Sam Shields

Jess

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They had better not stick Jackson back there in any meaningful game. I realize he ran one back today, but I don't think he can do that in an actual game. It would be similar to sticking Ahman Green and Jordy Nelson back there like we did last year.
 

DergaSmash

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I'm down with Shields. Even Rodgers was asking other vets how a guy with that much athleticism goes undrafted. I don't thinke the Pack will let a guy like that get away from them. Even if he ends up as a so-so corner (Which I doubt), he could still be a gem on special teams. Not just as a returner but as a gunner on the punt team, or maybe work him into the offense, I don't know. Just keep him.
 

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Article posted on the GB Press Gazette:

Green Bay Packers' undrafted Sam Shields may be a steal | greenbaypressgazette.com | Green Bay Press-Gazette

Excerpt:
What makes Shields rare, though, is he already has the Packers thinking they might have found a real player on the undrafted scrap heap. In fact, less than two weeks into training camp the receiver-turned-cornerback from the University of Miami has the organization as excited as it’s been about an undrafted rookie in the last 20 years.

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I totally agree with this. I've only been able to read about him and watched him in the scrimmage. I thought they were after a potential return man when they signed him, but he quickly showed he could not be trusted fielding kicks.

However, his cover skills are RARE ... his pick 6 in Saturday night's scrimmage reminded me of Deion Sanders - Deion would get beat only to outrun the receiver after the ball was thrown to get the pick. I believe Shields has a similar skill (but I'm not going to put him in Sanders category). He has only been playing CB for one year and is raw. I do think, though, he has the skills to be a Pro Bowl CB at some point in his career.

We may have two starting free agent corners after Woodson retires.

I think Shields is this year's Brandon Underwood. Nobody's expecting anything from this kid, but he has a lot of potential. And as the Colts have shown last year, you can always do good with a set of rookie CBs.
 

asshalo

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I was disappointed to hear he's struggling with catching punts. He is extremely talented and seems to have a knack for making the right cuts in open space. Maybe that speed can pay off on coverage and kickoff returns.
 

asshalo

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"Based on this comment from his position coach, I believe the Packer staff views Shields much more highly than Underwood."

I didn't come to the same conclusion after reading that. At this point, Underwood is more of a lock to make the roster than Shields. In the short term, I don't think the coaches think Shields could contribute better this year. In the long term, I wouldn't doubt the coaches believe he has a higher ceiling. Talent only gets you so far. Underwood has seemed to have made a jump in the off-season and he has the defense down (while sheilds doesn't).
 

PackersRS

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“If the kid played four years of corner he would have been a first-round draft pick,” Whitt said. “He has more talent than all the other corners in the draft, he just only played one year, and all he did was play man, so he had no clue what he was doing. All they asked him to do was, ‘You go man up on this guy.’ His skill set is higher than the rest. We got lucky getting him.”

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Based on this comment from his position coach, I believe the Packer staff views Shields much more highly than Underwood. It will be real interesting to see how they bring him along. Maybe he plays as the nickel or dime back sometime this year.

He definitely turned my head in the family night scrimmage with the pick 6.
It's true that they like him a lot.

But Underwood (and Lee) was the reason the Packers didn't draft a CB. They're really, really high on Underwood, and everyone that has seen him practice and seen him on Family Night has said he looked amazing.
 

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“If the kid played four years of corner he would have been a first-round draft pick,” Whitt said. “He has more talent than all the other corners in the draft, he just only played one year, and all he did was play man, so he had no clue what he was doing. All they asked him to do was, ‘You go man up on this guy.’ His skill set is higher than the rest. We got lucky getting him.”

=====================================================================================

Based on this comment from his position coach, I believe the Packer staff views Shields much more highly than Underwood. It will be real interesting to see how they bring him along. Maybe he plays as the nickel or dime back sometime this year.

He definitely turned my head in the family night scrimmage with the pick 6.

Shields looked very good in the family night scrimmage, but that performance isn't enough in my books to warrant him a roster spot. Not to be nitpicking or anything but there was one play where he clearly got beat, he simply looked like he didn't know what he was doing. He made it up later on though, which I give him a lot of credit for. Everyone likes to talk about Shields' speed, however I have yet to see it. Sure he made a fantastic break on the ball when he caught that INT and took it to the house, but it's nothing like the 4.3 speed that he's been praised for. I look forward to seeing it in reality come preseason.

I was disappointed to hear he's struggling with catching punts. He is extremely talented and seems to have a knack for making the right cuts in open space. Maybe that speed can pay off on coverage and kickoff returns.

He did fine catching a punt in the family night scrimmage. I just think he deserves the chance to be a returner. As for his speed, I have yet to actually see it but not doubting that it's there.

"Based on this comment from his position coach, I believe the Packer staff views Shields much more highly than Underwood."

I didn't come to the same conclusion after reading that. At this point, Underwood is more of a lock to make the roster than Shields. In the short term, I don't think the coaches think Shields could contribute better this year. In the long term, I wouldn't doubt the coaches believe he has a higher ceiling. Talent only gets you so far. Underwood has seemed to have made a jump in the off-season and he has the defense down (while sheilds doesn't).

Very true. Lee and Underwood are higher on the depth chart than Shields at this point. Don't even forget Jarret Bush. While we love to hate this guy, the coaching staff always feels differently. I can't believe I'm saying this but it seems like Bush may be a threat after all, a threat at Shields making the final 53.

It's true that they like him a lot.

But Underwood (and Lee) was the reason the Packers didn't draft a CB. They're really, really high on Underwood, and everyone that has seen him practice and seen him on Family Night has said he looked amazing.

I thought Underwood played lights out. Against the No. 1's he didn't look bad in coverage. IMO this is what our coaching staff looks for. They don't keep a player around because he can play "nickel" or "dime", they keep them for the long term. If either Lee or Underwood want to keep their place on the Packers roster, they need to prove that they can handle a starting spot.
 

aaronqb

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Shields looked very good in the family night scrimmage, but that performance isn't enough in my books to warrant him a roster spot. Not to be nitpicking or anything but there was one play where he clearly got beat, he simply looked like he didn't know what he was doing. He made it up later on though, which I give him a lot of credit for. Everyone likes to talk about Shields' speed, however I have yet to see it. Sure he made a fantastic break on the ball when he caught that INT and took it to the house, but it's nothing like the 4.3 speed that he's been praised for. I look forward to seeing it in reality come preseason.

Go Packers.
 

asshalo

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Let's get real ... he already has a roster spot. The position coach doesn't go on record saying we have a first round talent in camp and then not put him on the roster (unless he desperately wants someone else to grab him off waivers or the practice squad ... which would happen, of course).

And yes, there will be plays where he doesn't know what he is doing since he has only played CB in 10 collegiate games and is a rookie in the NFL. I'm sure they said similar things about Antonio Gates when he was starting out at TE in a new sport for him with the Chargers.

Feel free to nitpick this play or that play, but this guy has a chance to be really special (Pro Bowl) at some point in his career. Corners don't often jump out for me, but Shields did. He reminds me of Deion Sanders with his closing speed.

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Whitt said he would have been a 1st or 2nd rounder if he would have played 4 years at CB. And then he said he may have been one of the most talented CBs in the draft. If the coaches thought he was a first round talent they would have drafted him.

Those statements make it more likely he'll make the roster. But I wouldn't be surprised at all if he ends up on the practice squad. I don't think anyone is nitpicking the guy, just he doesn't really know the defense. If he does make the roster it will be because the coaches think he can contribute on Special Teams and he has the ability to develop into a CB. Like Charles Woodson said, you can't teach speed, but you still have to learn the defense. That's not just memorization, you have to have the intuition and intelligence to execute at that spot.

Don't get me wrong, I think he can be great too. He's one of the most exciting rookies on the team. It's just he's a long way off that now
 

asshalo

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Nobody (including the Packers) knew how good he was on draft day because there was very little tape on the guy.
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If you mean there is less tape on him because he's played one season at CB as opposed to four, then I'de agree. But I don't think that's why he didn't get drafted.

"Shields went undrafted for a reason, though. He also was exceptionally raw — he’d been a receiver his first three seasons at Miami before switching to cornerback in the spring before his senior year — and came with some minor concerns about his character. He’d been benched twice early in his college career, once for skipping classes and another for bad practice habits, and about a month before the draft was arrested for misdemeanor possession of marijuana. The marijuana charges eventually were dropped, and Shields graduated from Miami this spring."
~From GBPG

Definitely has a lot of potential and I def agree he wouldn't last the season on PS tho.
 

David Pynnonen

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not exactly impressed to say the least of sam shields from tonights preseason game...2 drops on returns, 1 was for a turnover...hopefully he can play better defense than he has been returning so far
 

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I really haven't seen anything good out of this kid thus far. I do like the fact that he comes from the "U"
 

asshalo

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Duno why they had him returning that many kicks and punts, especially after concerns about him catching in practice. Silver Lining for Shields is Porter also looked timid and hesitant.
 
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Mr. StyleZ

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Duno why they had him returning that many kicks and punts, especially after concerns about him catching in practice. Silver Lining for Shields is Porter also looked timid and hesitant.

That's kinda the whole point of preseason.
 

asshalo

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That's kinda the whole point of preseason.

Really? Thanks for clarifying.

He's been consistently shaky in practice on PR/KR. Yes, I am surprised he was first on the depth chart. Why have him return a 3rd, 4th, and a 5th time when he botched the first two.
 

TheGiftedApe

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I dont agree at all, Shields looked HORRIBLE on returns absolutley NO WAY we can have this guy be our #1 return guy he should be #3 at best. That being said he looks just as good as jarret bush at CB so im sure we will hold onto him. At this point in the kids life thats is not really something you can fix. He ca go out there and try to catch 1000000 balls everyday until teh season starts, but it wont change the fact that he looked scared back there and in big time situations he will drop the ball and lose the game for the packers.

Quinn porter looked Good at Returning. Yeah he ran into some of our own blockers, BUT HE DIDNT FUMBLE and he GOT IT PAST THE 20. Porter also ran hard as an RB. An offense that has aaron rodgers, doesn'tneed Devin Hester Returning kicks, we just need to HOLD ONTO THE DAMN BALL. I dont care if we get 0 return yards for the entire season as long as we have 0 turnovers on special teams as well we will be fine. Giving up Fumbles or turnovers on special teams play is the Easiest way to not make the playoffs.


TT better figure this and the punting game thing out. IF you go through an entire offseason and you cant find a fricken punter, or a Return guy that can catch the ball, its time for you to be let go. We had some of the worst special teams in the league last year, there is no reason for that. I have my Eye on this Slocum guy, if we arent top15 in special teams this year, he needs to go.
 

TheGiftedApe

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it's not like he caught the ball and got Hit Big by some linebacker, HE CANT CATCH THE BALL CONSISTENTLY. How will you feel when we are up by 4 points, 4th quarter, and Shields to Receive the Punt, OH WOWW Shields drops it, recovered by Minnesota for a touchdown, Vikings win, vikings Win!.

Everyone thinks are return guy needs to have 4.2 speed and run through tacklers like devin hester. But no, we score enough points, what we need is someone with good hands, that wont lose the football and get us decent field posistion.
 

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I think he can learn to catch. And in the next 3 weeks, he'll be working on that. I don't think you rule him completely out when there's 3 preseason games left to evaluate him. If he's dropping balls against Indy and Kansas City, then I'm with you, but this problem could be rectified with practice by the end of the preseason.

And on the 1 kickoff return I remember him getting the blocking was terrible.
 

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