The Packers need a “separator” and a “deep threat” at wide receiver. Here’s who could fit each role in the 2022 NFL draft class.
The Green Bay Packers will go into the 2022 NFL draft needing to replace two big pieces from the passing game: All-Pro Davante Adams, and speedster Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Coach Matt LaFleur rightfully described Adams as the team’s “separator,” and he also acknowledged the need for a player who can “take the top off a defense” after losing Valdes-Scantling.
“It’s like putting a puzzle together. You’ve got to find those pieces that you’re missing and put it all together,” LaFleur said at the NFL Annual Meeting.
The Packers are armed with five picks in the top 100 and 11 picks overall in the 2022 NFL draft. General manager Brian Gutekunst could use a pair of draft picks to rebuild the wide receiver room and find replacements for both Adams and Valdes-Scantling in their respective roles.
Here’s a closer look at the “separator” and “deep threat” prospects in the 2022 draft:
DeSean Jackson gives Raiders offense ‘stretch’ it needs for stretch run
There are just six games remaining on the Raiders 2021 schedule which means we are officially in the home stretch. Which means the emergence of Desean Jackson in the comes just in time. After three weeks in which the Raiders offense struggled without a true deep threat, we saw just how big a difference his presence made.
The first week after Henry Ruggs III was released due to his drunk driving accident that killed a young woman and her dog, the team was a shell of its former self. Some seemed to attribute it directly to the emotions the team was feeling. And while there may have been some emotional impact, the loss of Ruggs’s role as the deep threat in the offense was far more obvious.
Jackson was signed immediately thereafter, but his first two games he was still getting the hang of the offense and played only a handful of snaps. His one deep catch was then fumbled away while he attempted to make a play after the catch.
Thanksgiving in Dallas, Jackson’s snaps jumped considerably and the offense jumped up with it. His quarterback’s numbers rose to levels not seen since prior to Ruggs’s release.
“I think the first couple weeks we talked about how everything was moving the right way but he’s not on the field as much,” Derek Carr said Wednesday.
“I think what we saw in the Dallas game was he was on the field more. He had more opportunities. So, when his number was called and they were playing a certain coverage, ‘Okay, well yeah, that’s where the ball is going to go.’ And I think he had three or four targets, three catches, a big penalty for us on a go ball. Really two big penalties on a go ball. So, he could have had five or six catches for 180 yards or whatever. That’s him just being able to handle more and be in the system more and being able to play more. I think that him being able to do that obviously gives us that stretch that we are going to need for everyone else to get active too.”
The primary benefactor of the defense having to account for Jackson was slot receiver Hunter Renfrow who put up career-highs in catches (8) and yards (134). Mind you all this was accomplished with Pro Bowl TE Darren Waller out the entire second half.
The result was an overtime win which put the Raiders at 6-5 which is a significant different from losing their fourth straight game and dropping to 5-6.
The winning record plus the emergence of Jackson puts the Raiders in a favorable position for their final six games — a stretch that has not been great for the team in the past three years.
Up this week is the 5-6 Washington Football Team. The rest of the way, however, they don’t face another team with a current losing record.
Exploring the idea of the Detroit Lions signing wide receiver Taylor Gabriel as a speed slot/deep threat for the 2020 season.
This is the latest piece in a new series of articles at Lions Wire exploring the remaining 2020 free agent pool, looking for potential upgrades to the Detroit Lions’ roster.
In this edition, we examine the question: should the Lions sign WR Taylor Gabriel?
Let’s take a closer look at the biggest questions surrounding a Lions-Gabriel marriage and if it is in the best interest of both parties to get a deal done.
Why is Taylor Gabriel still a free agent?
Undrafted out of Abilene Christian, Gabriel jumped on the scene as a rookie in Cleveland but took a step back his sophomore year. He was released by the Browns and claimed by the Falcons where he parlayed his productivity into a big contract with the Chicago Bears in 2018.
After a career year in his debut season with the Bears, two major concussions (the third and fourth of his career) cost him almost half the 2019 season. Couple that with a career-low in production when he was on the field and it’s not overly surprising the Bears felt he wasn’t living up to his sizable contract, eventually releasing him in a cost-cutting move.
As with many NFL players with starting experience who are still free agents at this time, the COVID pandemic, and team’s inability to give extensive medical checks, likely played a factor in why he remains unsigned. In total, over his six-year NFL career, he has missed 11 games as a result of concussions, which has likely raised red flags.
How would Gabriel fit on the Lions roster?
Gabriel is an explosive receiver capable of lining up in the slot as a gadget player as well as a deep threat who can take it to the house on any given play.
The Lions offense relies on a vertical threat to stretch the field and last season Marvin Hall filled that role to perfection, averaging an insane 37.3-yards per reception in 2019. He will be the front-runner for this role in 2020 and will likely be challenged by recently converted wide receiver/All-Pro return man Jamal Agnew.
While the Lions have two terrific speedsters in Hall and Agnew competing, both have concerns. Hall’s season was cut short in Week 12 after suffering a season-ending foot injury, while Agnew has only minimal (32 career snaps) experience on offense.
Photo credit to Kent Platte @Mathbomb on Twitter
If the Lions were to go after the 29-year-old Gabriel, he would likely be competing as a role-playing WR4 working against Hall and Agnew, but not slotted to be a heavy contributing role.
What’s the anticipated price tag?
Gabriel’s contract with the Bears averaged $6.5 million a season, almost double the total amount he made his first four years in the league. But at this point in the offseason, Gabriel’s price has likely come down significantly, how much though is not clear.
As far as the Lions are concerned, there is little chance they would be willing to pay anything close to the contract Gabriel got with the Bears, especially when they have two in-house options making significantly less: Hall’s cap hit in 2020 is $825,000 and Agnew’s is $889,594.
The real unknown here is, would Gabriel be willing to sign a vet minimum deal that would put him in the same price range as Hall and Agnew, or is he planning on holding out for a bigger payday?
Should the Lions pursue Gabriel?
Stylistically yes, as Gabriel would fit into the Lions scheme very well and could potentially fill an important role in 2020.
The two big factors that would keep the Lions from inking him to a deal would be concerns surrounding his concussion history and what type of payday he is asking for.
Erik’s Conclusion
The Lions currently have a dozen wide receivers on the roster and while starters Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, and Danny Amendola, as well as rookie Quintez Cephus, seem like roster locks at this time, there is room for another impact skill player or two at the position.
If Gabriel can pass a medical exam and is willing to sign a deal close to the vet minimum, the Lions should absolutely bring him in as competition for Hall, Agnew, and others on offense.
The Houston Texans will soon get back former Notre Dame receiver Will Fuller, who has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 7.
Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish receiver Will Fuller V has been out with a hamstring injury since getting hurt in Week 7, but the speedy receiver is nearing a return for the Houston Texans.
After a bye week last week, Houston reported that Fuller is a limited participant in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of the team’s Week 11 matchup with the Ravens.
#Texans Injury Report: Limited: LB Dylan Cole (knee), WR Will Fuller V (hamstring), S Tashaun Gipson Sr. (back/wrist), G/T Tytus Howard (knee), CB Bradley Roby (hamstring), L. Laremy Tunsil (shoulder)
Fuller is in his fourth NFL season, all spent with Houston after they plucked him in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft.
Fuller was a monster in college, recording back-to-back 1,000 yard receiving seasons as a sophomore and junior, and totaling 30 career touchdowns.
Although he has yet to find that level of success in the NFL, he is liable to break out in any given week, and will help the Texans the rest of the way as soon as he is healthy.
