PackerNation POLL: Who Will Have the Breakout Year?

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I LOVE this question and I can’t wait to see how PackerNation responds. Packers fans can’t help but feel that this year the Packers offense that we had come to expect before 2015 will be back…and possibly back in a big way. A big part of this positive vibe comes from the expected return of Jordy Nelson. Of course, coming off an ACL, it remains to be seen whether Jordy will be the same but all indications to this point are that he will be. But my question revolves around another source of excitement on the Packers’ offense, the third reciever spot. As we have mentioned in an earlier, interactive over/under post, a wide receiver corps, to some extent is defined by its third receiver. And the Packers have plenty of options there.

While the first and second receivers are expected to be good (Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb…duh!), after last year, Davante Adams’ performance has had a carryover effect, causing optimism for any of the receivers who show promise to be a bit more jaded. Adams has elite athleticism but proved last year that staying healthy and making clutch catches can be elusive for even elite athletes. Ty Montgomery showed plenty of potential himself until an ankle injury cut short his 2015 season. And then there is Jeff Janis, who took a lot of press away from another hopeful, Jared Abbrederis, when he caught the Hail Mary pass in the Cardinals game at the end of last year.

But if you are like me (which has advantages and disadvatages) you were asking yourself all last season, “Who is going to step up?” The loss of Jordy created an opportunity vaccuum and it seems like no one really stepped into that vaccuum. Perhaps part of the problem was actually the signing of James Jones. Jones stepped in and a lot of reps that the younger wide receivers would have gotten went away. Now, I love James Jones so that is no slight on him, but perhaps the Packers’ lack of interest in re-signing Jones is because of that very fact that they recognize that they could have had other, younger players with higher ceilings on the field last year.

So if last year’s question was “Who is going to step up?”, this year’s question is, “Who is going to break out?”. When the 2016 Training Camp begins there will be no James Jones security blanket. That means that one of these young prospects is going to have the best season of their career, the odds just demand it. So who will it be? There are several intriguing prospects as we have mentioned and each has their respective strengths and weaknesses:

Davante Adams – athletic, veteran, trying to come back from a disappointing and injury-ridden season
Ty Montgomery – Fluid and athletic like a bigger Randall Cobb. Gaining trust but season cut short due to injury
Jeff Janis – Fast, catching up on the pro game after coming out of a smaller college. Came up big in the playoffs
Jared Abbrederis – May be seen as “on the bubble” but showed real promise from time to time. Must stay healthy.

So…your turn PackerNation…who will have the break out year? Tough to make the call now but for those with the cajones…braggin’ rights are on the line. Make your selection below and let the world know what you think. SHARE it with a friend and see who make the correct call!