Packers GM says they don't need first-round pick for Rodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Green Bay Packers asking price for Aaron Rodgers is becoming a little bit clearer.
After a lot of conflicting reports over whether or not the Packers are asking for a first-round draft pick, Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst set the record straight at the NFL's Annual League Meeting.
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And the New York Jets' first-round pick isn't a requirement for a trade.
"That's not a necessity," Gutekunst said. "But at the same time, the value of the player, he's a premier player. So, I think getting premier picks back for that or players is important."
One way to interpret Gutekunst's statement is the Jets' No. 13 pick could be enough to seal a deal. And if it's not included, then he is going to want premier value.
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But a first-round pick isn't a sticking point in the trade getting done. The two sides clearly still seem to disagree on what that value though.
As for a deadline, some insiders speculate that it's the NFL Draft. Gutekunst said there is no hard deadline and he thinks trade talks could stretch into May or June.
And Gutekunst noted that all is in the Jets' court.
The conflicting reports on trade asks has been going on since before Rodgers announced his intentions.
Earlier in March, Schefter said the Packers were looking for multiple first-round picks. Then NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said the Packers aren't looking for multiple first-round picks.
Schefter later clarified a first-round pick has been discussed inside the Packers building but not formally requested.
"When you look at the landscape of what other quarterbacks in recent trades in recent years have fetched, it has been a lot," Schefter said. "What did the Broncos give up for Russell Wilson? Multiple ones. What are the Rams giving up for Matthew Stafford? Multiple ones.
"Not every quarterback has been traded for a package like that, but those conversations have occurred in the Packers building. Never said the Packers asked for that. But they've talked about that as an organization.
"And now the question is, what can they realistically extract from the Jets?"
Schefter has also previously pointed to the Packers-Jets trade for Brett Favre, which included a conditional fourth-round pick but framed it as the Jets' perspective on the value in the trade.
"The Jets would think that that's closer to the value that should be paid for a 39-year-old quarterback who's on a year-to-year basis who, oh, by the way, also has a $110 million in guaranteed money due to him over the next two years," Schefter said. "So if they're taking on that money and they would restructure the contract, then that should lower the compensation, not increase it. So both sides have their claims."
Schefter previously said it could fall apart because both sides are dug in on their asks.
