Romeo Doubs Ready for a Bigger Role in Year Two
By GilMartin
As the Green Bay Packers continue OTAs in preparation for the 2023 NFL season, most fans and media members are focusing on Jordan Love, the new starting quarterback, and Christian Watson, the team’s talented second-year receiver who broke out in the final weeks of his rookie year. But nobody should overlook Romeo Doubs who also seems primed to have a strong second season in the NFL.
The media was able to view OTAs on Wednesday and Doubs was one of the standouts on the field. He looked to be Love’s go-to receiver, especially during a two-minute drill that saw the former Nevada star catch four passes. Love seemed to look for Doubs when he really needed a big catch and Doubs was equal to the task.
Doubs himself seems to feel more confident heading into his second season in the league. “Going into year two, I’m playing a lot faster,” Doubs told reporters after practice Wednesday. “So, I don’t want to say comfortable because I know being comfortable comes with a sort of complacent area, you know. But, just humbly speaking, I’m playing a lot faster.”
Doubs sees a lot more this season than he did as a rookie and has a deeper understanding of the offense. “It’s just understanding the plays more,” he said. “Not only do I get to understand the play, but I get to understand why the play is being run. Everything else just becomes natural and reaction.”
Last season, Doubs got off to a very fast start. He stood out in OTAs and in training camp and had a strong preseason, leading the team in catches.
Doubs also had a good start to the regular season. His best game came in Week 3 against New England when he caught eight passes on eight targets for 73 yards and his first career NFL touchdown.
But injuries slowed his progress. He missed four full games from Week 10 through Week 13 and was limited in other games.
Despite the injuries, Doubs finished his first NFL campaign with 42 catches for 425 yards and three touchdown catches while playing in 13 games and starting seven of them.
He was grateful to be able to play a season with Aaron Rodgers and that he learned a lot from the future Hall of Famer. “I’m glad I had Aaron here for the first year because he’s pretty much taught me a lot, barely speaking to me,” Doubs said.
He also sounded confident in Love as he gets ready to be the starter for the first time. “I know this is Jordan’s first year,” Doubs added. “I’ve played against Jordan, I’ve gotten reps with him, so I feel like things will be pretty good moving forward.”
One thing that Doubs reflected on was how quickly he went from being a rookie receiver to being one of the most experienced players in the receiver room. After just one year, veterans like Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins have departed and no wide receiver on the roster has more than one season of NFL experience.
Doubs says he understands how the rookies feel after being in their shoes a year ago, but he’s always ready to help his teammates. “It’s expected that not just me but Christian and Samori speak up for the rookies as well,” Doubs explained. “And I make sure I try to stay in their corner because I know where they stand and how they’re progressing within the offense. But I’m glad they’re here and this will be a really exciting year.”
Doubs had an eventful offseason with the birth of his daughter, but his focus was also on getting ready for the upcoming season. “I made sure I trained,” he said. That was main priority, training.”
With a bigger expected role in the offense and a better understanding of the game, Doubs is looking to make a second-year jump and establish himself as a starter and key cog in the Green Bay offense.
If he can stay healthy and continue to develop chemistry with Love and his teammates, Doubs should be able to take his game to another level in year two.
You can follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers
Comments (38)
splitpea1
June 01, 2023 at 12:34 pm
Well, right there we already have a second year advantage for Doubs: our new starting QB will be happy to communicate with him as opposed to the rookie underling treatment dispensed by his predecessor. If things work out correctly and he stays healthy, Doubs could be that solid #2 receiver that we've needed for a while.
greengold
June 01, 2023 at 01:39 pm
BRAVO, splitpea1!
Great to see Jordan Love being inclusive as opposed to the exclusivity we've known around here for years with new players who are looking to get their shot and contribute, only to be ignored...
I'm hoping LaFleur sees to it the ball gets spread around quite a bit, to as many receiving targets as possible. That will be a huge help to this young Packers team and overall depth.
Doubs has built a strong relationship with Love on and off the field, in season through all of OTAs/TC last year and in their offseason training program, Armed and Dangerous Football Camp, run in California by Steve Calhoun. Doubs trained with Love there earlier this spring.
That's Chemistry 101. Imagine how things might progress if more of our WRs become involved in offseason workouts there with Love next year! WOW. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they did just that.They all seem collectively self motivated to improve as a team.
I think you're spot on with the communication having increased on this offense. Exponentially.
Leatherhead
June 01, 2023 at 01:54 pm
""I'm hoping LaFleur sees to it the ball gets spread around quite a bit, to as many receiving targets as possible""""
I'm hoping that the ball stays in the hands of our best players: Jones/Dillon and Watson. Pass and run, you want over 40 plays...about 75% ......to have the ball in their hands. They're assignment sure. They don't cough it up very often.
Last year, Jones/Dillon got 2500 yards from scrimmage. Throw in another 700 by Watson and that's 3200 yards in 17 games...almost 200 yards/game of offense.
I'm hoping, especially early in the season, we have the good sense to let the veterans carry the load. As the season progresses, teams will undoubtedly try to blitz and blitz again, and that's when some of these guys who aren't getting their number called very often are going to have a chance at a big play. As teams try to keep Watson under control, and slow down Jones/Dillon, Doubs and the other guys are going to get a chance to show what they can do.
That's why we're starting the season 6-1.
greengold
June 01, 2023 at 02:18 pm
Nothing wrong with players having to earn their targets, but, man.... we have some speed the Packers will employ in Reed, Toure & Melton. It's not all Watson's show.
Doubs will undoubtedly get his targets, and I believe he'll wind up becoming a major go-to this year as well.
Throw in Musgrave & Kraft, and there's gonna be one helluva lot of mismatches to exploit. You might be surprised by Wicks too. I'm not taking anything away from Jones/Dillon/Watson by saying this either.
I'm for all of them. More so, I'm all for winning football games. Period.
Competition will be fierce with the talent added these last 2 years. Can't wait to see the battles for roster spots/starting positions.
splitpea1
June 01, 2023 at 02:56 pm
Great points with the relationship and chemistry--especially helpful when the QB and WRs are roughly on the same developmental plane.
croatpackfan
June 01, 2023 at 01:01 pm
I have no doubts there will be ups and downs for individual players year 1 or 2. But it is not about are you fall down, it is about how quickly you rise up. That rising up will be much easier with Jordan Love in the role of the leader, as Jordan Love does not have dog house for those who fell down and I hope he will never build one.
I have good feeling on all 3 previous season rookies (Watson, Doubs and Toure) to keep fort untill new receiving corps will speed up their game to necessary level. And than we will not worry to much about the injuries and opponents D. Packers will have very different type of receivers (WR, TE and RB) for use at offense...
T7Steve
June 01, 2023 at 01:11 pm
LOL, right on with your Rocky "But it is not about are you fall down, it is about how quickly you rise up". Lovin it.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 01, 2023 at 01:16 pm
Actual competition for roster spots is what I'm hoping for, but the 3 who were rookies last year get an inherent boost. DEPTH! We need it :)
greengold
June 01, 2023 at 01:48 pm
Yeah, and that real depth will only increase with touches, targets and experience. Like yourself, SST, I'm hoping like hell that Matt LaFleur lays down the law on individual goals, letting his players know that the opportunities will be spread all around the team on Offense, and for all of them to be ready for their shots. Multiple shots.
17 games is a long season. We might need that real, experienced depth at some point to get us another W. Getting more players involved regularly in games played will be both key, and a challenge.
Great rewards for the team can come from this on O. That one extra W can get you into the playoffs, or gain the team Home Field Advantage. Being ready and playing all out, as you've stated before in other discussions is, indeed, huge.
T7Steve
June 01, 2023 at 01:16 pm
Guess Love was 17 for 21 yesterday with 1 interception. Looking good. It's too early to decide if Douds is THE go-to receiver. I hope they all are. I don't want to worry about the Adams syndrome already.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 02, 2023 at 03:32 am
Yeah, if opposing defenses really have to cover everybody, that makes it much harder. If they have to double team Christian Watson and keep a peeper on JL10 to keep him from running, that leaves a couple targets open :)
Tundraboy
June 02, 2023 at 11:17 pm
I was thinking the same thing. The talk of anyone being Love's main guy makes me bristle.
PatrickGB
June 01, 2023 at 01:35 pm
He looked smooth last year. In and out of breaks, he looked like a veteran. I am sure that another year of experience will help him see the ball come his way more often.
Leatherhead
June 01, 2023 at 01:43 pm
He started off great in OTAs and training camps, but the realities of the NFL caught up to him and he missed some time with injuries. He also had some unappreciated drops, like rookies do sometime. Most of his receptions were short, he didn't break a single tackle.
Still, he does get open and a guy who can help move the chains is useful. If he could stay healthy, I could see him with 70 receptions this year. The guys behind him when training camp start are probably Reed and Toure and the rest. IMO, those four will get over 90% of the WR targets this season. Wicks will have the luxury of learning this year, and will receive few targets unless the guys ahead of him are injured.
If Doubs becomes the kind of WR that can nickel and dime you to death, it makes it quite a bit harder to keep Watson under control AND maintain a reasonable matchup on the other receivers.
cdoemel
June 02, 2023 at 02:25 am
Leather head, you’re obviously a Watson guy. But he was hurt also last year. When you say it about Doubs, you make it seem like it’s his fault he got hurt. Like he did something wrong. I’m excited about Watson this year, but I think crowning him WR1 is too early. And I don’t think ML likes those tags anyway. At the end of the season, maybe Watson has more yards, but I bet Doubs has more catches and TD’s. And I’m not writing Toure off as climbing up the depth chart. We shall see.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 02, 2023 at 03:35 am
LH, because of what you said I checked and #33 + Quadzilla produced 2,714 yards last season if you include rushing and passing. Thanks :)
stockholder
June 01, 2023 at 02:39 pm
The main priority is to Catch The ball.
Especially the first Time it's thrown to you.
Let's cut through the Talk.
Justin Jefferson had 1400 yds his Rookie year.
Doubs has a long way to go.
croatpackfan
June 01, 2023 at 03:37 pm
Well Jefferson was not in the dog house of his QB...
WestCoastPackerBacker
June 01, 2023 at 05:18 pm
Actually for a 4th round pick Doubs had a decent rookie season. Jefferson was #22 overall, and Doubs was #132. No one is expecting first round production out of Romeo Doubs.
He's doing as well or better than some former truly productive Packer WRs in their rookie year, most of whom had issues with drops:
Doubs 42 catches 425 yards 3 TDs in 7 starts
Adams 38 catches 446 yards 3 TDs in 11 starts
Nelson 33 catches 336 yards 2 TDs in 2 starts
J. Jones 47 catches 676 yards 2 TDs in 9 starts
Cobb 25 catches 375 yards 1 TD in no starts
Jennings 45 catches 632 yards 3 TDs in 11 starts
However, all those guys were picked higher in the draft than Doubs, mostly second rounders (Jones in the 3rd round). And they played with a QB that didn't have a broken thumb. They all turned out to be pretty dang productive for the team.
So go ahead and bash Doubs for not being Justin Jefferson, but he wasn't drafted to be Justin Jefferson. I'd love to get James Jones type of a career from him. That would be a very nice career for his place in the draft.
stockholder
June 01, 2023 at 05:48 pm
Bash? Quote Talk= Chemistry. Bigger Roll. Next step?
There was No Chemistry with Jefferson.
He made the most of his opportunity. Did Doubs?
WestCoastPackerBacker
June 02, 2023 at 02:59 pm
Yes, yes, he did make the most of his opportunity to play with a QB with a broken thumb who tends to disfavor younger players in order to throw to the guys he's familiar with. To get 3 scores and that many yards missing several games to injury. Yes, he did make the most of his opportunity.
TKWorldWide
June 01, 2023 at 08:44 pm
Yes, But the First pass is only Thrown once.
And, the second One comes next, but Only once Also.
If the first Three Passes get Dropped, then In that Case, the 4th Pass might not Come for A long Time!
Unless, Injuries.
Or the Game dictates More running Than passiNg.
gPg!
Johnblood27
June 02, 2023 at 04:56 am
I see what you did...
TKWorldWide
June 02, 2023 at 07:13 am
Heh heh
Thank you!
BradHTX
June 02, 2023 at 10:44 am
I’m snapping my fingers and banging my beatnik bongo in appreciation.
Slim11
June 02, 2023 at 08:23 am
Agreed. I want to see his YPC/YAC improve. If that happens, he has the potential to lead the team in receiving yards and catches.
Because of his speed, I expect Watson will lead the WR group in total yards. If Doubs improves his productivity after the catch, they will be the 1-2 punch Jones and Dillon are for the running game.
mrtundra
June 01, 2023 at 03:00 pm
I just hope this team comes through camp and preseason relatively unscathed. Everyone gets dinged up, once in awhile, but let's hope those dings are few and far between. As for Justin Jefferson, I don't care how many yards he got in his 1st year. He was about the only WR Kark had to throw to. I will remember Jefferson's 15 total yards, when he went up against Jaire, in Lambeau. I'll be looking for more of that, please!
Leatherhead
June 01, 2023 at 06:11 pm
You are quite correct that he was a good Round 4 rookie. I did some research and found that it's a rare Day 3 rookie who catches 50 balls, and Doubs came close. If he can build on that, we'll have a player. If he can't, he'll be surpassed.
greengold
June 01, 2023 at 06:20 pm
Romeo Doubs led the team with 9 drops in 2022.
AJ Dillon 7 drops
Alan Lazard 6 drops
Christian Watson 4 drops
Josiah Deguara & Randall Cobb with 2.
I can see Doubs cleaning that up this season. Dillon & Watson too. Rodgers did not have the accuracy we were used to seeing. Age. Thumb.
I bet Love will be delivering a lot more catchable targets after he gets settled in.
Rodgers’ Clean Pocket Comp% in 2022 was just 64.1%, ranking #27. Rodgers’ Catchable Pass Rate was 64.0%, ranking #47 in the NFL. His Comp % vs. Man Coverage was 54.2%, ranking #26.
I think Doubs & Love built upon their chemistry with their off-season work at Armed and Dangerous Football Camp, and it might pay even more dividends.
SicSemperTyrannis
June 02, 2023 at 03:45 am
That's a great set of numbers! Good thing NYJ didn't see that ;)
Everybody ignores AR12's injured ribs last season. Have you ever had a rib injury? I've gone months without sleep due to a rib injury, quick thinking is the first thing to go. He said he went weeks without sleep. We definitely saw his broken thumb affect his accuracy, but it's harder to gauge the rib injury.
Here's hoping our O line keeps JL10 healthy ...
greengold
June 02, 2023 at 04:35 am
The Jets traded for Uncle Rico.
Spock
June 02, 2023 at 09:31 am
Having broken ribs last year (for the third time) I have to say I'd forgotten about the ribs thing. I'll never forget when jordy went into a game just a week or two after major rib injuries. That man was a warrior that day. The first time I broke and displaced four ribs I spent 3 months sleeping in a chair because I couldn't handle the pain to lie down. I can't imagine playing contact football with broken ribs like that!
BAMABADGER
June 01, 2023 at 07:13 pm
Just using words “just humbly speaking,” says a lot about the character of Romeo Doubs. He is learning, studying, working to be a true Packer. We need you to shine this year, Romeo! GPG!
Johnblood27
June 02, 2023 at 05:07 am
I have a question...
If team and individual success can be elevated by off-season workouts and training under the supervision of a professional then...
WHY IN THE HELL WOULD THE NFLPA BARGAIN LIKE ALL HELL TO REDUCE THE TIME AND EFFORT ALLOWED INSIDE OF AN NFL FRANCHISE???
There is less work allowed in TC, there are limited practice times allowed during the season. This is an absolutely absurd policy when NFL players work out like crazy throughout the off-season and gain teamwork (chemistry) through 'informal' gatherings to work out and practice reps at their respective positions.
There needs to be a reality check on the NFLPA. Their bargaining positions just do not make sense for the players OR the fans. Players development gets retarded, the overall quality of play is diluted for the fans and another of my pet peeves...
Why isn't the NFLPA advocating for less of the cap killing mega-contracts and more of an equitable spread of the cap dollars to ALL of the players on the team? The good of all of the players is benefitted if a hard salary cap floor is negotiated and a reasonable 'max' contract for only say 3 players per franchise is allowed. More players would get more money while the true 'stars' would be on 'max' contracts and doing quite well. I thought that a Union was supposed to look out for all of it's members, not negotiate for rules that impede member career progression (fewer practices) and not advocate for maximum individual paychecks in opposition to better pay for ALL of the Union members. Just my 2 cents.
PewAuKeeFan
June 02, 2023 at 09:34 am
This reminds me of a night I went to my friend's house. He was searching for his keys in his living room.
I started to help him search. After a few minutes, I asked him "Do you remember where you may have dropped it?". He replied "I dropped it in my yard."
Me: "Then why the hell are you searching in your living room!!!"
Him: "It's dark outside in the yard."
So, NFLPA is applying the same principle here. Somewhere some statistic has shown that increased contact equals increased injuries. They cannot control personal time of the players, so they control official time. Never mind that lack of proper training could lead to more injuries.
Looking at it from another angle ~, I guess we also have to take into account that NFLPA is staffed by former players. Those formers players may not be capable of coherent thought, probably having been subjected to concussion several times.... just saying...
Johnblood27
June 02, 2023 at 10:49 am
Maurice whats-his-name is not a former player.
I doubt CTE is at fault here.
I do not see how a current NFL player NOT making 20+ million per year can in any way support the machinations of the NFLPA.
A Union should be run by votes of its members. How could policies like I outlined NOT be preferred by a majority of the members?
Something really stinks with the NFLPA.
I always thought JC Tretter was a pretty sharp cookie, coming from Cornell and all. I guess he is just a shill for the current power brokers of the NFLPA.
He says all the right things regarding player safety, but on the finaancial side of equity for ALL the players he seems to side on the greed-of-a-few policy.
Bitternotsour
June 02, 2023 at 02:43 pm
Maybe I can help. You want me to do extra off-season work, PAY ME for the extra work.
You want me to risk additional injury? Guarantee my contract. See, we can talk.
I know, let's talk about profit splits, extended health benefits that cover the work i did for you that effects my life after my very short career. In short, let's bargain for that time.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
June 02, 2023 at 01:49 pm
I think many here do not fully understand how damn talented Doubs is. Partially, this is because of the rookie year Watson had & his potential.
I went to last year's scrimmage and Doubs stood out over everyone IMHO regardless where they played him. Offense or ST's. I was blown away by his talent! Once I came back home I immediately started posting how good Doubs was and how his route running & movement skills reminded me of Adam's. Yes, that was 7 or 8 months before MLF mentioned the same thing.
I totally would not be surprised one bit if Doubs & Watson year in and year out are in a tight race for the lead in completions, yardage, and TD's. The Packers now have 4 to 6 very good young WR's. Both the present & future look great!