GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Joe Whitt isn’t afraid of making bold statements, and given the Packers cornerbacks coach’s track record, perhaps people should take him at his word when he talks about undrafted rookie free agent Sam Shields.
Before the season, Whitt told anyone who’d listen that Tramon Williams — not Charles Woodson, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year — was the team’s best cover cornerback. After nine games, what sounded like blasphemy has become abundantly clear, with Williams making a strong case for the Pro Bowl and a lucrative long-term contract extension.
So when Whitt was asked about the raw-but-talented Shields, who spent the first three years of his college career at Miami (Fla.) playing wide receiver and had just 10 games of cornerback experience as a senior for the Hurricanes, Whitt’s optimistic reply was surprising.
