2020-21 NFL Season

[MU82]

The Washington Post's Mark Maske did a list of "winners" and "losers" from the draft's first night. The first two he named in the "Losers" column:

Aaron Rodgers: If Rodgers hoped to force the Packers into trading him by telling the team, according to people familiar with the situation, that he might not return to play for Green Bay in the 2021 season, it didn't work, at least not during Thursday night's opening round of the draft. Rodgers remains under contract to the Packers through the 2023 season. The Packers could, if they want, force him to play for them or play for no one in 2021.

Packers: This stalemate is not good for anyone. The Packers have managed to alienate an all-time-great quarterback and the reigning league MVP. Their use of a first-round pick in last year's NFL draft on quarterback Jordan Love was the beginning of the end of Rodgers's tenure in Green Bay. Love was an idle bystander as the Packers lost a second straight NFC championship game, and now there is plenty of room to wonder if the relationship between Rodgers and the organization is irreparable.

My team was another loser:

Panthers: How about giving quarterback Sam Darnold some help? The Panthers traded for Darnold after Darnold failed with the Jets, in large part because of that franchise's inability to surround him with enough capable players on offense. Carolina could have fortified Darnold's offensive line by using the No. 8 pick on tackle Rashawn Slater. Instead, the Panthers chose cornerback Jaycee Horn and allowed Slater to be taken five choices later by the Chargers. Darnold's loss was Justin Herbert's gain.

If Horn emerges as the lock-down corner that the Panthers say he can be, I am totally fine with this pick. Slater has been projected to be a guard by most, and the Panthers need a LT. I'd rather have a great CB than a misplaced LT. But if Slater turns out to be a very good LT and if Horn can't cover anybody, then yeah, the pick sucked. Nobody knows yet, including Mark Maske.

The first team listed among Maske's "winners":

Bears: The Bears clearly weren't as enamored with Andy Dalton being their starter at quarterback as they appeared before the draft. They made a bold and aggressive move by trading up nine spots in the opening-round to take Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields 11th overall. Many regarded Fields as the second-best quarterback available in the draft. It was only four years ago the Bears passed on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson to draft Mitchell Trubisky as their would-be franchise quarterback. Now, trading up to land Fields could end up saving the jobs of Coach Matt Nagy and General Manager Ryan Pace.

[forgetful]

forgetful

OK. Never have I said Favre was a better competitor or QB to Rodgers but thanks for stating your thoughts on the topic.

Am I misreading the quote from you below? Very possible, the internet is a poor way to carry on discussions, but I read the quote as saying that Favre is a much better competitor than Rodgers.

My apologies if I misread it.

hards

Rodgers is a much better pure QB than Favre and no argument from me. Rodgers  being a competitor, that is a different story. Not impressed one bit by Rodgers competitive nature. In that regard, he is just another guy to me.

[Goose]

forgetful

NP. I was addressing two different points hards had mentioned and can see how it could be confusing.

[MU82]

Just got off the phone with my son. He said he had a softball game at Hamlin Park last night, and in the middle of the game one guy who was in the batting team's dugout yells, "Hey, the Bears just made a trade!" And the softball game stops while they wait to hear the details. And when it's announced that the Bears have picked Fields, a huge cheer goes out. The umpire even high-fives the batter!

So if nothing else, this probably will energize the fanbase for the offseason -- much the same way getting Shaka has energized most of the Marquette fanbase.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Yea I've never seen Bears fans so universally in agreement about anything.

Whether Fields is good or not is a whole different matter, but energizing is certainly the right phrase for it.

[Hards Alumni]

Yea I've never seen Bears fans so universally in agreement about anything.

Whether Fields is good or not is a whole different matter, but energizing is certainly the right phrase for it.

People were pretty pumped when they traded for Smokin' Jay, IIRC.

[DegenerateDish]

I may be the only Bears fan lukewarm on Fields that exists. I'm hopeful of course, but I'm not nearly as out of the box excited as seemingly everyone else. I'm going to wait to see on Fields.

[jesmu84]

I may be the only Bears fan lukewarm on Fields that exists. I'm hopeful of course, but I'm not nearly as out of the box excited as seemingly everyone else. I'm going to wait to see on Fields.

I'm lukewarm on Fields only because I'm cold on the Mcaskeys/Pace/Nagy/entire Bears franchise.

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3361710/its-happening-again...-chicago-bears-fans-need-an-intervention

[forgetful]

I'd like to see GB trade up and grab Elijah Moore.

I think they need to trade up and grab someone who can play on day 1, preferentially a receiver.

[JWags85]

I'm lukewarm on Fields only because I'm cold on the Mcaskeys/Pace/Nagy/entire Bears franchise.

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3361710/its-happening-again...-chicago-bears-fans-need-an-intervention

Dante is a smug Patriots fan who likes to masquerade as a Chicago sports expert.  Half this blog made me roll my eyes.

That being said, I get where trepidation about the Bears in general exist, for VERY good reason.  But I don't think that should be narrowed into Fields.

Fields is very accurate, a playmaker, and if he has sat out this season for COVID reasons, he would have been the #2 pick.  Going into the draft, I felt he was the most "turnaround ready" QB.

Nagy and Pace are mostly fools, but they didn't reach many picks too high for him, and he's not a project.  That's why I'm excited.  Blind squirrels can find nuts

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Is this...what competence feels like?

[DegenerateDish]

That second Bears draft trade sucks. There is plenty of good OL depth to get in the 2nd round.

[JWags85]

That second Bears draft trade sucks. There is plenty of good OL depth to get in the 2nd round.

That was a mid first round value pick though.  I hate losing the 3rd, but that's a high quality pick.

[Lennys Tap]

I may be the only Bears fan lukewarm on Fields that exists. I'm hopeful of course, but I'm not nearly as out of the box excited as seemingly everyone else. I'm going to wait to see on Fields.

QBs in the draft are tricky and I'm no expert - but I was  surprised and skeptical when they traded up and took Trubisky instead of Watson (I didn't know enough about Mahomes to hate the move even more!)

This pick seems as logical to me as that one seemed illogical. Two thumbs up from me.

[DegenerateDish]

That was a mid first round value pick though.  I hate losing the 3rd, but that's a high quality pick.

My issue is they very much need effective, inexpensive starters/depth. They aren't contenders in '21. Losing all these picks is no bueno.

[JWags85]

My issue is they very much need effective, inexpensive starters/depth. They aren't contenders in '21. Losing all these picks is no bueno.

I don't disagree.  I was honestly hoping for Rondale Moore and then an OT in the 3rd

[MU82]

I had hoped the Panthers wouldn't take Fields, so the Panthers' braintrust and I are either gonna be very wrong or very right.

Meanwhile, the Panthers keep trading down in Round 2. One more and there won't be a R2 anymore!!

[jesmu84]

My issue is they very much need effective, inexpensive starters/depth. They aren't contenders in '21. Losing all these picks is no bueno.

Again, ownership.

They're letting 2 guys on their last year jeopardize the future of the franchise to keep their jobs. It's so dumb

[Lennys Tap]

I don't disagree.  I was honestly hoping for Rondale Moore and then an OT in the 3rd

I would have loved taking a shot on Moore but it turns out he would have been gone by the 52nd pick. Depth is great but so are all pros. I've seen Teven Jenkins as high as 17 in mock drafts. Trading up to get him makes sense to me.

[jesmu84]

I would have loved taking a shot on Moore but it turns out he would have been gone by the 52nd pick. Depth is great but so are all pros. I've seen Teven Jenkins as high as 17 in mock drafts. Trading up to get him makes sense to me.

When your team has many holes and lack of depth, having fewer draft picks doesn't make any sense to me.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

That second Bears draft trade sucks. There is plenty of good OL depth to get in the 2nd round.

[MU82]

Ooh ... I actually like the pick the Panthers finally made.

Ended up getting a 1st-round talent late in the 2nd (Terrace Marshall) and picked up two extra 3rd-rounders in the process via those trade-downs.

[JWags85]

When your team has many holes and lack of depth, having fewer draft picks doesn't make any sense to me.

Sure. But the goal of early rounds is also to get starters and Jenkins should start Week 1.  Like I said, losing the 3rd upset me a bit, but having the QB of the future and a starting tackle who people talked about potentially being their pick yesterday at 20 makes it hard to be too upset.

They got the 5th back that they traded yesterday. So really they just lost a 3rd and a 6th.  And they have a bunch of 6ths anyways.

Both picks have been highly praised and regarded, which feels abnormal for the Bears

[Herman Cain]

Bucs have done well the first two rounds. They re-signed all their own free agents , so now they are using the old Dallas Cowboys theory of drafting the best available player late in.

They selected  a high quality Outside Linebacker in the first round and a decent QB in the second. Bucs can take the time to groom both for the future .

[Herman Cain]

Packers 3rd round pick WR Amari Rodgers should be an interesting target for Aaron Rodgers .