Packers Free Agency: The Release of Sam Shields

My previous post was about how I considered whether the Green Bay Packers might change their typically cautious free agent ways if they decide to release CB Sam Shields and then go after one of the top corners in a strong free agent class. Step one happened on Wednesday, they released CB Sam Shields. Step two, an aggressive move in free agency, remains an option. How big a blow was his absence last season while the secondary was shredded on a weekly basis?

Packers released CB Sam Shields today. He has been one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL since joining the league. pic.twitter.com/KufNqrOUDE

— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) February 8, 2017

Huge. And his absence next season will be huge. From the stand point of on-the-field performance, this is a disastrous move. They can't sign Richard Sherman to replace him (and Revis isn't that player anymore) and basically anyone else is a step down.

But this roster move isn't about his football play, it's about the five documented concussions he's had during his career (along with who knows how many undocumented ones). This is like past ones with TE Jermichael Finley (never re-signed after a spinal injury) and FS Nick Collins (released after a spinal injury) and it hurts just as much as those roster moves. All three of them are great players, in the primes of their careers, and they were cut short due to serious injuries.

The defense has to sort out it's situation at outside LB with three players (Peppers, Perry, Jones) headed to free injury, but having an upgrade at cornerback (not from Shields, but from his replacements last season) is the more important task. There's always the draft but they tried that in 2015 and ended up with Randall and Rollins. Just like with Shields back in 2010, they did better job that year finding an undrafted corner (Gunter). With the salary cap room saved by releasing Shields, it would be best spent targeting a free agent corner who would fit in Capers's system.

Could The Packers Change Their Free Agency Ways For A Cornerback?

The Green Bay Packers don't avoid free agency, they talk to a lot of free agents during the offseason, but they never overpay. If a free agent is available at the right price (like LB Julius Peppers and TE Jared Cook) then it happens once ever other year or two. But they aren't going on a NY Giants-like spending spree no matter what's been reported.

Packers expected to be more aggressive in free agencyhttps://t.co/TwNmssXrxd pic.twitter.com/QGv0LsUjQB

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) January 27, 2017

Maybe they'll be more active but not more aggressive. The only player they really need to keep happy is QB Aaron Rodgers. But he's under contract for three more years (and he'll probably keep playing beyond 2019) and he hasn't seemed to be demanding a free agency spending spree. The Packers are usually focused primarily on keeping their own free agents.

If the Packers do change their free agent ways this year, the one position that stands out is cornerback. Obviously it's a need (based on last season) but the Packers had a plan with CB Sam Shields as their No. 1 guy and now his career is in doubt because of repeated concussions. The Packers would have a $3,125,000 cap hit if they released him but they might not have any choice and they save $9,000,000 that they could use on a free agent cornerback, in what is a pretty good group of free agent corners.

Over The Cap lists seven unrestricted free agents who could be available. Rams' CB Trumaine Johnson reminds me of Shields as an all-cover, no-tackling type. Texans' CB A.J. Bouye, Johnson, and Bills' CB Stephon Gilmore should all cost more on an annual basis than Shields but prices have gone up since Shields signed his four-year extension. Even players like Jaguars CB Prince Amukamara and Patriots' CB Logan Ryan, who should cost less and aren't as good as Shields, could at least plug the dike and allow the other cornerbacks to move down the depth chart.

If anything, the Packers will probably address this position in the draft with someone like Washington's CB Sidney Jones or Iowa's CB Desmond King. But this is an unusual situation at cornerback with Shields so maybe his injury forces the Packers to do something they don't normally do.

Packers Surprisingly Make A Trade For Chiefs RB Knile Davis

The depth behind RB Eddie Lacy was already non-existent after RB James Starks had surgery, and something needed to be done at running back. But I thought GM Ted Thompson would be wait until next offseason and the Green Bay Packers would make due with Lacy and WR Ty Montgomery, until Starks returns in a few weeks. Then it was announced that Lacy's ankle sprain is actually something more and he's seeking a second opinion. So the timeline to add depth was moved up to NOW and something had to be done and it was.

That new @packers RB?
His name is Knile Davis.

And he can do THIS. 😱 https://t.co/SoD51jjCNM

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2016

The good news is that burst of speed he showed after he got a wide open running lane. He's not a small back (5-10, 227 lbs.) but he has the speed to run away from guys. That extra gear is something the Packers haven't had from a running back in a while. The Chiefs aren't dealing away a problem either, they just have an embarrassment of riches at running back. They already had two quality backs ahead of Davis (Ware and West) and RB Jamaal Charles returned from injury last week. Davis made the roster this year because he's a special teams player (see above) but he was the 4th or 5th running back on the depth chart, which is too many backs for any NFL roster.

Dorsey: "Give me something for Knile Davis, you need a runner."
Thompson: "We can just wait until you cut him."
Dorsey: "Work with me here."

— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) October 18, 2016

While the above aren't actual quotes, it looks true. The Chiefs were probably going to have to release Davis (5 RBs on a 53-man roster isn't workable) as soon as they needed a roster spot. But the Packers aren't the highest team on the waiver wire so they had to give up something to make sure they could get him. A conditional 7th round pick in 2018 is about the smallest draft pick an NFL team can surrender.

The Packers need a running back right NOW, and Davis has legitimate NFL skills. Unfortunately he's still not a very good player. His only significant playing last came in 2013 as a rookie, and according to Football Outsiders, while his teammate Jamaal Charles was the 3rd best RB in the NFL that season, in the same offense, Davis was one of the ten worst backs in the league. And the fumbles, oh the fumbles. He isn't a long-term solution but he's the best player they'll find right now.

The other bad news related to Davis's addition is that they moved CB Sam Shields to I.R. Shields is getting better and expects to play in a few weeks, but the move to I.R. confirmed it's going to still be a few more weeks. The cornerback position has been a dumpster fire this season and the only player who can really turn it around is Shields, but we'll have to wait longer to see him. Rob Demovsky might be correct and it's possible we'll never see Shields in a Packer uniform again. I'd be surprised if the Packers brought him back next season.

So Lacy and Shields are out, and the Packers traded for the best running back who was actually available at the moment. It's a desperation move, but at those two positions, that's the spot they're in. The good news is that Davis can help, especially if he can avoid fumbling the ball.

Did The Packers Do Enough This Offseason: Defensive Backfield

In a vacuum, the 2016 offseason looks like a step back for the Green Bay Packers' defensive backfield. They lost a cornerback in free agency who played on the 2nd most snaps among all of their defensive backs, and they added no one in the 2016 draft. However, this was all part of the plan.

Happy 24th birthday to the bro @QRollins2 enjoy it bro .... pic.twitter.com/qj1Ia454I6

— Damarious Randall (@RandallTime) July 15, 2016

While the 2015 draft isn't going to remembered as one of the all-time greats, it's was a very strong one that added two (probable) starters with their top two picks (CB Damarious Randall and CB Quinten Rollins) plus a very promising undrafted free agent (CB LaDarius Gunter). Despite the free agent loss of CB Casey Hayward (who was 2nd among defensive backs with 914 snaps in 2015), the Packers can't afford to keep all of their players and took a chance that they could afford to lose a slot corner with a history of injuries when they had a 2nd year player (Rollins) ready to step into that role. Plus they'll gain a draft pick for Hayward in 2017 when the compensatory draft picks are awarded by the league.

Here are the snaps among the returning defensive backs in 2015 and I can't recall a deeper group. This list doesn't even include Gunter, who should play more in 2016.

Player	Pos.	Def. Snap	Def. %
Clinton-Dix	S	1048	99.7%
Randall	CB	755	71.8%
Shields	CB	697	66.3%
Burnett	S	683	65.0%
Hyde	CB/S	652	62.0%
Rollins	CB	323	30.7%
Banjo	S	102	9.7%
Goodson	CB	72	6.9%

The safety position is pretty much set with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Morgan Burnett. Usually Burnett leads this group in snaps but he missed several games early last season with a calf injury. While Burnett's probably never going to be anything more than a reliable veteran, not that there's anything wrong with that, Clinton-Dix still has time to improve as he enters his 3rd season. To back them both up is jack of all trades Micah Hyde, who should see the field in a variety of sub-packages.

It was an up-and-down season for Randall, who started out very strong, struggled as the season went on, and made the biggest mistake of his NFL career against the Cardinals in the playoffs. The Packers threw him to the wolves as a rookie, they switched him from college safety to NFL cornerback and they kept on the field almost all the time (his 755 snaps was 3rd among their defensive backs). It sucks that he blows it against the Cardinals and then has to wait several months to prove that he'll bounce back. Assuming he does bounce back, overall it was a strong rookie season for him, he'll become an excellent sideline corner across from CB Sam Shields (who's spent the last two seasons proving he was worth his big four-year contract).

So the Packers have to find a new nickel corner and they have a bunch of options. Rollins was getting playing time in the slot as soon as he stepped onto the practice field last year, so the job should be his. If not, Gunter, Hyde, and Demetri Goodson (who the Packers seem to like and they've given him the last two years to adjust from playing point guard to cornerback) are right behind him. So far Goodson's shown great athleticism and poor instincts and maybe their patience in him will never pay off.

Their pass defense was the strength of the defense last season, ranked No. 6 overall by Football Outsiders, and this could be a great unit with good health (both Shields and Burnett missed several games last season) and a year of experience for Randall and Rollins. It's not a top heavy group, it's lacking one of the super star DBs like Josh Norman or Richard Sherman, but their overall talent can match up with any team entering the 2016 season.

Shields convinced Bryant made controversial catch

Packers CB Sam Shields isn't exactly taking the side he probably should on Dez Bryant's NFC Divisional incompletion. 

Shields believes Bryant caught the ball, according to a recent ESPN.com article.

Shields called the controversial play a catch in the article, adding it was a "helluva" one at that. The overturned catch, coming on a late 4th-and-2, essentially doomed the Cowboys in the contest, one which they would eventually lose 26-21.

Bottom line: it appears common sense is continuing to trump technicalities when it comes to the play, though said technicalities are in fact part of the league's rule book. 

Packers Injury Updates: Shields Questionable, Perry Probable For Monday

Injuries probably won't affect how the Packers play that much Monday, but nonetheless, there's a few of them. Here they are, courtesy of ESPN Wisconsin's Jason Wilde.

Out – LB Jamari Lattimore (ankle), DE Luther Robinson (calf).

Questionable – CB Sam Shields (concussion),

Probable – DT Josh Boyd (knee), G T.J. Lang (ankle), LB Nick Perry (shoulder), G Josh Sitton (toe), DT Mike Daniels (back), G Lane Taylor (illness).

According to Wilde, Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy thinks Shields "still has a chance to play," and will if everything goes right.

If he can't, though, Davon House will be the one who takes his place, Wilde writes.

Packers Injury Updates: Shields Out, Williams Questionable For Tomorrow

Some Packers injury updates for tomorrow's meeting with the Panthers, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tyler Dunne. There's kind of a lot of them:

• CB Tramon Williams (ankle) questionable
• CB Sam Shields (knee) out
• DE Datone Jones (ankle) out
• WR Jarrett Boykin (groin) questionable
• LB Sam Barrington (hamstring) probable
• DT Josh Boyd (knee) probable
• LB Jamari Lattimore (neck) questionable

Williams and Shields, probably the two most notable names on that list, both went down in the second half of Sunday's Dolphins game. Boykin, meanwhile, hasn't played since Week 2's loss to the Lions, solidly being replaced by Davante Adams since. 

The New Look 2014 Packers Secondary

It's hard to be bullish on the Packers' secondary after a poor 2013 season, but they could be the best group on defense in 2014.

Which position on the #Packers defense will be the strongest in 2014? Read more: http://t.co/rsSiKgJKAc pic.twitter.com/vaEr2ouWc5
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) July 8, 2014

Mike Spofford is expecting that when the Packers go with six defensive backs (which happens quite often) it will be CBs Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Casey Hayward, with Safeties Morgan Burnett, Micah Hyde, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. It would be a surprise to see anything else. It's a new look because while five of the six are returning players, Hayward barely played at all in 2013 while Hyde is expected to take on a different role at safety. Even Burnett might have some different responsibilities depending on how they utilize Hyde.

By itself, the addition of Clinton-Dix is a big improvement, but the addition by subtraction of the two worst offenders last season in pass coverage according to Pro Football Focus (M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian) is just as important. The only two players returning who had a negative pass coverage grade in 2013 were Burnett, who's now healthy and should improve playing alongside someone other than Jennings, and Davon House, who's got to prove he belongs after a bad finish in 2013. Even if it doesn't work out with House, finding a better fourth CB during the preseason shouldn't be a tall order.

Coming into the 2013 season, Williams was still struggling with a 2011 shoulder injury, but his old aggressive self re-emerged last November and he ended the season with four INTs over his final eight games. Except for a disappointing 2011 season, Shields has been one of their best in coverage over his first four seasons, and his big contract extension looks reasonable now after a crazy year in free agency. Hayward's absence last season (he only played parts of three games) was a big loss and he appears to be completely healthy again. Those three should be the best group of corners since 2010 when Williams, Shields and Charles Woodson were playing together.

I can see the silver lining on this unit, but they're going to have to prove it on the field.

Shields: New Contract "Just the Beginning"

Following the signing of his new 4-year, $39 million contract this offseason, it has been speculated by some that Packers CB Sam Shields will change.

He apparently doesn't think so.

"Like I tell everybody, it's just the beginning," Shields recently told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Lori Nickel. "I'm going to continue to work my butt off and make plays. Hopefully down the line, get another one, you know? This is just the beginning."

On the final play of last year's Week 17 win in Chicago, Shields picked off a Jay Cutler Hail Mary, officially clinching the Packers a playoff spot. It wasn't necessarily a difficult play to make, although it definitely illustrated the veteran's ability to perform in the clutch, something needed on a contending team.

Packers Depth Chart: Defensive Backfield

As much as the Packers knew they needed to upgrade their pass rush (enter Julius Peppers) they've also aggressively targeted players for their defensive backfield, while keeping pretty much the status quo at linebacker (though I do hope they found someone in 4th round LB Carl Bradford).

They did draft two more players who should figure into the defensive back rotation next season, and they have also signed a couple of undrafted free agents who may earn a spot. They'll probably keep eight defensive backs (plus one or two on the practice squad) and here's how it breaks down.

Locks: Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde, Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. That's six guys right off the bat, and though Williams could be a salary cap casualty some day, it's probably not going to happen in 2014. There's not a lot of room left on the roster after those locks.

Davon House. He played 472 snaps on defense in 2013 but didn't impress (-4.9 grade in coverage according to Pro Football Focus). He'll miss the cut if he has another poor preseason like he did in 2013.

Jarrett Bush. He's still their special teams' ace and he didn't play much in 2013 until late in the season (plus a game ending INT against the Falcons). I don't know if he'll ever lose his roster spot.

Demetri Goodson. It'll be surprising if their 6th round pick will have a long NFL career, but he's probably going to be a favorite for the practice squad. Without a lot of experience in college, he's probably going to need a longer learning curve in the NFL and they'll probably be patient with him for at least one season.

Chris Banjo and Sean Richardson. So far, they've survived the safety purge of 2013 that's led to the departures of M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian, but the Packers have recently signed two more players to compete against them.

Iowa's Tanner Miller. His measurables are just as strong as Clinton-Dix's but the difference between them shows up on game film. Miller played 46 games in college and recorded 7 career INTs, but he also took the blame for allowing some long plays at Iowa. His instincts in the open field might be lacking.

Hawaii's Charles Clay. He's got some speed (4.42 40 time at his Pro Day) but he was a part-time starter (6 in 2013) on a lousy college football team.

They also have three other CBs (Antonio Dennard, Jumal Rolle and Ryan White) who could find themselves on the practice squad after a strong camp, but they probably won't make it past the final cuts. They should get a chance to play this preseason and they'll have to make the most of it.

I'm glad that the Packers have added quantity and quality (Clinton-Dix) to address a major weakness last season. Hopefully the new players will make everyone better and improve this group as a whole in 2014.

Packers Gone Wild: Shields For Four Years and $39 Million

What do CB Darrelle Revis and CB Sam Shields have in common? They're soon to be the two highest paid cornerbacks in the NFL. That doesn't make any sense.

If the Packers hadn't re-signed Shields, then they would have had a big roster spot to fill. They could have replaced him with CB Davon House, or maybe CB Casey Hayward could have take over for Shields and CB Micah Hyde could have played in the slot. But Hyde might be needed at safety, Hayward still has to prove he's healthy, and House was inconsistent last season. Re-signing Shields, or replacing him with a similar player, was a priority. Having said that...

For the first time that I can remember, GM Ted Thompson overpaid for his man. Thompson is usually good at re-signing guys at market value with less guaranteed money than similar players, but not this time. Comparable cornerbacks like Tim Jennings and Sean Smith were signed for four-years and $22 million. Brent Grimes, who's a better player though a few years older, recently re-signed for four-years and $32 million. The salary cap is going way up in 2014. Maybe it's going to be a crazy free agent market. Maybe the Packers are getting ahead of the curve and the numbers that are going to be offered to cornerbacks like Vontae Davis, DRC, and Alterraun Verner are going to be even higher. But that's a lot of maybes, and maybe prices will skyrocket only because the Packers overpaid for Shields in the first place.

This contract looks bad. It's like something Jerry Jones would do; overpay to re-sign his own player because he's gotten too attached and he believes that his player is only going to get better. I'd be really surprised if Shields lives up to this contract.

Packers sign Shields to 4-year, $39 million deal http://t.co/xfJnkTIEed pic.twitter.com/CiK5tpnWpS
— Packers News (@PGPackersNews) March 9, 2014

The Packers Did Not Use The Franchise Tag on Any Free Agent

This isn't a surprise to me, the Packers don't have a free agent worthy of it, but GM Ted Thompson didn't use either the franchise or transition tag on any of his players.

Shields, Raji closer to free agency after #Packers decline to use tags. http://t.co/NtfXDORd2e
— Packers News (@PGPackersNews) March 3, 2014

The reason only four teams used the franchise tag is that the 2014 numbers are crazy. In Shields case, he'd be in line for almost $12 million in 2014, when the reality is that he's worth about $6 million per season. CB Brent Grimes was a lot better than Shields last season, he was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the league's 2nd best CB last season while Shields was ranked 52nd, and Grimes received $8 million per season. Even he wasn't getting the franchise tag.

I don't think any team is going to go crazy for a cornerback because there are a lot of good free agents to choose from (Vontae Davis, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Alterraun Verner, to name a few). Shields was ranked much higher by Pro Football Focus in 2012, but that season he also played on fewer snaps (606 in 2012, 900 in 2013) . He might be a player who does better in a rotation, which means he's not a shutdown corner, and he might not even be an every down player. These aren't reasons not to re-sign him, but there reasons why he's not going to get a huge free agent contract.

Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel has NFL sources while I have none, but if Silverstein's hearing that B.J. Raji might be offered a free agent contract worth $9 million a year, then those sources are nuts. Did they watch him last season? He was almost the last rated 3-4 DE according to Pro Football Focus in 2013, and while he was much better in 2012, they rated him as the worst defensive tackle in 2011. There's simply no way he should be taking up 15% of their cap space with a $9 million annual contract. I'm not sure I want him back at any price.

So deciding not to use the franchise tag on either player was a good business decision, and GM Ted Thompson is known for making good business decisions. Declining the franchise tag was just part of the process before they hopefully re-sign Shields.

Thompson "would like" to have Sam Shields back

For the second time in a week, a major man in the Packers Organization has come out saying that he wants a soon-to-be free agent back. 

“Sam (Shields) is one of the fellas we’d like to have back,” Packers GM Ted Thompson recently said in an article on Packers.com.

You may remember Head Coach Mike McCarthy saying something similar to that about B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett last week, so yea, I'm not sure I can trust what Thompson's saying here. I mean, he might actually wanna keep Shields, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't just say this kinda stuff about everybody.

Shields wants to test the FA market

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Packers CB Sam Shields wants to test the free agent market this offseason. In 2013, Shields was solid for the Pack, intercepting 4 passes while collecting a career high 61 tackles in just 14 games. 

Recently, it has been reported by multiple sources that Shields and Green Bay were negotiating a new deal, although I think it's obvious now that those talks didn't go too well. I mean, Shields leaving the team obviously isn't guaranteed, but you'd think that he'd be saying something else here had he actually been given an offer that he liked. 

2014 Packer Free Agents: Sam Shields Wants A Reasonable Contract

I've been going through the list of key free agents for the Green Bay Packers in reverse order, starting with the 19 players who aren't really free agents and/or aren't going to command a multiple year contract, and moving onto the 5 guys who aren't really important to re-sign. I had a few more players to write about before I wrote about CB Sam Shields, who I viewed as their most important player to re-sign, but some recent news made me decide to write about him now.

According to reports, #Packers CB Sam Shields looks to land a four-year, $22.4 million contract this offseason http://t.co/oANRexsiBI
— Acme Packing Company (@acmepackingco) February 23, 2014

Those numbers rang a bell. Four-years, $22.4 million are exactly the same contract terms that CB Tim Jennings agreed to with the Bears back in January. Those two aren't exactly the same type of player (Jennings has played a lot of cover-2 and Shields is younger) but they're comparable players; starting caliber cornerbacks who aren't shutdown corners. They were within 0.1 of having the same overall 2013 grade according to Pro Football Focus. Maybe it's too much of a coincidence; someone is just assuming Shields should receive the same contract as Jennings. On the other hand, his agent (Drew Rosenhaus) isn't a dummy and probably knows his client's market value.

As a brief aside, there is a good argument to be made that their most important free agent this offseason is C Evan Dietrich-Smith. He had a very good 2013 season, better than I expected, and he played more snaps last season than any other free agent. He was very important to their team. However, he's a center, and he's playing alongside two veteran guards (who were both great in 2013 too). They might not want to re-sign another interior lineman to a big multi-year contract, and I think that if the Packers plugged someone like J.C. Tretter in at center alongside Lang and Sitton, we wouldn't notice the difference.

I really wanted them to re-sign Shields, but it would be an overpay to use the franchise tag on him, so I was concerned that they wouldn't be able to keep him from testing the market. Hopefully they can sign him to a new contract based on the terms that were reported yesterday.

2014 NFL Franchise Tag: Might The Packers Use It?

The franchise tag period is getting a little overrated these days. The big problem is that there hasn't been much of an increase in the salary cap over the past couple years. It might be between $126 to $128 million in 2014, up from $123 million in 2013, but the franchise tag is such a big number (often over $10 million) that a lot of teams just aren't able to make it work. Plus, the players hate it because it's less likely they'll receive a long-term deal (and giant signing bonus) after they've been tagged. Only eight players received the franchise tag in 2013.

A former agent writing at CBSSports.com noted that GM Ted Thompson has only used the franchise tag on two occasions (Ryan Pickett and Corey Williams) while mentioning only two possible candidates in 2014: CB Sam Shields and B.J. Raji.

Tom Silverstein thinks the franchise tag amount of $11+ million might be too rich for Shields, and I'd agree with him. Shields' cumulative cornerback grade at Pro Football Focus is just below (and similar) to CB Sean Smith, who signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract with the Chiefs last March. The Bears recently re-signed CB Tim Jennings for four-years and $22.4 million, another player similar to Shields. The franchise tag of $11+ million would be a substantial overpay, though Shields could end up receiving more than either Smith or Jennings because he's younger and has more speed.

I have no idea why Raji's mentioned as a franchise tag candidate, he's listed as one of the top candidates according to NFL.com, but he hasn't recorded a sack in forever and his run defense went into the tank late last season. Why would they pay him $9.2 million in 2014? It would be stupid to tag Raji, and Ted Thompson doesn't do stupid.

So it doesn't look like the Packers will be using the franchise tag in 2014. I still want the Packers to re-sign Shields, but I don't want them to use the franchise tag on him. No other free agent looks like a viable candidate.

Shields questionable for tomorrow's game

Yesterday, the Green Bay Packers Official Blog reported that Packers CB Sam Shields, who did not play last week, is listed as questionable to play in the team's home game tomorrow against the Vikings. Shields has just 40 tackles and 1 interception so far this season. 

While I like Shields, him playing in this one won't matter. This year, he hasn't been that productive, so the Pack can definitely win without him. Really, he might as well take the game off. They're playing the Vikings, not an actual opponent. Now I don't mean to put down Minnesota when I say that, but you get it. They're not that good. 

The Cornerbacks Looked Awful Against The Cardinals

The good news for the Green Bay Packers is that the bad game from the corners happened without much from their top three players. CBs Tramon Williams and Casey Hayward are being held out due to injury and only CB Sam Shields played. Shields did allow a completion along the sideline, but it was against WR Larry Fitzgerald so it can be somewhat excused.

Tyler Dunne wrote a piece on rookie CB Micah Hyde, who gave up one of the two touchdown passes while making zero reaction as the ball was in the air. However, he looked better than the other corners behind him on the depth chart. He's now moved ahead of CB Davon House, and Hyde was starting with the first team defense while Williams and Hayward were still out.

The good news for House fans is that he didn't look beyond redemption. He was almost in position but wasn't able to adjust quickly enough as the receivers ran their routes. He hasn't played a lot in his first two seasons due to injury, so his game against the Cardinals looked like a bit of rust. He's still got the potential.

One of my least favorite players, CB Jarrett Bush, played some cornerback and looked better than any of the other players on the roster. He'll make the team because of his special teams play, but he's still in the mix at corner too.

I don't know how any of the corners can make the roster. Loyce Means and James Nixon didn't make plays, and Brandon Smith looked lost. They need every game to prove they deserve a spot ahead of the other more highly regarded players at a deep position.

Packers Minicamp: Shields and Jolly Return

Another week, another open practice moved inside due to bad weather. Bummer for the fans, but the media was there to watch it.

Mike McCarthy was glad to have a couple players back: DE Johnny Jolly and CB Sam Shields. Jolly's return was delayed by the "program", I assume McCarthy meant Jolly's court ordered rehab program, but he's almost at his playing weight. The team won't rush him as he returns after a three year absence. Shields finally signed his one-year offer sheet, he'd been hoping for a long-term deal, though the Packers don't have a lot of incentive to give him one until he becomes an unrestricted free agent. He took the place of CB Jarrett Bush with the first team defense, which is definitely an upgrade.

NT B.J. Raji was asked about his contract situation and he wouldn't talk about it. Maybe they've started negotiations, but sometimes the Packers don't even tell the player or his agent what's going on. Charles Woodson wasn't even asked to take a pay cut. The Packers should want to re-sign Raji but you never know.

As for the practice itself, WR Jeremy Ross looked great when completely uncovered, RB James Starks can't hold onto the ball (a bad sign for his future with the team), and some players look great in practice and during games:

Randall Cobb remains one of the team's best practice players. Hasn't dropped anything. Several long gains today.
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) June 4, 2013

The Packers Tender Shields and Dietrich-Smith

It's not clear if contracts will be offered to TE Tom Crabtree, LB Robert Francois, or LB Frank Zombo, but it is known that the Green Bay Packers tendered a contract to CB Sam Shields and C Evan Dietrich-Smith.

New from JS: Report: Shields receives second-round tender from Packers bit.ly/YX6U80 #packers
— tom silverstein (@TomSilverstein) March 12, 2013

The only bad news here is for Shields, who will be paid around $2 million in 2013 instead of around $3 million if he had received a first-round tender. The fact that the Packers gave him a lower tender, and would only receive a second-round pick as compensation instead of a first, if Shields signs elsewhere, is irrelevant. The restricted free agent market is dead; no team has surrendered a draft pick as compensation for a restricted free agent in years. The second-round tender is as good as a franchise tag.

Dietrich-Smith ended the season as the starting center, but I don't think the Packers view him as their starting center. I think they view him as a backup, and I wasn't expecting them to pay him $2.023 million (the cost of a second-round tender) for a backup lineman. I'm a little surprised they tendered him at all because he'll now receive at least $1.323 million for 2013, and the Packers don't pay players to be backups. Everyone on the bench is usually paid the minimum or is a young player who could become a starter in the near future. But Dietrich-Smith will never develop into what the Packers expect from a full-time starter.

The risk for the Packers is that another team will offer Dietrich-Smith a multi-year contract because the Packers probably wouldn't match it and they'll receive nothing in return. Then they'll have to find at least two interior offensive lineman in free agency or the draft. The Packers seem to like Dietrich-Smith, but they don't seem concerned about trying to replace him. If their scouting department does their usually solid work, there are probably a couple of players they already have in mind.