Green Bay Packers headcases: Ahmad Carroll

Trash-talking cornerbacks are a part of the rich fabric that makes football the most popular and exciting game of our era.

But fast-talking cover men that can’t back up their antagonizing ways by consistently shutting down opposing receivers not only have a very short shelf life, but typically incur the scorn of their fan base.

Such was the case of our latest “headcase,” Ahmad Carroll, who came onto the scene as a self-entitled first-round pick in 2004 that refused to refine the technical side of his game despite being blessed with remarkable physical tools.

The University of Arkansas product proved to be another ill-fated draft choice authored by Green Bay’s general manger/head coach at the time, Mike Sherman, who served as yet another example of why it’s rarely a good idea to give any NFL head coach the dual responsibility of evaluating college personnel and coaching it.

Sherman was undoubtedly intrigued by the SEC prospect’s 4.38 speed in the 40 along with his 41-inch vertical jump. Carroll wasn’t particularly tall at about five-foot-nine and change, but his 32-inch arms were likely a major factor that helped quell any size concerns on the part of the Packers’ front office.

It didn’t take long for Carroll’s deficiencies to be exposed, however, as quarterbacks took turns in targeting him due to his tendency to put his hands on his assigned receiver. The cantankerous defensive back, who could often could be seen jawing with his opponents or arguing with officials, was also susceptible to play fakes which led to him being caught out of position.

Fans and teammates alike took notice of Carroll’s poor play including 2004 third-round pick Joey Thomas, who let it be known that he deserved to be in the starting lineup over his colleague. He argued that Carroll’s first-round pedigree was the only thing that was preventing him from being benched.

The two reportedly confronted each other following a team meeting when Carroll attacked Thomas from behind.

Things quickly went south for both players and the entire Packers organization, for that matter, as a 10-6 record in 2004 turned into a 4-12 nightmare the following year.

On the field, Carroll’s game had more holes than a run-of-the-mill long-handle fishing net as his inability to play bump-and-run saw him assume a more tentative approach and play off his receivers. The Atlanta-born defender’s speed, moreover, was nullified by his poor ball-tracking skills.

It would stand to reason that any defender would tone down his guilty pleasure of taunting the opposition as the result of being called for 29 penalties in his first two years in the league. Instead Carroll continued to relish rubbing it into people’s faces on an interception return in which he strutted along the Atlanta Falcons’ sideline rather than block for his teammate advancing the ball in the other direction.

Practice sessions were just as frustrating for coach Sherman who found himself calling out his prized first-round gem for not only holding receivers, but also wrestling down Donald Driver when Carroll was instructed to touch down his teammates to avoid injuries.

But instead of seeing the error of his ways, Carroll was publicly obstinate when asked about his penalties following an early-season loss to Detroit in 2005.

He pointed out that veteran corner Al Harris would often “do the same things” he was being flagged for and “not get called” for them.

Carroll knew full well he was on thin ice once Mike McCarthy took over for Sherman in 2006. The beleaguered Packer began demonstrating a greater sense of accountability for his shortcomings, but that wasn’t enough to save him from being cut.

His personal Waterloo moment took place during a 31-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Carroll actually made some positive plays early on and even sacked Donovan McNabb on a well-executed blitz in the first half.

But things turned for the worse when got turned around and burned on pass plays of 31 and 23 yards by Reggie Brown along with setting up a second-half Eagles’ score with another of his pass-interference infractions, as documented by Tom Silverstein and Bob McGinn in the Journal Sentinel.

Defense & Fumbles

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The Packers had only played four games that year, but McCarthy and second-year GM Ted Thompson had seen enough and came to a consensus that it was better to see what other young corners had to offer rather than stick with No. 28 who showed no signs of improvement.

This notable first-round bust would go one to serve brief stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets, as well play in the Arena League and CFL before officially filing his retirement papers in 2012.

The one silver lining to this story was the fact that Sherman’s misguided decision to waste a first-round pick on Carroll played a significant role in Thompson relieving the former head coach’s GM duties in 2005.

TT took a different approach when it came to scouting and ultimately drafting cornerbacks from the college ranks.

In his 12 years as general manager, Thompson has never drafted a cornerback under five-foot-ten and ¼-inches. Although Carroll had several flaws, his continual struggle in matching up with taller outside pass catchers was something that even the best coaches on the planet would have a hard time solving.

Thompson is well versed in the success rate of bigger corners and a recent study by Justis Mosqueda indicated cornerbacks chosen in the 2005 through 2010 drafts that measured five-foot-ten and ½-inches or taller played in an average of 108.9 games in their career, totaling 90.8 starts, which translates to 7.8 seasons played.

Corners drafted during that same stretch that fell below the five-foot-ten-and- ½-inch benchmark played in an average of 87.9 games, 57.3 starts and produced a total of only 6.9 seasons played.

Next: Another great Packers play of 2015

Of course, there’s always the chance of Thompson flopping on a Day One pick at the cornerback position, but it’s safe to assume that it won’t be due to a lack of size.