All eyes are on Jordan Love as training camp ramps up. We’ve heard good things and bad things, seen clips of absolute dimes and absolute ducks. Most recently, we heard ESPN’s Rob Demovsky say that some of what he’s seen points towards a “long year” for the Green Bay Packers. Love is undeniably the story of the 2023 season in Green Bay, but an extremely young team is developing alongside him.
Veterans like Rodgers, Randall Cobb, Marcedes Lewis, and Adrian Amos have found new homes, opening the door for rookies and sophomores to take their place. This shift has been particularly prominent in the pass-catching group, which Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and rookie Jayden Reed will lead. When asked about bringing in a veteran receiver to help hold down the fort, general manager Brian Gutekunst emphasized that the guys they have need to play. It’s a potential theme of the season that is clearly exemplified by the transition to Love.
Doubs is having himself another nice training camp, which recently included mossing Jaire Alexander in one-on-ones. But perhaps the most interesting secondary storyline to make its way out has been the offensive role that Reed is carving out. Motion has been a key component of Matt LaFleur’s offense ever since Green Bay hired him to replace Mike McCarthy. It’s a staple of the next-gen offense that has taken over the league in recent years, pioneered by Sean McVay and his “descendants.” Finding a guy to specialize in that east-west role has proven difficult. From what we’ve seen of Reed’s skillset thus far, it’s easy to see the vision that led to his selection in the second-round.
The Packers tried to work journeyman return specialist Tyler Ervin into that type of gadget role a couple years back, and Watson took on a hefty portion of the jet sweep reps in 2022. However, a defining play of the season in which Allen Lazard was dropped on an end-around on fourth-and-1, was emblematic of the need for a player like Reed.
LaFleur has emphasized the importance of making things easy for Love in his first season as the starter. Combined with the fact that the backfield of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon is the strongest offensive personnel group, it sounds like a run-heavy approach is imminent. In response, teams will stack the box and force Love to beat them. Maybe that’ll work out and maybe it won’t. It’s just another answer that will arrive once the mystery box is opened in September. Regardless, a legitimate sideline-to-sideline threat will go a long way towards keeping defenses honest and opening up opportunities for Jones and Dillon.
This isn’t to say that I don’t expect Reed to get vertical. He has game-breaking upside, and I expect him to be a relatively reliable third-down guy out of the slot. With Love being less shy about using the middle of the field, there’s never been a better time to bring back the Randall Cobb archetype. Mecole Hardman’s last couple years in Kansas City feel like the floor for Reed’s usage — some jet sweep, some screen action, some zone-beating quick routes, and some kill shots downfield.
It’s hard to say what will become of the 2023 Packers. It’s even harder to say that they will be good. With a great group of elite defenders that has struggled to get great results, and an offense that could realistically rank anywhere from 10 to 30 in the league, they’re probably the most difficult team in the NFL to pin down. Whichever direction things go, seeing the trajectory of the young talent will be exciting. Love and the receiver room headline it, but Lukas Van Ness, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, and Eric Stokes figure to be interesting storylines as well. Bereft of Rodgers, there should be no shortage of national narratives surrounding Green Bay. At least, Goodell clearly thinks so, as we’ll see the Love to Reed connection on six different primetime telecasts.
