When the dust had settled from this year’s NFL draft, 37 wide receiver prospects heard their name called. But to the ire of some Green Bay Packers fans, none of them were selected by the Packers. For most, the lack of moves by Brian Gutekunst came as a shocker. To go along with not drafting one wide receiver, he only signed one free agent wide receiver. That signing was of Devin Funchess. At best, Funchess is an average wide receiver. Plus, he is coming off a season he played in just one game du to injury. But for one current Packers wide receiver, the lack of moves opens a door. Reggie Begelton appears to be the biggest benefactor from Brian Gutekunst choosing not to upgrade the wide receiver position this off-season.
Brian Gutekunst’s Lack of Receiver Moves Opens Door for Reggie Begelton
Before the opening of free agency and before the NFL draft, Gutekunst talked about emphasizing the wide receiver position this off-season. But it appears that was all talk.
Gutekunst has changed his tune, quite dramatically, since he declared that they would emphasize the wide receiver position this off-season. His one wide receiver signing and lack of wide receiver selection(s) illustrate that.
In a recent article by Evan “Tex” Western of acmepackingcompany.com, Gutekunst displayed his drastic turn. “We thought (the receiver class) was really strong at the top. I don’t know that as we got to the middle and the end that we thought it was as strong as others did,” Gutekunst said. “The runs went pretty early and once we went to a certain spot … we just felt there wasn’t a lot of great candidates who were locks to make our team.”
It appears the Packers are changing their offensive philosophy under head coach Matt LaFleur. From all of the moves or lack thereof, it looks like the Packers offense will become a run-first pass second offense. It is a curious, and a possibly dangerous move by LaFleur and Gutekunst. Not just only because they still have quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the helm. But because the NFL is dominated by teams with high octane passing attacks. Last year’s Super Bowl winner, the Kansas City Chiefs, is the prime example.
Still, you can’t undo what was, or in this case, wasn’t done. So now LaFleur will need to cobble up a passing attack with what they currently have at wide receiver. That is where Reggie Begelton might come in, to LaFleur, and especially Gutekunst’s, rescue.
Rookie With Professional Football Experience
While Gutekunst only signed one NFL free agent wide receiver and bypassed the position totally in the draft, the Packers do have one NFL rookie that might be able to give some help at the position this season. That player is former CFL standout Reggie Begelton.
As we previously wrote, the Packers signed Begelton to a futures contract in January. While many American fans might have not known much about Begelton, he was well known to Canadian football fans.
Last season with the Calgary Stampeders, he hauled in 102 passes for 1,444 yards with 10 touchdown receptions. The CFL doesn’t have the same talent level the NFL has, but to put up those types of numbers in the CFL is still quite an achievement. To go along with the numbers, Begelton has the type of size, 6’0″ 200 lbs., that Gutekunst and LaFleur seem to covet at the wide receiver position.
Begelton also has a leg up on the common rookie. Even though it came in the CFL, he has three years of professional football experience. In most cases, rookie wide receivers have a difficult time adjusting in their first year of professional football. But with Begelton, he already has been through it. With having to make a name for himself north of the border, it would seem that he has something to prove. With the lack of wide receiver transactions this spring by the Packers, it appears Begelton has been given a big opportunity to prove he is worthy.
Lack of Depth at the Top of the Packers Depth Chart
Reggie Begelton and his three years of professional experience isn’t the only factor that plays in his favor. While Gutekunst might have said that late-round wide receiver rookies would have had difficulty making the Packers roster in training camp, the depth proves otherwise.
The Packers do have the benefit of having a bonafide superstar at wide receiver in Davante Adams. But behind Adams, there are a lot of unknowns. It appears that Allen Lazard will enter training camp as the Packers number two wide receiver. While Lazard did show some flashes last season, his numbers, 35 receptions for 477 receiving yards with three touchdown catches, aren’t overwhelming, especially for a number two wide receiver. After him, there are even more questions.
The recently signed Funchess appears to be the favorite for the number three slot. Although that seems to be because of his experience and once again, because of the Packers lack of proven depth. In his second season, Marquez Valdes-Scantling saw his production drop. The numbers weren’t the only thing that should alarm the Packers with Valdes-Scantling. He dealt with drops and concentration issues throughout the season. Many expected him to be the Packers number two wide receiver last season. But that never became a reality. Now, he is playing for his job.
Questions at the Bottom of the Depth Chart
Jake Kumerow has become a fan favorite in Title Town. But that is mostly to the fact that he played his college ball at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He does contribute on special teams, but on offense, at best he is a number five wide receiver. Equanimeous St. Brown could be a wild card for the Packers. He showed glimpses in his rookie season but was lost to an ankle injury for the season this past season. If he is is fully healthy, he could challenge Funchess for the number three wide receiver position. But his recovery won’t be known until the Packers start practicing again.
With so many unknowns, it isn’t too farfetched to see Reggie Begelton making this roster. It also wouldn’t be surprising to see him become a contributor at the Packers wide receiver position in 2020 either. The numbers, no matter what Gutekunst says, play into Begelton’s favor in doing so.
Don’t Sleep on Begelton
No matter what type of offense LaFleur runs in 2020, the wide receiver will still be a key position. The Packers front office might say they are happy with what they have at the position, but the numbers show otherwise. Packers fans might be upset with what they perceive as not improving the position, but for Reggie Begelton, it presents a golden opportunity.
It will be an uphill battle for Begelton. But facing uphill battles isn’t anything new to him. The former Lamar University product went undrafted out of college. He was then forced to showcase his talents north of the border. It took him three seasons to standout, but eventually, he did just that.
This off-season, it couldn’t have gone any better for the former CFL standout. The Packers only made one move at the position in free agency and made zero in the NFL draft. But it will be up to Begelton to take advantage of the opportunity. His history has shown though that he is very capable of doing so.
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