ESPN analyst Greg McElroy said Wednesday that he’d take Aaron Rodgers over 2019 MVP, Lamar Jackson.

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy said Wednesday on Get Up that he’d take Aaron Rodgers over 2019 unanimous MVP Lamar Jackson “and it’s really not even close,” prompting a debate over the two quarterbacks’ places in the NFL hierarchy.

While Rodgers has had a historically great NFL career, a quick look at the stat sheet from 2019 shows that McElroy’s statement misses the mark. While Rodgers edged out Jackson in passing yards and had two fewer interceptions, Jackson had 10 more touchdowns and a superior completion percentage, not to mention his contributions in the ground game.

Jackson tallied an NFL-record 1,206 rushing yards from the quarterback position, adding an extra dimension to Baltimore’s offense that the 36-year-old Rodgers simply cannot match. While Rodgers was still statistically good in 2019, his last truly elite season came in 2016, and Jackson is undoubtedly a more explosive player.

McElroy’s biggest hang-up with Jackson seemed to be his rocky playoff record, but, as Dan Orlovsky pointed out, Baltimore’s 2019 divisional-round loss to the Tennessee Titans does not fall on Jackson quite as much as the stat sheet might suggest.

Additionally, with the Ravens defense giving up over 200 yards on the ground to Tennessee, Jackson simply cannot be the scapegoat for Baltimore’s loss. In fact, with 365 passing yards and 143 rushing yards, he was likely the only thing keeping the final score from being worse.

As Marcus Spears pointed out, Rodgers is still a fantastic quarterback, but ranking him above Jackson based on 2019 simply does not hold up. Led by Jackson, Baltimore’s offense was, in a word, revolutionary last season. Green Bay’s, on the other hand, was largely boom-or-bust.

McElroy basing his decision on Jackson’s two playoff games ignores a much larger body of work that places the 2019 MVP firmly among the NFL’s top three quarterbacks, if not top two.

This is not to take away from Rodgers and his accomplishments. The Green Bay quarterback has been transcendent throughout his career and is one of the best arm talents the league has ever seen. However, to say he is better than Jackson at this point in their careers ignores the recent play of both quarterbacks.

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The Packers should add this free agent to bolster the roster.

The Green Bay Packers came within one game of reaching the Super Bowl in Matt LaFleur’s first season as head coach, but the San Francisco 49ers’ running game proved to be too much for Green Bay’s defense. With the first-round selection of Jordan Love seemingly limiting Green Bay’s title window under Aaron Rodgers to just two more years, the team would be wise to shore up its run defense and go all-in on the 2020 season.

Free agent defensive tackle Damon Harrison is the perfect man for the job. Alongside 24-year-old phenom Kenny Clark, Harrison would be part of one of the NFL’s most potent run-stuffing duos. At 6-foot-3 and 350 pounds, “Snacks” has developed a reputation as a force on the interior defensive line, and could likely be signed to a team-friendly deal.

While he does not provide much of a pass-rushing threat with just 11 career sacks, his run-stuffing ability has been lauded by Pro Football Focus. While the resurgent Green Bay defense ranked ninth in total yards allowed in 2019, Mike Pettine’s unit ranked 23rd in stopping the run and were exploited by the 49ers in both meetings between the teams.

Still a free agent in July after being cut by the Detroit Lions in February, Harrison could likely be signed at a low price point. The 31-year-old has no plans to retire, according to the New York Post, but will still likely be a two-down player in 2020. If Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst can agree to a one-year deal with Harrison, he could preserve the team’s 2020 cap space while simultaneously patching the defense’s biggest weakness.

Some may argue that Green Bay should instead bring back veteran cornerback Tramon Williams or sign a wide receiver like Taylor Gabriel, but the run defense is undoubtedly a more pressing need. Green Bay’s pass defense remains strong even without the 37-year-old Williams, and Chandon Sullivan looked capable of filling his role in limited snaps in 2019.

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Receiving depth behind Davante Adams is certainly a concern, but Green Bay’s passing game was surprisingly stellar in Adams’s four-game absence last season, with Aaron Jones acting as the offense’s motor. If Allen Lazard can build on his strong 2019 season and Devin Funchess, Jace Sternberger, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, or Equanimeous St. Brown can pitch in, the receiving corps could find success in 2020.

While Green Bay replaced Blake Martinez with Christian Kirksey in the offseason, the No. 2 defensive tackle position was never addressed. Harrison would bring the run-stuffing swagger that the Packers desperately need without infringing on Gutekunst’s ability to re-sign Kenny Clark and David Bakhtiari in the offseason.

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The NFL offseason is already behind schedule per the Packers’ Mark Murphy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the sports world for a loop, and that’s unlikely to end anytime soon. With MLB, NBA and NHL seasons hopefully getting underway soon, the NFL will have a precedent to follow should they wish to play their campaign in full. The NFL offseason, however, is under the same stringent guidelines as the return to action of other major sports.

Offseason workouts have been cancelled, and several NFL stars have already tested positive for COVID-19 thanks in part to their personal training sessions. With training camp next on the calendar, Packers CEO Mark Murphy acknowledged that teams are close to being behind schedule, and it should only get worse from here.

Packers CEO Mark Murphy has grim quote on NFL offseason activities.

Murphy stated that while the NFL has been able to keep up and save face to this point, it’ll be tough keep up such a pace as the regular season nears.

“NFL teams were able to handle free agency, the draft and their entire offseason programs virtually. We’ve made decisions along the way, but the major ones we’ve been able to put off until we have more information. With so much uncertainty, it has made sense that we have not made decisions until we absolutely have to. As we near the start of training camp, though, time is no longer on our side,” Murphy said per Packers.com.

Rookies are scheduled to report to practice on July 21, with veterans set to be in Green Bay by July 28. In the short span of a few weeks, the NFL will find out if it’s feasible to start the season on time. If camp is pushed back beyond just a few days, or if COVID-19 cases continue to rise nationwide, the league’s vision for its 2020 year could be a wash.

As tough as that is for football fans to hear, it’s a legitimate discussion being had in every professional sports league right now — do the ends justify the means.

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The Green Bay Packers plan to have fans in the stands at Lambeau Field.

Green Bay Packers football is everything in their small Wisconsin town.

The Packers are the last team of its kind in North American professional sports. While every other team has moved to the big cities and become increasingly more corporate by the decade, Green Bay is the only franchise that is still owned by the fans. Though the draw very heavily from nearby metropolis Milwaukee, the Packers have and probably always will do things differently.

One of the most unique parts of their football culture is their season ticket holding process. People spend decades, even lifetimes, waiting in line to cheer on The Pack from their own personally licensed seats. So yeah, the Packers organization are going to do everything in their power to get fans’ butts in the seats in the midst of the global pandemic. Here’s what they’re planning to do.

Per The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “The team is preparing to have fans in attendance with new policies and safety measures to allow for appropriate social distancing, which will require the stadium’s seating capacity to be significantly reduced. Face coverings also will be required…”

Green Bay Packers games to be played in front of reduced capacity crowds.

The Packers organization is giving season ticket holders the opportunity to “opt in” and have their chance to reserve seats for the 2020 campaign. If season ticket holders plan to “opt out”, they have the choice of a refund for their 2020 season ticket package or have it credited towards the 2021 NFL season. It will be interesting to see what the percentages are in either direction.

Given the harsh winter climate of Green Bay, Wisconsin, wearing face coverings from Halloween on isn’t going to be much of an issue. It’ll be pretty cold up there, so staying warm will also help stop the spread of the coronavirus should it ramp up yet again during flu season. What will be interesting is to what degree of limited capacity we’re talking about here at Lambeau Field.

Unlike the other 31 NFL franchises, there are things to do outside of watching a professional football game to stimulate the economy. Not to say Green Bay has nothing else going for it, but small markets like Buffalo and Jacksonville are still major cities in the United States. The Packers may have a top-three fanbase in the league, but they may feel the economic impact the most.

The Packers are planning to play in front of fans this year, if we are allowed to have fans at games.

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Jordan Love is cashing in on his rookie contract, unlike any other No. 26 pick.

The Green Bay Packers are busy locking in their rookie draft class, signing six of their nine draft picks, including first round pick Jordan Love who signed on Wednesday.

Love was the No. 26 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Utah State. The Packers were believed to be looking at a wide receiver at the bottom of the first round but shocked many by trading up four spots to take the talented quarterback.

With Aaron Rodgers still on the team and under contract for several more years, Love will likely sit on the bench and develop for a couple of seasons. But he’ll be cashing in even if he’s not starting for a little while.

According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, Love will receive a fully guaranteed deal, which is the first time for a No. 26 pick. Garafolo reports Love will receive a four-year deal worth $12,383,470 and a signing bonus of $6,566,160.

Not a bad way to break into the NFL, right?

Love was a polarizing prospect leading up to the draft. Some evaluators compared Love to Patrick Mahomes. It’s not a bad thing when you’re compared to the youngest Super Bowl MVP in the league’s history. However, not everyone shared that same belief, and it’s why he slid to the No. 26 pick and why he was the fourth signal-caller taken, behind Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert who went No. 1, No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.

The Packers are banking on Love being more like Mahomes and hope he can be the future of the Packers once Aaron Rodgers moves on in free agency or retires. He’s being paid as a potential franchise quarterback, but it may be a few more seasons before he proves it or not. And by then, he may be close to needing a new contract, which would be much more expensive than his rookie deal, and certainly may not be 100 percent guaranteed.

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The Green Bay Packers have signed first round pick Jordan Love.

Jordan Love is officially a member of the Green Bay Packers after signing his rookie contract on Wednesday. The former Utah State quarterback was the team’s first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and one that developed into the story of the draft.

With Aaron Rodgers still thriving with the Packers, it came as a shock that the Packers would draft another quarterback, but the team has done this before when they drafted Rodgers despite the presence of Brett Favre. The Packers traded their fourth-round pick to Miami to move up four spots, from No. 30 to No. 26, to take Love.

Once the shock subsided, Rodgers said all the right things about being a good teammate and Love said all the right things about wanting to learn from Rodgers and help the team win.

All that is nice and well-meaning, but with Love under contract, the clock is officially ticking on how much time Rodgers has left with the Packers.

There figure to be at least two years for Love to sit behind Rodgers as he learns the playbook and gets up to speed with the pace of the NFL. Rodgers benefitted from this developmental plan and Love may as well.

The NFL has shown that legendary quarterbacks aren’t guaranteed to finish their career where it started. If Peyton Manning can leave the Colts and Tom Brady can leave the Patriots, Rodgers can definitely leave the Packers.

Where Rodgers finishes his career is yet to be known, but it’s fairly safe to bet that Rodgers will not be finishing his career in the Green and Gold he’s worn since he was taken out of Cal.

With Love signed, the Packers have now signed six of their nine draft picks, including second-rounder AJ Dillon who signed earlier in the day.

Next: 2021 NFL Draft Big Board

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Have the Packers wasted Aaron Rodgers?

Aaron Rodgers remains arguably the most talented quarterback of his generation, but despite the individual accolades, the Green Bay Packers aren’t accustomed to the same team success seen by the likes of Tom Brady‘s New England Patriots. In fact, they’re not even close.

The Packers have won just one Super Bowl during Rodgers’ tenure in Green Bay, and despite making it to the NFC Championship game last season, Brian Gutekunst spent their first pick on quarterback Jordan Love out of Utah State. He is the hand-picked successor to eventually replace Rodgers in Green Bay.

And that’s why former NFL receiver Brandon Marshall thinks the Packers haven’t done enough to support their franchise quarterback and why he said they’ve wasted his talent.

“You got one Super Bowl out of Aaron Rodgers, Marshall said on the Colin Cowherd show. “Are you kidding me? It’s too late.”

Brandon Marshall backed Rodgers and called out the Packers.

Rodgers, 36, is exiting his prime if he hasn’t done so already. Preparing for the future isn’t an absurd notion by the Packers, but doing so after finishing just one win away from the Super Bowl and with Rodgers still performing at a relatively high level is a curious decision, to say the least.

The Packers cast of weapons around Rodgers is suspect, especially at the wide receiver position. Behind the always-reliable Davante Adams exists a void the Packers hope Devin Funchess can fill, with some help from Marquez Valdez-Scantling. Despite fans clamoring for Gutekunst to select a wide receiver in the early rounds this April, he merely took Love and AJ Dillon, despite Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams proving plenty capable enough at the running back position.

Rodgers’s best years are behind him, but as we’ve seen in ideal team-building conditions like New England, if a franchise commits to a player of No. 12’s caliber, even at an advanced age, Super Bowl expectations should be the norm.

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Is Aaron Jones bound to be a regression candidate in 2020 fantasy football?

2019 was the year the Green Bay Packers decided it was a great idea to give running back Aaron Jones the ball. Under previous head coach Mike McCarthy, it was all about running antiquated routes for Aaron Rodgers to check out of. With new head coach Matt LaFleur, Green Bay embraced the ground game unlike it has in years. But could Jones regress in fantasy football?

The Fantasy Footballers recognize there is no way Jones will rush for as many touchdowns again in 2020 as he did last year. But despite the Packers using a second-round pick on AJ Dillon out of Boston College, they still believe Jones will be a top-10 fantasy running back this season. He may regress a bit, but he’s still worthy of being your RB1 in pretty much any fantasy league.

Check out The Fantasy Footballers for all their advice

Will Jones lose a few carries with Dillon’s addition to the Green Bay backfield? Yes, but the guys expect the bulk of the rookie’s carries to come from Jamaal Williams’ workload from the season prior. He’s the one to worry about from a fantasy perspective, not so much Jones, who the guys are still very high on.

Can Aaron Jones sustain his fantasy football success again in 2020?

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Even if Jones loses roughly two dozen carries this season off last year’s total, he has proven himself to be an adept pass-catcher out of the backfield. So his production as a receiving back should be able to offset that to some degree in many PPR leagues. Though the volume won’t change all that much, his regression is more likely to come from not having as many touchdowns.

Depending on how LaFleur goes about calling plays from goal-line situations, Jones could still be in great shape to score well over 10 touchdowns on the ground again in 2020. If Green Bay does lead in a bunch of games as it did a season ago, there may be as many opportunities for Jones to have carries and help milk the clock for the Packers en route to victory.

So will Jones regress in fantasy this year? Possibly, but don’t count on it. He’s not a one-year wonder and he plays the right position in the right offense on the right team to have continued success. Jones may not be one of the first four running backs taken in your upcoming fantasy draft, but he’s sure to be someone’s RB1 this year. His regression is a bit overstated.

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Dalvin Cook is reportedly considering holding out until he gets an extension, and that decision could create a ripple effect reaching far further than Minnesota.

The Minnesota Vikings offseason took another turn for the dramatic on Monday.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Vikings running back Dalvin Cook isn’t reporting to team facilities until he gets a new contract extension. While Cook’s demands have largely been over-reported, with expectations hovering somewhere between $13-16 million per year, the reverberations felt around the league for other running backs is important to note.

In the same division, the Green Bay Packers are nearing their own dilemma with the emerging Aaron Jones, who rushed for over 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns as a key weapon for Aaron Rodgers in 2019.

Can the Packers afford to lose Aaron Jones?

Jones’ contract is set to expire after the 2020 season, and Cook’s recent demands do beg the question as to whether the 25-year-old will try to cash in while a slew of top running backs around the league are doing the same. Whether the Packers feel the need to keep Jones a “Packer for life,” as he stated as his desire, remains to be seen.

With Jamaal Williams and recently-drafted AJ Dillon in tow, Jones doesn’t have as much leverage as Cook does on the Vikings, even if that is deemed relatively low.

Jones’ contract demands are unlikely to be as high as Cook’s, given his production is slightly lower and the backs Green Bay already has on the roster. Still, the Packers urgency to build a Super Bowl-caliber roster around quarterback Aaron Rodgers at his advanced age depends on bargain buys, especially after investing heavily in their defense last offseason.

An extension for Jones, especially a large one, might be tough. This is why Cook’s influence, should it move up Jones’ timing from next offseason to this summer, may provide an unwanted roadblock for Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.

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David Bakhtiari is headed into a contract year, but he’s not close to sweating it yet.

With Bryan Bulaga gone to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency, left tackle David Bakhtiari is now one of the elder statesman on the Green Bay Packers offensive line. Or, as he said to the media on Tuesday, Bakhtiari is now one of the “eldest statesman” and can “do what he wants.”

Bakhtiari is a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time All Pro, with plenty of good years left entering his age-29 season. He is also entering the final year of a four-year, $48 million deal he signed early in the 2016 season. His $14.7 million cap hit for this year is a reasonable seventh among offensive tackles, and 10th among all offensive lineman according to Spotrac.

Asking Bakhtiari about when he hopes to get a contract extension done was natural for someone in the media to do during Tuesday’s Zoom session. Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette took the plunge, and got an expected response.

David Bakhtiari remains focused on football despite contract talks

With this year’s offensive tackle cap hits as guide, two of the six above Bakhtiari are right tackles (Trenton Brown and Lane Johnson). Nate Solder, Taylor Lewan, Anthony Castonzo and Eric Fisher are the left tackles taking up more cap than Bakhtiari in 2020. He is better than Solder and Fisher, and at least in the same class as Lewan and Castonzo.

Bakhtiari came in at No. 42 on Pro Football Focus’ Top 50 players for the new year, with data to back that up.

If he has another season on par with recent ones in 2020, Bakhtiari will get a huge pay day next March. The level contract talks have reached to this point aren’t known, but the Green Bay front office could try to get ahead of it during the season and essentially make their left tackle a lifetime Packer. To his credit Bakhtiari isn’t sweating it, knowing it will work itself out one way or another and he’ll be fine.

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