Packers: Davante Adams continues to silence 2015 doubters

Three years ago, the majority of Green Bay Packers faithful wanted Davante Adams as far away from Lambeau Field as possible.

The fifth-year receiver is Aaron Rodgers‘ favorite target and one of the elite pass-catchers in the National Football League. He has 62 receptions for 787 yards and nine touchdowns entering Thursday’s contest against the host Seattle Seahawks.

In 2015, the six-foot-one wideout couldn’t catch anything thrown his way, and it cost the team. The common consensus was that the team would be better off sticking with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, letting the second-year wideout go for whatever it could get.

He was tied for 12th in the league — with Cobb — with six drops on the season. Now, Nelson is possibly retiring from football, and Cobb is a shell of his former self.

Adams has 31 touchdowns in his last 39 games.

He’s in the first year of a four-year contract extension, with a 2018 cap-hit of $10.5 million, according to Spotrac. Compare that to Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans at $18.26 million, or Cardinals’ aging Larry Fitzgerald at $16.85 million. In hindsight, that is brilliant work by the Green Bay front office.

One lesson learned here is that players grow, and development doesn’t stop when players hit the big stage. Another is that if NFL general managers listened went to the fans for advice, their teams would be dumpster fires.

The problem comes with the rare talents like Odell Beckham Jr. and Michael Thomas who have success right from the start. More often than not, it takes time for receivers to hit their stride, no matter who is throwing them the ball.

Then, they have to learn how to produce against a No. 1 cornerback. That’s where Minnesota Vikings receiver Adam Thielen is right now. After eight-straight 100-yard games,  Detroit Lions’ cover men Nevin Lawson and Darius Slay held him to just 22 yards.

Adams isn’t the only player the Cheeseheads have wanted to see gone. Many were pleased to see both Casey Hayward and Micah Hyde allowed to walk in 2017. Both cracked the AFC Pro Bowl roster the following season. Both would put this young — yet much improved — secondary over the top.

Who knows, maybe the change of scenery was what did it for them. Maybe they benefited from a better fit at defensive coordinator or a pass rush that didn’t force them to cover for an eternity.

They were still the same players that suited up for the green and gold, they just grew.

On the other hand, the current secondary is about to take off. It’ll be one of the league’s best in 2020. Josh Jackson and Jaire Alexander were terrific additions, and will only look better when Brian Gutekunst uses his multiple first-round picks to score a pass rusher.

Remember that Ted Thompson made his living making football decisions. Gutekunst currently does that every day. We don’t. Speculate all you want, but they know better.

Sure, they’ll be wrong sometimes, just like others were wrong to give Sam Bradford $20 million, or trade anything more than a couple rolls of tape for Brett Hundley. That is, they’re wrong until they’re not, and we’ll only know that when we see what these guys do with the situation they are given.

Players improve. Players grow.

Mason Crosby missed five kicks a few weeks ago against Detroit. Thousands wanted him gone.

Then he went seven-for-seven including a game-winner to beat the San Francisco 49ers.

Be thankful Thompson was in the hot seat in 2015 and gave Adams a shot. Be thankful Gutekunst didn’t can the Packers‘ veteran kicker this year.

Be thankful this team has smart people calling the shots.