John Brown was released by the Las Vegas Raiders last week. It didn’t take long for the 31-year-old, who is just two seasons removed from a 1000 yard campaign, to be connected to the Green Bay Packers. Bleacher report listed the Packers as one of the top destinations for Brown stating “The Packers should be pulling out all of the stops for what might be Aaron Rodgers’ final season in Green Bay. Bringing in Brown on a one-year deal is a start.”
And this is how it goes. In life, for a Packer fan, only three things are certain: Death, taxes, and wide receiver speculation. Any time any receiver of even minimal notoriety gets near the waiver wire or a trade rumor they are quickly tied to the Packers by pundits and analysts. Dez Bryant wants to make a comeback? The Packers are an amazing fit! An elderly Larry Fitzgerald hasn’t retired yet? Green Bay makes sense! There’s a video on Twitter of 55-year-old Jerry Rice running routes with high school students? He’s the perfect piece to fit with Aaron Rodgers!
Listen, I get it, for years now the Packers have desperately needed a number two to pair with Davante Adams as Aaron Rodgers raced towards the end of his prime. There’s a championship window open and Green Bay should be doing everything they can to climb through it. But at this moment, adding a wide receiver (specifically adding Brown) just doesn’t make any sense.
There is real reason to have serious optimism about the current Packers pass catchers. Adams is playing at a level that’s almost hard to imagine. NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt went so far as to suggest Adams might find himself in the MVP conversation this year and at the top of the NFL’s Top 100 players heading into next season.
MVS struggled with drops and concentration last year, but he’s had a strong camp and preseason and Rodgers thinks his mental game is in a really good place. He absolutely deserves a chance to break out as this team’s number two guy.
Allen Lazard is going to continue to be Allen Lazard. He’s not going to be one of your top option but every now and then he’s going to absolutely break the game with a big play. He’s exactly what you want in a depth receiver. Not to mention he’s an absolute stud as a run blocker.
Even with all the jokes made about Randall Cobb, I expect him to have an insanely successful year. If for no other reason than Aaron Rodgers’ stubbornness. Rogers loves the man, and he didn’t bring him here to sit on the sideline and not catch balls. Cobb is going to sink comfortably into the role that you’d presumably have to offer Brown.
Finally there should be absolutely no interest in pushing Amari Rogers any further down the depth chart. The rookie needs every chance he can to get on the field with number 12 and grow. Extra targets heading the way of Brown are targets being taken away from Rogers.
By the way, none of this even begins to address the big year that might be sitting in front of Robert Tonyan.
I understand that until Aaron Rodgers leaves Green Bay this train of thought on available wide receivers will continue, but it officially no longer makes sense. In this moment neither John Brown nor any other receiver should be brought in to Green Bay.
