Green Bay Packers: 5 offseason needs in 2019

4. Add youth at tight end

When the Green Bay Packers went out and added veteran tight ends Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis last offseason, it appeared to be déjà vu all over again for the organization. That despite the fact that Ted Thompson was no longer the general manager and Brian Gutekunst was the new man on the job.

First things first. In his first season with the Pack, Graham finished second on the team with 55 receptions, good for 636 yards and just two touchdowns. But he caught less than half as many passes as wide receiver Davante Adams (111), despite playing in all 16 games. Lewis played and started only four contests and caught just three passes for 39 yards.

In 2017, Thompson signed veteran tight ends Martellus Bennett and Lance Kendricks in hopes of bolstering a position that has been looking for answers ever since Jermichael Finley saw his career ended by injury just six games into 2013. Bennett’s tenure in Green Bay was very short-lived but Kendrick was back in ’18 and wound up catching 19 passes for 170 yards and one score. Both he and Lewis will see their current contracts expire on the afternoon of March 13.

There’s little doubt that Graham can still help the Green Bay offense. As of this writing, only he and Robert Tonyan Jr. are the only tight ends on the roster. The Packers have 10 selections in April’s draft, including multiple picks in the first, fourth and sixth rounds. Could they address the position more than once this spring in Nashville?

Next: No. 3