Aaron Rodgers
Blake Martinez Jersey , Packers agree to 4-year, $134 million extension, per report The negotiation over Aaron Rodgers’ next contract has finally reached its
conclusion. According to NFL Network’s James Jones, the Green Bay Packers and
Rodgers have agreed to a four-year extension worth $134 million in new money. As
part of the deal, Rodgers will receive $80 million between signing and March
2019, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.The deal, which reportedly
includes over $100 million in guarantees
Jake Ryan Jersey , shatters the previous record for highest average annual value ($30 million per year, held by the Atlanta Falcons’ Matt Ryan). It remains
unclear whether Rodgers’ new contract replaces his old one or simply attaches
additional years and money to the existing agreement. In the latter scenario,
the Packers would have their franchise signal-caller on the books through the
2023 season at a total cost of nearly $175.7 million. Such a contract would keep
Rodgers in Green Bay through his 40th birthday.It remains unclear whether
Rodgers secured any provisions in the agreement that would make him a free agent
before the end of the agreement or any escalators should another player or
players succeed him as the league’s top earner. The quarterback never publicly
discussed such clauses, but reports suggested that he sought some modicum of
player control not unlike what top players enjoy in the NBA. Though possible,
such a concession appear unlikely given the Packers had Rodgers signed through
two more seasons and could use the franchise tag for up to three additional
years.Regardless of what the fine print reads, the Packers now have the most
important player secured to a new deal, concluding one of the dominant
narratives of the offseason and extending their window of title contention for
the foreseeable future. Let’s look at the first-round draft picks of the NFC
North rivals to the Packers."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections The APC
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First Round: Lions
Davante Adams Jersey , Vikings counter Packers’ defensive picks by going offenseChristopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY SportsThe first round of the draft came
and went for the NFL on Thursday night, and boy was it a doozy. There was a lot
of movement with teams (including the Packers) moving up for their picks and a
bunch of teams marred with question marks by draft pundits.Of course, the
Chicago Bears already swapped out their first-round draft pick for Khalil Mack
in a trade with the Raiders last season (and he’s pretty good), so I’m sure
they’re not too worried about missing out. But the Detroit Lions picked at the
eighth spot, the Packers at 12 and again after moving up to 21 at the expense of
two fourth-round picks, and the Minnesota Vikings made their first-round
selection at pick 18. We’re about to take a look at the draft picks the NFC
North teams not located in Green Bay made.Detroit Lions: T.J. Hockenson,
TE
Corey Linsley Jersey , Iowa // Pick 8Hockenson had been mocked quite frequently to the Packers at 12, but the Lions decided to grab him up, assuring that he had
no chance to find himself in green and gold. Another weapon for Matthew
Stafford, Hockenson fills a void that was left last year when Eric Ebron was
having a career year in Indianapolis. Hockenson has the chance to be the next
great tight end in the NFL – if the Lions use him correctly. He’s a big tight
end who has great pass catching skills, but is still an able and willing
blocker. He draws comparisons to Travis Kelce, but it’s tough to tell now if
he’ll hit that ceiling. Should the Packers be worried about the move? Probably a
little. The Lions don’t have Golden Tate anymore, but Kenny Golladay is also a
big target to go along with their new 6-foot-5 tight end. Head coach Matt
Patricia does have experience being on the same coaching staff that worked with
Rob Gronkowski
Nick Perry Jersey , so they might be continuing to think along the lines of being the Patriots of the NFC. Minnesota Vikings: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State
// Pick 18The suggestion here on Draft Twitter was that Bradbury could slide in
at center for the Vikings and push Pat Elflein out to a guard position. This is
a draft pick that brings some much-needed help on the offensive line for the
Vikings to keep would-be pass rushers out of Kirk Cousins’ face and open some
inside lanes for Dalvin Cook to exploit. Bradbury has great balance in pass
protection, but he’s not the quickest off the line-of-scrimmage and is slightly
undersized. He can, of course, put on more size at the NFL level, but that might
require him sacrificing some more burst. And Kenny Clark is one of the quickest
defensive tackles in the league getting off the snap. The good news for Vikings
fans is that Bradbury is relatively new to the center position and has been
getting better and better. He was a tight end when he initially came to NC
State
Bryan Bulaga Jersey , but converted to line. In his final two seasons, he improved as a blocker in both the run and the pass, per Pro Football Focus. They
also have him graded highly as a pass protector for not giving up too many
pressures in pass protection (just 10 in 2018).Should the Packers be worried
here? Again, maybe slightly. It’s not the move that turns a franchise into an
instant winner, but getting the pieces to put together a solid offensive line
allows the team to build a foundation that reaches across the rest of the
offense. As stated before, keeping Cousins upright is a priority and a lack of
offensive line depth made that prospect much bleaker before this pick. The Pack
will have to get a little more creative with their pass rush schemes now that
Bradbury is in the fold.
