motife
06-12-2006, 05:34 PM
MONDAY, June 12, 2006, 3:23 p.m.
Weight down, Allen moves up
When the Green Bay Packers held their first minicamp in early May, defensive tackle Kenderick Allen weighed 341 pounds and huffed and puffed his way through practice. "It was like putting an overweight fighter in the ring," admitted Allen. "He ain't going to last too long." The New York Giants had cut Allen in late April for not participating in their off-season workouts and the Packers signed him as a free agent.
But Allen said after the Packers' practice Monday - as their off-season team activities continue - that his weight was down to 325, just about his natural playing weight. And it has shown on the practice field. Allen is moving better in individual drills and being downright overpowering on occasion in one-one pass rushing sessions. "He's a beast," said guard Junius Coston.
At 6-foot-5 and 325, Allen has a similar build to recently cut defensive tackle Donnell Washington, who was listed at 6-6 and 328. In truth, Washington probably had a better physique. Washington had pipes bigger than Popeye. But unlike Washington, Allen plays with leverage. His strong suit is playing the inside running game. But Allen also has been bull-rushing linemen into the lap of an imaginary quarterback in one-on-one pass rushing drills. He also has been getting some work with the No. 1 defense. Allen was paired with Cullen Jenkins Monday, and they split time with the tandem of Corey Williams and Colin Cole. Allen played 14 games with the Giants last season and has played in 29 over the course of his three-year career. He spent his first season with New Orleans. Allen, who played at Louisiana State, signed with the Saints in 2003 as a non-drafted free agent.
Rookie Jason Spitz replaced Coston at right guard with the first unit Monday. Coston admitted he had a rough practice Friday. But Spitz on his first real chance with the No. 1s struggled in one-on-one pass blocking. Although Spitz's strength is his punch, he sometimes overextends himself in delivering it. That happened on his first turn against Williams. On his second turn, Spitz couldn't handle Allen's bull rush. That's an area where Coston has struggled, as well: Pass blocking.
Daryn Colledge, the Packers' other rookie guard, was one-for-two in one-on-one pass blocking. He got beat on a late spin move by Jenkins, but held his ground against rookie defensive tackle Johnny Jolly. Later in that same drill, Jolly and Coston engaged in a brief scuffle.
Tony Moll, the Packers' third drafted rookie offensive linemen, worked at right tackle for the first time. Moll, a fifth-round draft pick, had practiced exclusively at left tackle. Non-drafted free agent Josh Bourke moved from right to left tackle. He had practiced at left tackle in the second minicamp and also played there his last two seasons at Grand Valley State. Bourke stands 6-7 and weighs 314.
The Packers' new coaching staff must see something in running back Noah Herron. He has been getting snaps with the first offense ahead of Samkon Gado. Ben Brown, the rookie running back from Tabor, didn't get any snaps in team drills Monday.
Punting with a brisk wind, B.J. Sander averaged 48.9 yards on nine punts; Jon Ryan averaged 51 yards on eight punts. But Sander was more consistent. His punts ranged from 43 to 55 yards. Ryan's ranged from 37 to 60.
First-round draft pick A.J. Hawk reported for his first practice of the OTAs and worked with the first unit. ... Wide receiver Rod Gardner, tight end David Martin and cornerback Mike Hawkins missed practice. ... Fullback Vonta Leach and linebacker Abdul Hodge returned to practice. ... Wide receivers Chad Lucas and Vince Butler, who just completed their NFL Europe seasons, observed practice.
FRIDAY, June 9, 2006, 3:46 p.m.
Spitz makes an impression
As Brett Favre said at his Thursday press conference, the Green Bay Packers will learn the truth about their young offensive guards sometime after Sept. 10 when they start lining up against the likes of Shaun Rogers and Pat Williams. But don’t be surprised if the Packers wind up starting two rookies at guard.
The deeper the Packers get into their off-season workouts, the more there is to like about third-round draft pick Jason Spitz. At first glance, second-round choice Daryn Colledge looked to be the better athlete. Colledge's knee bend is exceptional and maybe it sounds trite, but he just looks the part. Spitz is a different kind of an athlete. He seems to be one of those guys who plays with good base, good leverage, all those little things that matter.
From the start of the first minicamp, Spitz’s punch stood out in both pass protection and the run game. He has what they call in the trade “heavy hands.†But on Tuesday during a practice in the Hutson Center, Spitz’s athletic ability jumped out during a drill where the guards were practicing a short pull. He came out of his stance, pivoted, ran flat down the line and made it all look effortless. He looked more natural at it than Colledge. Spitz had a lot of practice pulling at Louisville, where he said it was the “bread and butter†of the team’s offense. In the Packers’ new zone blocking scheme, the guards won’t be doing a lot of pulling. But they need to be good athletes. So it probably shouldn’t come as any great surprise that Spitz seems to fit the mold. After all, if the Packers didn't think he was athletic enough to fit their scheme, they wouldn’t have drafted him.
For now, Spitz is practicing mostly at right guard, backing up Junius Coston, another good athlete. But Spitz also has worked some at center and left guard. And it might just be that the Packers haven't even seen much of Spitz's best trait. He appears to have a nasty streak to him that might become more obvious when the players put their pads on in training camp.
With Favre missing practice Friday, the offense looked horrendous. In the two-minute drill, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked on the first play of his first series – safety Mark Roman caught him on a blitz out of a dime defense – and threw an interception to cornerback Jason Horton on the third play. On his second series, Rodgers marched the offense 41 yards in nine plays, but was only 3 of 8 and was off target on his last two passes, ending the drive. On his only series, rookie quarterback Ingle Martin was sacked twice and threw incomplete on fourth down.
In 7-on-7, Rodgers overthrew a wide-open Donald Driver on a go route and threw another interception to Horton. Martin was 0 for 6 in that portion of practice. Fourth-string quarterback Tom Arth threw one pass and it was intercepted by cornerback Ahmad Carroll. In Martin’s defense, two of his incomplete passes were drops by running backs Samkon Gado and Noah Herron on swing passes out of the backfield.
Horton couldn’t have had a better day. In addition to his two interceptions, he also had two deflections. … Rookie safety Tra Boger also broke up a pass down the middle intended for tight end Tory Humphrey in the two-minute drill. … The two sacks against Martin in the two-minute drill were registered by Kenny Peterson and Corey Williams. … Cornerback Mike Hawkins also made a nice play to break up a deep ball thrown to rookie wide receiver Calvin Russell. … Rodgers had another pass tipped at the line in the two-minute drill. … Free agent wide receiver Ruvell Martin had a chance to make three tough catches over the course of practice and didn’t make one.
As bad as the offense looked, the special teams looked no better. At the end of Rodgers’ second series in the two-minute drill, both Billy Cundiff and Dave Rayner were given a chance to kick 40-yard field goals into a stiff wind. Cundiff’s ball died in the wind and to the left of the goal post. Rayner got more leg into his ball, but it also was wide left. Punters Jon Ryan and B.J. Sander also punted into the wind earlier. At least three of Sander’s eight punts failed to travel at least 30 yards. Ryan booted one that barely made it past the line of scrimmage.
If the specialists can’t kick on a windy, but 60-some degree day, what are they going to do when the wind is howling and the temperature is in the teens and the ball seems like it weighs as much as a shot put?
The Packers released defensive tackle Donnell Washington. … Linebackers Nick Barnett and Abdul Hodge, and fullback Vonta Leach all missed practice for personal reasons. … With Barnett and Hodge missing, Ben Taylor lined up with the first defense at middle linebacker. … Charles Woodson, Al Harris and Ryan Pickett still haven’t reported. … Neither has No. 1 pick A.J. Hawk, but he’s expected in Monday. … Wide receiver Chad Lucas reported from NFL Europe, but didn’t practice.
Weight down, Allen moves up
When the Green Bay Packers held their first minicamp in early May, defensive tackle Kenderick Allen weighed 341 pounds and huffed and puffed his way through practice. "It was like putting an overweight fighter in the ring," admitted Allen. "He ain't going to last too long." The New York Giants had cut Allen in late April for not participating in their off-season workouts and the Packers signed him as a free agent.
But Allen said after the Packers' practice Monday - as their off-season team activities continue - that his weight was down to 325, just about his natural playing weight. And it has shown on the practice field. Allen is moving better in individual drills and being downright overpowering on occasion in one-one pass rushing sessions. "He's a beast," said guard Junius Coston.
At 6-foot-5 and 325, Allen has a similar build to recently cut defensive tackle Donnell Washington, who was listed at 6-6 and 328. In truth, Washington probably had a better physique. Washington had pipes bigger than Popeye. But unlike Washington, Allen plays with leverage. His strong suit is playing the inside running game. But Allen also has been bull-rushing linemen into the lap of an imaginary quarterback in one-on-one pass rushing drills. He also has been getting some work with the No. 1 defense. Allen was paired with Cullen Jenkins Monday, and they split time with the tandem of Corey Williams and Colin Cole. Allen played 14 games with the Giants last season and has played in 29 over the course of his three-year career. He spent his first season with New Orleans. Allen, who played at Louisiana State, signed with the Saints in 2003 as a non-drafted free agent.
Rookie Jason Spitz replaced Coston at right guard with the first unit Monday. Coston admitted he had a rough practice Friday. But Spitz on his first real chance with the No. 1s struggled in one-on-one pass blocking. Although Spitz's strength is his punch, he sometimes overextends himself in delivering it. That happened on his first turn against Williams. On his second turn, Spitz couldn't handle Allen's bull rush. That's an area where Coston has struggled, as well: Pass blocking.
Daryn Colledge, the Packers' other rookie guard, was one-for-two in one-on-one pass blocking. He got beat on a late spin move by Jenkins, but held his ground against rookie defensive tackle Johnny Jolly. Later in that same drill, Jolly and Coston engaged in a brief scuffle.
Tony Moll, the Packers' third drafted rookie offensive linemen, worked at right tackle for the first time. Moll, a fifth-round draft pick, had practiced exclusively at left tackle. Non-drafted free agent Josh Bourke moved from right to left tackle. He had practiced at left tackle in the second minicamp and also played there his last two seasons at Grand Valley State. Bourke stands 6-7 and weighs 314.
The Packers' new coaching staff must see something in running back Noah Herron. He has been getting snaps with the first offense ahead of Samkon Gado. Ben Brown, the rookie running back from Tabor, didn't get any snaps in team drills Monday.
Punting with a brisk wind, B.J. Sander averaged 48.9 yards on nine punts; Jon Ryan averaged 51 yards on eight punts. But Sander was more consistent. His punts ranged from 43 to 55 yards. Ryan's ranged from 37 to 60.
First-round draft pick A.J. Hawk reported for his first practice of the OTAs and worked with the first unit. ... Wide receiver Rod Gardner, tight end David Martin and cornerback Mike Hawkins missed practice. ... Fullback Vonta Leach and linebacker Abdul Hodge returned to practice. ... Wide receivers Chad Lucas and Vince Butler, who just completed their NFL Europe seasons, observed practice.
FRIDAY, June 9, 2006, 3:46 p.m.
Spitz makes an impression
As Brett Favre said at his Thursday press conference, the Green Bay Packers will learn the truth about their young offensive guards sometime after Sept. 10 when they start lining up against the likes of Shaun Rogers and Pat Williams. But don’t be surprised if the Packers wind up starting two rookies at guard.
The deeper the Packers get into their off-season workouts, the more there is to like about third-round draft pick Jason Spitz. At first glance, second-round choice Daryn Colledge looked to be the better athlete. Colledge's knee bend is exceptional and maybe it sounds trite, but he just looks the part. Spitz is a different kind of an athlete. He seems to be one of those guys who plays with good base, good leverage, all those little things that matter.
From the start of the first minicamp, Spitz’s punch stood out in both pass protection and the run game. He has what they call in the trade “heavy hands.†But on Tuesday during a practice in the Hutson Center, Spitz’s athletic ability jumped out during a drill where the guards were practicing a short pull. He came out of his stance, pivoted, ran flat down the line and made it all look effortless. He looked more natural at it than Colledge. Spitz had a lot of practice pulling at Louisville, where he said it was the “bread and butter†of the team’s offense. In the Packers’ new zone blocking scheme, the guards won’t be doing a lot of pulling. But they need to be good athletes. So it probably shouldn’t come as any great surprise that Spitz seems to fit the mold. After all, if the Packers didn't think he was athletic enough to fit their scheme, they wouldn’t have drafted him.
For now, Spitz is practicing mostly at right guard, backing up Junius Coston, another good athlete. But Spitz also has worked some at center and left guard. And it might just be that the Packers haven't even seen much of Spitz's best trait. He appears to have a nasty streak to him that might become more obvious when the players put their pads on in training camp.
With Favre missing practice Friday, the offense looked horrendous. In the two-minute drill, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked on the first play of his first series – safety Mark Roman caught him on a blitz out of a dime defense – and threw an interception to cornerback Jason Horton on the third play. On his second series, Rodgers marched the offense 41 yards in nine plays, but was only 3 of 8 and was off target on his last two passes, ending the drive. On his only series, rookie quarterback Ingle Martin was sacked twice and threw incomplete on fourth down.
In 7-on-7, Rodgers overthrew a wide-open Donald Driver on a go route and threw another interception to Horton. Martin was 0 for 6 in that portion of practice. Fourth-string quarterback Tom Arth threw one pass and it was intercepted by cornerback Ahmad Carroll. In Martin’s defense, two of his incomplete passes were drops by running backs Samkon Gado and Noah Herron on swing passes out of the backfield.
Horton couldn’t have had a better day. In addition to his two interceptions, he also had two deflections. … Rookie safety Tra Boger also broke up a pass down the middle intended for tight end Tory Humphrey in the two-minute drill. … The two sacks against Martin in the two-minute drill were registered by Kenny Peterson and Corey Williams. … Cornerback Mike Hawkins also made a nice play to break up a deep ball thrown to rookie wide receiver Calvin Russell. … Rodgers had another pass tipped at the line in the two-minute drill. … Free agent wide receiver Ruvell Martin had a chance to make three tough catches over the course of practice and didn’t make one.
As bad as the offense looked, the special teams looked no better. At the end of Rodgers’ second series in the two-minute drill, both Billy Cundiff and Dave Rayner were given a chance to kick 40-yard field goals into a stiff wind. Cundiff’s ball died in the wind and to the left of the goal post. Rayner got more leg into his ball, but it also was wide left. Punters Jon Ryan and B.J. Sander also punted into the wind earlier. At least three of Sander’s eight punts failed to travel at least 30 yards. Ryan booted one that barely made it past the line of scrimmage.
If the specialists can’t kick on a windy, but 60-some degree day, what are they going to do when the wind is howling and the temperature is in the teens and the ball seems like it weighs as much as a shot put?
The Packers released defensive tackle Donnell Washington. … Linebackers Nick Barnett and Abdul Hodge, and fullback Vonta Leach all missed practice for personal reasons. … With Barnett and Hodge missing, Ben Taylor lined up with the first defense at middle linebacker. … Charles Woodson, Al Harris and Ryan Pickett still haven’t reported. … Neither has No. 1 pick A.J. Hawk, but he’s expected in Monday. … Wide receiver Chad Lucas reported from NFL Europe, but didn’t practice.