Grading Packers on Salary Cap Curve: Watson and Receivers
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers traded All-Pro Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders and bet Aaron Rodgers could keep the offense humming with Sammy Watkins and three draft picks asked to pick up the slack.
It was a fool’s errand.
In Year 1 in Vegas, Adams caught 100 passes for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns. Watkins and the rookies combined for 101 receptions for 1,324 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“I feel like obviously losing Davante was a big deal. We didn’t fill that void. Nobody can. He’s super-human. He’s phenomenal,” Rodgers said after the season-ending loss to Detroit. “There was hope in certain things that were going to fill that void. Ultimately, that just didn’t happen.
“The things we were able to do, I think, may have been taken for granted at times because we were able to create so many different things in the moment over the years and, especially the last couple of years, because not much changed other than his absence from the lineup.”
For what it’s worth, only five teams spent less money on their receivers than the Packers. Of the bottom seven spenders, only one (Baltimore) qualified for the playoffs.
Here is Part 3 of our annual series of player grades as viewed through the lens of the salary cap. All cap figures are from OverTheCap.com. Analytical stats are from Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions.
Randall Cobb ($4.15 million; 45th among receivers)
Allen Lazard ($3.98 million; 49th among receivers)
Christian Watson ($1.68 million; 87th among receivers)
Sammy Watkins ($1.51 million; 93rd among receivers)
Romeo Doubs ($875,979; 156th among receivers)
Samori Toure ($724,253; 194th among receivers)
100 Days of Mocks
Starting Jan. 17, when there were 100 days until the start of the NFL Draft, we started our mock-worthy goal of 100 mock drafts in 100 days. Here’s the series.
100 days: First-round quarterback?
99 days: Trading for outside linebacker
Grading the Packers
Aaron Rodgers and the quarterbacks
Aaron Jones and the running backs
Christian Watson and the receivers
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