Green Bay Packers cornerback Damarious Randall will bounce back in 2017, write it down.  Or will he?

A quick glance at his stats from his first two seasons in the NFL aren't drastically different.  Three interceptions each season.  14 passes defended in 15 games in 2015 versus nine in 10 games in 2016.  Given a full season, Randall may have exceeded most stats from year prior.  A bounce back would indicate that he dropped off from one year to the next but as far as the numbers alone are concerned, they weren't that far off compared to games played.

My prognosis on Randall this season comes from nothing other than a gut feeling and a lot of hope that he can stay healthy.

Many were down on Randall after he failed to blossom in his sophomore season.  Injuries were obviously a factor, but there were other takes as to why he struggled.  One take was that his confidence was shot.  Another was that his ego was too big and he wasn't taking coaching.  For a cornerback, that's the worst case scenario.  

He finished his rookie campaign strong and hopes were high that he would turn general manager Ted Thompson into a genius for taking a college safety and successfully converting him into a starting NFL corner.  Now he enters his third season with more questions than answers.

As we know, Randall, missed six games last season with a groin injury that required surgery.  He returned and had a big game against the Seattle Seahawks late in the season but wasn't able to play to the expectations from the outside or to himself.

Injuries are a tough proposition because players can't be expected to play through them all and still be at their best.  They also tend to get chastised in the media for making excuses and blaming injuries for their poor performance.  Randall had this to say about that (from ProFootballTalk.com):

“I was hurt. But last year is last year. Randall said, via ESPN.com. “Obviously moving forward, I am healthy and hopefully I’m going to stay healthy. And people are going to see why I was drafted in the first round. People are going to see why the Packers believe in me and why they kept putting me out there. People will see. My game is going to speak for itself. If I come back and be an All-Pro guy, a Pro Bowler, then people are going to say, ‘Ohhhhh, it was the injuries’ and this and that. But I’m just going to let them talk.”

If nothing else, Randall isn't short on belief in himself.  And for Packers fans, that should be music to their ears.  After the loss of Casey Hayward last offseason and Sam Shields early in 2017, Randall has had to step in and play a key role.  A role that he may not have been totally ready for, but didn't back down from.  

With the return of Davon House, the Packers have some insurance at the cornerback position and someone to calm the waters a bit.  Last year when Randall, Quinten Rollins and LaDarius Gunter were on the field together, it was trial by fire.  All three were learning the game and relying on their God-given talents to get them through each week.  There was no time to sit back and digest the game.

Injuries can obviously change the scenario quite a bit and in a hurry.  Hopefully Randall can stay healthy in 2017 and get back to showcasing his ball skills.  He has a clear nose for the football and will produce turnovers this season.  It's up to Dom Capers to put him in the right position.  Many have opined that Randall would be best suited in the slot, where corners with ball skills thrive.  

That would require rookie Kevin King, Rollins or Gunter to jump right in opposite House.  We have yet to see King with pads on.  After last season, Gunter probably shouldn't be the answer.  He filled in with an admirable attitude but his physical skills are limited.  Rollins was too inconsistent and would need to have a very solid training camp to make believers out of most of us.  

The scenario isn't clear, but Randall will be on the field plenty in the Packers defense.  After last season, there are valid questions about the results, from what we've heard so far, won't be lacking in desire and effort.