The Green Bay Packers' Skyy Moore signing was, naturally, not one of the offseason's headline darlings. It could, though, end up being a sneakily meaningful move.
Although Moore only assumed a full-time returner role last season for the San Francisco 49ers, he immediately looked the part. In seasons past, the Packers have relied on some combination of cornerback Keisean Nixon and name-the-wideout - Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, and last year, rookie Savion Williams - to handle returning duties. They made do.
Now they have Moore, who averaged 27.5 yards on kickoffs and 11.6 on punt returns. Green Bay may get even 'more' out of his arrival than meets the eye.Â
Specifically, handing off kickoff responsibilities to the fifth-year veteran means that Williams no longer has to divert training and focus away from his growth as a receiver. Given how much the Packers need him to step in as WR4, that hidden benefit could prove significant.
Packers can get more out of Savion Williams by delegating return duties to Skyy Moore
Of course, it may be that Williams is better served in securing a roster spot by keeping his special teams skills sharp. Part of his value as a rookie, when he didn't contribute much as a pass-catcher, was indeed in the 28 kickoffs Williams returned.
Ideally, though, the Packers would love to let Moore return kicks while involving Williams more in the offense. Reinvesting time and energy into mastering the playbook and finer mechanisms of Matt LaFleur's offensive scheme would serve both his and Green Bay's best interests.Â
Anything Moore contributes as a receiver is a bonus. As for Williams, the Packers will need him a lot more than they did last season, or at least more than they expected to, before the injuries kicked in.
There is no Doubs this season. No Dontayvion Wicks. Behind Christian Watson, Reed, and Matthew Golden, someone has to step up. Williams is the best candidate to do that, but he still has a lot to prove.
He has a lot more in the tank than the 10 catches for 78 yards he came up with last season. Unlocking Williams as an atypically large jitterbug receiver and sometime downfield threat would go a long way to stabilizing the Packers' rotational depth.Â
As far as Williams' development is concerned, the more reps, the better. On top of an upgrade in explosive upside, plugging in Moore on kickoffs - and on punts as well now that Doubs, the primary option a year ago, is gone - will give his young teammate one less thing to worry about.Â
Add us as a preferred source on Google