Green Bay Packers: Finding a replacement for Jordy Nelson a good idea

Dec 24, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson (87) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrate a touchdown completion in the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Matthews/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin via USA TODAY Sports /

As long as the Packers offense is geared around the Aaron Rodgers-to-Jordy Nelson combination, there is going to be production.

But the time to begin looking for a player who could take over as the number one Packers receiver is now.

When Nelson hits the field in 2017, he will be 32 years old, which is not ancient for a wide receiver, but it is a time when many start looking for signs of slowing down. Our hope is that Nelson continues his path toward the Packers Hall of Fame, but we also realize that time won’t stop for anyone and when it comes to the NFL, we all know it’s about what you have done for us lately.

That said, in a post about 25 interesting facts uncovered while doing research, profootballreference.com’s Jeff Ratcliffe had this to say about Jordy Nelson:

"In 2016, Jordy Nelson average 12.96 yards per reception, which was the first time he was under 15.0 since 2010. However, he did post a touchdown-to-yards rate of 1.11 percent. That’s the second-highest of his career."

Those per-reception numbers don’t concern me. When you see a receiver whose yards-per-catch numbers decrease only three yards per-reception after coming back from ACL surgery, it’s nothing to sound the alarm about.

Dec 24, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson (87) spikes the ball after his first quarter touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin via USA TODAY Sports /

But Ted Thompson has got to be concerned for the overall stability at the position. We all saw what happened to the Packers’ offense with Nelson out of the lineup in 2015.

That said, now might be the right time to look for that impact receiver who, at some point in the next three years, could step into Nelson’s shoes.

Nelson signed a four-year, $39,050,000 deal a couple of years back that included a $11,500,000 signing bonus, $11,500,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $9,762,500. This season, according to spotrac.com, Nelson will earn a base salary of $8,250,000, a roster bonus of $500,000 with a workout bonus of $500,000.

His contract runs out after the 2019 season, which gives him at least three more seasons with Rodgers – plenty of time to continue his solid and stable production.

The real question is whether there is anyone on the roster today who could produce like the farmer from Kansas …

Nov 28, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson walks out for pregame warmups before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports /

Randall Cobb – no; Davante Adams – no; Geronimo Allison – no; Trevor Davis – no; Jeff Janis – absolutely not.

Whether Ted Thompson can find a speed burner with the athletic abilities and the ball skills that Nelson possesses is a difficult question. That’s why Thompson gets the big money.

For the time being the Packers are sitting OK at the position, but all it takes is a twist of the knee or a blistering hit by a safety and Nelson could once again be in street clothes. Preparing for the day when Nelson is no longer available is important and should begin with this upcoming NFL Draft.

If something isn’t done, the Packers and Aaron Rodgers may be clamoring for receivers in the not-so-distant future.

Stay tuned on that front.

In the meantime, here are Jordy Nelson’s pretty impressive career statistics, courtesy of profootballreference.com:

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