Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
WIDE RECEIVERS
Davante Adams says position is in good shape
Davante Adams was as shocked as anyone that the Green Bay Packers didn’t use a draft pick at wide receiver in April, but he still likes where the team is at with the position as training camp opens.
During a Zoom call with reporters last week Tuesday, Adams said he senses tangible maturity in the young players behind him, motivating his belief that the Packers are in “a really good spot” at receiver entering the season.
“A lot of the (young) guys we have now are starting to come into that,” Adams said, moments after listing all the things – such as improving physically, getting comfortable in the offense, mastering the finer details and getting on the same page as Aaron Rodgers – that once helped fueled his rapid progression as a young player.
“We’re going to be in a really good spot going into the year.”
The Packers didn’t draft a receiver and even Adams admitted shock when the team traded up to take a quarterback instead of a pass-catcher.
“It’s no secret, we were all expecting a receiver to be drafted, but that wasn’t the case,” Adams said.
The Packers traded up in the first round for Jordan Love, then picked a running back and tight end on Day 2 of the draft. By the end of the three days, almost 40 receivers had been selected, but none by the Packers.
Praise for Lazard
Asked to pick one receiver capable of breaking out in 2020, Adams instantly gravitated towards Allen Lazard, who caught 35 passes for 477 yards last season.
“Allen Lazard is one of the guys that, he’s shown he’s a really talented player on the field and he’s coming into his own confidence-wise,” Adams said. “Once you start to have that true confidence, once you start to believe you’re a really, really good player, and you know your role on the team and all of that. That’s when you start to have an Allen Lazard. He’s a lot more confident. The coaches have obviously shared that with the media, the rest of the team. I’m really excited to see that.”
At one point or another this offseason, Packers coach Matt LaFleur, general manager Brian Gutekunst, Rodgers and Adams have all hyped the abilities and potential of Lazard.
Four of the most important people in the building at Lambeau Field all went out of their way to talk up the wide receiver this offseason, noting everything from his unique path to the field, his ability to quickly gain the trust of Rodgers and how well he handled big-time situations during his first season as a major contributor.
From LaFleur: “Allen did a great job. I’m really excited about him. He earned it. He earned it, every rep he got. Just the effort, the intensity, he’s a very intelligent player. He earned it on special teams first. I think that’s kind of a good blueprint for young players coming in. You produce on special teams, you earn that trust from the coaching staff. He did that – not only from the coaching staff but from our players, as well, and specifically our quarterback.”
From Gutekunst: “Allen did the things you need to do at the right times, third downs, big games. Not everybody is built for that, and I thought he did a really good job at the end of the year.”
From Rodgers: “By the end of the season, he was called upon many, many times in important situations to make big plays and he did. He’s just a great teammate, and ascending player, loved his approach every week and he made some big-time plays for us.”
Both Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders gave Lazard high marks for his work during the 2019 season, and Rodgers had a completion percentage over 67.0 and a passer rating over 115.0 when targeting him in the passing game. All young players that have success must find ways to adjust to new things, but Lazard laid a strong foundation during his first full season in Green Bay.
The hype is real for Lazard entering 2020. It’s on the former undrafted free agent from Iowa State to match it once the games begin.