motife
09-03-2007, 01:39 PM
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/packers/index.php?ntid=213594
Packers notes: Driver at practice, but limited
By JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
jwilde@madison.com
GREEN BAY — Donald Driver took part in the jog-through and individual drill portions of practice Sunday — a positive step toward playing in the regular-season opener against Philadelphia next Sunday — but the Green Bay Packers' No. 1 wide receiver might not see much 11-on-11 practice time this week, coach Mike McCarthy said.
"He'll be limited for the remainder of the week," McCarthy said. "We'll make a decision on him at the end of the week."
Driver suffered a sprained right foot in the team's Aug. 23 preseason game against Jacksonville. He missed Thursday's preseason finale at Tennessee but watched from the sideline wearing a protective boot.
Driver declined comment when approached at his locker Sunday, shaking his head while he ate a bowl of cereal.
Asked if he was optimistic Driver will be able to play, McCarthy said, "Yeah, I feel the same way today as I did last week."
Crosby 'excited'
Every time Mason Crosby's phone rang Saturday, he thought it was "the" call — the one where the Packers told them they were going with incumbent Dave Rayner as their kicker.
Instead, it was everyone but the Packers calling, including his parents multiple times.
"No word was good word. As long as my phone wasn't ringing, it was a good sign," Crosby said. "My thought process is, I just want to keep getting better. I can't settle and can't be like, 'Oh, I got the job now, I can get comfortable and settle in.' I have to earn this job every day."
Asked what separated Crosby and Rayner, who dueled to a virtual draw during camp, general manager Ted Thompson said the decision was "really, really tough" and called the battle " a remarkable competition."
"They're different personalities, but they're both extremely talented kickers," Thompson said. "I don't know what it is, whether it's just a gut call or what, but eventually you have to make a choice."
Emergency? Dial 1-8
With jersey No. 18, wide receiver Carlyle Holiday has a quarterback-looking number. And if something goes really wrong one Sunday and both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers suffer injuries, Holiday will reprise his role as a quarterback, which he played at Notre Dame.
That's the reality for the Packers, who kept only Favre and Rodgers on their 53-man roster. Undrafted rookie Paul Thompson was added to the practice squad.
"Frankly, we feel like we're very strong depth-wise at some positions that we just wanted to hang onto those players," Thompson said. "A number of teams have (kept two quarterbacks) over the last few years, and we felt it was something worth trying. And you never know if it will work out, but we feel very good about the two that we have."
Favre and Rodgers did suffer injuries in the same game last year, Nov. 19 against New England. But after Favre suffered an elbow injury, Rodgers finished the game despite breaking his foot in the third quarter.
Practice makes perfect
The Packers filled seven of the eight available slots on their practice squad with players who were in camp with the team: Thompson, wide receivers David Clowney and Chris Francies, tight end Clark Harris, running back Corey White, linebacker Spencer Havner and tackle Orrin Thompson.
Clowney, a fifth-round pick, and Harris, a seventh-round pick, were the only draft picks not to make the 53-man roster.
The Packers saved the eighth spot for defensive end Larry Birdine, but Ted Thompson said Birdine saw the 11 defensive linemen on the 53-man roster and chose to look elsewhere.
"We made it clear to him that ... we were offering him a spot," Thompson said. "But he would rather maybe go someplace that only has eight defensive linemen."
Packers notes: Driver at practice, but limited
By JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
jwilde@madison.com
GREEN BAY — Donald Driver took part in the jog-through and individual drill portions of practice Sunday — a positive step toward playing in the regular-season opener against Philadelphia next Sunday — but the Green Bay Packers' No. 1 wide receiver might not see much 11-on-11 practice time this week, coach Mike McCarthy said.
"He'll be limited for the remainder of the week," McCarthy said. "We'll make a decision on him at the end of the week."
Driver suffered a sprained right foot in the team's Aug. 23 preseason game against Jacksonville. He missed Thursday's preseason finale at Tennessee but watched from the sideline wearing a protective boot.
Driver declined comment when approached at his locker Sunday, shaking his head while he ate a bowl of cereal.
Asked if he was optimistic Driver will be able to play, McCarthy said, "Yeah, I feel the same way today as I did last week."
Crosby 'excited'
Every time Mason Crosby's phone rang Saturday, he thought it was "the" call — the one where the Packers told them they were going with incumbent Dave Rayner as their kicker.
Instead, it was everyone but the Packers calling, including his parents multiple times.
"No word was good word. As long as my phone wasn't ringing, it was a good sign," Crosby said. "My thought process is, I just want to keep getting better. I can't settle and can't be like, 'Oh, I got the job now, I can get comfortable and settle in.' I have to earn this job every day."
Asked what separated Crosby and Rayner, who dueled to a virtual draw during camp, general manager Ted Thompson said the decision was "really, really tough" and called the battle " a remarkable competition."
"They're different personalities, but they're both extremely talented kickers," Thompson said. "I don't know what it is, whether it's just a gut call or what, but eventually you have to make a choice."
Emergency? Dial 1-8
With jersey No. 18, wide receiver Carlyle Holiday has a quarterback-looking number. And if something goes really wrong one Sunday and both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers suffer injuries, Holiday will reprise his role as a quarterback, which he played at Notre Dame.
That's the reality for the Packers, who kept only Favre and Rodgers on their 53-man roster. Undrafted rookie Paul Thompson was added to the practice squad.
"Frankly, we feel like we're very strong depth-wise at some positions that we just wanted to hang onto those players," Thompson said. "A number of teams have (kept two quarterbacks) over the last few years, and we felt it was something worth trying. And you never know if it will work out, but we feel very good about the two that we have."
Favre and Rodgers did suffer injuries in the same game last year, Nov. 19 against New England. But after Favre suffered an elbow injury, Rodgers finished the game despite breaking his foot in the third quarter.
Practice makes perfect
The Packers filled seven of the eight available slots on their practice squad with players who were in camp with the team: Thompson, wide receivers David Clowney and Chris Francies, tight end Clark Harris, running back Corey White, linebacker Spencer Havner and tackle Orrin Thompson.
Clowney, a fifth-round pick, and Harris, a seventh-round pick, were the only draft picks not to make the 53-man roster.
The Packers saved the eighth spot for defensive end Larry Birdine, but Ted Thompson said Birdine saw the 11 defensive linemen on the 53-man roster and chose to look elsewhere.
"We made it clear to him that ... we were offering him a spot," Thompson said. "But he would rather maybe go someplace that only has eight defensive linemen."