Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff Writer 7y

Davon House's return just one step in strengthening Packers' cornerbacks

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Davon House was never a full-time starter when he left the Green Bay Packers as a free agent two years ago. Now, he’s back with the team that drafted him in the fourth round in 2011.

House signed with the Packers on Tuesday -- a week after he was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he was a starter in 2015 but a backup last season.

Terms: One-year deal (money not immediately available).

ESPN Top 150 ranking: Not ranked.

Grade: C. House appeared to be on the verge of breaking out and becoming a bona fide starter when he left in free agency. After a solid first season in Jacksonville, he fell out of favor and was reduced to playing mostly on special teams. He may not be a savior for a defense that ranked second-to-last in the NFL in passing yards allowed last season, but he should at least provide some competition for the likes of Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins and LaDarius Gunter.

What it means: The first step toward addressing a problem is admitting there is one. Injuries and poor performance by the cornerbacks ultimately were the biggest reasons the Packers fell short of the Super Bowl. They had no one to match up with Atlanta’s Julio Jones, who had nine catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game. Jones made the Packers look particularly silly on his 73-yard tackle-breaking touchdown catch-and-run. House had some success against Jones back in 2014 with the Packers. On the day that Jones caught 11 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown at Lambeau Field, the Packers finally put House on him late in the game, and he was the only one who had any success.

What’s the risk?: The only risk is if the Packers stop here. House should just be the start of the cornerback rebuilding process. Not that the Packers are going to give up on Randall and Rollins -- their first- and second-round picks in 2015 -- and they like the signs that Gunter showed last season, but they can’t make the mistake of overvaluing what they have on their roster. Cornerback remains one of the highest positions of need, along with running back.

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