One Man Debate: QB Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers is regularly ranked in the Top 5 of FFL draft rankings.  Pretty impressive for a guy with only 16 career starts.  Is he really ready to become an elite fantasy QB?  Or is he a flash in the pan?  I debate myself to find out


PRO: Rodgers threw for over 4000 yards in what was essentially his rookie year.  He’s ready to become one of the best QBs in fantasy football.  Four Thousand Yards!  How can you argue with that?


CON: The numbers were nice, but there’s no way he can repeat them for one very important reason.


PRO:  What’s that?


CON: The Packers offense stinks!  Well, maybe not stinks, but it’s certainly worse than last year.  Ryan Grant flamed out and Donald Driver has to start showing his age.  Where are the weapons?


PRO:  Driver had over 1000 yards last season.  Oh yeah, and Greg Jennings is one of the best WRs in the league!  Did you forget about him?


CON: No, I didn’t forget but Jennings can’t do it alone .  Who did the Packers add to their offense?  Anybody?  No.


PRO:  Well, they drafted fullback Quinn Johnson.


CON: Oh yeah, he’s change we can believe in.  The Packers scored 26 points a game last season and they’re going to do the same thing with the same people this year.  Where do you see the improvement coming from? Rodgers is going to throw MORE than last season?!  I don’t think that’s possible.


PRO:  The change will come with the improved running game.  Ryan Grant is ready to go this season. Last season was a fluke.


CON:  No way.  Teams have seen Green Bay is one-dimensional.  They’re going to double-team Jennings and make Rodgers find other targets.  Except that there aren’t any other targets.  Where’s Mark Chmura when you need him.


PRO:  I’m afraid to ask where he is.  Look, Rodgers’ development is impressive.  He had 2 or more TD passes in six of his last seven games.  The Packers will need to throw and they’re going to throw.  A lot.  To a lot of people.  He’s going to throw for a LOT of yards. Again.


CON:  That won’t be enough.  The Vikings have added Percy Harvin, not to mention old what’s-his-name at QB.   The Bears added Jay Cutler.  Matt Stafford is a huge QB upgrade in Detroit.  You can point to an improvement in the passing game for every team in the division – except the Packers.  


PRO: Rodgers IS the improvement.  He is the team, he is the offense.  They’ll be playing from behind for most of the season and that means another season of bombs downfield.  Look, I agree that it’s not great football – the Pack might lose 13 games – but it will be good fantasy football.


CON:  I’m not buying it.  I can see Rodgers as a Top 3 fantasy QB in a few years, once he gets some more talent around him.  For now, he’s the second coming of Jon Kitna.


PRO:  You could do worse.


CON: True, but you could also do better.