Green Bay tabs BC's Blackmon
Senior WR will go back to CB roots
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Will Blackmon is excited to be in the NFL and with the Packers no matter what position he is playing.
(Globe Staff Photo / Bill Greene) |
FOXBOROUGH -- Will Blackmon was in a unique situation over the weekend.
In addition to wondering what NFL team might draft him and what round he might be selected, Blackmon also had no definitive knowledge of what position he'd be playing in the pros.
Would it be receiver, where he played last season at Boston College? Or would it be cornerback, where he started his college career?
The answers came early yesterday:
Blackmon was surprised at the way things unfolded.
''It was definitely unexpected, big time," he said yesterday. ''I probably spoke to the Packers one time, a few months ago, just saying hello. People say you get picked by the team you least expect, and it was definitely them.
''The whole process was a long one for me, because I was told I could be picked between the second and fifth rounds. Then when they called, I figured it would be offense, because when I met with Green Bay, it was with their receivers coach [Jimmy Robinson]."
But secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer told Green Bay reporters yesterday the team wants Blackmon (6- 1/4, 198 pounds) to focus solely on defense.
''We liked his athleticism and size, certainly knowing the type of cornerbacks we like in our system," said Schottenheimer, noting the Packers also signed cornerback/safety Charles Woodson (6-1, 200) as a free agent. ''We like big, strong, physical guys who are athletic. Will fits that bill."
The Packers have Woodson and returning starters Al Harris (6-1, 185) and Ahmad Carroll (5-10, 190) atop the cornerback depth chart. Woodson and Harris project as starters, with Carroll and Blackmon next in line.
''We're excited about where we are in the secondary, particularly at the cornerback position," Schottenheimer said. ''There is going to be a lot of competition and Will is going to fit into that group. This is a young man who athletically and strength-wise is going to match up well with the other people that are in front of him. He just has to start to develop an understanding of the position and the techniques that will be necessary."
Throughout the pre-draft process, Blackmon performed for scouts and coaches at receiver and cornerback, although Schottenheimer said the Packers saw him ''as a cornerback from the beginning."
''I think the easiest thing to do is put him out on the edge, at the corner position, and training him there. He needs a lot of work as far as using his eyes properly and that sort of thing. He's played a lot of zone and off coverage, and is in his backpedal a lot. We like to play at the line of scrimmage quite a bit, with bump and run. We think his development will come quicker [in that style] than having him play off."
Blackmon also plans to compete as a punt and kickoff returner on special teams; Packers coaches clocked him with a 4.42 time in the 40-yard dash.
Blackmon said he knew his switch from cornerback to receiver as a senior at Boston College could affect his draft stock. Because he slipped to the fourth round, he said ''the way it affected me is economically." But he's still excited about the opportunity.
''The fact of the matter is that I just wanted to get to the NFL," he said. ''I'm willing to do whatever. They have a great tradition and they love their football there. That's something I like to represent."
Blackmon was one of three players with New England ties drafted yesterday in rounds 4-7. Stoughton's Ryan LaCasse -- a 6-2, 257-pound defensive end/outside linebacker from Syracuse -- was tabbed by the Baltimore Ravens in the seventh round (219th overall). And University of Maine wide receiver Kevin McMahan was selected with the day's final pick -- No. 255, by the Oakland Raiders.
It was a long wait for LaCasse, whose stock rose after impressive pre-draft workouts. He felt he might have a chance to be selected as early as the third round, but sweated it out to the point he was considering free agent options late yesterday. He received word of the Ravens' pick on a telephone call from the team's coach, Brian Billick.
''That took me back a bit," said LaCasse, a class of 2001 Stoughton High graduate. ''He basically said, 'Go turn on the TV and watch your name across the screen.' It was always one of my dreams to be drafted."
LaCasse, primarily a defensive end at Syracuse, said he'll play mostly outside linebacker for the Ravens. He indicated the team runs a defense somewhat similar to the Patriots, with multiple looks between 4-3 and 3-4 alignments.
Meanwhile, as the draft's final pick, Maine's McMahan (6-2, 200), a native of Rochester, N.Y., earned the distinction as ''Mr. Irrelevant." He had 59 catches for 893 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2005.
''Not many people come out of the university and get drafted; to be one of the few, it makes me feel great," said McMahan, the first Black Bear drafted since 1990. ''When they called, I was speechless."
McMahan's teammate, running back Montell Owens, has agreed to a free agent contract with the New York Jets, according to Maine assistant sports information director Doug DeBiase.
Boston College linebacker Ray Henderson hasn't signed a free agent contract but said he's been invited to the Washington Redskins' minicamp next weekend.
Boston College quarterback Quinton Porter has signed a free agent contract with the Houston Texans, according to his agent, Kristen Kuliga, and Eagles offensive lineman Pat Ross said he's signed a free agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
Connecticut basketball player Ed Nelson signed a two-year free agent deal with the St. Louis Rams. Nelson, a 6-foot-8-inch, 265-pound senior power forward, hasn't played football since his freshman year of high school.
''I didn't think I'd get drafted," said Nelson, expected to play tight end. ''It's risky for a team to draft me, but a lot of teams know my potential."
UMass defensive back Shannon James has signed a free agent deal with the Ravens, while R.J. Cobbs -- who saw time at receiver, running back, and defensive back -- has inked a free agent contract with the Vikings, according to UMass media relations director Jason Yellin.
Northeastern offensive tackle Ryan Gibbons has signed a free agent pact with the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to his agent, Eugene Lee.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. 
