GREEN BAY — While there isn't an opening for him in the starting lineup on the Green Bay Packers' offensive line, Derek Sherrod is at least healthy enough to work with the No. 2 line and have hope for contributing in some way this season.
And he's at least giving himself a chance because, for the first time in his NFL career, he's getting a full offseason program of work.
Sherrod played only six snaps on offense last season after being activated from the physically unable to perform list in November, and while that certainly wasn't much, it was a milestone for him. The 2011 first-round pick suffered a career-threatening leg injury on Dec. 18, 2011 at Kansas City that not only required emergency surgery, but sidelined him for nearly two full seasons.
"That's a tough situation, obviously, being out for almost two years. I feel it when I have a long weekend, so I can't imagine being out two years," veteran guard Josh Sitton said after the team's open organized team activity practice earlier this week. "It's tough. But (he looks) 100 times better than he looked last year, so I think we'll see a jump."
Sherrod has been working with the No. 2 offensive line at left tackle, behind starter David Bakhtiari. The Packers aren't in pads during OTAs, so it won't be until training camp and preseason games that the coaches will get a more accurate gauge of where Sherrod is in his comeback.
But for now, they like what they see.
"Derek Sherrod looks really good," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "I'd just say this: This is as strong as I've ever seen him. The time going through the injury, he's definitely done a great job in the strength and conditioning part of it. So it's, really it's the padded work that he needs. He looks more natural, he feels more comfortable on the left side, so he'll continue to compete over there for reps and opportunities."
The Packers decided to decline the fifth-year option on Sherrod's contract, so he'll become a free agent after this season.
Sherrod has yet to speak to reporters during the two open locker-room sessions this offseason.
After playing 115 total snaps as a rookie, Sherrod missed all of the 2012 season because of the injury, opening the season on the PUP list and being activated for practice work on the last possible day. He practiced for three weeks but was never put on the 53-man roster that year.
The team followed a similar timeline last year but at the end of his three-week PUP practice window, Sherrod was activated to the 53.
The difference now is that Sherrod is getting a full offseason workload. In 2011, the lockout wiped out the offseason program after Sherrod was drafted. He didn't do anything but rehab work in the 2012 and 2013 offseasons. This year, he's done the strength-and-conditioning program, individual position workouts and now OTAs. One more week of OTAs remains, with minicamp kicking off June 17.
"He's never had the offseason training," offensive line coach James Campen said. "[So this is] real valuable. Him getting healthy and coming off the PUP and getting some practice (late last season) and he got in five or six plays against Detroit (on Thanksgiving) at the end there, all of those experiences for him are stepping stones.
"Certainly him starting off with the IPWs and then moving forward to here, it's great to see him out there vertical setting and doing all the things that left tackles should be doing. It's great to see him doing that."
Jason Wilde wrote: