Packers: 12 steps towards fixing the team’s biggest problems
By Evan Siegel
5. Add personnel to the receiving corps
Davante Adams does appear to be the Packers’ number one receiver for the foreseeable future. But it is time to let Randall Cobb walk in free agency. While Cobb’s professionalism and valuable veteran presence are nice to have, he simply doesn’t provide the offense with any juice or speed that can make defensive backs have to respect him as much as Adams.
Geronimo Allison needs to be re-signed. Allison appears to have the best hands on the team, and while not a burner, he has the potential to be an excellent possession receiver, particularly on third downs.
The Packers need to address this position in the draft aggressively. With two first-round picks, Jeff Thomas out of Miami (FL) should be targeted. Thomas could decide to stick around at Miami for another season, but he has excelled as a slot receiver despite playing with some of the worst quarterback play in the ACC.
Other draft names that come to mind are Emmanuel Hall out of Missouri, Parris Campbell of Ohio State, and Riley Ridley of Georgia. The Packers simply have to add speed to their offense to finally let Aaron Rodgers hit open receivers from the pocket.
6. Let defensive starters walk in free agency
Clay Matthews doesn’t even look like a starter in the NFL anymore. His play has regressed year after year, and now even the most average of offensive tackles can erase him from the pass rush. Even a cheap one-year deal would be pathetically counterproductive for the pass rush. Matthews cannot rush the quarterback anymore and shouldn’t be expected to in the future.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix may be a flashy, popular piece of the defense, but he doesn’t actually provide the unit with much of anything on the back end. Clinton-Dix is routinely out of position and way off target when crashing to tackle the ball carrier.
The defense desperately needs a thumper to come downhill and set the tone defensively. A pursuit of Earl Thomas is tempting, but contract offers to Tyrann Mathieu and Lamarcus Joyner make more fiscal sense. Landon Collins is no lock to return to the Giants, either.