Getty Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Green Bay Packers proved they’re still an NFL heavyweight with a road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, though it remains clear that more offensive firepower will be necessary in January, when results matter most.
The Packers are 2-1 on the young season, despite road games against the Bucs and the Minnesota Vikings. But offense has proved sparse, as Green Bay is averaging just 16 points per game.
Things aren’t likely to get much better under the current roster construction, a problem amplified by recent injuries that left rookie receiver Christian Watson inactive against Tampa Bay and Sammy Watkins on the injured reserve (IR) list for at least the next three weeks.
High-octane offenses like the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles await Green Bay in the weeks to come, and bringing in more help for quarterback Aaron Rodgers is beginning to feel less like a luxury and more like a necessity.
Options on the free agent market are limited, with an injured Odell Beckham Jr. and an injury-prone Will Fuller slotting in as the two best available pass catchers. The Packers can probably find a wider range of choices via trade, include wide receiver Nelson Agholor of the New England Patriots, who is among the most logical and realistic possibilities.
Agholor Offers Packers Depth, Big-Play Potential in Passing Game
GettyWide receiver Nelson Agholor of the New England Patriots caught six passes for 110 yards and a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Agholor was selected by the Eagles with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2015 draft. He signed a two-year deal worth $22 million to join the Patriots last season.
His production sputtered during his first campaign in New England, though he produced his best outing as a Patriot in Week 2, when he caught six passes for 110 yards and a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bleacher Report noted on September 21 that a Packers trade for Agholor was among the 10 most sensible deals to be made heading into last weekend’s round of games.
New England Patriots wide receiver Nelson Agholor continues to be a player to watch on the trade front. Agholor is in the final year of his contract, and the Patriots could save $9.9 million by trading him.
Although Agholor finished with fewer than 500 receiving yards last season and saw little action (three catches, 28 yards) in the season opener this year, he remains a potential big-play receiver.
The Green Bay Packers could … be interested in Agholor as they continue to overhaul their receiving corps.
Packers’ Romeo Doubs Had Breakout Performance Against Bucs
GettyWide receiver Romeo Doubs of the Green Bay Packers is defended by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Logan Ryan and Jamel Dean during Green Bay’s Week 3 win.
The one bright spot in the passing game for Green Bay on Sunday was the breakout performance of receiver Romeo Doubs. The rookie tallied eight catches for 73 yards and a touchdown in the third game of his NFL career, after amassing just 64 yards on six catches across his first two outings.
Rodgers spoke specifically to Doubs’ play against the Bucs during the postgame press conference.
“We called some plays for him and he made nice catches,” Rodgers said. “The thing about Romeo that gives you confidence is the majority of the time he catches the ball with his hands.”
“He just has such great hands,” Rodgers continued. “A couple balls were off the frame today that he caught very nicely. He’s learning. I feel like his route running seemed like it was pretty solid today, but we’ll go back and look at the tape and see if there were some more opportunities I could have given him.”