Getty Juwann Winfree #88 of the Green Bay Packers during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field on June 09, 2021 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.
Could a former Denver Broncos draft pick challenge for a role in the Green Bay Packers’ receiving rotation next season?
Recently, ESPN called upon its NFL insiders to find one player from each of the 32 teams who had been a “surprise standout” during offseason workouts and listed third-year wide receiver Juwann Winfree as the name to watch for the Packers heading into next month’s training camp.
Here’s what Rob Demovsky, ESPN’s Packers insider, wrote about Winfree:
The former sixth-round pick of the Broncos in 2019 has played in five career NFL games (three for Denver, two for Green Bay last year as a practice-squad elevation) but has never caught a pass. He caught plenty of them throughout OTAs and minicamp this spring, and while the Packers’ top four receivers appear set — Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard and rookie Amari Rodgers — Winfree looks like he’ll make a strong run at a spot in the rotation. Also, keep an eye on another practice-squad member from last year, offensive lineman Ben Braden, who’s gotten some work with the No. 1 O-line at tackle with David Bakhtiari still recovering from ACL surgery.
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Winfree’s Background
Winfree has been persistent in his pursuit of a career in the NFL. He started off on the right track as a freshman at Maryland in 2014, catching six passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns, but he was suspended twice for separate violations of the school’s code of conduct with the latter incident ending with his dismissal from the team.
After a year of JUCO ball at Coffeyville Community College, Winfree transferred to Colorado, but a different sort of roadblock emerged when he tore his ACL in offseason workouts prior to the 2016 season. While it took him nearly three years from his final game at Maryland to play in another FBS game, he did finally return in 2017 and made 21 receptions for 325 yards and two touchdowns — each for 50-plus yards. He added another 28 catches, 324 yards and two scores to his resume as a senior, but not before battling through ankle and hamstring injuries.
Against the odds, the Broncos traded up to get Winfree in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft and liked enough of what they saw in the preseason to keep him on as one of six receivers for their initial 53-man roster, but things didn’t necessarily get easier for him. Despite his roster status, he was active just three times on game day as a rookie and had no passes thrown his way when he was in the lineup. He also missed the final three games of the year with hamstring issues.
Winfree hasn’t gotten much of a real chance since then. The Broncos cut him after 2020’s training camp, during which he was mostly sidelined with a groin injury and couldn’t fight for his job against rookies Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler. Even once he signed with the Packers’ practice squad on Oct. 1 and received two game-day elevations to the active roster, he might as well have been on training wheels with just eight total snaps taken on offense.
Can Winfree change his luck in 2021, though?
Will Winfree Contend for Roster Spot?
An opportunity could be knocking on Winfree’s door heading into his first NFL training camp in Green Bay. While the Packers’ top four receiving spots appear to be locked down, as Demovsky noted, the rest of the group remains less defined and could be critically important to the team’s future beyond the 2021 season.
The Packers currently have just one wide receiver — undrafted rookie Bailey Gaithers — under contract for next season. Both of their top guys, Adams and MVS, are due to hit unrestricted free agency along with veteran Devin Funchess and 2018 sixth-round pick Equanimeous St. Brown. They will also have to decide whether to place a restricted free agent tender on Allen Lazard.
Now, the Packers’ total number of 2022 wide receivers will jump to two once Amari Rodgers officially signs his rookie contract, but it makes sense for them to start assessing which of their young options might be able to help them in the long run since keeping everyone isn’t feasible. Winfree will get a chance to show what he can do. So, too, do Gaithers, Chris Blair, Reggie Begelton and DeAndre Thompkins.
The Packers kept just four wide receivers for their initial active roster in 2020, and while there is a good chance they keep more than that for 2021, it won’t be easy for the less established guys to push out players who have either already played in the offense (Taylor, St. Brown) or have impressive NFL reps elsewhere (Funchess).
If Winfree can keep the people talking, though, he might just earn his shot.