Apr 29, 2022

  • Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN

Dark-green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he was "surprised" by the team trading former receiver Davante Adams this offseason, in his outset public comments since signing a three-year, $150 one thousand thousand extension and the trade of his No. ane broad receiver.

Speaking during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Testify," Rodgers said he believed his render to the Packers would influence their ability to strike a deal with Adams and that he had communicated with the two-fourth dimension All-Pro before returning.

"It was a little surprising with Davante -- evidently when I made my decision, I was nonetheless thinking he was going to come back," Rodgers said. "I was very honest with him about my plans and my futurity and where I saw my career going, as far every bit how many years I want to play. But I felt like he was going to be back, didn't obviously plow out that fashion, just I have and so much dearest for 'Tae and appreciate the time we spent together and definitely wish him the best in Derek [Carr] in Vegas. But that'south a big hole to fill."

In March, Green Bay traded Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2022 outset-round and second-circular pick. The Raiders and so signed him to a five-year, $141.25 1000000 contract that reset the wide receiver market place. His departure left the Packers' wide receiver room sparse -- a situation exacerbated when Marquez Valdes-Scantling signed with the Kansas Urban center Chiefs a week later.

Fifty-fifty with their boosted first-round selection, the Packers did not select a receiver in the first round of this twelvemonth's draft, something they have never done in Rodgers' 17-twelvemonth career. He wasn't upset or necessarily surprised by their decision, proverb he had been communicating with the squad throughout the nighttime.

The iv-fourth dimension NFL MVP said teams take to exercise circumspection considering there tend to exist "a lot of receiver busts in the kickoff round." He did call sometime Alabama receiver Jameson Williams the most "NFL gear up" receiver in the draft, despite his recovery from a torn ACL; Williams was drafted by sectionalisation rival Detroit at No. 12 overall.

With the summit six receivers off the lath -- Rodgers hinted that the Packers only had commencement-round grades on those six -- general managing director Brian Gutekunst went heavy on defense and heavy on Georgia Bulldogs with linebacker Quay Walker at No. 22 and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt at No. 28.

Gutekunst said he explored the possibility of trading up to take a receiver that he liked.

"There was a couple, at that place was a few," Gutekunst said. "That run happened early on. They're really expert players. At the aforementioned time I think yous've got to expect at the asking cost and does that make sense?"

Rodgers was on the air with McAfee when the Packers picked Wyatt, a player Rodgers said he knew the Packers were hoping to land. In fact, Rodgers spent a twenty-four hour period at the team facility concluding week even though he hasn't been at that place for offseason workouts. He and Gutekunst met at that point to discuss the state of the team. Meanwhile, during the draft, Gutekunst said motorcoach Matt LaFleur was in an on-going text chat with Rodgers.

"Aaron, he's unbelievable," Gutekunst said. "Our communication, I hateful where we were and where we are now, I would say is dark and day. I'm very appreciative of that. He was here last week for a mean solar day and we certainly spent some time talking virtually our squad and kind of where nosotros thought we might be heading and some of the things we might want to do moving forward.

"That input, that chat is ever welcome and certainly valuable to me. Simply when I get into this procedure along with our scouts, we're pretty tunnel vision, merely like I said, in that location was a lot of texting going on next to me."

Gutekunst said he won't strength a receiver pick on Fri when he has 2 second-round picks (Nos. 53 and 59) and a 3rd-rounder (92).

"I don't think we have to," he said. "I think at that place's some actually skillful receivers left in this typhoon and we'll kind of see how information technology plays out. We have 9 picks left, and so we've got a lot of ammunition. Whether we stick and pick or move around, we'll kind of encounter how that goes."

Rodgers too said he felt like the Packers were "in the mix" for some of the receivers on the trade market place this offseason simply admitted there are complexities to calculation a receiver in that manner.

"There'due south not a lot of teams that probably desire to trade receivers to Dark-green Bay, so I think we're probably at the back of the line for a lot of these teams," he said. "But at the same time, I call back if y'all're non going to pay Davante -- evidently, we traded him, he wanted to move on -- but going out and paying another guy, I don't know if that makes a ton of sense ... I feel like we've been in the mix but does San Francisco actually desire to trade Deebo Samuel to u.s.a.?

"I'grand sure Packer nation volition be wondering why we didn't have a receiver or trade upwards only at this point, you've simply got to take some faith in the organization and organized religion that whoever we bring in tomorrow and the rest of this typhoon, I'thousand going to put in the time to make information technology work with those guys and we're going to find a way in Matt'south offense to be successful -- like we always accept.

"It's non going to be any different this year -- nosotros're going to be in the mix."

Rodgers, 38, noted Light-green Bay'southward success finding talent at receiver afterward the first round -- specifically in Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, James Jones and Adams.

Rodgers said the Packers will miss Adams but added that it'southward function of the transactional nature of the NFL.

"Information technology's a tough business concern, it's a wonderful profession. Those of usa who have been [able] to play for and then long realize that completely," he said. "There's a lot of things that happen that surprise you, fifty-fifty yet. I idea that based on the number that nosotros offered Davante and being able to play with me for a few more years would make a divergence, merely in the terminate I think he was set up to motion on and wanted my aid in making that happen.

"It was a tough position to exist in, for sure, because I dearest him and I care about him and I want him to be happy, and he'due south definitely going to be missed."

ESPN's Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.