Packer WR In 2016

[endaround]

Last season we were in disarray with Jordie out, Cobb and Adams not stepping up, Montgomery getting hurt, etc... Here's Silverstein's take on how the WR battle will shape up :

When the Green Bay Packers open training camp in a couple of months, Aaron Rodgers and the other quarterbacks will have a dozen or so wide receivers lining up with them.
After drafting speedy Trevor Davis in the fifth round of the NFL draft, the Packers added to a roster the includes Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery, Jeff Janis, Jared Abbrederis, Ed Williams and Jamel Johnson. After the draft, general manager Ted Thompson added three more receivers.
"Feel really good about the wide receiver group," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Saturday night.
How good should the Packers feel about their wideout corps?
The return of Nelson (ACL) and Montgomery (ankle surgery) to full health might make a huge difference, but it's not a sure thing they'll regain their Pro Bowl form (Nelson) and potential (Montgomery). And we can't forget that Cobb and Adams were locked down in man-to-man coverage for most of last season or that the coaches didn't feel comfortable enough to put Abbrederis and Janis on the field full time.
Teams played the Packers as if their receivers couldn't beat them deep.
Going into a new season, McCarthy said he's "not concerned about overall speed at all."
"You can just make that clear right now," he said. "It's been great that we've been able to add 4.3 (Davis) to the mix. But we've got guys who can run, that can run fast, that can go over the middle. I think getting the health of that unit back will be the biggest improvement."
Davis could make the mix interesting, but it's not as if the Packers didn't have that kind of speed on the roster already. Janis ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds and was just about equal with Davis in the 40-yard split times, three-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle. Janis is two inches taller, 30 pounds heavier and benched 225 pounds 20 times to Davis' 11, too. But it took him two full years of training and injuries at the position to get on the field.
What impressed West Coast scout Sam Seale about Davis – besides the speed – is that he has large hands and, according to director of football operations Eliot Wolf, only had two drops last season. He also played in a high-powered Division 1 offense – unlike Janis – led by the No. 1 pick in the draft, Jared Goff.
"I'm an old Raider and I'm going to try to talk like my old boss used to, 'Speed kills,'" Seale said. "Once you have speed, that's all you need. Very big hands. He can catch the football. I think he brings an extra dimension to this team whereas last year sitting at home watching TV where everybody was daring us to go deep, I hope they do that with this kid. I'm hoping they do.
"I figure if they do that, after the first four, five games you won't see that anymore."
If Davis does pan out – and everyone knows Thompson is loathe to cut a draft choice – how do all those other receivers fit onto a 53-man roster?
Nelson and Cobb are sure things, but Adams, Abbrederis, Montgomery, Janis, Davis and developmental players Williams and Johnson are going to be battling for their lives. The Packers might keep six receivers, but if they keep seven it means going light at another position.
And Adams, Montgomery and Davis would have to join Janis as regulars on special teams.
In 2007 when the Packers went 13-3, piled up nearly 6,000 yards and made it to the NFC Championship Game, McCarthy employed a good deal of five-receiver sets, preferring a fifth wide receiver to tight ends Donald Lee and Bubba Franks. It meant he was able to go lighter at the tight end position.
Because both Cobb and Montgomery are capable of lining up in the backfield and carrying the ball, McCarthy may be able to steal a spot from the running back position, carrying just two instead of three. And instead of going with two fullbacks, he could go with just one.
How he chooses to use them all should he keep six or seven will be interesting to see.
Nelson is his big-play receiver. Cobb is good at playing off the attention Nelson receives in the secondary. Montgomery supposedly can replicate much of what Cobb can do. Adams was supposed to be a big red-zone target. Abbrederis is a slot receiver who gained Rodgers' trust late in the year. And Janis and Davis are the speed demons who would be expected to stretch the field.
Even though the Packers signed free agent tight end Jared Cook and are expecting more from tight end Richard Rodgers, this 2016 offense might wind up revolving around the receivers. It's a group from which McCarthy is going to expect a lot and it all starts with the competition in training camp.
McCarthy has said repeatedly it's a quarterback-driven game and yet last year Rodgers showed he needed better wide receiver play, better offensive line play, better tight end play and better running back play in order to perform at an elite level. He was not able to drive the show all by himself
"Having a great quarterback's a great thing to have," Thompson said. "I'm not trying to be funny. There are teams that struggle at that position. We're extraordinarily grateful and lucky to be where we are.
"Do you put any more emphasis (on helping him)? I don't know. Obviously, if you're sitting in my chair, then you probably are going to want to get another offensive lineman or two when you have a chance to during the job, which we did. You're probably going to want to get another speed receiver if you can, which we did. And you want other things, too, and you wish you could do those other things, too, but you can't do everything in a single drive."

Source : http://www.jsonline.com/sports/pack...ackers-wr-position-b99718246z1-377978341.html

 

[realitybytes]

personally, i'd keep seven receivers, three tight ends, one fullback, three running backs, two quarterbacks, and nine offensive linemen on the final 53.

nelson, cobb, montgomery, adams, janis, abbrederis, and davis. but we'll have to wait and see if we lose any to injury in the preseason.

you're probably never going to see all seven of those guys active in the same game. they'll all be fighting for playing time. it should keep them focused.

 

[Cheesedog]

You can keep all the WR from last year and add Davis for 7 for sure.

I was thinking they wouldn't keep seven. But WR is the deepest group on offense right now. And it would make no sense whatsoever to cut potential at WR in order to keep 2 FB's and more than 3 TE's. Heck i'd gamble and only keep Cook and Rogers at TE. We added OL depth so blocking should be better. That frees up roster spots for the deep WR group.

Will have to see what the UDFA WR's do in camp. But i don't think Abbey and/or Janis should feel very safe right now.

 

[57packer]

Agree with above. I'd probably keep 7 as well. 1xFB is plenty. I highly suspect they run with 2xQB with one on the practice squad. There aren't even 3 quality TEs right now, so no point in keeping more than 3. With those numbers you can keep 9xOL where you now have some better quality depth and 7xWR, a position that is now as deep as ever.

 

[realitybytes]

i think janis is fairly safe because of his special teams contributions and also because anyone who can put up 146 yards of receiving in a playoff game deserves a chance to show their value in the regular season.

 

[FlaPack]

i think janis is fairly safe because of his special teams contributions and also because anyone who can put up 146 yards of receiving in a playoff game deserves a chance to show their value in the regular season.

Safe : Nelson, Cobb, Montgomery
75% Safe: Adams, Davis
1-2 spots for the rest.

 

[rpiotr01]

I think Abby is toast. He's been hurt in camp every year and if he goes down again there are too many guys for him to make up ground. Janis is the new Bush. Jamel Johnson (size) Herb Waters (route running) and Devonte Robinson (speed, size) worth watching.

 

[Cheesedog]

i think janis is fairly safe because of his special teams contributions and also because anyone who can put up 146 yards of receiving in a playoff game deserves a chance to show their value in the regular season.

i think i'd agree with that.. Janis was our special teams ace, I mean when the opposing STC has to plan specifically for you then ya you're core ST. And what he showed in the playoff games is he will fight like hell for the ball and make some amazing grabs. So i'd put him more like 65% safe,only because Adams was a higher draft pick, and even after those playoff games MM wasn't excatly gushing over him. For some reason they don't give him a lot of credit. It was almost like they thought it was luck.

That being said MM will take what he sees in practice over what he sees on gameday every day of the week and twice on Sundays. So i'm not 100% confident Janis stays. If he gets cut I hope NE grabs him. Janis + Brady + Amendola + Gronk? Pats aren't afraid just to send someone long on a straight line. He fits there...

 

[FlaPack]

i think i'd agree with that.. Janis was our special teams ace, I mean when the opposing STC has to plan specifically for you then ya you're core ST. And what he showed in the playoff games is he will fight like hell for the ball. So i'd put him more like 65% safe,only because Adams was a higher draft pick, and even after those playoff games MM wasn't excatly gushing over him. For some reason they don't give him a lot of credit. It was almost like they thought it was luck.

That being said MM will take what he sees in practice over what he sees on gameday every day of the week and twice on Sundays. So i'm not 100% confident Janis stays. If he gets cut I hope NE grabs him. Janis + Brady + Gronk? Pats aren't afraid just to send someone long on a straight line. He fits there...

People forget that 2 of Janis catches were basically hail Mary's type plays. Take one or 2 of those away his stats vs Arizona were very comparable to Abby.

That all said Davis and Janis fill a similar skill set....speed. Davis is more polished, better hands. To me it comes down to ST play. You all know Thompson favors higher draft picks.

 

[rpiotr01]

People forget that 2 of Janis catches were basically hail Mary's type plays. Take one or 2 of those away his stats vs Arizona were very comparable to Abby.

That all said Davis and Janis fill a similar skill set....speed. Davis is more polished, better hands. To me it comes down to ST play. You all know Thompson favors higher draft picks.

I don't know how similar they are Pack. Janis has 2" and 30+ lbs on Davis, at similar straight line speed. I think Davis will do more as a receiver precisely because of the hands you mention but on ST it's not close. Janis is a big fast body who can get down the field. He's proven as a gunner. TT carried Jarrett Bush for years for precisely the same role, so to me Janis would have to screw up big time to lose a roster spot.

I'm also not discounting the possibility Montgomery starts the year on PUP. That was a bad injury, aggravated by trying to play on it and he had surgery relatively recently. Just putting it out there.