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WED., AUG 23, 2006 - 1:18 AM
Oates: Rodgers, Hawk far from busts
TOM OATES
608-252-6172
toates@madison.com
Sometimes you can tell right from the start.
Take B.J. Sander, for instance.
All you had to do was watch Sander punt once and you could tell that former Green Bay Packers general manager Mike Sherman had wasted a third-round draft pick (plus a fifth) on him in 2004.
With most NFL rookies, however, it's better to refrain from declaring them a bust too soon.
Take Aaron Rodgers and A.J. Hawk, for instance.
When Rodgers, Green Bay's first-round pick in 2005, looked mentally and physically overmatched in exhibition games last year, many dismissed him as Brett Favre's potential successor at quarterback. And when Hawk, this year's first-round pick, didn't start making big plays the day he arrived, the grumbling began that he was just another great college linebacker who didn't have the size or speed to make an impact in the NFL.
After only two exhibition games, however, Rodgers and Hawk have made those conclusions look way premature. Neither one has been mistake-free, but both have played well enough to silence the rush-to-judgment faction and show they have a chance to be key players for the Packers in time.
Hawk, in particular, recovered from a sluggish start and is getting better right before our eyes.
"I'm not really concerned about him," coach Mike McCarthy said. "I think he's one of those guys that just needs to keep playing. I compare him to Aaron Rodgers. When he hits his comfort level, you're going to see what it's all about."
Comfort level is what's important here. Going from college football to the NFL is like a weekend dirt-track driver entering the Daytona 500. The speed of the game goes up exponentially and it takes time for a player to adjust. He's also learning a new, more complex scheme, which creates indecision and slows him down further.
There are no guarantees - even first-round picks fail in the NFL. However, no player should be judged before he's had sufficient time to reach a comfort level. Only then will he be able to show the talent that got him drafted in the first place.
Rodgers and Hawk, both of whom have felt the sting of criticism, are reaching that point.
"I'm a lot more comfortable," Rodgers said. "I spent a lot of time this offseason really working on this offense, trying to understand it inside and out, and also (doing) the weight-room stuff, the fundamental stuff with coach McCarthy. I'm just a different player. I'm a more mature player. The game has slowed down for me. I understand defenses a lot better. I've got a long way to go, but when you look back at a year ago, I'm just really excited about where I'm at right now."
Hawk, all but invisible during the Family Night scrimmage, delivered bone-jarring hits in both games. And after getting burned badly on a pass against San Diego, he knocked down two passes against Atlanta, one a difficult deep ball to the tight end down the middle.
"The more reps I get, the better I feel and the more comfortable I get," Hawk said. "Being a young guy in a system like this, you need as many reps as you can. I just feel a little bit more comfortable every day."
As he does, Hawk, like Rodgers, is showing how wrong first impressions can be.
GO PACKERS ! FAN FAITH !!
Oates: Rodgers, Hawk far from busts
TOM OATES
608-252-6172
toates@madison.com
Sometimes you can tell right from the start.
Take B.J. Sander, for instance.
All you had to do was watch Sander punt once and you could tell that former Green Bay Packers general manager Mike Sherman had wasted a third-round draft pick (plus a fifth) on him in 2004.
With most NFL rookies, however, it's better to refrain from declaring them a bust too soon.
Take Aaron Rodgers and A.J. Hawk, for instance.
When Rodgers, Green Bay's first-round pick in 2005, looked mentally and physically overmatched in exhibition games last year, many dismissed him as Brett Favre's potential successor at quarterback. And when Hawk, this year's first-round pick, didn't start making big plays the day he arrived, the grumbling began that he was just another great college linebacker who didn't have the size or speed to make an impact in the NFL.
After only two exhibition games, however, Rodgers and Hawk have made those conclusions look way premature. Neither one has been mistake-free, but both have played well enough to silence the rush-to-judgment faction and show they have a chance to be key players for the Packers in time.
Hawk, in particular, recovered from a sluggish start and is getting better right before our eyes.
"I'm not really concerned about him," coach Mike McCarthy said. "I think he's one of those guys that just needs to keep playing. I compare him to Aaron Rodgers. When he hits his comfort level, you're going to see what it's all about."
Comfort level is what's important here. Going from college football to the NFL is like a weekend dirt-track driver entering the Daytona 500. The speed of the game goes up exponentially and it takes time for a player to adjust. He's also learning a new, more complex scheme, which creates indecision and slows him down further.
There are no guarantees - even first-round picks fail in the NFL. However, no player should be judged before he's had sufficient time to reach a comfort level. Only then will he be able to show the talent that got him drafted in the first place.
Rodgers and Hawk, both of whom have felt the sting of criticism, are reaching that point.
"I'm a lot more comfortable," Rodgers said. "I spent a lot of time this offseason really working on this offense, trying to understand it inside and out, and also (doing) the weight-room stuff, the fundamental stuff with coach McCarthy. I'm just a different player. I'm a more mature player. The game has slowed down for me. I understand defenses a lot better. I've got a long way to go, but when you look back at a year ago, I'm just really excited about where I'm at right now."
Hawk, all but invisible during the Family Night scrimmage, delivered bone-jarring hits in both games. And after getting burned badly on a pass against San Diego, he knocked down two passes against Atlanta, one a difficult deep ball to the tight end down the middle.
"The more reps I get, the better I feel and the more comfortable I get," Hawk said. "Being a young guy in a system like this, you need as many reps as you can. I just feel a little bit more comfortable every day."
As he does, Hawk, like Rodgers, is showing how wrong first impressions can be.
GO PACKERS ! FAN FAITH !!
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