motife
06-21-2006, 05:47 PM
Who stood out, and who didn't, at minicamps and OTAs
Posted: June 21, 2006
Cliff Christl
Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers' off-season workouts are over. Thirty-seven days from now, training camp starts. In 81 days, the Packers will open the season against the Chicago Bears.
Will they be a better team than last year when they plummeted to 4-12, their worst record in 14 years? Do they have a shot at being a playoff contender in Mike McCarthy's first year as coach?
Or will their skid continue?
It will be some time before those questions are answered, but it was possible to get some early reads from the 14 OTAs and two minicamps.
On the plus side, the Packers appear to have improved the infrastructure of their roster with several draft picks and unheralded free agents. At this point, none of the five players drafted in the first three rounds seems to have been a reach and all could compete for playing time. There also were some young returning veterans who seem to be developing into better players.
On the flip side, the question that should raise the most concern at this point is this: Who is going to score touchdowns for this team?
Here's a position-by-position analysis of the off-season workouts:
Wide Receiver: Other than Donald Driver, no receiver stood out. Rod Gardner and Robert Ferguson flashed early, but then disappeared. Part of it might have been that they missed some practice time, but even when they were making occasional plays, they didn't look anything special.
It wouldn't be a stretch to say that second-round pick Greg Jennings and first-year free agent Ruvell Martin looked better than any receiver other than Driver.
Veteran newcomer Marc Boerigter is an inviting target and Brett Favre seems to look for him, but Boerigter doesn't seem to make the tough catch with any consistency.
The same could be said for Martin.
Fourth-round choice Cory Rodgers and Jennings probably are better than the other rookies at beating bump coverage, but Rodgers didn't make many plays.
Rookie free agent Chris Francies from Texas-El Paso came on strong over the last few days. Fellow free agent rookie Leo Bookman, the converted track star, has burning speed, but probably the worst hands of the group. Chad Lucas, who starred in NFL Europe, got a late start and was pretty much shut out in team drills.
Tight End: As he has in the past, David Martin showed the potential to make plays down the seam. But in five years that potential has never translated into production.
Tory Humphrey stood out as an athlete last year before he got cut and did so again, but the consistency doesn't seem to be there yet. All Zac Alcorn, a rookie free agent from Black Hills State, did was catch the ball every time he got the chance. He might be sneaky fast, too.
Offensive Line: It appears that rookies Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz could be the starting guards. Based on the one-on-one pass blocking drills, they both need work on their pass protection. But they appear to be good athletes and they both might have a nasty side that will more likely surface when the pads go on.
Athletically, Junius Coston is in the same category, but he might need even more work in pass protection.
William Whitticker didn't embarrass himself at left tackle even when he went against Kabeer Gbaja-Biamilia in pass protection. Tackle seems to be his best position and pass protection seems to be his strength. Thus, he has a shot to make it as a backup.
Rookie free agent Josh Bourke (6-7, 314) of Grand Valley State seemed to show more promise than fifth-round pick Tony Moll (6-5, 308). By the end of the OTAs, Bourke was playing the more difficult left tackle position and Moll was playing on the right side.
Scott Wells looks more comfortable at center and might be ready to take a big step forward. To me, backup center Chris White looked better last year.
Quarterback: When former NFL MVP Rich Gannon was in camp for a day, he said when quarterbacks start to show their age, their throwing arm and their legs go first. And he said he doesn't think Favre has lost either at age 36.
On his last day in camp, Favre completed 17 of 27 passes with at least three drops. He almost looked in regular-season form.
"I thought he had three throws in a row where the ball was really starting to spit off his fingers," coach Mike McCarthy said after the workout.
Aaron Rodgers has dropped his release and looks more natural throwing the ball. He says the game is slowing down for him. And he moves in the pocket maybe better than advertised.
But he was inconsistent. And on the days when Favre missed, the No. 1 offense usually sputtered with Rodgers at the control. In fact, there were stretches where it looked downright ugly.
Rodgers had a number of passes tipped at the line, although McCarthy said that could be a protection problem as much as anything. Rodgers' accuracy on the deep ball also remains suspect.
Fifth-round pick Ingle Martin received a lot of individual attention from McCarthy, but about the kindest thing that could be said about him is that he's a work in progress. Free agents Tom Arth and Brian Wrobel hardly took any snaps.
Running Back: The new staff seems to like Noah Herron and he seemed to get more opportunity than Samkon Gado as the OTAs unfolded. But it's hard to see where Herron is anything more than a try-hard guy.
The Packers seem to be banking on Ahman Green making a full recovery from his thigh surgery. In fact, their season might hinge it.
Najeh Davenport, who is coming off ankle surgery, said he would be ready to go at the start of camp. Green said several weeks ago that he might not return until later in camp.
Ben Brown, a rookie free agent from Tabor College, is raw as raw can be, but he's also a load at 6-1, 246 and received some snaps at tailback. A.J. Cooper, another free agent rookie from North Dakota State, catches the ball better than backup fullback Vonta Leach, the player he'll be trying to beat out.
Defensive Line: Fourteen defensive linemen participated in at least some of the OTAs. They all were healthy. They all were able to keep pace in the early practice conditioning drills. And essentially they're all blue-collar type players. That was all a departure from the recent past when the Packers hinged their hopes on too many aging veterans with injury and motivational issues.
Maybe there are no potential all-pros in the bunch, but there appear to be plenty of candidates to compete for playing time in a seven-, eight-man rotation.
Defensive tackle Kenderick Allen (6-5, 328) slowly worked his way into shape and could become a force in the running game. Of the returning veterans, Corey Williams showed signs of maybe taking another step forward. But it's hard to get a read on defensive linemen until they start wearing pads.
Jerome Nichols, another NFL Europe product, is built along the same lines as Cullen Jenkins and has some of the same qualities, notably the quick-twitch movements that allow him to put some pressure on the quarterback.
Linebacker: No. 1 draft pick A.J. Hawk's athletic ability was apparent. And third-round pick Abdul Hodge looks like someone anxious to stick his nose in the middle of the action and also seems to be a better athlete than his pre-draft workouts suggested.
That alone could make for a huge upgrade.
Ben Taylor could be a solid addition. He seems to have separated himself from Roy Manning, another candidate at strong-side linebacker. Four-year veteran Tracy White probably looked better than Manning, too.
Defensive Back: With starting corners Charles Woodson and Al Harris skipping the OTAs, the Packers were thin on cornerbacks. But their young returning prospects - Ahmad Carroll, Mike Hawkins, Jerron Wishom and Jason Horton, in particular - all had their moments. In truth, even the Packers' second-line corners outplayed the team's frontline receivers, for the most part.
So far, Carroll looks to be the most improved. He got beat his share of times, but he played the ball better than ever and made some big plays.
Hawkins' closing speed still jumps out at times.
Fourth-round pick Will Blackmon missed the OTAs with a broken foot, but impressed in minicamps before suffering his injury.
Tra Boger, a rookie free agent from Tulane, is an intriguing prospect. And second-year safety Marviel Underwood showed more ball awareness than a year ago.
Specialists: Jon Ryan has taken a clear lead over B.J. Sander, but that doesn't mean he has won the job. Ryan still needs to improve his get-off time, hang time and consistency.
Billy Cundiff might have taken a lead on Dave Rayner in the kicking competition, but that appears far from settled.
Posted: June 21, 2006
Cliff Christl
Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers' off-season workouts are over. Thirty-seven days from now, training camp starts. In 81 days, the Packers will open the season against the Chicago Bears.
Will they be a better team than last year when they plummeted to 4-12, their worst record in 14 years? Do they have a shot at being a playoff contender in Mike McCarthy's first year as coach?
Or will their skid continue?
It will be some time before those questions are answered, but it was possible to get some early reads from the 14 OTAs and two minicamps.
On the plus side, the Packers appear to have improved the infrastructure of their roster with several draft picks and unheralded free agents. At this point, none of the five players drafted in the first three rounds seems to have been a reach and all could compete for playing time. There also were some young returning veterans who seem to be developing into better players.
On the flip side, the question that should raise the most concern at this point is this: Who is going to score touchdowns for this team?
Here's a position-by-position analysis of the off-season workouts:
Wide Receiver: Other than Donald Driver, no receiver stood out. Rod Gardner and Robert Ferguson flashed early, but then disappeared. Part of it might have been that they missed some practice time, but even when they were making occasional plays, they didn't look anything special.
It wouldn't be a stretch to say that second-round pick Greg Jennings and first-year free agent Ruvell Martin looked better than any receiver other than Driver.
Veteran newcomer Marc Boerigter is an inviting target and Brett Favre seems to look for him, but Boerigter doesn't seem to make the tough catch with any consistency.
The same could be said for Martin.
Fourth-round choice Cory Rodgers and Jennings probably are better than the other rookies at beating bump coverage, but Rodgers didn't make many plays.
Rookie free agent Chris Francies from Texas-El Paso came on strong over the last few days. Fellow free agent rookie Leo Bookman, the converted track star, has burning speed, but probably the worst hands of the group. Chad Lucas, who starred in NFL Europe, got a late start and was pretty much shut out in team drills.
Tight End: As he has in the past, David Martin showed the potential to make plays down the seam. But in five years that potential has never translated into production.
Tory Humphrey stood out as an athlete last year before he got cut and did so again, but the consistency doesn't seem to be there yet. All Zac Alcorn, a rookie free agent from Black Hills State, did was catch the ball every time he got the chance. He might be sneaky fast, too.
Offensive Line: It appears that rookies Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz could be the starting guards. Based on the one-on-one pass blocking drills, they both need work on their pass protection. But they appear to be good athletes and they both might have a nasty side that will more likely surface when the pads go on.
Athletically, Junius Coston is in the same category, but he might need even more work in pass protection.
William Whitticker didn't embarrass himself at left tackle even when he went against Kabeer Gbaja-Biamilia in pass protection. Tackle seems to be his best position and pass protection seems to be his strength. Thus, he has a shot to make it as a backup.
Rookie free agent Josh Bourke (6-7, 314) of Grand Valley State seemed to show more promise than fifth-round pick Tony Moll (6-5, 308). By the end of the OTAs, Bourke was playing the more difficult left tackle position and Moll was playing on the right side.
Scott Wells looks more comfortable at center and might be ready to take a big step forward. To me, backup center Chris White looked better last year.
Quarterback: When former NFL MVP Rich Gannon was in camp for a day, he said when quarterbacks start to show their age, their throwing arm and their legs go first. And he said he doesn't think Favre has lost either at age 36.
On his last day in camp, Favre completed 17 of 27 passes with at least three drops. He almost looked in regular-season form.
"I thought he had three throws in a row where the ball was really starting to spit off his fingers," coach Mike McCarthy said after the workout.
Aaron Rodgers has dropped his release and looks more natural throwing the ball. He says the game is slowing down for him. And he moves in the pocket maybe better than advertised.
But he was inconsistent. And on the days when Favre missed, the No. 1 offense usually sputtered with Rodgers at the control. In fact, there were stretches where it looked downright ugly.
Rodgers had a number of passes tipped at the line, although McCarthy said that could be a protection problem as much as anything. Rodgers' accuracy on the deep ball also remains suspect.
Fifth-round pick Ingle Martin received a lot of individual attention from McCarthy, but about the kindest thing that could be said about him is that he's a work in progress. Free agents Tom Arth and Brian Wrobel hardly took any snaps.
Running Back: The new staff seems to like Noah Herron and he seemed to get more opportunity than Samkon Gado as the OTAs unfolded. But it's hard to see where Herron is anything more than a try-hard guy.
The Packers seem to be banking on Ahman Green making a full recovery from his thigh surgery. In fact, their season might hinge it.
Najeh Davenport, who is coming off ankle surgery, said he would be ready to go at the start of camp. Green said several weeks ago that he might not return until later in camp.
Ben Brown, a rookie free agent from Tabor College, is raw as raw can be, but he's also a load at 6-1, 246 and received some snaps at tailback. A.J. Cooper, another free agent rookie from North Dakota State, catches the ball better than backup fullback Vonta Leach, the player he'll be trying to beat out.
Defensive Line: Fourteen defensive linemen participated in at least some of the OTAs. They all were healthy. They all were able to keep pace in the early practice conditioning drills. And essentially they're all blue-collar type players. That was all a departure from the recent past when the Packers hinged their hopes on too many aging veterans with injury and motivational issues.
Maybe there are no potential all-pros in the bunch, but there appear to be plenty of candidates to compete for playing time in a seven-, eight-man rotation.
Defensive tackle Kenderick Allen (6-5, 328) slowly worked his way into shape and could become a force in the running game. Of the returning veterans, Corey Williams showed signs of maybe taking another step forward. But it's hard to get a read on defensive linemen until they start wearing pads.
Jerome Nichols, another NFL Europe product, is built along the same lines as Cullen Jenkins and has some of the same qualities, notably the quick-twitch movements that allow him to put some pressure on the quarterback.
Linebacker: No. 1 draft pick A.J. Hawk's athletic ability was apparent. And third-round pick Abdul Hodge looks like someone anxious to stick his nose in the middle of the action and also seems to be a better athlete than his pre-draft workouts suggested.
That alone could make for a huge upgrade.
Ben Taylor could be a solid addition. He seems to have separated himself from Roy Manning, another candidate at strong-side linebacker. Four-year veteran Tracy White probably looked better than Manning, too.
Defensive Back: With starting corners Charles Woodson and Al Harris skipping the OTAs, the Packers were thin on cornerbacks. But their young returning prospects - Ahmad Carroll, Mike Hawkins, Jerron Wishom and Jason Horton, in particular - all had their moments. In truth, even the Packers' second-line corners outplayed the team's frontline receivers, for the most part.
So far, Carroll looks to be the most improved. He got beat his share of times, but he played the ball better than ever and made some big plays.
Hawkins' closing speed still jumps out at times.
Fourth-round pick Will Blackmon missed the OTAs with a broken foot, but impressed in minicamps before suffering his injury.
Tra Boger, a rookie free agent from Tulane, is an intriguing prospect. And second-year safety Marviel Underwood showed more ball awareness than a year ago.
Specialists: Jon Ryan has taken a clear lead over B.J. Sander, but that doesn't mean he has won the job. Ryan still needs to improve his get-off time, hang time and consistency.
Billy Cundiff might have taken a lead on Dave Rayner in the kicking competition, but that appears far from settled.