The Green Bay Packers announced this week that yet again, star wide receiver, Davante Adams, would not play. He has been sidelined since suffering a turf toe injury on September 26th against the Philadelphia Eagles. Adams has described this as his worst injury to date. He admits he isn’t ready and isn’t sure when he will be. His plan is to wait it out and return only when he is fully healthy. While there’s no way of knowing for sure how long his absence will last, the Packers shouldn’t overreact and trade for a wide receiver.
Green Bay should trust that Aaron Rodgers has some magic up his sleeve. They need to believe in their young receivers’ abilities. They must also be encouraged by the dynamite performance that running back Aaron Jones put on in Dallas last Sunday.
Why the Green Bay Packers Shouldn’t Trade for a Wide Receiver
Many doubted the Packers would fare well against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5. The Cowboys were even a 3.5-point favorite. Yet, the young wide receivers stepped up, and the running game came to life. Green Bay lead by 17 at the half and continued their dominance throughout the second half, leading them to a 34-24 victory.
Jones finally had the monster game that fans were waiting to see. He had 19 carries for 107 yards, averaging 5.6 yards-per-carry with four touchdowns. Jones didn’t try to do too much, and he made consistent and efficient gains. This allowed Rodgers to perform under less pressure. He didn’t have to carry the whole team on his back or play at a superhuman level to get a win.
Soon, Jones will once again be joined by his fellow starting running back, Jamaal Williams. As of October 11th, doctors gave Williams the green light to begin full practices. Williams is eager to return and says, “You can’t be scared playing football. I got the green light so I’m good. I’m going to go out there and play like ain’t nothing happened. That’s how you’re supposed to play. I’m not going to change the way I play.” While it remains unclear when Williams will officially make his return, all signs point to sooner rather than later. This is incredibly encouraging after he took such a scary and potentially life-altering hit. Jones and Williams are just a couple of reasons why the Green Bay Packers don’t need to trade for a wide receiver.
Young Talent
Clearly, the Packers would prefer to have Adams on the field. However, when he isn’t there, opposing teams can never be sure where Rodgers is going with the ball. It’s no secret that Rodgers favors Adams most often. Without Adams, Rodgers is forced to spread touches more often, which might turn out to be a benefit for the Pack.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Geronimo Allison, Jake Kumerow, and Allen Lazard still have the chance to prove a lot of people wrong. As Aaron Nagler of Cheesehead TV pointed out prior to the Cowboys game, the Packers’ young receivers are really good. They simply need to be given chances. The Packers should not count the young guys out right off the bat. It simply doesn’t make sense. More than likely, Adams will be back before too late in the season, assuming he only has a Grade 2 turf toe injury.
Combining the incredible talent of Rodgers with the Pack’s explosive run game and up-and-coming wide receivers, this team is set. That’s not even including the new-look defense that keeps coming up big. So, contrary to popular belief, the Green Bay Packers do not need to trade for a wide receiver.
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