SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 19: Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on from the sidelines in the first half against the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Championship game at Levi’s Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
After doing little in free agency and completely ignoring the draft, the Green Bay Packers still aren’t doing anything to fill a need a wide receiver.
With Davante Adams and little else reliably going for them at the position, the Green Bay Packers entered this offseason with a need at wide receiver. A minor move to sign Devin Funchess in free agency pushed the idea they’d use an early pick on a wide receiver from a deep draft class.
But not only did the Packers not draft a wide receiver in the first round, they traded up to take quarterback Jordan Love. Then in the second round, running back A.J. Dillon was their selection. Subsequent picks came at tight end, linebacker, offensive tackle (twice), center, safety and defensive end. So even with wide receiver talent to pluck in the later rounds of the draft, the Packers ignored the position completely.
Ahead of the NFL’s opt-out deadline for the 2020 season, Funchess did so and opted out. Allen Lazard, who showed some promise last year, now has the No. 2 wide receiver role clearly to himself barring an addition.
The Packers are dipping their toes in the WR market
On Friday, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported the Packers had a wide receive in for a visit. Antonio Brown? Josh Gordon, who’s awaiting reinstatement? Taylor Gabriel? Nope, it was Malik Turner.
Turner entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Seattle Seahawks in 2018. In 21 games over the last two seasons, he has 17 receptions for 265 yards and one touchdown (15 catches for 245 yards last year). Seattle rescinded an exclusive rights free agent tender in April, setting Turner free to the open market with no known interest until now.
At last check, the Packers are literally the (surprising) betting favorite to sign Brown. The pickings are of course slim at this point, but guys like Brown and Gordon (if he’s reinstated) at least have some talent, intrigue and potential. Gabriel is also an enticing potential fit. But the Packers would rather mine the shallow end of the pool, which yields players like Turner.