'07 Packers Blog

This was an excellent decision in my mind, and the number one pick (Ahmad Carroll) has shown significant improvement throughout the season. He displayed his ability to play with the pros on Monday night, when he recorded two tackles, one interception, and a defensive touchdown. These are great numbers for a rookie cornerback, especially going up against one of the leagues most dangerous passing units. The Packers have had injury problems in the secondary throughout the season, losing cornerbacks Michael Hawthorne, Al Harris, and Bhawoh Jue, as well as All-Pro safety Darren Sharper for at least one game each. This has put increased pressure on the healthy players (i.e. rookies Ahmad Carroll and Joey Thomas) to perform on nearly every defensive down. While these draft choices have made some rookie mistakes (and gotten burned more than once), they are consistently improving each game and show constant dedication and hustle. Joey Thomas, for example, got beat for a first down on Monday night by Isaac Bruce. Instead of simply tackling the reciever and accepting his mistake, he stripped the ball and allowed his fellow rookie corner to return it for a touchdown. These promising corners could become the future of the Packer's secondary, and represent Sherman's astute ability in drafting new players.
On the other hand, Sherman did make one questionable call as Packer's GM when he traded veteran cornerback Mike McKenzie to St. Louis for an NFL Europe quarterback and a third round draft pick. McKenzie has provided more than adequate coverage for the Packers over the past few years, and is arguably one the most effective shut-down corners in the league. Why would Sherman settle for simply a back-up quarterback and a weak draft pick? While I disagree with Sherman's decision, the blame cannot be placed solely on him. McKenzie made it clear before the trade that he was not happy in Green Bay, and refused to play another season there. An unhappy player can bring an entire team down, and would most likely put forth a marginal effort in any game played. So while Sherman got very little in return for a great player, his hands were tied. Overall, the trade was unconstructive but unavoidable. Only time will tell how good Sherman really is at drafting players, as the burden will now be on his young cornerbacks to fill the void created by the unfortunate McKenzie situation.