M
Mark Eckel
Guest
BY ROB REISCHEL AND BOB McGINN
Justin Vogel was awake for a half hour last Saturday. He probably wondered why he ever got out of bed.
The Green Bay Packers’ now former punter grabbed his phone and started following the NFL Draft. Moments later, his world was rocked when the Packers used a fifth round selection on Alabama punter JK Scott.
“I knew Green Bay’s draft pick was coming up, so I started following along,” Vogel said when reached Friday afternoon. “Then it happened and I was like, ‘Well, that’s not the best news for me.’ ”
Far from it.
Vogel, sensing his chances to beat out Scott ranged between slim and none, had agent Drew Rosenhaus ask for his release. Friday, the Packers obliged and released Vogel.
Suddenly, Scott is the only punter on the roster.
“Me and my agent (Rosenhaus) thought that would be the best path,” Vogel said. “We just thought it was the best course of action because drafting a punter in the fifth round is very high praise for that player.
“Drafting (Scott) in the fifth definitely showed they value him a lot. And with the year that I had and the tape that I have, we thought it would be a better situation to go to a team where they were unhappy with their punting situation.”
Vogel’s net average last season of 41.6 ranked seventh in the NFL and was the best in Packers’ history. His hang time was also 4.31 seconds, the second-best by a Green Bay punter in the last 18 years.
Green Bay had needs in several areas and punter didn’t appear to be one of them. But first-year general manager Brian Gutekunst stunned many when he took Scott with his second fifth round pick, the 172nd overall selection.
“I think you’re always trying to upgrade your special teams,” Gutekunst said on the final night of the draft. “And in this particular case we just had a player we thought was rare, and we decided to go ahead and pull the trigger.”
Vogel, an undrafted free agent from Miami (Fla.), admitted that the move caught him entirely off guard.
“I was surprised they drafted a punter,” Vogel said. “I thought I did well enough last year and that I did enough for the team that they wouldn’t have drafted a punter. But according to them, (Scott) was their highest rated player at the time, and if that’s their philosophy to draft the highest rated player then they followed what they believed in.”
The Packers began rookie orientation on Friday. And even though Scott was the only punter on the roster, he wasn’t taking anything for granted.
“I really didn’t know what to expect honestly,” Scott said. “They just had me come and focus on me doing the best that I can, perform the best that I can. I didn’t really know what to expect and still don’t know what to expect.
“I know that it’s very competitive. I’m just here to do the best that I can. Obviously there are a lot of guys in the country that are good punters, and all the teams are always looking for the best guy, so for me, I have to do everything I can to train right, to eat right, to sleep right and to kick right. So everything I can do to be the best.”
Vogel felt he was on his way towards becoming one of the NFL’s top punters — and doing it in Green Bay. His touchback percentage of 2.8% (2 of 71) ranked fourth in the league last year. He was also voted the NFC North’s top punter in a poll of personnel men conducted by this website.
Vogel had been in Green Bay much of this week, waiting to see what the Packers were going to do. He attended team meetings and had discussions about his future with Packers’ special teams coach Ron Zook.
“Zook has been a very tough mentor on how I performed this season, with me being a rookie and the weather and punting in Lambeau,” Vogel said. “But Zook had high praise for me this week and thinks I have great potential and a bright future, and he thinks I’ll be able to move to another team and do great things, as well.”
There are several teams that still need punting help, and Vogel wanted a chance to land in one of those spots now. While he was far from thrilled to be job-hunting again, he was grateful for the chance to do it in May instead of August.
“I know the Packers wanted competition, but they were also nice enough to respect my wishes of wanting to be released,” Vogel said. “They were talking about fishing for trades, but it’s hard to trade for a punter at this point in the season. We just knew the situation in Green Bay wasn’t the best for me after they chose a punter.”
Vogel doesn’t expect to be on the street for long.
His 2017 film — achieved in one of the NFL’s toughest places to punt — is impressive. And it would be a surprise if he doesn’t land on his feet soon.
As for his time in Green Bay, Vogel described it as bittersweet. The Packers gave him his first chance in the NFL, but Vogel also wondered why that chance didn’t last longer.
“I was able to set the (net punting) record and that was definitely exciting,” Vogel said. “And luckily those stats will still carry with me and hopefully the next team that sees those will value those stats and hopefully that helps me find another team.
“I hope to find a new team soon. I expect that, but I also didn’t expect a punter to get drafted. So we’ll play it by ear and we’ll keep moving forward. That’s all I’ve done my whole career. Obviously my route hasn’t been the easiest, but I’ve proven myself the whole way through and I’m just looking for another chance.
“Green Bay will always be a memory of mine and the first place that I played. Unfortunately it was only a short stop. But hopefully it’s only a small stop in a long career that I’ll eventually have.”
Roster moves: The Packers signed defensive end Conor Sheehy of Wisconsin, bringing their current number of rookie free-agent signings to 14.
Sheehy was available after two free agents that had agreed to terms, tight end Damon Gibson of Minnesota State-Moorhead and cornerback Chris Seisay of Portland State, failed their physical examinations after arriving in Green Bay on Thursday.
Sheehy (6-3 ½, 295) started 33 of 54 games for the Badgers, finishing with 95 tackles (13 ½ for loss) and six sacks. His 40-yard dash was 5.26, his vertical jump was 32 inches, his broad jump was 9-8 and he scored 24 on the Wonderlic intelligence test. His arms were a short 31 5/8 inches and his hands were 9 3/8 inches.
“He’s a meat-and-potatoes, try-hard, give-you-everything-he-has kid,” one personnel man said. “He’s a 5-technique. His redeeming quality is he does give you versatility because he can play both defensive end and defensive tackle.”
Added another executive in personnel: “He’s a square guy. I didn’t think he could run and I didn’t think he had range.”
Said a third scout: “Mature, selfless and grounded. One of the toughest guys on the team. Loves football. He’s highly respected in the building.”
Gibson (6-3 ½, 245) underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder in November. He said the Packers think major surgery might be required.
Seisay (6-1, 200) indicated he was red-flagged because of a knee injury that bothered him last season.
“It’s not over with the Packers yet,” Seisay said. “Lot of things going on. I just need a little bit of time.”
The Packers also announced the signing of Scott, a fifth-round draft choice, and long snapper Hunter Bradley, a seventh-round pick.
Minicamp: Fifty-one players were listed on the Packers’ roster for a rookie minicamp that began Friday and runs through Sunday.
Sixteen of the players participated on a three-day tryout basis. They’re competing for possibly a few berths on the 90-man roster.
On offense, the eight participants were tight ends Marcus Bryan of North Carolina-Wilmington and Ryan Smith of Miami (Ohio), tackle Sunny Odogwu of UCLA, guard R.J. Prince of North Carolina, quarterback Nick Stevens of Colorado State, running backs Sherman Badie of Tulane and Anthony Philyaw of Howard, and fullback Caleb Melton of Cal Poly.
On defense, the eight participants were defensive end Mack Weaver of Eastern Illinois, inside linebacker Greer Martini of Notre Dame, outside linebackers Derek McCartney of Colorado, Jacob Onyechi of Air Force and Xavier Thigpen of Southern Mississippi, cornerbacks Mike Minter of Middle Tennessee State and Tray Mitchell of Eastern Illinois, and safety Joe Ferguson of Wisconsin.
The post Vogel asks for release and Packers oblige appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
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Justin Vogel was awake for a half hour last Saturday. He probably wondered why he ever got out of bed.
The Green Bay Packers’ now former punter grabbed his phone and started following the NFL Draft. Moments later, his world was rocked when the Packers used a fifth round selection on Alabama punter JK Scott.
“I knew Green Bay’s draft pick was coming up, so I started following along,” Vogel said when reached Friday afternoon. “Then it happened and I was like, ‘Well, that’s not the best news for me.’ ”
Far from it.
Vogel, sensing his chances to beat out Scott ranged between slim and none, had agent Drew Rosenhaus ask for his release. Friday, the Packers obliged and released Vogel.
Suddenly, Scott is the only punter on the roster.
“Me and my agent (Rosenhaus) thought that would be the best path,” Vogel said. “We just thought it was the best course of action because drafting a punter in the fifth round is very high praise for that player.
“Drafting (Scott) in the fifth definitely showed they value him a lot. And with the year that I had and the tape that I have, we thought it would be a better situation to go to a team where they were unhappy with their punting situation.”
Vogel’s net average last season of 41.6 ranked seventh in the NFL and was the best in Packers’ history. His hang time was also 4.31 seconds, the second-best by a Green Bay punter in the last 18 years.
Green Bay had needs in several areas and punter didn’t appear to be one of them. But first-year general manager Brian Gutekunst stunned many when he took Scott with his second fifth round pick, the 172nd overall selection.
“I think you’re always trying to upgrade your special teams,” Gutekunst said on the final night of the draft. “And in this particular case we just had a player we thought was rare, and we decided to go ahead and pull the trigger.”
Vogel, an undrafted free agent from Miami (Fla.), admitted that the move caught him entirely off guard.
“I was surprised they drafted a punter,” Vogel said. “I thought I did well enough last year and that I did enough for the team that they wouldn’t have drafted a punter. But according to them, (Scott) was their highest rated player at the time, and if that’s their philosophy to draft the highest rated player then they followed what they believed in.”
The Packers began rookie orientation on Friday. And even though Scott was the only punter on the roster, he wasn’t taking anything for granted.
“I really didn’t know what to expect honestly,” Scott said. “They just had me come and focus on me doing the best that I can, perform the best that I can. I didn’t really know what to expect and still don’t know what to expect.
“I know that it’s very competitive. I’m just here to do the best that I can. Obviously there are a lot of guys in the country that are good punters, and all the teams are always looking for the best guy, so for me, I have to do everything I can to train right, to eat right, to sleep right and to kick right. So everything I can do to be the best.”
Vogel felt he was on his way towards becoming one of the NFL’s top punters — and doing it in Green Bay. His touchback percentage of 2.8% (2 of 71) ranked fourth in the league last year. He was also voted the NFC North’s top punter in a poll of personnel men conducted by this website.
Vogel had been in Green Bay much of this week, waiting to see what the Packers were going to do. He attended team meetings and had discussions about his future with Packers’ special teams coach Ron Zook.
“Zook has been a very tough mentor on how I performed this season, with me being a rookie and the weather and punting in Lambeau,” Vogel said. “But Zook had high praise for me this week and thinks I have great potential and a bright future, and he thinks I’ll be able to move to another team and do great things, as well.”
There are several teams that still need punting help, and Vogel wanted a chance to land in one of those spots now. While he was far from thrilled to be job-hunting again, he was grateful for the chance to do it in May instead of August.
“I know the Packers wanted competition, but they were also nice enough to respect my wishes of wanting to be released,” Vogel said. “They were talking about fishing for trades, but it’s hard to trade for a punter at this point in the season. We just knew the situation in Green Bay wasn’t the best for me after they chose a punter.”
Vogel doesn’t expect to be on the street for long.
His 2017 film — achieved in one of the NFL’s toughest places to punt — is impressive. And it would be a surprise if he doesn’t land on his feet soon.
As for his time in Green Bay, Vogel described it as bittersweet. The Packers gave him his first chance in the NFL, but Vogel also wondered why that chance didn’t last longer.
“I was able to set the (net punting) record and that was definitely exciting,” Vogel said. “And luckily those stats will still carry with me and hopefully the next team that sees those will value those stats and hopefully that helps me find another team.
“I hope to find a new team soon. I expect that, but I also didn’t expect a punter to get drafted. So we’ll play it by ear and we’ll keep moving forward. That’s all I’ve done my whole career. Obviously my route hasn’t been the easiest, but I’ve proven myself the whole way through and I’m just looking for another chance.
“Green Bay will always be a memory of mine and the first place that I played. Unfortunately it was only a short stop. But hopefully it’s only a small stop in a long career that I’ll eventually have.”
Roster moves: The Packers signed defensive end Conor Sheehy of Wisconsin, bringing their current number of rookie free-agent signings to 14.
Sheehy was available after two free agents that had agreed to terms, tight end Damon Gibson of Minnesota State-Moorhead and cornerback Chris Seisay of Portland State, failed their physical examinations after arriving in Green Bay on Thursday.
Sheehy (6-3 ½, 295) started 33 of 54 games for the Badgers, finishing with 95 tackles (13 ½ for loss) and six sacks. His 40-yard dash was 5.26, his vertical jump was 32 inches, his broad jump was 9-8 and he scored 24 on the Wonderlic intelligence test. His arms were a short 31 5/8 inches and his hands were 9 3/8 inches.
“He’s a meat-and-potatoes, try-hard, give-you-everything-he-has kid,” one personnel man said. “He’s a 5-technique. His redeeming quality is he does give you versatility because he can play both defensive end and defensive tackle.”
Added another executive in personnel: “He’s a square guy. I didn’t think he could run and I didn’t think he had range.”
Said a third scout: “Mature, selfless and grounded. One of the toughest guys on the team. Loves football. He’s highly respected in the building.”
Gibson (6-3 ½, 245) underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder in November. He said the Packers think major surgery might be required.
Seisay (6-1, 200) indicated he was red-flagged because of a knee injury that bothered him last season.
“It’s not over with the Packers yet,” Seisay said. “Lot of things going on. I just need a little bit of time.”
The Packers also announced the signing of Scott, a fifth-round draft choice, and long snapper Hunter Bradley, a seventh-round pick.
Minicamp: Fifty-one players were listed on the Packers’ roster for a rookie minicamp that began Friday and runs through Sunday.
Sixteen of the players participated on a three-day tryout basis. They’re competing for possibly a few berths on the 90-man roster.
On offense, the eight participants were tight ends Marcus Bryan of North Carolina-Wilmington and Ryan Smith of Miami (Ohio), tackle Sunny Odogwu of UCLA, guard R.J. Prince of North Carolina, quarterback Nick Stevens of Colorado State, running backs Sherman Badie of Tulane and Anthony Philyaw of Howard, and fullback Caleb Melton of Cal Poly.
On defense, the eight participants were defensive end Mack Weaver of Eastern Illinois, inside linebacker Greer Martini of Notre Dame, outside linebackers Derek McCartney of Colorado, Jacob Onyechi of Air Force and Xavier Thigpen of Southern Mississippi, cornerbacks Mike Minter of Middle Tennessee State and Tray Mitchell of Eastern Illinois, and safety Joe Ferguson of Wisconsin.
The post Vogel asks for release and Packers oblige appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
Continue reading...
