The NFL schedule will be released one week from today on May 12.  The first 17-game schedule in NFL history, sure to be full of tasty nuggets for schedule junkies.

Questions include – how all-in will the schedule makers go with the Packers who could be one of the best teams with a content AARON RODGERS or one of the worst with QB JORDAN LOVE and all his question marks?

Will the arrival of QB TREVOR LAWRENCE and Coach Urban Meyer be enough to get Jacksonville out of its usual spot in Primetime Jail?

Who will be the team that gets to celebrate the Super Bowl win on Kickoff Weekend with the Buccaneers?  Buffalo and Dallas are possibilities.  And that shows how far the Bills have come that they would be a worthy opponent for the Kickoff Game.

Will the NFL still show full primetime love for the Patriots?  They did last year knowing that TOM BRADY was gone, even as they elevated the Buccaneers.

NFC NORTH

GREEN BAY

Brett Favre is the latest confidante of QB AARON RODGERS to warn the Packers that their quarterback is irretrievably lost unless the changes he wants are made.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre knows current Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. And Favre is willing to share his views about Rodgers’ current situation.

Favre did, in the latest episode of the Bolling with Favre podcast. And Favre thinks that Aaron won’t yield in his desire to leave the Packers.

“Knowing Aaron, and I think I know him fairly well, if he has a grudge, whether it be against the organization or a player or an arch-rival, or family, friends, he ain’t budging,” Favre said. “I don’t see him coming back and saying — if this is not resolved, however, whatever the issue is — if it’s not resolved, or even if it’s resolved but he feels like they have one up on him, he ain’t gonna play. Knowing Aaron, he would sit. Now, he would forego a lot of money, but he’s also got a lot money.”

Rodgers definitely would forego a lot of money. Between repaid bonuses and forfeited salaries, Rodgers will be out $44.5 million.

Favre prefaced his comments by saying (accurately) that the situation dates back to the team’s decision to use a first-round pick and a fourth-round pick to trade up for quarterback Jordan Love. And Favre knows all about that, because he served last year as Rodgers’ unofficial mouthpiece in the aftermath of the Love trade.

“Aaron and I have a great relationship, and we talked about it,” Favre said at the time. “Obviously, he’s a little disappointed.”

Favre also said this: “Aaron, do you ever look around and say, ‘I feel like the odd man out?‘ And he said, ‘Yeah.’”

If anyone knows the ability of Rodgers to hold a grudge, it’s Favre. They have a history, as illustrated in entertaining fashion by Jeff Pearlman’s Gunslinger, an unauthorized biography of Brett Favre. And Favre somehow has found a way to get Rodgers to move past the grudge stage.

Maybe the Packers should ask Favre for advice on how to do the same.

Meanwhile, Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com hears that the Packers think at least two teams have sounded out the Rodgers camp about whether or not the QB would deign to play with them:

The Packers reportedly think some of the teams interested in trading for Aaron Rodgers have violated league rules by letting Rodgers know they’re interested.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the Packers are upset that other teams, including the 49ers and Broncos, may have contacted Rodgers to see if he is interested in playing for them.

However, the report says the Packers have not filed a tampering complaint with the NFL because tampering is incredibly hard to prove.

Under NFL rules, a player under contract to a team cannot be contacted by representatives of any other team, unless the player’s current team gives other teams permission. So if the Packers decide to trade Rodgers, they could give other teams permission to talk with him about a trade. But right now, the Packers say they will not trade Rodgers and have not given any team permission to contact him.

Those rules are sometimes enforced. For instance, after the Chiefs signed wide receiver Jeremy Maclin in 2015, they were docked a 2016 third-round pick and a 2017 sixth-round pick because they contacted Maclin while he was still under contract with the Eagles. But generally speaking, the enforcement of tampering in the NFL is arbitrary, and the Packers would need smoking-gun evidence to get the NFL to do anything. If the 49ers or Broncos had some back-door communications with Rodgers or his agent, there’s probably not much the Packers can do about it.

NFC SOUTH

TAMPA BAY

The DB thinks the 2021 Buccaneers are going to go undefeated, 20-0.

Or more precisely, the DB thinks that is QB TOM BRADY’s goal as a capper to his career.  And we would not bet against Tom Brady.

We thought that before we heard about this statement from Brady, but it reinforces our thought.  Here is the CBSBoston.com version:

The Patriots won a lot of football games over Tom Brady’s 20-year run as quarterback. But there is one loss that Brady — and all Patriots fans — really wish went the other way.

There is no real need to specify which game that is. It’s pretty easy to guess, considering it was the biggest game of New England’s two-decade run of dominance, and the Patriots were not on the right side of the scoreboard when the clock hit zero.

That game, of course, is Super Bowl XLII, against the New York Giants. The Patriots would have achieved perfection with the win, securing the only 19-0 season in NFL history. Instead, the Giants bullied their way to a shocking 17-14 upset.

Even though the Patriots have added three more Super Bowl banners to Gillette Stadium since that disappointing night in Glendale, Arizona, the defeat is not something that many players or fans want to talk about. But Brady opened the old wound over the weekend during his appearance on the NFL’s “Draft-A-Thon,” saying he’d be willing to give up two of his seven Super Bowl rings to get that undefeated season.

 “I would. Let’s be real,” said Brady. “Easy.”

It would have been interesting to hear which two Super Bowl rings Brady would have traded for that historic win, but the discussion never got that far. (There were A LOT of people on the video chat, and not all of them wanted to talk football.) But we know from everything that Brady has said throughout his career that losses stick with him forever.

And even after adding yet another Super Bowl ring to has vast collection just a few months ago, Brady is making it crystal clear that he’d give up just about anything to get that 19-0 season.

AFC WEST

DENVER

Working out away from the Broncos could cost T Ju’WAN JAMES a cool $10 million after he tears his Achilles.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Broncos offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James is expected to miss the entire 2021 NFL season after suffering a torn Achilles today.

James experienced the injury while working out on his own, away from the team facility, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. That he got hurt on his own — and not at the voluntary team workouts that many players are choosing not to attend this offseason — means the Broncos are not obligated to pay his $10 million salary for 2021.

One of the risks inherent in the NFL Players Association’s strategy of encouraging players not to report to offseason work was that a player would suffer a serious injury on his own, and James appears to be the first player to suffer a serious injury while taking that risk.

A first-round draft pick of the Dolphins in 2014, James signed with the Broncos in 2019. He managed to play just three games in Denver that year because of a knee injury, and then he opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19. Now it will likely be at least another year before he’s ready to return to the field.

LAS VEGAS

Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com with more on the Raiders obsession with T ALEX LEATHERWOOD and their belief that someone else might want him with pick 17:

The Raiders have been heavily criticized for taking offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood with the 17th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Leatherwood was widely regarded as a player who would still be available much later than 17th overall, which means the Raiders likely could have traded down and still taken Leatherwood.

Raiders General Manager Mike Mayock acknowledges that the Raiders could have traded down. But he said the only trade offer they got wasn’t a very good one, and that he and the Raiders’ staff were high enough on Leatherwood that they didn’t want to risk losing him.

“Just when we got on the clock a team did call us and inquired about moving up but they gave us a very poor trade offer and it was a team that needed a tackle,” Mayock said, via ESPN. “So the combination of the poor offer and their need kind of pushed us away from that. There’s a risk/reward scenario and, in this case, we didn’t feel that it was worth it.”

As it turned out, only one other offensive tackle was selected in the first round after Leatherwood, Christian Darrisaw to Minnesota at No. 23. So there was no run on offensive tackles, and the Raiders could have moved down and still taken one of the top tackles on the board. But Mayock insists that the value of trading down wouldn’t have been worth the risk of losing their preferred tackle.

None of this will matter if Leatherwood is a good player and roughly the equal of Darrisaw.

AFC SOUTH

JACKSONVILLE

Tim Tebow may be in the process of becoming Tim TE-bow.  Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com:

The Jaguars sound enthused about the possibility of signing Tim Tebow.

Tony Khan, the son of Jaguars owner Shad Khan and a member of the Jaguars’ front office with the title of Chief Football Strategy Officer, says head coach Urban Meyer thinks Tebow can help the Jaguars.

“Tim has definitely come in and worked out,” Khan told BleacherReport.com. “So beyond that, I can’t say too much, but Tim has come in and worked out as a tight end. That’s not a position that we’ve seen him play, but it’s a position that he’s been practicing at with us. So that will be interesting to see how that contributes to us on offense, too. Obviously Urban knows Tim really well and Tim has got a great history of winning. Urban really believes he can help us, and I think it makes a lot of sense. And it’s a position where we need to get better.”

A Tebow signing would make a lot of sense for the Jaguars, as Tebow remains enormously popular in the Jacksonville area. Tebow played for Meyer at Florida, and Meyer has said many times that he loved coaching Tebow. Although Tebow has never played any position other than quarterback and would have to be viewed as a long shot to make the regular-season roster, teams have 90 roster spots in the offseason, and it sounds likely that Tebow will soon occupy one of those roster spots.

This is sort of a publicity stunt, but it is a good publicity stunt.  And it might work out for more.

THIS AND THAT

7 SUITORS FOR AARON RODGERS

Here comes a list from Bill Barnwell (will the Washington Football Team, who the DB thinks are logical but not a betting favorite, be among them?)

The ground rules for an Aaron Rodgers trade

Let’s start with the biggest problem: The Packers don’t actually want to trade their star quarterback. Every quote from team president Mark Murphy and general manager Brian Gutekunst over the past few days has made it clear that they don’t intend to trade Rodgers. If the organization decides that it is simply unwilling to negotiate a trade, the quarterback doesn’t have any alternative. He can’t directly force his way to another team.

There are ways Rodgers can pile more pressure on the organization to do his bidding, but they also have consequences. The 2020 collective bargaining agreement makes it difficult for veterans to hold out, as they’re fined $50,000 per missing day with no ability for teams to waive those fines if the player returns. If a player is absent without permission for more than five days, he doesn’t accrue a season or move any closer toward free agency. Rodgers’ deal would toll in perpetuity if he doesn’t show up to training camp.

He could retire, but there would be significant financial repercussions. As Jason Fitzgerald noted, Rodgers could be forced to repay his 2021 roster bonus and a portion of his signing bonus. In all, he might owe the Packers nearly $30 million. They team could waive the repayments, as the Colts did with Andrew Luck after their star quarterback retired, but there have been no suggestions that the Packers would be willing to do so. Rodgers has made more than $240 million from his on-field play alone, but would he really be willing to retire while playing at an MVP level and pay the Packers $30 million for the privilege?

Figuring out what Rodgers, 37, is worth on the trade market is also difficult. Quarterbacks do change teams in their late 30s and early 40s, as we saw with Peyton Manning in Denver and Tom Brady in Tampa, but those moves came via free agency. Rodgers’ three-year, $73 million deal is eminently reasonable, but he might ask for a raise as part of a trade. Players just don’t get traded immediately after winning league MVP. Rodgers was incredible last season, but that run arrested what had been a declining QBR. The Packers likely chose Jordan Love in the first round of last year’s draft, in part, because they thought Rodgers was reaching the end of his career as a superstar.

The reality is that the Packers aren’t going to just let Rodgers go for a couple of midround picks. To justify this deal to their fans/owners, Gutekunst needs to bring back a significant return. I don’t even think two first-round picks would be enough. Given that the Packers will now have to wait a full year before they can even use fresh draft picks, the return should start with two first-round picks and at least one other significant asset: either another first-rounder, a pair of midround selections or a meaningful player. Rodgers doesn’t have a no-trade clause, so unlike Russell Wilson or Jimmy Garoppolo, the team can deal him wherever it wants.

One other issue is the Packers’ cap situation. They aren’t in phenomenal cap shape this year, and things are only going to get worse in 2022, as they are more than $27 million over the projected cap. Trading Rodgers would create room, but they would have to be deliberate about how they handle the finances of this deal.

If they trade him before June 1, they would eat a record $38.4 million in dead money, all on this year’s cap. He is currently on the books for $37.2 million, the largest hit for any player in football. Green Bay can narrowly afford to eat his dead money this year if it gets creative, and that would leave the organization in much better financial shape in 2022. More realistically, the Packers will need to wait until June 1 to make a Rodgers trade, which would result in dead cap charges of $21.1 million in 2021 and $17.2 million in 2022.

The other factor with a trade is something only the organization can know: Is Love ready to start? When the Packers initially drafted Love, the most logical timeline suggested that the Packers would insert Love into the starting job after the 2021 season. Rodgers’ MVP campaign might not have changed that timeline, but they have now seen Love for a full year at practice.

It’s possible that they think Love would be ready to start in 2021; it’s also possible that they regret their decision and don’t think he is a viable starting quarterback after watching him behind the scenes. The trades I’m going to propose below allow for a few different opinions of Love. Some will make more sense if he’s ready to go for Week 1; others are long-term replacements if the organization has soured on him as their passer of the future.

The easiest scenario for me to imagine involves Rodgers staying put. He reportedly turned down an extension, but we don’t have any details on what that deal looked like. If the Packers gave him a raise, guaranteed the next three years of his deal — and added a no-trade clause — it would lock the future Hall of Famer into the starting role in Green Bay until he’s 40. It would also end the Love revolution before it starts. Would that be enough for Rodgers to change his mind? If not, we have to start thinking about alternatives for this franchise.

The teams that can’t make a Rodgers trade

Let’s assume that Rodgers wouldn’t be dealt within the NFC North. The Packers certainly would prefer to deal him to the AFC if possible, but we have to at least consider the other 12 teams in the NFC. The Cowboys, Falcons, Buccaneers, Seahawks and Rams are all committed to a veteran quarterback. The Cardinals and 49ers have their quarterbacks of the future. The Panthers probably aren’t close enough to contention to justify trading multiple first-rounders for Rodgers. The Eagles can’t afford him, and I can’t see the Packers rekindling the Saints’ Super Bowl chances by handing them an MVP.

What about the AFC? The Chiefs aren’t trading Patrick Mahomes. The Jags and Jets are rebuilding and just drafted first-round passers. The Bengals are one year removed from the first overall pick. The Patriots probably took themselves out of the quarterback market after drafting Mac Jones. The Chargers feel great about Justin Herbert, and the Bills have to be thrilled with Josh Allen.

The Steelers certainly would love to add Rodgers, but they don’t have the cap space to swap Ben Roethlisberger and eat his dead money. Indy just acquired Carson Wentz. The last thing the Texans are in a position to do is trade away a bunch of draft picks, and the Packers couldn’t make a Deshaun Watson trade while sexual assault allegations against the quarterback are being investigated. Lamar Jackson is a superstar, but the Packers would need to totally change the way they run their offense on the fly if they traded for the 2019 MVP.

We’re left with seven teams — two in the NFC and five in the AFC — that would be realistic suitors in a trade. I’ll sort through them in terms of the various deals, starting with the one I think would be least appealing to Green Bay before working my way to the most appealing option:

7. Tennessee Titans

Packers get: QB Ryan Tannehill, 2022 first-round pick, 2023 first-round pick

Titans get: Rodgers, 2023 fourth-round pick

If there’s a scenario in which the Packers want to trade Rodgers and get the best possible veteran quarterback they can as part of the return, this swap makes sense. Tannehill has been brilliant since joining Tennessee, posting the league’s fifth-best QBR (73.4) and second-best passer rating (110.6) over the past two seasons. He has topped Rodgers in both categories over that time frame. Tannehill, who is five years younger, was also running a similar offense in Tennessee to what the Packers use under former Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, so he’s as close to a plug-and-play replacement as possible.

For the Titans, this would be a move to get over the hump. Tannehill has been an incredible surprise since joining the organization as part of a salary dump with Miami, but his playoff performances haven’t been overwhelming. The Titans relied heavily on Derrick Henry in the 2019 postseason, with Tannehill unable to win a shootout against Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game. In the wild-card round earlier this year, Tannehill led a quick touchdown drive against the Ravens and didn’t make it into the end zone again the rest of the way.

He has averaged fewer than 7 yards per attempt in both playoff defeats, and while Tannehill wasn’t dragging the Titans down in either game, he wasn’t able to take them to the next level. We know Rodgers has that in him. This would be a two- or three-year window to try to win with Rodgers and Henry as a devastating one-two punch on offense.

6. Las Vegas Raiders

Packers get: QB Derek Carr, 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2023 first-round pick

Raiders get: Rodgers, 2023 fourth-round pick

In some ways, the Raiders make sense as a landing spot for Rodgers. Jon Gruden has called not drafting him in 2005 with the Bucs “one of the greatest regrets in my lifetime.” The Raiders have pass-catchers to work with in Darren Waller, John Brown and 2020 first-rounder Henry Ruggs. While Carr hasn’t been the problem with their team, Rodgers is a different caliber of quarterback. Moving to Vegas would bring him within a short flight of Southern California, where fiancée Shailene Woodley works and where “Jeopardy!” is taped. If Rodgers actually did want to simultaneously quarterback an NFL team and host a game show, Vegas would be the next-best location short of Los Angeles proper.

At the same time, though, I’m not sure the Raiders fit what the Packers would want outside of moving Rodgers to the AFC. There’s not much on the Las Vegas roster that they would want back in a trade. The Raiders have a few players they won’t want to trade away (Waller and their recent high draft picks) and a bunch of free agents who haven’t looked good on their current salaries. Vegas can offer draft picks, but a trade would imply that those picks will come back somewhere in the 20s.

Carr would head back to the Packers, in part because there isn’t a place for him to go elsewhere. Every team in the league is either locked into a veteran quarterback or a young passer on a rookie deal. The only exceptions might be the rival Broncos, who aren’t likely to make an intradivisional trade, and the Saints, who can’t afford Carr. He has two years and just under $40 million left on his deal, so the Packers could go with Carr in 2021 before moving to Love in 2022. Carr could have some trade value next year if he plays well in Green Bay, but he really wouldn’t be worth more than a late-round pick as part of this deal.

I think the Packers would only do this if they were truly convinced that Rodgers wasn’t going to ever play for them again. Carr would give them a shot at staying competitive in 2021 if they don’t think Love is ready, but this would most likely be a one-year rental of a pretty good quarterback and a bunch of late first- and second-round picks. Other teams have more interesting quarterbacks, players the Packers would want at other positions, and/or more exciting draft picks to send to Green Bay. If Rodgers had a no-trade clause, it’s possible he could steer his way to Las Vegas. As is, unless they want to just blow away the competition and offer years of first-round picks, I don’t think they’re in position to make the best offer imaginable.

5. Cleveland Browns

Packers get: 2022 first-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, QB Baker Mayfield, TE David Njoku

Browns get: Rodgers, CB Josh Jackson

Would the Browns dare consider trading their former first overall pick? They should at least consider the possibility. Mayfield took major strides forward under the Kevin Stefanski regime in 2020, as the former Oklahoma star posted a 16-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio over the final 10 games of the season. The Browns then blew out the Steelers in the wild-card round before giving the Chiefs a scare in Kansas City. Mayfield is mostly beloved in Cleveland, and it would be incredibly risky to trade him away for a quarterback in his late 30s.

The Browns would have to consider it, though, because they’re facing a difficult question with Mayfield’s future: do they really want to pay Mayfield the going rate for franchise quarterbacks? While he was effective on a per-pass basis last season, the Browns were a run-first football team. Mayfield threw 486 passes, the second-fewest of any quarterback who played in all 16 games and behind only Tannehill. The Browns ran on early downs at the ninth-highest rate in football, and while you could make that same argument for Tannehill, he has been more efficient than Mayfield as a passer.

Mayfield was solid as a rookie, but he was also abysmal during a disastrous 2019 season when his support systems failed. The Browns surrounded him with an excellent offensive line last season, but if he needs that sort of protection to succeed, that would put him in the same category Carson Wentz and Jared Goff. Both the Eagles and Rams regretted those deals. It’s not a guarantee that the Browns do the same if they extend Mayfield, but the case for extending him is murkier than it is for Allen or Jackson.

Upgrading to Rodgers would drastically alter the ceiling for the Cleveland offense, which might have a case as the second-best in football with him at the helm. The analytically inclined Browns would be able to create a more efficient attack by dramatically upping their pass rate. These two teams also run similar-ish offenses from the Shanahan/Kubiak tree, which would make the transition easier for both attacks. The Browns will need to find their quarterback of the future, but they’ll expect to have four or five more years with Rodgers, who would reunite with former Packers quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt in Cleveland.

The Packers would have a two-year window to see if Mayfield is significantly better than their expectations for Love. If the Mayfield of 2020 shows up in Green Bay and even improves further, the Browns can parlay Rodgers into their quarterback of the future, two additional first-rounders and a swap of disappointing former draft picks in Njoku and Jackson. They could also sign Mayfield to an extension now and move forward with him as their star attraction. I think this trade is fair, but I also suspect neither team’s fans will be happy with the idea.

4. New York Giants

Packers get: 2022 first-round pick, 2022 first-round pick (from Bears), 2023 first-round pick (conditional), WR Darius Slayton

Giants get: Rodgers

Daniel Jones hasn’t shown enough to keep the Giants out of any quarterback trade discussions. I wrote in my column last week about how quarterbacks who start their careers with two below-par seasons across their first three years have struggled to turn into viable pro starters afterwards. Jones already has those two dismal seasons before even making it to Year 3. He has struggled to stay healthy, cost the Giants dearly with turnover problems and hasn’t shown any sort of natural feel for dealing with the pass rush. He wouldn’t net more than a midround pick at this point, and it’s difficult to see the Packers wanting him back as part of this deal.

The Giants aren’t exactly close to winning the Super Bowl, but they’re desperate to become relevant again. They haven’t won a playoff game since the 2011 run to the Super Bowl; their lone foray into the postseason over the past nine years was a blowout loss to the Packers at Lambeau in 2016. Rodgers would inherit a deeper set of weapons than the ones he has in Green Bay, although he wouldn’t have anybody on Davante Adams’ level in his new digs. Slayton would be a cheap option to add to the receiving corps, although he might not profile as much better than Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

What would make this deal work for the Packers is the opportunity to add one of the juicier first-round picks on the market. The 2022 first-rounder the Giants acquired from the Bears as part of the Justin Fields deal could land anywhere in the top 20. If it were to end up in the top five, the Packers would get a true premium pick for their star quarterback and the opportunity to add a significant asset in next year’s draft.

To make this creative, let’s incorporate some NBA-style rules for the conditional pick in 2023:

If both the first-round picks of the Bears and Giants land in the top five in 2022, the Giants don’t owe any conditional pick in 2023.

If both the first-round picks from the Bears and Giants land in the top 10 in 2022 — or if one of the two picks lands in the top five — the Giants send their 2023 third-round pick to the Packers.

If only one of the two first-rounders lands in the top 10 in 2022, the Giants would send their 2023 second-round pick to the Packers.

If neither of the two first-rounders land in the top 10 in 2022, the Giants would send their 2023 first-round pick to the Packers.

3. Miami Dolphins

Packers get: 2022 first-round pick (via 49ers), 2023 first-round pick (better of Dolphins and 49ers), 2023 fifth-round pick (from Dolphins); 2022 first-round pick (from Steelers)

Steelers get: QB Tua Tagovailoa (from Dolphins)

Dolphins get: Rodgers, 2023 fourth-round pick (from Packers)

We get a third team involved here to have this deal make sense. The Dolphins committed to Tagovailoa this offseason by trading out of the No. 3 overall pick, but the ability to add Rodgers is different from going after Trey Lance or Mac Jones. Rodgers would bring the Miami rebuild to a screeching halt and push the team into the thick of the division race against the Bills. He would suddenly have a receiving corps with Will Fuller, Jaylen Waddle, DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki. No complaints there.

Would the Packers want Tagovailoa in return? Given that they already have Love on the roster, they probably would rather move forward with their own 2020 first-rounder. Getting a third party involved makes sense, and while the Steelers can’t afford to trade for Rodgers, shipping off a first-round pick for a possible Roethlisberger replacement in Tagovailoa makes perfect sense. The Heisman Trophy winner could step in as early as this season if Roethlisberger continues to look like the guy who couldn’t throw the ball downfield in the second half of 2020.

So, the Packers would get three first-rounders, possibly from three different teams. They would gain some option value by taking home the better of the two first-rounders between the 49ers and Dolphins in 2023, leaving open the possibility to land a premium pick. Ending up with three picks in the mid-to-late 20s is a distinct possibility with this trade, though, which would be a disappointing return for Green Bay’s franchise player.

2. Washington Football Team

Packers get: 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, DT Matt Ioannidis

Washington gets: Rodgers

I don’t think it’s remotely out of the question to suggest that Washington would be among the favorites to make it to the Super Bowl if it pulled off a Rodgers trade. Washington’s defense ranked third in the league in defensive DVOA last season and arguably got better in free agency by replacing Ronald Darby with William Jackson. If that seems outlandish, remember that the 7-9 Buccaneers finished fifth in DVOA in 2019, added Tom Brady, then won Super Bowl LV.

Rodgers would be a transformative quarterback for a Washington team that has cycled through starter after starter over the past 25 years. He wouldn’t be a long-term solution, but for an organization that has been downright adversarial to its fans during the Daniel Snyder era and wasn’t exactly packing the stadium before the pandemic, he would represent a new era. The offensive line is questionable, but he could again look toward a promising one-two punch at receiver in Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel.

Washington would have to pay more than its AFC competition to get a deal done. The Packers would get four high draft picks, a useful defensive lineman in Ioannidis and a short-term replacement to compete with Love in Fitzpatrick, who has a better QBR over the past four years (67.8) than Rodgers (65.6).

1. Denver Broncos

Packers get: CB Patrick Surtain II, WR Tim Patrick, QB Drew Lock, 2022 first-round pick, 2023 first-round pick

Broncos get: Rodgers, CB Eric Stokes

This is the most interesting offer a team could make for Rodgers, in my opinion. The Packers get only two first-round picks, but they get to add young, exciting talent at multiple positions who can step in immediately. If LaFleur & Co. think they can win with Love in 2021, this probably would be the best swap for them to consider.

The Packers would essentially get a third first-round pick as part of this deal by adding Surtain, who was the No. 9 overall selection on Thursday. In return, they would send their own first-round cornerback in Stokes, but the difference between the ninth and 29th picks is pretty significant, amounting to something like the 25th in a typical year. If Surtain pans out, he would team with Jaire Alexander and form one of the best sets of cornerbacks in football. Surtain would also crucially be on a below-market deal for at least the next three years, which is critical for a Green Bay team in rough cap shape at the moment.

The Packers would also add a new starting wide receiver in Patrick, who is a restricted free agent. He was impressive for stretches last season as he filled in for the injured Courtland Sutton, but with Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler ahead of him on the depth chart, his future is likely away from Denver. The Packers could sign Patrick to an extension or use him to net a compensatory pick in the fourth or fifth round down the line. Lock would just be coming over as a backup to Love and wouldn’t represent significant pick capital.

The Packers get what amounts to three first-round picks as part of this deal, with the added benefits of Patrick and Lock to put the deal over the top. If you want to be cynical, it might not be all that exciting: an unproven cornerback, a wide receiver with one year of success, a backup quarterback and two first-rounders likely to land late in their respective rounds. Viewed through the lens of getting something for a player who has already made up his mind that he’s done with the organization, though, this could be the sort of haul that would help keep the Packers in contention now and for years to come.

LANCE ZIERLEIN’S FAVORITE PICKS

NFL draft guru Lance Zierlein with his three favorite picks from each round:

The 2021 NFL Draft will be known for producing five first-round quarterbacks and eight total in the first three rounds. With that said, not one quarterback hit my list of favorite three picks inside each round.

It’s not that I don’t like some of the quarterbacks or didn’t like some of the fits with teams. It’s just that when you write up close to 500 prospect profiles per year, you develop favorites and see fits that make perfect sense for those players. Honestly, we could have extended this exercise to my top five per round, and it wouldn’t have been a problem.

Round 1

Kyle Pitts

Florida · TE

Atlanta Falcons, 4 overall

San Francisco’s late-March trade with Miami to move up to No. 3 overall may have set an unattainable market for teams hoping to secure the No. 4 pick from Atlanta, but I feel like the Falcons made the right decision to stick and pick, as Pitts was the best of all their options. His size (6-6, 245) gives him an advantage over defensive backs, his speed (4.4 40) gives him an advantage over linebackers and safeties, and his route-running and ball skills are simply multipliers for those aforementioned physical advantages. He can play wide, from the slot or in-line, and gives Matt Ryan a reliable target with very few limitations. He was the second-best player in the draft.

Micah Parsons

Penn State · LB

Dallas Cowboys. 12 overall

The Cowboys did a great job finessing the first round, moving down two spots and acquiring a third-round pick (Chauncey Golston, No. 84) while still landing the premier alpha defender in this draft. If you ever wondered what it’d be like to watch Saquon Barkley play linebacker, well, that’s Parsons in a nut shell thanks to his lower-body build and outrageous speed from sideline to sideline. He’s a terrific open-field tackler and a plus pass rusher who helps to diversify the Cowboys’ linebacking corps. Parsons opted out of the 2020 season, which may result in a little bit of rust this year, but he should be the Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite.

Travis Etienne

Clemson · RB

Jacksonville Jaguars, 25 overall

There were three very good running backs in this draft, but I felt like Etienne was the best of the lot. Etienne went back to Clemson in 2020 because he wanted to accomplish his goals with his fellow teammates, and that is a quality Urban Meyer must love as he begins building his culture of competitiveness in Jacksonville. Etienne runs with extraordinary contact balance and can play on all three downs, offering Trevor Lawrence a familiar face and reliable teammate to go to battle with in their new journey at the next level.

Round 2

Elijah Moore

Mississippi · WR

New York Jets, 34 overall

The Jets had the fourth-best receiver in this draft fall right into their laps early in the second round. A common theme this year was teams seeking out complementary players for the young quarterbacks they drafted, and that was indeed the case here. He’s the ultimate route chef in this year’s class, cooking up coverage with well-disguised patterns and crisp breaks to separate. He’ll become an early favorite for Zach Wilson.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

Notre Dame · LB

Cleveland Browns, 52 overall

Considering I had him ranked among my top 10 players in the entire draft, you probably could have guessed he would make this list. I’m obviously higher on him than teams were. While a reported heart issue contributed to his slide, Browns GM Andrew Berry said the team was “very comfortable with him from a medical standpoint.” With that in mind, I’m projecting his speed, versatility and playing demeanor to show up big at the next level. He lacks instincts and will need more experience to clean up some of the loose ends to his game, but he plays fast and furiously, flying around the field and hitting anything in his way as hard as he can.

Dayo Odeyingbo

Vanderbilt · DE

Indianapolis Colts. 54 overall

Talented, long-limbed defensive end with first-round talent who was going to slide a little bit in this draft due to an Achilles injury he suffered in January. The Colts decided to grab Odeyingbo midway through Round 2 rather than risk losing him later in the draft. Even if Indy has to put him on the shelf for the 2021 season, the second-round pick they spent on him was well worth the upside.

Round 3

Milton Williams

Louisiana Tech · DT

Philadelphia Eagles, 73 overall

Reviews of the Williams selection will be mixed, but I like this choice for a couple of reasons. Like the Eagles’ first two picks of the draft (DeVonta Smith and Landon Dickerson), Williams possesses exceptional work ethic and football character. He’s extremely strong for his size and has rare athletic explosiveness that could help turn him into an interior terror if the Eagles can put him into position to unleash it.

Amari Rodgers

Clemson · WR

Green Bay Packers, 85 overall

I don’t know if Aaron Rodgers will care to hear this, but he may have his Randall Cobb 2.0 in the form of Amari Rodgers. He’s a slot receiver who can threaten the seam, and he plays with a mature blend of ball skills and route savvy. He may not be a true WR2, but he’s the type of target the reigning MVP should really like.

Kendrick Green

Illinois · OG

Pittsburgh Steelers, 87 overall

The Steelers’ running game has been stuck in the mud for a while now, but Green (along with Najee Harris, of course) could help change that. The former Illini lineman is tremendously quick off the snap, and his move blocking should allow the Steelers to widen out their rushing attack and get defenders off their spots. I would be surprised if he’s not an early starter.

Round 4

Michael Carter

North Carolina · RB

New York Jets, 107 overall

Carter is a dependable, high-character player who fits a role as a three-down backup and change-of-pace runner. He can competently step in and handle the workload if called upon. Carter’s background catching the football and returning kicks further adds to the value of this pick in what was a very good weekend for the Jets.

Bobby Brown III

Texas A&M · DT

Los Angeles Rams, 117 overall

Brown provides depth for the Rams inside and is one of the more upwardly mobile interior defenders in this draft. He was heavy and sluggish early in the 2020 season, but continued to slim down and improve his consistency. Brown’s favorable pre-draft workout may have been an indicator that he’s ready to take a big step forward.

Chris Rumph II

Duke · Edge

Los Angeles Chargers, 118 overall

One of my favorite flash players in this draft. Rumph is a long-levered pocket heckler whose unorthodox recovery ability from contact helps him keep the pressure on tackles throughout the rep. He won’t be much help against the run, but the Chargers were looking for a splashy rusher off the edge, and Rumph could fill that role within a year or two.

Round 5

Jaylon Moore

Western Michigan · OL

San Francisco 49ers, 155 overall

In my discussions with teams leading up to the draft, it was hard to find a club that didn’t like Moore. He was a capable tackle in college but may need to transition inside to guard as a pro. He needs to improve his pass protection and play strength, but his athletic talent and ability to create angles in the run game are perfect fits for the 49ers’ offense.

Shemar Jean-Charles

Appalachian State · CB

Green Bay Packers, 178 overall

Jean-Charles is a nickel corner prospect who plays with a great deal of grit and natural coverage instincts. He has a good feel for routes and challenging the catch space, posting 27 passes defensed over the last two years. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that new Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry hand-picked Jean-Charles for his fit at nickel.

Cornell Powell

Clemson · WR

Kansas City Chiefs, 181 overall

Powell went from heralded recruit to one-year starter after getting stuck behind a talented group of pass catchers at Clemson. He’s not a burner or a sudden separator from his routes, but he’s smooth and skilled when the ball is in the air. He offers a bit of a different look from what the Chiefs currently have on their roster at that position.

Round 6

Nick Niemann

Iowa · LB

Los Angeles Chargers, 185 overall

The Chargers were a disaster on special teams last season. Niemann has the physical traits and play demeanor to help in that area right away. He needs more experience, but he’s a plus athlete and effective tackler. He has early backup potential and could be a player on the rise.

Deonte Brown

Alabama · OG

Carolina Panthers, 193 overall

 If the Panthers can help him keep his weight in check — and that might be a big if — they may have found a starting guard in the sixth round. Brown comes into the league with a winning background and good technique but excess weight could create some scheme limitations. Still, an excellent value in the sixth round.

Stone Forsythe

Florida · OT

Seattle Seahawks, 208 overall

This could be a steal that haunts tackle-needy teams in the future. Forsythe isn’t much of a run blocker, and I don’t know how well he will fit into a stretch-play scheme. But he has great size (6-8, 307) and elite length (34 3/8-inch arms), and is a fully capable pass protector, having been tested against SEC-level competition. He is a future NFL starter at left tackle.

Round 7

Kary Vincent Jr.

LSU · CB

Denver Broncos, 237 overall

Athletic and fast, Vincent is a little on the small side but has the hips and feet to match movements with most route-runners, if he can get his technique figured out. The LSU corner, who opted out of the 2020 season, is more athlete than pure cornerback right now, but he’s also more talented than his draft slotting would indicate.

Tre Nixon

UCF · WR

New England Patriots, 242 overall

The Patriots have had issues lately finding receivers who can separate, but Nixon could help in that area. He has the athletic ability to work all three levels of the field and the route running potential of a pro. His hands and play strength could both use some development.

Kawaan Baker

South Alabama · WR

New Orleans Saints, 255 overall

The Saints could use another receiver, and I’m sure fans would have liked the team to have drafted one earlier, but Baker is a highly intriguing developmental prospect, with size (6-1, 210), athleticism and elite acceleration. His ball skills need work, but I love his potential in this spot and could see him finding a home in New Orleans.

2022 DRAFT

And now we have our 2^nd 2022 Mock Draft.  First, Dane Brugler of The Athletic and now Ryan Wilson of CBSSports.com.  If a player appears in both drafts, we put them in red.

It’s never too early to put out a mock draft, right? (The other side of that argument, of course, is that it’s always too early because, invariably, they’re wrong — but that’s not the point. Look at this this way: how else would you spend all those hours reserved for anger-tweeting at us?)

Maybe a better way to look at this is not as a mock draft — “Here’s who your team will take 51 weeks from now having no idea how the current roster and subsequent season unfolds” — but as a guide to the college players you should keep an eye on in 2021 for the 2022 NFL Draft. And unlike the last few classes, there is no clearcut No. 1, no Trevor Lawrence or Chase Young or Nick Bosa, but in some ways that makes it more intriguing because there’s room for guys to explode onto the scene, like Joe Burrow and Zach Wilson did (here’s a closer look at our early No. 1 pick Kayvon Thibodeaux).

One other thing, and this is important: the draft order below was determined using SportsLine’s Super Bowl odds but in reverse order. We know folks are going to be very angry about why we have their team picking so high, but it’s not our fault! These are your team’s odds of winning a Lombardi Trophy.

1 – HOUSTON

Kayvon Thibodeaux DE

OREGON • SOPH • 6’5″ / 250 LBS

The only reason a QB doesn’t go here is because the Texans used their first pick in the 2021 draft — a third-rounder — on quarterback Davis Mills. Instead they get Thibodeaux, who has been dominant in his first two seasons at Oregon.

2 – DETROIT

Sam Howell QB

NORTH CAROLINA • SOPH • 6’1″ / 225 LBS

We’ll find out if Jared Goff is the answer in Detroit, and if he’s not the Lions will be in the market for a franchise QB. Howell has some of the same gunslingin’ traits as the last face of the franchise, Matthew Stafford.

3 – NY JETS

Derek Stingley Jr. CB

LSU • SOPH • 6’1″ / 190 LBS

Stingley has been on NFL radars since his freshman season in 2019. He was the best defensive back on that championship LSU roster that also included Kristian Fulton and Grant Delpit.

4 – CINCINNATI

Kyle Hamilton S

NOTRE DAME • SOPH • 6’4″ / 219 LBS

Hamilton is a big, strong, fast safety who is the latest in a long line of freakishly athletic defensive backs.

5 – PHILADELPHIA

Evan Neal OL

ALABAMA • FR • 6’7″ / 360 LBS

Unless there are glaring needs at, say, quarterback heading into the season it’s hard to predict what those needs will be by next January. But the Eagles have had injuries along the O-line torpedo their chances in recent years so it’s never a bad idea to upgrade the unit. Neal played guard early in his Alabama career, kicked out to right tackle last season and he’ll move to left tackle in 2021.

6 – NY GIANTS

Derion Kendrick CB

CLEMSON • JR • 6’0″ / 190 LBS

Kendrick was in the conversation as a first-round pick in the 2021 draft before returning to Clemson and then entering the transfer portal. Wherever he lands for ’21, he’ll be among the cornerbacks NFL teams will be monitoring closely.

7 – JACKSONVILLE

Zion Nelson OL

MIAMI (FL) • SOPH • 6’5″ / 312 LBS

This is an upside pick. Nelson has a chance to be really, really good, and if he continues to make strides in ’21 he’ll find himself in the first-round mix as one of the best tackles in this class.

8 – WASHINGTON

Spencer Rattler QB

OKLAHOMA • FR • 6’1″ / 205 LBS

Rattler is undersized at 6-foot-1, but that’s less of an issue in today’s NFL. Either way, he can sling it — he completed 67 percent of his throws last season with 28 touchdowns and he’s only going to improve.

9 – LAS VEGAS

Kedon Slovis QB

USC • SOPH • 6’2″ / 200 LBS

The Raiders need a lot of things — and maybe the ’21 draft class will solve some of those issues — but it’s only a matter of time before Jon Gruden succumbs to the allure of a new QB.

10 – CAROLINA

Malik Willis QB

LIBERTY • JR • 6’1″ / 195 LBS

Willis is going to be fun to watch — he has a rocket arm, threw for more than 2,200 yards and rushed for 940 more. And if the Panthers aren’t sold on Sam Darnold, they too could be back in the QB business.

11 – ATLANTA

Drake Jackson LB

USC • FR • 6’4″ / 275 LBS

Jackson had a standout freshman campaign, flashed in the shortened Pac-12 season in ’20, and is looking for a breakout campaign in ’21. At 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, he looks the part.

12 – NY GIANTS (from Chicago)

George Karlaftis DE

PURDUE • SOPH • 6’4″ / 270 LBS

Injuries and the pandemic saw him play limited snaps in ’20 but Karlaftis was dominant at times in ’19 when he recorded 17 TFLs and had 7.5 sacks.

13 – MINNESOTA

Chris Olave WR

OHIO STATE • JR • 6’1″ / 188 LBS

Olave had some 1st/2nd-round buzz after a stellar 2020 season, but he decided to return to school where he’ll be one of the top receivers heading into the fall.

14 – ARIZONA

Isaiah Spiller RB

TEXAS A&M • SOPH • 6’1″ / 225 LBS

Spiller is in the running for RB1 after two years for A&M where he’s averaged nearly 1,000 rushing yards a season to go along with 19 rushing TDs while averaging 5.5 yards per catch.

15 – PITTSBURGH

Kaiir Elam DB

FLORIDA • SOPH • 6’2″ / 187 LBS

Elam has the size (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and athleticism to be considered among the up-and-comers to watch. He had two picks and 11 pass breakups last season playing opposite Marco Wilson, a 2021 fourth-round pick of the Cardinals.

Round 1 – Pick 16

16 – LA CHARGERS

Cade Mays OL

TENNESSEE • JR • 6’6″ / 328 LBS

A former 5-star recruit who transferred from Georgia, Mays can be dominant on the inside.

17 – TENNESSEE

Sevyn Banks CB

OHIO STATE • JR • 6’1″ / 200 LBS

Banks is the next in a long line of Buckeyes defensive backs who end up in the NFL after impressive college careers.

18 – NEW ENGLAND

John Metchie III WR

ALABAMA • SOPH • 6’0″ / 195 LBS

We can use the Sevyn Banks template above for Alabama wideouts: “Metchie is the next in a long line of Crimson Tide wide receivers who end up in the NFL after impressive college careers.”

19 – PHILADELHIA (from Miami)

Zach Harrison DE

OHIO STATE • FR • 6’6″ / 255 LBS

Harrison looks the part, without question, but he’ll need his production and consistency to match that to work his way into the first-round conversation.

20 – DALLAS

Treylon Burks WR

ARKANSAS • SOPH • 6’3″ / 232 LBS

At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Burks is a Grown Man. And while we haven’t heard much about him nationally, he could end up as WR1 with a good ’21 season.

21 – NY JETS (from Seattle)

Christian Harris LB

ALABAMA • SOPH • 6’2″ / 244 LBS

Harris could end up being the best of the recent crop of linebackers to come out of Alabama.

22 – NEW ORLEANS

Josh Jobe CB

ALABAMA • JR • 6’1″ / 192 LBS

Jobe doesn’t come into the ’21 season with the recognition of, say, Patrick Surtain II or even Trevon Diggs, but he’s a long CB who plays at Alabama and has more than held his own against some of the best players in the country.

23 – INDIANAPOLIS

Rasheed Walker OL

PENN STATE • SOPH • 6’6″ / 313 LBS

Even after Anthony Castanzo retired, the Colts didn’t address the left tackle position in the ’21 draft. With a solid ’21 campaign, Walker, who was dominant at times last season, will be in the first-round mix.

24 – CLEVELAND

Aidan Hutchinson EDGE

MICHIGAN • JR • 6’6″ / 269 LBS

We were glad Hutchinson returned to school because we thought he needs to continue to improve his game before declaring for the draft. He has the size and bulk for the part; now he just needs to play with more consistency.

25 – GREEN BAY

Kenyon Green OL

TEXAS A&M • SOPH • 6’4″ / 325 LBS

Green started as a true freshman and has only gotten better each year. He consistently moves defensive tackles off the line of scrimmage, a trait which translates to any level.

26 – DENVER

Desmond Ridder QB

CINCINNATI • SOPH • 6’4″ / 215 LBS

Ridder is another QB who is incredibly fun to watch. He can sling it, but he’s also rushed for more than 1,800 yards in three seasons. He’ll need to but it all together to work his way into the Round 1 chatter by next offseason, but he has all the physical tools.

27 – MIAMI (from San Francisco)

Jalen Wydermyer TE

TEXAS A&M • SOPH • 6’5″ / 265 LBS

Wydermyer was one of Kellen Mond’s favorite targets for a reason: he was reliable and almost always open. Not a bad combination.

28 – DETROIT (from LA Rams)

Bubba Bolden S

MIAMI (FL) • JR • 6’3″ / 200 LBS

Bolden flashed at The U in 2020, returned to school and he has a chance to be one of the top safeties in this class along with Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton.

29 – BALTIMORE

Jordan Davis DL

GEORGIA • SOPH • 6’6″ / 330 LBS

Davis is an enormous human being who can clog running lanes all day long, but he’ll need to expand his pass-rush repertoire (mostly because he’s only needed brute strength to beat most of the O-linemen that lined up in front of him).

30 – BUFFALO

Garrett Wilson WR

OHIO STATE • SOPH • 6’0″ / 193 LBS

Wilson made plays on a weekly basis for the Buckeyes in ’20 and it’s fair to say that he and Olave are the most dangerous WR tandem heading into the 2021 season.

31 – TAMPA BAY

DeMarvin Leal DL

TEXAS A&M • SOPH • 6’4″ / 290 LBS

Originally a defensive end, Leal has the versatility and athleticism to play up and down the line, though at 6-foot-4, 290 pounds he’s primarily on the inside. He has the potential to be really, really good and this could be the year he puts it all together.

32 – KANSAS CITY

Justyn Ross WR

CLEMSON • JR • 6’4″ / 205 LBS

Ross missed the 2020 season because of a neck injury but he was on track to be a first-round pick. Instead, he returned to school, has been cleared to play football, and hopefully he can stay healthy because he has special talents.