MintBaconDrivel
10 years ago

GREEN BAY — Aaron Rodgers has always been a Marshawn Lynch fan.

And so, as the Green Bay Packers quarterback prepares to see his old University of California teammate yet again on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game — knowing that he was thisclose to being his teammate in the NFL in 2010 — even Rodgers couldn't help but wonder what might have been Wednesday.

"I thought it was a possibility, for sure," Rodgers said during his pre-NFC title game press conference Wednesday afternoon.

As the trade deadline approached in October 2010, the Packers were in dire need of running back help. Ryan Grant, who'd had back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons, had suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the season opener, and James Starks — the rookie sixth-round pick who would wind up being the running game's savior during the second half of the season and the Packers' run to the Super Bowl XLV title — was on the physically unable to perform list with a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills had finally decided — after getting calls from the Packers and other teams — to trade the unhappy Lynch , whom they'd taken No. 12 overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. Rodgers wholeheartedly endorsed the idea at the time. Lynch would have had two ex-Cal teammates — Rodgers and linebacker Desmond Bishop — in the Packers locker room with him.

"He's a great player," Rodgers said then. "And any character issues the team might see, I think in a situation like that, and I think you've seen that with other players across the league, when you give a guy a change of scenery and a guy like that who feels he might have something to prove, and surround him with two guys, Bishop and myself who played with him, I think that can only help him feel comfortable and see a lot of production."

In five seasons with the Seahawks, Lynch has run for 5,930 yards in regular-season play and another 658 in the playoffs. He had 1,306 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns this season.

On Wednesday, Rodgers recalled his time with Lynch at Cal and how close the Packers were to acquiring his old college teammate.

The Packers had liked Lynch coming out of Cal — they'd hosted him on a pre-draft visit and were hoping he'd fall to them at No. 16 that year — and they did make an offer to the Bills before the trade deadline. But while Seahawks general manager John Schneider — the ex-Packers executive who was in his first year as Seattle's GM — was willing to part with a 2011 fourth-round pick  (No. 122 overall) and a conditional 2012 pick that ended up being a fifth-rounder, Packers GM Ted Thompson would go no higher than the team's 2011 fourth-round pick (No. 129 overall).

Had Thompson been willing to part with his 2011 third-round pick (No. 96), the Bills likely would have taken the deal. The Packers ended up using that pick on Hawaii running back Alex Green, who was a disappointment.

It all worked out in the end, of course, as Starks helped the Packers to the NFL title and Thompson ended up nabbing Eddie Lacy in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Lacy has had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and has some similar qualities to Lynch.

"He was on the market for what didn't seem like a whole lot getting out of Buffalo. I think they ended up taking that offer based on where the pick would lie in the draft because of the records," Rodgers recalled Wednesday. "So it'd be interesting to see any of the what-if's if he had come here. But Eddie's a very similar-style back, as far as not being taken down with the first defender, running through arm tackles, his ability to catch the ball and make something as well. And both Marshawn and Eddie are great blockers in the pass protection."

At Cal, Rodgers said, Lynch was a good teammate. That's what Seahawks players say, too, despite Lynch's occasionally questionable behavior.

"He was a lot of fun to play with. He's a great player," Rodgers said, recalling that the Bears had J.J. Arrington, Justin Forsett and Lynch in their backfield during his final season at Cal. "Marshawn was an extremely gifted athlete. He used to always challenge me in throwing competitions. I won't say I beat him every single time because he's got a heck of an arm — distance wise, not accuracy.

"But he was a great teammate. We had a lot of fun. Oakland guy, so he loved being in the Bay Area and representing for his city, as he used to say. But he's a talented guy. It's been fun to watch him and follow him and see him at various events."

Here are Rodgers and Lynch interacting at halftime of a 2013 preseason game at Lambeau Field:

Jason Wilde  wrote:


nerdmann
10 years ago
Might have added another SB.

Then again the problem has been mainly the D.

Also remember Lynch was considered a malcontent at the time, plus he had spinal issues. You know how our team doctor looks askance at that sort of thing. Still, I wanted that trade, bad.
“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”
Zero2Cool
10 years ago

One thing before I get back to "work".

Seahawks and Packers.

Who's gonna have a higher pick in the upcoming draft if you had to guess right now? I'm thinking the Seahawks. I wonder if that played into it at all.

Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool 




After reading what Aaron said, I thought it sounded familiar. This quote is from 2010 October. Aaron, quit stealing my lines bubba!!
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Fan Shout
Zero2Cool (2h) : new site, text editor gooder even on phone
beast (3h) : Oh yes, sometimes they make using a cellphone tough. I just wanted to make sure it was the correct article, & thank you for pointing it out.
jdlax (4h) : I can't believe one of my teams went out and wablammo just up and acquired one of the best players in the world overnight
dfosterf (9h) : I do very much appreciate when Beast and others pick up my slack 😊
dfosterf (9h) : I accept Beast's admonishment regarding my failure to link stuff I reference. I simply never learned to link from my cell phone.
beast (9h) : That's not what your she said 😌, she said keep going 😏
Mucky Tundra (13h) : Anything over 4 hours means he needs to get to the hospital
Mucky Tundra (13h) : Someone might want to check on Hafley and make sure his erection has gone down
Zero2Cool (14h) : LaFleur texts "bleep me I cannot sit down"
Zero2Cool (15h) : YouTube has had me last hour or two lol
Mucky Tundra (15h) : Ugh this trade happened right as my shift started and it's killing me
Zero2Cool (15h) : Parsons wore 23 in high school.
Zero2Cool (15h) : Packers just cost Lions more money with Hutchinson too huh
Zero2Cool (17h) : That is fair by me.
buckeyepackfan (17h) : Kenny Clark is the player, 2 1st rnd picks
Zero2Cool (17h) : umm... what?
wpr (17h) : I am stunned
Mucky Tundra (17h) : RICKEY SCOOPS WAS RIGHT AGAIN!!!
Mucky Tundra (17h) : ITS HAPPENING
buckeyepackfan (17h) : DEAL IS DONE
buckeyepackfan (17h) : MICAH IS COMING TO GREEN BAY!!!!!!!!!
wpr (28-Aug) : Me do-ed it gooderly,
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Bahah, I was like WTF why isn't anyone posting on PP.com ... oops no one has permissions
dfosterf (27-Aug) : tell her I reckon
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Micah Robinson cut. Probable PS player tomorrow. Has to call mom back and t
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : New site so much better. Might make switch and deal with it.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Mecole Hardman to our practice squad
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Nick Nieman from Texans our 5th linebacker. Special teams signing
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Looks like we signed Clayton Tune as QB3
wpr (27-Aug) : TKT people lose their minds over QB3. Point is almost none of them are ready that's why they are on the PS and other teams don't take them.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Unfortunately he doesn't seem ready to be an emergency QB.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : As a Canadian and a follower of Canadian University football. I am rooting for him
dfosterf (27-Aug) : I bet a lot of us will follow the Taylor Elgersma journey with interest. Personally, got a Kurt Warner vibe goin' on. I like him
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Not sure if either will be claimed though.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Tune or Hooker would make sense
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Clayton Tune cut by the Cards? Don't know if that's the guy, we shall see
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Per Bill Huber, the Packers will not be bringing back Taylor Elgersma or Sean Clifford on the practice squad, so a new third quarterback
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : Schefter must have deleted his tweet
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Hopefully Jerry reaches under the seat cushions and ashtrays of his jet and scrapes up the 45 million apr and spares us further nonsense
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Have to admit the PO'd Cowboy fan videos would be fun to watch. Problem with draft picks is half their fanbase barely knows what that is
beast (27-Aug) : I think Cowboys fans are ready to get their pitch forks and burning sticks if Jerry were to trade Micah
dfosterf (27-Aug) : If Jerry traded Micah to GB, here in northern Va. they would have to quick build yet another data center to handle the internet hate traffic
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : its signing and trades that you don't hear about, other then announced
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : If you hear rumors about Packers sign or trade, won't happen. Not how they work
dfosterf (27-Aug) : 19 players in a contract year. Jones called loss to us worst loss in Cowboy history. Forget Parsons trade. Not happenin' Cap'n
packerfanoutwest (27-Aug) : The Packers, meanwhile, are the youngest team in the league for the third consecutive year.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : That it was darkest before the dawn in Bengals and Commanders before they got deals done
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : what is Schefter saying?
dfosterf (27-Aug) : He was getting Dorito infusion therapy
dfosterf (27-Aug) : He's outta shape. Why, just the other day I saw him splayed out on the trainers table
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