1st and goal from the 1.....

[HLin NC]

I was the R. I instructed my L to get closer to players on this situation.

What mechanics manual do you use? Whatever that says is what they should do, your position as R should not supercede that. Only in an obvious victory formation would I ever squeeze in. Wider is better, you can observe more action around the play. A good U will signal the wings if the ball is across anyway.

By the local mechanic we utilize, it sounds as if your HL would have been in about the same place I would have been in that situation. For most normal plays, our wings start on the sideline then adjust to the circumstances.
A goal line or close 3rd/4th down play then we crash in.
If the ball is on my hash, I am on my sideline, wide receiver or no.

Even old standard mechanics wanted the wings at least 9 yards off the widest receivers. On goal line offenses, most teams I see are pushing the receivers out wide to spread the defense, even if they are going to run up the gut.