Some people have mentioned the failed return man, Cory Rodgers. He was drafted in the fourth round in 2006 and did not survive training camp. I've always wondered if the coaching staff had a hand in that failure. Special teams coach Mike Stock made Rodgers catch the ball differently on punt returns. His original style was a bit unconventional and was thought to create a greater risk of turnovers. Rodgers never adapted to catching the ball in the conventional style. He dropped punt after punt in training camp, even though he had had no problem catching punts in college. The fans were booing him in practice. I always thought that maybe the coaches should've backed off and waited till he got more comfortable in the NFL before messing with his mechanics.
By contrast, I liked the way that they handled the other Rodgers (Aaron), who had an unconventional way of holding the ball when he was in the pocket. He held it way up by his ear, creating a risk for fumbles. Instead of trying to coach it out of him, the coaches decided to let this habit disappear naturally, and it did.
I don't know enough about football to say for sure that the coaches did the wrong thing with Cory Rodgers. Maybe other NFL coaches would've done the same thing, and maybe Rodgers just needed to man up and catch the damn ball. But especially in light of the other special teams problems during Mike Stock's tenure in Green Bay, I can't help but wonder if a good prospect was ruined by overcoaching.
Originally Posted by: Greg C.