Packers insider reveals reason for curious WR signing

In addition to the aforementioned wide receivers, Green Bay also re-signed Bo Melton during the offseason. Malik Heath, who made the team in 2023 as an undrafted free agent, is also still on the roster.

Now, the Packers usually keep between six and seven wide receivers on the roster, and with their picks and holdovers from last year, their wide receiver room is comprised of the following:

• Christian Watson
• Romeo Doubs
• Jayden Reed
• Dontayvion Wicks
• Malik Heath
• Bo Melton
• Mecole Hardman
• Matthew Golden
• Savion Williams

As one can see, that is a total of nine names, already more than Green Bay usually has on its 53-man roster. Despite this already-high number, though, the Packers were not done adding to the position.

Julian Hicks, Cornelius Johnson, and Jadon Janke were also on or added to the 90-man roster.

And last week, Green Bay signed yet another wide receiver in undrafted free agent Sam Brown Jr., who was actually a teammate of Golden’s in 2023 when they both played at Houston.

Janke, however, was waived with an injury on Monday.

Still, Hicks, Johnson, and Brown bring the total number of wide receivers present at OTAs to 12.

Why did the Green Bay Packers sign Sam Brown Jr.?

Even with Janke being waived, there are still more wide receivers in camp than fans are used to seeing. And so, one of them asked Packers beat writer Mike Spofford why they added Brown when they already have so many pass catchers.

He responded in his mail bag article:

“Because the personnel department thinks he can compete with the players fighting for roster/practice-squad spots and perhaps prove he’s better. Time will tell. If they believe a player has more potential than someone else on the 90/91-man roster, they’ll want to give him a look.”

Obviously, very few people expect Brown to make the 53-man roster. Even with Watson (probably) out for the start of the season, Green Bay is going to have Reed, Doubs, Wicks, Golden and Williams on its roster, a total of five. That means that there are one or two jobs up in the air for holdovers like Heath and Melton (not to mention Hardman).

The fact of the matter is the the Packers learned the hard way in their playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles what can happen if they do not have quality depth at the position. Watson, of course, did not play because of the ACL injury while Doubs and Reed both had to exit the contest early due to injuries.

Competition is never a bad thing, and Green Bay hopes that so much of it among its wide receivers will lead to the entire room having a better year in 2025.