Whether MVS or another WR, Packers Need to Find Vertical Threat

Among the Green Bay Packers many free agents this offseason is wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. MVS certainly isn’t a high-volume pass-catcher, but his ability to win downfield with his speed is a critical element to the Matt LaFleur offense.

 

Over his four-year career, Valdes-Scantling has averaged 17.5 yards per catch, including 20.9 yards in 2020, which led the NFL. With 4.37 speed, there isn’t another receiver on this team who can bring the same big-play ability that MVS can. 

 

Unfortunately, MVS would miss time this season with a hamstring injury during the regular season, and he would also miss Green Bay’s playoff game against San Francisco with a back injury. While still effective, Green Bay would go from ranking second in explosive pass plays in 2020, according to Sharp Football, to 10th this past season–and that certainly isn’t a coincidence considering the time that MVS missed.

 

There isn’t one specific reason why the Packers’ offense took a step back in 2021 when comparing them to the 2020 unit — averaging nearly six less points per game — but rather several of them, including one big one, which is that the offense simply wasn’t as effective on deep shots.

 

“83 has been hurt,” Rodgers said via Packers Wire prior to Week 7. “That definitely is a big part of it. We haven’t had a ton of that stuff in the plan. Also, we’ve seen a lot of Cover-2. With 83 not playing, and them clouding Davante a bunch, we just haven’t had the same opportunities.”

 

When it comes to MVS and his ability to win downfield, as we just discussed, there are the obvious big plays that come with that. However, the attention that he draws with that speed of his also helps create for his teammates and leads to better spacing on the field, which should result in more pass-catching opportunities and more YAC opportunities as well. Not to mention that the shot play is a key component of LaFleur’s offense–especially with Aaron Rodgers under center.

 

The playoff loss to the 49ers is a prime example of what can happen when the deep ball element is missing–San Francisco was able to shrink the field and play much more condensed without having to worry about Valdes-Scantling, which made moving the ball through the air more difficult for Green Bay. 

 

“Quez, he’s so important to this offense,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said via the Wisconsin State Journal. “Obviously, the speed, his ability to stretch the field, create some explosive plays, it gives the defense somebody else in the passing game to worry about other than Tae.”

 

With the Green Bay Packers’ tight cap situation, we don’t know what the future holds for MVS. But regardless of whether it’s MVS, an incoming free agent, or perhaps a rookie in this year’s draft, the Packers need to make finding that vertical threat a priority this offseason. As highlighted above, with Valdes-Scantling sidelined for a portion of the season, this Green Bay offense was missing that element, and everyone felt those effects.

 

Who knows what the Packers will have to spend in free agency if MVS ends up elsewhere, but Brennen Rupp of Packers Wire provided us with a few names in this year’s draft class who could fill that downfield passing role.

 

Brennen would mention SMU’s Reggie Roberson Jr, whose position coach would call him “one of the best vertical threats in college football.” Then there is Romeo Doubs from Nevada. “According to PFF,” Brennen said, “Doubs led the FBS with 505 deep receiving yards in 2020.”

 

Two other names include Alec Pierce from Cincinnati, who averaged 17.5 yards per catch over his career, and South Alabama’s Jalen Tolbert. Brennen would go on to add that Tolbert caught “41 passes of 20-plus yards” the last two seasons, and he had “the fifth most deep receiving yards in the FBS this past season,” per PFF.

 

These are a few names to keep your eyes on as the draft process unfolds, but you get the idea, the point is that whether it be one of these rookies or maybe Green Bay re-signs MVS, finding that vertical passing threat this offseason is a must for this LaFleur offense. The entire offense benefits when defenses have that element to worry about.