The most notable departure for the Green Bay Packers this offseason is, of course, Aaron Rodgers, who is expected to be traded at some point in the coming weeks. The team has also lost a key receiver for the second straight year, however, leaving a vacancy for a veteran addition or two.
Allen Lazard signed with the New York Jets last month, allowing him to (presumably) continue playing with Rodgers while also cashing in on his career-best production in 2022.
Lazard’s ascension to the role of No. 1 wideout came after the trade sending Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders and the free agent loss of Marquez Valdes-Scantling the previous offseason; fellow veteran Randall Cobb is a free agent with little to no prospect of remaining in Green Bay if Rodgers departs.
That leaves the Packers with only five receivers currently under contract, including the three members of the team’s draft class at the position (Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure). To no surprise, head coach Matt LaFleur recently spoke about the need for Green Bay to make a few moves at the position, including the signing of an experienced pass-catcher.
“I think some veteran leadership would be nice,” LaFleur said, via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “Although I think guys like Allen and Randall did such a great job last year kind of taking those guys under their wing and showing them the ropes and the expectations and the practice habits that you need to have to go out there and play at a high level. But there’s going to be a lot of growth with those two guys, certainly Romeo and Christian.”
Watson and Doubs each showed flashes of the potential which garnered interest in the draft last year, but the pair were rarely available at the same time. Watson ranked second on the team behind only Lazard with 611 yards, while Doubs’ production (425 yards) ranked fourth on the team and third amongst receivers.
The pair will therefore be counted on to take a significant step forward while handling sizeable workloads in Green Bay’s Jordan Love-led offense in 2023.
The Packers took a flier on Sammy Watkins last year, but the former first-rounder made only 13 catches in Green Bay before being waived and finishing the season in Baltimore.
The team will obviously be aiming higher with their next signing, which could target a number of veterans who make up the secondary waves of a weak free agent class. While a major splash at the position is thus unlikely, an addition of some kind should be expected in the near future.
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