The Green Bay Packers have lost Jordy Nelson to a torn ACL injury and he will be out for the season for Aaron Rodgers and that could lead the team to look at Wes Welker as a free agent option or James Jones if he is cut in camp, while players like Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery and Jeff Janis could be pushed into the starting lineup with Randall Cobb.
Nelson was injured in the preseason against the Steelers on a non-contact play and he will be out for the year after he has surgery. According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Nelson at first did not realize how serious the injury was and said he likely would have "walked it off" had it been the regular season. Nelson previously had hip surgery this offseason and the wideout said he thought the knee injury was not related to any issues with his hip.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Packers could consider bringing back James Jones if he is cut by the Giants, as he signed a deal with the team recently but may not make the final roster. The Giants have solid depth at wide receiver, but with Victor Cruz coming back from an injury, the team wanted to add some insurance. There were reports earlier in the offseason that the Packers had some interest in Welker, but the two sides did not come close to a deal. Reggie Wayne came up as a target after Nelson's injury, but he has signed a deal with the Patriots.
Janis, Ty Montgomery and Myles White are on the roster along with Cobb and Adams and those players may get the chance to step up before the team makes any additions. Adams likely will be the first one to get a chance to start, as he comes in after a solid rookie season and was expected to get more looks this year even with Nelson healthy. Nelson is the favorite target of Rodgers and he was targeted 151 times last season, putting up some very strong numbers.
Now those targets will have to go elsewhere and while Cobb is a great player and can step up as a number one, defenses now can concentrate on him without worrying about Nelson. Adams comes in after putting up 38 catches for 446 yards and three TDs in 16 games last season and he could be a nice redzone target for Rodgers. Adams was very productive in college and he had 24 touchdowns in his last year at Fresno State while playing with Derek Carr.
Nelson now will rehab and try to come back next year and he remains a key part of the future in Green Bay. Nelson signed a five year deal in 2014 and he is signed into the 2018 season and now the Packers will have to find a way to keep things going without him in the lineup. Montgomery is coming out of Stanford and he could get some chances, but it likely will be Cobb and Adams in the starting lineup for the Packers.
