‘Won’t Be Simple’ to Address Packers’ ‘Biggest Roster Decision’

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has some big decisions to make this offseason.

The biggest, according to Pro Football Focus, is finding a “concrete” answer to the team’s questions at receiver.

“Green Bay has bigger needs than receiver, namely edge rusher and cornerback, which could push adding a receiver lower on the list of orders,” wrote PFF’s Bradley Locker. “Alternatively, if someone like Amari Cooper were signed or Deebo Samuel acquired via trade, one of the team's younger wideouts could be made available on the market. It won’t be a simple plan of operation for general manager Brian Gutekunst at wideout one way or the other.”

The Packers’ receivers weren’t bad in 2024. They just failed to use their hot finish to 2023 as a jumping-off point.

For the third consecutive year, the Packers didn’t have a 1,000-yard receiver. There were five individual games of 100-plus yards – three by Jayden Reed and two by Christian Watson. However:

- Reed, the team’s leader with 55 receptions for 857 yards, had only one game of 50-plus yards over the final eight games and had the third-highest drop percentage in the NFL.

- The Packers went 5-1 when Watson had 50-plus receiving yards, but he could miss the first half of next season with a torn ACL.

- In three seasons, Romeo Doubs has one 100-yard game – the playoff rout at Dallas last year. He had more than 50 yards in five games in 2024, with the Packers going 4-1, but there are some troubling questions following two concussions.

- Dontayvion Wicks had a team-high 76 targets but finished fourth with 39 receptions. Of 84 receivers who were targeted at least 50 times, Wicks had the second-worst drop rate and ranked 61st in yards per route and 79th in catch percentage.

No group of receivers dropped more passes than Green Bay’s, which might be acceptable if they were delivering 100-yard games and touchdowns by the bushel.

Led by Reed (10) and Wicks (8), Green Bay’s receivers had 25 drops, according to PFF. Minnesota’s receivers dropped 13. Detroit’s receivers dropped only four. Philadelphia won the Super Bowl with its receivers dropping seven passes.

In the wake of Josh Jacobs saying the Packers needed to add a No. 1 receiver, Jordan Love had his guys’ back last week at the Super Bowl.

“That’s the same group we had the year before. And it works,” Love said on Up & Adams. “We have a great group. There’s definitely areas that we need to focus on and improve on to get better and kind of get over the hump that we hit this year.

“Just get more consistent, focus on the details. But I love those guys. We got a great group. I definitely think that is a group that, if we keep growing and building this thing together, we can do some special things. No one has reached our full potential yet on our offense. So, there’s a lot of room for growth and a lot of areas we need to improve on.”

Of course, that was the smart thing to say because there’s no guarantee the Packers will get that game-changing receiver.

Indeed, upgrading the receiver corps would require Gutekunst to make a radical change.

First, Gutekunst hasn’t used a first-round pick on a receiver since 2002. A player like Texas’ Matthew Golden would help offset the loss of Watson because he’s got game-breaking speed, but there’s obviously no guarantee a rookie receiver will make a sudden impact.

Second, the Packers rarely are big players in free agency. This year’s veteran crop isn’t exactly overflowing with No. 1 receivers. The top five, according to Pro Football Focus, are Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins, Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin, Buffalo’s Amari Cooper, Houston’s Stefon Diggs and Kansas City’s DeAndre Hopkins.

Higgins and Godwin have always lined up alongside No. 1 receivers, not been No. 1 receivers. Cooper and Hopkins didn’t change the fortunes of the Bills and Chiefs, and the 31-year-old Diggs is coming off a torn ACL.

Third, Gutekunst has never made a big trade acquisition. Would he be willing to part with the draft pick(s) and money to bring back Davante Adams?