Have you seen this movie before? We have. Saw it back in training camp in 2012. Davon House was killing it and clearly establishing himself as the frontrunner for the Green Bay Packers No. 2 cornerback job.
Then he injured his shoulder in a preseason game at San Diego, lost the No. 2 job to Sam Shields and missed six games. And he’s been a backup ever since.
House actually played all 16 games in 2013, but he was behind both Casey Hayward and Micah Hyde on the depth chart. Hayward’s injury — he played in just three games — is the biggest reason House played as much as he did. That’s not to say he was bad, but he certainly wasn’t great.
Now Hayward is back and Hyde is playing safety. Shields and Tramon Williams are still entrenched as the top two cornerbacks.
Where does that leave House?
No one really knows. We suggested the Packers would end up trading House simply because they have too many good cornerbacks.
They may still end up doing that, but House is certainly doing everything in his power to stick around (and get on the field). He’s at least playing at the level he was back in 2012. A higher level, if you believe Mike McCarthy, who says House is having his best year as a pro.
That stands to reason. Most guys — fat ass B.J. Raji being the obvious exception — play their best football when they’re in a contract year, as House is now.
Unfortunately for House, the payoff won’t be quite as great as in Green Bay as it would be elsewhere though. Barring injuries, it’s unlikely House will be anything more than the Packers dime cornerback this year.
If the Packers don’t re-sign Tramon Williams next year — and we’re assuming they won’t — House still isn’t in line to start. He’s the nickel back behind Shields and Hayward.
So he’ll probably end up playing someplace where there’s a starting spot open for him.
This year, however, the Packers will have a really, really good dime back.