Packers Looking Forward to Seeing Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs On the Field Together

When the Green Bay Packers traded Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason, they had a plan in place to try to make up for Adams’ lost productivity. They signed veteran Sammy Watkins and brought back Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb and then drafted three rookies in Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure.

The plan was for the veterans to start the season off and be productive until the rookies got more comfortable in the offense and assumed bigger roles. Long term, the duo of Watson, selected in the second round, and Doubs, taken in the fourth round were going to be the future at the position.

The season didn’t exactly go according to plan. All three veterans suffered injuries that caused them to miss games with Watkins and Cobb both landing on the IR.

Watson suffered an injury in OTAs that caused him to miss most of training camp and all the preseason. A series of nagging injuries and concussions kept him out of three regular season games and parts of several more.

Doubs had a strong training camp and preseason and showed flashes early in the year before an injury caused him to miss three games. He has returned to practice this week and the Packers are hoping to have him back in the lineup either Sunday against the Bears or after the bye week.

Once Watson and Doubs are on the field together, the duo should be getting a lot of reps. The Packers know Watkins and Cobb are not part of their long-term future and are unlikely to be back in 2023. Watson and Doubs represent the future of the team at the position and are likely to be two of the team’s starters at wideout for the next few seasons.

For the season, Watson has played nine games and has 22 catches for 353 yards and six receiving touchdowns. He got off to a slow start, dropping a sure touchdown on the team’s first offensive play from scrimmage against the Vikings and having issues with dropped passes, something that also plagued him in college.

But over the last three games, Watson has been healthy and has taken his game to another level. In that time, he has 12 catches for 265 yards and six touchdowns. Twice in the last three games he’s gone over 100 yards receiving and he has at least one touchdown in each of the last three contests.

It is becoming clear that quarterback Aaron Rodgers now trusts Watson more and he’s always been impressed with his raw talent and athleticism.

When Jordan Love replaced an injured Rodgers in the fourth quarter against the Eagles, he also looked to Watson and connected with him on a 63-yard touchdown pass that pulled the Packers back to within seven points.

At 6’5”, 200 pounds, Watson has the size the Packers look for in a receiver. His elite speed makes him a threat to take the ball to the house any time he touches it.

Doubs has also missed three games this season and parts of others with injuries. He hasn’t played since the loss to the Lions in Week 9. He got off to a stronger start than Watson and was a standout in training camp.

The former Nevada star demonstrated his intelligence and strong work ethic in training camp where he made outstanding plays nearly every day at practice.

He was starting by Week 3 after Watkins got injured. Although Doubs still had some drops and made the occasional rookie mistake running routes, he showed his potential while catching 31 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns.

His best game came in the Packers Week 3 win over Tampa Bay when he caught eight passes on eight targets for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Head coach Matt LaFleur was impressed by Doubs early. “The game is certainly not too big for him,” LaFleur told reporters in September. “I think you see it. I feel it every time we go out there, [he’s] a guy that’s just showing more and more confidence, and I think that’s a big part of being able to play to your potential. This is a kid that’s got a ton of potential, and we’re excited about him, but obviously … [he’s] a young player, not even close to his ceiling. He’s just got to keep taking the same approach, which I know he will. He takes it one day at a time, and he tries to be his best each and every day.”

Doubs lacks the elite speed of Watson, but he can get deep and is a reliable route runner with good hands.

Having Watson and Doubs in the lineup together for the final four or five games will be a real benefit for the Packers. It will give the coaching staff and quarterbacks a chance to see the future and build for it. They can develop chemistry, learn the playbook and adjust further to life in the NFL.

The Packers will probably miss the playoffs this season, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t important things to figure out in the final five games. Seeing Doubs and Watson on the field together is something for fans to watch.

 

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You can follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers

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Comments (31)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
TarynsEyes's picture

December 03, 2022 at 11:22 am

“When the Green Bay Packers traded Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason"

It must be. This is the second article today, with the writer insisting the Packers 'traded' Adams. And here I thought he was a FA and left. Will somebody tell me the haul GB got for this trade.

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croatpackfan's picture

December 03, 2022 at 11:29 am

1 first rounder and one 2nd rounder from Raiders.

8 points
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mnbadger's picture

December 03, 2022 at 11:30 am

2022 1st and 2nd I think.
the first became qwalker and I think the second was bundled to trade up for cwatson.
GPG!

3 points
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Coldworld's picture

December 03, 2022 at 11:47 am

# 22 and #53. The latter was bundled with our 2nd round pick to get the pick used to take Watson.

4 points
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TarynsEyes's picture

December 03, 2022 at 11:50 am

Apologies.

I must be getting old. I thought Adams turned down more money from GB and signed with the Raiders as a FA, and because of Rodgers' lack of commitment.

4 points
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stockholder's picture

December 03, 2022 at 12:40 pm

Playing with Carr comment; was his dream. Also he didn't want to be tagged.

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Coldworld's picture

December 03, 2022 at 01:02 pm

He did. They dealt to get him before the open market

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Coldworld's picture

December 03, 2022 at 11:41 am

If they had a plan, it was Cobb, Lazard, Winfree, Amari and hope. Watkins was unsigned. Not really a plan most dispassionate observers believed in and now events have clearly backed that up.

The truth is they didn’t have a plan once Adams said no. They knee jerk brought back Rodgers in a ridiculous contract that ceded control, hamstrung the cap for three years, ensuring a draft for the ages was their only prayer. At that point we had Cobb and a tendered Lazard and nothing. Then we proceeded to run the off and preseason as if Cobb, Watkins and Lazard would be enough.

This wasn’t a plan then, or over the summer or for the first half of the season, or at least not one with any rational foundation. The Packers, or at least Murphy, ignored roster, cap and the obvious. It’s time to stop pretending and open our eyes. Only then can the recovery start.

If you want a much better rebuttal of this fallacy, just read Dobber’s demolition of a similar claim by Cory in the previous thread. Stark, concise and damning.

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PhantomII's picture

December 03, 2022 at 01:09 pm

What I was looking for was something from Gute at the trade deadline at WR. What should have been done was pry a legit #1 WR (Moore) away with a #1 and a #3 pick and Claypool away with a #2 and #4. If Gute accomplished that our WR room would have been instantly better for the next 2-3 seasons and Doubs and Watson would not have been under so much pressure to perform right away. I'm glad Watson got healthy and has been able to show how his skills can change a game very quickly. Looking forward to Doubs getting back also. The offense has been rough this season but so has the defense. I would like both sides of the ball to lose coaching that is not getting it done and upgrade the safety group also. Our OL has finally aligned with a healthy enough group to at least function. I have not seen K.Clark do much in the way of taking over a game or be a force. The Rook WR's do give us hope of a better WR future but the TE group is poor at best.

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PackyCheese500's picture

December 03, 2022 at 03:12 pm

We would never and should never trade that much in draft picks for those WRs! I agree that the TEs are poor, which is why we should draft a premium TE in the 2023 draft

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PhantomII's picture

December 04, 2022 at 10:43 am

You do whatever you have to do to WIN.

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mrtundra's picture

December 05, 2022 at 08:44 am

Will Mark Andrews be available?

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Johnblood27's picture

December 04, 2022 at 09:46 am

your wide receiver fever has put your brain in the intensive care unit...

get on the ventilator and breathe easy until the fever passes...

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PhantomII's picture

December 04, 2022 at 10:42 am

That type of thinking has kept us out of super bowl contention for a decade. Good teams always shut down our run game...You need excellent horses = too many to shut down in the pass game...they can't do both if you have a decent OL. We had DA and pretty much NOTHING else other than A.Jones and went to 2 NFCC Games...Imagine if we had 3 legit WR's. Draft picks don't mean squat if your GM picks poorly at times...That's why picks can fill in the holes for trades. You've been engrained in Gute and TT too much.

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nygary's picture

December 03, 2022 at 01:31 pm

I would like to see Love, Watson, and Doubs all on the field together. Lets see what the potential future my look like. Let these grow together. Rodgers should be in the rear view mirror if not for that huge contract. I live in New York and every Jet fan I know would love a trade next year for Rodgers. To bad it has little chance to happen.

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PackyCheese500's picture

December 03, 2022 at 02:55 pm

Why won't it? It makes sense for both sides, and is contractually feasible. I think it is actually the likeliest outcome in the offseason.

I would LOVE to see those 3 on the field together, too (pun intended)

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cheezyone's picture

December 04, 2022 at 08:50 am

Don't forget about Toure. Now is the time they should be getting him some snaps. He has a lot of potential.

1 points
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Leatherhead's picture

December 03, 2022 at 02:39 pm

At some point next season, we're going to line up Watson, Doubs, and hopefully Lazard, with a brand new TE and Dillon. If we have an offensive line that can get people blocked, we're going to have a respectable offense.

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PackyCheese500's picture

December 03, 2022 at 02:56 pm

idk about Lazard, he is getting rather old. If he came back for cheap enough, maybe

We could also use Toure as our slot guy or draft a new WR in round 2 or 3 next year.

4 points
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Leatherhead's picture

December 03, 2022 at 04:08 pm

\Lazard gives us a combination of size, speed, veteran savvy, and knowledge of the system that would be hard to recreate. He's a very valuable asset in the run game. He's not worth the $10 million a year that MVS got, but he's completely worth a 3 year, $20 million deal.

Going into the draft, if we have Lazard, Watson, Doubs and Toure, I'd feel pretty good about that group. I would be looking to add somebody, because these people get hurt and you need 5 healthy ones in uniform every week.

4 points
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Tundraboy's picture

December 03, 2022 at 09:00 pm

Lazard, speed?

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Leatherhead's picture

December 05, 2022 at 02:22 pm

He's 4.55 in the 40. But the 40 favors guys with shorter legs who get up to speed quicker. When Lazard is in full stride, he's plenty fast.

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13TimeChamps's picture

December 03, 2022 at 04:19 pm

Lazard is 26. Not sure how that makes him "rather old".

4 points
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Coldworld's picture

December 03, 2022 at 05:30 pm

Duplicate

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Coldworld's picture

December 03, 2022 at 05:30 pm

Maybe thinking Tonyan?

Lazard is a guy I’d keep but not pay a lot for. He’s a useful 3/4. He’s shown he can help when he has others around him. Watson/Doubs/Lazard/Toure plus a draft pick and Cobb as a limited snap guy would be a nice blend and starting point. Then we need to find a couple of TEs.

4 points
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PhantomII's picture

December 04, 2022 at 10:59 am

Probably cause he played better 2 years ago...And rarely dropped passes.

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Untylu1968's picture

December 03, 2022 at 03:28 pm

I think Lazards days could be numbered. I could see Cobb hanging around for another year, and adding another receiver, with one of our top three or four draft picks. One more young, quality guy, could give us a good affordable Corp, while we transition through our cap issues.

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PackyCheese500's picture

December 03, 2022 at 03:52 pm

Yes, I agree on all counts. I could also see Cobb staying over Lazard for 1 more year because he would be on a cheap 1-year deal close to the veteran minimum. We can draft another guy next year.

Two of my favorite prospects are Wake Forest's A.T. Perry, who is almost a clone, physically, of Lazard, and Ole Miss's Jonathan Mingo, a player who has been compared to Deebo Samuel.

1 points
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jannes bjornson's picture

December 04, 2022 at 08:25 am

Xavier Hutchinson from his alma mater is a close match. Still putting my chips on Cedric Tillman. Mingo is a guy to watch.

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mrtundra's picture

December 05, 2022 at 08:46 am

I think Cobb hangs it up, especially if Rodgers goes. Bakh, Lewis and Crosby, too.

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mrtundra's picture

December 05, 2022 at 08:54 am

Does anybody have any draft eligible TEs they like? Or a FA TE who would also be affordable? I think Marcedes Lewis's days are numbered. We need a guy like him who can block and catch the ball. I don't think Tonyan is 100% yet and that DeGuara is really a true TE.

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