Gurley, Smithson, Borel hope to hang on for Packers
By Tyler Dunne, Journal-Sentinel
~Green Bay - All week before the Green Bay Packers’ playoff game against the New York Giants in January, Diondre Borel was Victor Cruz. Borel worked in the slot, mimicking the Giants receiver best he could.
Their games are similar, the Packers receiver says. Like Borel, Cruz was an undrafted, non-factor as a rookie.
"And this year, he (Victor Cruz) had a breakout season," Borel said. "I'm just praying and hoping that happens the same way."
The Packers certainly would take that. While it’s a stretch to predict any of Green Bay’s reserve wideouts will salsa dance their way to stardom, they do create an interesting numbers game in Green Bay this off-season. Veteran Donald Driver, one of five wide receivers on the roster last season, wants to keep playing. Further, his agent, Jordan Woy, says he has talked to the team about Driver’s contract.
But the Packers also must consider the future of their younger receivers. There’s only one ball to go around, only so many roster spots.
Green Bay may want to get second-year pro Randall Cobb on the field more. And there’s also Borel and Tori Gurley, two practice squad players the team gave pay raises to when other teams tried to sign them. Borel, like several others, will be gunning for a roster spot come August.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Tori Gurley tries to keep his feet inbound while he pulls in the ball at Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Brandon Flowers defends.
“I have high expectations for myself to just get out there and play football,” Borel said. “I have a year under my belt, so I expect nothing less from myself. That’s how I’ve always been.”
The Minnesota Vikings tried to sign Gurley, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers nearly stole Borel. Both players opted to stay in Green Bay. Familiarity, for one, was a big reason. As Borel points out, there was no guarantee he’d be in Tampa Bay’s 2012 plans. Also, this isn’t a bad place to develop. Ted Thompson has flooded the position with talent since taking over as general manager in 2005.
If the Buccaneers had called Borel earlier in the season, he admits it might have been different. In Green Bay, he learned a new position. On the scout team, the former Utah State quarterback worked at all possible receiver spots. Going to Tampa Bay would have been something like shaking the Etch A Sketch.
Borel opted to stay behind Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Cobb and Driver.
“The competition,” he said. “Competing here, you never know what could happen. Anything could happen. As a football player, when the time comes, you have to focus on yourself during practice, camp; you can’t worry about other people trying to make the team.”
Borel (6 feet and 199 pounds), who added some much-needed muscle over this past year, projects as a slot receiver. Meanwhile, the 6-4 Gurley could give the group a different dimension. There’s Shaky Smithson, too. Like the other two, Smithson was an undrafted pickup by the Packers a year ago.
He spent last season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Tagging “FINAO” at the end of his tweets – “Failure Is Not An Option” – Smithson is also hoping for an opportunity.
As a senior at Utah, Smithson led the nation in punt-return average (19.1 yards).
Smithson says his return skills are an extension of his background in inner-city Baltimore. He isn’t afraid of the chaos around him. Baltimore, he says, is where that “FINAO” motto comes from.
“You can do it, no matter what everybody else says,” Smithson said. “I see tweets. I see what people say. I see this and that. All that stuff is motivation. I just need to step my game up when it’s time to play.”
Last season, the Packers kept five wide receivers and five tight ends on the roster. As Borel notes, maybe that will change. Maybe the Packers will go with six wide receivers. But that’s a conversation for August, not May. Either way, the young receivers say they’d like to see the 37-year-old Driver back.
“Him being here, he’s a leader also for this team,” Borel said. “He’s a great player to learn from – as a man and as a receiver.”
Smithson adds that former Packers receiver Antonio Freeman, who has looked after him in Baltimore, was a mentor for Driver. In meetings throughout last season, Driver was a go-to source of advice.
“Donald remembers what Antonio Freeman did for him when he was a rookie, so he gives back,” Smithson said. “Donald has a great heart, man. He’s a great guy. We’ve both been through tough times. So he knows how it is. He’s not going to take food out of your mouth. He’s going to try to put food in your mouth.”
It will be an overcrowded position.
In addition to these eight players, there are four 2012 undrafted free agents. Dale Moss, a basketball-turned-football star at South Dakota State, acknowledges he took Driver’s uncertain status into consideration when he chose Green Bay but would like to see the veteran back.
“I absolutely would,” Moss said. “He’s a staple of the Packers’ organization. He’d be an amazing guy to learn from. Obviously everybody in Green Bay loves him. And being a young receiver, being able to learn from someone like that would be great.”
Gurley has size.
Smithson has speed.
Borel has that history at quarterback.
It helps him at receiver. On the practice squad, Borel says he was able to read blitzes and disguised coverages.
Now, a decision on Driver looms. If he returns, competition will heat up.
“As a player, I’m just trying to stay focused and do what I’m supposed to do here – special teams, receiver, whatever my role is,” Borel said. “I’ll just grind. And at the end of the preseason, we’ll see what happens from there.”
Full story here
Packers’ philosophy, loaded roster working against Donald Driver
By Tom Oates, Green Bay Press-Gazette
~Going into the final week of “Dancing With the Stars”, Donald Driver has been installed by oddsmakers as the favorite.
If only the odds of Driver returning to play a 14th season at wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers were that good.
It goes without saying that no one wants to see Driver kicked to the NFL curb at age 37. If there is such a thing as a first-ballot candidate for the Packers Hall of Fame, he’s it.
Donald Driver is a fan favorite, the team's all-time leading receiver, and oh by the way he can still play. Ted Thompson has his toughest player decision here since 2008 with the Gunslinger.
Indeed, Driver is everything you want in a player, starting with his rags-to-riches story. He is the franchise’s all-time leading receiver, is extremely popular among fans for his positive, outgoing personality, is beloved for his many charitable endeavors and is a respected mentor to the team’s young receivers.
Oh, and he can still play. Not like he once could, mind you, but Driver showed in the Packers’ playoff loss that he can still make plays.
The problem is, keeping a player of Driver’s age, declining production and $5 million salary-cap number goes against everything the Packers regime believes in. General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy have built an NFL power by drafting and developing players, retaining core veterans in their prime and keeping the roster young. They seldom, if ever, have allowed sentiment to enter into their decisions.
Donald Driver may be the most popular Packer player with the fans ever. If he's forced out like last year's Dancing With the Stars WR, Hines Ward, it will deal a painful blow to Cheese Nation.
But Driver might present Thompson and McCarthy with their greatest dilemma yet. Though given their track record, it seems unlikely that he will be playing in Green Bay this fall.
If the Packers have reached a decision on Driver, it won’t be made public until sometime after his “Dancing With the Stars” experience. With his participation on the nationally televised show, Driver is gaining a legion of fans, which should aid his post-NFL career, and the Packers’ image is benefitting from his likable persona.
The subject of Driver’s future is a sensitive one among Packers fans, with even the slightest ripple turning into a tidal wave of debate.
Thompson and McCarthy were asked about Driver’s future a few weeks ago and each dodged the question, causing many antennae to go up. Driver tweeted a cryptic message last week about being “a Packer for life” and some viewed it as a precursor to his departure. Driver’s absence from the team’s offseason workouts due to his involvement with the TV show has been read as a sign that he’s all but gone.
The truth is, no one knows what Thompson and McCarthy are planning and neither is known for showing his cards prematurely.
Driver was the only receiver who played well in the playoff failure loss to the Giants. If they all played like him, the Packers probably would have repeated as Champs, and he might have retired, going out Elway-style.
There are some legitimate football reasons to keep Driver around, the biggest one being his team-first attitude. Despite playing a position loaded with prima donnas, Driver never pouted when younger players started usurping his snaps and his receptions. He also stated publicly that he’s willing to take a pay cut to stay with the team. It’s possible the Packers could see him as an insurance policy and keep him at a reduced salary in the event injuries thin the wide receiver corps.
Clearly, Driver remains an asset on the field and in the locker room. It is also likely that, if released, he would sign on with another team.
Nevertheless, if you look at how the Packers operate, their current roster works against Driver. Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb, all 28 or younger, are proven NFL wide receivers. And the Packers are impressed with the promise shown by Tori Gurley and Diondre Borel, who were on the practice squad last year, and Shaky Smithson, who spent the season on the injured-reserve list.
The Packers like to see their second-year players make a big jump and that appears to be their game plan for Cobb this season. Jennings, Nelson and Jones are all established, so it figures that the Packers would not want Driver’s presence to hold back Cobb by taking away any of his opportunities.
More than playing time, the Packers might be concerned about roster spots and preparing for the future. They paid Gurley and Borel well above practice-squad money when other teams tried to sign them last season, a strong indication that one or both fits into their long-term plans. If those two continue to develop, there won’t be much room on a roster that at most will carry six wide receivers.
Finally, it’s possible the Packers won’t want to pay Driver — he’s due the $1.5 million bonus at the start of training camp and has a $2.6 million base salary — for salary-cap reasons. They don’t need the cap room now, but they might at some point, especially if they sign core players such as Jennings, Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews and B.J. Raji to long-term contract extensions.
Thompson and McCarthy have deviated from their master plan before, whether it was trading up in the draft or signing free agents. However, those moves were usually made out of necessity. Unfortunately, keeping Driver doesn’t fall into that category.
Everybody Loves Donald.
The truth is, no one knows what Thompson and McCarthy are planning and neither is known for showing his cards prematurely.
There are some legitimate football reasons to keep Driver around, the biggest one being his team-first attitude. Despite playing a position loaded with prima donnas, Driver never pouted when younger players started usurping his snaps and his receptions. He also stated publicly that he’s willing to take a pay cut to stay with the team. It’s possible the Packers could see him as an insurance policy and keep him at a reduced salary in the event injuries thin the wide receiver corps.
Clearly, Driver remains an asset on the field and in the locker room. It is also likely that, if released, he would sign on with another team.
Nevertheless, if you look at how the Packers operate, their current roster works against Driver. Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb, all 28 or younger, are proven NFL wide receivers. And the Packers are impressed with the promise shown by Tori Gurley and Diondre Borel, who were on the practice squad last year, and Shaky Smithson, who spent the season on the injured-reserve list.
The Packers like to see their second-year players make a big jump and that appears to be their game plan for Cobb this season. Jennings, Nelson and Jones are all established, so it figures that the Packers would not want Driver’s presence to hold back Cobb by taking away any of his opportunities.
Driver is willing to take a pay cut to keep his illustrious Packer career going. He wants to play and finish one more Super Bowl win.
More than playing time, the Packers might be concerned about roster spots and preparing for the future. They paid Gurley and Borel well above practice-squad money when other teams tried to sign them last season, a strong indication that one or both fits into their long-term plans. If those two continue to develop, there won’t be much room on a roster that at most will carry six wide receivers.
Finally, it’s possible the Packers won’t want to pay Driver — he’s due the $1.5 million bonus at the start of training camp and has a $2.6 million base salary — for salary-cap reasons. They don’t need the cap room now, but they might at some point, especially if they sign core players such as Jennings, Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews and B.J. Raji to long-term contract extensions.
Thompson and McCarthy have deviated from their master plan before, whether it was trading up in the draft or signing free agents. However, those moves were usually made out of necessity. Unfortunately, keeping Driver doesn’t fall into that category.
Full story here
McCarthy likes what he sees from rookies
From Paul Imig, Fox Sports Wisconsin
~GREEN BAY, Wis. – After the first two-hour practice of the Green Bay Packers’ rookie minicamp, coach Mike McCarthy wasn’t about to provide in-depth individual player evaluations with such little information to go on.
But with all eight of the Packers’ draft picks signed before taking the practice field for the first time Friday afternoon, McCarthy had his full complement of players to begin assessing in drill work.
With players in helmets but no pads, contact was minimal, but it was enough to make a first impression with the Green Bay coaching staff.
First-round pick Nick Perry, who is switching from his preferred spot as a defensive end in a 4-3 defense to outside linebacker in the Packers’ 3-4 scheme, lined up at left outside linebacker, the position typically occupied by Clay Matthews.
Rookie OLB Nick Perry, #53, talks with linebacker coach Kevin Greene on Day One of minicamp Friday, May 11th
“We played Nick Perry exclusive on the left side,” McCarthy said. “That will definitely be the starting point for him.”
Jerel Worthy, Green Bay’s second pick at No. 51 overall, immediately looked like the type of dominant force on the defensive line that the Packers are hoping he can become.
“His first step is clearly something that we were excited about when we evaluated him in college,” McCarthy said of Worthy. “You could definitely see that. I don’t like to compare players, but he has a very explosive first step, even for a big guy. Whether he’s playing the 3-technique or even the shade, he’s definitely going to be a factor inside. That was evident through our drill work today.
“Very explosive for a big guy.”
The other second-round pick general manager Ted Thompson traded up to get, cornerback Casey Hayward, like Perry and Worthy, could be asked to start immediately if Charles Woodson moves to safety.
“He looks great,” McCarthy said of Hayward. “He definitely looks very explosive through the hips. It’s something that jumped out at me the little bit I saw during drill work. He’s an excellent athlete. I think he’s an excellent selection. I’m glad he’s here.”
The notable absence on the field was fourth-round pick Mike Daniels, a defensive tackle from Iowa who will not be able to participate at all due to an injured shoulder.
“He may be able to go through (individual position work next week) because there’s not really any contact,” McCarthy said. “I think I’ll get to see Mike on the field Monday, Tuesday and Thursday next week, and then we’ll probably re-evaluate him when we have the physicals the following Monday and see if he’s ready for the first OTA on Tuesday.”
While safety Jerron McMillian (fourth round), linebacker Terrell Manning (fifth round) and offensive tackle Andrew Datko (seventh round) also all participated in drills, there were a lot of eyes on quarterback B.J. Coleman, a seventh-round pick out of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
McCarthy, known for his ability to develop quarterbacks, liked what he saw in Coleman. Throughout the practice, Coleman was splitting throws with recently acquired free-agent pickup Nick Hill, a left-handed former Arena League QB who is part of the competition to be Aaron Rodgers’ top backup.
“I would say Coleman, you could see he has good arm strength,” McCarthy said. “He was very anxious, excited as far as in the classroom, speaking with (offensive coordinator) Tom (Clements) and (quarterbacks coach) Ben (McAdoo). I didn’t spend much time with him in the classroom.
“It’s like a lot of quarterbacks. His footwork history is different than what he’ll be taught here. So there’s going to be adjustments there. You could see that right away.
“But I liked his command in the huddle. He’s aggressive. He can throw it. He’s definitely a young man we’re excited about having here and working with and developing him fundamentally and in the philosophy that we believe in.”
There were also 14 undrafted free-agent signings of the Packers that participated in the full practice session. The most notable names of the group include wide receiver Dale Moss, safety Sean Richardson (a Vanderbilt teammate of Hayward) and USC running back Marc Tyler.
The only other player to miss Friday’s practice was undrafted free agent signing Jaymes Brooks, an offensive interior lineman out of Virginia Tech. Brooks has a hamstring injury and will not be able to participate in any of the rookie sessions.
Full story here
Packers have high hopes for Jerel Worthy and Mike Daniels on defensive line
By Rob Demovsky, Green Bay Press-Gazette
~The Green Bay Packers got so little out of their third defensive line spot last season that any contribution Jerel Worthy and Mike Daniels can provide should be an upgrade.
Defensive coordinator Dom Capers tried Howard Green, Jarius Wynn, C.J. Wilson and Mike Neal at that spot with little success, and he was forced to play workhorse B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett more snaps than he would have liked.
The Packers didn’t bother to re-sign Green. Neal will have to serve a four-game suspension to start the season because he violated the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, and free-agent pickup Anthony Hargrove was suspended eight games for his role in the New Orleans Saints’ bounty scheme. The other offseason addition, Daniel Muir, had been out of football since midway through last season.
Enter Worthy and Daniels, taken in the second and fourth rounds, respectively, of last month’s draft.
If Worthy is everything the Packers hope, perhaps they finally will have a replacement for Cullen Jenkins, who left in free agency last summer.
From a height and weight standpoint, the 6-foot-2, 308-pound Worthy practically mirrors Jenkins (6-2, 305), who in the Packers’ 2010 Super Bowl season had seven sacks in just 11 games.
May 11, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers rookie defensive end Jerel Worthy (99) takes part in a drill during the Green Bay Packers mini-camp at the Don Hutson Center. -Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-US PRESSWIRE
Worthy, who was picked 51st overall, got off to an impressive start Friday during the first practice of rookie orientation camp, which featured 59 rookies and first-year players.
“His first step is really something that we were excited about when we evaluated him in college,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after Friday’s practice. “You could definitely see that. I don’t like to compare players (Cullen Jenkins, Warren Sapp), but he has a very explosive first step, even for a big guy. Whether he’s playing the three-technique (defensive tackle) or even the shade (defensive end), he’s definitely going to be a factor inside. That was evident through our drill work today. Very explosive for a big guy.”
Worthy, who lined up at right end in the base 3-4 defense and will play defensive tackle in the nickel package, comes to Green Bay with a chip on his shoulder. Some projections had him as a first-round pick, but perhaps his reputation for not playing hard all the time factored into him being picked in the second round. He turned pro after his redshirt junior season.
If Worthy can contribute right away, it could lesson the burden on Raji, who wasn’t as productive without Jenkins last season as he was with him in 2010.
Daniels also could factor into the rotation. The Packers drafted him knowing that Hargrove likely would get suspended, but perhaps they didn’t anticipate he would get sacked for eight games.
However, Daniels has injury issues to overcome. Though he started all 13 games last season as a senior at Iowa, he needed shoulder surgery after the season to repair a torn labrum. The late January operation prevented him from working out at the combine in February, but he attended and met with the Packers.
The Packers held Daniels out of practice and other than some light jog-through work, the 6-foot, 291-pounder won’t practice this weekend. McCarthy said Daniels could be cleared for individual position work next week and possibly be ready for organized team activities that begin on May 22. Daniels had nine sacks as a senior at Iowa, a school known for producing NFL linemen on both sides of the ball.
He said he hasn’t paid attention to the Packers’ depth chart or that two players at his position, Neal and Hargrove, will start the season on the suspended list.
“I’m just here to do my job, keep my mouth shut, go to work and learn every day,” Daniels said. “These guys get after it, and it’s definitely going to be an experience. The pressure’s on me. I have to come in and work at the same level as guys like that.”
Another player who could factor into the defensive line group is Lawrence Guy, a seventh-round pick in 2011 who spent all of last season on injured reserve because of concussions. Guy has been cleared to return but couldn’t participate in this weekend’s camp because his year on injured reserve counts as an accrued season of service. Only rookies and players without an accrued season could take part this weekend.
Last year, the Packers kept just six defensive linemen on the roster to start the season, including Neal, who was inactive the first nine games.
Full story here
Rodgers to Moss?
By Brian E Murphy, PackersInsider.com senior editor
~Favre to Moss was an “almost”.
Starting in 1998 when Randy was available in the draft, and in 2007 when Brett Favre almost had Ted Thompson bringing Moss in from Oakland, it was a “what might have been”.
Well now, “Rodgers to Moss” is a definite possibility as the Packers have won the battle to sign Dale Moss.
Who the hell is Dale Moss, you wonder?
Who is Dale Moss?
That is a good question, and it’s a similar question to what Giant fans were asking about an undrafted wide receiver named Victor Cruz, a few years ago. Also it’s a similar question to what Charger fans were asking about another former college basketball player, Antonio Gates. Those two guys turned out pretty good.
Dale Moss might never catch an NFL touchdown pass. But then again, he might turn out to be an NFL stud. He has the size, speed, and skills.
Could Dale Moss become the Packers Victor Cruz?
Moss, from South Dakota State, will be a player to watch in Packers camp. A four-year basketball player for the Jackrabbits, Moss used his extra year of eligibility to play football. He wound up leading South Dakota State in catches, yards, and touchdowns in 2011.
Moss is 6-foot-3, 213 and ran a 4.52 at the South Dakota Pro Day. More impressive were Moss’ explosive, 10-foot-10 broad jump, 41 1/2-inch vertical, and 4.13 short shuttle.
Moss caught the eyes of some scouts at the Shrine week of practice.
He was not invited to the NFL Combine due to a lack of experience and name recognition, but those numbers would have brought a buzz to the house that Peyton built there in Indy.
Many experts expected Moss to be drafted in one of the latter rounds, but nobody did. Instead, a dozen or so teams tried to sign him as an undrafted free agent. This is the same route that got the above mentioned guys (Gates, Cruz) into the NFL, as well as guys like Jimmy Graham, James Harrison, Kurt Warner, Tramon Williams, and Sam Shields. There’s plenty of talent out there that goes undrafted.
“I had a flood of teams contacting my agent,” Moss said. “I just felt like Green Bay was going to be my best situation.”
As shown in his vertical testing, Moss has unbelievable leaping ability with the timing to go up and snatch the ball up high.
The Packers didn’t draft any receivers, but that position is loaded. In fact, two of last year’s practice squad receivers, Tori Gurley and Diondre Borel, turned down chances to sign with other teams in order to remain with the Packers on their practice squad. Both are contenders to make the roster this season, but Donald Driver, James Jones, and Randall Cobb are the 3rd-5th WR’s and there’s no room really for anyone else.
Moss is trying to follow the path of guys like Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez and Jimmy Graham. All have succeeded in the NFL after playing as much or more college basketball than football.
Who knows what will happen with Moss. But I still remember a funny little guy with chicken legs being drafted with the 213rd pick in the 1999 Draft out of Alcorn State. His name was Donald Driver. Who knew then that the guy would not only make the team, but end up becoming the Packers all-time leading receiver?
Packers hope Hayward is CB they’ve been looking for
By Rob Reischel, Journal-Sentinel
~Green Bay – Ted Thompson said what everyone else was probably thinking.
“I’ve gone crazy,” the Green Bay Packers typically subdued general manager said during last week’s NFL draft.
In less than an hour, Thompson traded up twice in the second round. In Thompson’s previous seven drafts in Green Bay, he’d moved up three times total.
The object of affection in Thompson’s second trade was Vanderbilt cornerback Casey Hayward. Thompson sent his third-round pick (No. 90 overall) and a fifth rounder (163) to New England and received the Patriots’ second rounder (No. 62).
Thompson then plucked the 5-foot-11, 192-pound Hayward, who could become Green Bay’s nickel cornerback this season.
“I thought I would have gone a little earlier, but I’m not complaining at all,” Hayward said. “I’m just happy to be with a great organization like Green Bay, somebody that’s got a lot of rich tradition like them guys. So I wasn’t surprised at all.”
What was surprising is how little the Packers had to give up in the trade.
Each team uses a draft pick value chart in which they assign a point value to every pick. While each chart varies slightly, they’re typically close. According to one chart, the 62nd pick Green Bay received was worth 284 points. The two picks Green Bay traded were worth a combined 166 points.
Hayward is a bit stronger and more willing (able) to make big hits than last year's CB selection Davon House. House has a year head-start though, so it will be an interesting training camp battle to see which guy can possibly emerge to make it as the dime corner behind Woodson, Tramon, and Shields. It would take a lot for either to move past Shields as nickel, however.
In essence, the Packers didn’t give up much to move into the second round.
“Well, we thought it was pretty good value and felt like we had a guy we definitely had targeted that we thought was worthy of pulling that trade off,” Thompson said. “It just worked out that way. It was a good trade for us.”
Now, the question is, will the pick be as good? For Thompson, finding cornerbacks in the draft has been a remarkable struggle.
In Thompson’s first seven drafts, he’s taken five cornerbacks: Mike Hawkins, Will Blackmon, Pat Lee, Brandon Underwood and Davon House. The first four flopped and House showed little as a rookie in 2011.
Green Bay will hope for better luck with Hayward.
“He understands zone coverages . . . he can play man, he can get up there and press, he can play up,” Packer cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt Jr. said. “The thing that impressed me the most is he understood concepts.
“You couldn’t really run a play at him a number of times. If you ran it at him one time, he saw it and he understood it and was able to make an impactful play on the ball when it came at him again.
“He’s a guy that will fit in. Multiple teams would have been happy with this kid because he can play in a number of different schemes and has the ability to be successful on them.”
Hayward was a three-year starter for the Commodores who had 15 career interceptions and 31 passes broken up. Hayward’s best season came in 2011 when he finished fifth in the country with seven interceptions and was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.
Hayward’s tackling has been criticized, but he did have more tackles for loss (7½) than any cornerback in the Southeastern Conference in 2011. In addition, Hayward’s time in the short shuttle (3.90 seconds) at the combine was better than any other cornerback.
Hayward ran the 40-yard dash in a mediocre 4.53 seconds and has short arms (30-¼). Scouts have knocked Hayward for taking too many risks and say he’s susceptible to double moves.
“I think he’s an all-around player,” Thompson said of Hayward. “He’s very aware in space, very good foot athlete, good balance, good pedal, can plant and close, all that kind of stuff.
“He sees the ball well. . . . He can play with his back to the line of scrimmage. He’s got good hands. He’s got a knack for interceptions. He’s a player and he’s a pretty good tackler.”
Hayward’s arrival should help a secondary that was one of the worst in NFL history. Green Bay allowed 4,796 passing yards, more than any team in league history. Some of that was due to the Packers’ lack of pressure, but the secondary had a brutal year, as well.
Questions still loom everywhere, from Tramon Williams’ shoulder to the tackling ability of Sam Shields to Charles Woodson’s age. Hayward should add depth and perhaps a whole lot more.
“Have you looked at the offenses that we’re playing against with the Saints and the Lions?” defensive coordinator Dom Capers asked.
"It's pretty obvious you've got to be able to cover; you've got to be able to rush the passer because people are going to line up and throw the ball 50, 60 times. If you can't cover them, you're going to be in for a long day."
“They’re putting four wide receivers and sometimes five out there. That’s just the nature of the game nowadays.
Full story here
Packers like Worthy’s Explosiveness
By Michael Spotford, Packers.com
~On Thursday, the Packers addressed their pass rush on the outside. On Friday, they hope to have done so on the inside.
By trading up eight spots, from the 59th pick to the 51st in the second round, the Packers took Michigan State defensive lineman Jerel Worthy to play end in Dom Capers’ 3-4 scheme – a dual job that defends the run on early downs and rushes the quarterback from an interior spot on passing downs.
Jerel Worthy, #99 of the Michigan State Spartans, celebrates a defensive play against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 23, 2010 in Evanston, Illinois. Michigan State defeated Northwestern 35-27.
At 6-2, 308, Worthy has the type of big body defensive line coaches like Mike Trgovac covet. He’s got the size to hold the point against the run and the agility to get into the backfield when he’s “turned loose,” to use Trgovac’s words.
“He’s got some quickness to him for a big guy,” Trgovac said. “He anticipates the snap count very well. Sometimes he gets offsides, I realize that and we’ll work on that, but some coaches say if you’re not offsides a couple times, you’re not getting off the ball quick enough.”
Worthy started 38 games at defensive tackle over three seasons at Michigan State. He recorded 12 career sacks and 27½ tackles for loss.
He was named first-team All-America by several publications last season, including The Associated Press, becoming the first Spartans defensive lineman to earn that AP honor since “Bubba” Smith in 1966.
If Worthy has half the career Smith had, the Packers will have gotten a second-round steal. He cost the Packers a fourth-round pick, as No. 123 overall was sent to the Eagles, to move up to get him.
Thought by some draft analysts to be a first-round choice, Worthy was one of the highly regarded defensive lineman still there midway through the second round, along with Connecticut’s Kendall Reyes and Penn State’s Devon Still.
Worthy's play and #99 reminds many of Warren Sapp as they both can be very disruptive exploding through the line and making the QB feel very uncomfortable, if not pain.
When Reyes was snapped up at pick 49, the Packers made their move for Worthy. Still then went two picks later at 53.
“It was very close between those two,” Trgovac said of Worthy and Still. “We just thought at the end that Jerel had a little bit more wiggle and get-off than Still. That one was debated very long and hard. That wasn’t a slam dunk. We liked both of those kids.”
What kept standing out about Worthy on all the game tapes was his quickness off the ball.
“He can jump the count and get into the gap before an offensive guy can react or move,” said Shaun Herock, the Packers’ assistant director of college scouting. “As soon as you get in the gap, you’ve got a two-way go and you’re clogging up the holes, getting penetration and causing chaos in the backfield.”
The knock on Worthy was he didn’t play like that – utilizing his explosiveness to its fullest – all the time. Herock defended him in that regard because it’s natural for big bodies to wear down at times. Worthy defended himself as well.
“If people criticize that I take a play off here and there … there’s nobody in the NFL game today or in college or all the way down to pee wee who plays every play full speed, full-go without getting tired,” Worthy said. “It’s impossible.
“I’m going to continue to work to be a lot more consistent. That’s my goal. The plays that showed up on the highlight tape in the draft are the same plays I want to make in the NFL.”
Worthy admitted to being “humbled” a bit that he wasn’t drafted in the first round, but it did mean something that the Packers traded up to get him.
“Definitely,” he said. “It just shows they have faith in my potential and they have faith in the skills that I possess. They have faith in me progressing as a great football player.
“I want to come in and have an impact right away. I want to leave my mark and let them know they have no regrets about picking me.”
Story found here
Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt
2012 NFL Draft: Vanderbilt University Cornerback Casey Hayward Will Shine
~By Scott Bischoff, Bleacher Report
~Casey Hayward is a play making cornerback from Vanderbilt University. At the combine in February, he measured in at 5’ 11-3/8” and 192 pounds. Hayward is a ball hawk who had six interceptions as a junior and seven as a senior. He is a player that can be extremely valuable at the corner position in the NFL.
I talked to Hayward after his pro day workout about his time at college and his future in the NFL. We talked about the SEC and the challenges that playing in the SEC presented for a cornerback.
“It was great to play in the SEC, to get to go against the top competition every week. You are going get to go against a potential national championship winner.”
He went on to tell me some of the names he faced playing in the SEC.
“It’s just some of the top guys, like, that’s in the NFL right now. I went against A. J. Green, Alshon Jeffery, Reuben Randle, Mike Wallace. I went against a lot of the top guys that [are] in the NFL right now. So I just feel like it gives you a slight edge when it comes to NFL.”
We talked about playing at Vanderbilt as opposed to being a cornerback at LSU or Alabama. He told me that LSU could have four secondary members drafted this year along with the guys that they have up front. He told me that he didn’t have any of that at Vanderbilt, but was just as productive [as], if not more than, any other cornerback from the SEC.
“They’re going to put a lot of pressure on quarterbacks to throw the ball to them, even though I still have more interceptions than all of them.”
He told me that some other programs had guys that were products of a system or their environment. He also told me that the perception that a kid was better because he went to LSU or Alabama was wrong.
“So I just feel like if you haven’t watched me play, I think you couldn’t really put judgment on where you think I am if you haven’t really watched me play.”
I asked him about the combine and what the process was like for him this year.
“It’s a zoo. I kind of enjoyed the process because, you know, everybody [doesn't] get to go through the process and I was one of the lucky guys that [got] to go through the process, so I just, I don’t think you can just say ah, man, I dread it.
“But I think I enjoyed the process, but I think I just wanted to get teams to know me as a person and to prove people wrong about my speed.”
Hayward is a zone corner, a player who is at his best when he can sit back in space and read and react to jump routes.
“If you were to set me back in zone and let me see what the quarterback is doing, you are going to see me making a lot of plays.”
He was quick to tell me that he could play in any scheme and that he felt he could help any scheme out.
When we talked about scheme, we talked about some players in the NFL that fit the way he played. He told me that if you mixed Asante Samuel and Brent Grimes together you would get him.
We talked about what it meant to him to be a professional football player and I asked him what he could offer to NFL teams.
“I feel like I can bring play-making ability, somebody that's going to compete, somebody that's going be able to come in and help them right then. I feel like I'm one of the top corners in this draft and I feel like I'm going be a steal wherever I go.”
We talked about his size and some of the things he has shown on film that would be considered advantages for him.
“I feel like a lot of people don’t give me the recognition I should get, but that’s alright and I feel like teams watching a lot of film, they get to see me making a lot of plays, being very productive.”
We talked about where he could go in the draft and how high it could be. He told me he felt that teams had him ranked higher than people that didn’t actually watch him play did.
I asked him what he wanted the fans of the team that drafts him to know.
“I’d just tell them be ready for somebody that’s going to bring a lot of excitement to the team, somebody that’s going to make a lot of plays for them, somebody that’s going [to] even the score for them.”
“I just feel like I’m just going bring an edge to a team that needs a playmaker. If you need a playmaker, I think I’m that guy.”
Casey Hayward is a very good football player, a player that is going to make a difference for a team very quickly. He has played under intense pressure his entire college career and has been very productive.
He is the kind of player that can come in and make big plays for a defense in a priority position in today’s NFL.
Thompson makes his move: DE Jerel Worthy
By Brian E Murphy, PackersInsider.com senior analyst
~Ted Thompson turned back the clock to 2009 and made some aggressive moves to trade up to bolster his 3-4 defense.
Thompson traded his own 2nd round pick and his 4th round pick to move up to the 51 spot to select the Warren Sapp-clone, Jerel Worthy from Michigan State.
Jerel Worthy may make fans forget about Cullen Jenkins. Or at least forget about that guy from Purdue who was supposed to replace Jenkins.
Many people thought Worthy was worth a late 1st round pick, and I had him to Green Bay in my April 19th mock draft as one of my sources told me that the Packers were very high on Worthy. They were correct, and when he slid to that point, the Packers felt like this was a move they had to make.
To come away with OLB Nick Perry, and DE Jerel Worthy may prove to be as important as the 1-2 duo from the 2009 Draft, BJ Raji and Clay Matthews. Both guys were clearly worthy of being taken in the first round, and the Packers got them both. It’s reminiscent of the Raji & Matthews daily double.
Worthy is 6-2 1/2, 305, and very quick. He took over the game against the Badgers at key times.
Here’s the lay-down on Worthy from Sports Illustrated:
Biography: Three-year starter awarded All-American and all-conference honors last season with totals of 38 tackles/10.5 tackles for loss/3 sacks. Sophomore totals included 40/8/4.
Positives: Nice-sized defensive lineman who can be a disruptive force up the field. Explosive, displays tremendous first-step quickness and gets a lot of momentum going. Fires through the open gaps of the offensive line, keeps his feet moving on contact and consistently doubled by opponents. Stays on his feet, tough to knock off the point and has the ability change directionor redirect to ball-carriers. Quick in all aspects of the game, displays a burst of closing speed and has enough power to bull rush blockers off the line.
Negatives: Marginal skills rushing the passer. Gets lazy with his fundamentals. Slow getting his hands up and plays tall, which makes him an easy target for opponents. Neutralized by a single blocker all too often.
Analysis: When on his game Worthy is an unstoppable force who collapses the pocket or occupies blockers, which allows his teammates to make plays. He comes with a terrific amount of upside, and if he’s able to concentrate on the details of his position, Worthy will be a productive starter at the next level.
Full report here
The Shutdown 50 — #25: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State
By By Mike Tanier, Shutdown Corner
~With the 2011 NFL season in the books, it’s time to turn our eyes to the NFL draft, and the pre-draft evaluation process. Before and after the 2012 scouting combine, we’ll be taking a closer look at the 50 draft-eligible players who may be the biggest NFL difference-makers when all is said and done.
We continue this year’s series with Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy. Worthy entered the combine as a sure-fire first-round pick, but funny things can happen in Indy. Worthy had an unimpressive set of workouts: He slipped and fell during a balance drill and performed other drills as if he was too busy keeping the instructions straight to cut crisply or hit pads with authority. While Worthy (who admitted he was nervous) struggled, fellow linemen like Dontari Poe put up eye-popping numbers. Slipping behind one or two players at your position is a great way to slip out of the first round.
Can a couple of minutes in shorts really erase three seasons of game tape? Not quite: Worthy’s ability to penetrate the interior defensive line makes him one of the most intriguing tackle prospects in the draft, even if he did look mixed up while running around Lucas Oil Stadium in compression wear. The bigger question is whether Worthy’s hot-and-cold production will heat up in the pros, or if the combine was indicative of his limitations as a player.
Pros: The first thing that leaps off the tape about Worthy is his snap anticipation. It is not just first-step quickness — he is quick, but Fletcher Cox and others are quicker — it is his ability to start moving forward a fraction of a second before the snap. He leans, he twitches, and he sometimes appears to have his hand in the neutral zone, but he rarely gets flagged for jumping offside. Freeze a replay at the snap, and he is about two feet forward while everyone else on the field is still set.
Jerel Worthy has been compared to Warren Sapp, John Randle, or here Keith Millard. Any of those three will do for the Packers.
Older fans may remember Keith Millard of the Vikings, who always seemed to know the snap count. Worthy’s anticipation reminds me of Millard.
Obviously, a defensive tackle who can beat the ball into the backfield is going to blow up some plays, and Worthy has tackled a few quarterbacks in the act of handing off. More often, he has his blocker turned sideways before the play develops, disrupting the entire interior line. Once he has the edge on his blocker, Worthy does a good job ripping away. Opponents used fullbacks as extra pass protectors in the interior against Michigan State, but Worthy easily tosses smaller blockers to the ground.
Worthy is a thick, low-center-of-gravity defender (translation: huge butt) who can get leverage on his blocker and shove him backward when he does not win the first-step battle.
Cons: Worthy draws a lot of double teams, and he often gets blown backward against two blockers. All of that extra attention takes its toll, and Worthy looks gassed at the ends of some games. It is hard to hold that against him — you try battling two Georgia offensive linemen through multiple overtimes — but Worthy will have to improve his conditioning in the pros.
Worthy’s “jump the snap” routine does lead to some penalties. Watching where he lines up, it is shocking that he does not get called for neutral zone infractions constantly. NFL referees may not be so forgiving.
Worthy is strictly an in-the-box defender. He will not make many plays down the line of scrimmage, and something has gone very wrong if he is chasing a ball carrier down from behind. His low career sack total (12 in three seasons as a starter) reflects his inability to close on quarterbacks.
Conclusion: Worthy’s lackluster workout results underline just how enigmatic he is as a prospect. His greatest attribute, besides brute strength, is something that cannot be easily showcased in a drill. It is also something that could get penalized away if NFL referees don’t give him any benefit of the doubt.
The upside for Worthy is Millard, who had 58 sacks in eight seasons in the 1980s, but that is a very ambitious comparison. Worthy needs to gain stamina without losing his initial quickness, and he must show that he can stand up two linemen on a consistent basis. He will probably be a “wave” player at the start of his career, playing nose tackle on passing downs or three-tech tackle as part of a second platoon, and he can be effective in that kind of 25-snap role. Any team that drafts him in an early round will expect much more, but they will have to be patient.
NFL Comparison: Corey Peters, Atlanta Falcons
Full story here