The Packers signed veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis yesterday. Maybe it's coincidental, but I wonder if the timing had anything to do with the Chargers (perhaps) having an interest, losing Hunter Henry this week. Maybe not. In any case, it's a signing which suggests Green Bay's offense will be different this year.
Earlier in the offseason, of course, the Packers signed Jimmy Graham. Graham caught 10 TDs last season; only DeAndre Hopkins (13) caught more. And Lewis, though he's primarily a blocker, has long been a red-zone threat. He caught only 24 passes last season, but 5 went for touchdowns. Lewis himself has a 10-TD season on his resume, although it was back in 2010.
In any case, two of the top 10 highest-scoring tight ends last season are now on Green Bay's roster. Seems like the team's scoring mix of the past couple of years will change in 2018.
Green Bay tight ends have caught a total of just 5 TDs the last two season. That's more than only the Jets, who haven't thrown to the position at all.
| TE TD TOTALS, 2016-2017 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 2016 | 2017 | Total |
| Tampa Bay | 11 | 13 | 24 |
| Seattle | 8 | 15 | 23 |
| LA Chargers | 15 | 7 | 22 |
| New England | 11 | 9 | 20 |
| Philadelphia | 5 | 14 | 19 |
| Indianapolis | 12 | 4 | 16 |
| Minnesota | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| Tennessee | 9 | 6 | 15 |
| Kansas City | 5 | 9 | 14 |
| Washington | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| Atlanta | 10 | 4 | 14 |
| Cincinnati | 6 | 8 | 14 |
| San Francisco | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| Jacksonville | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| NY Giants | 3 | 8 | 11 |
| Chicago | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| Baltimore | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Cleveland | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Dallas | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| Pittsburgh | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Miami | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Houston | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| Buffalo | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| Arizona | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| Detroit | 1 | 7 | 8 |
| New Orleans | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Oakland | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Denver | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Carolina | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| LA Rams | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Green Bay | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| NY Jets | 0 | 4 | 4 |
In those same two seasons, Green Bay has thrown plenty of touchdowns. But they've been going almost exclusively to wide receivers. The Packers have thrown 54 TDs to wideouts the last two years. That's 9 TDs more than any other team.
| WR TD TOTALS, 2016-2017 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 2016 | 2017 | Total |
| Green Bay | 34 | 20 | 54 |
| Pittsburgh | 23 | 22 | 45 |
| Oakland | 21 | 19 | 40 |
| New Orleans | 24 | 13 | 37 |
| Arizona | 21 | 15 | 36 |
| Miami | 18 | 18 | 36 |
| Atlanta | 22 | 13 | 35 |
| Detroit | 17 | 18 | 35 |
| Dallas | 20 | 13 | 33 |
| NY Giants | 22 | 11 | 33 |
| Houston | 7 | 23 | 30 |
| LA Rams | 11 | 19 | 30 |
| New England | 16 | 14 | 30 |
| Carolina | 16 | 13 | 29 |
| LA Chargers | 15 | 14 | 29 |
| Washington | 14 | 15 | 29 |
| Philadelphia | 8 | 20 | 28 |
| Seattle | 12 | 16 | 28 |
| Tampa Bay | 17 | 11 | 28 |
| Denver | 15 | 12 | 27 |
| Jacksonville | 15 | 12 | 27 |
| Cincinnati | 11 | 15 | 26 |
| NY Jets | 13 | 13 | 26 |
| Minnesota | 11 | 14 | 25 |
| Baltimore | 13 | 11 | 24 |
| Indianapolis | 15 | 7 | 22 |
| Kansas City | 10 | 12 | 22 |
| Tennessee | 16 | 6 | 22 |
| Buffalo | 11 | 9 | 20 |
| Cleveland | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| Chicago | 12 | 4 | 16 |
| San Francisco | 8 | 7 | 15 |
This is not to say everyone should be shying away from Davante Adams or even Randall Cobb. Those guys are still going to be very good in Aaron Rodgers' passing game. But it would be a surprise if the scoring mix doesn't change some this year: fewer touchdowns to wide receivers, more to tight ends.
--Andy Richardson