Packers WR Sammy Watkins 'in a good place right now'

Wide receiver Sammy Watkins has rarely, if ever, matched the high expectations had for him all the way back when the Buffalo Bills made him the fourth overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. Watkins has encountered numerous injury setbacks over the years with different clubs, and he was largely a forgettable figure with the Baltimore Ravens throughout the 2021 NFL season that he finished with just 27 catches for 394 yards and a single touchdown. 

The Green Bay Packers became the latest team to give Watkins an opportunity to relaunch his career when they signed him to a one-year deal last month. Per Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' website, Green Bay receivers coach/passing game coordinator Jason Vrable, who worked with Watkins in Buffalo, spoke highly of the 28-year-old during Thursday's media availability. 

"I talked to Sammy about it the other day. The way he was running some routes and catching, it reminded me of when he first walked on the field," Vrable explained. "The biggest thing had been some injuries, if you looked at the thing. But we know he's going to work as hard as he can. He's here doing all the workouts right now in conditioning. He feels good where his body is at. 

"One thing you'll see with him is he plucks the ball different. He has hands where you'll hear the pluck and running through catch, and his play strength. There's a reason why we drafted him that high and he's had a lot of successful years in his career. … He said to me, 'Man, it's different. I've been in four systems in the last four years, just getting back to what you coach. You know, Vrabs, it's been fun hearing you coach the same stuff then as now.' He knows the details. He's in a good place right now and I'm really excited about him." 

Watkins is on track to serve as one of multiple new targets for quarterback and reigning Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers, and those two will begin building chemistry at some point this summer.