The NFL Draft is rich in second-day receiving prospects Dean Lowry Jersey White , but Green Bayr17;s three choices a year ago figure to set the tone for the position in 2019."In his latest mock drafts and podcasts, Mel Kiper Jr. has been vocal about Green Bayr17;s need to address the wide receiver position. The shakiness at the position a year ago, on top of the contract extension given to Aaron Rodgers and departure of Randall Cobb, offered three very important factors in Kiperr17;s recent decision to give Ole Missr17;s D.K. Metcalf to Green Bay with the 12th overall pick. But although the draft offers plenty of high-upside options in the first two days, Kiper did not account for the Packersr17; returning youth on the roster anticipated to make leaps in 2019.Of course, Green Bay drafted three receivers in 2018 and the expectation is a more consistent output in year two. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown showed spurts of potential at opposite points in their rookie seasons. They each leapfrogged the man picked ahead of them, Jr17;Mon Moore, en route to displaying their size-speed combinations. While the jury is still out on Moore, whose issues catching the ball covered up his ability to gain separation, he offers quiet similarities to a young Davante Adams in his strengths and struggles. Moore, like the other two, is far from a finalized product and a full offseason with an NFL coaching staff should help him improve his focus issues as a rookie.Outside of the trio of second-year players, the Packers should aid blossoming star Davante Adams with a healthy Jake Kumerow and Geronimo Allison. A training camp darling Kumerow was one of Rodgersr17; favorite preseason targets before injury and still found some targets upon his late-season return. Meanwhile, Allison seemed primed for a breakout season in the midst of Jordy Nelsonr17;s departure. Unfortunately, a concussion slowed Allison after a hot start. A groin injury then shut him down at mid-season. Re-signed to a one-year deal, Allison has plenty to prove in 2019 and could be the slot receiver the Packers had trouble finding production from last season throughout Cobbr17;s own injuries. As ESPNr17;s Rob Demovsky recently mentioned, 43.6% of Allisonr17;s career receptions have come from the slot.The list above suggests that the Packers have six capable returning receivers already for next season, That does not include return man Trevor Davis http://www.packerslockerroom.com/authentic-jake-ryan-jersey , who is also re-joining the active roster. Outside of Adams, not a single receiver on the roster is entering more than their fourth professional season. The unitr17;s potential is as high as it has been in a long time and the growth in chemistry with Rodgers could be more evident next season. With Matt LaFleurr17;s offense figuring to promote balance after demonstrated success in running the football in his previous stops, Green Bayr17;s aerial attack should be a lot less predictable, especially in play action.Grooming a rookie to make immediate and high-impact contributions in year one is not an easy task, and even a high-round selection will experience highs and lows during the course of the regular season. First-round prospects like Metcalf and Marquise Brown will still have to adjust to the nuances of the NFL game despite their electric athletic traits. But while a second-round receiver remains a definite possibility for the Packers this year, expect the major on-field improvements at the position to come from the current players already on the roster. GREEN BAY, Wis. 鈥?Matt LaFleur has never been in charge of an NFL team before, and until last year had never called plays for one either.Packers CoveragePackers at Bears to open 2019 scheduleTop Tweets: Brewers make hilarious r16;Mean Girlsr17; parody videoMatthews signs with Rams after 10 years with PackersPackers re-sign tight end Marcedes LewisTop Tweets: Nikola Mirotic loves being a Milwaukee BuckGrades for Packers early moves in 2019 NFL free agencyPackers make big splash in free agencyPackersr17; Gutekunst making free agency pretty funPackers clear cap space, release LB Nick PerryFree-agent frenzy: DE Smith, S Amos, OL Turner to sign with PackersOn Wednesday, he took over the聽Green Bay Packers, who have missed the playoffs two years in a row 鈥?and a team with a two-time MVP quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, whom LaFleur must help to get back to playing his best.r0;I briefly spoke to (Rodgers) prior to accepting the job,r1; LaFleur said during an introductory news conference at Lambeau Field.r0;Thatr17;s kind of how I had an idea that maybe I was in the running for it.r1;According to team president Mark Murphy and general manager Brian Gutekunst, LaFleur was by far the best of the other nine candidates who interviewed for the job after longtime head coach Mike McCarthy was fired on Dec. 2, with four games remaining in his 13th season in charge.r0;Obviously we cast a fairly large net, much larger than the 10 people that we interviewed Womens Oren Burks Jersey ,r1; Murphy said. r0;Went through the nine (interviews) and quite honestly, no one really stood out. There were a lot of strong candidates, but there wasnr17;t one that just jumped out at us.r0;Matt was our last candidate, and wer17;d heard great things about Matt through our vetting process. A lot of the coaches and others that we talked to talked about his background, his experience. So were really excited going into it.r1;Murphy, Gutekunst and executive vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball then emerged from LaFleurr17;s interview Sunday in Nashville even more excited 鈥?and agreeing that they had their man, despite having planned to host a second round of interviews.After sleeping on it, they offered the job to LaFleur on Monday, and he arrived in Green Bay on Tuesday night to sign his contract.r0;Itr17;s always been a dream of mine to be an NFL head coach, but to be the head coach of the Green Bay, it is surreal,r1; LaFleur said.LaFleur comes to the Packers after one season as the play-calling offensive coordinator of the聽Tennessee Titans, a job he took a year ago because he knew he needed to r0;challenge myself.r1;Her17;d spent the 2017 season as the聽Los Angeles Ramsr17; offensive coordinator under Sean McVay, and Murphy said he believed LaFleur would have been r0;the hot candidate. Her17;d be flying all over the country talking to everybody.r1;Instead, the Packers were the only team to interview LaFleur for a head coaching job since the season ended.r0;It would have been easy to stay in L.A. You look at the roster and you look at the success theyr17;re having there this year, it certainly could have been easy to stay there,r1; LaFleur said, referring to the Rams Brett Favre Jersey , whor17;ll face the聽Dallas Cowboys聽in the NFC divisional playoffs on Saturday night.r0;I took the risk because I knew that I needed to get out of my comfort zone and grow as a coach.r1;Meanwhile, itr17;ll be vital for LaFleur to find a comfort zone with Rodgers, who is coming off a down season by his standards. Although he threw only two interceptions in 16 games, he also threw only 25 touchdown passes, the lowest full-season total of his career. He also completed only 62.3 percent of his passes, the second-lowest rate of his time as a starter, and finished with a 97.6 passer rating, well below his 103.1 career rating.Rodgers also played all season with a left knee injury sustained in the season-opener against Chicago and left the season finale with a concussion after three offensive series as the Packers finished 6-9-1.Itr17;ll be up to LaFleur to get Rodgers back to the MVP form he showed in winning the award in 2011 and 2014, and in rallying the Packers from a 4-6 start in 2016 to a berth in the NFC championship game that year.The Packers lost that game to the聽Atlanta Falcons, led by quarterback Matt Ryan, who won the leaguer17;s MVP that season.Ryanr17;s quarterbacks coach that year? LaFleur.r0;Ir17;ll tell you what, I cannot wait to get to work with him,r1; LaFleur said of Rodgers. r0;I think her17;s equally excited. Therer17;s a lot of work to be done in front of us, but just looking forward to that opportunity.r1;At the same time, LaFleur will have to coach the entire 53-man team, not just the quarterback. And the Packers are convinced he can both lead the team and reinvigorate Rodgers.r0;I think wer17;ve got the perfect candidate to lead us to where we want to go,r1; Gutekunst said. r0;Therer17;s one goal 鈥?always has been one goal 鈥?and thatr17;s to win world championships. Wer17;re excited to get started.r1;
