Welcome to the weekly Zone Coverage Packers mailbag, where I try to answer all your burning NFL and Green Bay Packers-related questions, submitted via Twitter to @m_widmeier.
Rasul Douglas was a game-changer and should be a top priority for the Packers. What are the chances he comes back?
In his final press conference of the year following Green Bay’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Rasul Douglas gave a very intriguing answer about wanting to return to the Packers after the year he put together.
When asked if it would take a lot more than the veteran minimum he made this year to come back, Douglas said, “Probably a little bit more but nothing crazy.”
He also reiterated the notion that he and the Packers now have unfinished business.
”Everyone knows I want to be here,” he said.
“I’ve built a family here. We still have some unfinished business. Of course, I want to be here, but I don’t think that is my decision to make.”
While he was a game-changer and had multiple interceptions returned for touchdowns along with a game sealer against the Arizona Cardinals, it may be tough to find the right number. While Douglas said it won’t take anything crazy, his agent may have other plans.
Cornerback is a weakness for the Packers in terms of depth entering the offseason. They only have three on the roster, but the talent is as good as it gets with Eric Stokes and Jaire Alexander. Getting Douglas back would create one hell of a trio. As for the odds of it happening, Douglas is a tough one to predict given he was a practice-squad addition during the year and went on to be brilliant. I do believe Green Bay will somehow get him back on a team-friendly deal.
If (Aaron) Rodgers returns, what does that mean for Jordan Love‘s future?
A lot hinges on what Rodgers will decide, and nobody may be more affected by that decision than Jordan Love. If Rodgers returns, it’s hard to imagine Love being fine with sitting for a third-straight year.
Love isn’t someone who was selected under the assumption that he’d be a solid backup. He wasn’t a mid-round selection. Green Bay selected Love in the first round and even traded up to do so. Rodgers’ return would almost have to spell the end of the road for Love’s time with the Packers.
Rodgers’ return would almost certainly mean a contract extension to keep him in Green Bay for another two or three years. At that point, they’d be past the point of no return with Love, and it’d be hard to blame him for growing frustrated. Why would he want to be a backup for another two years? It wouldn’t make any sense for the Packers either.
If Rodgers returns, don’t be surprised if Green Bay tries to trade Love for a pick and send him to a team that envisions giving him a chance to run the show. The jury is still out on Love. Anyone on the outside claiming he is a bust or will be a suitable starter truly has no clue at this point. The only certainty is that a Rodgers return would mean Love will never get a shot to be the guy in Green Bay.
Is it painful for anyone else to see pictures of the coaching staff at the Pro Bowl?
I feel safe in saying that the entire fanbase is echoing that feeling of pain.
The Packers’ Twitter account posted photos of the Green Bay coaching staff at the Pro Bowl in Las Vegas getting ready to coach the NFC in the game set for Sunday. Honestly, I had to look up what day the game was because the Pro Bowl has become such a joke. So have the Packers in big playoff games.
Seeing Matt LaFleur in all blue getting ready for this laughable exhibition is nightmare fuel for any Packers fans. They should be preparing for the Cincinnati Bengals and planning travel plans for Los Angeles, but instead, they’ll be watching from home.
Seeing the Packers’ staff at the Pro Bowl rubs salt in the wound. The obvious jokes have paved the way for everyone to chime in, even Green Bay fans. Coaching in the Pro Bowl is just the cherry on top of what ended up being another wildly disappointing end to a season with sky-high expectations.
