Maybe the Green Bay Packers are right: Let’s give Derek Sherrod a shot

Green Bay Packers Nation sat with its collective chin on the floor after we witnessed substitute right tackle Derek Sherrod seemingly single-handedly make a shambles of the Packers offense last Thursday night.

We saw him in one-on-one situations get beaten like a rented mule …

We saw him in one-on-one situations get beaten like a rented mule, helping the run game disappear and the pass game turn from promise to a safety after Aaron Rodgers fumbled into their own end zone.

Of course, we all remember the bad plays on the night and yes, Sherrod’s were doozies.

So bad was Sherrod on the night that Pro Football Focus graded him out overall at -6.9. He played 42 of the Packers’ 62 offensive snaps, ending the night by giving up 2 quarterback sacks and two quarterback hurries.

Out of the 67 tackles graded by the website after the first week of the season, Sherrod was #66 – ironically just behind his teammate from the other side – David Bakhtiari (-5.0). Only Gabe Carimi of the Atlanta Falcons graded out worse at -7.1.

Derek Sherrod didn’t play for three years after he was carted out of Arrowhead back in 2011.

You can bet Sherrod wasn’t tweeting his mother about his accomplishments, nor do we expect that he called her.

And while speculation across the Interweb has been that the Packers tried out several offensive linemen this week, none have been signed.

That’s a clear signal to Sherrod that Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy like him. But like everyone else, nobody really knows what he brings to the table as a longterm player.

He was thrust into a game against the world champions in that house of horrors known as CenturyLink Field. All that after starting his fourth season in Green Bay where he sat for most of the first three seasons recovering from a serious broken leg suffered in 2011.

No there isn’t any excuse that can cover Sherrod’s butt.

However, I tend to side with the Packers on this one. Bringing in another castoff body from another team isn’t Thompson’s modus operandi – especially after just one game.

Sherrod is nothing more than a four-year rookie. You’ve got to give him the opportunity to play into the position and hope he gives his best if indeed Bryan Bulaga misses two or three weeks.

With the New York Jets bringing another of the league’s best front sevens to Lambeau Field this week and Sherrod starts you know full well that they will do everything to test that side of the line.

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The Packers will no doubt bring a tight end to Sherrod’s aid and chip pass rushers with running backs. If he needs the help, the Packers coaches will certainly give him the help.

I don’t think Sherrod is a bust … he’s simply green. He will certainly have to continue to adjust his understanding of the speed he is facing and bring every skill he has in protecting Aaron Rodgers.

If he doesn’t do so this week, the Sherrod experiment may be over. If he does, McCarthy and Thompson will once again be donned with the genius crowns.

My hope is that they are being fitted for those crowns as I write this.