trade centered around Jermaine Johnson (Jets first rounder last year) and then some 2024 draft return. This would depend heavily on if Gute saw Jermaine as first round type prospect and therefore a first round level return or so. Johnson was a rotational guy last year in his rookie campaign so would the Jets be okay walking from him in order to bring Rodgers in? IMO yes, they have three top 50 picks and IMO they can easily grab one of the top ten edge guys with one of those picks to fill that hole left potentially.
