We’re not surprised by this and you shouldn’t be either. The Green Bay Packers made no effort to keep cornerback Casey Hayward.
Hayward signed a three-year, $15 million deal with the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.
He did so without hearing a single word from the Packers. You may think that’s harsh, but it’s also the way the Packers have consistently done business under Ted Thompson. If they’re not interested in re-signing you, you’ll never get so much as a courtesy phone call to say thanks for the effort and good luck to you.
Such was the case with Hayward, who was a regular contributor in four seasons with the Packers.
The primary reason the Packers weren’t interested in re-signing Hayward was depth.
They have plenty of it at cornerback with, now, a top three of Sam Shields, Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins. Plus, plenty of potential behind that with Robertson Daniel, Demetri Goodson and LaDarius Gunter.
That’s not the only reason the Packers let Hayward walk, though.
The Packers also feel Hayward is limited in his tackling ability and speed.
Speed, perhaps. Tackling ability, 100 percent.
Hayward was a liability in the tackling department. At no time was that more evident than in 2015.
It’s an area in which Hayward never really seemed to improve. When you couple that with the fact that he seemed to misplace the playmaking ability he demonstrated as a rookie (6 INTs), it’s pretty clear why the Packers weren’t interested.