motife
06-19-2006, 04:48 PM
MONDAY, June 19, 2006, 3:51 p.m.
Hodge looks the part
It's hard for a linebacker to even flash in no-pads, off-season practices. They don't normally get many interceptions. If they blitz, they pull up before they reach the quarterback. And they don't hit, the litmus test for every linebacker. But if one watches Abdul Hodge, the Green Bay Packers' third-round draft pick, for a series of plays here and there, you see someone who looks the part of a football player. Hodge was an instinctive and productive player at Iowa, and he has shown signs that he could be that for the Packers, as well.
Hodge didn't run or test well at the combine, but he appears to have good lateral quickness and enough initial burst to fill a hole. Although he's high-cut with skinny legs, he looks to be strong in the upper body and certainly not glaringly undersized. Hodge is still in the learning stages. There was a play in a team drill Monday, where the play-action was to the left side with the tailback, but the play turned out to be a bootleg to the right with fullback A.J. Copper sneaking out of the backfield and catching a short pass from Aaron Rodgers. Hodge was fooled on the play and got caught up in traffic inside. He also was a step behind rookie tight end Zac Alcorn on a deep ball down the middle in that same team session, although Hodge had safety help over the top. So like every rookie, the jury is still out.
But more often than not, you'll find Hodge where the ball is in team drills. He has been working exclusively at middle linebacker behind Nick Barnett in the OTAs and even gotten some snaps with the No. 1 unit when Barnett has been nicked or missing. Hodge also has lined up in the No. 2 dime behind Barnett. And Monday, Hodge and Hawk were the two linebackers in a red-zone nickel.
It's possible that Hodge could be one of the team's three best linebackers come September. But his natural position seems to be middle linebacker. Thus, it will be interesting to see if he'll get a look on the strong side come training camp. He worked there on an extremely limited basis in an earlier minicamp.
Wide receiver Rod Gardner pulled a hamstring Friday and didn't participate in team work. Fellow wide receiver Robert Ferguson also sat out the team drills with an apparent leg problem. With Greg Jennings still missing from practice that gave several young receivers more snaps than usual and they didn't exactly seize the opportunity. Fourth-round pick Cory Rodgers couldn't shake the coverage of cornerback Patrick Dendy to haul in a deep ball from Aaron Rodgers. Free agent rookie Leo Bookman dropped another Rodgers' pass. Free agent Ruvell Martin, despite a four-inch height advantage, couldn't win a jump ball with Dendy in the end zone during a red-zone drill. Free agent Calvin Russell couldn't get his body turned to catch an out from Rodgers during 7-on-7. And Ruvell Martin also dropped a Favre pass in the end zone in the red-zone 7-on-7.
But Russell did beat free agent corner Therrian Fontenot on a go pattern down the sideline and made a good catch of a Rodgers' pass. And free agent rookie Chris Francies made a nice catch over the middle of a Favre pass in team drills and beat cornerback Ahmad Carroll to catch a Rodgers' pass in 7-on-7.
Favre and wide receiver Donald Driver teamed up on a pass that traveled 55 yards in the air, albeit with the aide of a strong wind. Driver beat cornerback Jerron Wishom on the play. ... Wishom later intercepted a Rodgers' pass in the red zone 7-on-7. It was Wishom's third interception of the OTAs. ... Running back Samkon Gado had another drop in 7-on-7, swinging out of the backfield. Neither Gado nor Noah Herron, the top two tailbacks on the OTA depth chart, have exactly been sure-handed as receivers. ... Veteran receiver Marc Boerigter made a tough, one-handed catch over the middle of a Favre pass, but also dropped a slant pass from Favre in 7-on-7.
Along with Favre, fullback William Henderson and tight end David Martin returned to practice. Linebacker Byron Santiago returned from an injury. Missing from practice were tight end Bubba Franks; defensive linemen Colin Cole, Corey Williams and Kenderick Allen; and defensive backs Mike Hawkins and Marviel Underwood. Allen was in the locker room after practice and said his flight was late. Linebacker Roy Manning and first-year tight end Garrett Cross observed practice.
Hodge looks the part
It's hard for a linebacker to even flash in no-pads, off-season practices. They don't normally get many interceptions. If they blitz, they pull up before they reach the quarterback. And they don't hit, the litmus test for every linebacker. But if one watches Abdul Hodge, the Green Bay Packers' third-round draft pick, for a series of plays here and there, you see someone who looks the part of a football player. Hodge was an instinctive and productive player at Iowa, and he has shown signs that he could be that for the Packers, as well.
Hodge didn't run or test well at the combine, but he appears to have good lateral quickness and enough initial burst to fill a hole. Although he's high-cut with skinny legs, he looks to be strong in the upper body and certainly not glaringly undersized. Hodge is still in the learning stages. There was a play in a team drill Monday, where the play-action was to the left side with the tailback, but the play turned out to be a bootleg to the right with fullback A.J. Copper sneaking out of the backfield and catching a short pass from Aaron Rodgers. Hodge was fooled on the play and got caught up in traffic inside. He also was a step behind rookie tight end Zac Alcorn on a deep ball down the middle in that same team session, although Hodge had safety help over the top. So like every rookie, the jury is still out.
But more often than not, you'll find Hodge where the ball is in team drills. He has been working exclusively at middle linebacker behind Nick Barnett in the OTAs and even gotten some snaps with the No. 1 unit when Barnett has been nicked or missing. Hodge also has lined up in the No. 2 dime behind Barnett. And Monday, Hodge and Hawk were the two linebackers in a red-zone nickel.
It's possible that Hodge could be one of the team's three best linebackers come September. But his natural position seems to be middle linebacker. Thus, it will be interesting to see if he'll get a look on the strong side come training camp. He worked there on an extremely limited basis in an earlier minicamp.
Wide receiver Rod Gardner pulled a hamstring Friday and didn't participate in team work. Fellow wide receiver Robert Ferguson also sat out the team drills with an apparent leg problem. With Greg Jennings still missing from practice that gave several young receivers more snaps than usual and they didn't exactly seize the opportunity. Fourth-round pick Cory Rodgers couldn't shake the coverage of cornerback Patrick Dendy to haul in a deep ball from Aaron Rodgers. Free agent rookie Leo Bookman dropped another Rodgers' pass. Free agent Ruvell Martin, despite a four-inch height advantage, couldn't win a jump ball with Dendy in the end zone during a red-zone drill. Free agent Calvin Russell couldn't get his body turned to catch an out from Rodgers during 7-on-7. And Ruvell Martin also dropped a Favre pass in the end zone in the red-zone 7-on-7.
But Russell did beat free agent corner Therrian Fontenot on a go pattern down the sideline and made a good catch of a Rodgers' pass. And free agent rookie Chris Francies made a nice catch over the middle of a Favre pass in team drills and beat cornerback Ahmad Carroll to catch a Rodgers' pass in 7-on-7.
Favre and wide receiver Donald Driver teamed up on a pass that traveled 55 yards in the air, albeit with the aide of a strong wind. Driver beat cornerback Jerron Wishom on the play. ... Wishom later intercepted a Rodgers' pass in the red zone 7-on-7. It was Wishom's third interception of the OTAs. ... Running back Samkon Gado had another drop in 7-on-7, swinging out of the backfield. Neither Gado nor Noah Herron, the top two tailbacks on the OTA depth chart, have exactly been sure-handed as receivers. ... Veteran receiver Marc Boerigter made a tough, one-handed catch over the middle of a Favre pass, but also dropped a slant pass from Favre in 7-on-7.
Along with Favre, fullback William Henderson and tight end David Martin returned to practice. Linebacker Byron Santiago returned from an injury. Missing from practice were tight end Bubba Franks; defensive linemen Colin Cole, Corey Williams and Kenderick Allen; and defensive backs Mike Hawkins and Marviel Underwood. Allen was in the locker room after practice and said his flight was late. Linebacker Roy Manning and first-year tight end Garrett Cross observed practice.