Jets GM Joe Douglas says Aaron Rodgers will be a Jet

In a public appearance, Jets General Manager Joe Douglas announced that Aaron Rodgers would be a Jet soon. While this does ruin the Jets’ leverage in a trade, it seems this secures the fact that Rodgers will be a Jet sooner than later. Trade negotiations should be expected to go on for a long time due to the fact that the Packers do not benefit from trading Rodgers now rather than at the Draft or in Training camp.

From a salary cap standpoint, it actually makes a lot more sense to wait till after June 1st, as the Packers will get $15 million in cap savings rather than a negative $8 million in cap savings if they traded him now. While the Packers have tons of time to trade him, the most advantageous thing to do is trade him right before the draft when they could acquire the Jets’ 42nd or 43rd overall pick. It would be advantageous to take a deal involving one of those picks, players in that spot usually have first-round grades on them but aren’t selected in the first round due to the amount of talent in the draft.

In a deep class like this, it is a strong possibility that the 42nd or 43rd overall pick will be a player that has a first-round grade. Getting the Jets’ 13th overall pick in a deal like this might be unlikely as Lou Scataglia highlighted in another piece.

Still, the Jets could give a first-round pick that is conditionally protected in the likely case Rodgers retires after this season or the Jets reach the AFC championship game or win the super bowl.

If the Jets are able to keep their first-round selection this season which is likely. New York could fill the other huge need that this team has at an offensive tackle by drafting Paris Johnson or  Peter Skoronski.

This would lead the Jets with a very solid offense and the sky would be unlimited in terms of what New York could achieve with Rodgers.