Hall of Fame and former Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf is a legend to Packers fans. When he took over the Packers organization in 1991, the once-mighty Packers were a complete disaster. He built a foundation that still stands today and re-created the winning tradition of the Packers. It is hard to believe that Wolf has any regrets from his time as the Packers general manager. But he has discussed one of them. That regret being that he didn’t surround Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre with enough weapons at the wide receiver position. As we look at the current Packers roster, you have to wonder if current general manager Brian Gutekunst can learn a thing from Wolf. Entering next season, the Green Bay Packers wide receivers will have a lot of major questions.
Major Questions Remain for the Green Bay Packers Wide Receivers
Gutekunst has done a solid job since taking over as the top personnel decision-maker for the Packers. Last off-season, in an unexpected free agent spendy frenzy, he re-built the Packers defense. Although defensive coordinator Mike Pettine arguably underachieved with the talent Gutekunst accumulated, Gutekunst did make the defense more athletic and bigger. Upgrading the Packers defensive personnel was a must. But the money spent might have hurt Green Bay’s chances in helping out the Packers wide receivers for this season.
He knew going into this off-season an emphasis needed to be put on the Packers wide receivers. The available money for free agents was limited though. To go along with that, the group of free-agent wide receivers to pick from were slim. It appeared that Gutekunst was going to need to be creative in upgrading the Packers wide receivers. Unfortunately, the creativity needed never materialized. Leaving still some big questions with the Packers wide receivers.
Free Agents Missed or Passed On
Even with the limited free-agent choices available, there were players we believed would upgrade the Packers wide receivers group. One player that could have been a fit was San Francisco 49ers free-agent wide receiver, Emmanuel Sanders. A natural slot receiver, Sanders could have been an answer at a position that struggled when Randall Cobb departed for the Dallas Cowboys prior to last season. While it appears Gutekunst and the Packers were in the discussion for Sanders, he ended up signing a two-year deal with the New Orleans Saints.
Another name that stayed on the free-agent market late was New York Jets free agent wide receiver Robby Anderson. While Anderson’s production didn’t deserve a big-money deal, he still would have been an upgrade to the Packers wide receivers. It is hard to criticize Gutekunst for passing on Anderson, especially with Anderson’s off the field baggage.
Locking Up One Veteran Pass Catcher
The Packers did add some veteran help. Although how much of a help he will be to the Packers wide receivers is another question. On Tuesday, it was reported that former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Devin Funchess had agreed to a deal with the Packers.
The signing of Funchess sticks with Gutekunst’s free-agent plan. Funchess’s addition is similar to the signing of linebacker Christian Kirksey and the addition of offensive tackle Rick Wagner. The plan is to sign bargains who might be coming off injury-riddled seasons who are looking to prove something.
Last season, Funchess played in just one game, catching three passes for 32 yards. Previously to joining the Colts, Funchess played four seasons for the Carolina Panthers. His best season was in 2017 when he caught 63 passes for 840 receiving yards with eight receiving touchdowns.
Like with any late free-agent signings, Funchess has a lot of questions. His injury, a broken collarbone, should be fully healed for training camp (whenever that might occur). Still, it has been three seasons since he put up his career numbers, which brings some doubt if he can replicate those numbers.
But the biggest question with Funchess is his speed. Speed has always been a question with Funchess. So much so, when coming out of Michigan, there was thought he would need to be shifted to tight end. The Packers don’t have any blazers at wide receiver. The addition of Funchess doesn’t solve that problem.
Returning Packers Wide Receivers
Davante Adams is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He has become quarterback Aaron Rodgers go-to wide receiver. But after Adams, there is a lot of questions, a theme for the Packers wide receivers.
Allen Lazard turned out to be quite a find for Gutekunst. He caught 35 passes last season and had three receiving touchdowns. He earned the trust of Rodgers, which isn’t an easy task. It appears that he will be a major part of the Packers passing attack next season.
Behind Adams and Lazard, is the unknown. Marquez Valdes-Scantling struggled in his second season. There is a chance that he is down to his last chance. Equanimeous St. Brown, who was drafted along with Valdes-Scantling in 2018, missed all of last season because of an ankle injury. The Packers don’t know for sure what they will have in St. Brown next season. Jake Kumerow will also be entering camp with the Packers next fall. While Kumerow has been a contributor on special teams, he hasn’t done much in the Packers passing game. If the Packers had more experienced wide receivers on their roster, the chances of Kumerow making the roster would be remote.
The one wild card the Packers might have going into camp at wide receiver is Reggie Begelton. He was a successful wide receiver in the CFL. He is a very interesting prospect. But like with the rest of the group, excluding Adams, he is an unproven NFL commodity.
The Packers only added one veteran through free agency. They currently don’t have any proven help on their roster. That leaves Gutekunst with only one area to bolster the Packers wide receivers, the NFL draft.
A Deep Wide Receiver Draft
If you run an NFL team and need wide receiver help, this is the NFL draft to add talent. This year’s NFL draft is arguably one of the deepest ever at wide receiver. The Packers haven’t selected a wide receiver in the first round since 2002. That season, they selected Florida State wide receiver Javon Walker. That streak might come to an end in this year’s draft.
Even with selecting late in the first round, the depth at wide receiver in this draft still could provide a week one contributor. Depending on how the draft falls, prospects like Colorado’s Laviska Shenault Jr., Baylor’s Denzel Mims, TCU’s Jalen Reagor, Clemson’s Tee Higgins, and Brandon Aiyuk could be available for the Packers.
Even if the Packers select a wide receiver in the first round, it wouldn’t be surprising if they grab another later in the draft. Prospects like Minnesota’s Tyler Johnson and Notre Dame’s Chase Claypool could be available in the mid-rounds. Both would upgrade the athletic ability and speed of the Packers wide receivers.
Adding wide receivers through the draft would help the Packers. But expecting instant help from a rookie in his first year might be asking a lot. For a team like the Packers that were so close to a Super Bowl last season, expecting one or possibly two wide receivers to produce at a high level might not be realistic. It also would, like in seasons past, put a lot of weight on Rodgers shoulders, once again.
Many will argue that is why Rodgers is paid so much. True, but with Rodgers reaching the “back nine” of his career, you would expect an organization to do more for their franchise quarterback. An organization that he has carried on his back for so many seasons.
An Unknown Leading the Wide Receiver Room
When head coach Matt LaFleur relieved Alvis Whitted of his wide receivers coach duties it seemed like a weak decision. Sure, the Packers wide receivers struggled last season. But excluding Adams, it wasn’t like Whitted was working with a lot of proven talent. It appeared that LaFleur made Whitted the scapegoat.
With being the head coach, it was LaFleur’s choice to make. Whitted was a first time NFL wide receivers coach. So it made sense to have LaFleur bring in an experienced wide receivers coach. But that isn’t the way he chose to go.
The announcement of the new wide receivers coach took a lengthy amount of time. From everything we read, there wasn’t any reports of outside the organization interviews. Then came the announcement that Jason Vrable, a former offensive assistant, was being promoted to the wide receivers coach.
It is hard to gauge assistant coaching hires. But the promotion of Vrable seems like a curious one. He has been an NFL assistant since 2013. But in all those years, he has never coached the wide receiver position, or been the head of a position at all. It was also questionable since Kevin Koger, an offensive quality control coach currently on the Packers coaching staff, had coached wide receivers at the college level.
The Packers wide receivers for next season appears that it will be an inexperienced group. Throw in a first-time wide receivers coach, the chances of success for the Packers wide receivers makes it even tougher.
For Gutekunst, and LaFleur, they will have to hope history doesn’t repeat itself. If not, it will be Gutekunst talking about his regrets later in his career.
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