Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard is out indefinitely after undergoing core muscle surgery, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The timing is unfortunate as Lazard is coming off of one of the best games of his career — a six-catch, 146-yard showing against the Saints. The Packers placed Lazard on IR Saturday.
The Packers could now be without their top two receivers heading into Monday’s game against the Falcons. Davante Adams remains questionable with a hamstring injury, which could leave Green Bay with Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Malik Taylor, and recent practice squad call-up Darrius Shepherd as their only three receivers. At minimum, you can expect the Packers to add one receiver to the group over the weekend, possibly Robert Foster, Caleb Scott, or Juwann Winfree from their expanded 16-man unit.
So far, Aaron Rodgers has loved what he’s seen from the 24-year-old former UDFA. Unfortunately, he’ll have to wait a while before he gets to work with him again.
“He was as productive as just about anybody in camp, and I really like his approach,” Rodgers said (via ESPN.com). “He’s the one who’s always in Davante’s ear, listening to what he’s talking about. Damn near every time I come in the Hutson Center during training camp when we’re starting practice, I walk in and do the same thing, put my helmet down. And Shep is picking Davante’s brain about releases and certain things. And look, I try and pay attention as much as I possibly can, but that sticks with you. That impacts you. You’re seeing just that desire to improve and get better. And then you see it on the field.”
Bring in another scrub receiver for Rodgers to deal with. Story of his career in GB.
How many good receivers has he actually had? How many mediocre ones has he had that he just made look good? We may never know.
Devante Adams seems really good, but how good would he be elsewhere?
Jordy Nelson looked like a stud, but when he left he was garbage. Granted he left at the end of his career.
Greg Jennings looked good and left still in his prime, but went to garbage.
Randall Cobb was never very good and can’t make it anywhere now.
Donald Driver early on in his career was a good receiver.
Adams would be a very good WR anywhere.
Jordy was a stud that would have be en go anywhere as well. The knee injury made him lose a couple steps and then he got old.
That’s what people said about Greg Jennings too.
The narrative of the necessity of a 1st round WR is a foolish national media sham. Where someone is drafted plays little role in their NFL career. To suggest otherwise is lazy.
There are certainly probabilities in play, though. Just like there have been successful mid-round, late-round, and even undrafted QBs, but most top QBs are going to come from early rounds. The same is true with wide receivers.
I’m not saying the Pro Bowl is a great evaluation measure, but using it as a back of the napkin approach: Last year, there were 14 wide receivers in the Pro Bowl, if you don’t count guys that were there for special teams reasons (Roberts, Harris, Patterson, Slater). Of those 14, one was a 5th round pick, but would have been much higher if not for off-field issues (Tyreek Hill). All of the others were 1st, 2nd, or 3rd round picks.
If you go the year before, you add 1 undrafted player (Thielen) and one 6th rounder (Antonio Brown), but otherwise same, adding another 2nd rounder. 2017, you add Doug Baldwin as undrafted, but add a couple of early rounders. Go back to 2016, you add some more early round picks and add no other new names.
So yes, you CAN find success stories like Diggs, Thielen, or Brown, who were drafted late or not at all, and you can certainly find a bunch of short slot receivers in that category. But generally speaking, if you want to find top caliber receivers, you’re mostly likely going to find them by drafting them in the top 3 rounds.
Its not even about the lack od 1st..or even 2nd..round we picks. Its about essentially ignoring the position altogether. They didn’t draft ANY wr. Instead they signed a former CFL player, Devin effin Funchess, their usual UDFA and then released Kumerow, who Rodgers at least had some faith in and chemistry with.
In 2019 they did next to nothing to improve the wr group.
In 2018 they drafted a trio of: MVS, equine brown and another dude I can’t recall offhand. Brown is on IR for the 2nd year, and MVS is still dropping passes.
All due respect to Lazard, but repeatedly pinning your hopes on UDFA’s making an impact is poor management.
That goes for the ILB and 3-4 DE positions as well.
Nelson was already 33 when he left and was well past his prime. Adams is a route running savant and would be a stud anywhere with a competent QB.
Not a Packers fan but I am a fan of Rodgers and I agree that he hasn’t had very good WRs. Seems like no matter who they get to run the show rhey all have the same thing in mind, “we have Rodgers, don’t need much else on offense, he can carry us” and it’s ridiculous. Get the man another WR. I like Lazard but they are still thin at the position and I think Lazard is more of a product of playing with Rodgers. I think there will be some WRs available at the trade deadline and I personally would love to see GB finally get Rodgers one of them while the SB window is still open. Rodgers is playing lights out this season but at here’s no telling how long it’ll last so they should go all in and go for it this season since they whiffed on the first two picks IMO
“Rogers can elevate any WR” is the same thought process that’s led to GB not drafting WRs
AB
TJECK109, you are 100% correct. Abs are definitively part of the core muscles that Lazard had surgery on.
Next topic please!
Lol I just tossed that softball for someone to whack. Nicely done, I’m a life long Steelers fan so I can say you don’t need the cancer
Lol
Foster is not that bad. He had a really good year in Buffalo.
I wonder if Jamison Crowder could be had for a mid-round pick. The Jets are going nowhere, Douglas seems happy to let go of guys he didn’t bring in, and Crowder would offer Rodgers a dependable slot weapon in the Randall Cobb mold.
In the meantime, watching Rodgers take shots downfield to Foster could be fun.
I think if you wanted Crowder if you’d have to take Gase, and bell as part of the deal. Neither are doing anything for NY
Both of those guys will be cut lose before next season. I was serious about Crowder, who could actually help a good team.
Not a bad idea in the slightest. Green Bay lacks a true slot receiver on their roster, only complementing Adams with an adequate outside receiver in Lazard and a pair of inconsistent deep threats in MVS and Brown.
The Packers are also playing tight end by committee in a sense, emphasizing the need for a receiver over the middle. Crowder has a bit of an injury history, but consistently produces despite never being paired with an elite signal caller outside of maybe Cousins
As I posted in the Christian Kirksey article…having to give significant playing time to no-name UDFA’s at LB and now WR is an unfortunate side effect of almost completely ignoring those glaring needs in the draft and in free agency. Good thing they traded a 4th round pick to move up to draft a 1st round QB who will never see the field though…oh, and drastically over drafting an unneeded RB who has 7 carries so far in the 2nd round. Brilliant work, guys.
Don’t forget the 3rd round tight end who doesn’t see the field!
The Jordan Love one I can understand. If you think a QB prospect is good, he’s worth drafting, because QB hits are so successful they pay for the QB misses. But drafting any running back in the second round is dicey, let alone drafting one no one would have taken that high when you have a star RB you’re now ready to extend, and you have glaring needs that you could be filling instead. Just wild. Especially since LaFleur comes from the Shanahan tree, and perhaps the greatest signature of the Shanahan tree is being able to scheme random RBs into looking like stars.
Tell us now who you would have preferred….without looking. You’re a fool.
You could literally look up Aaron Rodgers’ comments on guys HE was eyeballing in the draft. Higgins, Pittman, Aiyuk. Lots of guys were available where they drafted Love. Bryan Edwards was available where they took Dillon. So was Hamler.
And anyway, there are tons of answers to who would have been preferable to Dillon. It was a nonsensical pick on several levels.
Oooof makes great arguments. And you know what twentyforty, he does it without name calling! Take note bud.
Eh oooof is a major troll on here
Is Dez Bryant in shape??? ✅
Let’s say for arguments sake he is. And not the least bit rusty…
Then ask yourself this: what makes you think Gute would pull the trigger on bringing him (or anyone who has the slightest name recognition, let alone past success) in?
He just signed 2 no names to the practice squad. That’s what he’s going to do.
How about Shepard, Engram, or Tate from the Giants.
Might be time to deal for Crowder, has 1 year left on his deal after 2020, no guaranteed money for 2021 either….I’m sure the Jets would deal him at the right price