The Green Bay Packers head into training camp with Casey Hayward returning from injury and Sam Shields playing on a new contract.
The Green Bay Packers finished 24th in pass defense last season, but that doesn’t mean there is not significant talent in their cornerback tandem. Most of their woes stemmed from their safeties, who failed to record a single interception.
Meanwhile, Sam Shields emerged as a reliable cover corner while holding his own against receivers such as A.J. Green and Brandon Marshall. The former undrafted free agent notched four interceptions and was rewarded with a four-year, $39 million contract.
Starting across from Shields will be Tramon Williams, who is entering the final year of his contract. Williams has not returned to his 2010 form yet, but he had a solid season in 2013, finishing with 83 tackles, 2.5 sacks and three interceptions.
2014 is most likely Williams’ final season in Green Bay, so he will look to add a second Super Bowl to his resume and prove that he deserves another contract. This will be difficult to pull off though.
Casey Hayward is returning from a hamstring injury that derailed his 2013 season, and he will look to replicate his rookie season that included six interceptions. He is set to be the future starter across from Shields, assuming Williams leaves after this season.
Davon House and Micah Hyde will be the key backups at cornerback. House provides a solid fourth cornerback, and Hyde is capable of playing both corner and safety. Hyde will look to put the costly dropped interception in the playoffs behind him.
The last remaining corners who are fighting for a roster spot are Jarrett Bush and Demetri Goodson. Goodson was drafted in the sixth round of this year’s draft, and he will look to supplant Bush, who has been a special teams ace for the past few seasons.
The Packers are likely to carry six cornerbacks on the roster, and it will seemingly come down to Bush and Goodson for the last spot on the team. Regardless of who makes it, cornerback figures to be a strong position for the Packers if they can all stay healthy.
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