WHO DEVELOPS INTO the NUMBER ONE WIDE RECEIVER in GB ?

[Scott Campbell]

Imagine all the room underneath Wicks and Reed (and Melton) will have if a corner and safety both have to go with Watson consistently.

Melton ran a slightly faster 40 at the combine than Watson. Both those guys should be able to take the top off a defense.

[MadScientist]

Also, LefFleur uses the TE and middle of the field in his offense. We went away from that for years after Finley got hurt.

That really helps the WR when you know the route isn’t going down the sideline like ARod did over and over. Only ARods ability to drop it in a bucket kept our O running at times.

But was that Rodgers or was it fat mike? I guess fat mike developed Rodgers so chicken and egg.

More like TT and Gute all but ignoring the position and getting poor talent when they didn't ignore it. When your featured TE's are Dick Rod or Slowburger, throwing down the middle is a losing proposition.

[sharpe1027]

Melton ran a slightly faster 40 at the combine than Watson. Both those guys should be able to take the top off a defense.

It takes more than just running a fast forty to do what Watson has already done.Having five inches on Melton is part of it, but not all. I'll believe it when I see it start happening in the games consistently, not before.

[Scott Campbell]

It takes more than just running a fast forty to do what Watson has already done.Having five inches on Melton is part of it, but not all. I'll believe it when I see it start happening in the games consistently, not before.

Nobody said he’s going to do what Watson has already done. I said he has the elite speed you want to take the top off a defense. That’s not exactly unconventional thinking.

Melton is a roster lock. He’s likely the 5th receiver. That’s tremendous progress for a guy claimed off waivers during his rookie year. In my opinion he did enough last year to prove he can fill in really nicely when injuries strike, primarily because he’s already done just that. He’s the 3rd best blocker in the receiving room behind only Watson and Heath. His 9.24 RAS is starting to show up on some game film. But if you want to be really conservative you could always wait till the guy retires before you commit to believing it.

How many 5th WRs in the league do you rank as better than Melton?

[bobblehead]

More like TT and Gute all but ignoring the position and getting poor talent when they didn't ignore it. When your featured TE's are Dick Rod or Slowburger, throwing down the middle is a losing proposition.

I disagree. The packers had some talented guys around, but Rodgers doesn't like the middle of the field. His 2 faves at TE were Finley and the guy who wouldn't block...what was his name from the rams I think. Then TT wouldn't pay him like an all pro after 7 good games where he still didn't throw a block. Both of those guys were more sideline wide TEs than inline guys who could split the seam. There were several that might have developed if Rodgers used them properly. Just cuz we didn't draft any TEs in round 1 didn't mean it was ignored.

[run pMc]

If they have a good group of WRs like it appears they do, I don't care if they have a WR1 or not. Makes it harder for a defense to focus on one player (a la Devante and scrubs).

In terms of WR1, WR2, etc., I'd categorize Doubs as a very good WR3, potentially to be a decent WR2. He's like a James Jones type to me. I don't think Doubs is explosive, but he seems to be clutch and Love trusts him in the RZ.
Watson is all potential. If he can stay healthy, look out.

100% agree you can't assume all these guys will continue to develop, or develop on a steady, steep trajectory. I do think there is tremendous potential with this group still. And yeah, I like Melton as WR5.

there was a bunch of chatter about some clickbait article throwing out a trade idea of CeeDee for one of Watson/Doubs PLUS Reed PLUS a R2 pick. LOLOLOL no effing way anyone does that. You'd gut your receiving corps AND have to sign Lamb to a massive extension.
GB is the envy of many GMs with their young, talented, (potentially) emerging, and very CHEAP receiving corps. You do not trade that away.

I do agree with those who have theorized WRs could become the new RBs. Almost every year the WR draft classes come out deep and talented, and they no longer need a 3 year development curve. Paying a player $30M to make 7 catches a game is an expensive proposition, especially when you can try your luck every year in the draft.

[sharpe1027]

Nobody said he’s going to do what Watson has already done. I said he has the elite speed you want to take the top off a defense. That’s not exactly unconventional thinking.

Melton is a roster lock. He’s likely the 5th receiver. That’s tremendous progress for a guy claimed off waivers during his rookie year. In my opinion he did enough last year to prove he can fill in really nicely when injuries strike, primarily because he’s already done just that. He’s the 3rd best blocker in the receiving room behind only Watson and Heath. His 9.24 RAS is starting to show up on some game film. But if you want to be really conservative you could always wait till the guy retires before you commit to believing it.

How many 5th WRs in the league do you rank as better than Melton?

Hold on, I neither said nor implied anything about Melton as a roster lock, over performing expectations, or waiting until he retires to believe he can take to top off a defense.

I was responding to your statement "both those guys should be able to take the top off defenses." Melton isn't there yet. Defenses aren't shifting coverage his way. I didn't say it's not possible, but I've seen enough fast WRs to not compare him to some that's already caused that to happen with play on the field and not just combine numbers.

[Scott Campbell]

Defenses aren't shifting coverage his way.

Any deep safety that doesn’t account for Melton’s or Watson’s speed isn’t a very thorough professional. I think it’s naive to believe that NFL scouting departments don’t know that this guy can fly.

The Packers saw enough from Melton to make Malik Heath a healthy scratch in both playoff games.

[Arctic Fox]

I think Wicks will have the most receptions this season, with Reed a close second.

[sharpe1027]

Any deep safety that doesn’t account for Melton’s or Watson’s speed isn’t a very thorough professional. I think it’s naive to believe that NFL scouting departments don’t know that this guy can fly.

The Packers saw enough from Melton to make Malik Heath a healthy scratch in both playoff games.

I know NFL teams know Melton is fast. The post you responded to was expressing excitement to things opening up for the other good WRs if Watson is healthy. I don't think Melton commands as much respect as Watson and won't open things up like Watson.

[Scott Campbell]

I know NFL teams know Melton is fast. The post you responded to was expressing excitement to things opening up for the other good WRs if Watson is healthy. I don't think Melton commands as much respect as Watson and won't open things up like Watson.

Almost got it. Fritz talked about things opening up "underneath". That's what I responded to because not everbody knows that Melton is faster than Watson.

[sharpe1027]

Almost got it. Fritz talked about things opening up "underneath". That's what I responded to because not everbody knows that Melton is faster than Watson.

Okay. I don't think Melton commands as much respect as Watson and won't open things up underneath like Watson. At least not until he beats them consistently.

[Joemailman]

I don't think Melton really is faster than Watson despite the 40 times at Combine. Watson had ended the 2021 season with a hamstring injury and would then need minor knee surgery in June 2022. I doubt he was running 100% at the Combine. The speed Watson showed against Bears and Eagles in 2022 was something I've rarely seen on the football field. He destroyed angles.

[RashanGary]

I know NFL teams know Melton is fast. The post you responded to was expressing excitement to things opening up for the other good WRs if Watson is healthy. I don't think Melton commands as much respect as Watson and won't open things up like Watson.

I kind of think that too. They both ran in the upper 4.3s but sometimes guys don’t quite play at their combine speed. Watson plays every bit of his timed speed and maybe more. I haven’t seen enough of melton to know if he plays as fast as Watson.

[Scott Campbell]

I don't think Melton really is faster than Watson despite the 40 times at Combine. Watson had ended the 2021 season with a hamstring injury and would then need minor knee surgery in June 2022. I doubt he was running 100% at the Combine. The speed Watson showed against Bears and Eagles in 2022 was something I've rarely seen on the football field. He destroyed angles.

Watson was healthy enough at the combine to run a faster 10 yard split, 20 yard split and 3 cone drill than Melton. But maybe the hammy didn’t impact those. I don’t know - I’m not a doctor.

I think both guys have elite top speed.

“Bo Melton and Christian Watson were two of the fastest players at Bommarito Performance Center last winter, and they knew it.
While preparing for the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, the two receivers pushed one another during training sessions in Miami. The main event was the 40-yard dash, where Melton and Watson consistently produced sub-4.4-second times.
Watson often got the better of that exchange while running in the 4.2s but Melton wasn't far behind. When it came time to travel to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, the light-hearted competition to see who would come out on top reached its apex.
The Winner? Melton, by two-hundredths of a second.”

Wes Hodkiewicz