Two popular offseason narratives about the Green Bay Packers are their need to draft a first-round wide receiver and the perceived lack of offensive weapons. That sort of talk is usually overblown by those who don’t closely follow the team. But the need to restock the cabinet for this coming season is very real.
The only wide receiver who’s guaranteed to return next season is 2021 third-round pick Amari Rodgers, who still has a ways to go before he can be counted on. Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Malik Taylor are free agents. Allen Lazard is a restricted free agent. Randall Cobb could be a cap causality.
Signing Adams should be Green Bay’s biggest priority. Letting the best receiver in the league walk is, well, not ideal. As of Tuesday, the franchise-tag window has opened, and the Packers may need to use it on Adams if a long-term deal doesn’t coalesce in the next few weeks. Green Bay should find a way to re-sign Adams.
Good job, we fixed the Packers WR corp. Everyone can go home!
In seriousness, besides re-signing Adams, it’s likely the Packers will want to bring back one of their other wideouts. But with a tight cap window, they won’t be able to bring them all back. Valdes-Scantling and Allen are two different archetypes of WR2, and both bring a lot to Matt LaFleur’s offense. In a perfect world, Green Bay keeps them both. But in a perfect world, the Packers don’t lose to the San Francisco 49ers at home. Financially, it’s most likely one or the other returns.
Under that assumption, who should be the priority re-sign?
Marquez Valdes-Scantling was a polarizing player through his early years in Green Bay. His early drops and less-developed route tree drew harsh criticism, but Valdes-Scantling’s lightning speed had others salivating. At the end of his rookie contract, MVS has developed that ever-so-important chemistry with Aaron Rodgers and cleaned up his drops. His speed gives the Packers a deep threat no one else on the roster can provide. But he brings even more than that.
MVS developed his route tree and puts in the work as a blocker. He’s earned the pride of his quarterback and the respect of the locker room. I wrote how 2021 looked like a breakout year for the young receiver and that he brought a necessary dimension to the offense.
Unfortunately, injuries plagued Valdes-Scantling this season, and he only played in 11 games. The injuries were a setback to a promising year, and MVS finished the season with 430 yards and three touchdowns. Rodgers often missed MVS on big plays, but he kept going to his receiver. When they connected, beautiful things happened.
Spotrac predicts Valdes-Scantling’s next deal with an $8.7 million AAV, a reasonable assumption for a WR2. MVS confirmed the mutual interest between he and the Packers in an interview with PackersWire contributor Brandon Carwile. LaFleur would have a deep threat to open the offense by re-signing Valdes-Scantling. And should Adams return, MVS would be a prime target to benefit from Adams’ inevitable double-coverages.
While MVS is a speed demon, Lazard is the size and power. Lazard thrives in LaFleur’s offense as a selfless, do-anything player who keeps the illusion of complexity alive. Lazard almost looks like a tight end at times and is one of the best blocking receivers in the NFL. When the Packers needed a tough first down, Lazard made it happen. If Rodgers sees the wide-open Lazard in the divisional round, Green Bay likely makes a much deeper playoff run.
In 15 games, Lazard caught 40 of 60 targets for 513 yards and eight touchdowns. His 2021 season had a slow start, but Lazard was a man on fire down the stretch. He doesn’t garner the national attention some other retrievers do, but Lazard is a reliable, bonafide WR2, and his skills are well-utilized by LaFleur.
Spotrac puts Lazard’s estimated salary as $7.7 million annually — lower than MVS’s expected earnings, but comparable. Should Lazard return, the Packers gain a do-it-all receiver who fits beautifully into LaFleur’s offense.
With two wildly different skill sets, it’s hard to predict what the team will value more. Both players have Rodgers’ trust and would be valuable weapons for Jordan Love if he’s the starter next season. Their contracts should be roughly equivalent based on all available data.
The Packers have other needs to be filled in the draft, but I think it’s likely they restock the receiver cupboard through the draft, including using an earlier pick on one. Valdes-Scantling’s skills are likely easier to replace, and this draft class appears to have good speed options. MVS also may have a larger market because every team should covet a speedy deep threat. Valdes-Scantling may be more likely to move on, but it’s hard to imagine the Packers will want to let one of their draft-and-developed talents walk too early.
Lazard fits beautifully into the overall offense LaFleur wants to run, while MVS provides an additional dimension no one on the roster can match. Adams’ situation is the receiver contract most will be watching, but that No. 2 spot is just as interesting.
