The Green Bay Packers bet big on their top three wide receivers staying healthy this year. After Jayden Reed was injured in Week 2, the bet on consolidating the Packers’ targets is already backfiring, according to Bill Huber of Packers OnSI.
Huber noted after Week 2 that it could be an overreaction, but the Packers are already regretting their decisions on Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks this offseason.
“The Packers this offseason thinned the herd at receiver by letting Romeo Doubs go in free agency and trading Dontayvion Wicks to the Eagles,” wrote Huber. “It was one hell of a gamble considering their injury histories and the attrition that comes at the position. It took one game and two snaps to throw the Packers’ passing attack into scramble mode.”
Huber noted that while the Packers had six receivers on the active roster and nine players on the entire roster, the team is now somehow thin at receiver after two weeks.
Green Bay Packers Might Regret Offseason Moves at Wide Receiver
The Packers’ plan was to let Doubs and Wicks walk so that they did not have four or five receivers competing for targets. Last year, it felt as though Green Bay was trying to spread the ball around too much, and no one could get hot.
However, without Reed, a lot of pressure will be placed on Christian Watson and Matthew Golden.
The Packers have Skyy Moore, Bo Melton, and J. Michael Sturdivant behind those two. All three are on the roster due to their special teams potential. Melton gets on the field on offense as a blocking threat.
Green Bay has Savion Williams, but he is on the IR. They have Isaiah Neyor and Quincy Skinner on the IR. Still, neither of those two has shown anything worth putting stock in the NFL.
So, they have plenty of names, but the receiving corps now looks like two big options at the top and a lot of questions after that.
Packers See Doubs and Wicks Perform Well in Week 2
Doubs signed a four-year, $68M deal this offseason. Doubs had struggles in Week 1, but came alive in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had three catches for 96 yards. Meanwhile, Wicks has been a consistent threat for the Philadelphia Eagles after they traded for him.
The Packers trade Wicks to the Eagles. Wicks had two catches for 73 yards in the first game, and had five catches for 74 yards in the Eagles’ second game. As of now, he is at 2.49 yards per route run. Last year, he only had three games with that strong of a yards-per-route run.
So, the two receivers they lost are thriving, while they have questions over what the team will do now that Reed is out. It only took two weeks, but what looked like a good decision in the offseason is already under question in the regular season.
If Moore, Melton, or Sturdivant can step up, it can quiet a lot of doubters.
Packers Insider Reveals Offseason Move That Already Backfired