Partial
08-22-2007, 12:17 AM
From Tom Pelissero (http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070821/PKR01/708210491/1989)
The changes were evident from the first snap in Monday night's practice.
Atari Bigby and Jarrett Bush are in, and Marquand Manuel and Patrick Dendy are out of the Green Bay Packers' secondary — at least for now.
Bigby worked alongside Nick Collins at safety, and Bush lined up as the third cornerback in the starting nickel defense throughout practice. Afterward, coach Mike McCarthy said Bigby and Bush had earned the privilege of emerging from the Lambeau Field tunnel with the starters when the Packers host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night.
Even if coaches can't be sure how the second-year pros will respond to their promotions.
"That's what you don't know, and that's what you don't know about a number of our guys, and that's why we're creating the opportunities," McCarthy said.
The switches represent a 40 percent turnover of the Packers' starting secondary last season. Manuel started all 16 games at strong safety, while Dendy was the primary No. 3 cornerback, a position utilized on roughly half of all snaps.
But Bigby and Bush were two of the biggest stars in Saturday's preseason victory over the Seattle Seahawks, recording two sacks and two interceptions, respectively. While that performance isn't entirely responsible for their augmented roles, it at least expedited their ascent.
It's a been a dramatic rise for both players. Each was released in the final roster cutdown last Sept. 2 — Bigby by the Packers and Bush by the Carolina Panthers, from whom the Packers claimed him.
Bigby also was cut twice in 2005, in May by the Miami Dolphins and in the final cutdown by the New York Jets. He was out of the NFL for nearly two months before the Packers signed him to the practice squad.
Bigby is an athletic upgrade over Manuel, who floundered in his first season as a Packer, but only has played six defensive snaps in regular-season NFL games.
McCarthy praised the "impact play ability" Bigby displayed as he forced a fumble on one sack and nearly leap-frogged a Seahawks blocker for the other.
"Now we want to see if he can do it from the beginning of the football game," McCarthy said. "It's a little different … running out there as the No. 2 versus the No. 1."
McCarthy said Manuel will get roughly the same number of snaps with the No. 1 defense in spite of his demotion. He worked alongside rookie Aaron Rouse as the second pairing Monday.
If Manuel doesn't perform in a reserve role, the Packers may choose to release him rather than paying his $1.26 million base salary this season.
As for Bush, who played 15 snaps on defense as a rookie last year, McCarthy said:
"It's really all his work. For as good as he played on defense, I felt he played better on special teams. He's a very physical football player, tough kid. He's only going to get better, and he deserves the opportunity to run out there with the first group."
Dendy worked as the No. 4 cornerback Monday, with Will Blackmon and Frank Walker continuing to work behind the top four. The Packers will keep at least five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster.
In the locker room earlier Monday, Bush lamented dropping what would have been his third interception Saturday night.
He has much more important things to worry about.
"I'm just going to keep doing what got me here," Bush said. "I can't get big-headed after the game I had. I played well, (but) I've got to keep striving."
The changes were evident from the first snap in Monday night's practice.
Atari Bigby and Jarrett Bush are in, and Marquand Manuel and Patrick Dendy are out of the Green Bay Packers' secondary — at least for now.
Bigby worked alongside Nick Collins at safety, and Bush lined up as the third cornerback in the starting nickel defense throughout practice. Afterward, coach Mike McCarthy said Bigby and Bush had earned the privilege of emerging from the Lambeau Field tunnel with the starters when the Packers host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night.
Even if coaches can't be sure how the second-year pros will respond to their promotions.
"That's what you don't know, and that's what you don't know about a number of our guys, and that's why we're creating the opportunities," McCarthy said.
The switches represent a 40 percent turnover of the Packers' starting secondary last season. Manuel started all 16 games at strong safety, while Dendy was the primary No. 3 cornerback, a position utilized on roughly half of all snaps.
But Bigby and Bush were two of the biggest stars in Saturday's preseason victory over the Seattle Seahawks, recording two sacks and two interceptions, respectively. While that performance isn't entirely responsible for their augmented roles, it at least expedited their ascent.
It's a been a dramatic rise for both players. Each was released in the final roster cutdown last Sept. 2 — Bigby by the Packers and Bush by the Carolina Panthers, from whom the Packers claimed him.
Bigby also was cut twice in 2005, in May by the Miami Dolphins and in the final cutdown by the New York Jets. He was out of the NFL for nearly two months before the Packers signed him to the practice squad.
Bigby is an athletic upgrade over Manuel, who floundered in his first season as a Packer, but only has played six defensive snaps in regular-season NFL games.
McCarthy praised the "impact play ability" Bigby displayed as he forced a fumble on one sack and nearly leap-frogged a Seahawks blocker for the other.
"Now we want to see if he can do it from the beginning of the football game," McCarthy said. "It's a little different … running out there as the No. 2 versus the No. 1."
McCarthy said Manuel will get roughly the same number of snaps with the No. 1 defense in spite of his demotion. He worked alongside rookie Aaron Rouse as the second pairing Monday.
If Manuel doesn't perform in a reserve role, the Packers may choose to release him rather than paying his $1.26 million base salary this season.
As for Bush, who played 15 snaps on defense as a rookie last year, McCarthy said:
"It's really all his work. For as good as he played on defense, I felt he played better on special teams. He's a very physical football player, tough kid. He's only going to get better, and he deserves the opportunity to run out there with the first group."
Dendy worked as the No. 4 cornerback Monday, with Will Blackmon and Frank Walker continuing to work behind the top four. The Packers will keep at least five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster.
In the locker room earlier Monday, Bush lamented dropping what would have been his third interception Saturday night.
He has much more important things to worry about.
"I'm just going to keep doing what got me here," Bush said. "I can't get big-headed after the game I had. I played well, (but) I've got to keep striving."