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Week In Pictures
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Jared Lorenzen admitted to being shocked when he heard that the New York Giants had selected his former teammate, Andre Woodson, in the sixth round of the NFL Draft two weekends ago. The selection of Woodson gave the Giants five quarterbacks to work with. Most NFL teams keep only three.
"Well, first of all, I was shocked that Andre fell so low," Lorenzen said this week. "And then I was shocked from the standpoint that we already have four quarterbacks. But I do think it was a great value pick. Andre is a second- or third-round guy and you get him in the sixth round."
Woodson is participating in the Giants' rookie mini-camp this weekend. He'll be trying to put himself in a quarterback rotation that already includes Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, Lorenzen, former No. 1 overall pick David Carr and journeyman Anthony Wright.
Lorenzen, who served as Manning's backup last season, is no stranger to quarterback competitions. Former UK coach Hal Mumme made waves when he gave Lorenzen, then a redshirt freshman, the job over incumbent Dusty Bonner in the summer before the 2000 season, and Lorenzen also battled with Shane Boyd to keep his job later in his career.
But now Lorenzen is firmly entrenched in what he calls the "most intense competition of my career."
"This is for a job," Lorenzen said. "This is your livelihood. At Kentucky, I knew if I lost the quarterback job, I had a chance to win it back. But this is all about your career, your future, and taking care of your family."
Woodson and Lorenzen were also in the same quarterback stable in 2003 when Woodson redshirted during Lorenzen's final season.
"You could see the talent he had then," Lorenzen said of Woodson. "He was raw, but Shane (Boyd) and I both used to talk about what a great future he had."
Lorenzen said he hasn't talked with Woodson since the draft but would welcome the opportunity to serve as a mentor.
"If he wants to sit down and work together and go over some things, I'd be more than glad to help him," Lorenzen said.
Lorenzen said Manning took him under his wing when he arrived at Giants' camp in 2004.
"I came in thinking everybody was my enemy, but Eli sat me down and said he'd do anything he could to help me," Lorenzen said. "Of course, everybody wants to be the man, but I think the bottom line is everyone wants everybody to get better. It's a tough adjustment to the NFL and I think you need the input and help of the veterans to survive. I know I wouldn't have survived without Eli's help.
"It can be a friendly competition. Andre's a Kentucky guy, so I want him to do well. I'm hoping that we can help each other out."
While the Giants do have a gluttony of quarterbacks, it's feasible that both Lorenzen and Woodson could make the squad.
Most NFL teams keep two quarterbacks on the active roster. The Giants could place its third-string quarterback on the inactive roster, which would mean he'd be available only in the event of an injury, and put the No. 4 quarterback on the practice squad.
Teams are often hesitant to cut draft picks, and the Giants are said to like Woodson's long-term potential as a backup to Manning, so they could conceivably place him on the practice squad and slowly develop him to be the No. 2 guy down the road.
Woodson injured
Woodson's NFL career is off to a rough start.
He pulled a quad muscle while scrambling to his left during an 11-on-11 drill.
"I don't know what happened," Woodson said. "I'm kind of disappointed I'm not out there for my first minicamp. I just can't wait to get back out there and do some good things."
He threw an interception on his first pass in minicamp on Friday, but he felt he improved a lot in the second workout in the afternoon.
Boyd prepping for prime-time role
UK freshman-to-be Aaron Boyd was a regular spectator at the Cats' spring practices as he prepares to try and earn a prominent role in the Wildcats' thin receiver position.
Boyd said he already feels like a member of the squad.
