Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy has now mentioned this a couple times since the season ended. He wants a big, fast receiver to work the middle of the field.
Logically, that guy would be a fast, athletic tight end, but Ted Thompson refuses to acquire that guy. So if McCarthy is left to work with what he has, which seems pretty likely, he may get creative with Jordy Nelson.
McCarthy has floated the idea of lining Nelson up in the slot more often in 2016.
That would certainly give the Packers the big, fast receiver McCarthy desires to work the middle of the field. He described the potential move as one that would give the defense “a whole different set of problems.”
“Let’s be honest, the middle of the field is open now,” McCarthy said. “League rules. Big people running down the middle of the field, I’ll make no secret about it. I think that’s a key to offensive success, whether that’s a big receiver or big tight end or a big man running down the middle of the field, making those safeties cover you. It’s an important part of playing in today’s NFL.”
This is all true and it’s a swell idea.
However, we know Randall Cobb isn’t great at working outside and we know that clown Davante Adams is downright terrible at it. So if the Packers are going to keep their same roster — and there’s no indications to the contrary — then they lack capable playmakers outside when Nelson is inside.
The logical solution here is no secret. We’ve presented it time and again since last season ended.
You get a tight end with the skill set of Jermichael Finley. Alternatively, the Packers could actually put Jeff Janis on the field.
It’s McCarthy that has been reluctant to do that.
This is life with the Green Bay Packers, though.
You have obvious solutions right in front of you, but are too pigheaded to use them.
I actually see this as them realizing they need Janis on the field more in the larger WR packages.
Janis on the outside running the deep routes taking Nelson’s normal spot. Why? Because he can’t catch the ball in the middle or left.
So that puts Nelson in more of the middle. He’ll draw double teams into the middle of the field leaving the sidelines single covered.
Rodgers limited speed is taking the shorter routes.
And then whatever you wanted to do with the left side with Abby/Cobb/Montgomery
And then if the defense screws up and has the wrong personel. Nelson’s double coverage includes a linebacker. Ouch.
And if they just have more CB than linebackers. You run P90X at them. Nelson is a good blocker.
There is no way you take one of the most productive outside receivers in the NFL in recent years from the outside and move him inside. A damn stupid mis appropriation of company assets. If you want to move Jordy inside sometimes O.K, but hell no to the majority of the time. Jordy works the sidelines like few have.
Good post Howard, my thoughts as i was reading the article.
While I don’t think Janis is a starter by any means at this point in his career, he can be exciting. How long into training camp before it becomes implied, while answering why he is not utilizing Jeff Janis more, there is a trust issue?
Even though the article already stated Adams sucks on the outside, and will be more of a liability over the middle (slow and couldn’t catch in traffic), McCarthy probably doubles down on his usage of Adams this season to prove a point. Hopefully Montgomery relegates Adams to afterthought status.
Taking your best outside WR and putting him in the middle of the field is hardly an answer.
The middle of the field is why you paid Randall Cobb $10 mil a year. Cobb couldn’t work it because he was doubled constantly last season, especially on third downs, with no Jordy on the outside.
Get Jordy back where he belongs, and then Cobb can do the job you paid him to do.
Get a quality option on the other side- Janis, Adams, whoever- and throw them the ball once in a while, and defenses will stop throwing you the single safety look.
They’ve used Jordy on the inside plenty of times before and he has excelled, playing him MORE inside doesn’t mean they’re going to play him inside MORE OFTEN than they do outside, or even close to as many snaps-you just don’t take the best boundary receiver in football and remove that from his game. This is just another way for MM to get matchups he likes, like putting Cobb in the backfield or splitting his TEs/RBs out. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Jordy can run ALL of the route tree no matter where he’s lined up because he is one of the best route runners in the NFL.
Clearly, this is a change as an Inside Linebacker project…