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Welker opens door for skilled Swain
The rookie is neither big nor fast, but he has feel for game
By Pete Dougherty • pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com • May 4, 2008
At first blush, probably the most puzzling pick of the Green Bay Packers' draft was the selection of receiver Brett Swain in the seventh round.
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General Manager Ted Thompson had supplemented a deep receiving corps with his first pick, No. 36 overall early in the second round, with Kansas State's Jordy Nelson. He joins starters Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, and backups James Jones, Koren Robinson and Ruvell Martin for what appears to be a strong, six-deep unit.
Why spend a draft pick on another receiver who faces long odds to make the roster?
It was Thompson's shot at an underrated prospect who he and his scouts think, in a best-case scenario, could develop into something like Wes Welker, the former undrafted rookie who has blossomed into a premier slot receiver for the New England Patriots.
"He's a little bit taller and bigger than Welker, though I'm not trying to compare him. Wes Welker is an outstanding professional football player," Thompson said. "(But Swain) is a very good route runner, he's very good at understanding where he is in space, understanding when he's open, when he's not, how to run routes, how to set up defenders. The more tape we watched, the more we liked him. We think he's got a chance."
There are some similarities between Welker and Swain. Foremost, both are on the small side, and neither was considered much of a pro prospect coming out of college. Welker was highly productive at Texas Tech, but was only 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in a pedestrian 4.6 seconds. Swain is a little bigger at 6-0 and 200, but he wasn't invited to the NFL scouting combine, and scouts gave him an estimated time in the 40 of 4.65 seconds going into the offseason. Only after running the 40 in 4.41 seconds at his campus workout in March did he get on teams' radars.
For now, Swain is just a low draft pick trying to make a team, while the extraordinarily quick-footed Welker tied for the league lead in receptions last season with 112. That, only three years after the San Diego Chargers signed him in 2004 as an undrafted rookie, then cut him after one game.
Later that season, Welker excelled as a returner for Miami, which gradually integrated him into the offense over the next two seasons. Last year, New England coach Bill Belichick gave up a second-round draft pick to make him a critical piece in the NFL's best offense as a slot receiver, where Welker used his quickness to get open for short completions that he often turned into nice gains with his dynamic runs.
"Wes Welker has done wonders for guys like me getting drafted and getting guys more looks," Swain said this weekend during a break in the Packers' rookie orientation camp. "Before Wes Welker (it was like), 'Who's that white kid from San Diego State?' Well, Wes Welker kind of put us on the map."
At San Diego State, Swain played primarily out of the slot in an offense that included two other draft picks this year: quarterback Kevin O'Connell (third round to New England) and receiver Chaz Schilenz (to Oakland, nine picks after the Packers drafted Swain).
Schilenz looked far more the pro prospect on paper because of his measurables: He's 6-4 and 208, and at San Diego State's pro day, he ran the 40 in 4.38 seconds and had a 43-inch vertical jump. But Schilenz had a hamstring injury in 2006 and foot injury in 2007 that limited his playing time, and Swain was the team's leading receiver those years, with an average of 11.2 yards on 47 catches as a junior and 16.8 yards on 58 receptions last year.
"They're going to like him, especially working out of the slot," said San Diego State coach Chuck Long, a former NFL quarterback for the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. "There are guys out there that are very fast but don't know a lot about running routes. Brett separates himself by knowing the art of route running."
Swain's receivers coach in college, LeCharles McDaniel, likened Swain to a player he coached for one season with the Arizona Cardinals, Ricky Proehl. Proehl (6-0, 190), a third-round draft pick in 1990 who played a remarkable 17 seasons in the NFL, was built similarly to Swain and ran the 40 in 4.49 seconds.
"He really reminds me of Ricky a lot," McDaniel said. "He has good feet, can create with his feet, not a 4.3 guy but he runs 4.4."
Still, even if Swain was the Packers' sleeper pick this year, he faces a competitive battle just to make the team. Teams rarely, if ever, keep more than six receivers on their final roster. However, by drafting Swain ,the Packers signaled they will give him more than a fair look.
Swain might get a shot returning punts — he did so late last season for the first time in his career, and averaged 8.8 yards on 10 returns — and has asked to play on coverage teams, as well.
"That's a way I can get my foot in the door and learn behind all the great receivers they have here," Swain said. "I made that a point to the special-teams coaches. If I'm not a returner, make me something else. Get me down there making tackles. I want to do anything I possibly can to help this team."
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/PKR01/805040636/1058/PKR01
The rookie is neither big nor fast, but he has feel for game
By Pete Dougherty • pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com • May 4, 2008
At first blush, probably the most puzzling pick of the Green Bay Packers' draft was the selection of receiver Brett Swain in the seventh round.
Advertisement
General Manager Ted Thompson had supplemented a deep receiving corps with his first pick, No. 36 overall early in the second round, with Kansas State's Jordy Nelson. He joins starters Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, and backups James Jones, Koren Robinson and Ruvell Martin for what appears to be a strong, six-deep unit.
Why spend a draft pick on another receiver who faces long odds to make the roster?
It was Thompson's shot at an underrated prospect who he and his scouts think, in a best-case scenario, could develop into something like Wes Welker, the former undrafted rookie who has blossomed into a premier slot receiver for the New England Patriots.
"He's a little bit taller and bigger than Welker, though I'm not trying to compare him. Wes Welker is an outstanding professional football player," Thompson said. "(But Swain) is a very good route runner, he's very good at understanding where he is in space, understanding when he's open, when he's not, how to run routes, how to set up defenders. The more tape we watched, the more we liked him. We think he's got a chance."
There are some similarities between Welker and Swain. Foremost, both are on the small side, and neither was considered much of a pro prospect coming out of college. Welker was highly productive at Texas Tech, but was only 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in a pedestrian 4.6 seconds. Swain is a little bigger at 6-0 and 200, but he wasn't invited to the NFL scouting combine, and scouts gave him an estimated time in the 40 of 4.65 seconds going into the offseason. Only after running the 40 in 4.41 seconds at his campus workout in March did he get on teams' radars.
For now, Swain is just a low draft pick trying to make a team, while the extraordinarily quick-footed Welker tied for the league lead in receptions last season with 112. That, only three years after the San Diego Chargers signed him in 2004 as an undrafted rookie, then cut him after one game.
Later that season, Welker excelled as a returner for Miami, which gradually integrated him into the offense over the next two seasons. Last year, New England coach Bill Belichick gave up a second-round draft pick to make him a critical piece in the NFL's best offense as a slot receiver, where Welker used his quickness to get open for short completions that he often turned into nice gains with his dynamic runs.
"Wes Welker has done wonders for guys like me getting drafted and getting guys more looks," Swain said this weekend during a break in the Packers' rookie orientation camp. "Before Wes Welker (it was like), 'Who's that white kid from San Diego State?' Well, Wes Welker kind of put us on the map."
At San Diego State, Swain played primarily out of the slot in an offense that included two other draft picks this year: quarterback Kevin O'Connell (third round to New England) and receiver Chaz Schilenz (to Oakland, nine picks after the Packers drafted Swain).
Schilenz looked far more the pro prospect on paper because of his measurables: He's 6-4 and 208, and at San Diego State's pro day, he ran the 40 in 4.38 seconds and had a 43-inch vertical jump. But Schilenz had a hamstring injury in 2006 and foot injury in 2007 that limited his playing time, and Swain was the team's leading receiver those years, with an average of 11.2 yards on 47 catches as a junior and 16.8 yards on 58 receptions last year.
"They're going to like him, especially working out of the slot," said San Diego State coach Chuck Long, a former NFL quarterback for the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. "There are guys out there that are very fast but don't know a lot about running routes. Brett separates himself by knowing the art of route running."
Swain's receivers coach in college, LeCharles McDaniel, likened Swain to a player he coached for one season with the Arizona Cardinals, Ricky Proehl. Proehl (6-0, 190), a third-round draft pick in 1990 who played a remarkable 17 seasons in the NFL, was built similarly to Swain and ran the 40 in 4.49 seconds.
"He really reminds me of Ricky a lot," McDaniel said. "He has good feet, can create with his feet, not a 4.3 guy but he runs 4.4."
Still, even if Swain was the Packers' sleeper pick this year, he faces a competitive battle just to make the team. Teams rarely, if ever, keep more than six receivers on their final roster. However, by drafting Swain ,the Packers signaled they will give him more than a fair look.
Swain might get a shot returning punts — he did so late last season for the first time in his career, and averaged 8.8 yards on 10 returns — and has asked to play on coverage teams, as well.
"That's a way I can get my foot in the door and learn behind all the great receivers they have here," Swain said. "I made that a point to the special-teams coaches. If I'm not a returner, make me something else. Get me down there making tackles. I want to do anything I possibly can to help this team."
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/PKR01/805040636/1058/PKR01
