Getty Aaron Rodgers celebrates with former Packers WR Davante Adams.
The Green Bay Packers are back where they started.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return in 2022 and presumably play out the rest of his Hall of Fame career in Green Bay. Wide receiver Davante Adams is back as well, franchise tagged on a one-year deal worth more than $20 million. The Packers are tens of millions of dollars over the salary cap, a situation that must be remedied this offseason. And the roster is still short a true No. 2 wideout to line up across from Adams, an offensive weakness that cost Green Bay a trip to its third consecutive NFC Championship Game.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst faces tough personnel decisions over the next week. He will presumably do so with an eye toward not just maintaining, but improving, the offense, as Rodgers stated explicitly following the end of the season that he was not interested in being part of a “rebuild.” Gutekunst convinced his quarterback to stay by including him in the team’s decision-making processes, so it stands to reason he would honor Rodgers’ wishes and build a stable of offensive weapons for the years to come.
Meeting in the middle by pursuing an affordable free agent wide receiver with upside makes sense as a path forward for the talented but cash-strapped Packers. According to Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report, Green Bay’s “realistic dream signing” in this regard is Miami Dolphins wideout William Fuller V.
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Packers Should Take Shot on Speedy Wide Receiver, Analyst Says
GettyWide receiver William Fuller V of the Miami Dolphins warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on September 26, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
Fuller, 27, spent his first five years in the league with the Houston Texans. He spent last season with the Dolphins on a one-year deal valued at more than $10.5 million, but was sidelined with a broken finger after appearing in just two games.
“The thought of adding another weapon to pair with Adams might be asking too much. However, the organization can take a swing on a talented target who needs to prove himself after a disappointing 2021 campaign,” Sobleski wrote. “The Packers can buy low and possibly maximize their investment if Fuller returns to the wide receiver previously seen with the Houston Texans in 2020.”
Fuller amassed 3,120 receiving yards and 24 TDs in Houston while serving primarily as a downfield threat. During his time with the Texans, Fuller never averaged fewer than 13.5 yards per catch. His career high in that statistic came in 2020 at an average of 16.7 yards per reception.
Packers Pass Catching Group Has Questions Heading Into Offseason
GettyWide receivers Randall Cobb #18 (left), Marquez Valdes-Scantling #83 (center) and Allen Lazard #13 (right) of the Green Bay Packers work out during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field on July 29, 2021 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Who Fuller will be joining should he become a member of the Packers roster remains an open question.
Adams, of course, is coming back to the fold in 2022. But another of Rodgers’ favorite targets, wide receiver Randall Cobb, presumably will not be. Green Bay can cut $6.8 million from its salary cap number if the team releases Cobb now, or $8.25 million if the move is made after June 1, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Tight end Mercedes Lewis also represents an opportunity for cap savings of $2.95 million now, or $4 million after June 1.
Demovsky reported that the Packers are interested in bringing back tight end Robert Tonyan as well as wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling at estimated annual numbers of $7 million and $5 million, respectively. Green Bay is also expected to use a second-round tender to retain restricted free agent wideout Allen Lazard at a one-year price of just under $4 million.