Green Bay Packers: The tough cuts will come at corner
After the top five guys, the Green Bay Packers coaching staff will have a difficult time deciding which cornerbacks make the 53-man roster.
The Green Bay Packers have been rebuilding their group of corners for almost a half-decade and they still haven’t gotten it how they want. This time around, though, personnel evaluators have provided themselves plenty of options. Come training camp, 11 players will compete for coverage duties.
To shore up what used to be a weak position, Green Bay used their first two picks on cornerbacks in April’s draft. The assumption is Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson will be sharing reps in the slot and occasionally the outside.
These additions are well envisioned next to the expectation that second-year man Kevin King will emerge as a shutdown presence. The way the Packers’ passing game coordinator Joe Whitt talks about King, it may be true.
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“He’s worked his butt off in the work room. The guys in the work room are just raving about the way his work ethic hasn’t necessarily changed, but from Year 1 to 2 you grow up, and he’s matured that way.”
King will be working beside veteran Tramon Williams who is entering his second stint with the Packers. Following Organized Team Activities, Aaron Rodgers sees some juice left in the 35-year-old.
“I said it walking off the field (Monday), the biggest difference on the back end is (No.) 38,” Rodgers said. “When he showed back up here, he is as of right now, in my humble opinion, the best on that side of the ball.”
Sounds like Williams will be more than a plug-in player if his early performance holds true.
Green Bay’s attempt to add more veterans was reinstituted with the signing of Davon House. House had an up and down year in 2017 but should last against the guys under him. The remaining depth at corner looks pretty dim.
The coaching staff will be investigating Quinten Rollins, Josh Hawkins, Lenzy Pipkins, Donatello Brown, Herb Waters, and Demetri Goodson as early as July 26th. All those except Rollins and Goodson were signed as undrafted free agents.
Rollins has 15 career starts through three NFL seasons, but hasn’t found his footing as a true cover corner. He’s fighting for his job in the last year of his rookie contract after ending last season on injured reserve.
Hawkins and Pipkins were featured in a very limited capacity in 2017 as they were mostly subjected to special teams. Meanwhile, Waters and Goodson also spent time on the injured reserve dealing with injuries.
Brown is somewhat of an unknown. He remained on the Packers’ practice squad for all of last year, but was re-signed in March implying he’s worth a second look.
Traditionally, the Packers have kept only six or seven corners on the roster, but that could be subject to change under Brian Gutekunst. Some very tough decisions await the Packers this summer.