Packers rookie WR Montgomery: 'I can compete anywhere, at any point in time'
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- When a wide receiver is drafted by a team that has the NFL's reigning MVP at quarterback, that player is going to feel plenty of excitement. Along with it, though, often come questions from the rookie's friends and family about getting to work with such a prominent signal-caller.
After Ty Montgomery was selected by the Packers, the former Stanford star was surprised to hear the way some interpreted how he might react during his early days in Green Bay.
"Everyone talked about having Aaron Rodgers as a quarterback," Montgomery said. "Of course I'm looking forward to it. Some people actually asked me if I was going to be nervous catching passes from Aaron Rodgers. But I told them I had Andrew Luck as a freshman in college, so not really nervous about it."
Montgomery caught 24 passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman from Luck. A few months after their final play together, Luck was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indianapolis Colts.
The lessons Montgomery learned in 2011 weren't just about playing with a great quarterback. He also found out how quickly a wide receiver can go from a limited role off the bench to being in a prominent spot on the field.
"That happened my freshman year at Stanford; one of our guys got hurt, I was only returning kicks, and now I have to step up and I'm a starting receiver," Montgomery said. "You never know what can happen."
That's why Montgomery has no intention of letting his spot on the Packers' wide receiver depth chart this upcoming season affect the way he prepares.
He's plenty familiar with the players that are in front of him. Green Bay has arguably the best receiving duo in the NFL with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, both of whom are under contract for the same amount of years (four) as Montgomery's rookie deal. So not only will it be difficult -- well, impossible -- for him to surpass those two stars this year, it will likely be a struggle to do so in 2016, 2017 and 2018, as well.
"Sometimes you have to wait," Montgomery said. "Whether you have to wait because you've got some things to learn or there's a guy ahead of you who's put in his time. Sometimes you have to go right now because they need you right now. I'll be ready -- whenever."
There's a quiet confidence to Montgomery's approach. He's not boastful or arrogant, but there's no denying the 22-year-old believes in his abilities.
"I think I can compete anywhere, at any point in time," Montgomery said. "It's nothing against any of the other guys that are here. But we're all competitors. As far as my role, I can't tell you what my role is going to be. I don't necessarily determine that. I'm going to be prepared to be able to go whenever and wherever the coaching staff decides to put me."
It's not just Nelson and Cobb who Montgomery has to contend with for snaps. The Packers used their 2014 second-round pick on Davante Adams, and he produced a solid rookie season. There's no doubt Adams will enter training camp at No. 3 on the depth chart.
But there's also Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis, who were fifth- and seventh-round selections, respectively, last year. While Abbrederis spent his entire rookie season recovering from a torn ACL and Janis only played 15 snaps, they both figure to be a big part of the competition moving forward.
Easing Montgomery's transition is that he played in a pro-style offense in college that is very similar to what Green Bay runs.
"To be honest, some of the things are exactly the same," Montgomery said. "It was easy for me to kind of conceptualize it. Even things that were different, or maybe the same concept with different terminology, it was sort of easy for me to conceptualize."
The wide receivers at Stanford even spent some of their classroom time studying clips of the way Nelson and Cobb operated on the field.
"I think some of our concepts (at Stanford) are probably gotten from them, just watching them, or variations of it," Montgomery said. "So I definitely got to watch those guys, watch them run routes, and they're a really good group of wide receivers."
It was clear during rookie orientation camp that Montgomery would be ready to contribute early in his NFL career as a receiver if he's asked to.
"Very impressed," head coach Mike McCarthy said of Montgomery after seeing him work on the practice field. "Obviously has a ton of explosion in his body. I thought he definitely stood out."
Like what happened during Montgomery's freshman year, an injury could occur that would potentially propel him into a key offensive role with the Packers. In the meantime, special teams is likely where he'll have to make his name early on.
Over his four seasons at Stanford, Montgomery returned 91 kickoffs and averaged 25.2 yards. He added punt return to his list of responsibilities as a senior, taking two of his 12 attempts all the way for touchdowns.
"I think a good return man has speed, quickness, a will to break tackles and find the end zone," Montgomery said. "There's no second down on special teams, so you can't be complacent. As a return man, you have to be willing to fight."
Montgomery noted, "I in no way feel I'm entitled to that position" as the returner. If that's not his job right away, Montgomery still wants to contribute in all phases of special teams.
"If I'm covering punts, I'll cover kickoffs, I'll play gunner -- it really doesn't matter," he said. "I'll even vice and not be a return man. I don't care. Any kind of special teams is the fastest way to get on the field."
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