Latest news with #Doubs
USA Today
7 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Should Packers extend Romeo Doubs? What the stats say about Jordan Love's trusted target
Should Packers extend Romeo Doubs? What the stats say about Jordan Love's trusted target With three years of NFL experience under his belt, the Green Bay Packers have a firm grasp on what kind of player Romeo Doubs is. His strengths, weaknesses and overall ceiling are fairly well established at this point as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. Based on the stats he has put up, here is what we know about Doubs three years into his NFL career: Strengths The biggest strengths of Doubs' game are his ability to win contested catches and to put the ball in the end zone. These are the types of traits that could be labelled as "clutch," and Doubs has certainly been reliable for his quarterback when a play needs to be made. Among qualified NFL receivers, Doubs ranks in the 64th percentile for contested catch rate, and the 88th percentile since 2023, when Jordan Love took over from Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. He has 16 career touchdowns, including nine in 2023, and ranks in the 71st percentile for touchdowns per target over the last two years. With the type of quarterback Love is in terms of being willing to throw the ball up and give his guy a chance to make a play, Doubs has been a valuable asset in the receiver room as someone Love can trust in the red zone or when they absolutely need a play. This is also evidenced by his excellent drop rate deep downfield, where he ranks in the 98th percentile. Doubs has performed well against zone coverage, particularly in the last two years, ranking in the 69th percentile for yards per reception (Y/REC) and the 72nd percentile for yards per route run (Y/RR) versus zone since 2023. Weaknesses The weakest area of Doubs' play to this point is his ability, or lack thereof, to get yards after the catch and make people miss. He ranks in just the 34th percentile for yards after the catch per reception (YAC/REC) and the 22nd for missed tackles forced per reception (MTF/REC) since entering the league. It is simply not part of his skill set. Like some of Green Bay's other receivers, Doubs has had his battles with drops. He ranks in the 28th percentile for drop rate since 2022. Also similarly to some of his teammates, he has not performed especially well against man coverage. He lands in the 32nd and 21st percentile in Y/REC and Y/REC respectively when facing man coverage since 2022, has never ranked above average in either metric and in 2023, ranked dead last in Y/RR versus man. Doubs has not been much of a deep threat in his NFL career so far either, ranking in the 17th percentile for Y/REC and the 30th for Y/RR 20+ yards downfield. These may seem like short lists of true strengths and weaknesses, and that is a fair reflection of Doubs as a player. He is solid in most aspects of receiver play but does not have many areas he really excels or is a liability. Trending up Doubs has improved his effectiveness year on year in the short part of the field year on year, and it was the best part of his game in terms of receiving depth in 2024. From his rookie season through year three, his Y/REC ranking increased from the 14th percentile to the 41st and then the 64th, while his Y/RR ranking went up from the 12th percentile to the 53rd and then the 70th. He ranked in the 74th percentile in drop rate and the 87th in contested catch rate between 0-10 yards downfield in 2024, leading the team in first downs picked up in that area, another indicator of the trustworthy player he has become. Although his performance against man coverage has been suboptimal, Doubs did improve in 2024 and managed career high ranks of the 45th and 43rd percentile for Y/REC and Y/RR respectively. Doubs has become a stronger run blocker each year. His PFF run block grade ranked in just the 23rd percentile as a rookie, but rose to the 33rd percentile in 2023 and jumped significantly to the 64th percentile last year. Trending down After appearing to put his issues with catching the ball behind him in 2023, ranking in the 53rd percentile, the drops reappeared in 2024, as Doubs ranked in the 26th percentile in drop rate compared to the rest of the league. The Packers have a decision to make on Doubs, who is set to hit free agency at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign. Based on what he has shown so far, the deep, young receiver room he is part of, the lack of reporting around the team wanting to keep him, and the rumors he may have been dangled to Seattle in trade talks for DK Metcalf, it seems unlikely Doubs will get an extension in Green Bay. He is a solid player and has provided real value to the Packers, serving an underrated role, but he does not appear to be the quality of player they will pay, especially given the other contracts they have to handle in 2026. Doubs should have a strong market in free agency a year from now and be paid well, but barring a significant improvement in a host of areas this season, taking him from a slightly above average to difference-making wideout, it will not be Green Bay writing the check.
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Packers Key Starter Surprisingly Named 'Most Obvious' Trade Chip
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers are looking to take the next step during the 2025 NFL season. Over the last two years, they have been a borderline contender in the NFC, but have come up short in the playoffs. During the offseason, the Packers were not as aggressive as many expected them to be. However, they did add two key pieces in NFL free agency with offensive lineman Aaron Banks and cornerback Nate Hobbs joining the team. In the 2025 NFL Draft, general manager Brian Gutekunst went heavy on offense, bringing in former Texas standout wide receiver Matthew Golden in the first round and TCU standout wide receiver Savion Williams in the third round. Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on in the second half during a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field on August 24, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on in the second half during a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field on August 24, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Photo byOn the outside looking in, the roster is good enough to compete for a Super Bowl. They do play in the extremely difficult NFC North, but they should be a contender. Read more: Packers May Get Final Chapter With Aaron Rodgers After All With that being said, Green Bay may have a logjam at the wide receiver position that needs to be cleared. Outside of the two rookies, the Packers have Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, and Bo Melton on the roster. How might the team clear the wide receiver logjam? There is a good chance that they open up to trade offers regarding one of their wideouts. ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell believes that Doubs is the "most obvious candidate" to be moved ahead of the 2025 season. Since joining the team back in the 2022 season, Doubs has emerged as a key starter for Green Bay. "Doubs seems like the most obvious candidate, given that he was already suspended for one week by the team last season for missing a pair of practices. Owed $3.4 million in the final year of his rookie deal, the Packers might rack up a compensatory pick if he leaves after the season as a free agent, but Gutekunst has been relatively aggressive adding options such as Jacobs, Xavier McKinney and Nate Hobbs over the past couple of offseasons," Barnwell wrote. "Dealing Doubs would lock in draft compensation and avoid a potential headache if he falls down the depth chart during the season." Read more: Packers Dealt Brutal Honesty About QB Jordan Love Last season, Doubs played in 13 games. He racked up 46 receptions for 601 yards and four touchdowns. Doubs has totaled 147 catches for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns in 43 career games over three years. Expect to hear rumors surrounding the Packers as the 2025 season continues to draw closer. Green Bay may opt to keep their top wide receiver depth, but a trade is certainly not out of the question. For more Green Bay Packers and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Packers Change Decision on Record-Breaking UDFA Receiver
General manager Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers have been busy making moves at wide receiver this offseason. After signing three-time Super Bowl champion Mecole Hardman in free agency, the team finally spent a first-round pick on a wide receiver, adding Texas's Matthew Golden with the 23rd overall selection. They additionally drafted TCU receiver Savion Williams in the third round. Advertisement Despite the incoming rookie additions to the room, there was yet another receiver that Green Bay added shortly after the NFL Draft concluded. Wide receiver Julian Fleming catches a pass during Penn State's Pro Day in Holuba Hall© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images It was reported that the Packers signed former Penn State and Ohio State receiver Julian Fleming as an undrafted free agent (UDFA). However, according to Marc Malkoskie of The News-Item, Fleming failed his physical upon arrival in Green Bay and headed back home shortly after. Fleming was a five-star recruit coming out of high school in Pennsylvania, where he ranked as the No. 1 receiver and No. 3 overall recruit in the 2020 class after a record-breaking high school career. Advertisement The 24-year-old spent four seasons at Ohio State but played behind the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon-Smith Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jameson Williams, and Emeka Egbuka. His most productive collegiate season came in 2022 with CJ Stroud, where he posted 34 receptions for 533 yards and six touchdowns for the Buckeyes. He transferred to Penn State following the 2023 season. In 16 games, Fleming hauled in 14 catches on 22 targets for 176 yards and one touchdown. Despite the Nittany Lions making a deep playoff run, he was not a part of the team's rotation -- playing just 176 offensive snaps throughout the season. Related: Matt LaFleur Reveals Plan For Newly Acquired Packer Isaiah Simmons While it is unlikely that Fleming would have made the team regardless, considering its depth at the position, he has been in contact with multiple other teams, including the Commanders, Ravens, and 49ers. Advertisement The Packers are still expected to make a major receiver departure as the new season approaches. The receiver room now consists primarily of rookies Golden and Williams, Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and Hardman. Watson and Doubs are each entering the final year of their rookie contract. There have been recent rumors circulating about Green Bay potentially trading Doubs to the Pittsburgh Steelers after they dealt George Pickens. At least one of Watson or Doubs will likely be moved in the coming weeks and months. Related: The Packers Pick Up Fifth-Year Option of Former First-Round Pick Related: Newly Drafted Packers WR Matthew Golden Described by GM With These Two Words
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jets Projected to Trade for 1,700-Yard Weapon
The New York Jets have employed their fair share of former Green Bay Packers over the past two seasons, and primarily on offense. Of course, that's largely been to please former quarterback Aaron Rodgers, adding all of his friends, such as Davante Adams, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. Yet, with all of those receiving options that have cycled through the Packers to Jets pipeline, the Jets could still add one more. The Packers drafted receivers in the first and third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft and have three receivers under contract for 2026, which means someone has to be the odd man out. Advertisement Bleacher Report's Alex Kay predicts that man is Romeo Doubs, who in his three-year NFL career has caught 147 passes for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns. Kay predicts that the Jets will swing a trade for Doubs, continuing on the trend. "(Matthew) Golden and (Savion) Williams are joining a receiving corps already brimming with young talent. All of quarterback Jordan Love's top weapons from last season are set to return, including leading pass-catcher Jayden Reed, the promising but injury-prone Christian Watson (who is making his way back from a Week 18 ACL tear) and consistent No. 2 receiver Romeo Doubs. With other talents such as Dontayvion Wicks and veteran free-agent pickup Mecole Hardman also in the mix, Doubs appears to be a prime trade candidate this offseason." Wrote Kay. For the Packers, it makes a lot of sense, Doubs will be in a tough competition with a lot of players who may have more upside. Advertisement "The 2022 fourth-round pick has been steady but unspectacular over his first three professional campaigns. He's appeared in 43 games in that span—starting 35—and has 147 receptions on 235 targets for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns. While there's still a chance he takes a leap going into his fourth season, it's unlikely to occur in Green Bay. Rather than further reduce Doubs' already slim number of looks—he was a distant fifth in Packers targets in 2024—before allowing him to hit free agency when his rookie deal expires after the season, the team should be proactive and deal him to a team in need of receiving weapons." Related: Justin Fields Tipped For Career Rebirth With Jets Related: Analyst Whiffs on Potential Garrett Wilson Extension
Forbes
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Packers Draft By Position: Green Bay Should Invest Heavily In Wide Receivers
Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan (4) is widely considered the top wide receiver in this year's NFL Draft. Note: The NFL Draft begins April 24 and the Green Bay Packers have the 23rd pick in the first round. Between now and then, I'll examine Green Bay's current situation at each position and how likely the Packers are to take a player for that group. The Packers have some solid players, but lack a true No. 1 wideout. Jayden Reed led the team in receptions (55) for a second straight year and had a team-best 857 receiving yards. His six touchdown receptions ranked second. Despite being the Packers' top option in the passing game, though, there were seven games Reed had two catches, or fewer. 'I think that we could have done better from a staff perspective of trying to put him in some more advantageous situations where he could have produced those numbers, because he's an explosive player and he's one of those guys that you want to get the ball to, no doubt about it,' Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Reed. Romeo Doubs ranked third on the team with 46 receptions, was third in receiving yards (601) and fourth in touchdowns. But Doubs also missed two games with concussions and another after he was suspended for going AWOL from the team. Third-year man Dontayvion Wicks was an enormous disappointment in 2024. Wicks led the Packers in targets (76), but was just fourth in receptions (39) and fourth in receiving yards (415). His catch rate of 51.3% was the second worst in football among wideouts. Christian Watson, the Packers' fastest wideout, will likely miss much of the 2025 campaign after tearing his ACL in Green Bay's regular season finale last year. Bo Melton (17 catches) and Malik Heath (13) are deep down the depth chart. When the season ended, Packers Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs said the team needed a true No. 1 wideout. LaFleur also admitted recently that his receivers simply weren't good enough in 2024. According to Pro Football Reference, the Packers had the third-highest number of drops in football last season (33) and the second-highest drop rate (6.9%). 'To be honest with you … we had a ton of drops, and that's an area that we have to clean up,' LaFleur said. This is — and will always be — an offensive league first and foremost. So while Green Bay's defense needs help, finding more weapons for quarterback Jordan Love should be the Packers' first order of business. The group of Reed, Doubs, Wicks and Melton probably doesn't scare many defensive coordinators league-wide. And after coming up empty in free agency, the pressure is on general manager Brian Gutekunst to find help for this group. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst on finding a No. 1 receiver: 'You'd like to have somebody move into that space, maybe, but at the same time, I'd like multiple guys to be able to move into that space. What I'm looking for is guys that when they're called upon can perform at a high level. I think we have a lot of guys that have done that and are moving into that space, but whether that means acquiring one or one of those guys we have now move into that space …' Packers coach Matt LaFleur on the high number of drops from his wideouts: 'That's an area that we have to clean up. Some of those were some challenging balls to catch, but ultimately that's what they get paid to do, you've got to catch the ball and that's got to be primary. I think most of it was focus related. I don't think it's a lack of effort or skill. I think our guys are capable, I think we've seen that from them.' Gutekunst on the Packers not taking a first round receiver since 2002: 'I don't think we'd ever hesitate to take a receiver in the first round if the right one was there. We certainly talked about it at different times in the last seven years since I've been in this spot, trying to make that happen. So, I don't really look at it as a philosophical thing. I will say we've hit on a lot of second-round receivers. There's been a lot of guys that we've taken in that group that have become really, really good players for us. Not only us, but throughout the league.' If the Packers are going to catch teams like Philadelphia, Detroit, Washington and the Los Angeles Rams in 2025, they need a difference maker at wide receiver. That means Green Bay will almost certainly invest on one early in this draft. Here are five players the Packers might consider selecting in the first two rounds of the draft. • Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona (6-4, 215) — Had a whopping 213 receptions for 3,423 and 26 touchdowns during his three-year career with the Wildcats. Was third in the nation with 1,391 receiving yards last season. Big, strong, and fast enough (4.53). The Packers would almost certainly have to trade up and into the middle of the first round to land McMillan. Projection: Round 1. • Matthew Golden, Texas (5-11, 191) — Ran the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds at this year's NFL Combine, fastest among all the wideouts. Spent two years at Houston, then transferred to Texas where he had 58 receptions, nine TDs and averaged 17.0 yards per catch. Undersized, but can play outside and in the slot. Also a standout on kick returns. Projection: Round 1-2. • Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State (6-1, 202) — Ohio State's all-time leader in receptions (205) and career receiving yards (2,868). Ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds at his pro day, alleviating some concerns about his speed. Can play outside or in the slot. Projection: Round 2. • Luther Burden, Missouri (6-0, 206) — Three year totals were 192 receptions, 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns. Also had 34 carries for 234 yards and six touchdowns. Small hands (8 ½'), but catches everything. Attitude and work ethic have been questioned by many scouts. Projection: Round 2. • Jayden Higgins, Iowa State (6-4, 215) — Played two seasons at Eastern Kentucky before transferring to Iowa State for his final two years. Caught 140 passes for 2,166 and 15 touchdowns with the Cyclones. Tremendous size, long arms (33 1/8'), but 40-yard dash time (4.54) isn't great. Projection: Round 2. Part 1 — Quarterbacks
