3 free agent offensive weapons the Packers should target to help Aaron Rodgers
Although Aaron Rodgers likely won't say it, a part of him has to be shaking his head incredulously.
After spending nearly a decade with Davante Adams firmly by his side, his trusty sidekick has opted against returning to Green Bay Pakcers for the foreseeable future. Aaron Rodgers, in part, and his wishy-washy attitude, is to blame for Adams jumping ship.
Regardless of those extraneous circumstances, the Green Bay Packers should be scouring the free agency landscape in an attempt to get Rodgers some much-needed help.
While the regular season is just around the corner, Green Bay still has ample time to pick up the phone and make a few offers. In terms of who they should reach out to, we'll give them our list of must-have receivers that could have a huge impact on their season.
Odell Beckham Jr.
Even at this stage in Odell Beckham Jr.’s career, if he were snagged off the free agency market, he would be considered the Packers' most explosive player.
Beckham, now 29, has longed for both stability and longevity from the quarterback position since his arrival in the NFL in 2014. From the start, with the help of Eli Manning, Beckham turned heads with his blinding speed and athletic pass-catching ability.
However, as the injury bug has perpetually attacked him, the former three-time Pro Bowler has ostensibly lost a step.
Nevertheless, despite what appears to be a diminished former star, Green Bay is desperate for an injection of talent. Currently, with Adams donning the black and silver of the Las Vegas Raiders, Rodgers will attempt to revive Green Bay’s hopes while throwing the ball to an unheralded cast.
Outside of Adams, no other Green Bay receiver has recorded anything even remotely close to a thousand yards.
While Beckham may not be the receiver he once was, even at this stage in his career, he’ll provide Aaron Rodgers with Pro Bowl level production.
Cole Beasley
Cole Beasley’s size has never intimidated his competition. Standing at just 5’8” and weighing approximately 175 pounds, while Beasley isn’t the biggest or strongest receiver around, he’s certainly one of the more reliable ones.
Far from being considered a diva or distraction, Beasley simply grabs his lunch pail, throws on his shoulder pads, and goes to work. In three incredibly productive seasons in Buffalo, Beasley hovered around the thousand-yard receiving mark.
Presently, Aaron Rodgers will attempt to make things work on offense with a group bereft of any next-level talent. Beasley, on the other hand, could offer timely production while nurturing some of Green Bay’s young receivers.
Throughout most of Rodgers’ career, he’s relished and shone when given a big mobile target down the field. Although that isn’t Beasley’s game, the diminutive receiver could supply Rodgers with a dink and dunk specialist, one who could offer a reprieve when his other weapons aren’t open for huge chunk plays.
Jared Cook
The 6’5” frame and hulking shoulders haven’t exactly convinced many NFL teams to bring Jared Cook onboard for the long haul. Still, regardless of Cook looking for his seventh home in 13 seasons, there’s reason to believe that a relationship between himself and the Green Bay Packers would be a match made in heaven.
For starters, Green Bay’s current crop of receivers represents one of the more tenuous groups in the entire NFL. Secondly, in addition to Cook’s production - hauling in 48 catches for 564 yards on a Los Angeles Chargers team that was stockpiled with talent, Cook and Rodgers have a certain rapport with one another.
Having played side-by-side during the 2016 season, Cook held an enormous role on a Green Bay team that came within one game of reaching the Super Bowl.
When juxtaposed with his fellow tight end contemporaries, Cook’s number don’t exactly impress. But, in spite of his less than stellar production, Cook wouldn’t be asked to carry the offensive load on his own.
On the contrary, Cook’s bread would be buttered in clutch situations; i.e. 3rd and short. With Green Bay’s options dwindling and Cook still available on the market, they should make the familiar call and begin the reunion process.