Rams CBs coach: Sam Shields has 'unbelievable skill set,' fits defense well

[Prime Time]

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/20...ch-sam-shields-otas-aqib-talib-marcus-peters/

Rams CBs coach: Sam Shields has 'unbelievable skill set,' fits defense well
By: Cameron DaSilva

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWSxbwGxsIg

With all the additions the Los Angeles Rams have made this offseason, it’s easy to overlook one particular signing in the secondary. Sam Shields, who hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2016 season, was brought in as a low-risk free agent at cornerback.

In his prime, Shields was one of the better cornerbacks in the NFC for the Packers, but repeated concussions forced him to take nearly two full years off from football. He’s looking to bounce back in a big way this season with the Rams, disproving those who didn’t think he’d play another down in the NFL.

John Johnson already said in OTAs that Shields is one of the fastest players he’s ever seen, and cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant had equally good things to say about the veteran corner.

“Sam has an unbelievable skill set that really matches for what we want to do, and you better believe I’ll have the best on the field,” he said. “We make a joke and say, ‘Everybody’s gonna eat.’ The best thing for them is just to make sure that they stay process driven, and not results.”

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

It’s unclear how much Shields will actually see the field in 2018, but it sounds like he’s on the right track so far. He joins a secondary that also features Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Nickell Robey-Coleman, the latter of whom primarily plays the slot.

As for how Pleasant will handle the two boundary cornerback spots, that remains to be seen. Peters and Talib both played on the left side with their previous teams, but only one can hold down that spot in L.A.

“I said, ‘that will take care of itself.’ We do some matchup things. We do some left and some right. I will flip them both.

“Honestly, one of the things I really try to adapt to as a coach is making my players feel very uncomfortable during practice. No matter if it’s me being in their head, making sure that they’re constantly tapped in … because I really believe if you feel uncomfortable in practice, it’ll make you feel very comfortable in a game.”

It goes without saying that the Rams’ secondary is going to be fun to watch this season.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Man... if he’s able to play at the level he has...

Katy bar the door.

 

[ramfan46]

With all of the additions in FA you forget about Shields. Great place to be in where you can ease him back into playing time and also putting him in favorable match ups. If he's a dime back, he's gonna match up well on any team's 4th WR. Can't say enough about the the job the front office has done in revamping the secondary this year.

 

[Loyal]

I think Shields is an incredible talent, but he is as strong as his weakest attribute, That skull is fragile for some reason, and that scares me for him, in this sport.

 

[den-the-coach]

Protect the Shield....Keep him healthy.

 

[Loyal]

Protect the Shield....Keep him healthy.

We need the Rams version of this for Sam Shields....

 

[den-the-coach]

I think Shields is an incredible talent, but he is as strong as his weakest attribute, That skull is fragile for some reason, and that scares me for him, in this sport.

In all the years I played, Pop Warner (Tackle back then) high school, Air Force & College never suffered one concussion, but I was coached well never to lead with the head, however, sometimes it just happens. I'm concerned with Shields too and really not counting on him because of the history, so if he is able to play, then great.

 

[Prime Time]

https://www.packersnews.com/story/s...s-could-threaten-sam-shields-career/90493634/

Concussions could threaten Sam Shields' career
Ryan Wood, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin/Sept. 16, 2016

GREEN BAY - It’s more than the sheer volume of Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields’ concussion history that could threaten his career.

Shields wasn’t “blown up” in a high-speed, open-field collision Sunday. His helmet didn’t slam against the field. There was no blindside hit. No unexpected whiplash.

The fifth documented concussion of Shields’ football career came on a hard but routine tackle. His head collided against Jacksonville running back T.J. Yeldon’s shoulder, a softer blow than his helmet.

There is no “magic number” for football players to know when it’s time to walk away, Dr. Vernon Williams of the Kerlan-Jobe Center for Sports Neurology told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. More troubling, Williams said, is a pattern that develops with each subsequent brain injury.

“If we see a pattern where each concussion takes longer to get better,” Williams said, “the symptoms are more severe, or if we see a pattern where a person is more and more easily concussed. Like, if the first time it takes a big blow, an 80-G impact, a kickoff return where a person gets blown up and everybody in the stadium notices it. And then before long, there’s just kind of a routine hit, or a routine fall to the ground, and the person is concussed.

“If we see a pattern where it’s happening more and more easily, that’s concerning.”

Williams, a consulting team physician with the Los Angeles Rams, said he “absolutely” has advised professional athletes to end their career because of concussions.

There’s no way to know Shields’ thinking after Sunday's concussion, though retirement would be a tough decision. At age 28, he is in the third season of a four-year, $39 million contract. He would keep his salary this season if he retired because of injury, but pass on $9 million owed next fall.

Regardless, Shields has an extensive concussion history that might force him to consider his future in football. With evidence linking concussions — and even subconcussive blows — to chronic traumatic encephalopathy in retired NFL players, the seventh-year cornerback faces tough questions about his long-term health.

Dr. Andrew Russman, a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic’s Cerebrovascular Center, said he’s willing to weigh those questions with any athlete who experienced multiple concussions.

“It does happen,” Russman said, “but I think it should be concerning. We should be concerned about people with multiple concussions. We should be concerned because there’s worry about the long-term issues. So I think it’s not unreasonable to be concerned. It seems strange not to be worried or concerned about it.”

The severity of Shields’ concussions have varied. In 2014, he returned from the protocol without missing a game. After smacking his head against Lambeau Field’s frozen tundra last December against the Dallas Cowboys, Shields missed more than a month.

A select few know the severity of Shields’ latest concussion, and they won’t discuss it. Shields, who trotted off the field without assistance but did not return Sunday, is off limits to the media while in the protocol. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, declined to return an email Friday morning.

It’s hard to imagine Shields returning before the Packers’ bye week at the end of this month. He was listed as doubtful for this week’s game in Minnesota on Friday’s injury report.

“Any time any of our players is in the protocol and dealing with a concussion, it’s a concern,” coach Mike McCarthy said this week. “That’s why we’ll evaluate Sam each and every day, and most importantly to make sure he’s healthy and goes through the challenges of what he’s dealing with.

“We definitely are aware of his history, and that will factor in on how we move forward.”

Each brain injury is an island to itself, Russman said. A fifth concussion’s symptoms can be less severe than the fourth. A player is at higher risk of a concussion in the week to 10 days following injury, which is why NFL teams are expected to use caution before returning to the field.

Because Shields’ most recent concussion came within a year of the one before, Russman said, his symptoms could be worse. Russman said the volume of Shields’ concussion history makes him more at risk to have further concussions in the future.

“Having more concussions is associated with having a risk of future concussions,” Russman said. “It’s associated with having more symptoms if you have a future concussion. So in that way, you can think of it like prior concussion synthesizes us to future concussion, and it makes it more likely to happen again, and it makes it more likely for the symptoms to be more bothersome.”

Russman said Shields’ concussions don’t prevent him from playing this season. The Packers certainly intend on their top cornerback returning to the field. Their secondary would suffer a massive loss without him.

So the Packers will wait and see. They will consider Shields’ concussion history. They will hope he can return to the field, eventually.

There is no hurry, but the threat to Shields’ career becomes more ominous as time passes. If not this concussion, Shields is statistically at greater risk of suffering another, more severe injury to his brain. At some point, he might have to decide whether it’s time to walk away.

“It doesn’t matter how tough you are,” Williams said, “if you’re the starter or second- or third-stringer, or if this is the first quarter or fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, or a preseason practice. Your brain doesn’t know. So when those injuries occur, we have to respect all of them. Every single one of them is important and serious.”

 

[Psycho_X]

Man... if he’s able to play at the level he has...

Katy bar the door.

I am reallllly looking forward to seeing it. The thought of a dime package with Talib, Peters, NRC, Shields, Johnson, and Joyner... I can't think of a more talented backfield of DBs in a dime package ever. With this offense primed to be better than they were last year as the #1 offense this defense will have plenty of opportunities to play with a lead and humiliate offenses. Going to be fun.

 

[fearsomefour]

He just needs some of that magic Brady water.

 

[Loyal]

He just needs some of that magic Brady water.

NANOBUBBLES, you SUMBICH! ~Russell Wilson

 

[Classic Rams]

If he can keep from getting hit in the head it sounds like we may have found a gem.

 

[fanotodd]

Sure, he looks great now, but my concern starts when the pads come on. He seems to be at that point where he might get concussed without contact to the head. If that is in fact the case...and it happens, then he has to hang up his cleats.

I would just hate to see something severe or debilitating occur on our watch. I mean, 2 years off? It's not like a broken bone or blown knee that heal over time or can be strengthened through rehab. If it took 2 years to "clear his head", just how fragile is his condition now?

 

[Ram65]

John Johnson already said in OTAs that Shields is one of the fastest players he’s ever seen, and cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant had equally good things to say about the veteran corner.

Hope he stays healthy first and foremost.

Keeping his speed is a real good thing as he turns 31 this coming December.

It’s unclear how much Shields will actually see the field in 2018, but it sounds like he’s on the right track so far. He joins a secondary that also features Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Nickell Robey-Coleman, the latter of whom primarily plays the slot.

I've been wondering how much PT Shields will get. He will play Dime over Hill and gives the Rams insurance for injury. Could be a lot of Dime defense as the Rams create a lot of 2nd/3rd and long situations.

 

[LesBaker]

Man... if he’s able to play at the level he has...

Katy bar the door.

Heavy pressure up the middle and a star laden secondary is going to be a real issue for OC's.

They will have to keep help in, they can't just use 5 guys, they will have to use six. That reduces the amount of players they can deploy to move the ball and score. On most plays the D will only have to account for 4 players.

Think about that. It's going to be 4 against 6 or 7 pretty often.

The fifth documented concussion of Shields’ football career

It's definitely a big concern but after that much time off he's probably in good shape. Hopefully he can avoid any more problems.

 

[DR RAM]

In all the years I played, Pop Warner (Tackle back then) high school, Air Force & College never suffered one concussion, but I was coached well never to lead with the head, however, sometimes it just happens. I'm concerned with Shields too and really not counting on him because of the history, so if he is able to play, then great.

That's incredible. I've haven't heard many people say that. I was well coached, too, but I still suffered a few concussions. I'd say you were lucky to some extent, because you can't always control how you get them. Hitting the ground, or turf now, which is worse, or getting ear-holed by some asshole.

 

[badnews]

I got a concussion on my 1st play, 2nd game in Jr highschool. I was blindsided by an enormous dudes shoulder on kickoff coverage.
Not too long later my older brother knocked me out. We had bought kickboxing pads at a garage sale haha...
Actually I had another football related "dinger" in a late night flag football game on the Missouri State field..
I think there are a lot of factors but some of us are just more prone, unfortunately.

 

[den-the-coach]

That's incredible. I've haven't heard many people say that. I was well coached, too, but I still suffered a few concussions.

Playing Center & Deep Snapping I was lucky a few close calls, that they said were not, but I did see stars on a few occasions, so who knows back then? Maybe that's why I had to take College Calc three times.

 

[DR RAM]

Playing Center & Deep Snapping I was lucky a few close calls, that they said were not, but I did see starts on a few occasions, so who knows back then? Maybe that's why I had to take College Calc three times.

Position, and repetitions count as to how many opportunities, you may have to suffer a concussion. You were still very lucky. Lots of concussion opportunities playing special teams.

 

[DR RAM]

I got a concussion on my 1st play, 2nd game in Jr highschool. I was blindsided by an enormous dudes shoulder on kickoff coverage.
Not too long later my older brother knocked me out. We had bought kickboxing pads at a garage sale haha...
Actually I had another football related "dinger" in a late night flag football game on the Missouri State field..
I think there are a lot of factors but some of us are just more prone, unfortunately.

Yeah, I had a few non-football concussions also. Boys will be boys. I fell off a cabinet and broke my head open on a metal vacuum, anyone remember those. I also knocked myself out, one time, ice skating. Lol. I don't know if "prone to" counts in those situations, but I think it's been proven, like may illnesses, or traumas, once you suffer a couple, you do get more prone to whatever it is.