The Green Bay Packers lost their top vertical threat in Week 18, as Christian Watson went down with what is being reported as a torn ACL and possible additional damage.
The injury may need to make the Packers address the position in free agency and/or the 2025 NFL Draft for next season, depending on how long Watson will be out at that point. That does, however, give the Packers a massive missing piece heading into this postseason.
While it is unlikely that the Packers make a move, given that Romeo Doubs will rejoin the active roster after being inactive in the regular season final against the Chicago Bears, there is still an outside possibility that it could happen.
Losing Watson leaves the Packers without their deep threat, which opens up the field for the rest of the offense. If Green Bay wants to make a move, it has roughly $16 million in salary cap space available. Matt LaFleur said they are considering adding to the roster this week.
Who should the team consider?
Free-agent wide receivers Packers could sign after losing Christian Watson
1. Odell Beckham Jr.
Is it 2021 or 2025? Some Packers fans may remember when the team was linked to Odell Beckham Jr. following his release from the Cleveland Browns. Beckham chose the Los Angeles Rams over the Packers, where he went on to have a great postseason and help them win the Super Bowl.
After taking the 2022 season to recover from an injury he suffered in the Super Bowl, Beckham joined the Baltimore Ravens, recording 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns.
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OBJ was a member of the Miami Dolphins earlier this season but began the season on the PUP list after another surgery. He would appear in nine games for Miami before being released in early December.
This does lead to the question: what does the 32-year-old receiver have left in the tank? Beckham has torn his ACL twice and is on the wrong side of 30. However, when he was healthy, Beckham was elite. Does he have one more playoff run left in him? It may be worth kicking the tires on.
2. Kadarius Toney
Kadarius Toney has a lot of flaws. He has had a career plagued with drops, social media issues, and availability concerns. Toney appeared in one game for the Browns this season, recording one rush for a loss of seven yards and a muffed punt.
So, what would be the appeal? Toney is just 25 and has won two Super Bowls, including scoring the go-ahead touchdown in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles. He is also, without a doubt, the fastest guy on this list, having run a 4.37 40-yard dash at the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine.
Of the guys on this list, Toney is probably the closest to the style of play that Watson provides. Toney is a legitimate burner and can open up the field with that downfield presence, even if he may struggle to catch the football.
3. Chase Claypool
Chase Claypool is another younger guy who has shown immense talent but frustrated fans of the teams he has played on. After being drafted in 2020 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Claypool put up back-to-back seasons of over 850 yards and a combined 11 touchdowns.
During the 2022 season, Pittsburgh traded Claypool to Chicago, where he ultimately struggled to find his footing. He was then traded to Miami last season. Claypool was ultimately an afterthought for the Dolphins and went into free agency. He signed with the Buffalo Bills last spring but failed to make the roster.
Much like Watson, Claypool has a unique blend of size and speed. Both stand at 6-foot-4, with Watson's 40 time just a touch faster (4.36 vs. 4.42 for Claypool).
The biggest questions for Claypool? Is he healthy, and would he buy in for a month of football? Fans have questioned his effort, especially at his last two stops. Regardless, if GM Brian Gutekunst is looking at outside talent, this may be one of the guys to call.
4. Practice squad call-up
The Packers currently have three wide receivers on the practice squad: Julian Hicks, Cornelius Johnson, and Alex McGough.
Hicks joined the Packers this offseason and appeared in the preseason opener against Cleveland, where he caught a single pass from Michael Pratt along the sideline. Hicks did not record a catch in the remainder of the preseason and failed to make the 53-man roster.
What a catch by @Juehicks!#GBvsCLE pic.twitter.com/1GV2A0ZPK4
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 10, 2024
They added Johnson in September after he was drafted and released by the Los Angeles Chargers. Johnson is a taller receiver, listed at 6-foot-3, and ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the combine last spring. He helped the Michigan Wolverines win the National Championship, recording 47 catches, 604 yards, and a touchdown. In his lone preseason action for the Chargers, Johnson had three catches for 34 yards against Dallas.
Last is former quarterback-turned-receiver McGough. The Packers released him before the start of training camp after having spent the 2023 season on the practice squad as a quarterback. McGough has never appeared in a game as a receiver (regular season or preseason), but he could be a sneaky roster option with both Jordan Love and Malik Willis a bit banged up.
If the Packers are going to make an elevation, the smart money would be Hicks or Johnson. Johnson would be the most intriguing, given his size and speed, but it does seem unlikely that the Packers will make an elevation.
5. Randall Cobb (or maybe not)
This is purely for nostalgia. Cobb spent 10 of his 13 NFL seasons with the Packers and would be familiar enough with the playbook. He spent the 2023 season with the New York Jets, following Aaron Rodgers out east, and recorded one touchdown in a lackluster season for Gang Green. After the season, while not officially retired, Cobb joined ESPN as an analyst for the SEC Network.
The Packers shouldn't call Cobb unless it is for a one-day deal to retire. Nevertheless, he is technically an option until he isn't, despite not fitting the Christian Watson role by any stretch of the imagination outside of his playoff experience with the Packers. Cobb would also need to find a new number, as his trademark #18 is currently taken by Malik Heath.
There is likely a small group of Packers fans who may want to see this happen, but I wouldn't hold your breath.