Sammy Watkins

The Packers are hosting free agent wide receiver Sammy Watkins on a visit on Thursday, per NFL Network.

He hasn’t eclipsed 40 catches over 500 receiving yards since the 2019 season. Watkins, 28, was the fourth overall pick of the 2014 NFL draft. The Green Bay Packers could be inching closer to a veteran addition at wide receiver.

Sammy Watkins, the fourth pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, is several years removed from being an impact player but he's only 28 and has a lot of experience.

Adams ranks second in the class with 669 receptions and 73 touchdowns while Watkins is seventh with 348 receptions and 34 touchdowns. “That’s going to be a big challenge,” new offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said on Tuesday. “I know our personnel staff and our coaching staff are really working hard at trying to find the best fits, whether it’s through the draft or free agency, and I’m really excited about it. He got his confidence there, he learned the playbook, he learned what Aaron was looking for, maybe what the staffs were looking for. It’s worth noting Watkins played with the Rams in 2017, when coach Matt LaFleur was offensive coordinator. He spent last year with the Baltimore Ravens alongside Lamar Jackson. He caught 27 passes but had five drops, according to Sports Info Solutions. The potential addition of Watkins wouldn’t replace Adams but it would help ease the transition.

The Green Bay Packers are hosting veteran WR Sammy Watkins for a free-agent visit on Thursday, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports.

A move to Green Bay might be just what Watkins needs. Watkins is no longer a player teams believe can become a No. 1 pass-catcher. All of those marks were career-lows for Watkins, who at 28 years old isn't receiving much attention from prospective teams.

The Packers are visiting with a veteran wideout who has a pre-existing relationship with head coach Matt LaFleur.

However, Watkins is unlikely to come with a high price tag, having earned just $5 million on his one-year deal with Baltimore last year and giving the Ravens just 27 receptions for 394 yards and one score in 2021. He started out with Buffalo, where he posted 982 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie before notching career highs with 1,047 yards and nine scores in his second year. Watkins did lead that team in receiving touchdowns with eight, however.

But while Watkins has never lived up to the hype since the Bills took him with the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, he has undeniable talent, and ...

His career-best season came in his second year in Buffalo, when he caught 60 passes for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns, with an average of 10.9 yards per target. The 28-year-old Watkins spent three seasons on the Bills, one on the Rams and three on the Chiefs before landing in Baltimore last year. Watkins spent last year with the Ravens and had a disappointing season, with career-lows in catches (27), yards (394) and touchdowns (one).

The deal is worth "up to" $4 million, but expect the number before incentives to be substantially less.

After an injury-riddled third campaign in Buffalo, the Bills traded him to the Los Angeles Rams, where he worked with current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur (then the Rams’ offensive coordinator). With exactly two weeks to go before the 2022 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers have taken their first notable step towards reloading their wide receiver room for the upcoming season. The newest Packers receiver is Sammy Watkins, the eight-year veteran who played for the Baltimore Ravens in 2021.

Sammy Watkins, an eight-year veteran, had one of his best seasons in 2017 with Matt LaFleur coordinating the Los Angeles Rams' offense.

He has remained a solid deep threat with 20 catches of 20-plus yards in Kansas City and six last year. Over his eight seasons, Watkins has 348 catches for 5,059 yards (14.5 average) and 34 touchdowns. Over the past four seasons, he has missed 17 games with thigh, calf, hamstring and foot injuries. NFL Network first reported that Watkins was in town and ESPN first reported the signing. There are a lot of good wide receivers in the 2022 draft and teams who select one might be willing or forced for salary-cap reasons to part with a veteran. Though they have $15 million in cap space, the Packers weren't looking to spend a lot and may view Watkins similarly to Devin Funchess, the veteran receiver they took a chance on two seasons ago.

Watkins, a 6-foot-1, 211-pound ninth-year player out of Clemson, was originally selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round (No. 4 overall) of the 2014 NFL ...

While with Kansas City (2018-20), he was part of a team that won three consecutive AFC West titles, went to three straight AFC Championship games and made back-to-back Super Bowl appearances (2019-20), winning the title in 2019. He is one of five wide receivers in the league with 300-plus receptions, 5,000-plus receiving yards, 30-plus receiving TDs and an average of 14.5-plus yards per catch since 2014. Since 2014, Watkins ranks No. 7 in yards per reception among NFL players with 300 or more catches.

The Packers, who lost three of their top receivers this offseason, signed veteran Sammy Watkins on Thursday.

He made two of the biggest catches of the season for Baltimore, setting up winning scores against the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears, but Watkins had no catches -- and just three targets -- in his final four games as he fell behind Marquise Brown, Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay on the depth chart. They haven't used a first-round pick on a receiver since 2002 (Javon Walker) but have two picks in each of the first two rounds after the Adams trade, putting them in position to address that spot high in the draft. The Packers have lost three of their top receivers this offseason, headed by All-Pro Davante Adams in a trade to the Las Vegas Raiders. They also lost Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Chiefs) and Equanimeous St. Brown (Bears) in free agency.

On Thursday, the Packers announced the signing of former No. 4 overall pick wide receiver Sammy Watkins. It's a one-year, $4 million deal, per ESPN. Watkins ...

Sammy Watkins, an eight-year veteran, had one of his best seasons in 2017 with Matt LaFleur coordinating the Los Angeles Rams' offense.

After a Thursday visit with the Packers, Sammy Watkins is signing a one-year, $4 million deal to join Green Bay, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Mike ...

The Green Bay Packers announced on Thursday that they signed veteran receiver Sammy Watkins to a one-year deal, reportedly worth up to $4 million.

Sammy Watkins is heading to Green Bay as the Packers attempt to rebuild their receiving corps after trading All-Pro Davante Adams.

The Green Bay Packers added wide receiver Sammy Watkins Thursday morning. Aaron Rodgers is already making plans.

Watkins joins linebacker De'Vondre Campbell and quarterback Kurt Benkert under contract with Green Bay for 2022 season.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur coached Watkins with the Rams in 2017, and Packers receivers coach Jason Vrable was in Buffalo when the Bills drafted him fourth ...

On Thursday, it was reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network that the Green Bay Packers were hosting Baltimore free agent wide receiver Sammy Watkins for a ...

Veteran wide receiver Sammy Watkins is reportedly in Green Bay visiting the Packers and could potentially be added to the roster. Aaron chats about why this ...

Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins could potentially join this year's receiving corps for the Green Bay Packers.

1:14PM: Not surprisingly, the two sides have indeed been able to reach an agreement on a deal. Watkins is signing a one-year contract worth up to $4MM ...

Veteran wide receiver Sammy Watkins has signed with Green Bay after one season in Baltimore.

The Packers have added a piece to their receiving corps. Veteran wideout Sammy Watkins visited the team on Thursday and things went well enough that Watkins ...

The Packers have signed veteran wide receiver Sammy Watkins to a one-year deal. That's the first step toward r...

The Green Bay Packers have finally added a wide receiver after losing Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Equanimeous St. Brown this offseason.

Watkins joins linebacker De'Vondre Campbell and quarterback Kurt Benkert under contract with Green Bay for 2022 season.