Welcome to the weekly Zone Coverage Packers mailbag, where I try to answer all your burning NFL and Green Bay Packers-related questions, submitted via Twitter to @m_widmeier.
Can the Packers even afford Odell Beckham Jr.?
At the time of this writing, Odell Beckham Jr. is currently a free agent after clearing waivers.
To answer this bluntly, yes, the Packers can afford him now that he’s cleared waivers.
Had a team claimed OBJ, they would’ve been on the hook for $7.2 million through the rest of this year. That was out of the realm of possibilities for Green Bay. The only way for them to get in on the OBJ sweepstakes was for him to clear waivers and become a free agent, which he is now.
Green Bay currently has a shade over $4 million in cap space. If OBJ were to sign for the veteran minimum, it would only cost $537,500. That’s a big if, and it may come down to whether or not Beckham Jr. wants to sign with a contender through the rest of this season to try and get a ring or if he’s immediately looking for another multi-year deal. If it’s the latter, the Packers will likely have to bow out of the sweepstakes given their cap situation for 2022.
Pairing Beckham Jr. with Davante Adams would be incredible for the rest of this year and would provide a big boost to the offense.
OBJ struggled with the Browns. Why all the excitement about him considering Green Bay?
The OBJ questions have filtered in as expected.
While he isn’t the OBJ of three or four years ago, if you watch the tape you’ll see that he is still a crisp, smooth route-runner who can create plenty of separation. He doesn’t appear to have that quick burst that he once did, but he will be a welcome sight for just about any wide receiver room.
One worry is the locker room drama that could come along with bringing in Beckham Jr. It’s worth noting that his first couple of years in Cleveland went fine before his recent blowup, which ultimately resulted in him getting his wish of a release. Plus, from Green Bay’s perspective, if he’s signed by the Packers, it would just be for the rest of this season. There likely wouldn’t be a long-term commitment unless he balls out to an extreme level and Green Bay does some cap hurdling after this year.
The excitement is because OBJ still has gas left in the tank even after going through some gruesome injuries in recent seasons. He’s not just a name at this point in his career; he can still produce at a high level. Envisioning him in Matt LaFleur’s scheme working with Adams is nightmare fuel for the rest of the league.
Jordan Love looked horrible. Is this really who the Packers want as the future?
Jordan Love struggled in his starting debut with Rodgers sidelined due to COVID. Nobody can claim otherwise. However, the scheme set him up in some fairly brutal spots. Kansas City Chiefs continued to blitz and dial in long-developing play. Couple that with the fact that the offensive line was miserable, and it was a full-on recipe for disaster.
It’s not a hall pass for Love; he flat-out wasn’t great, but let’s not put too much stock into one start and base the entire future of the franchise on it.
Rodgers’ status with the franchise clouds the future past this year. If he does still want out at the end of this season, it’s possible the Packers will have to base a lot of their decisions for 2022 on what they saw from Love in that lone start. It doesn’t mean he’s doomed from here on out, though.
Let’s not go pressing any panic buttons on Love just yet.
How good can this defense be the rest of the way?
Joe Barry’s defense has been incredible for a long stretch now. What was most impressive against the Chiefs was that they did it without the key pieces that have been out for a while and without Eric Stokes, who was injured in pregame warmups and didn’t play. That left the Packers with Rasul Douglas and Kevin King holding down the cornerback spots, and they could not have been any better.
If and when this unit gets Za’Darius Smith and Jaire Alexander back, this could absolutely be a top-five defense the rest of the way.
Injuries to Stokes and Kenny Clark this past week initially provided some hesitation, but LaFleur said on Monday he doesn’t expect either injury to be a long-term issue.
For the first time in a long time, it’s safe to buy stock in this defense. Barry’s script has gone according to plan.
Submit your questions to the next mailbag via Twitter to @m_widmeier.
