Green Bay Packers: It's only up for Davante Adams
Few would argue that Davante Adams was among the handful of Green Bay Packers with the most to prove this summer as rumors swirled about the young veteran not making the final roster.
But while many have already written him off as a bust, the third-year pro has other plans.
Coming off a miserable sophomore campaign in which caught only 50-percent of his targets and had only one touchdown to show for his efforts, Adams immediately went to work in the offseason by adding considerable size to his arms and upper body.
He did this without compromising his speed or agility and looked more like the promising version of his rookie self in OTA sessions by connecting on deep passes in spectacular fashion with Aaron Rodgers.
Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Coach Mike McCarthy took notice and commented on how much “stronger” Adams appeared and came away impressed with his receiver’s ability to high-point the football.
But the third-year veteran’s true challenge lied ahead as he needed to absolutely shine during training camp and put all of last season’s negative talk behind him.
Numerous critics were quick to point out how poorly Adams performed in comparison to his peers in 2015. Pro Football Focus ranked him 181st among 182 wide receivers evaluated while numberFire.com claimed that only 17 wideouts averaged 11 or fewer yards per-reception and a 50-percent (or worse) catch rate on a minimum of 60 targets in any one season.
But while there’s no getting around those abysmal numeric indicators, one must consider the human element: Adams was hampered by multiple injuries. In the process of playing through a sprained ankle he sustained in Week 2, the former second-round pick exacerbated the joint in Green Bay’s Monday Night win over Kansas City forcing him to miss three games.
The ankle and a subsequent foot ailment conspired to limit Adams, who was visibly operating at half speed upon his return.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams reacts after dropping a pass on a two point conversion attempt during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Detroit won 18-16. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
And just when he seemed to be over his physical hurdles, the Fresno State product came down with an MCL sprain just as he was putting together his best outing of the season in Green Bay’s Wildcard victory over Washington.
To be clear, I’m not throwing a pity party for Adams. I’m merely pointing out the pain he played through should be factored into last year’s assessment along with the dry (but very factual) statistical reports.
But in Year 3, the still developing pass-catcher won’t be able to use injuries to justify dropped balls or poorly-run routes. A player’s third year is typically when he’ll need to emerge as a consistent performer or risk having the team move on from him.
Adams has shown signs of being the kind of playmaker the organization expects him to be this summer. He is visibly playing faster and with added confidence.
What’s more, the most encouraging aspect about Adams is his health in that he hasn’t yet missed a practice session and is making aerial plays.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams. Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Last week’s preseason game versus Oakland saw the 6-1 pass catcher not only demonstrate great focus in coming down with a first-down catch with a defender draped all over him, but later made a 31-yard leaping sideline grab on a back-shoulder fade delivered by Brett Hundley.
Though Adams is off to a very favorable start, he’ll need to earn his keep if he hopes to hold on to the WR3 role for the entirety of the regular season.
Jeff Janis’s poor camp and finger injury have taken him out of the running for the spot, but Ty Montgomery and Jared Abbrederis are both champing at the bit for a larger workload.
Adams’ mission to validate his standing as an NFL receiver and prove that he is more than worthy of being a key cog in the Packers’ offensive machine continues tonight against the San Francisco 49ers in a city that’s a mere stone’s throw away from his hometown of Palo Alto, Calif.
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