NFL: Packers Trade for Quarterback DeShone Kizer

The Green Bay Packers have landed a potential candidate for the long-term Aaron Rodgers successor: Green Bay and the Cleveland Browns have reached an agreement on a trade by quarterback DeShone Kizer – but in return, the Green Bay Packers are giving off a starter.

In order to secure Kizer as a new backup behind Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay sends Damarious Randall to Cleveland in return. At the same time, however, the packers climb up in the fourth and fifth rounds of drafts, while Green Bay exchanges his pick with Cleveland in both rounds as part of the trade.

A starting-cornerback for a backup quarterback is at first glance an expensive price, all the more so because Green Bay has constant problems in the secondary and especially on the corner position. However, rumours were already circulating in the course of last season that Randall had been dismissed.

It was not primarily about his athletic performance, but rather his behind-the-scenes behaviour. According to ESPN, a group of experienced players came directly to head coach Mike McCarthy to suggest Randall’s dismissal.

Green Bay decided against it and Randall had some good games in the season-end sprint, before a knee injury ended the season for him prematurely. Afterwards, however, he went straight ahead and publicly criticized defensive coordinator Dom Capers.

Randall gets a new start in Cleveland, possibly also on a new position: A change to the Free Safety Spot is conceivable, this could on the one hand bring Randall’s abilities to bear, on the other hand it would allow Brown’s Safety Jabrill Peppers to finally play closer to the box.

Kizer on the other side had an extremely heavy stance in Cleveland. On the one hand Head Coach Hue Jackson did not help him at all schematically, on the other hand Jackson destroyed Kizers self-confidence with his inconsistent quarterback decisions. In Green Bay he can now study quietly behind Rodgers.