Scott Campbell
08-08-2007, 06:47 PM
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070808/PKR01/708080650/1989
Raw QB Thompson shows promise By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
Perhaps in the end, undrafted rookie Paul Thompson will be a better prospect for the Green Bay Packers' practice squad this year than for their No. 3 quarterback job.
But 11 days into training camp, the former Oklahoma quarterback whom most NFL teams considered a receiving prospect, quietly has shown some intriguing ability as an NFL backup quarterback.
Thompson has grown noticeably at the NFL's most difficult position since joining the team in late spring. He's demonstrated more than enough athletic ability and arm talent to intrigue the Packers and, depending on how he plays when he gets a chance in the preseason, perhaps could make a run at Ingle Martin for the No. 3 quarterback job this season.
Martin, a second-year pro, has a far superior knowledge of the offense and has worked as the No. 3 quarterback in camp. But his hold on the job isn't as secure as it was two weeks ago.
"When he gets a series or a segment of reps, you can see this kid can play," coach Mike McCarthy said after acknowledging Thompson has closed the gap on Martin. "He's got some ability."
That's a significant move for a player who almost didn't get invited to training camp, and when he was, looked like nothing more than a fourth-arm afterthought to eat up extra snaps in two-a-day workouts. When McCarthy and General Manager Ted Thompson decided to go with only four quarterbacks in camp in June, they debated before choosing Thompson over another undrafted rookie, Jerry Babb.
Thompson was extremely raw in the spring — he'd signed with the New York Jets as a receiver, but after one day of minicamp, was able to work out a deal to join the Packers as a quarterback. At Oklahoma, he'd played behind Jason White for two seasons, then opened his junior year as the starting quarterback while sharing time with Rhett Bomar.
But after Thompson played poorly in the regular season-opening loss to TCU, the Sooners elevated Bomar to the full-time quarterback, and Thompson asked to move to receiver. He worked there through the following spring practices, but when coach Bob Stoops kicked Bomar off the team just before the start of camp in August, he asked Thompson to move back to quarterback. Thompson did, took Oklahoma to the Big 12 championship and lost to Boise State 43-42 in that famous Fiesta Bowl shootout.
The Packers were the only NFL team that considered signing him as a quarterback, but because of the post-draft jockeying for signing undrafted rookies, Thompson accepted the Jets' take-it-or-leave-it contract offer at receiver rather than wait a few hours to see if the Packers had a roster spot for him.
In grading Thompson coming out of college, the Packers saw a tall (6-foot-3 5/8), athletic player with a strong arm and fairly quick throwing release. His footwork needed extensive revamping, but the Packers' coaching and scouting staffs thought he was a passer, not just an athlete playing quarterback.
"As a pure passing quarterback with mobility, he's too accurate to be considered a receiver prospect," said Reggie McKenzie, the Packers' director of pro personnel. "He's an accurate quarterback. He's got a lot of things he needs to work on. But as far as talent and the ability to play in the NFL, he has that."
In training camp, Thompson rarely gets more than one snap at a time in team drills, though on the days when the Packers practice twice, starter Brett Favre rests in the morning and Thompson works as the No. 3 quarterback.
Thompson has had his rough moments — he couldn't move the team in a 2-minute drill last week in the Packers' practice at City Stadium, and was only OK in his short stint at the team's intrasquad scrimmage Saturday night (4-for-8 passing, 45 yards, one interception).
But in the morning practice on July 31, with Favre out, he went 5-for-7 in an extended team drill. That included hitting rookie receiver James Jones in the corner of the end zone for a leaping 9-yard touchdown.
On Tuesday morning, he finished a team drill with back-to-back touchdown passes in the red zone. One was perhaps his best throw of camp, when with almost no window, he zipped a tight spiral on an out pattern just out of reach of cornerback Frank Walker. Chris Francies made an extended catch just before going out of bounds for the 6-yard touchdown. On the next play, Thompson hit tight end Donald Lee on a high fade-type pass over linebacker Desmond Bishop for a 3-yard touchdown.
"I think he carries himself pretty well," Ted Thompson said. "Nice looking athlete, stands tall in the pocket, he's got a good arm. He's made a few good throws and he can move around a little bit.
"There's a little something about him."
Paul Thompson doesn't have the unusually gifted arm talent and overall flexibility of, for instance, former Packers backup Aaron Brooks, whom McCarthy coached at New Orleans from 2000 to 2004. But the Packers think Thompson has the even-keeled temperament that's crucial to the position. Martin, on the other hand, is more up and down in that way.
That said, Thompson will have to continue his rapid improvement to beat out Martin, considering Martin has had more than a full year working in the offense. Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements has corrected Thompson's footwork, but Thompson needs considerably more refining while also assimilating to a complex offense to show whether his talents translate into an effective backup quarterback.
Perhaps that will come on the practice squad.
"He needs quarterback school," McCarthy said, referring to the program he conducts for his quarterbacks early each spring. "He's one of those guys that if you put him through quarterback school, you go, 'OK, I think I got one.' That's when you really find out about guys."
Raw QB Thompson shows promise By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
Perhaps in the end, undrafted rookie Paul Thompson will be a better prospect for the Green Bay Packers' practice squad this year than for their No. 3 quarterback job.
But 11 days into training camp, the former Oklahoma quarterback whom most NFL teams considered a receiving prospect, quietly has shown some intriguing ability as an NFL backup quarterback.
Thompson has grown noticeably at the NFL's most difficult position since joining the team in late spring. He's demonstrated more than enough athletic ability and arm talent to intrigue the Packers and, depending on how he plays when he gets a chance in the preseason, perhaps could make a run at Ingle Martin for the No. 3 quarterback job this season.
Martin, a second-year pro, has a far superior knowledge of the offense and has worked as the No. 3 quarterback in camp. But his hold on the job isn't as secure as it was two weeks ago.
"When he gets a series or a segment of reps, you can see this kid can play," coach Mike McCarthy said after acknowledging Thompson has closed the gap on Martin. "He's got some ability."
That's a significant move for a player who almost didn't get invited to training camp, and when he was, looked like nothing more than a fourth-arm afterthought to eat up extra snaps in two-a-day workouts. When McCarthy and General Manager Ted Thompson decided to go with only four quarterbacks in camp in June, they debated before choosing Thompson over another undrafted rookie, Jerry Babb.
Thompson was extremely raw in the spring — he'd signed with the New York Jets as a receiver, but after one day of minicamp, was able to work out a deal to join the Packers as a quarterback. At Oklahoma, he'd played behind Jason White for two seasons, then opened his junior year as the starting quarterback while sharing time with Rhett Bomar.
But after Thompson played poorly in the regular season-opening loss to TCU, the Sooners elevated Bomar to the full-time quarterback, and Thompson asked to move to receiver. He worked there through the following spring practices, but when coach Bob Stoops kicked Bomar off the team just before the start of camp in August, he asked Thompson to move back to quarterback. Thompson did, took Oklahoma to the Big 12 championship and lost to Boise State 43-42 in that famous Fiesta Bowl shootout.
The Packers were the only NFL team that considered signing him as a quarterback, but because of the post-draft jockeying for signing undrafted rookies, Thompson accepted the Jets' take-it-or-leave-it contract offer at receiver rather than wait a few hours to see if the Packers had a roster spot for him.
In grading Thompson coming out of college, the Packers saw a tall (6-foot-3 5/8), athletic player with a strong arm and fairly quick throwing release. His footwork needed extensive revamping, but the Packers' coaching and scouting staffs thought he was a passer, not just an athlete playing quarterback.
"As a pure passing quarterback with mobility, he's too accurate to be considered a receiver prospect," said Reggie McKenzie, the Packers' director of pro personnel. "He's an accurate quarterback. He's got a lot of things he needs to work on. But as far as talent and the ability to play in the NFL, he has that."
In training camp, Thompson rarely gets more than one snap at a time in team drills, though on the days when the Packers practice twice, starter Brett Favre rests in the morning and Thompson works as the No. 3 quarterback.
Thompson has had his rough moments — he couldn't move the team in a 2-minute drill last week in the Packers' practice at City Stadium, and was only OK in his short stint at the team's intrasquad scrimmage Saturday night (4-for-8 passing, 45 yards, one interception).
But in the morning practice on July 31, with Favre out, he went 5-for-7 in an extended team drill. That included hitting rookie receiver James Jones in the corner of the end zone for a leaping 9-yard touchdown.
On Tuesday morning, he finished a team drill with back-to-back touchdown passes in the red zone. One was perhaps his best throw of camp, when with almost no window, he zipped a tight spiral on an out pattern just out of reach of cornerback Frank Walker. Chris Francies made an extended catch just before going out of bounds for the 6-yard touchdown. On the next play, Thompson hit tight end Donald Lee on a high fade-type pass over linebacker Desmond Bishop for a 3-yard touchdown.
"I think he carries himself pretty well," Ted Thompson said. "Nice looking athlete, stands tall in the pocket, he's got a good arm. He's made a few good throws and he can move around a little bit.
"There's a little something about him."
Paul Thompson doesn't have the unusually gifted arm talent and overall flexibility of, for instance, former Packers backup Aaron Brooks, whom McCarthy coached at New Orleans from 2000 to 2004. But the Packers think Thompson has the even-keeled temperament that's crucial to the position. Martin, on the other hand, is more up and down in that way.
That said, Thompson will have to continue his rapid improvement to beat out Martin, considering Martin has had more than a full year working in the offense. Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements has corrected Thompson's footwork, but Thompson needs considerably more refining while also assimilating to a complex offense to show whether his talents translate into an effective backup quarterback.
Perhaps that will come on the practice squad.
"He needs quarterback school," McCarthy said, referring to the program he conducts for his quarterbacks early each spring. "He's one of those guys that if you put him through quarterback school, you go, 'OK, I think I got one.' That's when you really find out about guys."