GREEN BAY, Wis. — The concussion that ended Sam Shields’ 2016 season has ended his tenure with the Green Bay Packers. The veteran cornerback was released on Wednesday, he posted on his Instagram account.
A source confirmed that Shields was informed of his release.
Shields, 29, missed all but the opening game last season. He sustained the fourth known concussion of his NFL career on Sept. 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and never returned. That came nine months after a concussion kept him out for a month late in the 2015 season. Over the past two years, he has played in just two of a possible 23 games, including the playoffs. Shields had one season left on the four-year, $39 million contract he signed in 2014.
Last month, Shields said was still experiencing headaches from his latest concussion.
“Some days it’s tough headaches, some days it’s mild,” he said during an interview in Atlanta following the NFC Championship Game. “It varies. I never know. I’m so used to it that it’s just normal. Like I said, each day it’s getting better. I’ll be back.”
Sam Shields, who has been dealing with concussion issues, was cut by the Packers. David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire
At that time, he said he intended to play again but indicated that he understood it might not be with the Packers.
“I’m thinking it’s not over,” Shields said. “I’ve still got more in me. But like I said, I’m going through this, what I’ve got to go through. Just take it one day at a time.”
When asked why he wants to continue to play given the dangers of concussions, Shields said, “I understand why you ask that. I don’t know. I just love the game, man, and I feel that I can get back out there and play. If not, then not. But right now it’s just day by day.”
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said shortly after the season that Shields still had not been cleared.
“I think we can all focus on Sam getting healthy,” McCarthy said in his season wrap-up news conference on Jan. 26. “Having a chance to visit with Sam in Atlanta briefly, he needs to get healthy for himself and his family. That’s the primary focus.”
The Packers picked up $12 million in salary-cap space in the last two days. By releasing Shields, the Packers saved $9 million on this season’s salary cap. They will have to count $3.125 million — his remaining prorated signing bonus — on this year’s cap.
Without Shields, cornerback will be one of the Packers’ priorities this offseason. They played most of this season with three second-year cornerbacks — Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins and LaDarius Gunter — and finished 31st in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game.
The Atlanta Falcons are strongly considering secondary coach Marquand Manuel as their next defensive coordinator, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
The Falcons on Wednesday confirmed they would not retain defensive coordinator Richard Smith or defensive line coach Bryan Cox. The team said Smith could return in an advisory role, but he’s exploring other options.
The 37-year-old Manuel, who played eight seasons at strong safety, has been praised by Falcons coach Dan Quinn for his hands-on approach in developing the secondary. Although Manuel has never held the position of coordinator, he did interview to become the defensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars last January.
Manuel also was the assistant secondary coach in Seattle when Quinn served as the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator.
Superstitious or not, Dan Quinn will learn that the “Super Bowl Hangover” is real. Here’s some advice from the perspective of its latest victim.
1 Related
The Falcons’ defensive shakeup comes on the heels of a 34-28 overtime loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. The Falcons blew a 28-3 third-quarter lead and surrendered 546 total yards, including 446 passing yards to Tom Brady.
It seems the changes are not just related to the Super Bowl loss but more about the body of work throughout the season, at least in Smith’s case, as the Falcons allowed 25.4 points per game, which ranked 27th in the NFL. Sources told ESPN that Quinn started taking more control of the defensive playcalling during the season, and the Falcons showed improvement late in the season and into the playoffs but still had some hiccups.
Manuel showed the ability to get the best out of Robert Alford and second-year cornerback Jalen Collins, who replaced Desmond Trufant after the Pro Bowl cornerback underwent season-ending pectoral surgery.
Although Manuel appears to be the strongest internal candidate, he’s not the only one. Defensive pass game coordinator Jerome Henderson, linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich and receivers coach Raheem Morris all could get looks.
Henderson is a candidate to possibly join former Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan with the 49ers.
Covered the Philadelphia Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine and Philly.com from 2008 to 2015.
Covered the Baltimore Ravens and the NFL for BaltimoreSun.com from 2006 to 2008.
On Nov. 13, the Seattle Seahawks went into Gillette Stadium and beat the New England Patriots, 31-24.
New England went 14-1 with Tom Brady as the starter this season, with its only loss coming at the hands of Russell Wilson and company.
That obviously doesn’t do the Seahawks any good, but Pete Carroll is fond of finding lessons wherever they reveal themselves. During the season, he referenced the Chicago Cubs’ Game 7 win and the presidential election during team meetings.
So there’s no doubt that Carroll kept a close eye on Super Bowl LI, looking for angles that could help his own team.
Here are some thoughts on how the Patriots’ victory over the Atlanta Falcons might relate to Seattle.
Even the GOAT looks pedestrian when pressured.
Midway through the third quarter, Brady was 19-of-31 for 196 yards. He was averaging 6.32 YPA and had a passer rating of 68.9.
One big reason: The Falcons were able to pressure him effectively. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Brady was pressured on 45 percent of his dropbacks during the first three quarters. That number dropped to 20 percent in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Wilson gave Brady a shoutout on Instagram after Sunday’s game.
The offensive line will continue to be the dominant point of conversation surrounding the Seahawks this offseason. And the Super Bowl was another reminder that even the all-time greats get flustered when pressured consistently.
At some point, the Seahawks need to do a better job of making sure Wilson has a legitimate chance to succeed. It will be interesting to see if the moves in the months ahead reflect that mission.
The lesson applies to the other side of the ball as well.
In the divisional round and the NFC title game, the Falcons blitzed more often than they had in the regular season. But against the Patriots, they sent five or more rushers just 7.2 percent of the time.
Atlanta relied on its front four, and that formula worked until late in the game. The Falcons’ defense clearly fatigued down the stretch, having played 93 snaps.
Getting pressure with four players is crucial against the game’s top quarterbacks. The Seahawks’ pass-rush was a strength in 2016 with Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett and Frank Clark. But depth should still be a priority.
The area that the Seahawks have had the most success in free agency is the defensive line. It’d be no surprise to see them add a pass-rusher or two if they can find value.
Great running teams put games away.
The Falcons gashed the Patriots on the ground in the first half, but in the third and fourth quarters, Atlanta totaled just 18 yards on nine carries.
Much has been made about the fact the Falcons ran the ball just five times after they took a 28-3 lead, but that is a misleading number. They ran just 16 total plays, and four of those (all passes) were on the final drive when time was running out. Really, it was seven passes and five runs.
Having said that, it’s completely fair to question Atlanta’s play-calls late in the fourth quarter when a sack and holding penalty took the Falcons out of field-goal range.
If the Falcons had been able to run the ball effectively in the second half and strung together some first downs, the Patriots probably wouldn’t have had enough time to come back.
Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell have said often that they don’t care about the idea of establishing the run. Their preference is for balance, but they want to be able to pound the ball when they have leads late in games.
That didn’t happen in 2016. Seattle averaged 2.75 YPC in the fourth quarter (29th) and totaled 327 rushing yards in the final 15 minutes (23rd).
From 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks ran for 2,544 yards in the fourth quarter (tops in the NFL) and averaged 4.16 YPC (fifth).
Even if their offensive identity is changing, the Seahawks need to be able to wear teams down late with their run game. Look for that to be a focus in the spring when the team returns to practice.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — True to form, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick took a moment in his Monday news conference to point out that his franchise is now working from a disadvantage and must try to catch up to the rest of the league in planning for the 2017 season.
“As great as today is, in all honesty, we’re five weeks behind 30 teams in the league in preparing for the 2017 season,” Belichick said.
The statement drew chuckles from the audience, considering Belichick and the Patriots had just won their fifth Super Bowl in epic comeback fashion. But Belichick is correct. Many teams around the league have already begun planning for free agency and the NFL draft. And though the Patriots’ personnel department has certainly been doing its share of preparation, the coaching staff was game planning.
Still, the trade-off of five weeks of studying potential draftees and free agents for a Super Bowl victory is one the rest of the league would happily make. Which brings us to the San Francisco 49ers.
New 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is taking over a team that is likely to soon be without a quarterback under contract, with Colin Kaepernick expected to opt out of his deal. Tim Warner/Getty Images
What’s worse, they don’t have the benefit of a Lombardi Trophy to make the extra hours of playing catch-up go faster. That isn’t to say the 49ers should regret doing what they did. What it does mean is there’s a whole lot of work in front of Shanahan and Lynch as they begin the process of rebuilding the 49ers.
“I am very excited to dedicate myself to the process that lies ahead,” Shanahan said in a statement Monday. “The first step in that process is identifying talented individuals who love the game of football as much as John and I do — coaches, players and staff. We are looking for individuals who work hard and are dedicated to doing things the right way, always in the best interest of the team. Most importantly, we want to give our fans a team they can be proud of on and off the field.”
There are plenty of tasks, both big and small, ahead for Shanahan & Co., but for now, here’s a look at the three most pressing issues they must address:
1. Hire a staff
Because it wasn’t exactly a well-kept secret that he would become the 49ers’ coach, Shanahan had some time to ponder what his coaching staff might look like. In fact, it’s safe to assume he floated some names to the Niners and Lynch at their second interview in Atlanta, allowing them to begin working through the appropriate channels.
Expect Shanahan to start putting his staff in place this week and to potentially get most of it done by the end of the week. Chances are there will be some holdovers, with outside linebackers coach Jason Tarver, secondary coach Jeff Hafley and running backs coach Tom Rathman expected to return in some capacity.
Perhaps of most importance will be what happens at defensive coordinator. Shanahan is known for his offensive background, and the Niners had the worst defense in the league in a number of categories last season. FoxSports.com reported Sunday that Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores could be in the mix for the job, NFL Network mentioned former Jaguars linebackers coach Robert Saleh, and the Sporting News offered Falcons defensive passing game coordinator Jerome Henderson as an option. Jim O’Neil, who was the Niners’ defensive coordinator in 2016, worked with Shanahan in Cleveland.
As for the personnel department, Lynch already hired Adam Peters as his vice president of player personnel, but other changes could be in the offing.
Regardless, with a first-time head coach and a first-time general manager, hiring top-notch coaches and talent evaluators will be of the utmost importance in the days and weeks to come.
2. Prepare for free agency and the trade market with an eye on a quarterback
When all is said and done, the Niners figure to have upward of $80 million in salary-cap space when the new league year begins in March. They’re going to need it, given the roster holes that need to be filled.
First and foremost, Shanahan will have to figure out what direction he wants to go at quarterback. Colin Kaepernick is still expected to opt out of his contract, which would leave the team with no signal-callers under contract for 2017.
One of Shanahan’s career hallmarks has been his ability to get the most out of his quarterbacks. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported over the weekend that Shanahan would like to bring veteran Matt Schaub with him to San Francisco. Schaub would be a good mentor for whomever else the Niners bring in because of his knowledge of Shanahan’s system.
Like most decision-makers, Shanahan and Lynch will want to put much of their attention on building through the draft. The good news for them is they have the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s selection process. They’ll have to start diving into college tape right away.
The NFL scouting combine is set to begin at the end of the month, and college pro days will follow. Perhaps the team will opt for a quarterback there, but in what’s expected to be a class without a clear-cut top option at the position, the Niners will have to do a lot of homework on anyone they might consider.
