Did you think that Deshaun Watson’s trade rumors were wild?
Well, Aaron Rodgers, the likely 2020 NFL MVP, started an even more speculative mess on Sunday with cryptic comments he made after the defeat of the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game.
Add the two together – which is exactly what ESPN’s Bill Barnwell did on Wednesday – and you will basically have the biggest possible powder keg of hypothetical negotiations.
In fact, Barnwell spread the reserve defender Jordan Love, San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo on Packers and the New England Patriots for good measure.
Let’s be clear first: Barnwell believes that the Houston Texans must do everything in their power to keep Watson. He also estimates that there are perhaps a 1 percent chance that the Packers would trade with Rodgers.
So, essentially, we are dealing with an invention of someone’s imagination when evaluating a trade idea that is as fascinating, stunning and far-fetched as it looks.
Still, let’s have fun.
Here is Barnwell’s proposal in an ESPN.com column classifying 17 Watson exchange ideas from least likely to most likely (yes, this was # 17):
Packers send: QB Aaron Rodgers (for 49ers), 30th overall choice in 2021, QB Jordan Love (for Texans)
49ers send: 12th overall choice in 2021, 2022 choice of first round (for Texans), 2022 choice of second round (for Packers), QB Jimmy Garoppolo (for Patriots)
Texans send: QB Deshaun Watson (for Packers), choice of the fourth round of 2022 (for 49ers)
Patriots send: 142nd overall choice (for 49ers)
Did you understand all that?
Here is the final result, displayed in a different way, assuming we are digesting all moving parts correctly:
Packers acquire: Deshaun Watson, choice of the second round of 2022
49ers acquire: Aaron Rodgers, 142nd overall choice in 2021, 2022 fourth round choice
Texans acquire: Jordan Love, 12th overall choice in 2021, 30th overall choice in 2021, 2022 first round choice
Patriots acquire: Jimmy Garoppolo
See, we said it was a crazy idea. But is it crazy enough to work?
The Packers trade an NFL legend for sure, but they get a quarterback in the franchise who is 12 years younger.
The 49ers would be placing their chips in the middle of the table, hoping that Rodgers could keep the Super Bowl window open. And why not? Rodgers, 37, is still at the height of his powers, and San Francisco is about to recover in 2021 if everyone stays healthy.
Do Texans get three players in the first round – perhaps the starting point in Watson’s trade negotiations? – as well as a potential replacement for QB in Love.
And the Patriots, well, they need a quarterback after Cam Newton failed to produce when he replaced Tom Brady in 2020. Garoppolo could be the perfect match given his history with New England.
All said, who says “no” in this case?
Probably the Packers and Texans, right? They would probably prefer to just work things out with Rodgers and Watson, respectively.