"Jordan Love is more prepared to take the reigns than Aaron Rodgers." It is the kind of fun July thought piece that gets people talking. And NFL.com writer Grant Gordon does well to lay out statistical evidence that may be the case.
But a year ago, dynasty players did not believe that to be the case:
Love was an afterthought a year ago, hovering around QB36 on Keeptradecut. With Rodgers removed from the situation, Love has moved up to QB18 and sits on the cusp of higher ascension as a young quarterback in Superflex formats.
That violent shift in rankings signals it may be time to move on from Love.
Why Sell?
The sell case requires a quick flashback to Gordon's analysis.
Love may have more practical experience, but the situations are dramatically different. Rodgers was neck and neck for the first overall pick in the 2005 draft with Alex Smith. Smith pulled ahead at the end, and Rodgers saw a surprising draft slide.
Meanwhile, Love was always a project behind Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Justin Herbert. When the Packers selected him at 26th overall, his selection in round one was as much a surprise as the team making the pick.
Then, the team. Rodgers was stepping into a situation with Greg Jennings entering his third season off a 53-920-12 campaign and Donald Driver, the franchise all-time leader in receptions and yards, at age 31, still capable of 1,000-yard seasons.
Love's projected top five receivers and tight ends have a career of 1,036 yards between the entire group.
The bottom line, every part of Jordan Love is a gamble. And the Packers have low stakes. If Love misses this year, there is no insulation on a young player with multiple years left on his rookie deal. The team signed him to a short-term extension to avoid the decision on his fifth-year option, but he will quickly be considering a long-term contract. Poor play makes that decision much more straightforward.
Ultimately few players carry as much risk as Love at the moment. The rub, the upside if he hits, may still be lagging. His weapons are questionable, and he lacks the rushing upside to threaten consistent top-12 quarterback placement.
And given how dynasty players mishandled his value a year ago, he can be found money.
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