Packers 2017 Recap: CB Quinten Rollins
If you had to pair a reality show against a positional group on the Packers roster, the cornerbacks certainly were “Extreme Makeover” this past offseason. Quinten Rollins, a second-round draft pick in 2015, was in search of an extreme do-over from a disappointing 2016.
Unfortunately, Rollins’ struggles leaked into the 2017 season and a season-ending Achilles rupture concluded his year in Week 6.
2017 Stats
- Appeared in 6 games
- 17 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 passes defended
Expectations going into the season: High
Expectations were: Not Met
What we said after last season
2016 Recap: Quinten Rollins – Rollins seemed to withdraw more and more as the 2016 season went on, eventually finding himself on the field only because the other options were even worse choices. Fortunately, Rollins is young and still relatively inexperienced, having picked up football again only recently. His physical attributes are still a good fit for the cornerback position, and hopefully with another offseason under Joe Whitt Jr., 2017 will produce much happier returns for Rollins.
Analysis: Ruptured Achilles ended Rollins’ season
When we ranked the Packers roster from 90-1 in training camp, it was not a given Rollins would be on the 53-man roster given Green Bay’s significant offseason investment at the cornerback position.
It’s by no fault of his own, though. This season, defensive coordinator Dom Capers called Rollins a “steady, hard-worker who prepares the right way.” Finally healthy at the start of 2017, he played 37 percent of the defensive snaps before rupturing his Achilles in Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings.
His speed – Rollins was the slowest member of the Packers’ cornerbacks – limited his opportunities for more playing time. Coaches tried to deploy Rollins in the slot, but his speed left his susceptible to agile slot receivers like Dallas’ Cole Beasley:
Beasley’s agility allows him to zoom past Rollins at the one yard line and be open in the back of the endzone.
Going forward, the cornerback will enter the fourth and final year of his rookie contract in 2018 coming off a rupture of his Achilles tendon. A study of 31 Achilles ruptures sustained between 1997 and 2002 saw 21 (64 percent) return to play in the NFL approximately 11 months after the injury. Unfortunately, all 21 saw “significant decreases in games played and power ratings compared to the three seasons preceding the injury.”
Using that template, Rollins’ injury puts him on track for a late September 2018 return.
