For all his skills as a professional quarterback, Aaron Rodgers is not a good amateur general manager. This offseason, the Jets would be wise not to listen to him when it comes to adding players.
For his part, the man who resented not having a seat at the table in Green Bay is willing to bend to the wishes of his current team.
“As much or as little as they want,” Rodgers told reporters Monday about his possible involvement in offseason personnel changes. “If [G.M. Joe Douglas] would like my help in recruiting, I am available.
“I don't necessarily think it has to be anyone connected to this system. It's about character. You know, I think we need some characters on offense. Some of the best lines we ever had had some serious characters.”
Current offensive linemen might find this comment strange. Their bigger problem, however, is that they aren't good enough overall.
Rodgers lost on the fourth play from scrimmage this year, due in part to poor blocking. If not, it probably would have happened at some point. So yes, the offensive line needs to get better.
In this regard, skill should be more important than character. Skill should outweigh personality. Rodgers sometimes seems to view a football team as a big club. And while it's always better for everyone in any group (school, work, or family) to get along, people tend to get along better when things are going well.
Things didn't go well for the Jets this year. They just have to get better players next year. And if the choice comes down to a guy who'll befriend Rodgers and a guy who might think he's a weirdo but opens his ass, the Jets should go with the latter.