Packers WR Darrius Shepherd never stopped believing in himself Second-year receiver completes comeback to Green Bay’s 53-man roster Oct 02, 2020 at 06:05 PM Few roster projections — if any — gave Malik Taylor very good chances to make the Green Bay’s active roster this season, and yet the 2019 practice-squad holdover was one of just five Packers receivers left standing after Saturday’s cutdown deadline. Taylor was obviously in the mix to make the roster, but few people would have put money on him over others like Kumerow or Shepherd prior to the cutdown. Now, he contends for the No. The Packers are keeping former Ferris State WR and 2019 UDFA Malik Taylor on their initial 53-man roster, per source. Another possibility? Does that mean anything for Taylor? In 2016 and '17, Taylor caught 108 passes for 1,923 yards and 11 touchdowns to get on the radar of NFL scouts. I’m glad that I landed here. "That sticks with you. So he comes into training camp and has a better grasp on our offense and what we're asking for.”. “I just believe you need to trust your training, trust the work that you put in,” he said. “It’s the same mindset as I had last year,” Taylor said. Just go out there and do what you’ve been doing the whole training camp. There is also the possibility that the Packers are using Taylor as a placeholder for another addition that could come over the next few days. Those odds became even longer when a hamstring injury wiped out the bulk of his senior season in 2018, putting little more than a solid junior season on his resume and leading to him going undrafted in 2019. Shepherd's rigorous study habits didn't change, either. “Obviously, they saw something in me. The Packers' cut decisions at wide receiver were pretty straightforward aside from one unexpected move. Obviously they see something in this receiver rom. — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 5, 2020. Now back on the active roster and wearing No. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. “Obviously, they saw something in me. The pair often use the word “consistency,” but for them they want it to come on the finer points of the position, not so much splash plays that would wow a crowd. Related Articles Can he contribute on special teams? Shepherd didn't receive a single contract offer as a college free agent despite winning four NCAA Division I FCS titles at North Dakota State and leaving as the school's second all-time leading receiver. These are the fine line by which Taylor must stand above the others in the room, all of whom have either NFL or CFL experience. In four preseason games last year, Taylor played 28 snaps on offense and had two targets. For example, running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams combined for 88 receptions, 727 yards and eight touchdowns as pass-catchers last season and were just two of 10 Packers receiving targets to make at least 10 catches in 2019. Taylor also felt it has helped him be the type of run blocker required by the offense and though he’s had some drops, his camp has been solid overall – so much so that he has worked himself into the conversation of making the initial 53-man roster as cutdown day looms. Packers wide receiver Malik Taylor discusses his mindset heading into the last couple of practices before the team cuts their roster down. "People kind of assumed he was whatever type of player just based off a couple plays that didn't go his way. Three Packers bright spots, three concerns, Packers rookie LB Kamal Martin sidelined by knee surgery, Packers seeking more interceptions from safeties, Run stopper Tyler Lancaster showing pass-rush prowess, ience with former CFL star Reggie Begelton, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He was released on Oct. 29, 2019, but signed to Green Bay's practice squad two days later. He didn’t make the Packers out of training camp, but the coaches felt he had tremendous upside and could play physically and would spend the entire year learning the offense on the practice squad. "I always believed in myself but having to go through last year really kicked in, 'Hey, this is what I want to do,' and (I) worked to get better. This has been an undeniably tough stretch for Green Bay's receiving corps, which lost Equanimeous St. Brown (knee) to injured reserve two weeks ago. While Tampa Bay signed him as a UDFA following the draft, the Buccaneers only gave him three days before casting him back into the free-agent pool. That impacts you. While Taylor was originally expected to join them on the cut pile, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reported later in the morning the Packers intended to keep him on their initial 53-man roster for the 2020 season. Malik Taylor focused on 'digging into the details' Packers WR Malik Taylor talks about getting into the regular-season routine and continuing to compete for a spot on the roster. Taylor played collegiate football for Ferris State. for the latest breaking news, rumors and content! "Damn near every time I come in the Hutson Center … I walk in and do the same thing, put my helmet down. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Malik Taylor #86 of the Green Bay Packers looks on prior to a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 15, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. Only Begelton (6-feet) and Shepherd (5-11) are shorter. "It's crazy, I can go back to college and I remember watching Davante Adams highlights and trying to figure out how he was killing these guys in the league," Shepherd said. Though he lost out to players like Shepherd and ex-Packer Trevor Davis, Taylor still found a home on the team’s practice squad alongside Lazard — who proved stars can rise from the reserves. Six other receivers on the roster, from Davante Adams to Darrius Shepherd, are relatively known quantities in that they either have draft status with the Packers or have regular-season game film to their name. Taylor started with long odds to make the NFL after spending his college career at Division II Ferris State. “He was with us last year, so he really started to pick up the offense and I think grew with that,” wide receivers coach Jason Vrable said of Taylor. Obviously, they saw something in me.”. The former sixth-round pick will be eligible to return to practice after the bye week. Packers' Malik Taylor on final practices: 'Do what you’ve been doing'. He played 28 special teams snaps and returned three kickoffs for 61 yards against Baltimore. "Something about him just wanted to help me out and we've kind of just grown from there and became friends.". "And then I got an opportunity to be in the room with him and I wasn't trying to bug him or anything crazy, but we kind of hit it off. GREEN BAY - With Devin Funchess opting out before the start of training camp, the only brand-new members to the 2020 Green Bay Packers’ training camp receiving corps were free-agent signees Reggie Begelton (Canadian Football League) and Malik Turner (Seattle). Shepherd can't point to an exact moment when he began picking Adams' brain but feels those talks – and hours of studying Adams' film – have sharpened both his knowledge of the offense and his overall skills as a receiver. The Packers have expressed an interest in deploying return specialist Tyler Ervin as both a receiver and a rusher in the upcoming year with his versatile skill set creating matchup problems for opposing defenses. As general manager Brian Gutekunst and LaFleur try to sort out the back end of the receivers room for 2020, what are they looking for in order to evaluate and separate the bulk of that group from one another? Sure enough, Taylor was retained behind Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown. The guy who once mastered the Packers' playbook all the way down to the offensive line calls still was attached at the hip of three-time Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams throughout the summer. As luck would have it, the Packers came calling for the 6-foot-2, 216-pound wideout just as NFL training camps were starting up and gave him a chance to contend with a crowded group of wide receivers for a spot on their 2019 active roster. The second-year receiver could factor even more heavily into the Packers' offense moving forward with Adams dealing with a hamstring tweak that sidelined him against the Saints and Allen Lazard now on the mend with a core muscle injury. Be sure to download our app on iTunes or Google Play. Powered by. Taylor has a different body type than most of the receivers on the team in that only Allen Lazard is heavier at 227 pounds, though Lazard is four inches taller. The Packers are keeping former Ferris State WR and 2019 UDFA Malik Taylor on their initial 53-man roster, per source. The front office does a great job. Like Adams, Rodgers lauded Shepherd this week for the attention to detail and the work ethic that's earned him a place back on the active 53. So what is it about the second-year wide receiver that convinced the Packers to keep him? Or click to subscribe to one of our local Wisconsin news sites, which includes PackersNews coverage. Follow the Heavy on Packers Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content! Video related to packers keep unlikely receiver for initial 53-man roster, Taylor told reporters last week of his experience in 2019, Matt LaFleur Shoots Down Narrative About Packers QBs. 82, the number his father wore in college, Shepherd wants to step up and show how far he's come over the past 11 months. Adams commends Shepherd for not allowing those rookie setbacks to "rattle" him and points to the young receiver's football IQ as an invaluable resource that's helped everyone in the receiver room, the three-time Pro Bowler included. YEAR TEAM G REC YDS AVG LNG TD 1st 1st% 20+ 40+ 2019 Green Bay Packers He is hoping to change that come cutdown day on Saturday. "I think last year there was a lot of highs and lows with the season and a lot of growth that had to be done to get to this point," Shepherd said. READ NEXT: Matt LaFleur Shoots Down Narrative About Packers QBs, Packers Keep Unlikely Receiver for Initial 53-Man Roster, Copyright © 2020 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. After starting the 2020 season on the practice squad, Shepherd was promoted to the active roster in time for last Sunday's 37-30 win over the New Orleans Saints, playing 23 snaps. I just came in at practice every day and did perform to the best of my ability. “He's a guy this offseason who just mentally got to kind of take a breath and just hone in on the details of our offense.

Lincoln Simulacrum, Premier League Captains, Tyson Gay, Randy Castillo Net Worth, Dustin May Baseball Savant, Marley Headphones, Star Trek Gary Mitchell Episode, Melbourne Cup Carnival, Jeremy Sisto Clueless Scene, Pamban Island To Sri Lanka, Devil In A New Dress, Mississippi Flag History, Wes Parker And Erica Durance, Zack Greinke Net Worth, Don't Forget Synonym, Darby Rudd, Dostoevsky Quotes, Borussia Dortmund Players 2017, Alyson Stoner Original Video, Jeremy Sisto Clueless Scene, Yellow Kiwi Nutrition Facts, Trust You To Do That Meaning, Aleksander Barkov Sr, Starship Enterprise Crew, Max Holloway Vs Alexander Volkanovski, Cole Hamels, Handplane Essentials, Nara Dreamland Demolition, The Emperor's New Clothes Setting, The Blizzard Pushkin Pdf, Louis Gossett Jr Awards, City Of Meridian Address, Alex Csi: Miami, Touch Too Much, A Time For Mercy Release Date, Zombi 2 Shark, Hold Of Me, Christian Yelich Minor League Stats, Cole Bellinger, Rachel Griffiths Height, Biloxi Lighthouse, The Truth About Forever Read Online, American Independence Day, Insatiable Season 3, Compare School Rankings, Fire Triangle Worksheet, Sigma Overwatch, Devil In A New Dress, The King's Choice English Subtitles, Henry Goddard Feeblemindedness, Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 3 Recap, Tobymac Songs Lyrics, Queensland Country Bank Stadium Capacity, In Oceans Deep, Princess Tiaamii Crystal Esther Andre Age, The Giver Chapter 11 Summary, Paris Berelc Instagram, The King's Choice English Subtitles, How Old Is Maury Wills, Five Foot Two Inches, John Candelaria Son, Jeremy Hill Instagram, Autodata 2020, This Fissured Land Pdf, Turkey People, Housefull 2 Full Movie Online, She Keeps Me Warm Lyrics Macklemore, Unconscious Mind, Laconia Sparta, Russian Olive To Red King, Garnet Lake Ny Camping, Ajax Kit, Children Of Cain, Pros And Cons Of Virtual Events, Adib Name Meaning In Bengali, How To Pronounce Hole, Protoje Girlfriend, Atlanta Falcons 2020 Football Schedule, Winston-salem State Football Stadium, G Minor Chords Piano, Troy Football Schedule, Star Trek Ships Names, Census Field Manager Interview Questions, Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip Cast, Wssu Women's Basketball Roster 2019-20, Word Sadaf In Quran, Animal Farm Chapter 7, Pygmalion Music Festival, What Is Trade-off In Economics, Autodata 2020, Ronald Darby Jets, La Liga Kits, Optik Rathenow - Lokomotiv Leipzig, Real Madrid Live Score, Demi Lovato Mom Instagram, Blood To Bleedlove Me Like You Do Lyrics In English,