That’s what its come down to. Who would you rather have? Jordy Nelson or Geronimo Allison?
The Green Bay Packers made their decision when they released Nelson this past offseason. It wasn’t a one-or-the-other proposition, though. The Packers could have kept both receivers.
Allison is making a meager $630,000 this year. He’ll be a restricted free agent after the season, so the Packers essentially control his rights. Nelson’s deal averaged around $10 million per season. If the Packers had kept him, this would have been the final year of that contract.
We understand why the Packers made the move to release Nelson. He’s 33 and on the backside of his career. He wasn’t productive in 2017, catching 53 balls for 482 yards. And, they wanted to give Allison an opportunity to move up and contribute.
In making the move, general manager Brian Gutekunst was following the Bill Walsh ideal — I’m going to get rid of you before you become a bad player. It doesn’t matter who you are. The 49ers jettisoned a number of great players from those Walsh teams — Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott, to name a few. Those guys all went on to play for other teams and have success.
In Allison, the Packers have a receiver who’s both young (24) and cheap. Much like Nelson was, Allison is considered one of the hardest working guys on the team.
With the recent spate of injuries at the receiver position, a lot of people have been jumping on the Packers for releasing Nelson. And yes, they could have kept him, but they didn’t, so let’s move on.
What this really comes down to is looking at the season so far for both guys.
Interestingly, Nelson and Allison are pretty even.
Allison has 19 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Nelson has 16 catches for 274 yards and two touchdowns.
Allison is averaging 15.2 per catch, with a long of 64. Nelson is averaging 17.1 per catch, with a long of 66 — the old man can obviously still stretch the field.
It doesn’t really get anymore even than that.
The thing is, Nelson’s numbers were largely put up in one game. Against Miami, Nelson had six catches for 173 yards and a touchdown. In the other three games, his high in receiving yards was 48.
Allison has been more consistent. His receiving yards by game — 69, 64, 76 and 80.
If you had to pick one, who would you take?
It makes a lot of sense to go with young, cheap and consistent.
With all due respect Joseph, can we just move on about Jordy Nelson? He’s not here anymore, it doesn’t matter.
Ok, you like him, he we was good before he slowed down and lost it when Rodgers got hurt, we get it.
Each week some wise guy has to chime in here about Nelson, and frankly, myself, and some others in here, we are getting damn tired of reading about it.
Normally…..i would be counterpointing the facts and unspoken intangibles and variables about this article, not to mention the very premise of it, but i, along with others are fed up with this shit. So let it be known, i am done with this subject 100%, never to be brought up again.
Unless of course, i can’t help myself and comment later in here.
The Packers have only $2 million left in salary cap space after signing Rodgers to the largest NFL contract in history (he’s 13th in QB rating) . How could they have kept Nelson?
Really?
Kato….Can you take that one?
Or you could look at another way.
There is a good chance Randall Cobb will not be around after this season unless he takes way less in salary. By cutting Randall the Packers would have saved about 9.5 million in cap. That would have been about the same savings as cutting Jordy. Jordy also said he would have taken less to stay with the Packers but not the obscene offer the Packers tendered. So it is possible the Packers could have saved more in cap by cutting Randall and being reasonable in a offer to Jordy.
To hell with that though. I want the better receivers. So if we are going to look at it as Joseph has let’s pick the best two receivers to date.
Cobb: 27 targets, 17 receptions, 63% catch rate, 194 total yards, 11.4 yards per catch, 7.2 yards per target.
Jordy: 24 targets, 16 receptions, 66.7% catch rate, 274 total yards, 17.13 yards per catch, 11.42 yards per target.
Allison: 29 targets, 19 receptions, 65.5% catch rate, 289 total yards, 15.21 yards per catch, 9.97 yards per target.
It appears to me Cobb has the lowest catch rate %, the lowest total yards, the lowest yards per catch, and the lowest yards per target of the three.
So it appears using Joseph’s reasoning you could have kept young and cheap (Allison) and Jordy over Cobb and come out at least the same if not better salary cap wise and for sure better production wise.
I guess we will see how the rest of the season progresses.
Ok Howard, i’m with you, except for a few points that are seriously relevant, that not many have brought up. So i will.
One thing you have to keep in mind in comparing those 3 head to head is that Cobb and Allison didn’t go anywhere, they don’t have a new team, a new QB, a new system. Jordy basically had to go to no mans land and start over. Also, he went to a 6-10 team. Carr is not Rodgers and i highly doubt that Nelson and Carr come close to the rapport that Rodgers had with Nelson.
I knew when the Raiders signed Nelson, that Nelson wouldn’t have the success he had in Green Bay, for the reasons i stated above.
No other combo has had the production that Nelson and Rodgers had together, including Adams, keep in mind Nelson missed the 2015 season. All Rodgers and Nelson did together was score touchdowns at a unbelievable pace that most QB/WR combos can only dream about. When did that stop?….the moment Rodgers broke his collarbone. Nelson had 6 td passes in the 1st 5 games of last season. That’s a record setting pace. People don’t seem to get it. Not to mention Jordy led the NFL in td’s the season before. (2016).
The biggest difference with Nelson now, compared to playing with Hundley last season, is Carr isn’t throwing quick outs to Nelson 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage. McTriple had Hundley do that so Hundley can dump off the ball before doing anything stupid. To me, anyone judging Nelson’s performance with Hundley at QB requires a special kind of stupid.
I just reject the premise of “whose the better receivers of the 3 NOW. Not exactly the same circumstances even though Nelson’s numbers are fine, especially considering circumstances. Nelsons on pace to catch 1,100 yards that alone says something. Adams has never done and Cobb hasn’t done that for 4 years, and i think only did it once.
I guess we can argue and debate the facts, but at the end of the day, this offense is never the same when Nelsons not in it, and that should end the discussion for obvious reasons. If Nelson was still with the Packers, are we even having this conversation?
“I’m going to get rid of you before you become a bad player.”
Lol, if that’s the case then I can give you a list of guys that should have been gone years ago.
Yea, isn’t that the truth. A long list.
The real question is should we have released Jordy or Cobb and the answer is clear. Could have moved Jordy into the slot for next to league minimum, and dumped the forever injured, overpaid Cobb.
Frankly, I would agree. Jordy, at this point in his career, is made for the slot. And Cobb is injured every year.
It was telling when the Raiders needed a two point conversion to tie the game and go to OT, they threw it up to Jordy and said go get it. And so he did.
The day they cornholed Jordy I knew it was wrong, still know it, but will wait patiently for Mr. Glass to return to the field and bring his 600 yards and 6 TD’s per season back to the Pack.
The last time Cobb has seen 6 TD’s was back in 2015. Or…..when he watched Nelson catch 6 TD’s in the 1st 5 games last season.
Sorry Kato.
Important to note Jordy’s stats aren’t with Rodgers as QB…and Carr is throwing to Nelson less than 4 times a game. Kind of puts those “even” numbers into perspective.
Whay a moronic organization! You let Jordy walk and keep that slow stiff Geronimo Allison. On top of that you get rid of athletic freak Jeff Janis who could have been a superstar! Hard to believe hiw that guy was treated. Have fun with the bed you made.