Andrew Brandt: In The War Room When Aaron Rodgers Was Drafted
by Brandon on May 3, 2011 7:01 AM CDT
in Green Bay Packers History
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PrintI recently gave GM Ted Thompson a lot of credit for drafting QB Aaron Rodgers for the Green Bay Packers when nobody else would. He made the right move when he gave him a well deserved first round grade, and pulled the trigger despite having a durable starting quarterback already on the roster. But he found himself without much of a choice. A war room recollection from Andrew Brandt at the National Football Post:
And I remember that fateful day in 2005 when, with the 24th pick, were left with one name above our first round line: Aaron Rodgers. There was debate about taking him as we had the most durable quarterback in the history of football. Finally, I called Aaron and his agent, Mike Sullivan, and get him on the line. I then kept Aaron waiting another ten minutes -- he had already been waiting 6 hours in that lonely green room -- to see if we got an offer for that pick (we didn’t). I often think about how history would be different had any of those players we targeted hadn’t been taken or had we received an offer to move back.
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I didn't know what to think at the time...
and now, seeing these reports, I don’t want to. I would not have wanted to be TT at the time, and his stone cold committment to doing the right thing ultimately paid off. As much as these articles are informative and fun and I can’t get enough of them, I hate rehashing “what if it didn’t happen” because in that scenario……….god help us as Packer fans.
by PhoenicianPakFan on May 3, 2011 7:11 AM CDT reply actions
I think most teams would have panicked
Then drafted on need, thank god we have TT and his best player available approach. BPA is always the right approach. Most times if when your pick comes up and the BPA isn’t a need you can trade out and still pick your need later and get extra value through the trade. If a trade isn’t available take the player because you will be rewarded in the longterm. The Aaron Rogers story illustrates how being true to your board will reward you.
That being said I find it hard to believe Minn. had Ponder rated that high. I feel and I maybe wrong but I think they could have worked the draft better and still got Ponder. Even if they couldn’t trade back it seems to me they could have taken BPA such as Fairley or Prince and traded back into the late 1st or early 2nd and still gotten Ponder and recieved more value out of the draft.
I don't think they could have...
They didn’t have a 3rd from the Randy Moss deal.
So they use their first on a DLineman, and all they hvae left is a 2nd and a 4th and so on in the draft. In order to move back up into the 1st after using their initial 1st (#12) they would have needed more than they had to make the deal ulnless they wanted to trady away next years draft.
They rated Ponder as their #1 QB and that is what they paid for him. We’ll see how it works out, but if the guy you want is there and you have him rated at that spot then you take him…..
by PhoenicianPakFan on May 3, 2011 8:30 AM CDT up reply actions
I still have to think they could have moved down 8 picks.
And gotten Ponder at around 20. I had him rated as a late 1st Rd player, so getting him at 20 would have been better value and they would have picked up an extra 3rd round pick in the process… Maybe no one wanted to move up tho. Thats the one thing we really don’t know. Not questioning the pick so much, but wonder if they could have moved down to get him.
You've been Stroh'd™!!!
What I’ve read is that they shopped the pick around and couldn’t find anybody to trade with.
Fire Slocum
by packallday555 on May 3, 2011 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions
I can't believe that.
They simply didn’t want to trade back.
Maybe there wasn’t a team wanting to give enough to move up, but they could’ve taken ANYTHING, moved back and still got Ponder.
The Chiefs wanted Pouncey, the Vikings could’ve traded back to the #21 and still have gotten Ponder. I can’t believe they couldn’t get even a 4th rounder for that deal.
Who cares about the trade chart? The way it worked out, they got Ponder and nothing else. If they’d gotten even a 7th rounder out of it, it would’ve been a better move.
"IT IS TIME"
eh…a 7th sn’t worth the risk of not gettng your guy. I get your point actually but that was a bad example. There is a risk with moving back and you want to make sure you get your value. Plus f you don’t get enough…all you’ll hear about is how you got fleeced.
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
I still remember that day...
Watching him slide, knowing that I wasn’t high on him and his throwing style (or the system he was coming from). The pick was getting closer and closer and I looked at the teams left and realized none of them were going to take Rodgers. I looked at the board and said to my friend “they have to take him.” I was totally okay with picking him but I didn’t have high expectations. Just imagine how things would have been different though. Who would we have drafted in later drafts? Would Leinert be a Packer?
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
Who knows what he would have been after working with McCarthy though.
His development would likely have been totally different.
"Career highlights? I had two. I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets." - Bob Uecker
Maybe
Props to McCarthy cuz he’s a great QB coach and all… ANd his QB school works wonders… Living in AZ, I can tell you that Leinert never applied himself to being a great QB and leader! He came in as a hotshot rookie and started a couple games then got hurt. Warner then finished the season and far outplayed Leinert. Next year in training camp Leinert lost a competition w/ Warner and had 2 full years to learn from Warner, who unlike Favre, was a willing teacher and mentor, but still never showed any improvement! Leinert is a front runner… He’s OK and when unchallenged he acts like he’s a franchise QB, even if his play doesn’t show it. But as soon as he was challenged he folded!! Leinert has no drive to succeed, much less be great. I thought he would be a bust in that draft… Actually thought Cutler would be the best QB in that class. Never thought VY would be able to play in a true NFL offense and throw the ball well enough to win. Not that Cutler is anything to write home about!
You've been Stroh'd™!!!
There's only so much a QB coach can do
MM deserves props, but the majority of the reason Rodgers is who he is is because he worked so hard to be where he’s at.
Leinart spent 4 years in the same system, under the same coach, with a great veteran ahead of him (who actually mentored him), and a great offense.
If a guy doesn’t want to be great, nobody’s gonna force him to.
"IT IS TIME"
Agree
One correction tho… Leinert was drafted when Denny Green was HC and spent his 1st season w/ him in his offense. Whiz came to Phx after Leinert arrived, by a year or so… I’m not convinced Leinert was ever a good fit for Whiz’s offense… But the Cards made the mistake of forcing Leinert down Whiz’s throat and pushed back getting a real QB of the future for WHiz’s offense. They wouldn’t admit the mistake and made it worse by forcing a bad choice on Whiz!
You've been Stroh'd™!!!
Good catch
But, thinking about it, Rodgers was drafted when Sherman was still the HC. Not with MM.
"IT IS TIME"
While this is true,
Rodgers never missed a QB school because of it, as McCarthy holds those prior to the draft, and was on board for Rodgers’ second season.
"It's a great day to be great, baby!"
"Here I am, brain the size of a planet,
and they ask me to pick up a piece of paper.
You call that job satisfaction?
'Cause, I don't."
THE BEARS STILL SUCK!
I am with Stroh here…MM is very good but he’s no miracle worker. Brohm didn’t grow under him, its not MM’s fault, he just peaked in college and didn’t have what it takes. Leinert did too. He was a superstar at USC and made the choice to let his hollywood star shine brighter than his QB star, assuming his natural talent would carry him. Maybe he would have gotten more out of him but I doubt it.
man could you imagine if we had drafted CUTLER!?!?! NOOO…we’d have another decade or so of Favre style QB-ing!
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
[Brohm]
just peaked in college and didn’t have what it takes.
He also had a problem with “overly sweaty hands,”
on which he blamed his wild passes and fumbles. :)
"It's a great day to be great, baby!"
"Here I am, brain the size of a planet,
and they ask me to pick up a piece of paper.
You call that job satisfaction?
'Cause, I don't."
THE BEARS STILL SUCK!
I remember that draft too
I was watching with some friends, and as ARodg kept slipping, we just kept cheering for him to fall to GB. We were so excited when TT picked him.
"I'm tired of pretending I'm not a rock star from Mars."
Just imagine how things would have been different though.
TT would be scrutinized for not finding a Franchise QB. He probably would have gotten the boot in 2008 or 2009. I think he likely would have ended up with Brady Quinn, who became a bust. Of course there’s no way to tell if Quinn would have developed in GB or not though. The most likely scenario though is that Favre would have continued to hold this team hostage and remained in GB until retirement after the 2008 or 2009 Season.
Superbowl Champs Baby!!!!!
13 World Championships, soon to be 14 after next season...GUARANTEED!!!!!
Nuff said....
Me too...
… I said to my co-worker, if you think the guy is a franchise quarterback… it doesn’t matter if you have Favre, Aikman in his Prime and Montana in his prime on your roster… you take a franchise quarterback. How many of them are there really?
Brady – yep
P Manning – yep
Rodgers – yep
Brees – yep
Rivers – yep
Roethlisberger – you stick him on a weak team, do you win? Not so sure.
E. Manning – same thing
Vick – could be, was showing it at times but reverted to bad habits at others
Bradford, Stafford – likely will be, the later if he can stay healthy
Freeman – just might surprise
Any of the just drafted rookies – I wouldn’t bet my left nut on any of those guys.
by The Delivery Guy on May 3, 2011 12:53 PM CDT reply actions
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