Packers HC Matt LaFleur talks up the quality of his wide receivers in recent press conference.
Since trading Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Green Bay Packers haven't had a receiver with 800 yards on their roster, much less 1,000. This situation has left fans and observers wondering whether or not the Packers even have a clear WR1. It also makes one wonder if they need one at all, considering their talent level and recent success. However, Packers coach Matt LaFleur answered these questions Monday in the hopes of putting all the chatter to rest.
Talking to reporters, LaFleur was blunt, to say the least.
“I want to vomit every time I hear ‘No. 1 receiver,' to be honest with you,” the coach said, per The Coachspeak Index on X, formerly Twitter. “It drives me crazy. That's something you guys talk about, I feel like we've got a bunch of them. I think the beauty of them is they're all capable of doing many things, which gives us a lot of versatility from an offensive perspective, in terms of how we use these guys and deploy their talents.”
Do the Packers really need a WR1?
Again, Matt LaFleur's answer is a “No.”
“They're all capable of being a ‘No. 1,' in some capacity,” he added. “It's just how do we want to attack somebody and where do we want to put those guys. Who's gonna get the ball? I don't know. It could change on a week-to-week basis. We saw it last year.”
However, the reporter clarified the question to talk about the fit of Dontayvion Wicks in the team's personnel groups. The Packers' fifth-round pick turned heads in their preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns, when he made a 65-yard reception on the way to their 23-10 victory.
“He made a hell of a play,” LaFleur said. “That could be tough. Maybe we'll be a 10-personnel team. Who knows?”
These comments echo his previous comments about the versatility of his team's WR production. In repeating his sentiments, LaFleur must have really wanted to set the record straight about the Packers' need for a WR1, although the media will always find something to ask.
“I think the beauty of our corps was you just never know who it's gonna be, each and every week,” he said last July. “It seems like a new guy is the focal point and I think that just gives us a lot of flexibility on offense and keeps defenses a little bit more on their heels.”
With quarterback Jordan Love and young coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers want to improve on their 9-8 showing last season, where they beat the Dallas Cowboys, 48-32, to become the first 7-seed to win an NFL playoff game. It was also their first playoff victory without Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. While they eventually lost in the Divisional Round to the NFC champions San Francisco 49ers, the Packers have a lot of positive things to build on entering the 2024 season.
