Aaron Rodgers is still at the helm for the Green Bay Packers, and with that comes a calming feeling. With Rodgers back, the Packers have about as good a shot as anyone to climb to win the Super Bowl this year.
But questions linger about the offense at multiple positions. It begs the question of how much Rodgers can paper over those weaknesses and how many players will step up to fill those voids. So, what would it look like if things go south for the Green Bay offense this season? Let’s take a look at some scenarios that aren’t so far-fetched.
Davante Adams is gone. We all know that. Rodgers has already clung to the notion that Allen Lazard will have the title of being the top wideout on the depth chart.
Lazard has been productive for Green Bay, but is he truly a No. 1 wideout? This season will help to write that chapter of the novel. If things wobble off the tracks, it may well be because the former undrafted wide receiver out of Iowa State has trouble with the elevated role and matching up against top corners.
Lazard had his best season as a pro last year when he went for 40 receptions, 513 yards, and eight touchdowns. The receptions and yardage totals certainly aren’t those of a top wideout, but neither are the 60 targets that went in his direction. Lazard should see north of 80-85 targets if the Packers plan on using him as the top wideout in the offense. The rest will be decided between the lines, but it’s not a crazy idea to think that Lazard won’t live up to the billing of a top wideout. Thus, Green Bay’s offense takes a hit in 2022.
The Packers signed Sammy Watkins in free agency to help shore up some of those depth issues at wide receiver. In a perfect world, Green Bay sees Watkins excel in Matt LaFleur’s offense. He regains some of his old form, which hasn’t been visible in recent seasons. There’s a bleaker alternative, though. One that’s not hard to envision.
Watkins has missed at least three games in three of the last four seasons. In two of those years, he missed six contests in each campaign. Availability has been the biggest problem for Watkins. At the end of his final year in Baltimore, Watkins was healthy and in uniform for the Ravens. However, he didn’t see much time on the field as they utilized other options.
The Packers and Watkins are hoping to see a resurgence from the veteran wideout. While recent history doesn’t necessarily indicate what is to come, it does provide some hints at what could lie ahead.
Watkins has eclipsed 40 receptions just once in the last six years, and he doesn’t have more than three receiving touchdowns in any of the past four seasons. Still, some expect a 50-catch, five-touchdown type of season from Watkins. That doesn’t seem like a big ask, generally speaking. But it’s been unattainable for Watkins the last few years.
If things go south with Watkins, it will likely mirror what has happened to the Packers recently. Watkins will shine in a couple of games, get injured, miss a chunk of the season, and then fizzle out towards the finish line. If that happens, the Packers could be desperate for valid production at wideout.
Green Bay has always done a great job up front on the offensive line, and it hasn’t been any different recently. What is different entering this training camp is the availability of their top two linemen, David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins.
Bakhtiari tore his ACL in December 2020 and appeared in just one game in 2021. LaFleur said earlier this summer that he was “hopeful” the All-Pro would be ready for training camp. In a disaster scenario for both Bakhtiari and the Packers, the left tackle won’t be ready for training camp and could experience further setbacks along the way in what has to have been an incredibly frustrating rehab process for one of Green Bay’s brightest stars. Fingers crossed, that won’t be the case, and Bakhtiari will be ready for Week 1 in Minneapolis. But that doesn’t seem like a guarantee.
Then there’s Jenkins, who tore his ACL last year in Minneapolis. It seems reckless to suggest he’ll be ready for training camp or the start of the season. In such a scenario, the Packers could plug in Cole Van Lanen, Yosh Nijman, or someone else at right tackle.
Neither of those two has any NFL experience at right tackle. While Nijman was brilliant at left tackle last year, it doesn’t mean he would find instant success on the right side. In a doomsday scenario, Jenkins isn’t ready for the start of the year while Bakhtiari still isn’t at 100%, and the stop-gap solution at right tackle struggles to gain traction.
This is the time of year when everyone wants to talk about the best outcomes, the dominoes falling in this way or that way for their team. The Packers will likely be vying again for an NFC North division title. But don’t be fooled — some questions still exist on this offense. The good thing for the Packers is they still have Rodgers, who can cover up a lot of deficiencies. This year he may have to cover up more than usual, and that’s where the nail-biting could begin.
