Doubs Can Be "The Guy"
Is he already Love's number one?
By KenLass
As Packer fans look forward to the coming season, many observers have pointed out that Green Bay does not seem to have a true number one receiver. That instead there is a large, talented group of pass catchers who excel at different facets of the position. Furthermore, some suggest the lack of a number one is actually beneficial, in that defenses can’t key on any individual. That Jordan Love will be better off just spreading the ball around equally.
I don’t buy it. Five of the top six quarterbacks in passing yardage in 2023 had true number one receivers. Tua Tagovailoa had Tyreek Hill. Jared Goff had Amon Ra St. Brown. Dak Prescott had CeeDee Lamb. Josh Allen had Stefon Diggs. And Patrick Mahomes had Travis Kelce. Only Brock Purdy, who finished fifth in total passing yards, didn’t have an obvious go-to target. And that’s only because he has a wide selection of number one-caliber targets in Deebo Samuel, Brand Aiyuk, George Kittle and Christian McCaffery.
The Packers will be better off if one player from their talented stable of pass catchers emerges as a star. Someone who demands double teaming from the defense on every play, who tilts the coverage to one side of the field. Someone defensive coordinators have to game plan to stop. Such a player would lift the entire offense, both rushing and receiving.
Green Bay has at least four receivers who could develop into this kind of threat. I nominate Romeo Doubs. He has all the tools to be a number one. In fact, there is an argument to be made that he already is. At least in clutch situations.
He led the team in overall targets with 96, two more than Jayden Reed. He tied Reed for the most touchdown receptions with eight. He was the clear leader in catches that resulted in a first down with 41, nine more than the nearest teammate. He is durable, being the only receiver to play in all seventeen regular season games in 2023.
In some of the Packers’ key victories last fall, it was Doubs who always seemed to come up with the big catch when the team absolutely had to have it. In week three against the Saints, the Packers had a third and goal at the New Orleans eight yard line with just under three minutes to play, trailing 17-11. It was Doubs who came up with the clutch catch with a toe tap in the end zone for a score that gave Green Bay an 18-17 win, completing an incredible comeback from a 17-0 deficit.
Against the Chargers the Pack was trailing 20-16 with 2:36 left to play. From the opponents’ 24 yard line, Love threw a rainbow into the end zone. The ball was slightly underthrown but Doubs made a spectacular catch, lurching backwards into the air, and snatching the ball with his fingertips away from the trailing defender for the winning touchdown.
In week sixteen, the game was unraveling on the Packers as the lowly Carolina Panthers had rallied in the fourth quarter to tie the game. With all the momentum going against them, Green Bay found themselves faced with third and four at their own 31 with 2:39 left on the clock. Desperately needing to convert, Love looped a pass down the left sideline to Doubs, who made a leaping catch for a 36 yard gain, setting up what would prove to be the winning field goal. I could go on.
I watched a 2023 season highlight reel of Doubs recently. It was obvious that, when Love needed a critical catch, the receiver he had confidence in was number 87. Doubs was “the guy.” The way Davante Adams was “the guy”. The way Jordy Nelson was once “the guy”, or Greg Jennings. Or Donald Driver.
Matt LaFleur says Doubs has attacked OTAs and minicamp with a noticeable passion. “I think Rome’s had an outstanding spring. It’s evident by the work he puts in on a daily basis. He’s in there in the morning catching balls off the jugs. He’s the last guy out of the building. He’s very deliberate about the work he puts in.” The Packers head coach went so far as to say Doubs was one of the standout players in all of spring workouts. “He’s had a lot of great moments. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of a bad day that he’s had out there. He is definitely improving.”
The former University of Nevada star is soft spoken and seldom brags about himself. Asked about becoming the number one receiver, Doubs said modestly “that’s not for me to say. It’s up to the game plan for the opponent.”
Most observers expect the Green Bay receiving game plan to be “by committee” again this year. But don’t be surprised if somebody does emerge as a true number one. Romeo Doubs has star potential. I wouldn’t bet against him.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.
__________________________
Ken Lass is a former Green Bay television sports anchor and 43 year media veteran, a lifelong Packers fan, and a shareholder.
__________________________
Comments (22)
HawkPacker
June 28, 2024 at 12:30 pm
Really does it matter?
We have a very solid WR corps and no one really jumps out as being head and shoulders above the others. That is a good thing. The defense generally will not focus on just one player but they have to guard them all pretty much the same way.
Also, look a year to two years down the road. At this point in time it does not look like we will have to pay mega bucks to sign any of these receivers as they are all pretty similar talent wise. That can change but I like how it looks. Also, Gute may pull his magic in a year or two and draft another WR to compete.
That unit is solid.
Any thoughts on this posters?
Swisch
June 28, 2024 at 04:19 pm
Good stuff, Hawk.
As a continuation, it's good to have a star such as Christian McCaffrey was for the 49ers last season, but we do well to remember that McCaffrey has been hurt much of his career.
About three seasons earlier, Deebo Samuel was a star in a big upset of the Packers in the playoffs -- but my impression is that he wasn't that kind of playmaker last season.
Many seasons ago, Colin Kaepernick burned us in a playoff game as a passer and a runner, looking like a hall-of-famer -- but his star fizzled not long afterward.
It's dangerous to rely too much on anyone, especially if it throws the salary cap out of balance.
It's good to have a diversity of weapons.
***
I'm all for keeping and rewarding our stars with generous contracts to a point -- but not at all costs.
Instead, keep bringing in fresh talent to replenish the team.
The consistently key players, the difference-makers who produce multiple championships -- like Patrick Mahomes and our own Bart Starr -- are extremely rare, and hard to identify beforehand.
Starr won after Taylor, Hornung, and McGee were past their prime, or gone altogether.
Keep the salary cap balanced with lots of talent as a better way of beating the odds.
13TimeChamps
June 28, 2024 at 12:33 pm
I just don't understand this obsession with having a No.1 receiver. Go back to the NFCCG. Everyone on the defense, not to mention everyone watching on TV knew that ball was going to Adams. Why make it that easy for the defense?
One of the teams you mentioned that doesn't have a true No.1 made it to the SB last year. Instead, they have a stable of very good pass catchers, which gives the offense more options...and the defense guessing.
I like the way our offense is set up, pass catching-wise. We'll only be able to afford all these guys playing together for another 2-3 years. No need to fix something that's not broke.
EDIT: Concerning the aforementioned NFCCG, back then it was pretty much Adams and very little else. So, it was at least a little more understandable. We don't have that problem anymore. Let's take advantage of it.
Swisch
June 28, 2024 at 04:04 pm
In keeping with your comment, 13TC, not in contradiction to it, it also depends on the quarterback, thinking somewhat like a point guard in basketball, getting various guys involved in the offense -- which energizes the entire corps of skill players.
Probably all of us have experienced how discouraging it is to be involved in any activity in which we were in effect not a part of the action, and had little hope of being included.
In that NFCCG, on the last play for our offense, our QB had a receiver wide open in his line of vision, but threw to Adams in double or triple coverage anyway -- and it wasn't even close to a completion.
It was a mind blowing, heart aching, gut punching way to end a season in which the Packers entered the playoffs as the top seed in the NFC.
13TimeChamps
June 28, 2024 at 04:31 pm
That's very true Swisch. We'll never know how that game would have ended if 12 had decided to throw to a very open Lazard.
But that feeds into the whole No.1 argument. I'm sure Rodgers felt he had to go to his No.1 in that situation. Hopefully, Love won't get "fill in the blank" vision in a similar situation. With this pass catching group, I don't think that's very likely.
GregC
June 28, 2024 at 12:46 pm
I'm in agreement with the first two posters here. There's no need for a #1 receiver. The reason most teams have one is because there is almost always one receiver who is much better than the others. You could say the same thing about other positions. But when you have several guys who are all close to being equally good, you may not have a clear #1. And it's not a problem at all.
Now, it's possible that one Packer WR rises above the others this year, and if that happens, it very well could be Doubs. But it could be Watson, Reed, or Wicks too.
cheezyone
June 28, 2024 at 01:31 pm
I don't understand why everyone keeps talking about the Packers needing a #1 receiver either. We used to always know the ball was going to Adams. This keeps everyone, especially defensive coordinators guessing. I love it. Pun intended.
LLCHESTY
June 28, 2024 at 01:44 pm
It wouldn't be a shocker this year if three different receivers led the Packers in catches, yards and TDs but if you ask me who is eventually going to get paid the most I'd say Wicks. This year I hope Watson stays healthy and we see more of him and Wicks in the field at the same time, I think they run very complimentary routes.
https://x.com/zacobson/status/1804282270229942780?t=1YMNvhQgVlaL93alOzpf...
splitpea1
June 28, 2024 at 03:25 pm
I read from another article that Wicks was the best in the NFL at creating separation from man coverage, resulting in him being open on 55% of his routes. He also has better "on field" speed than his 40-yard dash clocked at the combine. So he could be a sleeper #1 in training.
LLCHESTY
June 28, 2024 at 04:07 pm
Yep, I'm not sure if will be this year but add those metrics in with how hard he and Reed trained this off-season and I think he'll eventually get there. Ability and desire usually lead to positive outcomes.
I saw a tweet that showed his success by route and his least successful route run was the Fly(9) route but he was pretty good at any route that required a break. Obviously the Fly is Watson's most feared route, which is why I'd like to see them on the field together.
Swisch
June 28, 2024 at 02:22 pm
Maybe it's best if none of us dubs any of our receivers as #1.
I like the idea of keeping opposing defenses guessing as to our go-to guy at receiver.
I like being able to go to several of them in big moments.
I like that our corps of receivers seems so widely and wonderfully talented.
MitchAnthony
June 28, 2024 at 02:36 pm
What's wrong with 1A, 1B, 1C,... like they have now? I kind of the like the number 1 by committee thing while it is working.
Even Rodgers was at his most effective when he spread the ball around to multiple targets. Yes, that fell off a bit toward the end but look back at the games where Adams was sidelined with injury and I think Green Bay won most all of those games when Rodgers spread it around.
This is a sweet spot right now that may work for another season or so. As things shake out down the road and some of these guys get expensive or may not be able to be retained in Green Bay the receiver room will get a different look to it. Then maybe it will migrate back toward a who is really number 1.
Right now this is something worth exploiting. Re-read the Brock Purdy SF49ers example in the article. Now consider where SF finished and that GB has a better QB than Brock Purdy.
LLCHESTY
June 28, 2024 at 03:11 pm
Not to take anything away from Adams but it was definitely more fun to watch those 2011-12 teams from an offensive prospective. I doubt this year's offense can score 40 or more 6 times and 35 or more an incredible 9 times but this defense should be able to hold up a little better than that one.
LambeauPlain
June 28, 2024 at 03:20 pm
The chemistry between Doubs and Love is solid. In that regard he is already a #1 receiver in terms of trust from his QB. The fact they spend time together in the offseason working out shows up on the field.
I don't know if Romeo will have the most receptions, yards or TDs this season. He may. I just want him to continue to produce at a high level and be the leader he has become after just 2 years.
He's also very intelligent and humble. Teammates follow that.
WestCoastPackerBacker
June 28, 2024 at 04:36 pm
"Five of the top six quarterbacks in passing yardage in 2023 had true number one receivers" And guess who was next is passing yardage with no designated #1? Jordan Love.
Guess who was 2nd in TDs the entire league in 2023 with Doubs, a partial year from Watson and a bunch of untested rookies? That would also be Jordan Love. Just because some of the top passing QBs have fave WRs doesn't mean it's the only way to go. As long as he's getting completions, it's working.
And I wouldn't reference Rodgers to Adams as the best example. I think Packer offenses were better in the earlier years of Rodgers' career when he had multiple productive targets much like Love has now (Jennings, Jones, Driver) (Jennings, Jones, Jordy), (jones, Jordy, Cobb), (Jordy, Cobb, Adams). GB fell short way too many times in key games at the end of Rodgers' time in GB simply because Adams was too much of the offense.
NFLfan
June 28, 2024 at 04:50 pm
Doubs has been there the longest( other than Watson who is not always available.) He and Love live in LA and may just be able to get together more often. Proximity and familiarity.
TKWorldWide
June 28, 2024 at 04:51 pm
Does he know the secret hand signals?
(Lighten up, Francis!)
joejetson
June 28, 2024 at 05:43 pm
I am in agreement with those who say GB doesn't "need" a so-called #1 receiver. However, I would like the perception around the league that "Player X" is a #1 level receiver.
Why?
Because the salaries for #1 types is skyrocketing. GB will not be able to keep this group together starting in 2026 due to the salary cap implications.
A "#1" receiver could bring excellent returns in a trade package.
KC got a 1st, 2nd, a 4th, and another 4th and 6th in the Tyreek Hill trade to Miami.
Now are any of the Packers' receivers at Hill's level? Not yet, but if one of this group has a #1 type season in 2024, they might be able to get a nice haul from someone out there.
They certainly have enough depth at the WR position to absorb the loss of talent there.
And they won't be able to give them all 25 million $ deals anyway.
Thegreatreynoldo
June 28, 2024 at 09:43 pm
I would guess Wicks.
Untylu1968
June 28, 2024 at 10:57 pm
If we have to insist on having a guy pegged as a "#1" receiver, how's about we just give it to the guy that draws the oppositions #1 DB? It may just be a different WR every week, but who gives a shit because it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. It's just a title!
SicSemperTyrannis
June 29, 2024 at 11:49 am
Predictability is the enemy of our offense.
#11 emerged as WR1 in GB, and that's without JL10 thinking in those terms. If he were directed to always look for #11 first? Good things will happen.
In terms of drawing double teams, #9 fills those shoes. The obvious (and by now cliche) question is his availability. If / when he can't be on the field, Bo Melton should be, immediately, if only to keep JL10 in tune with that speed so when #9 returns so does their connection.
9 - 10 - 11 is a formidable combo. So are our TEs. Hopefully the RB room can establish itself quickly, as targets for JL10 as well as pass pro and running game. (And run blocking?)
O line is still where it all starts.
GPG!
nagawicka
June 29, 2024 at 02:50 pm
Nope. Shortchanging the team by defaulting to predictable as often as possible just makes us defeatable. Romeo Doubs _is_ The Guy, but stop saying it out loud. Let the groundling fanatics figure it out slow. (Please) It's like this: Bob Schnelker misused John Jefferson by sticking w/ the Dickey-Lofton '#1' combo like the crutch that it was for his own weak scheme. Spreading the ball around so JJ Jefferson could produce in volume would've radically upped the chances of a winning postseason. I went back and put ' ' scare quotes around '#1' because a '#1' combo is not a #1 team. It mis-states the question. The question was never 'could the Pack have won another Ring without Andre Rison' (the answer is probably)--the trap is in thinking that (even with Favre & Reggie White) a Super Bowl could *ever* be in the cards with ONLY Andre Rison. The answer to that is No. So absolutely distract the world by showing what Grant DuBose, Dontavian Wicks, and Bo Melton can really do. It'll only extend Reed's career and make Doubs that much more effective (& vice versa!). Keep insisting Christian Watson is our true #1 and then elevate him as primary WR target on the field BECAUSE it'll make The Doubs that much more effective. The Pitfalls also argue for this approach. Keep your Terrell Owens, Micheal Irvins and Javon Walkers; the notion of '#1' WRs isn't just incoherent when there are two (2) WRs on the field--it's negligent from a squad-building approach. Catastrophic injury takes out your only dominant WR guy? Oops. Held hostage by your now-even-more swaggering go-to WR, extra-lauded as the only recipe for victory? Oops. Having trouble keeping up with top-tier salary markets at key positions? Um, ya just lost yer #1 guy. Look, keep repeating the derrick mayes hype, and keep reading donald Driver's training camp notes from EternalGameFace. Yes, Romeo Doubs is The Guy, for all the right reasons. The Packers method will extend Doubs career and making sure every opponent fielding 2 or 3 dominant cornerbacks has to deal with 3 or 4 dominant Packers receivers is a big part of that.