Quarterback is the most sought after position in the NFL. Teams are constantly looking for the next Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. Some teams are so desperate to find the next great quarterback, they have used multiple early round draft picks in the span of just a few years. This year, teams should seriously consider trading for the backup quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, Brett Hundley.
Take the Cleveland Browns for instance. They have used seven picks from rounds one to three on quarterbacks since 1999. Some of these include Tim Couch, Charlie Frye, Brandon Weeden, and Johnny Manziel.
Another example of the desperation of having potential at the position would be the Houston Texans. Houston infamously gave Brock Osweiler a four-year, $72 million dollar contract. Osweiler had proven little to earn his payday, but his second round draft status paired with sitting behind Peyton Manning in Denver was enough to convince the Texans he was starter material. Osweiler was traded to the Browns the following year.
If teams are this desperate, Brett Hundley could be trade bait in the next couple of seasons.
Green Bay Packers Backup Quarterback Brett Hundley Could Become Trade Bait
Hundley was a fifth round draft choice by the Green Bay Packers. Surprisingly, the Packers even traded up to select the UCLA product. As a three-year starter at UCLA, Hundley threw for 9,966 yards and 75 touchdowns. He also had 1,747 yards and 30 touchdowns rushing for the Bruins. Hundley was widely thought of as a project and most scouts had him somewhere in the fourth round.
In his rookie year, Hundley put up impressive numbers in the preseason. He displayed great athleticism and took care of the ball. He finished with a 129.6 passer rating over four games, and eventually beat out Scott Tolzien to become the backup quarterback in Green Bay. The following year, Hundley did not get much preseason play time. He was dealing with numerous injuries throughout training camp.
If Hundley has another good preseason, teams should be lining up at 1265 Lombardi Avenue to give the Packers a mid round pick for Hundley. He should be interesting to teams because he would be a cheap, low-risk investment. He has all the tools to become a great quarterback. He has shown he can handle learning an advanced playbook, and has proved on the field that he is to take the next step and become a starter. Quarterback needy teams may also value the fact that he has been in the same quarterback room as Aaron Rodgers and has been coached up by Mike McCarthy.
The Packers have been known to draft and develop quarterbacks since the mid 1990s. They drafted Matt Hasselbeck, Mark Brunell, Aaron Brooks, Ty Detmer, and Matt Flynn to serve as backups and they ultimately became starters elsewhere. Some, like Hasselbeck and Brunell, had successful careers are starters in the NFL. In 2012, Matt Flynn signed a monster contract after a six touchdown performance in his last game as a Packer. Although his career in Seattle was short lived, he proved to be serviceable around the league as a fringe starter.
Green Bay has had success in turning late round quarterbacks into NFL starters and it is time they cashed in on their investment. The Packers could flip a fifth round pick to possibly a third round pick, and I’m positive they would jump at the chance.
