The Green Bay Packers were rumored to be interested in adding tight end Julius Thomas this offseason, though nothing ever came of it. The interest made a certain amount of sense, though. No Packers tight end topped Andrew Quarless' 29 receptions for 323 yards and three touchdowns last season. For such a dynamic passing offense, that type of production from the tight end position is unacceptable. Many Green Bay fans have been clamoring for the team to target Minnesota's Maxx Williams in the upcoming NFL draft, though that doesn't appear to be in the team's plans either. It appears as if the Packers believe their tight end of the future is already on the roster.
"Lots of questions on the tight end situation, and they're certainly valid," ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky wrote. "Last year, Andrew Quarless and Richard Rodgers combined for 49 catches, 548 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season. That's right, I said combined. That total couldn't match what Jermichael Finley gave them in his best seasons. At this point, with five NFL seasons to his credit, it's fairly clear what Quarless is. To expect him to make the jump to a 50-catch guy would be unrealistic. But the sense is they think Rodgers can become that. How certain they are about that will dictate how high they address the position in the draft. But even if they're bullish on Rodgers, they still need some help at that position after giving up on Brandon Bostick."
Rodgers was a third-round pick out of Cal in 2014. He caught 20 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns last year. Based on what Demovsky wrote, it sounds as if the 23-year-old will get a shot at the starting job come training camp. Whether or not he takes advantage of it will be the big question.
