The Green Bay Packers have built an impressive roster infused with youth at every position, especially wide receiver. Still, accumulating so much young talent requires paying said talent when the time comes.
Romeo Doubs is in the final year of his rookie contract, which is a big reason outlets spent the entire summer looking for plausible trade destinations for him. At least that way, Green Bay would get something in turn for the value he and the team created.
But he was thrust into being the WR1 for the bulk of this season, and with the open market on the horizon, Green Bay may wind up with a compensatory pick instead.
Romeo Doubs may be too costly for the Packers to keep
ESPN recently released its list of the top 25 upcoming free agents, where Doubs was ranked as the No. 20 player in the potential class. Three receivers ranked ahead of Doubs: George Pickens, Alec Pierce, and Mike Evans.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler suggested that while the Packers may certainly want to bring Doubs back on a new deal, the way the 2025 season has unfolded may leave them shorthanded at the bargaining table.
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"Green Bay could bring him back, but that might be a challenge this close to free agency," Fowler wrote. "He has played his way out of a bargain deal, serving as Green Bay's No. 1 receiver throughout the first 10 weeks."
Keep in mind, the Packers also have Quay and Rasheed Walker set to hit free agency. Quay Walker landed as the top off-ball linebacker on the list, so it'd be a shock if general manager Brian Gutekunst doesn't ink him to a new deal.
Similar to Rasheed Walker, though, the Packers are built to absorb the loss of Doubs in free agency.
While injuries are part of the catalyst that brought Doubs front and center in the Packers' offense this year, the team did draft Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. Meanwhile, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks are all under contract through next season. Reed will surely be a priority to re-sign, as well as other notable names like Tucker Kraft.
Even if Doubs does re-sign with Green Bay, he'd still be in a heavily saturated receiver room. So if the Packers did match what he could get on the open market, can they ensure that they will get their money's worth while paying him like an upper-tier receiver?
We've seen above-average wide receivers in the past receive big contracts in free agency simply because they are the top talent available. Doubs could find himself in a similar situation, especially if those three names ranked ahead of him all stick with their current teams, which wouldn't be too surprising.
Despite some ups and downs, it'll no doubt sting to watch Doubs walk in free agency if it comes to that. But if a huge contract is waiting for him there, it's tough to blame him for going that route to explore new opportunities elsewhere.