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The writing could be on the wall for Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Montravius Adams with the latest setback in his NFL career expected to cost him the remainder of the 2020 season.
The Packers were forced to place Adams, a 2017 third-round pick, on injured reserve last Wednesday with a persistent toe injury that head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed to be the same one that kept him out for portions of training camp. LaFleur also made it clear the injury “doesn’t bode well for Mon being able to come back.”
“Again, he’s a guy that’s battled through it, and I just think it’s going to be one of those where we’re probably going to have to shut him down,” LaFleur told reporters on Nov. 26, one day after Adams was sent to IR.
Adams came into 2020 training camp with something to prove after an unspectacular third year in 2019 and some offseason drama, but he only made a few practices before getting carted off the field with a sprained toe.
Still, after missing the opener, Adams returned and played in eight games as a rotational member of the defensive line with his stock rising among the coaching staff. The 6-foot-4, 304-pound lineman twice played more than 40% of defensive snaps and recorded a tackle for a loss in each one of them.
“I thought Mon did a lot of great things this year in limited action, just his ability to endure and fight through and the effort that he gives every time that he’s out on the grass,” LaFleur said. “It’s just unfortunate and somebody we’ll miss.”
Miss him for the rest of 2020? Sure. But miss him enough to re-sign him to a second contract after such a limited role throughout his rookie deal? That’s another story.
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How Will Injury Impact Adams’ Future?
Unless Adams makes an unexpected recovery before the year is over, his fourth NFL season will end with him having played just 130 defensive snaps, putting him at a less than 600 total over 45 games since being drafted four years ago. That’s a hard sell with just 1.5 sacks and four tackles for a loss logged during that span.
The Packers have questions to answer about their defensive line in the 2021 offseason, but whether to extend a second contract to onetime Auburn star might not take much deliberation. Nose tackle Kenny Clark has been locked down for the long term, while Kingsley Keke, their 2019 fifth-round pick, has been developing far faster and better than Adams in less than half the time to do so.
The real issue is finding a quality third piece to pair with them that holds up well against the run and complements the pass-rushing efforts of their outside linebackers. Dean Lowry and Tyler Lancaster split the responsibilities for now, but Lowry could become a cap casualty in 2021 with $3.3 million to be saved by cutting him.
If Lowry goes, the Packers could be motivated to bring back Adams on a discount deal, but it might serve them just as well to invest in a similarly-priced free agent or re-invest in some of their practice squad talent, which includes undrafted rookies Willington Previlon and Delontae Scott.
There’s also the 2021 NFL draft to potentially find new talent with a pair of mid-round compensatory picks likely on the way for the departures of Blake Martinez and Bryan Bulaga in last year’s free agency period.
How Will Anthony Rush Fit Into Picture?
One of the most curious options for the Packers at the moment is the newly acquired Anthony Rush, a second-year defensive tackle who was officially added to the active roster off the waivers from the Chicago Bears on Monday.
Rush saw limited action in nine games for the Philadelphia Eagles last season as a rookie and didn’t come into the league with much mind-blowing college tape, but the 350-pound lineman could surprise if he finds the right fit in the rotation. The question is whether he will be able to overtake either Lancaster or veteran Billy Winn and rise from the bottom spot on the defensive line.
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