The Green Bay Packers are approaching free agency in 2025 with no priority free agents, plenty of salary cap space, and a need to add veteran talent to a young, cheap, and ascending roster.
One year after signing safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs in free agency, general manager Brian Gutekunst is in a position to make another splash in 2025.
Until free agency, Packers Wire will run through potential options, continuing today with recently released wide receiver Davante Adams, in an attempt to identify the pros and cons of each potential target for Gutekunst.
Adams, a 2014 draft pick of the Packers, could have a chance to return to Green Bay and solidify the team’s wide receiver position for at least the 2025 season.
Let’s dig into the pros and cons of the Packers going after Adams:
Pros
— Adams knows the Matt LaFleur offense and is highly experienced and comfortable being the primary target in a passing game. He turned 32 in December but can still operate on the No. 1 receiver level.
— The Packers want a veteran receiver to help their young group. Adams is an ideal blend of talent and leadership for what the Packers need at the position. He is a consummate professional who has been through the ups and downs as a young player. The Packers have so often had a veteran in the receiver room to set the standard and lead the way. Adams can be that receiver for this generation.
— Adams can play outside or in the slot. In fact, he was about 50/50 in terms of alignment last season. LaFleur’s offense requires versatility in wide receiver alignment.
— Adams played in dysfunctional situations in both Las Vegas and New York last season and still caught 85 passes for over 1,000 yards. He also finished the season with touchdown catches in five of his last six games.
— Adams is a certified touchdown producer. He’s caught at least eight touchdown passes in five straight seasons and has 59 total touchdowns since 2020. Adams could immediately help the Packers as a weapon in the red zone.
— Adams averaged 2.04 yards per route run in 2024. Anything above 2.0 yards per route run is considered very good for wide receivers. When considering opportunity, Adams is still a productive and efficient player.
— Adams is still producing after the catch. He forced 12 missed tackles and averaged over 5.0 yards after the catch last season.
Cons
— Adams is approaching the twilight of his career, and the money required to sign him for 2025 might not match how the Packers currently view him. Brian Gutekunst has typically targeted young, ascending players with big-money deals in free agency. For most, receiver production falls off sharply after turning 30. Adams will turn 33 during the 2025 season.
— Adams has averaged at least 10 targets per game during each of the last seven seasons. The Packers are a balanced offense with a lot of mouths to feed. Is Adams going to be comfortable with a reduced workload?
— Getting Adams back to Green Bay might be difficult and might require more money for the Packers than other teams. He reportedly wants to stick with Aaron Rodgers or play on the West Coast. The Packers can’t satisfy either desire, so money would likely need to be the motivating factor.
— The Packers probably need to distribute more targets to young, ascending players such as Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft in 2025. Adding a high-volume receiver like Adams won’t help that cause.
— Adams was never a burner and is no longer a true deep threat. He caught only nine passes thrown over 20 yards last season. In terms of replacing Christian Watson, Adams doesn’t bring the same type of threat as a vertical receiver.
— Adams’ efficiency has dropped over the last two years, although many factors — including quarterback play — are likely to blame. He averaged only 6.5 yards per target in 2023 and 7.5 yards per target in 2024.
— Adams did drop 10 passes last season, and his 10.5 percent drop rate was his highest since the 2015 season.
— The Jets feed Adams a lot of catches on quick passes or screen passes, slightly inflating his reception totals.
