Trade Jennings?

[Patler]

Mark Tauscher said receivers are dime a dozen. Also stated trade value is very low (cited Shaun Alexander example).

Disagree. GJ is special and vital to the Packer offense.

If you are referring to the pre-game radio broadcast last night, that wasn't Tauscher who said that. Tauscher wasn't there last night. I think it was Vic Ketchman who said it.

[run pMc]

Mark Tauscher said receivers are dime a dozen. Also stated trade value is very low (cited Shaun Alexander example).

Disagree. GJ is special and vital to the Packer offense.

Well, depending on what he meant, receivers are a dime a dozen. A Pro-bowl alternate quality #1 WR is harder to come by than a Cory Rodgers or David Clowney. The trade value of WR's has dropped from the days of Galloway to DAL and Moss to OAK, but you could say that about almost every position (even QB).

The falling trade value (or is it the rising value of draft picks?) actually supports the idea of keeping GJ for the season and having options: tag him, sign him, or let him walk. If they let him walk, they'll get a compensatory pick -- not what they'd get for trading him, but maybe not much worse. I think GB's chances of making the playoffs this season are better with him on the roster.

[Guiness]

I think it would be beyond foolish to trade him this season. This team is built to last, but we're also built to win RIGHT NOW and we're absolutely a better team with him that without him, so I doubt the thought is even crossing MM and TT's mind.

Trading him...unless he goes to Cleveland or Indianapolis, with parity being what it is I'd be dead afraid of running into him in the playoffs.

[MJZiggy]

Did you people not watch the receiving game last night? Jennings is still very much needed until the rest of our receivers understand that Yards after Catch means you're supposed to catch it first...Just sayin'

[RashanGary]

AR is a great QB, but would you pay him 100 million per year? Nelson is a starting caliber WR and very reliable. Would he be work 50 per year?

I know this is an exaggeration, but if you pay one guy too much, it doesn't matter how good he is, he's taking more away from the team than he's giving. It's not like "oh, yeah, we could use Greg Jennings. No brainer."

There is this invisible grey zone where what a player takes away from the team outweighs what he brings to the team. Jennings is right in that grey zone. Hence, the conversation and speculation.

[RashanGary]

Finley and Jones route running/dropsies are getting old, making this thing even more complicated. But. . . TT could find a Ray Rice in the draft next year for all we know. TT tends to find 3 for every 2 he loses. Whether we replace Jennings with a WR or a probowl safety, or a probowl DE or a probowl RB. . . . . As long as we keep getting impact players, we're not going to miss the ones we had to lose nearly as much.

In a vacuum, it's a no brainer. He's a Packer. When the money is tight, and we're looking at losing some big time players at other positions of greater need. . . . Now it's not such a no-brainer. Now you're making necessity decisions and a lot goes into them.

[Patler]

I think it would be foolish not to at least pursue possible trade opportunities if the team thinks it is unlikely to be able to work out a contract with him. If they have decided internally that he will be allowed to leave in free agency, they need to maximize their return for him. Whether or not they actually do trade him will then depend on what teams offer for him.

The best they can hope for in free agent compensation is at the end of the third round, the equivalent of an early fourth round pick. That won't come until the Spring of 2014. They will play all of 2013 without Jennings and without anything for him.

On the other hand, they can trade him, lose about a half-season worth of games from him, but receive a 2013 draft pick for him. They will have value received for Jennings to use during the 2013 season.

Even if they trade him for only a third round pick, it will be a higher pick than what they might receive in FA compensation, and it will come a full year earlier than the FA compensation. Since the pick will be a full year earlier, it might be worth it to trade him for a 4th.

[Patler]

There were a couple sideline shots of Jennings at the game. I had forgotten how small he really is. Standing among other players, he looked very small. It makes me wonder how well he will hold up physically in the years to come. It could be just one thing after another for him. Driver isn't any bigger, but his career isn't the norm, either. Historically, the littler guys just don't survive as long.

[Smeefers]

I could give you a laundry list of short players who last in this league, especially at WR. Rison, Beebe, driver, santana moss, steve smith, lee evans, wes welker etc etc. I'm not worried about his longevity. I do agree that best case scenario would be a trade, but you know how rare that is. You basically have to be giving away one of your key players. Now I know how us Packer fans love to say that Greg Jennings is a top 5 reciever and we have some very solid evidence to back it up, but when it comes down to it, he's never been a player who can take over the game. Right now in the league, there's only two guys who can do that and it's Fitz and Johnson. Then there's the best of the rest. He's up there, but there's a lot of room for debate. You're never going to get what a guy is worth when he's in that catagory.

In the end, I'd rather keep him on our team for a year and hope he helps us win a super bowl. We got a lot better chance with him than without him and lets face it, the window only stays open for so long.

[MJZiggy]

We're making a lot of assumptions here. Does anyone know what he's asking for? There are quite a few ways this could be playing out? They could be close on money, but not on years or Jennings could be asking for something reasonable and the team wants to move on or Jennings could be shooting for the moon which could easily backfire for him.

[RashanGary]

In the end, I'd rather keep him on our team for a year and hope he helps us win a super bowl. We got a lot better chance with him than without him and lets face it, the window only stays open for so long.

I'm leaning this way too. Tag him next year, and trade him before the draft, or during it if a team doesn't land the WR they really wanted. I think it would be just as easy to get an early 3rd before or durning the draft as it would be to get a 3rd now.

[Patler]

I could give you a laundry list of short players who last in this league, especially at WR. Rison, Beebe, driver, santana moss, steve smith, lee evans, wes welker etc etc. I'm not worried about his longevity. I do agree that best case scenario would be a trade, but you know how rare that is. You basically have to be giving away one of your key players. Now I know how us Packer fans love to say that Greg Jennings is a top 5 reciever and we have some very solid evidence to back it up, but when it comes down to it, he's never been a player who can take over the game. Right now in the league, there's only two guys who can do that and it's Fitz and Johnson. Then there's the best of the rest. He's up there, but there's a lot of room for debate. You're never going to get what a guy is worth when he's in that catagory.

In the end, I'd rather keep him on our team for a year and hope he helps us win a super bowl. We got a lot better chance with him than without him and lets face it, the window only stays open for so long.

My only point was that suddenly Jennings has shown vulnerability to injuries, and we don't know if it is a bump in the road, or an indication of what to expect in the years ahead. I think your list supports my concern more than it supports a belief that his career can go on and on. I already stated Driver is an exception. Of the others you mentioned:

Rison's last year was at age 33, and in his last 3 seasons combined he had 102 receptions. His last year of significance was at age 30.

Beebe turned 33 in December of his last season, during which he had 2 receptions. He was never more than a bit player anyway. Started very few games in his career. Certainly never faced the wear and tear that Jennings does.

Santana Moss is 33 and playing. He played just 12 games last year, with 46 receptions. Hard to say what the future holds for him.

Steve Smith is 33 now, and seems to be still going strong based on 2011 and his first game this year. Like Driver, might be one of the exceptions.

Lee Evans is 31, was released last spring, and hasn't been signed by anyone. In 2010 and 2011 combined he had 41 receptions and missed 10 games. Even in 2009 at 28 years old he had only 44 receptions, but that was for Buffalo.

Wes Welker is 31. The Patriots have not extended him, he is playing on the franchise tender, isn't he? There were a lot of rumblings this week, because he wasn't on the field a lot in week 1. Not sure what's up with that situation. Maybe nothing.


Greg Jennings turns 29 next week and has been hurt continuously since game 12 last year, more or less. Even by the examples you gave, it seems likely his best years are behind him, not in front of him, and in 3 or 4 years his career could be about over.

[Patler]

I'm leaning this way too. Tag him next year, and trade him before the draft, or during it if a team doesn't land the WR they really wanted. I think it would be just as easy to get an early 3rd before or durning the draft as it would be to get a 3rd now.

That would sort of be the best of both worlds, have him for all of 2012 and get a draft pick in 2013 to replace him. But, the tag and trade thing doesn't always work either, which is why I think they need to be open to considering offers for him this season.

[pbmax]

Jennings played primarily in the slot last year.

Was it primarily though? Was he always in the slot when nelson and Jones were in?

The other thing to point out about WR trade compensation is that all the players who yielded a first round pick were younger than Jennings.

[rbaloha1]

Anyone notice the drops by Nelson and Finley? Both have not demonstrated to be a consistent number one receiver. The offense needs Jennings.

Everyone suffers increased injuries as they age. MM stated if the Bears game was on Sunday, GJ would have been cleared to play.

Jennings is too valuable to give up at 29 y/o.