Green Bay Packers Jared Abbrederis ready for battle

The Green Bay Packers will see little competition on offense throughout training camp as they have returned their starting core. The battle for the fifth receiver job is wide open, however, and Wisconsin folk hero Jared Abbrederis is now physically ready to factor in.

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Abbrederis, the former walk-on spread quarterback at Wisconsin, missed the entire 2014 season with a torn ACL after being selected in the fifth round by the Green Bay Packers. The tear was not terribly serious, relatively speaking, which has allowed Abbrederis to return to full speed at recent OTA’s.

His “ah-ha!” moment came when running long sprints during recent positional drills, as he tells Lori Nickel of the Journal Sentinel “I was running really well, being at the front of the groups”. If there are no setbacks, Abbrederis is now in a deep competition for one, possibly two, receiver jobs behind Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams and rookie Ty Montgomery.

It’s important to remain cognizant of the fact that Abbrederis is a fifth rounder. Packers general manager Ted Thompson has historically done some of his best work in rounds four and five, so Abbrederis should not be viewed as a late-round flier. That tag may apply more appropriately to his primary competition, fellow 2014 draft pick Jeff Janis.

While Janis brings an awe-inspiring physical toolbox to the competition, Abbrederis is a receiver that relies more heavily on his football I.Q. and plus instincts. Despite surprising with a 4.50-second 40-yard dash at the 2014 NFL Combine, Abbrederis will not consistently separate from NFL cornerbacks with his long speed or short-area agility. Preseason action will be of the utmost importance for him, as he’ll need to prove that his surgically repaired knee has not torpedoed his limited athleticism.

A slew of undrafted free agents will push Janis and Abbrederis for a spot on the 53-man roster, and it’s likely that two of the remaining group will land on Green Bay’s practice squad. If Abbrederis can do enough physically, however, I give him the inside track because he is is likelier to gain the play-to-play trust of Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy.

Sep 21, 2013; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Jared Abbrederis (4) dives for a pass during the third quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin defeated Purdue 41-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Pencilling Ty Montgomery in as the fourth wide receiver does not necessarily mean he is fourth in line for snaps, either, as his rookie year may see the Stanford product limited to a smaller playbook while he impacts the return game. If Green Bay does return to more four-wide sets, Abbrederis could handle the short-yardage routes with Jordy Nelson running deep and Randall Cobb or Davante Adams representing the primary intermediate option.

Don’t rule out a situation where both Janis and Abbrederis crack the 53-man roster, either. If the tight end, fullback or running back positions lack strength at the bottom of their depth charts, especially in terms of special teams ability (which could make or break Abbrederis’ hopes), then it would not be not absurd for the Packers to open the season with six receivers.

Until preseason games begin, this offseason will continue to be about regaining strength for Jared Abbrederis. He won’t catch Jeff Janis in a footrace, and his four bench presses at the combine suggest he may need a hand carrying his pads back to the locker room. Abbrederis is not a wow-factor athlete, nor has he ever been, so he needs on-field opportunity and competition to highlight his unique intelligence and intangibles.

If nothing else, Green Bay fans will need a replacement in their hearts for the soon-to-retire John Kuhn, whose blue-collar approach to the game and unlikely offensive contributions appealed him to the local community. Abbrederis has a long road to seeing an NFL field in the regular season, but with both legs now underneath him, he can begin to chase it.

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