HarveyWallbangers
05-01-2006, 08:53 AM
Could be a strength this year. I knew that was Rodgers' forte, and I knew Blackmon and Jennings returned the ball, but I didn't realize that Blackmon was so good. Makes you wonder why they felt the need to take Rodgers when a big, more heralded receiver like Demetrius Williams was still there, but oh well.
Going draft route for return specialists
By LORI NICKEL
Antonio Chatman is gone and so is Andrae Thurman. Ahmad Carroll and Najeh Davenport aren't in the immediate plans, either.
Instead, the Green Bay Packers have turned to the 2006 National Football League draft to find their punt and kickoff return specialists.
On Sunday, Green Bay acquired two more top candidates in receiver Cory Rodgers from Texas Christian and cornerback Will Blackmon from Boston College. Special teams coordinator Mike Stock is eyeing Rodgers as the first choice to be both punt and kick returner as the Packers head into coach Mike McCarthy's first minicamp this week.
"He's blocked kicks. He's covered kicks. He makes tackles and he returns balls," Stock said, referring to Rodgers. "He's reckless and he's a north-south runner. He breaks tackles. He fields the ball well. He takes chances. If the ball is kicked short and he doesn't want to let it bounce, he goes and gets it. He's a very knowledgeable and gifted kid."
Green Bay had many needs in this draft, the most discussed being wide receiver and offensive line, but the return game was another major concern and it was not left to the free-agent market for those not drafted.
The return game was below average last season for the 4-12 Packers. Chatman was ranked 32nd in the NFL with an 8.5-yard punt return average and tied for 40th with an 18.2-yard kick-return average.
Chatman did score one touchdown on a return, but it was the only one for the Packers in nearly five seasons. In essence, there was no threat for a score by the Packers in half a decade on special teams.
Although Chatman was reliable and smart - he didn't fumble and used fair catches to avoid gambles that might result in a loss - he was not able to be the explosive and elusive threat he aspired to be. Former coach Mike Sherman often said poor field position left the offense looking uphill too often in 2005.
"With the returner they had before, everybody was upset because he could field the ball, but we wouldn't get much field position, the run after the catch if you will," Stock said.
And that's partly why the Packers are willing to run a risk with inexperience at the return positions for the reward of explosiveness every now and then. Rodgers had 1,747 yards and two touchdowns in three years of kickoff returns at TCU. Blackmon was 120 yards short of the NCAA record for kickoff return yardage with 2,803 in four seasons.
With all the turnover on the Green Bay roster leaving few returner candidates, the Packers have little choice but to look at inexperienced players to make a run for the end zone on special teams.
"I'm not looking to a veteran at this specific time," Stock said. "I expect the draft to take care of these needs. These three guys are going to be very competitive and in the mix for this whole thing. We'll see how it works out. If there's a veteran who wants to step up, like Ahmad Carroll wants to do on kickoffs, I want to know if the defensive backs coaches will let him do that. That's the toughest role for a guy to be in if he's not really big, because you take a lot of punishment there."
Rodgers stands 6 feet tall and weighs 187 pounds, bigger than the 5-9 Chatman, and is willing to bulk up to take the punishment Stock was talking about.
"I'm not a big physical guy if you just look at me in my street clothes," Rodgers said.
Blackmon is an intriguing jack of all trades. His draft board rating probably was lower that it might have been because Boston College asked him to leave his specialty, cornerback, to play wide receiver in 2005. The Packers thought of him as a good receiver but more of a natural at cornerback.
But those ball skills, which impressed everyone from general manager Ted Thompson on down, make Blackmon another strong candidate to return. He was a return guy all four years for the Eagles, with 114 kick returns for a 24.6 average and 40 punt returns for a 12.7 average.
He wasn't even aware how close he was to breaking the NCAA kickoff return-yard record.
"Not until we played Boise in the (MPC Computers Bowl) game; they kept kicking away from me," Blackmon said. "I went to the coach and said, 'Why are they kicking it away?' He said you were about 40 yards from the record, but I didn't care. I just wanted to win the football game."
Going draft route for return specialists
By LORI NICKEL
Antonio Chatman is gone and so is Andrae Thurman. Ahmad Carroll and Najeh Davenport aren't in the immediate plans, either.
Instead, the Green Bay Packers have turned to the 2006 National Football League draft to find their punt and kickoff return specialists.
On Sunday, Green Bay acquired two more top candidates in receiver Cory Rodgers from Texas Christian and cornerback Will Blackmon from Boston College. Special teams coordinator Mike Stock is eyeing Rodgers as the first choice to be both punt and kick returner as the Packers head into coach Mike McCarthy's first minicamp this week.
"He's blocked kicks. He's covered kicks. He makes tackles and he returns balls," Stock said, referring to Rodgers. "He's reckless and he's a north-south runner. He breaks tackles. He fields the ball well. He takes chances. If the ball is kicked short and he doesn't want to let it bounce, he goes and gets it. He's a very knowledgeable and gifted kid."
Green Bay had many needs in this draft, the most discussed being wide receiver and offensive line, but the return game was another major concern and it was not left to the free-agent market for those not drafted.
The return game was below average last season for the 4-12 Packers. Chatman was ranked 32nd in the NFL with an 8.5-yard punt return average and tied for 40th with an 18.2-yard kick-return average.
Chatman did score one touchdown on a return, but it was the only one for the Packers in nearly five seasons. In essence, there was no threat for a score by the Packers in half a decade on special teams.
Although Chatman was reliable and smart - he didn't fumble and used fair catches to avoid gambles that might result in a loss - he was not able to be the explosive and elusive threat he aspired to be. Former coach Mike Sherman often said poor field position left the offense looking uphill too often in 2005.
"With the returner they had before, everybody was upset because he could field the ball, but we wouldn't get much field position, the run after the catch if you will," Stock said.
And that's partly why the Packers are willing to run a risk with inexperience at the return positions for the reward of explosiveness every now and then. Rodgers had 1,747 yards and two touchdowns in three years of kickoff returns at TCU. Blackmon was 120 yards short of the NCAA record for kickoff return yardage with 2,803 in four seasons.
With all the turnover on the Green Bay roster leaving few returner candidates, the Packers have little choice but to look at inexperienced players to make a run for the end zone on special teams.
"I'm not looking to a veteran at this specific time," Stock said. "I expect the draft to take care of these needs. These three guys are going to be very competitive and in the mix for this whole thing. We'll see how it works out. If there's a veteran who wants to step up, like Ahmad Carroll wants to do on kickoffs, I want to know if the defensive backs coaches will let him do that. That's the toughest role for a guy to be in if he's not really big, because you take a lot of punishment there."
Rodgers stands 6 feet tall and weighs 187 pounds, bigger than the 5-9 Chatman, and is willing to bulk up to take the punishment Stock was talking about.
"I'm not a big physical guy if you just look at me in my street clothes," Rodgers said.
Blackmon is an intriguing jack of all trades. His draft board rating probably was lower that it might have been because Boston College asked him to leave his specialty, cornerback, to play wide receiver in 2005. The Packers thought of him as a good receiver but more of a natural at cornerback.
But those ball skills, which impressed everyone from general manager Ted Thompson on down, make Blackmon another strong candidate to return. He was a return guy all four years for the Eagles, with 114 kick returns for a 24.6 average and 40 punt returns for a 12.7 average.
He wasn't even aware how close he was to breaking the NCAA kickoff return-yard record.
"Not until we played Boise in the (MPC Computers Bowl) game; they kept kicking away from me," Blackmon said. "I went to the coach and said, 'Why are they kicking it away?' He said you were about 40 yards from the record, but I didn't care. I just wanted to win the football game."