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Denver Broncos superstar pass-rusher Von Miller isn’t necessarily pounding the table for the front office to trade for Aaron Rodgers and upgrade the team’s quarterback position.
In a recent interview with 9News’ Mike Klis, Miller stated he doesn’t view Rodgers as an absolutely imperative acquisition, putting faith in current Broncos QBs Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater to lead the offense:
“If A-Rod is out there for us to get him, those are the two guys to have on the job. John Elway, he’s done a great job of working the big-time guys before — Peyton and DeMarcus and Aqib — all these other guys. So if there’s a guy to be had, G.P. and John Elway are the two to put on it, if it can be done. If it can’t, I’m comfortable with Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater. They’ve impressed the hell out of me, and impressed the hell out of everybody during OTAs. So I’m super excited for those guys. Another year for Drew Lock, I think this will be the time for him to turn it on. So either way we go, it’s looking bright for us.”
Maybe the savvy veteran Miller is just trying not to get his hopes up too much for something that seems like a remote possibility.
Rodgers may very well want out, but the Green Bay Packers are being stubborn about trading him, despite their apparent intentions to start Jordan Love.
Not trading Rodgers now means Green Bay won’t optimize its benefits from having Love on a cheaper rookie contract. Moving on from a legend like Rodgers can’t be easy, yet the Packers should’ve thought about that before they traded up to draft Love in 2020 and didn’t give Rodgers a heads up.
Is Von Miller right about Drew Lock’s potential?
The drama in Green Bay surrounding Rodgers is probably the biggest story of the NFL offseason that’s had the longest, sustained momentum. That whole fiasco has been well-covered territory.
What’s most notable about Miller’s latest remarks is something that’s popped up before: How high he is on Drew Lock as a potential franchise quarterback.
Lock did go 4-1 in five starts as a rookie during the 2019 campaign. Unfortunately, Denver opted to swap out Rich Scangarello for Pat Shurmur as Broncos offensive coordinator.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic happened, and Lock had transition to a new West Coast system with dense verbiage that Shurmur probably didn’t adjust whatsoever to help the young signal-caller along.
Miller acknowledged that Bridgewater could beat Lock out for the starting job, yet this isn’t the first time the former Super Bowl MVP has lit up about Lock’s upside. As recently as last month, Miller came to Lock’s defense.
Combine all these factors with the fact that the Broncos passed on a QB in the 2021 NFL Draft, and it looks like Miller might be on to something. New GM George Paton could’ve moved off Lock very easily if he didn’t believe in him. Paton had no obligation to see that through. That’s not for nothing.
Related: NFL QB Rankings – Check our top-20 quarterbacks, find out why Josh Allen is No. 1
How Denver Broncos can make an Aaron Rodgers trade offer Green Bay can’t refuse
At a certain point, Denver can throw in so many assets to a trade that the Packers would be crazy to say no to it.
What might a potential trade package look like? Well, here’s one for starters:
- Packers get: WR Jerry Jeudy, LB Alexander Johnson, QB Teddy Bridgewater, three 1st-round picks
- Broncos get: QB Aaron Rodgers
Pro Football Focus just ranked Johnson as a top-10 linebacker in the NFL heading into the 2021 season. The Packers desperately need a physical presence to defend the run, which has been a big weak point of their defense for years. Johnson is a great fit in that regard.
Perhaps most notable here is the inclusion of Bridgewater and 2020 first-round pick Jerry Jeudy. Since Davante Adams is entering a contract year, his future in Green Bay is up in the air. Adams probably won’t stick around if Rodgers is gone, so Jeudy is some nice insurance.
The Broncos can afford to give up Jeudy, because they have another No. 1-caliber young wideout in Courtland Sutton, an excellent tight end in Noah Fant, and speedster KJ Hamler at the receiver position, along with Tim Patrick. Also, Denver has an excellent, three-deep backfield featuring Melvin Gordon, rookie Javonte Williams and Royce Freeman.
If they really do believe in him, there’s little reason for the Broncos to ship Lock to Green Bay. He can be groomed behind Rodgers, or be flipped for decent trade value somewhere down the line.
Bridgewater is the kind of nonthreatening, ideal mentor Love could use on the Packers — and who knows? Teddy B could even beat out Love for the starting gig. How crazy would it be to see Bridgewater face off with his original team, the Minnesota Vikings, twice per season for a year or two? Could be fun.
Anyway, much of Denver’s core is intact in this deal, and Green Bay gets a ton of viable players to work with and build around Love. Rodgers would probably be on an unquenchable-thirst-for-vengeance type of mission for the rest of his career, but hey, at least the Packers wouldn’t walk away from the ordeal empty-handed.