Green Bay Packers: Receivers Best Found In NFL Draft, Not Free Agency

The Green Bay Packers may need some help at wide receiver next season, but looking towards the draft is the right move.

The crop of free agent wide receivers this offseason are incredibly inviting to teams. Between Alshon Jeffery, Pierre Garcon, Kenny Britt, DeSean Jackson, and more, the talent is off the charts. The Green Bay Packers need to look past that, however, and hold off for the draft—although Vincent Jackson would be a solid fit on the team.

The reason for this is simple: they don’t have the room. Everyone loves to say “there’s no such thing as too many weapons.” That’s simply wrong in so many ways. Obviously, having too many of one position causes many problems.

First off, the most glaring problem is reps. The Packers already have Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, and Randall Cobb. Throwing in someone like Garcon or Jackson would give them incredible depth, absolutely. Rodgers only has one ball to throw though. I’m not saying guys would complain, but do you truly believe someone wouldn’t be upset sitting on the sidelines more or not even being looked at on most plays? The last thing you need on a team is bad chemistry.

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Then there are other, much more minor, problems that could arise. Stupid things, like fans asking coaches to bench one player in favor of another. When things like that get steam, they start to become news and the “Should player X start over player Y” articles start coming out. You don’t want to read them, the journalist doesn’t want to write them, and locker rooms don’t want to see them. It’s bad for everyone.

On the other hand, the NFL draft is the perfect place to find that depth. What’s a better way to find an excuse not to play someone then them needing time to learn. While the Packers “Big 3” take up most of the reps, the rookie can sit back and learn. If he does that well enough, he can get some snaps too. Soon, you’ll have another young receiver helping your team win.

Besides, who better to throw to a young guy than Rodgers? I’m convinced he could make me look like a passable NFL wide receiver (okay, maybe a passable D-III wide receiver, but you get the point—the guy’s good).

The Packers have a few needs heading into the draft. Therefore, a lot of fans might feel it’s better to address the receiving depth problem in free agency and hit all the other problems in the draft. The thing is, there’s plenty of talent at the back end of this draft that would fit perfectly on the team.

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Ryan Switzer out of the North Carolina would be an excellent fit, for example. He’s twitchy, making him a good screen receiver, and a fantastic punt and kick returner. That way, he can take up special teams duties while learning the ropes at receiver, and everyone’s happy. He gets playing time, the big 3 get their reps, and Rodgers has another young receiver to build. Why go any other route, then?

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