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Is Ferguson on the outside looking in?
Receiver getting reps with starting special teams, but his future is tough to gauge
By Tom Pelissero
tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
There are signs veteran receiver Robert Ferguson remains a vital part of the Green Bay Packers' roster.
Always a core special-teams performer when healthy, Ferguson was on the first-unit kick coverage, kick return and punt return teams in Saturday night's scrimmage.
Coaches are praising his attitude and work ethic, too.
But there is compelling evidence Ferguson's stint in Green Bay is coming to an end: most notable, decreased repetitions with the starting offense and a demotion to third string on the most recent depth chart.
The reality is $1.8 million is a lot to pay an injury-prone No. 4 or 5 receiver, and that's the best standing Ferguson can claim with the preseason opener three days away.
"I certainly think he has a lot of skills and he's produced in the past when he's been healthy," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said Tuesday morning. "We're going to let this thing play out, see how the competition works itself out the next two, three weeks."
Donald Driver and Greg Jennings are locked into the top two spots. Third-round draft pick James Jones has usurped many of the No. 3 repetitions Ferguson received the first week of camp. Ruvell Martin and perhaps Carlyle Holiday — two players who filled important holes last season, when Ferguson played only four games because of a mid-foot sprain — also seem to have the more long-term upside. Two return men, Shaun Bodiford and fifth-round pick David Clowney, likely are competing for one of five or six roster spots allotted for receivers.
Ferguson's most important asset may be experience, which the Packers receiving corps lacks. He has played in 60 NFL games — 12 more than all other Packers receivers except Driver combined.
"Any time you've got an experienced guy over a guy that hasn't been there, it's got to help him," receivers coach Jimmy Robinson said. "It's got to give him an advantage to a degree."
Then again, a more telling number may be 20 — the games Ferguson has missed because of injuries since he signed a five-year extension worth more than $13 million in 2004. He sat out minicamp and organized team activities this spring because of the foot injury and is on a one-a-day practice schedule in training camp.
To keep him on the roster, coaches would have to gamble on Ferguson's health, potentially letting go a future contributor in the process. Evaluation of those young players accelerates beginning Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
"In the end, you're looking for the most complete receiver that you can possibly get," Philbin said. "These young guys, they need to get out there, away from us, and really see what they're capable of doing when somebody's not in their ear telling them, 'Watch for this.'"
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