"We have to start expecting Rogers to do what Brady did in New England" - NFL analyst on expectations for Packers QB next season
The Green Bay Packers entered the 2022 NFL Draft knowing that they were devoid of offensive weapons for Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Former star receiver Davante Adams was traded away to the Las Vegas Raiders just over five weeks ago.
Despite many fans and NFL pundits saying that the team has not yet done enough to provide the Packers quarterback with receivers, NFL analyst Anthony "Booger" McFarland believes it's exactly the opposite.
McFarland was a guest on ESPN's Get Up and this is what he had to say on the expectations for Rodgers and Green Bay without premier receivers:
"Why can't we expect the same from Aaron Rodgers? He didn't get a receiver in the first round, but he got Christian Watson in the second round, who has speed. He's got to make Watson better."
He went on to say:
"Why did they lose last year? It wasn't necessarily because of the offense because the weather was terrible...nobody was moving the football. The defense played outstandingly. They lost because their special teams were bad last year. What did they do?"
He went into more detail:
"They went out and got the best special teams coordinator in the league, in my opinion in coach Rich Bissacia, so they will be better but we don't want to talk about special teams. But that's the reason why they lost to the 49ers on that blocked punt."
McFarland concluded his statement by placing pressure on Green Bay's quarterback for next season:
"I think there'll be better, but we have to start expecting Rogers to do what Brady did in New England all those years. You could not name the weapons. Why can't we expect Rogers, who is making $50 million a year, to do the same thing? We have to hold him accountable."
During his 20 seasons as quarterback of the New England Patriots, Tom Brady made it a point to succeed with the weapons that he had. These weapons were not household names.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion gained victory after victory with names such as Troy Brown, Deion Branch, David Patten, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman.
Aaron Rodgers will now be faced with a similar situation without Adams on the team.
Can the Green Bay Packers succeed without Davante Adams?
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The 2022 Green Bay Packers will have more focus than ever on Aaron Rodgers. Not only did the team lose Davante Adams, but they also lost receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown, who are now with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears, respectively.
Green Bay will bring back Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard and Amari Rodgers returning from last year. They also signed former Baltimore Ravens receiver Sammy Watkins.
The Packers will be hoping that their second-round draft pick, Christian Watson, will be able to make an immediate impact to cushion the blow of losing Adams.
Watson was drafted out of North Dakota State University, where he was a four-time FCS champion and was also named First-Team All MVFC twice. At 6'5" and 208 pounds, Watson runs the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds.
First morning as a Green Bay Packer and I’ve gotta say, it feels pretty damn good! 🧀
Fans of the franchise are backing their star quarterback to utilize Watson's unique skillset to offset their roster losses. Last season, Green Bay went 13-4 before losing in the divisional round 13-10 to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Packers will be aiming for a similar regular-season record with a more dominant display in the playoffs. With Rodgers throwing the ball, anything is possible.
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