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Bigby on Manuel's starting heels
By Tom Pelissero
tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
It was only three plays in a training camp practice, but the implication was undeniable:
Strong safety Marquand Manuel's starting job is in peril, and second-year pro Atari Bigby poses the most imminent threat.
Coaches rotated several safety pairings with members of the starting defense the first 16 days of camp. But no one except Manuel lined up opposite Nick Collins until Monday afternoon, when Bigby made a surprise appearance during a team period.
Though Manuel replaced Bigby for the starters' last snap, coach Mike McCarthy said nothing after practice to dispel the notion it's an open competition.
"We're trying to give Atari an opportunity to step up, and it's something we'll continue to do as we move forward," McCarthy said.
No player's potential demotion has been more widely speculated than Manuel's, especially after the Packers used a third-round draft pick on safety Aaron Rouse in April. Signed to a five-year, $10 million contract before last season, Manuel was undependable and played a significant part in the Packers' defensive struggles the season's first three months.
Still, the timing of Bigby's opportunity is curious, considering his proximity to the Pittsburgh Steelers' two longest offensive plays in the Packers' 13-9 exhibition win Saturday.
Late in the first quarter, miscommunication between linebackers and the secondary after an overridden blitz call freed up unheralded receiver Walter Young, who bounced off Bigby on his way to a 41-yard touchdown.
On the Steelers' next offensive play, Santonio Holmes caught a 49-yard pass as Bigby and safety partner Marviel Underwood gave chase.
In the locker room Monday, Bigby was asked so many questions about those plays, two cornerbacks, Will Blackmon and Al Harris, interrupted reporters to support their teammate. Blackmon was supposed to cover Holmes on the latter play.
"I think the secondary played good overall (Saturday)," Bigby said, declining to provide specifics about the big plays. "You can assess it … how you want to assess it. It depends on how you look at it."
Bigby also let Kevan Barlow get past him on a 17-yard run Saturday.
How Bigby fares if and when he takes the field with Collins in a game, though, should have far more profound effect on his chances to unseat Manuel.
"He's very athletic," cornerback Jarrett Bush said of Bigby, who played in six games for the Packers over the past two seasons. "Look at him — you see how big he is. He's (211 pounds), he hits like a beast, and he can run like the wind. He's just got to keep learning the defense and keep showing his abilities to the coaches and try to keep improving himself every day."
Bigby also must show he can complement Collins, a second-round draft pick in 2005 who McCarthy on Monday called "an up-and-coming, Pro Bowl-caliber player." Collins improved his tackles (96 to 102) and interceptions (one to three) in his second season, but he struggled somewhat working in tandem with Manuel, who took over the strong safety spot held the previous two years by Mark Roman.
Manuel, 28, wasn't in the locker room when it was open to reporters Monday.
Bigby, who turns 26 next month, said he likes the Packers' defensive system, because it allows him to play in space more often than he did during his standout career at Central Florida. He's been a valuable special-teams contributor when healthy — he broke a hand in the Family Night scrimmage last year, spent much of the season on the practice squad and then missed two December games with a hamstring injury — but he's played only six defensive snaps in the NFL.
That inexperience may be at least partly to blame for Bigby's failure to stop those big plays Saturday night.
"I think Atari Bigby is a very talented safety," McCarthy said. "I think his range is as good as anyone we have in that younger group. He needs to clean up some things. He's young. He needs to play and needs opportunities. He's a very talented young man."
Playing with Manuel and Collins in a three-safety set during a 2-minute drill Monday — shortly after he replaced Manuel, who spent the period with fourth-stringer Alvin Nnabuife — Bigby flashed his athleticism with a leaping interception of a Favre throw to Greg Jennings. Bigby also was in the huddle before the starters' last play, but secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer called him off at the last second and Manuel jogged on.
That's how it may go in the coming days as Manuel and Bigby split time. McCarthy said the depth chart and practice time will be addressed on a daily basis, noting he wants to "need to keep creating competitive situations for them to take advantage of." There is a chance Underwood or Rouse could push for an expanded role as well.
"We missed a couple tackles (Saturday), and I'm sure there's a few plays there that some of those fellas would like to have back," General Manager Ted Thompson said, speaking generally about the Packers safeties. "But again, it's a position where we have a lot of competition, and people are going at it pretty good."
Known among teammates as an outspoken player, Bigby also is going at it quietly — at least until he's more than three snaps into his spell as a prospective starter.
"I'm just trying to play football the way it was meant to be played and be consistent at that," Bigby said.
Obviously, the coaches haven't given up on him despite Saturday Night. But he'll really have to show something in the next 2 pre-season games to get the starting job.
By Tom Pelissero
tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
It was only three plays in a training camp practice, but the implication was undeniable:
Strong safety Marquand Manuel's starting job is in peril, and second-year pro Atari Bigby poses the most imminent threat.
Coaches rotated several safety pairings with members of the starting defense the first 16 days of camp. But no one except Manuel lined up opposite Nick Collins until Monday afternoon, when Bigby made a surprise appearance during a team period.
Though Manuel replaced Bigby for the starters' last snap, coach Mike McCarthy said nothing after practice to dispel the notion it's an open competition.
"We're trying to give Atari an opportunity to step up, and it's something we'll continue to do as we move forward," McCarthy said.
No player's potential demotion has been more widely speculated than Manuel's, especially after the Packers used a third-round draft pick on safety Aaron Rouse in April. Signed to a five-year, $10 million contract before last season, Manuel was undependable and played a significant part in the Packers' defensive struggles the season's first three months.
Still, the timing of Bigby's opportunity is curious, considering his proximity to the Pittsburgh Steelers' two longest offensive plays in the Packers' 13-9 exhibition win Saturday.
Late in the first quarter, miscommunication between linebackers and the secondary after an overridden blitz call freed up unheralded receiver Walter Young, who bounced off Bigby on his way to a 41-yard touchdown.
On the Steelers' next offensive play, Santonio Holmes caught a 49-yard pass as Bigby and safety partner Marviel Underwood gave chase.
In the locker room Monday, Bigby was asked so many questions about those plays, two cornerbacks, Will Blackmon and Al Harris, interrupted reporters to support their teammate. Blackmon was supposed to cover Holmes on the latter play.
"I think the secondary played good overall (Saturday)," Bigby said, declining to provide specifics about the big plays. "You can assess it … how you want to assess it. It depends on how you look at it."
Bigby also let Kevan Barlow get past him on a 17-yard run Saturday.
How Bigby fares if and when he takes the field with Collins in a game, though, should have far more profound effect on his chances to unseat Manuel.
"He's very athletic," cornerback Jarrett Bush said of Bigby, who played in six games for the Packers over the past two seasons. "Look at him — you see how big he is. He's (211 pounds), he hits like a beast, and he can run like the wind. He's just got to keep learning the defense and keep showing his abilities to the coaches and try to keep improving himself every day."
Bigby also must show he can complement Collins, a second-round draft pick in 2005 who McCarthy on Monday called "an up-and-coming, Pro Bowl-caliber player." Collins improved his tackles (96 to 102) and interceptions (one to three) in his second season, but he struggled somewhat working in tandem with Manuel, who took over the strong safety spot held the previous two years by Mark Roman.
Manuel, 28, wasn't in the locker room when it was open to reporters Monday.
Bigby, who turns 26 next month, said he likes the Packers' defensive system, because it allows him to play in space more often than he did during his standout career at Central Florida. He's been a valuable special-teams contributor when healthy — he broke a hand in the Family Night scrimmage last year, spent much of the season on the practice squad and then missed two December games with a hamstring injury — but he's played only six defensive snaps in the NFL.
That inexperience may be at least partly to blame for Bigby's failure to stop those big plays Saturday night.
"I think Atari Bigby is a very talented safety," McCarthy said. "I think his range is as good as anyone we have in that younger group. He needs to clean up some things. He's young. He needs to play and needs opportunities. He's a very talented young man."
Playing with Manuel and Collins in a three-safety set during a 2-minute drill Monday — shortly after he replaced Manuel, who spent the period with fourth-stringer Alvin Nnabuife — Bigby flashed his athleticism with a leaping interception of a Favre throw to Greg Jennings. Bigby also was in the huddle before the starters' last play, but secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer called him off at the last second and Manuel jogged on.
That's how it may go in the coming days as Manuel and Bigby split time. McCarthy said the depth chart and practice time will be addressed on a daily basis, noting he wants to "need to keep creating competitive situations for them to take advantage of." There is a chance Underwood or Rouse could push for an expanded role as well.
"We missed a couple tackles (Saturday), and I'm sure there's a few plays there that some of those fellas would like to have back," General Manager Ted Thompson said, speaking generally about the Packers safeties. "But again, it's a position where we have a lot of competition, and people are going at it pretty good."
Known among teammates as an outspoken player, Bigby also is going at it quietly — at least until he's more than three snaps into his spell as a prospective starter.
"I'm just trying to play football the way it was meant to be played and be consistent at that," Bigby said.
Obviously, the coaches haven't given up on him despite Saturday Night. But he'll really have to show something in the next 2 pre-season games to get the starting job.
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