Many are used to seeing the Green Bay Packers preparing for the NFL playoffs this time of year. But for the first time since 2008, there will be no postseason run for head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Instead, the team made some news on Friday when it signed fourth-year wide receiver Davante Adams to a four-year extension. Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the 2014 second-round pick from Fresno State's new deal is worth $58.75 million. So what does that mean to the team when it comes to bringing back some of its veteran performers this offseason?
Solid showing since 2016
You will recall that as a rookie, Adams put up somewhat respectable numbers. He finished fourth on the team with 38 receptions for 446 yards and three touchdowns. But the talented prospect played a pivotal role in his first-ever NFL postseason appearance. The Green Bay Packers’ 26-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the 2014 NFC Divisional Playoffs is best known for Dez Bryant’s non-catch near the end of regulation. But Adams made a much bigger impression in his team’s win. He hauled in seven passes for 117 yards and one touchdown in the five-point victory. A week later against the Seattle Seahawks, Adams was kept under wraps. He was targeted only three times and caught only one ball for seven yards.
A year later, a nagging ankle injury and a case of the dropsies saw the young wideout’s stock drop in many people’s eyes. He missed three games, and, while he was targeted 94 times in 13 contests, he managed only 50 grabs for 483 yards and one score. But Adams has been nothing short of tremendous these past two seasons. A total of 30 regular-season contests have added up to 149 catches, good for 1,882 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Hence, it was a no-brainer for Thompson and the organization to re-sign the standout receiver.
Wide receiver state of the union
Now that the Green Bay Packers have Adams under contract for a few more seasons, what does that mean for a few fellow wideouts and another player that that made the full-time conversion to running back this past offseason down the road?
All told, receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb and versatile Ty Montgomery are all slated to become unrestricted free agents in March of 2019. So why broach the subject now? Could either Nelson or Cobb be let go this offseason with one year remaining on their deals to open up some more salary cap room? For now, those decisions may be months or even a year away. More significantly, the very-talented Davante Adams won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
