Free Agency: Packers Should Green Bay Pursue?

[Pokerbrat2000]

The one factor that stands the best chance to improve the offense in 2020 is familiarity in the offense.

Agreed and I just don't see a rookie WR stepping in, no matter where he is taken in the draft and instantly mastering our offense, establishing chemistry with #12, etc. That doesn't mean that the Packers shouldn't draft one, it is time to invest in the future of the offense. I agree with you that a veteran TE like Hooper and/or a veteran WR is going to have a better shot at contributing year one. All that said, I would still expect Hooper and/or a Vet. FA WR to also go through some growing pains with the offense and #12.

 

[Dantés]

Agreed and I just don't see a rookie WR stepping in, no matter where he is taken in the draft and instantly mastering our offense, establishing chemistry with #12, etc. That doesn't mean that the Packers shouldn't draft one, it is time to invest in the future of the offense. I agree with you that a veteran TE like Hooper and/or a veteran WR is going to have a better shot at contributing year one. All that said, I would still expect Hooper and/or a Vet. FA WR to also go through some growing pains with the offense and #12.

I really just want them to draft someone who can make plays with the ball in his hands and make Petals' affinity for screens work for the offense. If a rookie came in and just focused on making that wrinkle work for the offense, it would be very helpful.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I really just want them to draft someone who can make plays with the ball in his hands and make Petals' affinity for screens work for the offense. If a rookie came in and just focused on making that wrinkle work for the offense, it would be very helpful.

As much as I like a successful WR screen, it seems to be one of those plays that if you run it too often, it becomes less and less effective. But yeah, we need a TE and a WR that can open up the middle of the field as well. I am probably wrong, but last season it seemed like #12 threw way too many sideline and deep balls.

 

[OldSchool101]

I am going to disagree with that today, but tomorrow I think I will agree with it.

Only then can we positively say.. “Today is the tomorrow we agreed with yesterday, in our state of disagreement.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

As a backstop for blocking depth, a low round pick for a Crabtree type, good blocker but not of much use in the receiving department, would be a cheaper option than bringing back Lewis or some other vet.

I believe Lewis could be re-signed for the minimum. With the veteran benefit in place he wouldn't count more against the cap then another player with two years of experience.

SIGNINGS:

TE/WR: Not enough money for a TOP TIER guy in either. Keep eye out for a Lewis resigning, Fells TE signing...maybe a dice roll on Eifert...at WR I truly am thinking we don't dabble.
CB: I sense Tramon will be back on a 2 year deal (his final deal)...front weighted for team friendly heading into next year with a lot of contracts coming up.

The Packers have enough cap space to sign a top tier free agent at tight end or wide receiver. With the team in a win now mode I don't see Gutekunst and Ball to frontload any contract this offseason.

Daniels was cut before FA. People still said we wouldn't be able to do what we did.

Daniels was released on July 24 long after free agency started.

 

[Dantés]

As much as I like a successful WR screen, it seems to be one of those plays that if you run it too often, it becomes less and less effective. But yeah, we need a TE and a WR that can open up the middle of the field as well. I am probably wrong, but last season it seemed like #12 threw way too many sideline and deep balls.

It's an integral part of the offense of the guy that they decided to make the head coach. So I want them to get the personnel to make it work effectively.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

It's an integral part of the offense of the guy that they decided to make the head coach. So I want them to get the personnel to make it work effectively.

I think they can mix it up too. A RB like Antonio Gibson could add the screen element and yes couple him with a fleet footed WR that can do it as well and you are giving the defense a whole lot more to think about and cover. In my opinion one of the bigger problems with the receiving group last season, besides lack of experience and skills, was speed and variety. We seemed to have a couple of very slow TE's, a lot of WR's that offered similar skill sets and besides Adams, nobody that a defense probably worried too much about. MVS was about as close as we had to a "Home Run guy", but his running deep routes all the time got old and predictable and usually put the offense into a hole when they failed.

 

[Dantés]

I think they can mix it up too. A RB like Antonio Gibson could add the screen element and yes couple him with a fleet footed WR that can do it as well and you are giving the defense a whole lot more to think about and cover. In my opinion one of the bigger problems with the receiving group last season, besides lack of experience and skills, was speed and variety. We seemed to have a couple of very slow TE's, a lot of WR's that offered similar skill sets and besides Adams, nobody that a defense probably worried too much about. MVS was about as close as we had to a "Home Run guy", but his running deep routes all the time got old and predictable and usually put the offense into a hole when they failed.

Yeah I totally agree with this.

All I was trying to say is that they could mitigate the learning curve of a rookie WR by finding someone with a particular skill set and asking them to major in one particular facet of the offense while they work on learning all of it. That would allow them to help the improvement effort without relying on them too much.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Yeah I totally agree with this.

All I was trying to say is that they could mitigate the learning curve of a rookie WR by finding someone with a particular skill set and asking them to major in one particular facet of the offense while they work on learning all of it. That would allow them to help the improvement effort without relying on them too much.

I agree, I think that is the best way to indoctrinate a rookie WR, make him the #3 or #4 WR and not put too much on his plate. I just don't think the Packers will have that luxury if all they do is add a rookie WR to the current group of TE's and WR's. However, I do think that would work, as long as they upgrade at TE (via FA or JS really getting good fast) and they either upgrade the WR group with a mid tier FA or one or more of Lazard, ESB or MVS improve their games. Adding a 3rd down RB like Gibson, could even add more layers to what that offense could do.

 

[Dantés]

I agree, I think that is the best way to indoctrinate a rookie WR, make him the #3 or #4 WR and not put too much on his plate. I just don't think the Packers will have that luxury if all they do is add a rookie WR to the current group of TE's and WR's. However, I do think that would work, as long as they upgrade at TE (via FA or JS really getting good fast) and they either upgrade the WR group with a mid tier FA or one or more of Lazard, ESB or MVS improve their games. Adding a 3rd down RB like Gibson, could even add more layers to what that offense could do.

If they chose to add Hooper, I think it would be best to call it good as far as FA pass catchers go and turn to the draft.

For one thing, they have other needs and not a ton of cap space. I don't see how they can come out of FA without paying a veteran at linebacker and corner, in particular.

Secondly, the mid tier options at WR kind of suck, and I think it would amount to a waste of resources anyhow. I think the young guys already on the roster stand a better chance of helping via improvement and development than, say, Seth Roberts or Justin Hardy coming in and making a difference.

Adams at Z, Lazard at X, Hooper at Y, and then alternating between 12 personnel with Sternberger and 11 personnel with a rookie... I think that's probably the way to go.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Adams at Z, Lazard at X, Hooper at Y, and then alternating between 12 personnel with Sternberger and 11 personnel with a rookie... I think that's probably the way to go.

I have always liked Lazard and think he will continue to get better, but still tough to watch what happened when we relied on Allison and MVS to do the same and the opposite happened, they declined. I guess chalk that up to the new Offense and maybe that neither had enough talent to begin with (Allison especially)?

I think if they wanted to sign a mid tier FA WR, they could find the cap space, but it might mean a weaker OL or only 1-2 FA's to strengthen the defense. We should get a pretty good idea where Gute feels the Packers are the weakest and where they have the best chance for growth in the next 10 or so days. As you and several have pointed out, we can't fill all of our needs via Free Agents, so those needs are going to hopefully be addressed via the draft or player development.

 

[Dantés]

I have always liked Lazard and think he will continue to get better, but still tough to watch what happened when we relied on Allison and MVS to do the same and the opposite happened, they declined. I guess chalk that up to the new Offense and maybe that neither had enough talent to begin with (Allison especially)?

I think if they wanted to sign a mid tier FA WR, they could find the cap space, but it might mean a weaker OL or only 1-2 FA's to strengthen the defense. We should get a pretty good idea where Gute feels the Packers are the weakest and where they have the best chance for growth in the next 10 or so days. As you and several have pointed out, we can't fill all of our needs via Free Agents, so those needs are going to hopefully be addressed via the draft or player development.

Who though? I agree that relying on Lazard, MVS, or ESB to be a big piece of the offense isn't the ideal situation, but who are you going to pay to be a more reliable upgrade?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Who though? I agree that relying on Lazard, MVS, or ESB to be a big piece of the offense isn't the ideal situation, but who are you going to pay to be a more reliable upgrade?

A fair question and it may not even end up being someone you see on the current list of WR Free Agents. Could be a guy that gets cuts/traded later. All I am saying, if the opportunity arises, I would love to see a mid tier Vet WR brought in.

Just to throw names out there, because that is what you wanted.

• Breshad Perriman would be a nice signing, but now I am reading where he may be looking at $10M/year, we can't afford that, unless we don't sign Hooper.
• Randall Cobb, I wouldn't even rule him out . I think the Cowpokes got a bargain on him last year, mainly because he stayed healthy. If we could find a guy like him, that gives you 55 rec., 828yds, a 15.1 ave. and 3 TD's for $5M, sign me up.
• Nelson Agholor: He is actually very intriguing. He is only 26, had a really off 2019, possibly due to a knee injury he suffered on 10/13 but tried to play through it. Because of it, his market value is way down. When you read about him, he is a super hard worker, team guy, that was on the rise but just had some drops last year, the injury and it got in his head. He might be a dice roll, but if he comes cheap, with few guarantees, might be a good risk. Especially, if the alternative is nothing.

Guessing you will find faults with all 3 of these guys and I could as well, but they also won't be commanding the money that Cooper, Green, Anderson and Sanders will be asking for. I agree with the notion that this year is kind of a down year for top FA WR's, but I don't think that is the tier the Packers want or can afford. This is the year you sign a cheaper Vet to bring his experience to the mix.

 

[Dantés]

A fair question and it may not even end up being someone you see on the current list of WR Free Agents. Could be a guy that gets cuts/traded later. All I am saying, if the opportunity arises, I would love to see a mid tier Vet WR brought in.

Just to throw names out there, because that is what you wanted.

• Breshad Perriman would be a nice signing, but now I am reading where he may be looking at $10M/year, we can't afford that, unless we don't sign Hooper.
• Randall Cobb, I wouldn't even rule him out . I think the Cowpokes got a bargain on him last year, mainly because he stayed healthy. If we could find a guy like him, that gives you 55 rec., 828yds, a 15.1 ave. and 3 TD's for $5M, sign me up.
• Nelson Agholor: He is actually very intriguing. He is only 26, had a really off 2019, possibly due to a knee injury he suffered on 10/13 but tried to play through it. Because of it, his market value is way down. When you read about him, he is a super hard worker, team guy, that was on the rise but just had some drops last year, the injury and it got in his head. He might be a dice roll, but if he comes cheap, with few guarantees, might be a good risk. Especially, if the alternative is nothing.

Guessing you will find faults with all 3 of these guys and I could as well, but they also won't be commanding the money that Cooper, Green, Anderson and Sanders will be asking for. I agree with the notion that this year is kind of a down year for top FA WR's, but I don't think that is the tier the Packers want or can afford. This is the year you sign a cheaper Vet to bring his experience to the mix.

Yes, I can definitely find faults, and I don't want the Packers to pursue them. However, I respect that you gave me some names. My pet peeve is when people will be totally certain about what the Packers can or should do, but skip out when they are asked to put some real names to it.

I think there's a chance that Perriman gets a lot more money than he's worth. If Robby Anderson is going to command 15M, which is rumored, then I think Perriman could easily push for 10M.

I can't imagine that they let Cobb walk only to bring him back a year later.

Agholor has had serious drop/confidence problems since coming out of college. It wasn't just last year. If you want reliability, he ain't it.

 

[Sky King]

Only then can we positively say.. “Today is the tomorrow we agreed with yesterday, in our state of disagreement.

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[Pokerbrat2000]

Yes, I can definitely find faults, and I don't want the Packers to pursue them.

I think anytime you sign a mid tier Vet free agent, you are going to find kinks in their game, thus why they are only getting mid to low tier money. Hopefully, you find a guy that still has enough tread on his tires, but needs a change of scenery, a healthy season, etc. If there is a guy out there and he fits what the Packers want, at the price that they can afford, I expect them to do it, but won't be surprised if they don't, especially if they sign a higher priced TE.

 

[Dantés]

I think anytime you sign a mid tier Vet free agent, you are going to find kinks in their game, thus why they are only getting mid to low tier money. Hopefully, you find a guy that still has enough tread on his tires, but needs a change of scenery, a healthy season, etc. If there is a guy out there and he fits what the Packers want, at the price that they can afford, I expect them to do it, but won't be surprised if they don't, especially if they sign a higher priced TE.

Yeah, I agree with that.

But you're saying that we should sign a wide receiver so that we have something more proven than in-house options.

The mid round targets don't seem to me to be much more proven than the guys we already have. It doesn't seem like a good investment of our limited space.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The mid round targets don't seem to me to be much more proven than the guys we already have. It doesn't seem like a good investment of our limited space.

I think you meant to say "mid tier targets", meaning Free agents? A good point as well as a good question. Without knowing what the Packer coaches know/feel about Lazard, MVS and ESB, I would say you could be correct or potentially wrong. As fans, we are limited to mainly what we see on TV and read in the media. I hope last year was a decision making fluke on Gute's part in regards to our WR's, but I can't help it to say that a few of us were scratching our heads at his decision to go into 2019 with that group.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

I think a lot of people are not appreciating just how much MLF likes to run the ball compared to what MM used to do. I could see the Packers going with Hooper at TE, drafting a WR in the 1st round, and then relying on the young WRs to provide the rest of the offense next year. Lazard showed potential last year and, importantly, he was very good in the run game for a WR with his experience. If the team can draft an elite WR like Mims/Reagor and sign Hooper then I think they should be fine at TE/WR for next year. If the Packers are looking to add a mid-tier free-agent WR then it's going to be guys like Funchess or Sharpe, players who haven't really shown any more potential than Lazard.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

If the Packers are looking to add a mid-tier free-agent WR then it's going to be guys like Funchess or Sharpe, players who haven't really shown any more potential than Lazard.

Well both of those guys, as do most on the Free Agent list, have more experience than Lazard (36 catches). There are also other guys that will have a ton more experience. This isn't about replacing Lazard either. I think its more about taking a receiving group that besides Adams, doesn't have much and adding the experience of a Veteran. What I am hearing is that many of you are comfortable with:

1. Adams
2. Lazard
3. Rookie
4. MVS
5. ESB
6. ???

Will that work? It could. However if the funds are available and they can find a good match for the offense, I would prefer seeing a Vet FA slide into that #2 or 3 spot on the Depth chart.

 

[Do7]

Well both of those guys, as do most on the Free Agent list, have more experience than Lazard (36 catches). There are also other guys that will have a ton more experience. This isn't about replacing Lazard either. I think its more about taking a receiving group that besides Adams, doesn't have much and adding the experience of a Veteran. What I am hearing is that many of you are comfortable with:

1. Adams
2. Lazard
3. Rookie
4. MVS
5. ESB
6. ???

Will that work? It could. However if the funds are available and they can find a good match for the offense, I would prefer seeing a Vet FA slide into that #2 or 3 spot on the Depth chart.

I'M NOT! That's hardly any better than last year! And after this year my faith in our current receiving corp taking the next step has dwindled. I still hold out for hope, but I'm not as optimistic as I was this past year.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'M NOT! That's hardly any better than last year!

My thoughts as well. While a high round rookie hopefully puts us in better shape for 2021 or 2022, I don't think its an immediate fix. Like you said, I look at that list I created and don't see much difference between it having Shepherd, Davis and Kumerow and no "rookie", Lazard or ESB on it, which is how we started 2019.

Obviously, get rid of Graham and replace him with Hooper and things are trending upwards.

 

[Dantés]

Well both of those guys, as do most on the Free Agent list, have more experience than Lazard (36 catches). There are also other guys that will have a ton more experience. This isn't about replacing Lazard either. I think its more about taking a receiving group that besides Adams, doesn't have much and adding the experience of a Veteran. What I am hearing is that many of you are comfortable with:

1. Adams
2. Lazard
3. Rookie
4. MVS
5. ESB
6. ???

Will that work? It could. However if the funds are available and they can find a good match for the offense, I would prefer seeing a Vet FA slide into that #2 or 3 spot on the Depth chart.

In a vacuum, no-- that's not what I want. I doubt that's what anyone wants.

But I'm not interested in the affordable WR options in free agency, so I'd rather stick with that then spend good money on bad players just to say we did something.

Holistically, I think you make the entire team better if you spend that cap money on good free agents at other positions.

And given this situation, I can see why it would be smart to pursue Hooper despite my reservations about him.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

In a vacuum, no-- that's not what I want. I doubt that's what anyone wants.

What does the WR Depth Chart ideally look like for you?

 

[tynimiller]

The Packers have enough cap space to sign a top tier free agent at tight end or wide receiver. With the team in a win now mode I don't see Gutekunst and Ball to frontload any contract this offseason.

They will if it is a two year knowing the situation we are in next year if it makes more sense.