McCarthy thinks Kizer has a bright future
GREEN BAY – DeShone Kizer is not participating in the Green Bay Packers’ rookie orientation, having accrued his first season with the Cleveland Browns last year, but coach Mike McCarthy shared a glimpse Saturday of what he thinks the new quarterback brings.
McCarthy had high praise for Kizer, who will compete with Brett Hundley to be Aaron Rodgers’ backup. The coach not only said Kizer “has starter ability in this league,” but suggested the secondyear quarterback has franchise potential.
“In my opinion, if he was in that class this year,” McCarthy said, “he would’ve been part of that group of first four guys, or first five. I always felt there were five, the five quarterbacks, first-round guys.”
The “first four guys” McCarthy referenced were Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield (first overall, Cleveland), USC’s Sam Darnold (third, New York Jets), Wyoming’s Josh Allen (seventh, Buffalo) and UCLA’s Josh Rosen (10th, Arizona). The fifth was Louisville’s Lamar Jackson — like Mayfield, also a former Heisman Trophy winner — whom Baltimore drafted with the last pick in the first round (32nd).
It’s especially high praise because the 2018 class was the first time four quarterbacks were drafted in the top 10 picks, a sign of the expectations they carry collectively.
Kizer was a second-round pick in 2017 (No. 52 overall), but he left Notre Dame with two years of eligibility remaining. If he had taken the time to further develop in college, perhaps his draft stock would have benefited.
Kizer went winless in 15 starts for the Browns, throwing for 11 touchdown passes against 22 interceptions for a 60.5 passer rating that ranked last in the NFL.
McCarthy said he sees high-end potential with Kizer. Now, it’s his job to help his second-year quarterback reach it.
“I think he has exceptional arm talent,” McCarthy said. “What we’re asking him to do is, particularly the footwork and just how he fits the scheme, and how he operates is brand new to him. That always excites me, because when you see that guy has no experience or background but has the ability, to me that’s an opportunity for a lot of growth. So I think he has a bright future.”
Extra roster spot: When Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst decided to release punter Justin Vogel — honoring a request from Vogel himself — the future for rookie JK Scott came into focus immediately: Barring a disaster, the job is his.
“I think it’s obvious,” McCarthy said when asked Saturday about the team’s direction at punter.
Vogel’s future with the organization was upended the moment Gutekunst used a fifth-round draft pick on Scott, a four-year starter at Alabama. Even if Vogel went through training camp, and even if he kicked beautifully on every attempt, the chances of him making the 53-man roster over a fifth-round pick were always going to be slim. Requesting his release at least gives him a chance to stick with someone else.
“A lot of things go into those decisions,” McCarthy said. “You go through all the different options you go through in camp. There is a fairness to Justin to give him an opportunity out there today as opposed to come August (during roster cuts). You weigh all those.”
McCarthy also indicated that Gutekunst couldn’t square the desire to field the strongest 90-man roster with allocating an extra spot to punter, a specialty position where competition is more of a luxury than an absolute necessity.
Having even one extra roster spot at their disposal means the Packers can take a longer look at a tryout player who makes an impression during this weekend’s rookie orientation.
“You have a number of tryout players who are in here we want to take another really good look at (on Saturday),” McCarthy said. “When you get down 87, 88, 89, 90 spots on your roster, that’s why you go through all the different scenarios. “Justin did a heck of a job for us. You want to give these men other opportunities, so you feel good about that part of it. I think it’s obvious the way we’re moving forward.”
So now the job belongs to Scott, and the Packers seem content to let him keep it.
“There’s a very high level of trust of every young man that’s been brought in here,” McCarthy said. “This thing about earn your trust and earn this and that, that’s not realistic in professional football. You trust the fact when these young men come into our organization, they’re here for an opportunity. What they’re focused on is earning the opportunity to continue forward.”
Size vs. speed: More than any one position, the Packers focused on addressing specific athletic traits in their past two drafts.
It was speed the Packers particularly wanted to add one year ago. With their first two picks in the 2017 draft, the Packers selected cornerback Kevin King (4.43-second 40-yard dash) and safety Josh Jones (4.40). They immediately became the Packers’ two fastest players.
“Coming off the NFC Championship Game (in Atlanta),” McCarthy said, “we really needed to increase the speed on our football team. It was very evident throughout that season.”
The Packers adjusted slightly this spring. While speed was still important, as best seen in first-round cornerback Jaire Alexander’s blazing, team-best 4.38 40, Gutekunst clearly focused on adding size to his roster.
It started in the second round, when the Packers selected 6-foot-03⁄8 cornerback Josh Jackson despite suspect speed. Oren Burks, the third-round inside linebacker from Vanderbilt, also has good height for his position at 6-31⁄8.
On Day 3, the Packers selected a trio of receivers with tremendous height: fourth-rounder J’Mon Moore (6-25⁄8), fifth-rounder Marquez Valdes-Scantling (6-4) and sixth-rounder Equanimeous St. Brown (6-43⁄4).
Even Cole Madison, the fifth-round offensive lineman, has above-average height at 6-5, considering the Packers plan to play him plenty at guard. And the punter, Scott, is also 6-5. In all, Alexander is the only player the Packers drafted who stands under 6-foot. Nine of their 11 draftees are at least 6-2.
“One of the constant conversations with Brian and I,” McCarthy said, “is we needed to be a bigger football team, all the way through. Ideally, when their grade goes up on the board, their final grade is what kind of football player they are.
“It’s definitely something you look at. We’re not in the mindset of just throwing everybody else away and just looking at that body type, but it’s definitely a focus and it’s something that we looked at — particularly the speed and the size and particularly the length of some of our players.”
Hometown team: Among the players who visited the Packers during the predraft process was Wisconsin defensive end Conor Sheehy, a potential lateround draft pick or priority undrafted free agent. When Sheehy went undrafted, the Packers signed him to their 90man roster.
This weekend, Sheehy was joined in the Don Hutson Center by teammate Joe Ferguson to give the Badgers a pair of players at the rookie orientation.
Ferguson, a safety, started only a handful of games in his Wisconsin career and posted modest stats: 48 total tackles and four interceptions in four years. But this weekend’s tryout is a chance for him to join Sheehy on the 90man roster by impressing the coaches and scouts.
“I have great respect for the program and Barry Alvarez and Paul (Chryst) and the whole bunch down there,” McCarthy said. “I’m glad they’re here. Because I know for a long time Ted (Thompson) was scared to death to bring one into the building. It’s great to have some Badgers in our program.
“I thought they did some really nice things. You have to be thinking about it, but you know they’re well-coached. You know they have some growth just because they’re young. But, yeah, you always like to see the hometown guys do a little better.”