motife
06-03-2006, 07:08 PM
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=431166&format=print
Views on Packers' minicamps vary
Need apparent; attendance 'optional'
By LORI NICKEL
lnickel@journalsentinel.com
Posted: June 3, 2006
Whether you believe a player making millions of dollars and coming off a 4-12 season should get on the field no matter what or that something that's voluntary really means just that, the Green Bay Packers have their own opinions about these off-season minicamps, most of which are not mandatory.
Some players have made practices priority No. 1 and have been here for every single one. Others trust the veterans who haven't showed will be in shape when they get here. Others understand that charity commitments, football camps and family obligations are important too.
No resentment. No judgment. No questions of favoritism.
But what's the bottom line in a team sport where you simply must count on the other 10 guys on the field to make a play work?
"If you don't know your (expletive) by the time we get to training camp, you're going to be in trouble," said linebacker Nick Barnett, who has been at every practice. "You're going to be a hindrance on our team. I don't expect that to happen.
"I mean, the first week of training camp, of course there's going to be a couple of little things to iron out. But if you don't really know your (expletive), there's a problem. We have a problem on our team. You're going to get called out because at that point, you're supposed to know your stuff."
As the Packers continue their third and final minicamp of the off-season, here's the difference between what's mandatory and what is not:
The NFL allows only one mandatory minicamp, and the Packers had it right after the draft, with four practices in early May.
Because the Packers have a new coaching staff, the NFL allowed Green Bay a second, five-practice minicamp, which the Packers had in mid-May. It was completely voluntary.
In addition, every NFL team is allotted 14 more practices, all voluntary, which the Packers call Organized Team Activities (OTAs). It is up to each team to decide how many they want to use. Former coach Mike Sherman, for example, had an eight-day minicamp in June, spread out over two weeks, with one day designated for team-bonding with golf, bowling or dodge ball.
New coach Mike McCarthy is using all 14 practices and spreading them out over four weeks - a long haul to most players - with work resuming again on Monday after this weekend break.
A player can not be fined for not attending the voluntary work. He may only lose some workout bonus money if it was specifically written in to his contract with the team.
So that means that so far, the Packers have had 12 minicamp practices. It had near perfect attendance by healthy players in the four-practice mandatory camp, with the exception being Donnell Washington.
For the other eight voluntary practices so far, though, 15 out of the nearly 100 men on the Packers roster have missed at least one practice for personal reasons alone, and not because of injury. That does not include 16th year veteran Brett Favre, who was excused by coaches from the middle camp. It also doesn't include the rookies such as first-round draft pick A.J. Hawk, who is completing his college classes.
McCarthy has said he hopes for full attendance but has been understanding of some schedule issues.
"You know what? Here's the deal," said offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said. "The no shows? Can't worry about who's not here. All we're going to do is worry about which guys are here. OK? That deal is getting way overblown. Our attendance is better than it has been - it's up."
The Packers agree with that. Though it seems that when Cletidus Hunt skipped a minicamp last season and it was a big deal, these Packers don't see what the fuss is all about.
If it weren't for the big names no shows like Charles Woodson and Al Harris, the Packers say, no one would even notice. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila missed one camp but is here for the OTAs. Rod Gardner has missed a few practices. Mark Roman, Ahmad Carroll and Ryan Pickett as well. But for guys like Donald Driver and William Henderson missing just one, it means zilch in the big picture.
But collectively, the roll call questions have raised some red flags in the public's eye. Can't McCarthy get all of his men in camp? Is this an act of defiance by some, or just disrespect? Is the commitment level there from players?
For his part, Packers general manager Ted Thompson doesn't act one bit concerned about whether the absenteeism looks like an act of disrespect to his staff.
"I don't think anybody's taking it personally," said Thompson. "Or feel like it's any sort of slight. They're voluntary workouts."
Well, yes technically, but are they really? Most people, including most of the Packers themselves, believe their performance last year means that they decided they personally just had to be here.
"It's your job," said tackle Mark Tauscher. "And we're behind. We have a whole new offense and every player needs to learn it, so there's not as much a grace period. It's tough when you're dealing with a new staff. You don't want to come out in a bad light, you want to show them that you're going to work and do what they want you do."
The no-shows may have potential long-term effects, as well. The Packers all say they are installing plays in the current minicamp that will make training camp easier.
"Work hard now so we have it a little easier in training camp," said defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins. "I'm all for that."
Does that mean then the team may have to back up to accommodate others who had less-than-perfect attendance and may have fallen a little behind? Nearly every player at all of the practices sacrificed their personal time with their family and re-arranged other summer plans to be here working. Could they end up resenting the guys who didn't? What does that do for team chemistry?
"I wouldn't anticipate that happening," said Thompson. "Most, if not all of these fellas, have been here at one time during the off-season, and none of them were big out of shape, or anything like that. So these guys are training, they're professionals. We would like to get to the point where there's 100% participation. We understand that takes time, and people have habits, and nobody is worked up about it. It seems like the public is, but we're not."
Clearly, though, some leaders of the team are here when they could be somewhere - anywhere - else. Tauscher added that Favre was setting an example of leadership by attending the June practices. Ahman Green and Chad Clifton, like many of the injured players, are out there watching every practice for two hours though they can't do a thing.
Tight end Bubba Franks was in a contract holdout last season and missed all of the off-season workouts. He plans to make nearly every one this year even though it means he won't spend time with his son back in Miami.
"I would have been in Miami, but we have a new system, a new offense, and I don't want to go into the season feeling as a rookie again," said Franks. "I hated that feeling. I want to know everything. I want to know what every guy has. I want to know the offense just like Brett knows the offense. If I am going to have to be here from day one, then I will be here.
"I don't really have any complaints, not coming off the season we had last year. We're not used to that and I don't want to get used to that. I want to get back to the top as fast as I can and if this is the way to do it, then I'm all for it."
Many guys have re-arranged their schedules to be here for such a long camp.
"It's brutal," said Barnett. "But we have a philosophy behind what we're doing here. We're going to get a lot of the bulk of the work done right now so when training camp comes, we're not killing ourselves. That's the whole philosophy behind it. We need everybody here participating 100 percent for that to really go over."
With spotty attendance here and there, there's not an epidemic. Some players are expected later this camp. Everyone needs to be caught up so a problem doesn't develop.
"Yeah, it could be a little concern maybe with the system," said Jenkins. "You just hope people get the system so everybody will be ready to go."
Added Franks: "This is a different team and we need to learn to trust each other. That's the main reason most of the guys are here - so you can trust the guy next to you. But if another guy says he can do it, wherever he is, as long as he comes in and does his job, I have no problem with it."
Views on Packers' minicamps vary
Need apparent; attendance 'optional'
By LORI NICKEL
lnickel@journalsentinel.com
Posted: June 3, 2006
Whether you believe a player making millions of dollars and coming off a 4-12 season should get on the field no matter what or that something that's voluntary really means just that, the Green Bay Packers have their own opinions about these off-season minicamps, most of which are not mandatory.
Some players have made practices priority No. 1 and have been here for every single one. Others trust the veterans who haven't showed will be in shape when they get here. Others understand that charity commitments, football camps and family obligations are important too.
No resentment. No judgment. No questions of favoritism.
But what's the bottom line in a team sport where you simply must count on the other 10 guys on the field to make a play work?
"If you don't know your (expletive) by the time we get to training camp, you're going to be in trouble," said linebacker Nick Barnett, who has been at every practice. "You're going to be a hindrance on our team. I don't expect that to happen.
"I mean, the first week of training camp, of course there's going to be a couple of little things to iron out. But if you don't really know your (expletive), there's a problem. We have a problem on our team. You're going to get called out because at that point, you're supposed to know your stuff."
As the Packers continue their third and final minicamp of the off-season, here's the difference between what's mandatory and what is not:
The NFL allows only one mandatory minicamp, and the Packers had it right after the draft, with four practices in early May.
Because the Packers have a new coaching staff, the NFL allowed Green Bay a second, five-practice minicamp, which the Packers had in mid-May. It was completely voluntary.
In addition, every NFL team is allotted 14 more practices, all voluntary, which the Packers call Organized Team Activities (OTAs). It is up to each team to decide how many they want to use. Former coach Mike Sherman, for example, had an eight-day minicamp in June, spread out over two weeks, with one day designated for team-bonding with golf, bowling or dodge ball.
New coach Mike McCarthy is using all 14 practices and spreading them out over four weeks - a long haul to most players - with work resuming again on Monday after this weekend break.
A player can not be fined for not attending the voluntary work. He may only lose some workout bonus money if it was specifically written in to his contract with the team.
So that means that so far, the Packers have had 12 minicamp practices. It had near perfect attendance by healthy players in the four-practice mandatory camp, with the exception being Donnell Washington.
For the other eight voluntary practices so far, though, 15 out of the nearly 100 men on the Packers roster have missed at least one practice for personal reasons alone, and not because of injury. That does not include 16th year veteran Brett Favre, who was excused by coaches from the middle camp. It also doesn't include the rookies such as first-round draft pick A.J. Hawk, who is completing his college classes.
McCarthy has said he hopes for full attendance but has been understanding of some schedule issues.
"You know what? Here's the deal," said offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said. "The no shows? Can't worry about who's not here. All we're going to do is worry about which guys are here. OK? That deal is getting way overblown. Our attendance is better than it has been - it's up."
The Packers agree with that. Though it seems that when Cletidus Hunt skipped a minicamp last season and it was a big deal, these Packers don't see what the fuss is all about.
If it weren't for the big names no shows like Charles Woodson and Al Harris, the Packers say, no one would even notice. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila missed one camp but is here for the OTAs. Rod Gardner has missed a few practices. Mark Roman, Ahmad Carroll and Ryan Pickett as well. But for guys like Donald Driver and William Henderson missing just one, it means zilch in the big picture.
But collectively, the roll call questions have raised some red flags in the public's eye. Can't McCarthy get all of his men in camp? Is this an act of defiance by some, or just disrespect? Is the commitment level there from players?
For his part, Packers general manager Ted Thompson doesn't act one bit concerned about whether the absenteeism looks like an act of disrespect to his staff.
"I don't think anybody's taking it personally," said Thompson. "Or feel like it's any sort of slight. They're voluntary workouts."
Well, yes technically, but are they really? Most people, including most of the Packers themselves, believe their performance last year means that they decided they personally just had to be here.
"It's your job," said tackle Mark Tauscher. "And we're behind. We have a whole new offense and every player needs to learn it, so there's not as much a grace period. It's tough when you're dealing with a new staff. You don't want to come out in a bad light, you want to show them that you're going to work and do what they want you do."
The no-shows may have potential long-term effects, as well. The Packers all say they are installing plays in the current minicamp that will make training camp easier.
"Work hard now so we have it a little easier in training camp," said defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins. "I'm all for that."
Does that mean then the team may have to back up to accommodate others who had less-than-perfect attendance and may have fallen a little behind? Nearly every player at all of the practices sacrificed their personal time with their family and re-arranged other summer plans to be here working. Could they end up resenting the guys who didn't? What does that do for team chemistry?
"I wouldn't anticipate that happening," said Thompson. "Most, if not all of these fellas, have been here at one time during the off-season, and none of them were big out of shape, or anything like that. So these guys are training, they're professionals. We would like to get to the point where there's 100% participation. We understand that takes time, and people have habits, and nobody is worked up about it. It seems like the public is, but we're not."
Clearly, though, some leaders of the team are here when they could be somewhere - anywhere - else. Tauscher added that Favre was setting an example of leadership by attending the June practices. Ahman Green and Chad Clifton, like many of the injured players, are out there watching every practice for two hours though they can't do a thing.
Tight end Bubba Franks was in a contract holdout last season and missed all of the off-season workouts. He plans to make nearly every one this year even though it means he won't spend time with his son back in Miami.
"I would have been in Miami, but we have a new system, a new offense, and I don't want to go into the season feeling as a rookie again," said Franks. "I hated that feeling. I want to know everything. I want to know what every guy has. I want to know the offense just like Brett knows the offense. If I am going to have to be here from day one, then I will be here.
"I don't really have any complaints, not coming off the season we had last year. We're not used to that and I don't want to get used to that. I want to get back to the top as fast as I can and if this is the way to do it, then I'm all for it."
Many guys have re-arranged their schedules to be here for such a long camp.
"It's brutal," said Barnett. "But we have a philosophy behind what we're doing here. We're going to get a lot of the bulk of the work done right now so when training camp comes, we're not killing ourselves. That's the whole philosophy behind it. We need everybody here participating 100 percent for that to really go over."
With spotty attendance here and there, there's not an epidemic. Some players are expected later this camp. Everyone needs to be caught up so a problem doesn't develop.
"Yeah, it could be a little concern maybe with the system," said Jenkins. "You just hope people get the system so everybody will be ready to go."
Added Franks: "This is a different team and we need to learn to trust each other. That's the main reason most of the guys are here - so you can trust the guy next to you. But if another guy says he can do it, wherever he is, as long as he comes in and does his job, I have no problem with it."