INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts selected University of Washington quarterback Jacob Eason in the fourth round (No. 122 overall) of the NFL draft on Saturday.
Eason was the sixth quarterback taken in the draft, behind Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts.
Finding a quarterback of the future was something the Colts had to address at some point because Philip Rivers, Jacoby Brissett and Chad Kelly will all be free agents at the end of the 2020 season. Colts general manager Chris Ballard said during his pre-draft news conference, and reiterated again on Friday night, that they were not going to force the issue in selecting a quarterback in the draft.
But having Eason, who some projected as a possible first-round pick, still available in the fourth round was an opportunity the Colts couldn’t pass up. He’ll have the opportunity to sit and learn from Rivers, who is headed into his 17th season, in 2020.
There’s also the possibility that Eason could be the primary backup quarterback next season with Brissett’s status with the team up the air after he struggled last season as Andrew Luck’s replacement.
Eason, who transferred to Washington after spending his first two years at Georgia, threw for 3,332 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season with the Huskies.
It was just two months after that when Gutekunst was asked if he realized his legacy will ultimately hinge on whether he can find the next franchise quarterback without interruption.
“I don’t think I’m thinking out that far right now,” he said at the time. “But yeah, I know what you’re saying.”
Here’s a look at some of the questions facing the Packers, Rodgers and Love as their arranged marriage begins:
How will Rodgers react?
Of course, we won’t know until we hear from him and even then his tone and cadence may tell us more than his words. Almost immediately after the pick late Thursday night, one source who has known him since he came into the NFL agreed that Rodgers initially would be irate that Gutekunst didn’t get him any immediate help. The 36-year-old said after the NFC title game loss that he believes the Packers’ Super Bowl window is open, and “I think we’re going to be on the right side of one of these real soon.”
But on Friday that same source, who stressed that he had not spoken with Rodgers since the pick, said: “I think Aaron will help the kid.” Shortly after the Packers drafted Rodgers in 2005, Brett Favre said: “My contract doesn’t say I have to get Aaron Rodgers ready to play. Now hopefully he watches me and gets something from that.” The relationship was frosty at best that first season but improved over Favre’s final two seasons with the Packers.
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Stephen A. Smith and Marcus Spears are on opposite sides regarding the Packers’ selection of Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers’ status in Green Bay.
Why could it work?
If Rodgers takes to Love and isn’t driven into a state of bitterness by his presence, it could work out for the Packers. Favre had one of his best non-MVP years in 2007 after a terrible 2005 and a mediocre 2006. Rodgers didn’t blow anyone away with his 2019 season, although he and the Packers found a variety of ways to win all the way to the NFC title game.
“There’s nothing wrong with lighting a little fire under his [expletive],” one NFL source said. Rodgers has often used perceived slights to his advantage, from going under-recruited out of high school and starting out at Butte College to his slide to the Packers at No. 24 in the 2005 draft. While Rodgers has said he plans to play until at least age 40 and is under contract through 2023, they’d surely take two or three MVP-level seasons from him before deciding when to officially turn the team over to Love.
Jordan Love “has interception problems, but he can throw it all over the place. He just needs a little time and needs to be coached,” says an NFL offensive assistant coach. Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports
What’s the financial implication?
Love’s rookie contract should be in the neighborhood of $12.3 million (including a $6.5 million signing bonus) over four years, according to projections by Spotrac. By drafting him in the first round, the Packers get a fifth-year option. The $134 million extension Rodgers signed in 2018 makes him virtually untradable or impossible to cut until after the 2021 season. He has a cap number of $36.3 million in 2021 and $39.9 million in 2022. After the 2021 season, the Packers would save $22.648 million in salary-cap space but would have to count $17.204 million in dead money. If they moved on after this season, they would save only $4.76 million on the cap and have $31.556 million in dead money.
Why could it be good for Love?
If he can handle sitting — and he said Thursday night that he’s “going to take that time to be able to learn and grow as a player” — then it could extend Love’s career on the back end. He would save the wear and tear on his body early much like Rodgers did. He not only has the chance to learn from Rodgers but should benefit from a quarterback-driven head coach in LaFleur, much like what Rodgers had with Mike McCarthy. One NFL offensive assistant coach who evaluated Love said: “He’s a gunslinging [expletive] who has interception problems, but he can throw it all over the place. He just needs a little time and needs to be coached. Let’s see if [LaFleur] can coach now.”
What does this say about Gutekunst?
He’s not afraid to make a bold move if he thinks it’s in the best interest of the franchise. If he’s right about Love, it sets up the Packers for another decade-plus of success. Yes, a receiver like LSU’s
The New England Patriots are signing former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Marqise Lee to a one-year contract, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday.
Lee became a free agent on April 20, when he was released by the Jaguars.
Lee, 28, has battled injuries throughout his career and never became the game-changing player the Jaguars hoped he would be when he was drafted in the second round in 2014.
He played in only six games and had three catches for 18 yards after signing a four-year contract worth $34 million with $16.5 million guaranteed in March 2018. He missed the 2018 season after suffering a torn ACL, MCL and PCL in his left knee during the preseason.
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The signing of Lee is consistent with an approach the Patriots have taken under Bill Belichick, identifying a once highly-touted player whose value on the open market wasn’t what it previously due to injuries or other factors.
Lee joins a Patriots wide receiver corps headlined by Julian Edelman, 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry and veteran Mohamed Sanu. Speedster Damiere Byrd, who played last season for the Arizona Cardinals, agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $2.3 million to join the Patriots early in free agency, and 2019 undrafted free agents Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski also return this year.
The Jaguars drafted Lee with the 39th overall pick in 2014, and he battled injuries early in his career, missing nine games in 2014 and ’15. He played in every game in 2016 and missed only two games in 2017. He re-signed with the Jaguars in March 2018 after the team was unable to reach a deal with Allen Robinson, whom they also drafted in the second round in 2014.
Lee has 174 catches for 2,184 yards and eight touchdowns in 59 career games.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss and Michael DiRocco contributed to this report.
Twenty years ago, the New England Patriots drafted quarterback Tom Brady in the sixth round with the 199th overall selection. Brady has an NFL-record six Super Bowl rings, one for every quarterback drafted ahead of him in 2000.
The last quarterback drafted in 2000 was Joe Hamilton — the Georgia Tech product was picked 234th overall by the Buccaneers. Hamilton was runner-up in the 1999 Heisman voting behind Ron Dayne, but his NFL career consisted of no passing attempts and one rushing attempt for minus-2 yards. In other words, Tampa Bay was 20 years too late on Brady.
The only starting quarterback besides Brady to win an AFC East title since 2001 is Chad Pennington — in 2002 with the New York Jets and 2008 with the Miami Dolphins.
Tom Brady has won six Super Bowl rings, one for every quarterback picked in front of him. AP Photo/Stephan Savoia
Here are some of the worst draft moves this century:
2000: Thirty teams pass on Tom Brady
Hear that? Yup, that’s the collective groan of the 30 teams that passed on Brady. The Texans are the only team grinning — they came into the league in 2002. It must be especially frustrating for the Jets, 49ers, Ravens, Steelers, Saints and Browns, who all took quarterbacks ahead of Brady in 2000.
