OFFICIAL AARON RODGERS THE LIVING LEGEND THREAD

[NewsBruin]

I read the "Fairweather Fluff" ESPN bog article above, and it didn't say that motion made it easier for Rodgers to read the defense; it just said that it's easier for him to run plays before the defense gets set or freeze them until the last second on the play clock.

If LaFleur's offense has motion from one side of the QB to the other, especially for sweeps or sweep play action, then you only have a certain window when you can snap the ball -- and really a small window for the QB to read the defensive key. If it's the motion that I'm used to from the 90s and 2000s, where a big receiver or back just kinda plods around from the O-line to the far hashmark and re-sets somewhere to move a safety, then that doesn't demand the same kind of precision timing that modern offense does.

" It needs to be a free-flowing conversation between the coaches and the players." - I'm sure that's exactly how Aaron will feel when Zonovan Knight interrupts him to ask why he can't get better touch on block-and-release screen passes when there's a red dog blitz.

Separately, how often did Aaron's cadences actually draw players offside? I know the announcers made a big deal of him and Brett's snap counts, but I don't remember as many free plays or new first downs as they talked it up. It seems like the fear of an offside penalty makes defense less likely to time the snap and more likely to react, which isn't a bad thing either..

[sharpe1027]

If your decisions on offensive strategy are premised on how many more times you can draw the other team offsides, you're focusing on the wrong thing.

[MadScientist]

Separately, how often did Aaron's cadences actually draw players offside? I know the announcers made a big deal of him and Brett's snap counts, but I don't remember as many free plays or new first downs as they talked it up. It seems like the fear of an offside penalty makes defense less likely to time the snap and more likely to react, which isn't a bad thing either..

In 2014 he was getting one a game with the hard count. Defenses prepare better for him now and it only works once or twice a season.

[run pMc]

In 2014 he was getting one a game with the hard count. Defenses prepare better for him now and it only works once or twice a season.

Yeah I think teams were better prepared for his hard count.
Thing was, he ran the clock down to 0 all the time - GB had one of the slowest-paced offenses in the league - so I'm not sure it really would have worked all that well anymore anyway. If you're just lining up with 10 on the clock and getting everyone set, calling protections, etc., you're probably not snapping the ball THAT early. I'm actually surprised DL don't take off when the clock turns 0, whether the ball was snapped or not - it should be a delay penalty.

[sharpe1027]

Yeah I think teams were better prepared for his hard count.
Thing was, he ran the clock down to 0 all the time - GB had one of the slowest-paced offenses in the league - so I'm not sure it really would have worked all that well anymore anyway. If you're just lining up with 10 on the clock and getting everyone set, calling protections, etc., you're probably not snapping the ball THAT early. I'm actually surprised DL don't take off when the clock turns 0, whether the ball was snapped or not - it should be a delay penalty.

Pretty sure the DL was aware when the clock got near zero.

[Fritz]

I would agree that for a while, Rodgers seemed to get lots of offsides calls - he'd get about one a game, and take a shot. But the last year or three, it didn't seem to work so well.

He also seemed to use the same trick - the same rhythm, or lack there of - every time. I was always surprised he didn't switch it up.

[texaspackerbacker]

There's been a couple of rule changes, as I recall, too: blowing the whistle quicker on offsides and alowing the D to make changes if the offense substitutes as well as giving that offical in the O backfield time to get out of the way.

[Joemailman]

Craig Carton of FS1, who previously reported that the Green Bay Packers had conversations with the San Francisco 49ers about quarterback Aaron Rodgers, stated Thursday on The Carton Show that the New England Patriots also made a trade offer for the former Packers quarterback.

The New England Patriots made an offer to the Green Bay Packers to get Aaron Rodgers. When Aaron Rodgers heard it, his agent said, “No. We ain’t playing for New England. We want to be a Jet.”

If true, Rodgers may have figured Patriots weren't going to let Rodgers call personnel shots like the Jets were. However, if word had gotten out that the Packers were negotiating with the Patriots, it may have given the Packers some leverage with their talks with the Jets.

[Sparkey]

If true, Rodgers may have figured Patriots weren't going to let Rodgers call personnel shots like the Jets were. However, if word had gotten out that the Packers were negotiating with the Patriots, it may have given the Packers some leverage with their talks with the Jets.

It wouldn't surprise if we were to hear that the Pats leaked the whole "Rodgers interest" just to get the Jets to cough up more draft picks.

[run pMc]

According to Carton, all this happened before Bill O’Brien, the former head coach of the Houston Texans and most recently the offensive coordinator of the Alabama Crimson Tide, was named the Patriots’ new offensive coordinator. Carton also claims that Rodgers’ camp stated that the quarterback would retire if he were traded to the Patriots.

Bill O'Brien was hired in late January, by the way.
I'm sure the NY media will pick up on this and get Rodgers' take on it all, complete with revisionist comments.

As for BO'B, I'd probably rather play for Saleh and Hackett too. LOL
The inevitable comparisons to Brady likely made it a non-starter for AR (even if Brady's NE teams were largely better).

Personally, I don't make a lot out of it, aside from the reported timing of the trade inquiry. SF inquired about Rodgers too, as I'm sure many teams did, however casually. Anytime a marquee level QB is likely to be traded a team would be negligent to at least determine the asking price.

[Bretsky]

Rodger also trolling GB a get via I think media sending a msg to our rookie QB asking him how he likes AROD's old locker. And all thise stuff about how this is the most fun playing football he's had in a long long time; what a shitbag.

On the other hand the Flower in drill work last week in a QB/WR Drill say the WR's running the wrong route and came running out yelling at the WR coaches telling them they have to be better. The media dropped their jaws. With Karen gone does the Flower take leadership of his team ?

[run pMc]

Also thought it was funny how MLF said the team was in better shape conditioning wise this year, wonder if that was a shot at some ex-players who were not taking off season seriously last year.

[bobblehead]

It wouldn't surprise if we were to hear that the Pats leaked the whole "Rodgers interest" just to get the Jets to cough up more draft picks.

Doubtful. These teams all have "spies" in other teams infrastructure so they have an idea whats going on. Thats why I scoff at theories like "the packers wasted the trade up cuz Van Ness would have been there at 14". Bellicheck wanted Van Ness and Gutes knew it. We, as fans, have a lot of theories that simply are grounded in our own fantasy of what we would be doing in their positions.

[bobblehead]

Also thought it was funny how MLF said the team was in better shape conditioning wise this year, wonder if that was a shot at some ex-players who were not taking off season seriously last year.

A shot. A message to future players and young guys about what he expects going forward. Which is more likely. I think LaFleur is human, so I don't discount a shot, but I also think he is a professional and isn't living in the past worrying about trolling Rodgers or past players. Guys who are worrying more about proving they were right in the past usually fail the future. I hope thats not what LaFleur is doing.

[red]

think the fella that doesn't think he needs offseason work had anything to do with the jets cancelling mandatory minicamp?

if they held the camp and he didn't show because "he didn't need it", it would have been a media shitstorm in new york