Cornerback Casey Hayward has a signed a three-year, $15.3 million deal with the San Diego Chargers. This is according to NFL Network media insider Ian Rapoport, citing sources. Hayward, 26, spent the first four seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers.
For the #Chargers and CB Casey Hayward, it's a 3-year deal worth $15.3M, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2016
Casey Hayward Signs 3-Year Deal with San Diego Chargers
Hayward’s career started off really well in 2012 when he played in all 16 games, starting in only 7, and collected 40 tackles to go along with 6 interceptions. In 2013, Hayward was limited to just 3 games because of issues with his hamstring. He bounced back in 2014, adding another 3 interceptions to his resume, along with his first pick-6. Last year, he didn’t intercept a single pass, but he had a career high 65 tackles and was rated by Pro Football Focus as the 10th best cornerback in coverage and 4th best run stopper at his position.
Casey Hayward is a unique cornerback in the fact that that he can play either outside or inside. He’s had experience with both man and zone defenses, and performed well in both, which makes him even more valuable. Hayward’s size, quickness, and physicality makes him better suited to play slot, which he excels at.
Although the Packers would have loved to keep him, Hayward was not a necessity. Their cornerback position is very deep, and very young. Sam Shields (28) is entering his prime and quickly becoming one of the best corners in the game, 2015 second round pick Quentin Rollins (23) was excellent for a rookie, and Damarious Randall (23) was another rookie with a lot of potential. So the Packers can afford to let him go.
Hayward’s new team fills a need at cornerback and are getting a versatile one at that. Hayward is a top 5 corner at stopping the run, and plays the slot with the best of them. He’s best suited for zone coverage but can play man if given time to adjust. Look for Casey Hayward to continue the success he’s had with his new team.
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