It appears inevitable at this point. The Green Bay Packers starting rookie cornerback Damarious Randall and moving Casey Hayward back to the slot.
We’ve been asking for it for some time.
Randall has passed every test, while Hayward just turned in his worst game as a professional.
Hayward gave up 135 yards against the Broncos, according to Pro Football Focus. He didn’t pass the eye test either. We gave him one of two F grades on the day.
Cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt was posed the obvious question this week. Why not start Randall?
And unlike during the preseason, when Whitt stood by Hayward, he made no such commitment this time.
“I want to make a decision and go with it and give the guys that I think will play the opportunity to practice,” Whitt said. “If it’s the wrong one, it’s the wrong one, but I’m going to make the decision to go with it.”
Huh?
That seems to suggest Whitt will make a decision when all of his cornerback are healthy. Currently, both Sam Shields and Quinten Rollins are injured and neither has practiced this week.
However the hell you want to try and decipher that, one thing is clear.
He didn’t say, “Hayward is my guy.”
Nor should he be. Not after what we saw from him last week and what we’ve seen of Randall. Hayward has had his most success as a slot cornerback anyway.
Moving Hayward to the slot also limits the time Micah Hyde is on the field. And I think we can all agree — that’s not a bad thing either.
When Shields is ready, he should be No. 1. Randall should be No. 2 and Hayward should be the slot corner. The move makes the Packers defense stronger overall.
We want Gunther !
According to the McGinn podcast Whitt has wanted to start Gunther for some time but has “chickened out.” I shit you not that’s what he said.
Whitt talks all about his grading system and how whoever plays the best in practice plays in the game. I always knew he was full of shit, but if McGinn and Cohen are to be believed, Whitt is not playing who he thinks is the best for the particular game.
Nice fucking leadership. Tool.
So not even the head coach, Mike McCarty trust his own Cornerback coach ? That’s the leadership in the packer organization. Everyone thinks that they should do whats best for themselves, not for the team overall.
Any rookie is better than Hayward.
Randall is already the starter on the outside in the Packer’s nickel and dime defenses, which are played on the majority of snaps. That has pretty much been the case all year. So, you are essentially calling for a starter to be named a starter.
Should he be a starter on the outside in the base defense too? Yes. So, I guess that is basically what you are calling for.
Casey Hayward is playing himself right out of Green Bay. This is the final year of his contract. Considering that, TT picking Randall and Rollins was pretty fricking key.
Agreed, Hyde and Heyward are playing their way out.
Shields maybe #1 right now, but if Randall keeps improving, Shields will be #2 sooner rather than later.
Boy Teddy Thompson sure looks like a genius now, huh?