New Receiver Faces Weighty Challenge

With two draft picks out with injuries, the Green Bay Packers’ latest addition to the receiver room faces a couple challenges.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Aug 2, 2023 5:10 PM EDT

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – “It’s been a journey,” proclaimed Green Bay Packers receiver Andre Miller after joining his new team during the early stages of Tuesday’s training camp practice.

That’s an understatement.

A native of Old Town, Maine, Miller started his collegiate career at Division III Husson University, located in nearby Bangor. After one season there, he transferred to Maine, an FCS-level school, for his final three years. As a senior, he caught 39 passes for 684 yards and three scores.

Miller went undrafted in 2022 and signed with the New York Giants, who moved him to tight end. A 225-pound receiver in college, he bulked up to about 245 pounds to better take on the rigors of the position. Miller suffered a broken arm during training camp and opened the season on injured reserve before spending the second half of the year on the practice squad. He was retained on a futures contract after the season but released in June.

The Packers, with fifth-round pick Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) and seventh-round pick Grant DuBose (back) out with injuries, signed Miller as a receiver following a Tuesday morning workout.

“That’s the biggest thing right now,” Miller said of having to change positions again. “Last year, I was obviously putting the weight on to become a tight end and be able to block better in the trenches. Now, I’m a little on the heavier side for a receiver but I’ve been a receiver since sixth grade so that’s my natural position, that’s what I’ve been doing it. Getting back into that is going to be a good thing, obviously.”

Miller had been training in Georgia when the Packers called. He weighed 237 pounds and hopes to get back to his “natural weight” of 225.

The Packers like big receivers; Allen Lazard made a living throwing his 6-foot-5, 235-pound frame at smaller defensive backs, linebackers and defensive linemen. At 6-foot-2 and with experience as a blocker, Miller said he’s “definitely” physical.

“Whatever they need me to do, I try to do to the best of my ability,” Miller said. “That’s the same approach I took when I went to New York. Them having me play tight end, that was my mindset: Keep learning every day because that was a position I never played in my life. Having to learn those techniques was obviously way different than receiver, but it’s trying to be as versatile as possible.”

Not only does Miller need to work himself into receiver shape, he’s got to get up to speed on a playbook that all the receivers (other than Packers shareholder Cody Chrest) have been running for months.

“It’s going to be tough, obviously, but I’m up for the challenge and I’m excited to get ready to work,” Miller said.