Getty Jerry Jeudy would head to the Green Bay Packers under a hypothetical trade proposal.
The Denver Broncos would become the Super Bowl favorites if they were able to pull off a trade proposed by one writer at Bleacher Report.
As the Broncos enter a new era following the hiring of Nathaniel Hackett as the team’s new head coach, one topic of discussion will continue to be the team’s pursuit of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, in a post published February 9, suggested three hypothetical trade packages in which the Broncos would land Rodgers. One of them included Packers wide receiver Davante Adams.
On February 10, Rodgers won his fourth MVP award after one of the finest seasons of his career. Rodgers, 38, showed no signs of slowing down in 2021, posting 37 touchdowns against just four interceptions while leading the Packers to an NFC-best 13-3 record.
While the Packers have had a sensational three-year run since head coach Matt LaFleur’s hiring, they have yet to advance to a Super Bowl. With the team facing a dire salary cap situation entering the 2022 offseason — they’ll be $48 million over the cap, the second-worst mark in the NFL — the Packers could very well trade Rodgers considering he has said he would want to be part of a Packers rebuild. Rodgers is under contract with the Packers for another season.
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Proposed Package Includes Rodgers & Adams
In Ballentine’s proposal, the Broncos would acquire Rodgers, Adams and several draft picks (2022 fourth-round pick, 2022 sixth-round pick, 2023 fifth-round pick).
Denver would send a whole load of draft picks and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. That draft selection package would include a 2022 first-round pick (No. 9), 2022 second-round pick from Rams (projected No. 64), 2023 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick, 2024 second-round pick, 2025 first-round pick and 2025 third-round pick.
If you’re wondering how such a trade could take place given that Adams, 29, is expected to become a free agent this offseason, know that it would occur only if the Packers were to place the franchise tag on Adams, Ballentine wrote.
“As if an Aaron Rodgers trade wouldn’t be enough to blow up the internet, the potential for an Aaron Rodgers-Davante Adams package deal is the nuclear option,” Ballentine wrote.
Adams is a likely candidate for the Packers’ franchise tag in 2022, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported in a January 2 story. Although the tag has not been calculated by the league, it is expected to be about $20 million for wide receivers, Rapoport reported.
“It’s a hefty price for a team that is as over the cap as the Packers,” Ballentine wrote.
If the price to keep Adams becomes too high and the Packers have to let Adams sign with another team, it be a “massive disappointment,” Ballentine wrote.
Broncos Would Immediately Become Team to Beat
In Ballentine’s proposed trade, the Broncos would acquire the top quarterback-wide receiver duo in the NFL to go along with the team’s hiring of Hackett, the offensive coordinator who coached them over the past three seasons. The Broncos hired Hackett on January 27.
According to Pro Football Focus, Rodgers ranked fifth among quarterbacks in passing grade in 2021. Meanwhile, Adams ranked second among receivers. Both players ranked No. 1 at their positions in 2020.
The 2022 Broncos would basically become a better version of the Packers in recent years, due to their elite defense. Denver ranked No. 3 in the league in points allowed per game in 2021. That’s not to mention that Denver’s offensive supporting cast features the likes of Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Noah Fant and Javonte Williams.
Were Ballentine’s hypothetical trade to happen, Broncos fans might be counting on a fourth Super Bowl banner before the season even started.