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Ferguson says new offense is 'heaven-sent'
June 15, 2006
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Green Bay Five years ago the Green Bay Packers invested a second- round pick in wide receiver Robert Ferguson.
More than at any other time in Ferguson's career, the Packers need that investment to finally pay off.
With Javon Walker traded, Terrence Murphy released because of a neck condition and Donald Driver as the only other holdover from the receiving corps the Packers started 2005 with, Ferguson figures to have plenty of opportunity in 2006.
"I had a real candid talk with him when I first got here," said new offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, "and I said, Things are going to be different. You just need to stay healthy and we'll get you the football.' "
Staying healthy hasn't been the easiest thing for Ferguson of late.
After a wasted rookie season in which Ferguson simply never caught on to the Packer offense, he showed some flashes in his second season and was near having a breakthrough season in 2003. He won a starting job and finished the season with 38 catches for 520 yards and four touchdowns.
Then he caught touchdown passes of 40 yards and 17 yards to give the Packers a 14-0 lead in a playoff game at Philadelphia. At that point, Ferguson was enjoying the present and anticipating nothing but a bright future.
Of course, that playoff game turned into the fourth-and-26th debacle.
Still, the future seemed bright for Ferguson. In the off-season before the 2004 season he signed a four-year contract extension.
Continued improvement in 2004 would have solidified Ferguson's career and the idea of steady improvement over a few more seasons could have meant maybe even star status.
Instead, the stars aligned against Ferguson.
The first star was Javon Walker. In 2004, it was Walker having the breakthrough season. With Walker beating out Ferguson for a starting job and Donald Driver also having a big season, there weren't too many balls left for Ferguson.
The second star was Jacksonville Jaguars safety Donovin Darius. In the Packers' 14th game, Darius clotheslined Ferguson on a deep route down the middle, knocking Ferguson out for the rest of that game, the final two regular-season games and the playoff loss against Minneapolis.
Instead of breaking through as a major contributor in 2004, Ferguson finished with just 24 catches for 367 yards, just one touchdown and a major ache in the head and neck.
And 2005 didn't get much better.
Opportunity knocked for Ferguson when Walker held out of all the off-season activities. Opportunity then tried to completely cave in the door when Walker suffered a season-ending knee injury in the season opener.
Ferguson never answered.
He had just one catch for 4 yards in the opener, then was thought to be responsible for a couple of interceptions in losses to Cleveland and Tampa Bay where he was outfought for the ball. Talk of those two plays overshadowed the fact that he caught a touchdown pass in each of those games.
A week later, quarterback Brett Favre delivered a perfect slant pass right into Ferguson's hands. And Carolina cornerback Ken Lucas took it right out of Ferguson's hands for another interception.
Ferguson started to come on, reeling in a 51-yard catch against New Orleans in the Packers' first victory. Two weeks later, he pulled in a 44-yarder going deep and across the field against the Minnesota Vikings.
Problem is, he came down wrong on his right leg and suffered a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his knee.
The rest of the season was pretty much a futile battle to get healthy and productive again.
Ferguson missed four games and didn't have more than 37 receiving yards in the five games he played.
Now, with two minicamps and half the team's organized team activities behind him, Ferguson is looking for more and better things.
First off, he's hoping to stay healthy.
"That's not something you can control," he said. "Injuries are going to happen. That's part of the game. Especially my injuries. Getting clotheslined, there's not anything you can do in the off- season to prepare for that. And the knee, coming down like that, there's nothing you can do to prepare for that. So if it happens, it happens. I'm not going to say it's not going to happen. I just hope it doesn't."
If Ferguson can stay on the field, he believes he's going to thrive in the new version of the West Coast offense of new coach Mike McCarthy.
"I think the opportunity is more so this year than it was last year being with new coaches and a new offense," Ferguson said. "I think our offense caters to my abilities and my talents. I've shown that throughout the opportunity sessions and the minicamps more than ever. So I think it's more the offense than Javon being gone."
When McCarthy got to Green Bay, one of the first things he talked about was the desire for bigger, more-physical receivers to go across the middle. Those words were put into action when the Packers didn't even make an offer to try to retain Antonio Chatman, their second-leading receiver last season.
But the Packers are looking for a big season out of Ferguson.
"Like I said, I think this offense is heaven-sent for me," Ferguson said. "I love it. I look forward to going out there and showing my talent in this offense. It's the type of things I do."
And those are the types of things McCarthy wants.
"He's a very physical football player," McCarthy said. "I think he's done an excellent job in the weight-training area. I think he's playing with strength and confidence and I think he's ready to take the next step up. Just a lot of positive things throughout the spring from Robert."
Sounds like we've heard this before...this time I hope it rings true.
Ferguson says new offense is 'heaven-sent'
June 15, 2006
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Green Bay Five years ago the Green Bay Packers invested a second- round pick in wide receiver Robert Ferguson.
More than at any other time in Ferguson's career, the Packers need that investment to finally pay off.
With Javon Walker traded, Terrence Murphy released because of a neck condition and Donald Driver as the only other holdover from the receiving corps the Packers started 2005 with, Ferguson figures to have plenty of opportunity in 2006.
"I had a real candid talk with him when I first got here," said new offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, "and I said, Things are going to be different. You just need to stay healthy and we'll get you the football.' "
Staying healthy hasn't been the easiest thing for Ferguson of late.
After a wasted rookie season in which Ferguson simply never caught on to the Packer offense, he showed some flashes in his second season and was near having a breakthrough season in 2003. He won a starting job and finished the season with 38 catches for 520 yards and four touchdowns.
Then he caught touchdown passes of 40 yards and 17 yards to give the Packers a 14-0 lead in a playoff game at Philadelphia. At that point, Ferguson was enjoying the present and anticipating nothing but a bright future.
Of course, that playoff game turned into the fourth-and-26th debacle.
Still, the future seemed bright for Ferguson. In the off-season before the 2004 season he signed a four-year contract extension.
Continued improvement in 2004 would have solidified Ferguson's career and the idea of steady improvement over a few more seasons could have meant maybe even star status.
Instead, the stars aligned against Ferguson.
The first star was Javon Walker. In 2004, it was Walker having the breakthrough season. With Walker beating out Ferguson for a starting job and Donald Driver also having a big season, there weren't too many balls left for Ferguson.
The second star was Jacksonville Jaguars safety Donovin Darius. In the Packers' 14th game, Darius clotheslined Ferguson on a deep route down the middle, knocking Ferguson out for the rest of that game, the final two regular-season games and the playoff loss against Minneapolis.
Instead of breaking through as a major contributor in 2004, Ferguson finished with just 24 catches for 367 yards, just one touchdown and a major ache in the head and neck.
And 2005 didn't get much better.
Opportunity knocked for Ferguson when Walker held out of all the off-season activities. Opportunity then tried to completely cave in the door when Walker suffered a season-ending knee injury in the season opener.
Ferguson never answered.
He had just one catch for 4 yards in the opener, then was thought to be responsible for a couple of interceptions in losses to Cleveland and Tampa Bay where he was outfought for the ball. Talk of those two plays overshadowed the fact that he caught a touchdown pass in each of those games.
A week later, quarterback Brett Favre delivered a perfect slant pass right into Ferguson's hands. And Carolina cornerback Ken Lucas took it right out of Ferguson's hands for another interception.
Ferguson started to come on, reeling in a 51-yard catch against New Orleans in the Packers' first victory. Two weeks later, he pulled in a 44-yarder going deep and across the field against the Minnesota Vikings.
Problem is, he came down wrong on his right leg and suffered a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his knee.
The rest of the season was pretty much a futile battle to get healthy and productive again.
Ferguson missed four games and didn't have more than 37 receiving yards in the five games he played.
Now, with two minicamps and half the team's organized team activities behind him, Ferguson is looking for more and better things.
First off, he's hoping to stay healthy.
"That's not something you can control," he said. "Injuries are going to happen. That's part of the game. Especially my injuries. Getting clotheslined, there's not anything you can do in the off- season to prepare for that. And the knee, coming down like that, there's nothing you can do to prepare for that. So if it happens, it happens. I'm not going to say it's not going to happen. I just hope it doesn't."
If Ferguson can stay on the field, he believes he's going to thrive in the new version of the West Coast offense of new coach Mike McCarthy.
"I think the opportunity is more so this year than it was last year being with new coaches and a new offense," Ferguson said. "I think our offense caters to my abilities and my talents. I've shown that throughout the opportunity sessions and the minicamps more than ever. So I think it's more the offense than Javon being gone."
When McCarthy got to Green Bay, one of the first things he talked about was the desire for bigger, more-physical receivers to go across the middle. Those words were put into action when the Packers didn't even make an offer to try to retain Antonio Chatman, their second-leading receiver last season.
But the Packers are looking for a big season out of Ferguson.
"Like I said, I think this offense is heaven-sent for me," Ferguson said. "I love it. I look forward to going out there and showing my talent in this offense. It's the type of things I do."
And those are the types of things McCarthy wants.
"He's a very physical football player," McCarthy said. "I think he's done an excellent job in the weight-training area. I think he's playing with strength and confidence and I think he's ready to take the next step up. Just a lot of positive things throughout the spring from Robert."
Sounds like we've heard this before...this time I hope it rings true.
