The Green Bay Packers aren’t taking it slow with rookie receiver Amari Rodgers.
Coach Matt LaFleur said he thinks Rodgers – a coach’s kid with a “great sense and feel” for the game – has the football IQ to handle as much as the team can throw at him to start training camp.
“We’ve thrown a lot at him, we’re not holding back,” LaFleur said Friday.
Some rookies, especially at the wide receiver position in complex offenses, need a gradual introduction to the NFL. It doesn’t sound like Rodgers required any training wheels to start his first training camp.
Instant impact in a specific role could be possible.
Although the Packers added Randall Cobb to an already deep and experienced receiver group, LaFleur is still trying to find ways to establish a role for Rodgers, the team’s third-round pick. He pointed to opportunities in the slot and on the jet sweep calls as ways to get Rodgers on the field and involved in the offense as a rookie.
The scheme looks perfect for a versatile player like Rodgers, who has experience doing all the things expected in the slot and as a gadget weapon.
“I’m excited about where he could go,” LaFleur said.
Rodgers played all over the field over four years at Clemson, including out wide, in the slot and in the backfield.
His coach, Dabo Swinney, has long been convinced Rodgers can contribute right away in the NFL.
“He is a technician at his position, and he is a guy that’s going to be ready day one since he can play multiple positions and is incredibly smart,” Swinney said after the draft.
Rodgers is also one of the favorites to be the punt returner, and he could be an option to return kicks as well.
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