McCarthy: Underwood Is Improved
by Brandon on Jun 3, 2010 10:34 PM CDT
in Green Bay Packers Analysis
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PrintA follow-up on the thin cornerback situation we discussed yesterday. Via Kevin Seifert at ESPN.com:
"I think Brandon Underwood would definitely be a candidate for most improved player from year one to year two so far from what I've seen," McCarthy said. "I think he's really matured in the weight room. He looks very good right now. I know we're only practicing in shorts and helmets, but I think Brandon Underwood is off to an outstanding spring so far. I've been very pleased with what he has shown on film."
Underwood was part of the defensive disaster in the NFC wildcard game. There were at least a couple obvious plays where he ran to double-cover one receiver which left another one wide open, but it's hard to tell whether that was his blown assignment. He might have not even made the roster if CB Pat Lee hadn't been placed on I.R. to start the 2009 season. Since they moved Will Blackmon to safety and didn't draft a cornerback last April they've put a lot of faith in Underwood to improve. We'll just have to wait and see whether McCarthy is right.
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I've been excited about Underwood since our glorious pre-season of last year
hope he keeps it up!
He should be suspended. That is a flat-out, absolute disgrace to the umpiring profession, what this guy has been doing. West doesn’t care. -Hawk
Because he’s a f—-ing a—hole, that’s what he is. - Ozzie
We NEED Underwood to mature
and step up. Our secondary is thin. We know it and our opponents know it. We need someone (Lee, Underwood, etc) to step it up this year…stay healthy and make some serious progression. This was an area we shoulda/coulda drafted in and didn’t so lets hope we are rewarded for our patience this year!
I've seen flashes of Underwood
In the preseason. He looked impressive. Of course that is the preseason. I wanted to see how he might fare in a real game. I do not remember. Has he ever had the opportunity to play in the regular season?
Yeah, I remember him playing in the 49ers game after Harris went done. He showed some flashes then as well but still has his fair share of struggles.
by packallday555 on Jun 4, 2010 11:29 PM CDT up reply actions
This is great news
as the CB situation was looking a little worrisome. I’m still not convinced by Blackmon at Safety either, but then I am a glass half empty kind of fan… :-)
Hold off on the celebration
Whenever I think of Underwood I think of the potential he has and the rumors I heard coming out of 1265 saying that he really didn’t have a professional attitude. It’s good to hear that MM is happy with him, maybe that’s a sign that his attitude has changed. All in all though I’m going to take a wait and see approach until the pads come on at training camp.
Attitude
Maybe last year he didn’t have a professional attitude cuz he was a ROOKIE! Most rookies don’t have a real professional attitude, they have NO idea what being a football player in the NFL means, much less what being a Professioal means!!!
All accounts from the coaches, and the video of him at packers.com say he has been learning how to be a professional and learning what it means and takes to be a professional football player!
It's true
There are some rookies in the league who just don’t come in with the right attitude. They are young men who are just happy to be there. I think Underwood just fell in that category. Not everyone comes in like CM3 or has the work ethic of Payton Manning, Jerry Rice, or Charles Woodson.
If Underwood can pick this up from C-Wood or glean it from watching Al Harris rehab his knee then he might have a bright future yet.
by PackApologist on Jun 4, 2010 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions
Well that’s what makes guys like Manning the successful freaks they are…they come in day one and work the pants off everyone else. It’s rare though, and usually takes a few years to develop.
by PackApologist on Jun 4, 2010 2:24 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't think that's what Trevor was referring to
When Woodson was a rookie and in his earlier year in Oakland, he didn’t work hard, showed up late for practice and even a couple of times for games, partied a lot, and just reeked the benefits. It wasn’t until he got to Green Bay where he finally matured and studied hard. He was good in Oakland, but not great and didn’t have the work ethic. Hopefully Underwood learns from Woodson so his entire career is solid.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
Too me, there are two ways to look at our secondary situation. After we didn’t draft a Cb, I started to think, “Well hey, this must mean that our staff is comfortable with the guys we have, and think that one or two of the returning guys will be able to help us out.” But at the same time, our staff very well could be just hoping that one of the guys returning this year will step up. Either way, it leaves me feeling a little uncomfortable. Because while I want to think that we didn’t draft a Cb because we were comfortable with what we have, it seems hard for me to fully commit to that idea.
After all, we were sort of in the same position when looking at our OT’s going into last season, and we all saw how that turned out..
It’s good news that Underwood is looking good, and really even if all he can be this year is a solid nickel back it would help us improve pretty greatly. I’m just hoping a guy or two can step because if they can, it could go a long way in improving the pass defense, which really seems like our only real question mark going into this year.
CB
So tell me.. If we had drafted a CB, would they automatically be better or more ready to help than either Lee or Underwood? Unless it was a 1st rd draft pick at CB, I highly doubt it!!! So that means that any CB drafted after the 1st round would be even further down the depth chart than Lee and Underwood are at #4 and 5… Which means they would have been hard pressed to make the 53 man roster! So either your using a 1st on Wilson or MAYBE McCourty and NOT getting Bulaga or your taking your chances w/ someone who isn’t any better than what we already have in Lee and Underwood!!!
Just taking a CB for the sake of taking a CB doesn’t really help the situation… For it to help it would have had to be a very high draft pick! Either a 1st or very early 2nd rd pick!
Just taking a CB for the sake of taking a CB doesn’t really help the situation… For it to help it would have had to be a very high draft pick! Either a 1st or very early 2nd rd pick!
Of course, and I had kind of thought that a 2nd round pick was going to be used on one.
So tell me.. If we had drafted a CB, would they automatically be better or more ready to help than either Lee or Underwood?
This is a good point, and something that I had thought about as well. Before the draft, I kind of expected TT to take a Cb in rounds 1, 2, or 3. Because like you touched on, anyone taken later then that is likely more of a project, and wouldn’t be anything more then #5 or #6 on the depth chart. I figured if TT didn’t take a Cb in one of those rounds, that he and the staff felt that Lee, Underwood, or Harris would be able to come and make an impact.
Like I said above, I can understand that point of view, I’m just a little iffy on it. Lee has struggled with injuries, Harris is 35 coming off a really bad injury, and Underwood is still young, and somewhat raw. Personally, I think Underwood is going to step up for us. Whether it’s as a nickel or dime back I don’t really know but he did so some flashes last season. An offseason should help him improve, and according to McCarthy it already has.
From there, we just need Harris or Lee to step up. Lee just needs to stay healthy which isn’t always easy for guys, and we know Harris’ situation. I just really hope our pass defense can improve cause if it does we really could be a force to be reckoned with.
by packallday555 on Jun 5, 2010 3:41 PM CDT up reply actions
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