Green Bay Packers fans Gannon Blankenship, left, 15, his brother Gage Blankenship, 13, and their father Doyle Blankenship watch players warm up before the start of the game against the Oakland Raiders Sunday, October 20, 2019, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The three are from Oklahoma. Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
The Green Bay Packers will set sail on a regular season without a surefire Hall of Fame quarterback for the first time in 31 years this September, and when doing so, they might be accompanied by a five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver if summer free agency breaks in their favor.
Sportsbooks forecast Green Bay for 7.5 wins in 2023, scraping the bottom of the NFC North along with the Chicago Bears.
This week, ESPN’s Field Yates recommended a final offseason move for all 32 NFL teams, and in Green Bay, that could be the free-agent addition of Jarvis Landry.
Yates explained, “The Jordan Love and youth movements are on in Green Bay in the post-Rodgers era, with the team investing five draft picks on wide receivers and tight ends in April. I’m already getting excited about this offense’s potential. I understand that very few veteran pass-catchers available right now have a chance to be a major impact player on the field, but I do think there is a spot for a player who brings leadership qualities to make his mark.”
Somehow, Wisconsinites blinked and Davante Adams, plus Aaron Rodgers, left the organization in a 13-month span.
“As an example, while the team might want as many snaps for the youngsters who can play in the slot as possible, I do think Jarvis Landry’s presence would bring instant lessons in preparation that would pay off,” Yates concluded about Landry in Green Bay.
Landry has been linked off and on to the Packers for much of the offseason. Hampered by injury, the 30-year-old played just five games in 2022 with the New Orleans Saints, experiencing a career-low in targets with 39.
For now, this is the Packers WR room:
And most of the general population doesn’t know who the bottom nine receivers are, thus adding legitimacy to a possible Landry addition. He’d comfortably slide into a WR2 or WR3 role if healthy.
Playing for the Dolphins, Browns, and Saints since entering the league in 2014, Landry has collected 7,870 receiving yards in 9 seasons, with 38 touchdowns. Last month, he highlighted his own career resume on Twitter, “5x Pro Bowler, 2017 Rec Champion, most Catches In the First 3,4,5,6,7 years than anyone in the history of Football and my last 3 years..”
Landry should be gettable for a modest price this late in free agency. CBS Sports speculated the Vikings could sign Landry in May, although Minnesota is pretty well-stocked at wide receiver.
The Vikings are 8-7-1 (.531) against the Packers since the start of 2015.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.