Sean McVay gets it. Brian Gutekunst? Only time will provide that answer, but the early signs are concerning.
What is the Green Bay Packers' plan at wide receiver? It's hard to figure out where they stand.
It's surely not to run it back. That's a risky approach from a team that, in Gutekunst's words, needs to show more urgency as it's time to "start competing for championships."
Once opponents realized the Packers' receiving corps struggled to beat man coverage, it was game over. Take out Christian Watson's field-stretching speed, and the passing offense fell apart. Watson will miss a significant portion of next season, and running it back assumes Dontayvion Wicks solves his drops issues and Jayden Reed rediscovers his rookie form.
The plan clearly wasn't to add a game-changing veteran. The Packers reportedly didn't make an offer to the Seattle Seahawks for DK Metcalf. Even more baffling is the lack of desire to even entertain a reunion with Davante Adams.
Per ESPN's Jason Wilde, the Packers had zero contact with Adams despite him being "open" to a return.
Let's not get this twisted. The issue isn't that the Packers didn't sign Adams. Various reports indicated he had his heart set on the West Coast, and the East Palo Alto native got that wish by signing with the Los Angeles Rams.
The problem is the Packers not even showing interest. Why not pick up the phone and make an offer?
McVay has a vision for Adams in his Rams offense, and the Packers, of all teams, should've had the same idea.
Sean McVay went above and beyond to land Davante Adams, and the Packers may regret not doing the same
The Rams' head coach pushed to get the Adams deal over the line, which meant talking to him over the phone while the All-Pro wide receiver was in Japan.
"I was talking to him more than I was talking to my wife," Adams said.
The former Packers receiver described McVay's interest as "aggressive," which included sending him film clips and breaking them down.
"You know how he is with ball so he's breaking down every single clip," said Adams. "The first one was like seven minutes and then he sent another one that was probably another two minutes where he's just going through everything and talking about it. I thought he took that job to be on TV for a minute when I was watching it. It just shows how much ball means to him and how much of a priority I was for him."
Why? McVay understands that Davante Adams is still Davante Adams. Forget the New York Jets' problems last season. Adams is still playing at an elite level and will dominate in the Rams' offense.
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Again, the issue isn't that Green Bay didn't sign him. It would've been tough to make a stronger offer than the Rams', especially if Adams truly wanted to return to the West Coast. It's that, based on Wilde's reporting, Gutekunst never considered it. There were no conversations.
Gutey rarely brings players back. He made an exception for Tramon Williams, and it worked perfectly. He should've attempted to do the same with Adams.
His ability to separate against man coverage, catch everything thrown his way, and command attention from opposing defenses would've opened up Matt LaFleur's offense in so many ways. Adams could also help Reed, Wicks, Romeo Doubs, and, when healthy, Watson, take their talents to the next level.
McVay gets it. Considering that Adams built a Hall of Fame resume in Green Bay and is still playing at an elite level, it's hard to believe the Packers didn't do everything they could to bring him home.
What's the Packers' plan at wide receiver? Unless they make a surprising move for a veteran like Stefon Diggs or Keenan Allen, it's one of two things: Draft a receiver or do nothing.
The draft option? A gamble. The latter? Unacceptable. The best solution couldn't have been any more obvious.