One specific element that the Green Bay Packers should be looking to add to their offense during the 2023 NFL Draft is someone who can be utilized as the motion-man or gadget-type player.
Although this isn’t always a major role within the offense, it is an important element for Matt LaFleur’s system. In the past, we’ve seen the Packers try to fill it by signing players like Tyler Ervin and Tavon Austin, but for the most part, it’s a role that has either gone underutilized or filled by a variety of players on the roster.
What this gadget player can do is help LaFleur achieve his desired “illusion of complexity” element. In short, this means running like plays from a variety of formations or plays that initially look similar but have a variation and end differently. This helps keep the defense off-balance and guessing.
Putting a man in motion can help create mismatches for the offense. When players are moving around pre-snap, it can change the responsibilities for certain defensive players and forces them to make adjustments on the fly. When the ball is snapped, and the defense is trying to decipher who has the ball — the motion man or the quarterback — that can lead to a split-second of hesitation, which is all that is needed to open up passing lanes or allow the blockers to better position themselves in the run game.
The trickle-down effect of all of this is that motion should help make things easier on Jordan Love at times with the effect that a gadget player can have on opposing defenses. Not to mention that is also another opportunity to generate big plays with jet sweeps, end arounds, and quick screens when there is a dynamic player filling this role.
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Christian Watson, with all his speed, could fill this role, and we saw him do so at times last season. However, every time Watson is being utilized in this capacity, that also means he’s not lined up at receiver and running routes, where he is most valuable. Keisean Nixon, with his playmaking ability, is another candidate, and LaFleur discussed the possibility of this at the NFL Owners’ Meetings. But the caveat that LaFleur added is that Nixon has to first handle his return and nickel cornerback duties before taking on an additional workload on offense. Running back Tyler Goodson will have a shot at the 53-man roster, but he’s never played in a regular season game.
Not to say that these two can’t still fill this role from time to time, but there is value in having a specific player handle these responsibilities. Having that gadget player means Watson can be better utilized on offense as a true wide receiver, and it’s fewer snaps for Nixon each week after he is already playing both defense and special teams. Bo Melton with his 4.34-speed is another option already on the team who could take these snaps.
As far as who else could fill this role for Green Bay, Brennen Rupp of Packers Wire provided a few suggestions from the upcoming draft:
Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State
Devon Achance, RB, Texas A&M
Tre Tucker, WR, Cincinnati
Derius Davis, WR, TCU
Kazmeir Allen, WR, UCLA
Malik Flowers, WR, Montana
Keaton Mitchell, RB, ECU
With Love under center, my guess is that we see more motion in 2023 from the Packers, with a gadget-type player taking on a more prominent role within the offense than in previous years. If so, it’s going to be important that Green Bay finds someone to take these snaps, whether that be Melton or a rookie.
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