What is Sam Shields' value to the Packers?

Green Bay — Off the line, Sam Shields was toasted. Burnt. The goat in T-minus 1.2 seconds. Absolutely nothing stood between Miles Austin and the end zone.

And in a flash — Darren Woodson still can't believe it — the Green Bay Packers cornerback closed the gap for an interception. Moments later, Green Bay officially erased a 23-point deficit against the Dallas Cowboys.

Not many athletes in today's game make that play.

"You could name them on one hand," said the former Cowboys safety Woodson, who's now an analyst with ESPN. "Darrelle Revis doesn't have that type of speed to make those plays. Not a whole lot of guys have that make-up speed."

Now, it's decision time. Shields is probably the most valuable of the Packers' 17 unrestricted free agents. Do they pay him as an elite cornerback?

Receivers who have faced the 5-foot-11, 184-pound cornerback see the talent, the speed. Woodson does, too. One teammate expects the corner to be back. They agree Shields is the rare cover corner you leave 1-on-1 on an island.

As is, he's not the complete package yet. It's on general manager Ted Thompson to decide if the 26-year-old is on the verge of stardom.

Woodson doesn't see this talent often.

"It'd be a shame — and I'd say this in front of Shields — it'd be a shame if he didn't take advantage of that (talent)," said Woodson, who had 23 interceptions and 12 forced fumbles in his 12-year career. "He can be a great one."

To date, there is indisputable growth. From 2010 playoff hero to 2011 scapegoat to a playmaking 2012 and 2013 corner shadowing top receivers, Shields has created a market for himself. Last spring, he stood at his locker and admitted he needed to "ball out." He needed to earn a contract extension. And in 14 games, Shields recorded 61 tackles (51 solo) with four interceptions and 17 pass break-ups.

Woodson believes Shields has leverage.

"There's not a lot of good guys you can leave out there on the edge by themselves in 1-on-1 situations," he said. "I think he has absolutely become one of those guys that you can leave out there and say, 'Hey, you've got it. I'll see you later after the game.'"

Wide receiver Jeremy Ross faced Shields in practice (as a Packer) and a game (with the Detrioit Lions). When Green Bay and Detroit met at Ford Field, the Packers were squashed, 40-10. But Shields did go punch for punch with Calvin Johnson that day. Johnson did damage underneath on slants, while Shields ripped away a highlight-reel interception in the end zone.

When Shields has a chance at a "splash play," position coach Joe Whitt Jr. asserted, he makes it.

Ross sees the wide receiver that Shields once was at Miami (Fla.).

"He's one of the top corners in the league when it comes to ball skills," Ross said. "He can run upfield with receivers, big receivers and get his body in position to go up and get the ball. He can catch. He's a threat as a corner. I think teams will like him a lot because they can leave him 1 on 1 with guys. He can go step for step with anybody in this league.

"There are a lot of guys who are good cover guys but they don't have the ball skills to go up and get it. He has that."

Adds Lions receiver Kris Durham, "Very instinctive. He relies on his instincts a lot. And he's very strong as well. He's as complete a corner as anyone around the league I've faced. …When you have you're A's, you're A-minuses and B-pluses. I'd say he's right there in the top 10, top 15 in the league."

Durham would know. In a 27-20 Packers win over Detroit in 2012, the tall wideout beat Davon House up the sideline for a 27-yarder and House was benched for Shields. Since then, that hierarchy hasn't changed.

To veteran Jarrett Bush, its not much of a debate. He expects to see Shields back.

"He's young. He's athletic. And he has experience," Bush said. "He has a Super Bowl under his belt. He has some the best athletic ability out there. So I see him re-signing and us loading up for next year.

"I'd be shocked if we don't sign him back."

Bush, the maniac who does wind sprints after scalding 85-degree training camp practices, does not see Shields becoming complacent after inking a lucrative deal. The cornerback room is full of snubbed pros. Tramon Williams, Shields and Bush were all undrafted.

Maybe the nature of Shields rise — camp body to top corner — will keep the fire burning.

"You have to stay hungry being an undrafted free agent," Bush said. "It's a mentality. That's what we pride ourselves instaying hungry, working hard on our reps. Prove people wrong because we were undrafted, that we belong along the best.

"I feel like he got snubbed on the Pro Bowl ballot. I think a lot of big names kind of jumped ahead of him. But in due time, as long as he keeps working, the sky's the limit."

As free agency nears, Thompson could slap the franchise tag on Shields for about $11 million. Still, Woodson suspects hesitance on the Packers' part. After all, how did it get to this point? Green Bay is roughly $28 million under the cap. If they wanted Shields long term, business should be closed.

The speed drops Woodson's jaw. He remembers watching that play at Dallas and thinking, "Where the hell did he come from?" But he won't put Shields in his Top 5 cornerbacks. Not even his Top 10.

He still has one progression to make. The greats, he says, rely on smarts. They study, they stay hungry, they don't lean on pure physical ability.

"The great ones believe it," he said. "Darrelle Revis, after he's seen a split all week in practice, he's going to take a chance. Richard Sherman does it all the time, whether he's in press man or off man. They see it, they feel it, they believe it, they take the chance. I'm not sure if Shields is there just yet."

Woodson's former teammate Deion Sanders owned the five yards of the line of scrimmage. That's where the Hall of Famer "controlled his fate," Woodson said. A technician with his hands and feet, he needed to win those five yards.

Asked where Shields could improve, Ross says "his releases," his "patience" at the line of scrimmage.

This is the brand of cornerback Ross hates facing — the patient corner, the corner who refuses to fall for a juke or jive.

"I think he could get better at that," Ross said. "Being more patient at times. Those fast guys, they're ready to run. So they jump the gun real fast. I think he's so fast, that could make his game even better. He can afford to be patient because if he does get beat, he's got the make-up speed."

Watching film of Shields, Woodson saw "a totally different player," a player with a palpable swagger. He blanketed No. 1 receivers for stretches and became a wide receiver with the ball in flight. Thus, unlike Bush, there is a shred of worry in Woodson's voice. Playing in a contract year might've been one reason. He's seen this scenario before.

If the Packers do pay up for Shields, will that swagger stick? Will he do what's necessary to become elite?

Behind the scenes, Thompson and Co. must wrestle with that question.

"He can press, he can play off. He can do everything," Woodson said. "I would trust him one on one out there with anybody. But, again, I just don't know his heart."


(jsonline.com)