Packers expected to sign wide receiver Devin Funchess

The Green Bay Packers are expected to sign wide receiver Devin Funchess.

The Packers‘ free agency plan has been clear. Make low-risk signings that address positions of need.

That’s what they did by signing linebacker Christian Kirksey and tackle Rick Wagner to cap-friendly deals. And that now seems to be the case with wide receiver Devin Funchess.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Packers are expected to sign Funchess. The details of the contract are yet to be revealed, but my expectation is that it’ll be an affordable deal that the Packers can easily get out of.

If that’s the case, there’s little risk in making this signing. Funchess is a former second-round pick. His best season came in 2017 when he put up 840 receiving yards with eight touchdowns for the Carolina Panthers.

He played one game with the Indianapolis Colts last season before getting injured.

If the Packers sign Funchess to a short-term deal with the hope he can live up to his potential, then fine. That would be a low-risk move, so why not? But if the Packers are signing Funchess with the expectation he’ll take on a big role in this offense, they’re rolling the dice.

Green Bay desperately needs an explosive receiver to pair with Davante Adams. The question is where does Funchess fit in the depth chart? Will he be ahead of Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Equanimeous St. Brown? I’m not so sure.

The contract will give us plenty of answers to that question. Handing Funchess a one-year, “prove it” contract with a low cap number is risk-free for the Packers. He’s a player with a point to prove after missing almost the entire 2019 season. That’s the type of signing the New England Patriots have made many times over the years.

However, if the contract is any higher than that, it’ll be a head-scratching move.