Packers: Evaluating each position on offense ahead of free agency
By Jesse Fry
Wide receivers
When taking a look at the WR position we must look at it objectively. Losing Aaron Rodgers led to down numbers across the board for the receivers not named Davante Adams.
Players like Geronimo Allison weren’t able to make a leap many expected due to the loss of the team’s top QB. Michael Clark wowed many in preseason but was unable to put together any consistency and wasn’t able to work with Rodgers in a game.
The biggest question with this group will come from what to do with longtime contributors Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. One or both may be asked to take a pay cut this offseason. It’s also possible either may not be back.
Cobb proved he can be a threat when Rodgers is the one taking snaps. Look back at the Carolina game this season or the Giants game in the playoffs from the season before and you can see his value. He is younger and while his body has taken a beating there still is a big role as a slot receiver for Cobb.
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That brings us to Nelson. I feel he is the one more than likely to take the pay cut. Jordy is not the threat on the outside he once was but his near telepathic communication with Rodgers cannot be denied. He is also a great red zone target with a feel for the scramble drill no other receiver has. But his age puts him on the downside of his career. It is possible he can reinvent himself as a slot receiver the way Larry Fitzgerald has, but not at the current price.
Verdict: Ted Thompson did a good job re-signing Adams ahead of the offseason. Now new GM Brian Gutekunst needs to find more speed at the position. Trevor Davis and Jeff Janis have the speed the offense needs but have been relegated to special teams. Janis is a free agent and may not be back. Gutekunst must first figure out the Nelson/Cobb conundrum and then add more talent to this position.
Tight ends
The cupboard is pretty much bare here. Lance Kendricks is the only experienced TE currently under contract and did nothing special with his playing time this season. He comes cheap and can be a good mentor for whatever new TEs are brought in. You only have to look back to when Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rodgers and returning offensive coordinator Joe Philbin had a healthy Jermichael Finley to realize how great this offense can be when they have a legit threat over the middle.
Verdict: Either through free agency or the draft, the Packers have to add more talent here. A middle-of-the-field threat can do wonders for this offense. Not just by running down the seam or opening up the outside by drawing attention to the middle, but by opening running lanes for the ground game. Adding a talented TE can take this offense to another level.