Denver Broncos: Should the team sell the farm for Aaron Rodgers?

The Denver Broncos have been linked to a plethora of quarterbacks this off-season, and Aaron Rodgers is no exception.

Denver-area media heads seemed to think that a deal for the three-time NFL MVP was all but done before the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, effectively creating one of the biggest firestorms of utter craziness in Broncos Country.

Unfortunately, their ‘sources’ couldn’t have been more off, as the deal they spoke of wasn’t so much as even a phone call.

With that said, it seems as if the Jeopardy guest host is nearly dead set on not playing for the Green Bay Packers again, effectively forcing the front office to call his bluff, which would include retirement and potentially shifting to being the full-time host of Jeopardy.

Before the unfortunate allegations against Deshaun Watson surfaced, the situation with the Texans and Watson and the Packers and Rodgers feel about identical.

The longer each situation went on, or is going on, the worse it’ll get, and even though the Packers front office is adamant about not trading A-Rod, they may be left with no choice.

If the Packers do call Rodgers’ bluff, they risk him retiring, which is apparently a real possibility, which would mean the organization would get nothing for him.

From a business standpoint, it would make the most sense for the Packers to trade Rodgers post-June 1 for cap purposes, and for the simple fact that it seems as if the situation between the quarterback and front offices is nearly irreparable.

With that being said, the Denver Broncos have been the team linked to Rodgers the most, and it’s been confirmed that they would indeed express interest in trading for him.

So, what would a trade package for one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time look like?

Let’s try to piece one together.

First, the draft picks.

At a minimum, I believe that two first-round picks would need to be included.  For the Denver Broncos’ sake, the Packers may ask for more considering those first-rounders in future years, (2022 and 2023) will probably be pick 15 at the highest, just given how talented the team is.

Factoring in Rodgers’ age, the first-rounders still hold immense value for the Broncos, as Rodgers most likely isn’t going to be playing for another seven years. I would guess five more years, at the most.

Next, I believe you would have to include a few mid-round picks as well to sweeten the deal.

Let’s say you give the Packers two second-round picks in 2022 and 2023.

Two firsts and two seconds I think would be enough on the draft pick side to make the deal, but now we need to look at players.

Obviously, a quarterback would need to be included in the deal, but unfortunately, neither Drew Lock nor Teddy Bridgewater has much trade value.

Given that the Packers are bullish on Jordan Love, sending Bridgewater in a trade would make the most sense as a high-end backup/mentor in case Love implodes.

This would allow for the Packers to ‘raise the floor’ of their QB room and acquire decent insurance, even if they need to draft a new QB based on Love’s performances.

Then, the Packers may want one of the Denver Broncos’ young studs still on a rookie contract.

The Packers are a good team, but they do have needs on both sides of the ball.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they asked for Jerry Jeudy to pair with Davante Adams, Noah Fant to give them a jolt at tight end, or even Bradley Chubb to pair with Za’Darius Smith.

As much as I love all of those guys, I personally would not mind seeing any of the three get shipped to Green Bay, given that the team would get Aaron Rodgers back.

So, to sum up, General Manager Lou Scataglia would offer two firsts and two seconds in 2022 and 2023, Teddy Bridgewater, and one of Bradley Chubb, Jerry Jeudy, or Noah Fant.

I truly believe this package or one similar to this would be enough for the Packers to move Rodgers.

I think anything more than that would be a bit too pricey for a 38-year-old QB, but Rodgers has shown no signs of slowing down, as we saw in 2020.

Denver Broncos: 5 free agents to target post-NFL Draft

With many quality free agents still left on the market, the Denver Broncos should look to sign a few to help fill the remaining holes on the roster.

So, Broncos Country, would you make that deal?