Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, a second-round draft pick in 2014, dropped 12 of the 96 passes thrown his way in 2015. Credit: Mike De Sisti

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Green Bay — If ever a team seemed prepared to handle a devastating injury at a critical position, it was the 2015 Green Bay Packers.

Certainly, everyone in the organization cringed when Pro Bowl wide receiver Jordy Nelson tore his right ACL in August. But there also had to be some comfort knowing just how heavily general manager Ted Thompson invested in the wideout position.

Randall Cobb was a 2011 second-round draft pick now making $10 million per season. Davante Adams was a second-round selection in 2014, a year the Packers also took Jared Abbrederis in Round 5 and Jeff Janis in the seventh round.

Ty Montgomery was a third-round draft pick in 2015, and Green Bay welcomed back James Jones — a third-round pick in 2007. Even tight end Richard Rodgers was a third-round draft pick in 2014.

If anyone could handle a loss like Nelson, it was these Packers, right? Hardly.

Green Bay's passing offense crashed and burned in 2015, and inconsistent play from the wideouts was a huge reason why.

"Sometimes we did what we were supposed to do, sometimes we didn't," said Jones, who was Green Bay's leading receiver. "It's part of the game, it's part of football."

The Packers plummeted to 25th in passing offense (218.9), their worst finish since the strike shortened 1987 season. During Mike McCarthy's first nine years, Green Bay's average ranking in passing offense was sixth. And the last time the Packers were outside the top-10 in passing offense was 2003, when they were 16th.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had his poorest year (92.7 passer rating) since becoming the starter in 2008. That, combined with the disappointing play of Green Bay's wideout group, led to a stunning fall from grace.

With the passing offense in disarray most of the year, Green Bay finished with just 368 total points — down nearly 200 from the magnificent 2011 season (560) and the Packers fewest since McCarthy's rookie year of 2006 (301).

"The obvious, we did not get it done on offense," McCarthy said.

The fall of some wideouts — and the rise of others — should make for a fascinating training camp come July.

Adams, who was given every chance to shine in Nelson's absence, flopped miserably. Cobb proved he wasn't a true No. 1, despite what his pay stubs might say every week.

Janis and Abbrederis came on late and could be primed for much bigger roles in 2016. Montgomery flashed before an ankle injury ruined his first season. Jones will become a free agent in March, and even though he was Green Bay's most consistent wideout, the Packers figure to go with younger players.

"You know, when you put it all together and you see that group battling, tremendous competition," Packers offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett said of what he expects next season. "That's what you want. You have competition like that, it raises the level in that room, and that's a big, important part of it.

"When you have guys competing on a daily basis, pushing each other to be the best they can possibly be, that helps the team overall, and I think it could potentially be that type of situation next year with all of those guys battling for play time."

As the Packers found out this season, the key will be a return to form for Nelson.

Nelson began running recently and hopes to be a full participant when training camp arrives. Nelson, who turns 31 in May, may never again be the player who finished the 2014 season with 98 catches, 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns. But if he's even close to that it will be a huge lift for Green Bay's passing attack.

"I think Jordy will come back better than ever," McCarthy said. "Just like you knew he would, he's so far ahead with the rehab, he looks great. There's no reason to think he won't be good as new."

No one would love that more than Cobb, who saw extra attention all season and couldn't beat concentrated coverages. Cobb posted a team-leading 79 catches, but his average of 10.5 yards per reception was a career-low.

One reason Cobb saw so much attention from the slot was Adams failed miserably in his effort to step in for Nelson.

Pro Football Focus ranked the 119 receivers to play at least 25% of their team's snaps this season. Adams finished 118th.

Adams dropped 12 of the 96 passes thrown his way (12.5%). He averaged a pedestrian 9.7 yards per catch on his 50 receptions and just 3.0 yards after the catch. And Adams could be in a fight simply to earn a roster spot in 2016.

"You know, again, it comes down to being consistent," Bennett said of Adams. "Our mind-set, the starting point... but a big part of who we are and what we do is the emphasis that we place on practice. You talk about preparation, that's the starting point."

The trio of Janis, Abbrederis and Montgomery all flashed enough at various points throughout the season to believe bigger things could await.

Janis was ignored by McCarthy & Co. most of the season. But when Cobb suffered a chest injury in Green Bay's divisional playoff game in Arizona, the Packers had just three healthy receivers.

Janis then delivered one of the most memorable playoff performances in team history, with seven receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns — including a 61-yard 'Hail Mary' TD reception on the final play of regulation. Janis finished with the third most receiving yards in Packers playoff history, and his two touchdown receptions tied eight other players for second place in that category.

Janis (6-3, 219) has almost identical measurables to Nelson (6-3, 217). Janis also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at the 2014 NFL combine and has a vertical jump of 371/2 inches.

Packer Nation had screamed for more of Janis throughout the 2015 season. And after what Janis did at Arizona, McCarthy's decision to ignore Janis appeared even more questionable.

"Really as a receiver, he was inconsistent, had some chances up-and-down," McCarthy said of Janis' season. "But with that, I think he definitely learned from those experiences and just had a tremendous game against Arizona."

Abbrederis had six receptions in Green Bay's two playoff games after having just nine all season. He remains frail (6-1, 195) and runs upright, which will make his health a constant concern. But Abbrederis showed toughness and an understanding of how to get open while working primarily from the slot late in the year.

"The Packers and the coaches having the confidence in me was huge," said Abbrederis, who spent the 2014 season on injured reserve and the start of 2015 on the practice squad. "It felt good to finally get back out there. It was a long time coming to get back out there and contribute a little bit.

"You can do a lot in college, then come here and not even get a chance to play. You're injured right away and there's just a lot of frustrations. When I can do something like I did (at Arizona), it makes you feel a lot more part of the team."

Montgomery had 15 catches and two touchdowns in just six games before his ankle injury required surgery.

Jones, who was signed just one week before the season opener, played in a remarkable 1,205 out of 1,316 snaps (91.6%). He led the Packers in receiving yards with 971 (including playoffs) and he averaged a whopping 17.8 yards per catch.

"Like I told my wife before I came here, I just want to have the best season of my life and help this team win," Jones said. "But I was just excited about the opportunities Aaron gave me, chance to make some plays and show my talent."

Jones will turn 32 this off-season, an age general manager Ted Thompson usually shies away from. But Jones is one of Rodgers' favorite receivers, a model citizen and a steadying presence in a typically young locker room.

"Hopefully I did enough to get a good contract from somebody or somewhere," Jones said. "I feel good man. I want to play as long as I possibly can. Keep this thing rolling.

"But at the end of the day, man, I would love to finish my career here. It's where I started, I would love to finish out here. I'm tired of moving my family. But who knows how it's going to work out."

Like Green Bay's wide receiver play, the tight end group left much to be desired.

Second-year man Richard Rodgers has terrific hands and snares anything in his catching radius. The problem is he runs a 4.87 40-yard dash and typically goes down on first contact.

Veteran Andrew Quarless is an unrestricted free agent who isn't expected back. The rest of the group is underwhelming, at best.

Over the last two decades, Green Bay's offense has operated best with a speedy tight end like Keith Jackson or Jermichael Finley who can stretch the field. It seems imperative that Thompson finds a player like that either in free agency or the NFL draft.

"I would say that with each and every one of us, we need more from everyone," Bennett said. "Any time you fall short of your ultimate goal — and in our business it's to win the world championship — we all need to do more."

This story appeared in Packer Plus Magazine. To subscribe, call 414-224-2222 or go to www.jsonline.com/subscribe.