The Lass Word: Kevin King Is Too Injury Prone To Keep
Talented corner just can't stay on the field.
By KenLass
The Packers face several difficult personnel decisions in the coming offseason, but one of them seems to be deciding itself. Cornerback Kevin King just can't seem to stay on the field. The 4th year defensive back has been out since week four when he suffered a quad injury. Coach Matt LaFleur later said King had a setback in his recovery during practice in late October.
It's a recurring theme. In his rookie year in 2017, King was able to play in just nine games because of a shoulder injury. 2018 was even worse, as King answered the bell in just six contests, enduring first a groin injury, and then hamstring problems. It looked like he had turned the corner on his injury woes last year. King played 15 games and was productive, leading the team with five interceptions. But now he has missed four games in a row and there may be more.
King missed several games in his freshman year at the University of Washington due to a bad shoulder. The shoulder problem would linger throughout his college career. Judged by some scouts to be a first round talent coming out, Packers GM Ted Thompson felt comfortable trading out of the first round in the 2017 draft, feeling King would still be there in round two. Knowing the shoulder issues, Thompson took a chance on the California native, but the injury bug bit King hard in the NFL.
The frustrating thing is, King can be a very good player when he's out there. In some preseason rankings of cornerbacks, King was rated ahead of teammate Jaire Alexander. When his deal runs out after this season, some other team, awash in cap money, will offer King a sizable contract. The cap-challenged Packers cannot, and should not, get into a bidding war. They can't afford big money for a guy who's going to miss half a dozen games every season. Maybe the laundry list of injuries will scare other teams away and the Pack can bring him back on the cheap, but that seems unlikely.
Which brings up the question, is there an adequate replacement already on the roster? Green Bay has been using Josh Jackson in King's absence. Jackson is playing hard and competing, but he lacks the deep ball speed to cover downfield. He also gets a little too grabby in tight coverage and is penalized a lot. He doesn't look like a long term answer. Ka'dar Hollman has flashed in limited playing time, but the second year player out of Toledo is green as grass and the Packers likely can't abide the length of the learning curve. Chandon Sullivan may be the best option. He stepped in for Alexander when Jaire went out with a concussion against the 49ers and held up well. He had a spectacular diving interception and pick six against the Lions.. The downside is that Sullivan has played fairly well in the slot, and you hate to move a guy out of a position in which he has been effective.
It may well be the Packers have to draft a cornerback at the top of the draft again for the 4th time in the last seven years.
Reviewing Those Receivers the Packers Could Have Had
By the time it was Green Bay's turn to pick in the 2020 draft, six receivers had already been selected: Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, Ceedee Lamb, Jalen Reagor, Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk. Brian Gutekunst did not have a first round grade for any of the receivers that remained, even though several of them were highly touted. So he passed on all of them. It should be pointed out that none of the six teams that drafted after Green Bay in the first round picked a receiver either, indicating none of them had a first round graded receiver on their boards as well. But seven pass catchers were taken in the second round, including the first two selections in the round. Should the Packers have reached for one of them? Let's see how those guys are doing.
Two of the seven have been immediate, impact players. Tee Higgins was the first pick of the second round by the Bengals. In 8 games he has 33 catches for 488 yards and 3 touchdowns. Chase Claypool was the 17th selection in round 2, taken by the Steelers. He has 31 catches, some of them very acrobatic, for 444 yards and 5 touchdowns. Laviska Shenault has been a nice player for the Jaguars. The 10th pick in round two has 30 grabs for 328 yards and one score. None of the others has more than 17 receptions through Week 9.
Michael Pittman, taken 34th overall by the Colts has 14 catches for 135 yards and no touchdowns.
K.J. Hamler, taken 46th by Denver, has17 receptions for 190 yards and 1 touchdown.
Van Jefferson, picked 57th by the Rams, has 9 grabs for 121 yards and no scores.
Denzel Mims, tabbed 59th by the Jets, has caught 10 throws for 146 yards with no touchdowns.
For comparison, Marques Valdes Scantling has 18 receptions for 314 yards and 3 touchdowns. Allen Lazard, in just three games, has 13 catches for 254 yards and two scores.
Of course, you can't draw any conclusions about the decision to bypass all of these guys until we see how their careers pan out, and until we see how Jordan Love, Green Bay's eventual first rounder, pans out. But just for fun I'm going to keep an eye on these players, just to see what might have been.
OUTTAKES
• Did anyone happen to notice a ranking of NFL cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus after Week 7? They had Jaire Alexander ranked as the number one corner in the league.
• Patrick Mahomes current quarterback rating is 84.8. Aaron Rodgers current QBR is 87.7. Tops in the league. Just sayin'.
• C'mon Coach LaFleur.......let Tim Boyle throw a pass.....just one pass.
• The Packers are inviting fans to a pair of virtual Hall of Fame History nights on November 17 and December 8. Details at packers.com.
• Pack plays the Jags at Lambeau Sunday. The last time the Pack took the field at Lambeau with no fans in the stands, they were flat as a pancake against the Vikings. Rodgers made reference to the lack of energy afterward. If you ever wonder if fans really do play a meaningful role in a game, the answer is a resounding yes.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.
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Ken Lass is a former Green Bay television sports anchor and 43 year media veteran, a lifelong Packers fan, and a shareholder.
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Comments (61)
johhoc5
November 12, 2020 at 03:19 pm
And we could have had Watt instead
TheVOR
November 12, 2020 at 05:09 pm
Ya, he's gonzo, dude misses huge blocks of games each season. I think it's 24 -25 games and counting..
Lphill
November 12, 2020 at 03:20 pm
When I look at king I see TJ Watt , King is too risky to spend money on I'm sure Gute now will have to waste a high pick on a corner next draft .
mamasboy
November 12, 2020 at 03:50 pm
I WISH we could look at King and see TJ Watt!!!! I get pissed off every time I think of it.
Big_Mel_75
November 13, 2020 at 02:22 pm
They were never going to draft TJ... But they were considering Dalvin Cook... Aaron Jones good but not Cook good.
arthurl
November 12, 2020 at 03:30 pm
Well the last three years we could have had Kamala, Metcalf, and others so it is what it is. King is a good corner, but he’s injury prone and can’t be relied on week to week. It’s too bad because talent wise, he makes our secondary a better unit with his play. I suspect he will want more than the Packers are willing to pay, and you can’t blame them. At least the team is getting a good look at Jackson to see if he’s a keeper to replace King.
jannesbjornson
November 12, 2020 at 05:22 pm
Metcalf vs Jenkins the ball goes to Jenkins court. The epic fails started in 2014 with the pick for Dix, another lanky guy who cannot breakdown fast enough to the spot. King just lacks body mass. Ted should have gotten into the bidding for Gilmore, but Big Bad Bill jumped the route. This group in Packertown needs a new direction with their total defensive scheme from the ground up. 4-3/ 4-2 Ds.
Oppy
November 12, 2020 at 07:17 pm
King doesn't carry much mass, but I don't know that has much to do with the majority of his injury issues, which aside from the shoulder (which was a left over from college injury that was never corrected), King's injury woes have been soft tissue and muscular, not structural (impact type trauma) injuries. Groin, hammy, quads.
Coldworld
November 12, 2020 at 05:24 pm
Before I take Jackson seriously we need to see how he does against a QB skilled enough to attack him deep in the perimeter. As yet we haven’t seen that. Not sure we will this week, but it will come. The last time he gave up a horrid PI.
jannesbjornson
November 12, 2020 at 07:04 pm
He's a dime guy , at best.
Thegravedigger
November 13, 2020 at 11:39 am
Definitely too bad. Against the falcons he was setting the tone man. But thats the problem. He was playing so hard. Ended up breaking his fragile body. And jackson so far most of his big problems are penalties. Hes just gotta lay off the handsies. And calm down a bit. And well see.
Point-Packer
November 12, 2020 at 03:32 pm
Man, all those fans whining about GB not taking Watt were so wrong...
stockholder
November 12, 2020 at 04:33 pm
Love replaced Watt.
Oppy
November 12, 2020 at 07:36 pm
It's not about being wrong, it's about ridiculous wasted energy carrying on for years about something you can't change.
The thing that comes to mind when I hear grown men complaining, whining, stomping around about how the packers could have taken Barry Sanders but instead shafted themselves with Tony Mandarich- decades after the fact- is "pathetic malcontents."
Revisiting what wasn't and what you have no control over for much longer than the draft or free agency period lasts is a fool's errand and complete waste of energy. It's being willfully miserable or angry.
Thegravedigger
November 13, 2020 at 11:45 am
Yes. Preach.
egbertsouse
November 14, 2020 at 07:38 am
Yeah, The only thing worse is guys that go on and on complaining about guys who go on and on complaining.
cheesehead1
November 12, 2020 at 04:14 pm
I’d pass on King, he’s talented, but does us no good being on the injury report so often. Injuries happen to every player but he’s on a different level.
Coldworld
November 12, 2020 at 04:56 pm
King missed a number of games in his first year of college but was otherwise relatively healthy throughout. Far from dropping in the draft, he was acclaimed as a riser having excelled at the combine after playing with All-American teammates Sidney Jones and Budda Baker.
Of course once he got here injuries struck. However, a quad injury is far from uncommon and typically is no indicia of long term susceptibility. It’s typically if about a month long duration, though it looks to have been minor prior to aggravation.
So, dubious statement about college health, dubious assertion of draft trend and a questionable conflation of a routine injury with prior unrelated injuries. Overall, I have come to expect better from this source.
King is less flashy than Alexander, but rated as one of the elite red zone corners. It’s also true that he excels in press, which I wish we would play more of for reasons other than getting the best out of King. I doubt the quad deters suitors. I hope it does make him affordable, but I doubt others will see it as the author does. I hope his return encourages Pettine to use more press not the soft coverage Jackson seems to encourage him to go for.
gr7070
November 12, 2020 at 05:29 pm
Never mind the simple fact he's just not all that good. Not horrible, mind you.
Even if healthy every game I'd hope they're looking to improve upon a player of King's limited on field play, not bring him back.
After 4 years he's shown us what he is on the field. It's not where we want to be. We can certainly accomplish his play level with cheaper players on their first contact who might have some upside.
King's only real upside at this point is better health. Meh
jannesbjornson
November 12, 2020 at 07:05 pm
Five INTs to lead the team in 2019.....three picks, so far from this D. At least he makes plays on the ball.
Oppy
November 12, 2020 at 07:20 pm
This is a poor take on King's talent.
He's a skilled corner, better than most, and as Coldworld pointed out, he's rated as one of the most lock-down CB's inside the red zone.
His issues are health, not talent.
When King is on the field, the Packers' 1-2 tandem at CB isn't matched by many teams, and both of these players are YOUNG and developing.
Tundraboy
November 12, 2020 at 07:55 pm
Exactly. Injuries are frustrating,but he can cover the top WRs. Not like he's a bust.
Thegravedigger
November 13, 2020 at 11:47 am
You werent watching the first 4 games dude. Nobody even threw at him.
Leatherhead
November 12, 2020 at 04:30 pm
2/3 availability. I’d rather have a good corner on the field 65% of the time than 0%. But you have to pay 2/3 wages, too.
If he would play in 60 out of the next 64, he’s probably worth $40 million. But he won’t, so he’s probably worth only $25-$30 million over four years. If he leaves, he’ll have to be replaced. I predict he’ll be offered more money than we could or should match.
Fubared
November 13, 2020 at 08:32 am
the problem with your theory, the games he misses are the ones we lose due to poor corner play, so no playoffs, or out inthe first game.
this was a bad drfating mistake. serms 'take a chance' is another scheme to save money dropping down in draft for real talent
Leatherhead
November 13, 2020 at 10:19 am
I dispute the assertion that his injuries cause us to lose games. I don’t think the facts support that.
stockholder
November 12, 2020 at 04:31 pm
King is better the Hayward. He will be missed. BG will take another CB #1, next draft. The money saved on King should go to a DL. But will it? Tee Higgins was my choice, and so many left me Negatives on Him. Well I know the draft and you didn't! Next was Claypool. in rd 2. A smart trade up that BG couldn't do because he gave away draft capitol. For a bench warmer. Way to go BG. Seems Cory had an article on how to win the draft. Take 2 Wrs. BG doesn't try to win any draft. Seems the" Were after LBs and WRs" was just another lie. Not to mention wasting money on another injured player. Kirksey.??? If Kirksey is worth 8 mil, why isn't King?
Guam
November 12, 2020 at 04:39 pm
I would like to see King resigned as he and Alexander make a great pair of CBs, but I fear the Packers will not be able to afford him. Unless his injury history scares other teams off, King is likely gone. Sullivan and Jackson are adequate replacements and there is always a draft choice.
jannesbjornson
November 12, 2020 at 05:27 pm
Zimmer went with two rookies in the backfield. They're starting to pick up the game. Packer weakness is their scheme.
Leatherhead
November 12, 2020 at 06:08 pm
Isn’t this the scheme that’s gone 19-5?
TarynsEyes
November 12, 2020 at 06:46 pm
Isn't this the team that got their ass kicked 5 times by teams that punches them quick and often, with the latest doing so while using one RB.
The record looks pretty, but pretty don't matter when it can be made to look ugly so easily.
Leatherhead
November 12, 2020 at 07:06 pm
19-5 is pretty good. I’ll take that. I’ll take the #2 seed again. I’ll take a home playoff win and an appearance in the Championship game.
CAG123
November 12, 2020 at 08:19 pm
Does an appearance in the NFCCG really mean anything? You get the same thing a team that didn’t make the playoffs gets or a team booted in the first round...nothing.
Coldworld
November 12, 2020 at 11:47 pm
On any given day any team can win or choke. Just getting there is the key. Great teams that don’t win nothing
PhantomII
November 12, 2020 at 08:56 pm
It's the scheme that kept us from a super bowl appearance and more than likely will again this year.
canadapacker
November 12, 2020 at 05:05 pm
Yes it is easy to be a great guesser now that the draft is over and they have played half a season. But even the great TT had bad drafts and I have always said that you cant judge now - even after half a season. But in any case Claypool and others should have gone in the first round instead of Jeudy etc - but you never know. The same is with the Pack - maybe a receiver but maybe a receiver could have been injured. What would have happened if Deguera had not been hurt and was totally integrated into the offense. Maybe he would be bashing people up the middle both as an H back and as a tight end down the seam and been the new version of Kittle. What if the Pack had taken Metcalf last year (2019)Or Brown from the Ravens or Josh Jacobs instead of Gary or Savage - like I said - easy to be an expert after.
jannesbjornson
November 12, 2020 at 05:32 pm
Claypool plays behind Washington, Schuster and Dionte Jonhson. I would match Lazard against Claypool and call it in Lazard's favor at the moment, but Claypool has demonstrated hands and accountability. Plus Gutedkunst thought he had a Claypool guy with the Funchess signing. Gary will displace one of the Smiths in 2021. Savage is starting to get some mojo. Pressures are not coming from the front seven and that stresses the DBs. Josh Jacobs over A.Jones?
PhantomII
November 12, 2020 at 09:12 pm
Packers pick was at #30, 2 picks from the 2nd Round= Barely a 1st round pick which means pick their 2nd round WR then or trade back a few spots. Degura pick was good. He's going to be good. Claypool 4.4 speed is bigger and faster than Lazard. Claypool was the pick after the others picked over early in the draft. Lazard is solid, good hands, I like him also.
OnWisconsinGoPack
November 12, 2020 at 06:38 pm
Can't play hindsight all the time on TJ Watt and King, yes it's 20/20. Plenty of other teams passed on Watt, not to mention Kamara and Metcalf... definitely an oversight, but we have to move on.
King should be smart, take a home town discount and the Packers should pursue. The injuries are different every time, it's not a chronic issue, so if we get him at 2/3 of his 'value' he can only go up from there. He's super solid when he plays and I can't see the Packers letting him go. Unless he asks for more than $10M, he needs resigned.
CheesyTex
November 12, 2020 at 10:02 pm
With the reduced salary cap due to covid, it's hard to imagine any team giving King a pile of guaranteed $. Maybe he will be smart and agree to an incentive based arrangement. IMO he's definitely a keeper -- at the Packers' price.
stockholder
November 12, 2020 at 10:19 pm
Can't play hindsight all the time on TJ Watt and King, yes it's 20/20. Well I'm going to play it with Love and Rodgers. George Blanda retired at 48.
Pulpfriction01
November 12, 2020 at 06:57 pm
King is an ok corner. He certainly isn't someone to invest much salary cap in. Opposing QB's have a QB rating of over 114 when targeting king with a completion percentage of 67%. Josh jackson is giving up a QB rating of 110 with a completion percentage of 71%. For comparison, Jaire is giving up a completion percentage of 57 and a QB rating of 68.3. Neither Josh jackson nor Kevin king are helping the team win. They are negative players. King has had slightly better success in the past, but still nothing special. If he is available, King is the better player. But jackson has to get some credit for just being available compared to king. Personally, both players should finish out their contract in green bay and be moved on from unless they sign for very low contracts. Neither player is worthy of much salary cap room. Losing king isn't a major loss.
Oppy
November 12, 2020 at 07:30 pm
King shuts down WRs in the red zone.
That can't be overlooked.
Thegreatreynoldo
November 12, 2020 at 08:25 pm
King is better than Jackson, but I agree that King is simply a decent CB #2. One can argue he would be better than that if he wasn't constantly injured and probably playing dinged up, but that boils down to pure opinion. Decent starting #2 CBs had been getting $7M to $9M AAV. 2021 might be a weird year for meh players' salaries. Can't have too many CBs, though.
No idea what King will command. There is no young replacement on the GB team (pending 2nd half of the season results). Teams need three CBs. Jaire and Sullivan = 2. So I will watch Hollman and Jackson.
CAG123
November 12, 2020 at 08:27 pm
Huh? King is a major reason the Packers def took a step last year him and Jaire providing tight coverage that allowed the pass rushers to get home. Jackson being available is the LEAST he can do since he’s not that good no credit for the bare minimum. KK is also one of the best red zone corners in the league and him and Jaire give the Packers a very good CB tandem.
Straya
November 12, 2020 at 06:58 pm
Put simply, GB have top-five players at most key positions - QB, LT, WR1, RB and CB1. We can't afford the luxury of paying a top flite CB2
JohnnyLogan
November 12, 2020 at 08:44 pm
You can add in Center.
PhantomII
November 13, 2020 at 09:18 pm
Sure, We are moving old money off the OL and replacing players who are 29-30 and getting younger. The money is going to the Defense. Preston Smith may get moved/cut if he doesn't step up the pressure on QB's. Lowery probably cut candidate and Kirksey if he doesn't show something the rest of the season and the Rooks are looking better. Amos has not played as well as last season either.
Oppy
November 12, 2020 at 07:26 pm
It would be fantastic if the Packers could convince King to put his faith in his talent and upside on the line and sign a contract with large up-front bonus money and a performance-laden contract that pays out good money yearly for active games.
He's a very talented corner, but availability is the issue. Money up front doesn't hamstring the Packers if his health never gets where you want it and they have to cut bait, and I wouldn't mind paying King what his talent is worth when he's healthy. It would come down to if King wants to stay in GB and live with that kind of contract.
Unfortunately, King has enough talent and is young enough, there will probably be a team willing to gamble on his health and pay him a contract without those types of qualifiers, which would be hard to pass up.
PhantomII
November 13, 2020 at 09:43 pm
Honestly I think King if healthy his tenure with Green Bay would be better than Alexander. I know everyone thinks JA is all pro or something, but I don't see it yet. I don't care about the grades, etc. It's eye test. I like him a lot but don't think he's arrived yet. He can get better and I'm hoping he does. I'm hoping King gets healthy for good also.
PackfanNY
November 12, 2020 at 08:27 pm
King is a decent player...when/if he plays. As others have stated the when is a huge if. The fact of the matter is that in the NFL, availability matters. The salary cap means that you have to spend your money wisely on good players and players that are available to play. We can waste all our keystrokes debating the topic but the fact is there is probably a ZERO per cent chance King is re signed. I fully expect at the end of this season he will need to get a deal elsewhere and Gute will be looking for CB help in the draft.
SterlingSharpe
November 12, 2020 at 08:39 pm
Last year, DK Metcalf would have been a great compliment for Davante Adams.
Size, deep speed, perfect combination alongside Davante.
Think MVS, but faster, stronger, & better hands.
Coldworld
November 12, 2020 at 11:51 pm
Metcalf would not have saved last year. He doesn’t help against the run.
Bure9620
November 13, 2020 at 02:55 am
Terrible route runner, you have to look at it all, not just the physical characteristics
PhantomII
November 12, 2020 at 09:38 pm
King was pretty grabby as a rook. Now he is more physical with receivers at the line. He did well on Julio and covered him well before. His only real problem as everyone has said is staying on the field. Imagine how good he could be if you added 2 more years of development
that he has spent hurt on the sidelines. if he gets his body fixed he has a physical presence Alexander doesn't. I like Alexander but I don't think he's the best CB. He has gotten schooled by Cowboys Cooper pretty bad on double moves, so he's not there yet.
Beogaflyom
November 13, 2020 at 12:58 am
good pos tasdf asdfjasdf
bodei1newbie1
November 13, 2020 at 05:20 am
remember haywood when he was with the packers and they let him go so i think they should a least offer king a amount if he leaves find
rstain99
November 13, 2020 at 07:42 am
He has never played up to draft prediction. Injury prone in college, Haywood was a mistake letting him go, not nearly as soft as King. Someone will offer him stupid money and he will continue to play half the games, think Kirksey can't stay on field. GB offered stupid money. His agent is in his ear telling him he is this and that, GB needs to step up, yada, yada. Find another Tramon Williams just a consistent guy who plays thru injury shows up ready to work. Josh Jackson is an extra CB not the guy as no. 2 I had great hope for him. Scheme is certainly in need of overhaul, just an average defense goes along way, being 30th is not good enough, pretty soon HC has to decide who is the going to straighten out this group of under achievers another big load in middle to help Clark (Poe?) is out there. I like to rookie LB, time will tell how good they can become, not ready for HOF just yet.
TXCHEESE
November 13, 2020 at 10:24 am
With the cap going down, most every team is going to be in the same boat as GB. I don't feel there will be big payouts in FA this coming off-season. Here's hoping that King's agent will realize his value has dropped due to the injuries and will take a reasonable offer from GB. He's a pretty decent corner, and if Alexander is out due to injury, I feel much better about him covering the opposing no. 1 receiver, than anyone currently on the roster.
The upcoming draft is going to be a crap shoot with all the shortened seasons and cancellations in the college ranks this year. Not so sure you can confidently say you're going to find a starting cornerback for 2021 in the draft.
Fubared
November 13, 2020 at 08:26 pm
first King missed big parts of two seasons with shoulder injuries, to both shoulders. Ted jumped on a cheap date hoping he would be ok in the pros. Had he been a good candidate 31 other teams would not have passed, including the Vikes. Yourr first clue Ted
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November 15, 2020 at 01:23 pm
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