Green Bay Packers: Is Jake Kumerow an Option to Bolster WR Depth?

With injuries, the Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver depth is in question, so is Jake Kumerow an option to bolster this roster?

All offseason, the biggest topic that surrounded this Green Bay Packers team was in regards to their wide receiver room. With their lone free-agent acquisition, Devin Funchess opting-out and, of course, not spending a draft pick on the position, many wondered whether this unit had enough juice to propel this offense beyond the NFC Championship Game.

However, through three weeks, this offense has silenced the naysayers as they lead the league in points per game, are second in total yards per game, and second by DVOA.

Unfortunately, the wide receiver depth is in question once again as Davante Adams’ status is unknown for Monday’s game, and Allen Lazard is out for the foreseeable future after core muscle surgery. If both Adams and Lazard are unable to go, that leaves Green Bay with Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Malik Taylor, Darrius Shepherd, along with Reggie Begelton, Robert Foster, Juwann Winfree, and Caleb Scott on the practice squad.

Even when Adams returns – which could be as soon as Monday night – understandably, the overall depth of the unit can still be questioned. Valdes- Scantling is playing with more consistency and confidence this season, but he has still had his ups and downs, while every other player mentioned has little to no NFL experience.

So if Brian Gutekunst does feel the need to bring in a reinforcement this season, a familiar face is just a phone call away. You know who I’m referring to; Jake Kumerow.

The UW-Whitewater grad and fan-favorite was what some would call a surprise cut after training camp. Kumerow wasn’t available too long, however, as he was signed by the Buffalo Bills and currently sits on their practice squad, making him available to any team that wants him.

Although trades for players like Odell Beckham will garner unwarranted attention from fans, this is a move that makes a lot of sense for the Green Bay Packers. For starters, Kumerow is familiar with Matt LaFleur’s offense, and he’s a very willing run-blocker, something that we know LaFleur covets.

On top of that, he’s made some splash plays during his time in Green Bay, averaging nearly 17 yards per catch during his two seasons, and perhaps most importantly, he has QB1’s trust. Even days before he was cut, in an interview, Rodgers spoke very highly of Kumerow:

"“Jake Kumerow has been such a solid performer for us for the last couple of years. I love his reliability,” Rodgers said. “I think he’s a fantastic, steady player, who’s very heady on the field. He makes plays, he plays with a lot of coincidence, and he’s a guy who you love having on the squad.”"

So, yes, I agree that Kumerow is a nice safety net that is out there for Green Bay at the moment, but it’s a move that I don’t see them making unless absolutely necessary. Instead, Gutey and LaFleur will choose to see how things play out with their current stable of receivers.

Although this roster has a litany of unproven players, I would say that most, if not all, have more upside than Kumerow. Despite Kumerow having spent only two seasons on the 53-man roster, he was the oldest receiver in Green Bay at 29-years-old. Sure, he’s made some big catches, but at this point, we know who he is as a player, and while that can be valuable, that really doesn’t carry much weight when that player is your fifth or sixth option.

During his two seasons in Green Bay, Kumerow totaled just 20 receptions and never played more than 30 percent of the total offensive snaps. Even in 2019, when the receiver unit was struggling, he still didn’t see the field consistently, and that really tells us what we need to know.

Right now, the Green Bay Packers are choosing the upside of Taylor and Shepherd over Kumerow, and that is what they should be doing. With all that said, if more injuries occur or players struggle, then Kumerow could very well be an option as long as he is still on the practice squad.

So I’m not going to completely shut the door on the idea; it’s an option that I assume is still on the table, but Gutey is going to see how these next few weeks play out before possibly making that decision.