Sam Sheilds best in 2 years????

[longtimefan]

540 ESPN Milwaukee

Shields: 'I'm getting better and better'

[FONT=&quot]By JASON WILDE[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][email protected][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]GREEN BAY – To fully appreciate just how far Sam Shields as come – and understand just how much it took for the Green Bay Packers rookie cornerback to get to this point – you have to listen to what Joe Whitt says about him now, and what he was muttering to himself about Shields about six months ago.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]But first, understand this: Whitt, the Packers’ young and exuberant cornerbacks coach, is not afraid to make bold pronouncements. Before the season, he told anyone who’d listen that Tramon Williams – not Charles Woodson, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year; not Al Harris, a two-time Pro Bowler coming off a major knee injury – was the team’s best cover corner. After nine games, what sounded like blasphemy at the time has become abundantly clear, with Williams making a strong case for the NFC Pro Bowl team and a break-the-bank contract extension.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]After the ultra-fast – but ultra-raw – Shields went undrafted this spring and the Packers signed him as a rookie free agent, Whitt knew what kind of potential Shields had. What Whitt did not know, given the fact that Shields had spent the first three years of his college career at Miami (Fla.) playing wide receiver and had just 10 games of cornerback experience as a senior for the Hurricanes, was how well he understood the position.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]The answer?[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]“He had no clue. Trust me. No clue,” Whitt said bluntly. “There was one day, I almost lost my mind."[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]And now?[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]“Write this down,” Whitt said of Shields, the Packers’ No. 3 cornerback in their nickel defense. “Sam is going to be one of the top corners in this league in two years.”[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]That’s heady stuff for a guy with Shields’ thin cornerback resume, but the Packers’ actions – releasing Harris, whom they waived off the physically unable to perform list Nov. 8 – spoke even louder than Whitt’s words.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]“I don’t think anybody can stand here and say Sam Shields was going to be (one of) your starting corner(s) in Week 10, especially the way he arrived here as a free agent,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday, as his team prepared for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings at Mall of America Field at the Metrodome, “But you never questioned the ability. You could see that from Day 1. He’s a young man that’s been very thorough, very coachable, very detailed in everything he’s doing. He has a tremendous upside, and we’re excited about the progress he’s made.”[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Much of the credit for that goes to Whitt, who was at his wits’ end when he found that Shields had no idea how to watch film, learn defenses or prepare for games at the cornerback position. So Whitt began at Square One.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]“[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Basically, I got flashcards. I drew a formation on one side, I drew the check on the back side, just like you do in school,” explained Whitt, who had taken a similar approach as an assistant coach at the University of Louisville, where he turned two former offensive players – [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Arizona Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes and Philadelphia Eagles safety Antoine Harris – into NFL-caliber defensive players[/FONT][FONT=&quot]. “The next day, I come in, he has a stack of flashcards, two inches deep, and he has everything on it. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]“And from that day on, it was a total transformation because he understood the defense from that day on because he understood how to study."[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]And he’s been a quick study at that. In the Packers’ 45-7 victory over Dallas before their bye week, [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Shields recorded his first NFL interception (an acrobatic one-handed catch) and, while also responsible for the Cowboys’ only touchdown, proved once again on a big stage that the job isn’t too big for him.
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[FONT=&quot]In fact, his play solidified the Packers’ difficult decision to sever ties with Harris, a 13-year NFL veteran who’d started 106 career games in Green Bay and wound up with the Miami Dolphins.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]“Back when we started training camp, not many people knew who Sam Shields was, and I didn't know much about Sam Shields. But we thought he had potential, and he's continued to make improvement,” defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. “We've played nine games with him out there now, and that's a tough position to stick a rookie out there because everybody in the National Football League knows."[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Whitt isn’t the only one who’s worked extensively with Shields. On Tuesdays – the players’ day off – he comes in and watches film with Woodson, who is well known for his film work. (“You can tell he studies the little details, a lot of stuff people don’t pay attention to,” Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin said of Woodson Wednesday.)[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]In addition, Shields has gone from a shaky returner – another job he had next to no experience with when camp began – who couldn’t catch the ball consistently to the team’s primary kickoff returner, with a 49-yard take-back against the Cowboys.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]It’s all part of Shields’ wise-beyond-his-years approach (“[/FONT][FONT=&quot]He's very mature; he's not like a lot of rookies,” Whitt said) and constant [/FONT][FONT=&quot]growth – which could one day lead to him proving Whitt prescient again, just like he’s been right about Williams.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]“I’m still learning. But each day, I’m getting better and better. Each game, I’m getting better and better,” Shields said. “I’ve got to continue to keep doing that.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]“If I keep working at staying focused, I can be that guy.”[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Listen to Jason Wilde every weekday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on “Green & Gold Today,” and follow him on Twitter at [/FONT][FONT=&quot]twitter.com/jasonjwilde[/FONT][FONT=&quot].[/FONT]

 

[aaronqb]

To me, Sam Shields is good

 

[ivo610]

I think we can squeeze out one more year before we have to pay him $$$$. but by then we will have driver or woodson off the books most likely.

 

[longtimefan]

I think we can squeeze out one more year before we have to pay him $$$$. but by then we will have driver or woodson off the books most likely.

Driver would be my guess


I think woody might have one more year in him where he is now..

Then maybe be forced to play safety or retire

 

[aaronqb]

i think he's pretty good

 

[ivo610]

Shields is signed through 2012. I don't think Driver's future will have anything to do with Shields. I do think that Driver's future is very much in doubt though. Given the WR play this year, I would not be surprised to see GB use a very high draft pick at WR and this may impact Driver.

Sam Shields

Your right, players never hold out or throw a fit when they are drastically out playing their contracts. Guess you must have missed hard knocks this season, I think they might have had a situation like that, cant really remember.

Of course Drivers contract ties to other players getting big contacts, the Packers cant pay every player a big contract, and with driver headed off the books it will be a great time to give sam a new contract.

If you think he plays out his contract your crazy.

 

[PackersRS]

Yes.

Consider everything:
*Extremely raw, only 1 year of CB experience
*Off the charts physical skills
*Great ball skills
*Eager learner, humble
*Playing extremely well, to the point that Al Harris is expandable.

When putting all of this together, one can only conclude that, unless his attitude changes, or unless he gets hurt, he's gonna be a premier corner in this league.

Damn. Tramon already is, and is relatively young (27). We're set for the future at CB, I believe. We only need for either Underwood, Lee or Bush to become a very good nickel corner...

And at S, we have Nick Collins (27), we drafted a promising guy in Morgan Burnett, Peprah is playing really well, and there's Bigby.

Once again, TT wins. Everybody, including me, said that we needed to draft a corner early, if we were to go anywhere this year.

But look at it now. Secondary is arguably our greatest strenght.

 

[aaronqb]

Your right, players never hold out or throw a fit when they are drastically out playing their contracts. Guess you must have missed hard knocks this season, I think they might have had a situation like that, cant really remember.

Of course Drivers contract ties to other players getting big contacts, the Packers cant pay every player a big contract, and with driver headed off the books it will be a great time to give sam a new contract.

If you think he plays out his contract your crazy.

Maybe so. We'll see if he holds out for more $$.

 

[PackersRS]

Your right, players never hold out or throw a fit when they are drastically out playing their contracts. Guess you must have missed hard knocks this season, I think they might have had a situation like that, cant really remember.

Of course Drivers contract ties to other players getting big contacts, the Packers cant pay every player a big contract, and with driver headed off the books it will be a great time to give sam a new contract.

If you think he plays out his contract your crazy.

I"m really not worried.

You know all that money that TT doesn't spend in FA? Yeah, he spends it rewarding his own. Rodgers, Collins, Woodson, Clifton, everybody got a contract extension. Tramon will get one, so probably will Jenkins.

That's the greatest philosophy ever. You perform and don't complain, you get rewarded.

It's no coincidence that Collins spent the whole offseason with his mouth shut and attending OTAs. He knew he would get rewarded by doing so.

Usually, it's a BIG distraction, but the precedent TT has set, the players know that they'll be taken care of.

 

[ivo610]

I"m really not worried.

You know all that money that TT doesn't spend in FA? Yeah, he spends it rewarding his own. Rodgers, Collins, Woodson, Clifton, everybody got a contract extension. Tramon will get one, so probably will Jenkins.

That's the greatest philosophy ever. You perform and don't complain, you get rewarded.

It's no coincidence that Collins spent the whole offseason with his mouth shut and attending OTAs. He knew he would get rewarded by doing so.

Usually, it's a BIG distraction, but the precedent TT has set, the players know that they'll be taken care of.

I never said I was worried. I said by the time he asks for a new contract Driver will be off the books most likely.

We will lose some players though I think.

 

[aaronqb]

Yes.

Consider everything:
*Extremely raw, only 1 year of CB experience
*Off the charts physical skills
*Great ball skills
*Eager learner, humble
*Playing extremely well, to the point that Al Harris is expandable.

When putting all of this together, one can only conclude that, unless his attitude changes, or unless he gets hurt, he's gonna be a premier corner in this league.

Damn. Tramon already is, and is relatively young (27). We're set for the future at CB, I believe. We only need for either Underwood, Lee or Bush to become a very good nickel corner...

And at S, we have Nick Collins (27), we drafted a promising guy in Morgan Burnett, Peprah is playing really well, and there's Bigby.

Once again, TT wins. Everybody, including me, said that we needed to draft a corner early, if we were to go anywhere this year.

But look at it now. Secondary is arguably our greatest strength.

go sam

 

[Lunchboxer]

Like building in Free Agency. Hate some of the 10 ten draft picks that want load of $$$ without doing anything to earn it.

We got the talent to win SBs.

 

[armand34]

I think it's absolutely crazy that are future cornerback tandem is going to be potentially 2 UNDRAFTED guys, you may catch a diamond in the rough once in a while.....but 2 times in the same position??? What genius managed this??

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#38 cut by the Texans in preseason roster cuts in 2006, we sign him up going into that season...2010 Pro-bowl caliber corner

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Sam Shields speed is what everyone was talking about going into this past preseason, his potential to be a return man coupled with that speed was making all of us drool, now that he has some game experience, getting more comfortable at his position on the field, it's amazing the strides he has taken already...if he can get just relax and catch punts & kicks...MAN!...imagine having average field position around the 35 or 40 yard line...we would be scary! I think if he can continue to grow, we would see that

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that is a crazy bold statment to make, but OH MAN does it get me pumped up for the future!

 

[gbpack12_2_89]

I agree I think that Shields will be a primetime player. I told everyone that I knew that if the Packers got rid of Sheilds I would be very very upset because I watched this kid during practices and I could sense that he was going to be something special espically when you have Mr.Chuck Woodson teaching you.

 

[DevilDon]

I was on board from the beginning. I liked every draft choice. If you listen to why they chose each one it makes sense. I remember everyone was upset about Neal, but it showed why they chose him, put push into the pocket. He was good at it, another great pick. Every pick made sense to me.
Sam Shields was the bonus round for a great draft. I seriously love this scouting department and TT has done very well. Obviously nobody expected Sam to be as great as he is, but we all hoped it.

 

[Wood Chipper]

Shields is signed through 2012. I don't think Driver's future will have anything to do with Shields. I do think that Driver's future is very much in doubt though. Given the WR play this year, I would not be surprised to see GB use a very high draft pick at WR and this may impact Driver.

Sam Shields

oh man what i would give for green bay to get a top flight rookie wide receiver

(i really like rookie players)

 

[PackersRS]

oh man what i would give for green bay to get a top flight rookie wide receiver

(i really like rookie players)

Man, James Jones is playing better each game. This game, there were no dumb plays.

if he can be consistent, we have yet another #1 receiver in the roster.

 

[Murgen]

GB seems to develop talent as good as any team in the league.