Green Bay Packers relying on young weapons around Aaron Rodgers

The Green Bay Packers aren’t betting on Aaron Rodgers. They are betting on the youth around him.

Aaron Rodgers, 35, is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. It’s evident he’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, owner of two Most Valuable Player awards and a Lombardi Trophy. However, with perhaps only a few years left in his magical right arm, Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are hoping to add some more hardware before it’s too late.

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In that vein, it was expected the Green Bay Packers would be somewhat aggressive in free agency this offseason. General manager Brian Gutekunst certainly was, adding pass rushers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith. As well as that, he brought in guard Billy Turner and safety Adrian Amos. In April’s draft, Gutekunst took his pair of first-round selections and turned them into edge rusher Rashan Gary and free safety Darnell Savage.

All of those players should have an immediate impact, but it’s worth noting none of them are weapons for Rodgers.

Nope. Instead, Gutekunst and the Packers are relying on the core already in place and a new head coach in Matt LaFleur to make things happen.

Looking at the offense, the main stalwarts are star receiver Davante Adams and aging tight end Jimmy Graham. Beyond them are receivers Equanimeous St. Brown and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, both of who are entering their second seasons. St. Brown chipped in as a rookie out of Notre Dame with 21 catches and 328 yards (zero touchdowns) while Valdes-Scantling notched 38 receptions for 581 yards and two touchdowns.

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Clearly, Gutekunst believes they can blossom into more in 2019. If that’s not the case, all of the opponents will be focusing their attention on shutting down the play of Adams, who is arguably one of the 10 best receivers in the game. The Packers clearly showed their faith by allowing veteran Randall Cobb to leave in free agency for the Dallas Cowboys, with Cobb making some candid comments on the way out of Green Bay, per NFL.com:

“It’s like the ex-girlfriend that broke up with you,” Cobb said. “When you see her five years later, you hope you’re in a better situation than you were before — married, with kids, and you’re able to say, ‘Yeah, I did better without you.'”

With training camp only a few weeks away, the Packers are eyeing a return to the top of the NFC North. If they are to achieve their goals, a pair of young receivers must help lead the way.