The Green Bay Packers may be without leading receiver Jordy Nelson this season, but that doesn’t mean anything is going to change.
Coach Mike McCarthy made it a point to hammer that home on Tuesday, saying that neither the team’s goal, nor their style of play will be altered without Nelson.
“Like I’ve already stated, nothing’s changed,” McCarthy said. The goals are the same. Our team identity is the same. How we want to play, the style of football we want to play, the important building blocks of how we go about our business each and every day, that will not change.”
That’s not unexpected coming from an organization that’s always dealing with injuries and always spouting out their “next man up” mantra.
That mantra appears to apply here as well.
It doesn’t look like the Packers have any interest in bringing in a receiver from the outside, either. Instead, they’ll look for Jeff Janis, Ty Montgomery and Davante Adams to step up.
“I think all three of those guys understand the opportunity that was in front of them before Sunday’s game,” McCarthy said. “So regardless of what happened to Jordy, you’re talking about three men that played a lot of football. Practiced a lot. Played a lot of football as far as getting ready for [the preseason opener at] New England, and they’re going to play even more football come Saturday night against Philadelphia. So yeah, I think it’s loud and clear the opportunity that’s in front of them.”
One guy we haven’t spoken much about is Myles White.
White played in seven games for the Packers in 2013 after being promoted from the practice squad. He caught nine balls for 66 yards that season, then spent all of 2014 on the practice squad again.
White certainly isn’t going to replace Nelson, but we keep hearing he’s having a solid camp and he looks like a near lock to make the final roster now.
So there are your likely cast of characters at the receiver position.