As rumored, Brian Gutekunst was a busy lad on the first day of “legal” tampering, signing guard Aaron Banks and cornerback Nate Hobbs to big deals.
Cornerback was a major team need, and the offensive line needed a boost after the Philadelphia Eagles exposed their depth, so the signings make a lot of sense.
Unfortunately, the Packers couldn’t make a splash with two of their other major needs: wide receiver and pass rush.
Green Bay’s need for a true WR1 isn’t a new topic of conversation, especially after Josh Jacobs’ comments on the subject. Those types of wide receivers don’t grow on trees or hit the market often if they’re game-changing, but there were a few intriguing options.
None of those potential candidates became Green Bay Packers in the initial wave of activity, and the remaining options are fairly dry. At this point, if the Packers want to acquire a true game-changing weapon for Jordan Love, it’ll have to be through the draft.
With Christian Watson set to miss time and the current WR group’s cheap rookie deals entering their final days, the Packers need some help at the position. There weren’t many great options out there, but two were of particular interest.
Every year, we see a player’s name attached to Green Bay that generates excitement before not going to Green Bay. This year, that player was former Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf.
Discussion from the combine linked the Packers to Metcalf even before Metcalf was publicly looking for a trade. Metcalf’s size and speed would have been a significant boost for Matt LaFleur’s offense and given Love a legitimate star pass catcher.
The hiccups were the cost and the potential fit. A first-round pick plus other assets is already steep for a team that doesn’t generally trade for veterans, and Metcalf would require a new, long-term deal. It was also reported Metcalf didn’t want to go somewhere cold.
Ultimately, Metcalf went to notoriously warm Pittsburgh for a second-round pick and signed a four-year $132 million extension. That would have been steep but doable for the Packers.
But as it turns out, the Packers may have been less in the market for Metcalf than believed, with The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman reporting that the Packers never made an offer for Metcalf.
I'm told the Packers never made an offer to the Seahawks for DK Metcalf, contrary to multiple reports. Brian Gutekunst and John Schneider are good friends from their time together in Green Bay, but a deal between the two for Metcalf was never a realistic possibility.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) March 10, 2025
It’s rare enough for the Packers to trade for a player, but the top WR on the open market also made sense for Green Bay, considering he’s one of the best players to ever play for the franchise. After the New York Jets released Davante Adams, he was free to sign anywhere, including his former team.
Although Adams is 32, he’s still a productive receiver with outstanding route-running and a familiarity with the offense. Gutekunst rarely targets older players, but a reunion made a lot of sense.
That dream never became a reality, with Adams signing with the Los Angeles Rams and Jason Wilde reporting that there was no contact between the Packers and Adams.
Said this on @WildeAndTausch: While Davante Adams was "open" to rejoining the #Packers, I had no idea if Gutey was interested in that. Turns out, there was zero contact with Adams before he joined the Rams today.
Story on @WISCTV_News3 is up now:https://t.co/YnQa42N9ss
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) March 10, 2025
The top two options out there didn’t become Packers, and the front office didn’t seriously consider them. That doesn’t bode well for the chances of landing a major pass-catcher before the draft.
It’s not to say the Packers won’t or can’t add a receiver between now and the draft — a lot can happen in the next month! However, the chances of getting a “WR1,” or your preferred epithet, are low.
The next best option after Metcalf and Adams was probably Chris Godwin, who signed a massive extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Green Bay could try to trade for Brandon Aiyuk or Chris Olave, but I don’t think they’ll give up draft capital. Gutekunst loves his picks.
Cooper Kupp will be available. Still, he doesn’t really move the needle that much at this point in his career, and his age would be a factor.
The Packers could add a roleplayer to the room, and a speedster like Marquez Valdes-Scantling still makes sense. Still, there isn’t anyone out there to completely build an offense around.
It’s not the end of the world, though. Green Bay still had a dominant offense, even with an injured Jordan Love and a high drop rate, leaving plenty of points off the board. Internal growth and perhaps more of a focus on the tight ends can help the offense take a step forward.
Maybe not getting one of these top-end WRs will force Matt LaFleur to build more of his offense around Tucker Kraft. Packers are obviously missing a big piece at WR but they also have a full offseason to evolve/adjust to the talent they DO have.
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) March 10, 2025
Still, without Watson, the Packers are missing a crucial element of their offense. The team needs to add, at the very least, some speed. They also need to think about the future of the WR room.
There are some fun receivers in this draft class, and rookie receivers have more immediate impact than ever. You’ll still get someone who can change the offense in Year 1, but any addition is a gamble.
Could this be the year the Packers shock the world and take a receiver in the first round? It’s not impossible. However, considering the defensive line is an even bigger need, I’d expect Gutekunst to target that group early. Still, I’d be very surprised if the Packers don’t use at least one top-100 pick on a wide receiver.
Green Bay’s current group of wide receivers didn’t take the leap we hoped in the 2024 season. They need some more talent in that room. But with the state of the free-agency market, don’t expect that investment to come from an outside hire. As is common, the Packers will probably wait until the draft to address that need.
