motife
06-16-2006, 05:47 AM
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=87843&ntpid=3
Packers: Pickett shows up, but many still MIA from OTAs
JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
June 16, 2006
GREEN BAY - Ryan Pickett finally showed up for work Thursday, after missing the first nine days of the Green Bay Packers' organized team activity practices. And the veteran nose tackle sounded like he felt really bad about the time he missed.
"I feel like I let my team down by not being here," said Pickett, who signed a four-year, $14 million free-agent deal in March that included $5 million in bonus money up front.
"It hurt me that I couldn't be here. I mean it. I take it on myself; I want to be a leader and stuff like that. A leader doesn't miss this many days, so I'm kind of hard on myself. But at the same time I had stuff I had to deal with."
Asked what that "stuff" was, Pickett said he has "been going through a little personal matter." Pickett, who is about 10 pounds heavier than his target weight of 325 pounds, refused to elaborate, but he said "the coaching staff has been so supportive in helping me deal with it."
That may be true, but a number of players said Thursday that new coach Mike McCarthy made it clear to them in a team meeting earlier this week that he is not pleased with the attendance so far at the OTAs, even though the workouts are technically voluntary.
McCarthy was not scheduled to meet with reporters Thursday, but attendance-related questions have not been his favorite topic during his every-other-practice sideline news briefings.
He said on the first day of OTAs that he is "in the process of changing a culture as far as how offseasons have gone here in the past," and while participation in the offseason conditioning and weight-training program is up, significantly more players have missed on-field workouts than under former coach Mike Sherman.
Sherman never asked for his entire team to attend all 14 allotted OTA workouts, asking veterans to participate in some of them in conjunction with the post-draft minicamp and some during the first 10 days of June. The rest were designated for younger players and were closed to reporters.
This year, McCarthy had an extra voluntary minicamp - allowed by the NFL because he is a new coach - and asked the veteran players to take part in all the OTAs. So far, of the 94 players on the roster, only 50 have participated in every one of the 10 practices, which began May 31.
With Pickett's arrival, only two players - cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson - have failed to participate in a single practice. McCarthy said Tuesday that he doesn't expect Harris, who is unhappy with his contract, to attend and Woodson's attendance is "up in the air."
Only four workouts remain - today and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The players are then off until training camp opens July 28.
General manager Ted Thompson said he wasn't aware of what McCarthy told the players about the attendance, but the GM didn't seem overly concerned about the number of missed practices.
"I can't comment on that. I wasn't there; I don't sit in on team meetings," Thompson said. "(But) it's voluntary. What are you going to do, gnash your teeth and wail at the wind? We'd like all our guys here. We'd like 100 percent attendance. We're not there yet. We're working on it."
Most players have missed time because of what they've called scheduling conflicts, while McCarthy has used the catch-all "personal reasons" when asked about most of the absences. Veteran fullback William Henderson, for example, was missing Thursday because he went on a family vacation.
Wide receiver Rod Gardner, who missed the voluntary minicamp May 19 to 21 and returned to practice Thursday after missing five of the first nine OTAs, said he has missed time for a number of reasons - closing on some property he was selling, a family graduation and taking care of his young son.
"I think if you come to training camp ready, in shape, focused and knowing what the (heck) you're doing, then that's when it counts," Gardner said. "You can come out here and shine in OTAs every day and then get to training camp and do nothing. I think this is a steppingstone. But if you know what you're doing and you know the plays and you're not able to be here, how much are you really losing? It's still June."
Defensive end Aaron Kampman, who has taken part in every offseason practice, acknowledged that some teammates have been unhappy with the new staff expecting them to give up most of the month of June. But Kampman said they're gradually accepting the change.
"I look at it as, there was a way that it used to be - that's one creek. There's the way it is now - that's another creek. And those two are merging together, and when two creeks merge, there's usually some rumbling that happens and then it smoothes out," Kampman said. "Guys are trying to get used to it. The goals are now different in the offseason. That's the reality. So everyone's trying to adjust. Some guys adjusted quickly, some guys are still trying to adjust."
Extra points
Wide receiver Donald Driver returned after missing Tuesday. Safety Nick Collins was missing, while NFL Europe safety Atari Bigby practiced for the first time. Tight end David Martin was missing for the third straight practice. ... Linebacker Tim Goodwell practiced for the first time. ... Defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila practiced after missing Tuesday's workout because a slight shoulder injury.
Packers: Pickett shows up, but many still MIA from OTAs
JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
June 16, 2006
GREEN BAY - Ryan Pickett finally showed up for work Thursday, after missing the first nine days of the Green Bay Packers' organized team activity practices. And the veteran nose tackle sounded like he felt really bad about the time he missed.
"I feel like I let my team down by not being here," said Pickett, who signed a four-year, $14 million free-agent deal in March that included $5 million in bonus money up front.
"It hurt me that I couldn't be here. I mean it. I take it on myself; I want to be a leader and stuff like that. A leader doesn't miss this many days, so I'm kind of hard on myself. But at the same time I had stuff I had to deal with."
Asked what that "stuff" was, Pickett said he has "been going through a little personal matter." Pickett, who is about 10 pounds heavier than his target weight of 325 pounds, refused to elaborate, but he said "the coaching staff has been so supportive in helping me deal with it."
That may be true, but a number of players said Thursday that new coach Mike McCarthy made it clear to them in a team meeting earlier this week that he is not pleased with the attendance so far at the OTAs, even though the workouts are technically voluntary.
McCarthy was not scheduled to meet with reporters Thursday, but attendance-related questions have not been his favorite topic during his every-other-practice sideline news briefings.
He said on the first day of OTAs that he is "in the process of changing a culture as far as how offseasons have gone here in the past," and while participation in the offseason conditioning and weight-training program is up, significantly more players have missed on-field workouts than under former coach Mike Sherman.
Sherman never asked for his entire team to attend all 14 allotted OTA workouts, asking veterans to participate in some of them in conjunction with the post-draft minicamp and some during the first 10 days of June. The rest were designated for younger players and were closed to reporters.
This year, McCarthy had an extra voluntary minicamp - allowed by the NFL because he is a new coach - and asked the veteran players to take part in all the OTAs. So far, of the 94 players on the roster, only 50 have participated in every one of the 10 practices, which began May 31.
With Pickett's arrival, only two players - cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson - have failed to participate in a single practice. McCarthy said Tuesday that he doesn't expect Harris, who is unhappy with his contract, to attend and Woodson's attendance is "up in the air."
Only four workouts remain - today and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The players are then off until training camp opens July 28.
General manager Ted Thompson said he wasn't aware of what McCarthy told the players about the attendance, but the GM didn't seem overly concerned about the number of missed practices.
"I can't comment on that. I wasn't there; I don't sit in on team meetings," Thompson said. "(But) it's voluntary. What are you going to do, gnash your teeth and wail at the wind? We'd like all our guys here. We'd like 100 percent attendance. We're not there yet. We're working on it."
Most players have missed time because of what they've called scheduling conflicts, while McCarthy has used the catch-all "personal reasons" when asked about most of the absences. Veteran fullback William Henderson, for example, was missing Thursday because he went on a family vacation.
Wide receiver Rod Gardner, who missed the voluntary minicamp May 19 to 21 and returned to practice Thursday after missing five of the first nine OTAs, said he has missed time for a number of reasons - closing on some property he was selling, a family graduation and taking care of his young son.
"I think if you come to training camp ready, in shape, focused and knowing what the (heck) you're doing, then that's when it counts," Gardner said. "You can come out here and shine in OTAs every day and then get to training camp and do nothing. I think this is a steppingstone. But if you know what you're doing and you know the plays and you're not able to be here, how much are you really losing? It's still June."
Defensive end Aaron Kampman, who has taken part in every offseason practice, acknowledged that some teammates have been unhappy with the new staff expecting them to give up most of the month of June. But Kampman said they're gradually accepting the change.
"I look at it as, there was a way that it used to be - that's one creek. There's the way it is now - that's another creek. And those two are merging together, and when two creeks merge, there's usually some rumbling that happens and then it smoothes out," Kampman said. "Guys are trying to get used to it. The goals are now different in the offseason. That's the reality. So everyone's trying to adjust. Some guys adjusted quickly, some guys are still trying to adjust."
Extra points
Wide receiver Donald Driver returned after missing Tuesday. Safety Nick Collins was missing, while NFL Europe safety Atari Bigby practiced for the first time. Tight end David Martin was missing for the third straight practice. ... Linebacker Tim Goodwell practiced for the first time. ... Defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila practiced after missing Tuesday's workout because a slight shoulder injury.