Friday Cheese Curds: Packers continue to demand pick #13 in Rodgers trade talks

The Packers want #13 “and then some” for the time being, but they and the Jets have another five weeks to make the trade a reality.

Maybe Brian Gutekunst has received the message. Maybe not. But regardless of whether the hashtag has come across his desk, the Green Bay Packers appear to be holding firm and demanding that #13for12 become a reality.

Reports this week indicate that the Packers and the New York Jets have barely talked about the expected trade for Aaron Rodgers in the past week, with the Packers holding steady in their demands that they receive the Jets’ first-round draft pick. That #13 pick will be the subject of much of the discussion around the two teams for the next five weeks or so, up until the start of the NFL Draft on April 27th.

Can the Packers manage to squeeze that pick out of New York? Would they accept the Jets’ two second-round picks at 42 and 43 instead, picks which together are roughly equivalent to a first-rounder pick in the late teens? That all comes down to Gutekunst and Joe Douglas, who should continue to work little by little as the draft gradually approaches.

Meanwhile, the two GMs and the rest of the league will get together next week for the NFL’s annual meeting, which could result in some movement on the Rodgers front. Another big topic of discussion will be a variety of proposed rules changes, which could affect the product that takes the field in early September. This writer, for one, would love to see players wearing number zero on the field, but there are plenty of interesting potential changes in this year’s list of submissions.

Report: Packers-Jets Trade Talks at ‘Standstill’ – Sports Illustrated
The Packers can hold out for pick #13 until closer to the start of the NFL Draft. Maybe that first day of the draft is when a deal finally gets done.

17 rule proposals to be heard at Annual League Meeting | NFL.com
Some of the more interesting proposals include a 4th-and-20 play to replace the onside kick, expanding instant replay reviews, and adding 0 as an option for players to wear on their jerseys.

Free agent safety Adrian Amos visiting Ravens | Packers Wire
Amos is a native of Baltimore, so the fit makes sense (and their facility is probably a quick drive for him). He’d probably enjoy playing for his hometown team, and the Ravens have a need at safety after trading Chuck Clark to the Jets.

Why NFL wide receiver market has been so muted this offseason compared to last year – The Athletic ($)
The perceived availability of some top receivers via trades seems to have depressed the free agent market a bit, but fundamentally it seems that teams just aren’t big fans of the players who are out there.

Three former Packers staff members among Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Awards of Excellence winners for 2023 | Packers.com
Congratulations to former offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis, video director Al Treml, and equipment manager Bob Noel for earning special honors from the Hall of Fame.

Potatoes are better than human blood for making space concrete bricks | Space
WHY WAS BLOOD THE ALTERNATIVE?!