Sam Shields gets back, ready to compete

The competition for spots in the defensive backfield has been ongoing throughout training camp, and one of the key competitors who had been missing for a couple of weeks was back in there Sunday.

Third-year CB Sam Shields returned from his elbow injury, and immediately got plenty of work. He got a fair number of snaps on Sunday in the No. 1 dime defense. Shields hasn’t played in either of the first two preseason games and saw fellow corners Davon House, Casey Hayward and Jarrett Bush continue to battle. House is now out with a shoulder injury, while Bush was back with the starters in the base defense Sunday.

“That’s part of the game,” Shields said. “You’re hurt, you have to watch the other dudes, and that’s when you have to do your mental reps. I’m back on the field now, so I just have to keep grinding.”

The Packers’ nickel corner the past two seasons, Shields knows his playing time in 2012 will come down in part to how he does in these final two preseason games. It’s his turn to make a splash in the competition, and there’s one part of his game he’s focusing on specifically.

“Just showing I can tackle, getting that trust back with the coaches,” he said. “That’s one of the big spots I have to keep working on, tackling, and I think I’m ready for it.”


(packers.com)