Packers free agency: Why Cordarrelle Patterson makes sense

Why signing Cordarrelle Patterson would make sense for the Green Bay Packers.

On Monday morning, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the Green Bay Packers may be in line to make a push for free agent wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.

Patterson is coming off of a year of full utilization within the New England offense. On the depth chart, he is listed as a wide receiver, but he truly jumps off the page as a return man.

In the 2018 season, after injuries piled up in the Patriots backfield, Patterson was called on to display his abilities as a running back more than he ever had in his career. He has had small portion of experience within his time with the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders as a running back, but never in the type of scheme that Bill Belichick and company put together.

Patterson has never appeared to have eye-opening stats, but that does not mean he is not dynamic by any means. Any time that he touches the ball, defenders and opposing fans have a sense of fear that he could break one for a touchdown. This is just an added element to his game, the ability to use his explosiveness as a weapon, even before the ball touches his hands.

Ultimately, there are three reasons why it makes total sense for the Packers to make a push for him

1. Replacing Cobb: With the speculation of Randall Cobb being on his way out the door, bringing in Patterson provides a replacement for Cobb without taking a huge hit talent wise.

2. Shawn Mennenga: The newly-hired special teams coach brings excitement to an area of the team that has widely been criticized by fans over the last few years. Pairing Coach Mennenga with a playmaker like Patterson could create a bright spot for fans to look forward to.

3. Ability to run the ball: It has been proven year after year, NFL teams can never have enough depth at the running back position. With Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams taking up a majority of the carries, it does not necessarily mean that Patterson needs to be heavily involved in the running game.

It never hurts to have someone that provides upside not only on the ground but also in the air. In Matt LaFleur’s offense, he could easily become a better version of what Ty Montgomery used to be to the offense.

GM Brian Gutekunst has been very vocal about his willingness to spend this offseason. Numerous big names have been linked to Green Bay, but no deals have been made yet. Patterson is an under-the-radar type of player in this free agency class who can come in and produce in many ways.

A deal for him could be one that begins the domino effect of signings for the Packers this offseason.