
Not to say that these two can’t still fill this role from time to time, but there is value in having a specific player handle these responsibilities. Running back Tyler Goodson will have a shot at the 53-man roster, but he’s never played in a regular season game. But the caveat that LaFleur added is that Nixon has to first handle his return and nickel cornerback duties before taking on an additional workload on offense. Keisean Nixon, with his playmaking ability, is another candidate, and LaFleur discussed the possibility of this at the NFL Owners’ Meetings. However, every time Watson is being utilized in this capacity, that also means he’s not lined up at receiver and running routes, where he is most valuable. Green Bay Packers mid-free agency roster analysis updateĬhristian Watson, with all his speed, could fill this role, and we saw him do so at times last season. Not to mention that is also another opportunity to generate big plays with jet sweeps, end arounds, and quick screens when there is a dynamic player filling this role. The trickle-down effect of all of this is that motion should help make things easier on Jordan Love at times with the effect that a gadget player can have on opposing defenses. When the ball is snapped, and the defense is trying to decipher who has the ball - the motion man or the quarterback - that can lead to a split-second of hesitation, which is all that is needed to open up passing lanes or allow the blockers to better position themselves in the run game. When players are moving around pre-snap, it can change the responsibilities for certain defensive players and forces them to make adjustments on the fly. Putting a man in motion can help create mismatches for the offense. This helps keep the defense off-balance and guessing.

In short, this means running like plays from a variety of formations or plays that initially look similar but have a variation and end differently.

What this gadget player can do is help LaFleur achieve his desired “illusion of complexity” element. In the past, we’ve seen the Packers try to fill it by signing players like Tyler Ervin and Tavon Austin, but for the most part, it’s a role that has either gone underutilized or filled by a variety of players on the roster. One specific element that the Green Bay Packers should be looking to add to their offense during the 2023 NFL Draft is someone who can be utilized as the motion-man or gadget-type player.Īlthough this isn’t always a major role within the offense, it is an important element for Matt LaFleur’s system.
