RODGERS WATCH (On-air Edition): Schefter Explores Possibility of Draft Day Trade while Esiason Reaffirms His Rodgers Opinion
ESPN's Adam Schefter told New York Jets' fans what they already knew.
The NFL insider addressed the Aaron Rodgers trade situation during a Thursday appearance on ESPN’S SportsCenter.
“The line of demarcation, the soft deadline, is next Friday night, picks 42 and 43. If picks 42 and 43 come and go without Aaron Rodgers being traded to the New York Jets, then the wait for him to become a Jet could go on for an awful long time,” said Schefter.
Earlier in the week, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer suggested the deal would go down no later the Day 2 at the NFL Draft in Kansas City.
“I’d say because a foundational piece of the trade will be the 42nd or 43rd pick, chances are very high that Rodgers will become a Jet between now and early Friday night. This thing has been close for a few weeks now. And like I’ve said, at this point, it comes down to the people signing the checks,” said Breer in response to a mailbag question from Twitter user @Antoniooo_92.
Weeks ago, longtime NFL columnist Peter King suggested the trade could happen during the Draft.
“I think the over/under date for the Aaron Rodgers trade is early evening April 28. That’s when the second round of the NFL Draft begins. That’s when the first of likely two or three draft choices to be exchanged would happen. The Jets have the 11th and 12th picks in round two, 42nd and 43rd overall, and I’d bet one of those picks will be the key to this trade getting done,” wrote King in the April 3 edition of his “Football Morning In America” column.
Meanwhile, former Jets’ quarterback Boomer Esiason took time to sound off on recent rumors of Rodgers going to the San Francisco 49ers.
After WFAN radio personalities Craig Carton and Tiki Barber promoted a conspiracy theory that leaves the Jets out in the cold, Esiason attempted to set the record straight on his “Boomer and Gio” show on Friday morning.
“At the end of the day, I still firmly believe, and I’m not backing off, that it’s gonna happen, and it will happen relatively soon. I believe before the Draft,” Esiason.
Remember, it was at a “Boomer and Gio Live” event that Jets’ general manager Joe Douglas took the stage and said, “He’s gonna be here.”
Even at 39 years old, and coming off one of his lesser statistical seasons, Rodgers instantly provides an upgrade for the Jets at quarterback. The four-time NFL MVP has reached the 4,000-yard passing mark in five of his last seven seasons while the Jets have witnessed only one such 4K performance in franchise history.
QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Allen Lazaard
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
The Jets have already made off-season moves aimed at supporting Rodgers upon his arrival. They inked free-agent receivers Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman last month. The former was Rodgers’ top target in Green Bay while the latter won two Super Bowls with Kansas City.
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