PHOENIX — When Odell Beckham Jr. made a shock look on the Arizona Biltmore resort throughout this week’s NFL annual assembly, a symbolic — albeit unintentional — scene performed out. Beckham and his entourage walked in a single route, whereas Inexperienced Bay Packers common supervisor Brian Gutekunst went the opposite means.
As a lot because the Packers want veterans within the receiver room, they’ve ignored that market in free company, and Beckham’s availability gained’t change that. Additionally they made little or no try to re-sign Allen Lazard, whose common of $11 million per yr on his contract with the Jets priced himself out of Inexperienced Bay. In the meantime, Randall Cobb stays unsigned and seemingly has no shot at a return to the Packers with out Aaron Rodgers.
“We’re going to have so as to add some our bodies to that room,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur mentioned this week. “What will we obtained, like 5 guys on the roster proper now?”
Precisely 5. Welcome to your new job because the Packers beginning quarterback, Jordan Love.
At this level, Love has solely three receivers on the roster who’ve ever performed in a couple of NFL recreation. And all three of these — Christian Watson (14 video games), Romeo Doubs (13) and Samori Toure (11) — have been rookies final season. The opposite two — Jeff Cotton (one recreation, zero catches for the Jaguars in 2021) and Bo Melton (no video games) — have primarily no expertise.
There’s all the time the prospect that Gutekunst makes a late transfer in free company to signal a veteran receiver like he did final yr with Sammy Watkins, however that didn’t precisely pan out both. This yr’s checklist of free agent receivers nonetheless accessible consists of: Kenny Golladay, Jarvis Landry, Robbie Anderson, Marvin Jones Jr., Julio Jones and Cobb.
“Effectively, I feel some veteran management can be good,” LaFleur mentioned. “Though I feel guys like Allen and Randall did such an excellent job final yr sort of taking these guys beneath their wing and displaying them the ropes and the expectations and the follow habits that it’s worthwhile to must go on the market and play at a excessive stage. However there’s going to be numerous development with these two guys, actually Romeo and Christian. And you then’ve obtained Samori Toure and we’ve obtained a small glimpse of Bo Melton final yr.”
What Doubs and Watson lack in expertise, they make up for in potential. Doubs (2022 fourth-rounder) began quick whereas Watson (2022 second-rounder) had hassle with drops and accidents. Then Doubs was slowed by a midseason ankle harm.
“I don’t know if [Doubs] ever obtained again to what we had seen early within the yr, however I anticipate to see that when he comes again,” LaFleur mentioned.
“I need to mood this comparability right here, however he’s obtained some Davante Adams-type motion expertise in him. Now he’s obtained to be taught when to make use of and learn how to harness that. I don’t suppose there’s a route he gained’t be capable to run. We simply have to present him sufficient reps the place he can proceed his development.”
When Doubs obtained harm, Watson emerged. He was their largest playmaker from Week 10 on. Collectively, they mixed for 83 catches, 1,036 yards and 10 touchdowns regardless of being on the sphere collectively on the similar time for fewer than 100 snaps all season.
The Packers are relying on these numbers from every one individually this season.
“I feel the largest factor with these younger gamers is: Are they prepared to take the corrections and criticism after which work and proceed to work? — they usually did that,” Gutekunst mentioned of Doubs and Watson. “[Receivers] coach [Jason] Vrable did a very nice job with the room as a result of it was in transition, clearly, once you lose the man [Adams] that leads that room. I feel these guys did a very nice job. I’m excited to see how they develop this yr.”
Then there’s Keisean Nixon.
What does the Packers’ All-Professional kick returner and backup cornerback must do with the receiver room? Effectively, LaFleur mentioned this week that he’s open to the likelihood that Nixon may have a bundle of performs as both a receiver or ball service.
“I used to be joking with him, I mentioned, ‘Hey, you by no means know, there is perhaps some alternatives offensively,’” LaFleur mentioned. “And I do know he was fired as much as hear that. For us, it actually is that if he can deal with it, I’ve obtained no drawback placing him in there in some conditions on offense.”
The Packers are additionally skinny at tight finish, the place they misplaced Robert Tonyan to the Bears in free company and aren’t more likely to re-sign Marcedes Lewis. Whereas most understand it has been greater than 20 years for the reason that Packers picked a receiver within the first spherical (Javon Walker in 2002), they haven’t taken a good finish in Spherical 1 since 2000 (Bubba Franks).
That is thought of a powerful tight finish draft, and ESPN’s Jordan Reid has the Packers taking Georgia tight finish Darnell Washington within the second spherical of his newest mock draft. He additionally has them with Michigan State receiver Jayden Reed within the third spherical.
“There are particular positions [in this year’s draft] which have actually good depth that we haven’t seen for some time,” Gutekunst mentioned. “I feel that’s good, they usually sort of line up with our wants a bit bit.”
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