Getty Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants and Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers talk after the game.
Dave Gettleman and the New York Giants have been bullish in their commitment to starting quarterback Daniel Jones this offseason. Their roster moves over the summer further exemplify this, supplying Jones with a completely reworked receiving corps headed by former Pro Bowler Kenny Golladay and first-round pick Kadarius Toney.
Yet, for all the faith the organization has voiced for its young quarterback, this isn’t Patrick Mahomes we’re talking about. Yes, Jones has potential, but he also has a ceiling, one that likely places him between the middle and upper-middle class of starting NFL quarterbacks. For that reason, Gettleman caught some flack recently when he quickly shot down the idea of simply putting a call in to the Green Bay Packers to gauge the possibility of dealing for reigning MVP and disgruntled superstar Aaron Rodgers.
“No. It’s none of my business,” the Giants GM said on April 30. “It’s going to cost a motherload for anybody to get him, even though he’s 37 years old. … Very frankly, we’ve told you guys over and over and over again, we believe in Daniel.”
With that said, by May 3, Gettleman’s tune had somewhat changed. While he reconfirmed the team’s commitment to Jones, he also admitted the organization would look for a potential upgrade at the position if warranted — as they should.
“You explore everything. We believe in Daniel,” Gettleman said when asked about the possibility of adding either Rodgers or Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, NJ Advance Media Group’s Art Stapleton tweeted.
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Giants Trade the Farm in Rodgers Proposal
When further pressed by reporters about a potential Rodgers deal, Gettleman responded, “I won’t entertain hypotheticals.” However, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell will, and he has the Giants as the fourth-ranked “most attractive” landing spot for the quarterback, ahead of a handful of notable teams including the Las Vegas Raiders.
As Gettleman previously noted, it would “cost a motherload” to acquire Rodgers, and he certainly wasn’t lying. Barnwell has the Giants dealing away three first-round picks, as well as starting wide receiver Darius Slayton for the services of the future Hall-of-Fame signal-caller:
- Green Bay Packers Receive:
- 2022 first-round pick
- 2022 first-round pick (from Bears)
- 2023 first-round pick (conditional)
- WR, Darius Slayton
- New York Giants Receive:
- QB, Aaron Rodgers
“Daniel Jones hasn’t shown enough to keep the Giants out of any quarterback trade discussions.” Barnwell wrote. “He has struggled to stay healthy, cost the Giants dearly with turnover problems and hasn’t shown any sort of natural feel for dealing with the pass rush. He wouldn’t net more than a mid-round pick at this point, and it’s difficult to see the Packers wanting him back as part of this deal. … Rodgers would inherit a deeper set of weapons than the ones he has in Green Bay, although he wouldn’t have anybody on Davante Adams’ level in his new digs. … What would make this deal work for the Packers is the opportunity to add one of the juicier first-round picks on the market. The 2022 first-rounder the Giants acquired from the Bears as part of the Justin Fields deal could land anywhere in the top 20. If it were to end up in the top five, the Packers would get a true premium pick for their star quarterback and the opportunity to add a significant asset in next year’s draft.”
Breaking Down the Proposal
Of course, we can all hold out hope on a deal getting done, but the fact of the matter is Rodgers becoming a Giant is likely nothing more than a pipedream. But the team would be doing themselves a disservice if they didn’t at least inquire about Rodgers, and if Barnwell’s proposal were enough to get the Packers to bite, the Giants should happily comply.
Yes, it’s a steep price — especially for a player that may have only a few more seasons left in the tank. Yet Tom Brady’s move to Tampa Bay should be enough of an example of what a few seasons can do for a franchise. Not to mention there’s a strong possibility that Jones may not even make it to 2022 as the Giants’ starter.
Gettleman’s willingness to trade back and collect future draft capital this past week has the Giants sitting pretty for the future. Yet it also gave the team the type of ammo to make a drastic move at the most important position in all of sports — if they were so inclined.
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