Casey Hayward is gone to SD

[pbmax]

Tom Silverstein ‏@TomSilverstein 4m4 minutes ago
#Packers CB Casey Hayward confirms to JS a verbal agreement has been reached with #Chargers.

Seven or eight months ago, I would have thought this meant a catastrophic injury or a player mad at the team. But the team managed to get better and not need him in that span of time instead.

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet
For the #Chargers and CB Casey Hayward, it's a 3-year deal worth $15.3M, source said.

[Upnorth]

So it would have cost 5 million per year to keep our (at best) 3rd cb. I'm okay saying goodbye, and thank goodness tt didn't resign him earlier last year like I had hoped he would.

[run pMc]

5th round compensation pick? ;)
Seriously, Casey wasn't the same after the injuries. Decent player, very good as a slot corner, but there was no spot for him here with Randall and Rollins playing as they did, with room to get better. I wish him well except if he plays against GB.

[Guiness]

$5M is it? Seems like a lot, but of course I have to wrap my head around the new reality the higher cap brings. He was a good role player, but seems to me that he was maybe...the 4th best CB on the team? 5th? I put Shields and Randall firmly ahead of him, and neck in neck with Rollins. Goodson and Gunter have some potential, I'm not sure I see a spot for him.

Similar to House, Pack got him on a rookie contract for a few years and will get the pick back next year. He looked to be very promising, but never played as well as he did in his first season.

[BZnDallas]

I usually trust TT and even understand having to let Casey go. My one thought on it is, Ted plans to let him leave after his rookie contract so he can get a comp pick for him. Casey was a second rd pick. 2s arent even given as comp picks and I cant see him bring a 3rd. 4th might be stretching it too. A 5th or 6th round comp pick for a 2nd rounder seems like a loss of value. Not TTs style. Anyway like I said, I usually back TT, but this seems a lil odd. Before FA started could Casey have been signed for 3.5 mil per year? Not sure, speculation anyway. A 2 for a 5 or 6. Meh

[BZnDallas]

Good point Run. Didnt think about injuries bringing his skill down a notch perhaps. Guess thats the price of business in the league.

[woodbuck27]

$5M is it? Seems like a lot, but of course I have to wrap my head around the new reality the higher cap brings. He was a good role player, but seems to me that he was maybe...the 4th best CB on the team? 5th? I put Shields and Randall firmly ahead of him, and neck in neck with Rollins. Goodson and Gunter have some potential, I'm not sure I see a spot for him.

Similar to House, Pack got him on a rookie contract for a few years and will get the pick back next year. He looked to be very promising, but never played as well as he did in his first season.

Yes he looked great in his first season but never got to growing as a Green Bay Packer.

Maybe the change in scenery will help his career. We are looking good at The important CB position but I'm seeing the potential for TT to get a decent DB in the draft.

Edit !

Thanks Joe. I thought there was something wrong with that. ......but NOT like.... there are all kinds of John Smith's. :whaa:

[Joemailman]

Yes he looked great in his first season but never got to growing as a Green Bay Packer.

Maybe the change in scenery will help his career. We are looking good at The important CB position but I'm seeing the potential for TT to get a decent DB in the draft.

CB's that TT might be able to chose in Rounds 3 and 4:


Eric Rowe, CB/FS, Utah ... Height: 6-1. Weight: 205... 40 Time: 4.45.


Quinten Rollins, CB/FS, Miami (Ohio) ...Height: 5-11. Weight: 195... 40 Time: 4.57... NOTE: He might be better suited as a FS in the NFL..


Alex Carter, CB, Stanford ...Height: 6-0. Weight: 196...40 Time: 4.51.
.

P.J. Williams*, CB, Florida State ... Height: 6-0. Weight: 194... 40 Time: 4.57.

4/25/15: Williams hurt his draft stock with a DUI arrest in the final weeks before the 2015 NFL Draft. At the Combine, he ran a little slower than expected. He may slip into Round 3 or 4.


Steven Nelson, CB, Oregon State ... Height: 5-10. Weight: 197. ...40 Time: 4.49.


D'Joun Smith, CB, Florida Atlantic... Height: 5-10. Weight: 187. ...40 Time: 4.45. ....He has the speed and athleticism to be a cover corner. In College QB's avoided throwing the ball where he was positioned to defend.


Doran Grant, CB/S, Ohio State... Height: 5-10. Weight: 199. ...40 Time: 4.44.
Reliable in pass coverage. Grant has press-man experience and also looks like he could play off-man or zone coverage.
Grant had a strong showing at the Combine as he ran fast and looked good in the field drills. Grant also did well in the bench press (21 reps). He could play corner or free safety in the NFL.


Senquez Golson, CB, Ole Miss ...Height: 5-8. Weight: 178. ...40 Time: 4.46. Too short !?
Golson was one of the most dangerous cornerbacks in the nation in 2014. He was an interception machine for the Rebels. Golson showed excellent instincts and ball skills. Smart with how he baited quarterbacks into throwing picks. [BGolson had 10 interceptions, the second highest total in the nation[/B]. The senior also notched 41 tackles with eight passes broken up. He went on to have a decent week at the Senior Bowl and run well at the Combine. He could be a good nickelback in the NFL.


Reference:

Read more at http://walterfootball.com/draft2015CB.php#HlIpWkiHiJktKaiX.99

These are last year's prospects. We already drafted Quinten Rollins once.

[BZnDallas]

These are last year's prospects. We already drafted Quinten Rollins once.
I'd draft him again so we could have two QRs

[Patler]

I was hoping Hayward would land a contract similar to House, and thought he might based on more playing time than House over his first four years. I figured he would bring a 4th round comp pick, but I doubt that will be the case with a 3 yr./$15M contract. Looks like a 5th for him, if the Packer don't sign anyone to offset it.

[call_me_ishmael]

Dang, now we need to draft somebody I think. I think this was a pretty decent deal for a good slot corner.

[smuggler]

5th round comp pick (quite likely a 4th) makes it a wash, when you consider opportunity cost of his salary.

[Patler]

Dang, now we need to draft somebody I think. I think this was a pretty decent deal for a good slot corner.

Corners - Shields, Randall, Rollins, Goodson, Gunther, Daniel and Hyde if they need him.

Safeties - Burnette, HHC-D, Banjo and Hyde if they need him.

The need at DB is not great, but if they can find someone to slot above the bottom 3 CBs, take him.

[call_me_ishmael]

Ahh, forgot about Shields. Was thinknig Randall and Rollins would be the starters and Hyde at the slot. My Bad.

[run pMc]

Is Goodson any...well...good? I know they like him on ST, but IIRC he's a late bloomer (he's 26) and still rough around the edges. Shields usually misses a couple of games per season, and in a passing league you can't have too many CB's. That said, keeping Hayward didn't make sense for the money when they have all the young guys.

[Patler]

Is Goodson any...well...good? I know they like him on ST, but IIRC he's a late bloomer (he's 26) and still rough around the edges. Shields usually misses a couple of games per season, and in a passing league you can't have too many CB's. That said, keeping Hayward didn't make sense for the money when they have all the young guys.

I think Goodson has improved, but he might not even be the #4 corner. The guys I an interested in seeing are Gunther and Daniel. From about midseason on, Whitt said many times that Gunther deserved to play, and that they needed to find opportunities for him to play. Daniel reportedly picked things up very quickly, and was rewarded with a promotion from the PS to the regular roster at the end of the season. If they can find one reliable backup CB out of the three, Goodson, Gunther and Daniel, they should be in decent shape. Then there is always Hyde, too, at least for 2016.

[Zool]

(Shrug) Casey had one promising season. Seemed like a good dude though?

[Patler]

(Shrug) Casey had one promising season. Seemed like a good dude though?

Ya, I was excited about him after his rookie year. Six interceptions in a part time role was impressive. Struggled just to play for two years, then seemed to be a somewhat different player when finally healthy. One of the beat writer said in last years camp that Hayward was never the fastest, but as a rookie would explode toward the ball when an interception was possible. He said that seemed to be gone even if he wasn't any slower running than before.

Seems to be a good player and good guy who won't hurt you in coverage.

[Pugger]

He's better in the slot but if SD puts him outside he might have issues there. Drafting Randall and Rollins made Casey dispensable.

[ThunderDan]

He's better in the slot but if SD puts him outside he might have issues there. Drafting Randall and Rollins made Casey dispensable.

Plus there is this:
$19.25M QB
$13.75M OLB
$12M CB
$10.5M Peppers
$9.15M WR #2
$8.3M WR #1


That is $72.95M against the cap for 6 players. If you average $5M per year for every other starter and your roll players you are looking at $168M for 27 players. You still have half of your roster to fill plus practice squad.

We are lucky that we aren't having to pay our LT $14M+ to protect ARod's blindside.

[ThunderDan]

You have to have young talent on their first contract if you want to be a contender every year. There is no other way to do it.

[Fritz]

Well, you have to -re-sign the guys you've identified as long-term keepers, which Thompson has done. He has not, however, often signed free agents to plug holes in a more immediate manner.

And for me, Barrington/Ryan as ILB's with god knows who in reserve is a situation that needed some attention. I don't know if drafting an ILB, even in the first round, can fill the bill.

[ThunderDan]

Bump, to see what people posted when Casey first left.

[Bretsky]

IN the end, he was good year one when healthy and then banged up, unhealthy, and not nearly as good after.

We had to trust our personell dept on this one so I can't criticize any posters for apathy toward him leaving.

We had plenty of time to evaluate how good this guy was as well as his attitude.

Appears we shit the bed on this decision

[Patler]

I wonder if Hayward maybe needed an additional year to completely recover from his injury problems. He had a very significant hamstring tear in 2013, then stress fractures in 2014 requiring foot surgery in the off season before 2015. Beat reporters were pretty much in agreement that he wasn't the same player in 2015 that he had been as a rookie. Maybe it just took time and another off season after 2015 to get completely healthy.

Even McGinn thought that letting Hayward go was the right decision, and he said that in Dec. 2016 as Hayward was finishing he first season with the Chargers. McGinn said that while knowing that the Packers would have been much better off if they had kept Hayward:


"At the same time, it’s incumbent upon reporters to examine the variables that were in play when the decision was made.

My conclusion is the same now as it was nine months ago. Thompson made the right call not to re-sign Hayward."

http://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/mcginn/2016/12/03/mcginn-parting-ways-hayward-right-move/94811276/

Basically, the reasons most of us had for not being concerned have all turned negative:
1. Shields' career ended unexpectedly.
2. Rollins has been injured constantly for the past two seasons, and when he did play looked nothing like the rookie we saw in 2015.
3. Randall was injured all of 2016 and showed immaturity early in 2017. He remains inconsistent but at least shows signs of having a role on the team.

Had we foreseen any of the Shields, Rollins or Randall issues together with Hayward getting past his own injury history we would have wanted him back in a heartbeat.