NFL DRAFT: Secondary first
1:19 AM 4/25/04
Jason Wilde Wisconsin State Journal

GREEN BAY - Mike Sherman wasn't ready to say the infamous fourth-and-26 failure played on his mind during Saturday's first day of the NFL draft. <

The Green Bay Packers coach and general manager perhaps would have used the team's first-round pick and three third-round selections on three defensive players and a punter anyway. <

But by choosing Arkansas cornerback Ahmad Carroll in the first round (25th overall) and Montana State cornerback Joey Thomas (70th), Clemson defensive tackle Donnell Washington (72nd) and Ohio State punter B.J. Sander (87th) in the third round, Sherman - consciously or subconsciously - did his best to rectify what had happened three months ago in the NFC divisional playoffs. <

"It's not one play. The season, the team, positions of strength and weakness, how the draft fell to us - you're going to take players based on a lot of reasons," Sherman said. "I've tried to wipe that (play) out of my mind. But maybe in some indirect way, it maybe contributed at some point." <

To relive the painful memory: The Packers had a 17-14 lead on the Philadelphia Eagles when Sherman elected to punt the ball away rather than go for a first down on fourth-and-1 from the Philadelphia 41-yard line with less than 3 minutes left in regulation. Punter Josh Bidwell then failed to pin the Eagles deep, kicking a touchback that helped undo Sherman's strategy. <

Still, it would have worked if not for the coup de grace, on which the defense allowed Donovan McNabb to complete a 28-yard pass to Freddie Mitchell with 1:12 to play to set up the tying field goal. The Packers then lost in overtime, 20-17. <

Carroll said he saw the fourth-and-26 play on television, and he hasn't forgotten it. <

"You know, we're not going to let that happen this year," Carroll said from his home in Atlanta. "We can't dwell on the past. It's a new day and it's a new year and that's my job to go out there and ... see if I can put my team in fourth-and-40 situation instead of fourth-and-26." <

With Carroll and Thomas, the Packers boldly attacked an area of need which became more dire when starting left cornerback Mike McKenzie demanded a trade earlier this month. Both Carroll and Thomas played aggressive, bump-and-run man coverage in college, which Sherman said was a high priority. <

"I think we all know, if we can't get off the field on third down, we're not going to win," vice president of football operations Mark Hatley said. "So, the more cover guys you can get, the more pass-rushers you can get, the better." <

Sherman said the 5-foot-10 Carroll's speed - he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds - separated him from Ohio State cornerback Chris Gamble, who is taller (6-foot-1) but ran a slower 40 time (4.55 seconds). Sherman said Carroll was the second-rated cornerback on the Packers' board, behind Virginia Tech's DeAngelo Hall, who went to Atlanta with the eighth pick. Gamble went to Carolina with the 28th pick. <

"I felt like if (Carroll) had went back for his senior year he might have been a top-10 player," said Sherman, who has used 10 of the Packers' last 13 draft picks on defensive players. <

After taking Carroll, the Packers went into "Let's Make A Deal" mode. For the third consecutive draft, Sherman traded away the Packers' second-round pick, sending the No. 55 overall selection to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a third-round pick (70th overall) and a fourth-round pick (102nd). The Packers then used the No. 70 pick on Thomas. <

By trading down, the Packers missed out on several defensive linemen (Alabama end Antwan Odom, LSU end Marquise Hill and Florida State tackle Darnell Dockett) and two defensive backs (Georgia safety Sean Jones and Pitt corner Shawntae Spencer). But Thomas was still there, which was all that mattered to the Packers, since Hatley said they would have likely taken Thomas at No. 55 had they stayed put. <

The Packers then traded their own third-round pick (No. 86 overall) and their own fourth-round pick (No. 118) back to the Jaguars for the 72nd overall pick, which they used to take Washington, who Sherman and Hatley said could potentially play power end as well as eagle tackle. <

Then, they traded their remaining fourth-round pick (No. 102) and their fifth-round pick (153rd overall) to Miami for the 87th overall pick, which they used on Sander. <

"I feel it was a good first day," said Sherman, whose team has just three picks today - one in the sixth round and two in the seventh. <

"We've really protected ourselves and our defensive backs, which I thought needed some protection. As you see around the league, it's hard to find corners, and I think we got two today that can play. They're certainly young and need to be coached up, but I think we can get that taken care of."

Losman slips away
Had the Buffalo Bills not traded up to take Tulane quarterback J.P. Losman with the 22nd pick in the first round of the NFL draft Saturday, the Green Bay Packers would have had a difficult decision to make when they went on the clock three picks later. <

Although Packers coach and general manager Mike Sherman eluded the question of whether he would have taken Losman or Arkansas cornerback Ahmad Carroll with the 25th pick had Losman still been available, team sources said the Packers likely would have taken Losman. <

The Bills sent their second-round pick (43rd overall), their fifth-round pick (144th overall) and their first-round pick in the 2005 draft to Dallas for the Cowboys' first-round pick to take Losman. Seattle then took Texas defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs with the 23rd pick, St. Louis took Oregon State running back Steven Jackson with the 24th and the Packers took Carroll at No. 25. <

So once again, despite all the talk about the Packers possibly drafting the heir apparent to three-time NFL MVP Brett Favre, it didn't happen. <

Asked directly if he would have chosen Carroll or Losman had both been available, Sherman replied coyly, "I didn't have that choice, so I'm not going to share that with you at this time because I didn't have that choice. If I had that choice, it would have been a tough call because I like Losman. But I like Carroll, too, because I think Carroll can impact our team immediately. But I did like Losman, there's no question about that." <

Buffalo apparently knew that. Although neither general manager Tom Donahoe nor coach Mike Mularkey said it specifically, it was clear the Bills knew they had to get ahead of Green Bay and St. Louis to get Losman. <

"It's a gamble that you take," Donahoe told reporters in Buffalo. "From our research and how we felt about it, we didn't want to take that chance (of waiting)." <

Losman said after the Bills used the 13th pick on University of Wisconsin wide receiver Lee Evans, he thought he'd end up in Green Bay or St. Louis. <

"Everyone's been telling me this Green Bay- and St. Louis-type thing, so I was kind of shaky and I didn't know," Losman said. "But when Buffalo traded up with Dallas, my eyes kind of opened up and my heart started pounding and then they called my name." <

Had the Packers gotten Losman, they would have ceased their pursuit of Cleveland Browns quarterback Tim Couch. Sherman said the Packers did not have any direct conversations with Couch or the Browns Saturday, but that they did have "indirect" talks about Couch, whom they have been courting for several weeks. <

"We're not able to connect with (Couch) directly," Sherman said. "But we're talking. Whether it works out or not, I don't know. We have to get it worked out with Cleveland and with him, so it's taking awhile - longer than I would like it to." <

The Packers and Browns have agreed on compensation for Couch - a 2005 fifth-round pick that would escalate if Couch met certain playing-time incentives - but talks with Couch's agent, Tom Condon, are ongoing. Condon has been busy with No. 1 overall pick Eli Manning, who was selected by San Diego Saturday but traded to the New York Giants.

Notes: Price is right for punter
The Green Bay Packers may not have found the heir apparent to quarterback Brett Favre in Saturday's NFL draft, but they did get themselves a new punter - albeit at a hefty price. <

After allowing veteran Josh Bidwell to leave via free agency and sign with Tampa Bay last month, the Packers drafted Ohio State punter B.J. Sander with the third of three third-round picks (No. 87 overall). But to do so, the Packers had to trade their fourth-round (No. 102) and fifth-round (No. 153) picks to Miami. <

But Packers special teams coordinator John Bonamego said Sander was worth the price because the Packers thought he'd be taken by the time the 102nd pick came today. <

Sander, who won the Ray Guy Award last year after averaging 43.3 yards per punt for the Buckeyes, will have mild competition from Travis Dorsch in training camp, but at the price the Packers paid for him, one would have to assume he'll be the guy. <

"I think when you're looking at needs and you have somebody who has an opportunity and the potential to come in and be an impact player, that's going to fill a need for a number of years, (you do it)," Bonamego said of Sander, who is the highest-drafted Packers punter since Ray Stachowicz was picked in the third round in 1981. "I guess time will tell." <

The biggest question about Sander is his lack of experience. He couldn't beat out incumbent Andy Groom and didn't take over the punting job until his senior year, once Groom graduated. <

"When (Ohio State) switched coaches, coach (Jim) Tressel liked Groom's style a little bit better," Sander said. "I had to go back and figure out what he liked about Groom that he didn't like about me and work on that."

Mano a mano
The Packers were drawn to first-round pick Ahmad Carroll of Arkansas and third-round pick Joey Thomas of Montana State because both cornerbacks played extensive bump-and-run, man-to-man coverage in college and have good speed. In new defensive coordinator Bob Slowik's scheme, the corners will play more aggressive press coverage instead of off-the-line. <

"We are going to be up in people's faces more than a lot of teams," Slowik said. <

And that's just fine with Carroll and Thomas. Thomas, in fact, said the Packers made it very clear to him how important man coverage is, both in his pre-draft visit to Green Bay and in the Packers' call to him when he was drafted. <

"Oh yeah, (bump-and-run) was definitely stressed," Thomas said. "I've been a man/bump-and-run corner my whole life, so things just kind of worked out perfect."

Slim pickings
The Packers only have three picks today - the sixth-round choice (No. 188) they got from Dallas for Terry Glenn and two seventh-round picks (Nos. 226 and 251). Sherman said the Packers would like to acquire a fourth- or fifth-round pick to use today, but that seems unlikely. <

"I would like to, but I don't know if we'll be able to. We don't have a lot of firepower unless we do something with (picks for) next year," Sherman said. "That's always a possibility." <

Contact Jason Wilde at jwilde@madison.com or 252-6176.