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Rob Demovsky, ESPN Employees Author
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers want a brand new No. 1 receiver, and Romeo Doubs figures it would as properly be him.
It appears like Jordan Love may really feel the identical means.
Not that the dynamic, deep menace of Christian Watson gained’t have as huge an affect — or maybe greater — on the new-look offense within the post-Aaron Rodgers period, but when something may be gleaned from the three OTA practices which have been open for viewing this spring, it’s that Love believes he can depend on Doubs.
Doubs has been on the receiving finish of goal after goal.
Final week, Love accomplished seven passes throughout the two-minute drive, and 4 of them (for 45 yards) went to Doubs.
On Tuesday, Love threw Doubs’ means twice in that drill, finishing a crosser for 14 yards and a comeback route for six yards earlier than the drive ended with a goal-line interception on a poorly thrown ball late over the center to Watson.
When Love isn’t throwing geese — and there have been greater than a few wobblers up to now in OTAs — he’s throwing to No. 87.
Earlier within the follow, Love and Doubs mixed for maybe the most effective throw and catch in any of the open OTAs with a 9-yard landing on a fade to the left nook of the top zone in opposition to tight protection throughout a red-zone-centric 11-on-11 interval.
“When unsure, you’ll be able to throw it on the market and you already know he’ll make a play, and he is finished an incredible job of going and getting the ball wherever it is at,” Love stated of Doubs. “He is made some actually robust catches, and it form of simply builds all people’s confidence. It builds my confidence in him, simply having the ability to throw the ball on the market and know he’ll make a play.”
That’s to not say Doubs shall be to Love what the likes of Davante Adams or Jordy Nelson was to Rodgers at completely different intervals of their careers, however each nice quarterback must have that reference to a go-to receiver — to some extent.
“You all the time bought to watch out,” Love stated after Tuesday’s follow. “That is the most important factor, and particularly for me, simply attempt to not pressure the ball. We had a pair as we speak. I attempted to squeeze it in to him on the purpose line. However on the identical time, you form of bought to push these boundaries as a result of he made some nice performs. So it is simply form of discovering that in-between.”
Doubs, a fourth-round pick of Nevada in 2022, completed his rookie season fourth on the staff in catches (42), receiving yards (425) and landing catches (3). A lot of that was earlier than his Nov. 6 ankle harm that saved him out of 4 full video games.
It was shortly after Doubs’ harm when Watson started to make huge performs and join with Rodgers on deep balls. Love has but to indicate he can persistently throw the deep ball, admitting that he has thrown “a pair tight wobblers on the market,” which might be why Doubs has gotten extra motion on brief and intermediate routes within the offseason practices.
“I simply know that coming into this 12 months, I’ll have an enormous function on this room,” Doubs stated, “whether or not it’s with clicking with Jordan or having a few of the rookie receivers that I’ll should information by means of, as properly.”
Doubs, Watson and fellow 2022 draft choose Samori Toure went from newbies to essentially the most skilled huge receivers on the staff following the departures of Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, each of whom adopted Rodgers to the New York Jets.
The Packers added three extra huge receivers on this 12 months’s draft, led by second-round choose Jayden Reed out of Michigan State, so there may be loads of competitors for targets. Normal supervisor Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur haven’t dominated out including a veteran wideout between now and the beginning of the season.
Whereas No. 1 receivers aren’t topped throughout OTAs, they’re typically constructed then.
“I believe that ‘Rome’ has finished a pleasant job of actually making that subsequent step,” LaFleur stated. “Now, he’s bought to exit and do it in video games, what we’ve seen from him in follow, simply how deliberate he’s with what he’s making an attempt to work on. He’s finished an incredible job of actually getting his toes within the floor, operating violent routes, violent cuts, being aggressive together with his palms. I believe he’s proven a number of progress. Simply the rapport that these two guys have proven all through eight practices has been fairly strong.”