Declined Perry's Option...thoughts on what will happen?

[Sunshinepacker]

There's an assumption running through these last few posts that WR was not a position of weakness, or least of need.

This offense needs to be 4 deep at WR, simply by the nature of the thing and secondarily because of the lack of play makers at TE.

There seems to be an underlying assumption among the faithful that in the absence of Montgomery, either Janis or Abbrederis would step up into the #4 role. That's an assumption with little to support it.

As noted previously, the logical #4 would be a slot guy whereby he'd back up Cobb. If either Nelson or Adams were injured, Cobb could move outside with Montgomery taking the slot. Neither Janis nor Abbrederis fit a slot profile. Besides, Janis needs to make a jump and Abbrederis is coming off an ACL.

Montgomery will not be the fourth receiver this year unless there are a number of injuries,I can say that with certainty. He is an amazing runner with the ball in his hands but he needs a LOT of work on routes and catching.

 

[adambr2]

There's an assumption running through these last few posts that WR was not a position of weakness, or least of need.

This offense needs to be 4 deep at WR, simply by the nature of the thing and secondarily because of the lack of play makers at TE.

There seems to be an underlying assumption among the faithful that in the absence of Montgomery, either Janis or Abbrederis would step up into the #4 role. That's an assumption with little to support it.

As noted previously, the logical #4 would be a slot guy whereby he'd back up Cobb. If either Nelson or Adams were injured, Cobb could move outside with Montgomery taking the slot. Neither Janis nor Abbrederis fit a slot profile. Besides, Janis needs to make a jump and Abbrederis is coming off an ACL.

Arguing that WR was a position of need, much less a position of weakness, seems like a major stretch to me.

I also don't buy that we need to be 4 deep at WR. I don't think we've been more than 3 deep in the Rodgers era, except maybe in 2010, and definitely not since Jennings left. We definitely weren't last season and got by just fine. It's obviously nice to have, just like it'd be nice to have a playmaking redzone TE, but Rodgers/Lacy/Nelson/Cobb is enough on it's own for a top 5 offense with the O-line that we now have.

I'm also not sure why you would say Abbrederis doesn't fit a slot profile. Janis doesn't, but Abbrederis definitely does. The injury concerns are legitimate (though hopefully being a training camp injury it won't be a factor), but I'd be far more comfortable with Abbrederis in the slot than Montgomery at this point in their careers without knowing how each will look in TC, based solely on Abbrederis having vastly superior hands.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Montgomery will not be the fourth receiver this year unless there are a number of injuries,I can say that with certainty. He is an amazing runner with the ball in his hands but he needs a LOT of work on routes and catching.

Well, Janis needs work running routes and catching the ball. Abbrederis is a redshirt rookie coming off an ACL with the need to add some muscle. I would say your certainty is unfounded.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Arguing that WR was a position of need, much less a position of weakness, seems like a major stretch to me.

Didn't Boykin at #4 demonstrate anything? Imagine if Cobb had been injured? What then? Nelson moves back to the slot with Adams and Boykin wide? Substitute Janis or Abbrederis for Boykin. Given what's known about them as opposed to what is imagined, that's a risky proposition.

Nelson, Cobb and Adams had 48 games played between them in 2014. They missed exactly zero.

Nelson and Cobb missed 4 games in 2013. A regression to that mean, if the mean is that low, says you need a #4 given the collection of ordinary TEs.

How about an extended injury or a season ender among the top #3? For a team that needs to outscore many opponents not having a qualified reserve to step in is a big problem.

Whether that #4 turns out to be Montgomery, Janis or Abbrederis remains to be seen. But to deny the need seems highly questionable. My money is on the 3rd. round pick.

 

[TJV]

I don't think there was any question about Montgomery being explosive while also being build like a brick sh*thouse. The popular question coming in is, "how many balls will he drop"? My particular point of interest is whether he shows difficulty tracking and holding on to the deep ball.

I'm not too concerned about tracking the deep ball. Because Montgomery's strength appears to be RAC, if he can get enough separation and if his hands are reliable enough to catch short and median-range routes, he'll be able to contribute, maybe in explosive fashion.

The more I think about the Montgomery pick, the more I think Thompson and staff just saw too much talent to pass up. And I'm not so sure about how often he'll be used in the backfield, I think they'll expect him to excel at WR and returner. IMO that pick was more talent vs. need than visa-versa.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Posting a couple I'm not too concerned about tracking the deep ball. Because Montgomery's strength appears to be RAC, if he can get enough separation and if his hands are reliable enough to catch short and median-range routes, he'll be able to contribute, maybe in explosive fashion.

In another (or was it two) threads I pointed out two instances, one where he misjudged a deep ball and another where he badly misjudged a punt that resulted in a fumble, which coincidentally was recovered by Randall. I question Montgomery's deep ball skills until proven otherwise. In any case, I agree that's not a fatal liability in a backup slot receiver, even if he has to start at slot for a few games. In thinking about Cobb, how often does Rodgers throw a deep ball over his head and say, "go catch it". Not often.

 

[adambr2]

Didn't Boykin at #4 demonstrate anything? Imagine if Cobb had been injured? What then? Nelson moves back to the slot with Adams and Boykin wide? Substitute Janis or Abbrederis for Boykin. Given what's known about them as opposed to what is imagined, that's a risky proposition.

Nelson, Cobb and Adams had 48 games played between them in 2014. They missed exactly zero.

Nelson and Cobb missed 4 games in 2013. A regression to that mean, if the mean is that low, says you need a #4 given the collection of ordinary TEs.

How about an extended injury or a season ender among the top #3? For a team that needs to outscore many opponents not having a qualified reserve to step in is a big problem.

Whether that #4 turns out to be Montgomery, Janis or Abbrederis remains to be seen. But to deny the need seems highly questionable. My money is on the 3rd. round pick.

Cobb WAS injured the year before and Boykin stepped up. Heck, he was our #2 for some of the year as we lost James Jones for a bit as well. Our WRs weren't the problem. The problem was we lost Aaron Rodgers for half the season. He's the only essential cog in this machine. Everything else, it can hurt, but it's going to be business as usual.

If we're basing every need on the desire for injury insurance, of course every position looks like a need. In relative comparison to every other position on our team, this was a luxury pick, not a need pick, that was my main point.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

Well, Janis needs work running routes and catching the ball. Abbrederis is a redshirt rookie coming off an ACL with the need to add some muscle. I would say your certainty is unfounded.

Nope. Janis has one year in the system over Montgomery. People forget about Myles White too. I'm not sure some people have watched Montgomery play. He has some just awful drops and his route running is labored to put it kindly. The only way he ends up on the field at receiver is through injury or divine intervention. Not saying the guy is a bad player. He's special once he has the ball...just seems easier to put him at RB and not force him to run the full route tree.

 

[Carl]

Nope. Janis has one year in the system over Montgomery. People forget about Myles White too. I'm not sure some people have watched Montgomery play. He has some just awful drops and his route running is labored to put it kindly. The only way he ends up on the field at receiver is through injury or divine intervention. Not saying the guy is a bad player. He's special once he has the ball...just seems easier to put him at RB and not force him to run the full route tree.

He's a 3rd round pick. He'll be on the field as a WR some point this year.

 

[HardRightEdge]

In relative comparison to every other position on ouif r team, [Montogomer] was a a luxury pick, not a need pick, that was my main point.

Let's compare 3-wide at receiver to the nickel backfield sans Rollins, each the staple of the respective units.

I think we can assume a DB starting lineup of Shields, Hayward or Randall at cover corner, Hyde or Hayward at nickel corner, Burnett and Dix, with with either Randall, Hayward or Hyde backing up along with Richardson.

If you break down the position versatility among these players, there is an experienced player or the 1st. round pick covering any one injury.

After the top 3 at WR, sans Montgomery, there's a small college developmental guy presenting unknowns and a skinny guy coming off an ACL. Myles White was mentioned. I've had some enthusiasm for him as developmental guy, but he's not been able to jump over anybody to get off the PS except as an injury promotion.

Rollins looks like more of a luxury pick than Montgomery.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

He's a 3rd round pick. He'll be on the field as a WR some point this year.

Yes, he'll play in some specialist package designed to get him the ball. I never said that he wouldn't. I was saying that he wouldn't be the fourth receiver on the depth chart. There's a difference.

 

[PikeBadger]

They probably did.

I don't think HRE believes that Thompson and McCarthy are telling the truth in their press conferences.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I was responding to someone in regards to Montgomery...we all know MM likes to carry 4 tightends so who's Montgomery going to beat out? If there's just Starks and Lacy then maybe he's active. Which is possible seeing how there's just Kuhn left behind those 2.

The Packers will most likely carry three running backs on the roster.

I don't think there was any question about Montgomery being explosive while also being build like a brick sh*thouse. The popular question coming in is, "how many balls will he drop"? My particular point of interest is whether he shows difficulty tracking and holding on to the deep ball.

Montgomery caught a single deep ball last season while being targeted 12 times. Two of these throws got intercepted.

In another (or was it two) threads I pointed out two instances, one where he misjudged a deep ball and another where he badly misjudged a punt that resulted in a fumble, which coincidentally was recovered by Randall. I question Montgomery's deep ball skills until proven otherwise. In any case, I agree that's not a fatal liability in a backup slot receiver, even if he has to start at slot for a few games. In thinking about Cobb, how often does Rodgers throw a deep ball over his head and say, "go catch it". Not often.

Cobb only had 12 targets on throws travelling 20+ yards in the air but he was more succesful catching six of them and turning three into TDs.

 

[Poppa San]

The title of the thread, in case anyone cares anymore, is about Perry's future with the team after this season. His name has not been mentioned in over three pages.