motife
05-08-2006, 05:01 AM
Breaking down the Packers’ roster
The following is a look at the Packers’ roster, with an emphasis on offseason changes, after their first minicamp.
Receivers: Aside from Driver, Jennings jumped out more than any receiver.
Ferguson worked as the starter opposite Driver, and Rod Gardner, picked up on waivers for the final two weeks last season, was the No. 3. Neither showed much among an offensive group that’s learning McCarthy’s version of the West Coast offense, though Gardner had one long touchdown catch in team drills, over cornerback Mike Hawkins and rookie safety Tyrone Culver.
Free-agent signee Marc Boerigter, who played for Kansas City the past four years, had a nondescript camp. Rookie Cory Rodgers, a fourth-round pick, got behind the secondary on a couple of deep routes and caught one long touchdown pass from quarterback Brett Favre, but his best chance of contributing this year will be as a returner on punts and kickoffs.
“Youâ⠂¬â„¢re going to have a very tough competition between five or six guys,†McCarthy said.
Tight ends: Starter Bubba Franks and backups David Martin and Donald Lee probably will make up the tight-end corps when training camp ends, though NFL Europe player Tory Humphrey might have a shot at winning the No. 3 job.
Quarterbacks: To the naked eye, Aaron Rodgers was one of the better performers in this camp.
Though far from flawless  on Saturday, for instance, he threw one pass right to rookie defensive end Dave Tollefson, who’d dropped into coverage on a zone blitz  Rodgers was accurate with most of his throws and showed touch on deep balls. He connected on several long throws each day, including touchdowns to Gardner and Boerigter on back-to-back plays during team drills Saturday, and another to Driver on Sunday.
The progress he’s made from working in McCarthy’s offseason program since March was obvious.
“Aaronâà ¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s having an excellent minicamp,†McCarthy said. “Statistically, big-play opportunities, controlling the huddle, managing the offense.â€ÂÂ
Rookie Ingle Martin, a fifth-round draft pick from Furman, appeared as overwhelmed as most rookie quarterbacks do in their first minicamp. He missed a number of open receivers though showed some ability to get outside the pocket scrambling.
Offensive line: Kevin Barry especially, but Will Whitticker as well, hurt their chances for winning starting jobs at the two open guard positions because they’re overweight for the new zone-blocking run scheme.
Barry figured to line up as the starter at right guard in minicamp but played behind second-year pro Junius Coston because he’s at least 20 pounds overweight. In the 340-pound range, Barry wasn’t quick enough to function well in Jagodzinski’s agility-oriented blocking scheme, which requires quickly getting to linebackers for second-level blocking. Jagodzinski wants him a little less than 320 pounds.
Whitticker, who’s 6-5 and listed at 338 pounds, might not be mobile enough for the zone scheme after starting 14 games at right guard last season as a rookie. He played at left tackle for most of this camp because of injuries to Chad Clifton and Adrian Klemm.
Daryn Colledge, a second-round draft pick, lined up as the starting left guard all camp and looks like the front-runner for that job barring an additional roster move such as the signing of free-agent Ross Verba. Third-round pick Jason Spitz worked behind Colledge.
Klemm injured his knee Friday and missed the rest of camp. He’s not in the running for either of the guard jobs and probably will be the top backup at both tackles.
Chris White, who’s athletic but small (290 pounds), is a good fit for the zone blocking scheme and is the likely backup to Scott Wells at center.
Running backs: With Ahman Green (torn quadriceps) and Najeh Davenport (broken angle) rehabilitating injuries, Samkon Gado worked as the starter all minicamp.
Though there was no hitting or tackling in the non-pad practices, he showed some burst by going untouched on one long outside run during team drills Saturday.
Green said he won’t be ready to practice until late in training camp, and depth could be a problem if he or Davenport encounter any setbacks. Undrafted rookie Arliss Beach and second-year pro Noah Herron could end up battling for a spot on the practice squad.
The Packers are using the offseason to see if Vonta Leach (6-0, 250) is agile enough to fit in the zone-blocking scheme at fullback, where he split time with William Henderson last season.
Defensive line: Third-year pro Donnell Washington was a colossal disappointment because he was out of shape and faces an uphill battle to make the roster. General Manager Ted Thompson kept him last season strictly on potential at defensive tackle, but Washington chose not to take part in the team’s offseason workout program and was so out of shape for the first day of minicamp that Thompson and McCarthy held him out of practices Saturday and Sunday.
Free agent Ryan Pickett, signed this offseason for a $5.5 million bonus, appeared to be in good condition. He occasionally battled weight problems when he played for St. Louis. He rotated at defensive tackle in the No. 1 defense with Corey Williams, Cullen Jenkins and Colin Cole.
Kenderick Allen, a fourth-year pro and recently signed free agent, is a huge man (6-5, listed at 328 pounds) trying to break into that tackle rotation. Kenny Peterson, a swing tackle-end, didn’t practice Saturday and Sunday because of an ankle injury.
At 255 pounds, Dave Tollefson, a seventh-round draft pick this year, isn’t as big as Aaron Kampman but showed some similar qualities in effort and quickness.
Linebackers: A.J. Hawk, the fifth pick in the draft, didn’t make any eye-catching plays, but those opportunities won’t show up much until training camp, when 9-on-7 running drills and team drills are performed in pads. He appeared comfortable with the speed of the NFL game.
Ben Taylor, signed as a free agent from Cleveland, started at strong-side linebacker on Saturday and Sunday and is the front-runner for that job. Second-year pro Roy Manning started there Friday. Abdul Hodge, a third-round pick, can’t be ruled out as a possible starter if the instincts he showed in college carry over quickly to the NFL.
Secondary: Charles Woodson’s coverage ability at cornerback stood out immediately. The free-agent signee, who will make almost $10 million this year, had one interception of a Brett Favre pass and nearly made another.
Rookie cornerback Will Blackmon, a fourth-round draft pick, showed athleticism and an ability to play the ball by leaping to knock down at least two bombs thrown his way over the weekend, including one Sunday to Cory Rodgers in a seven-on-seven drill. Blackmon has good size for a cornerback (6-0, 198 pounds), and his move to receiver for his senior season at Boston College last year was evident in the way he tracked the deep throws.
Free-agent signee Marquand Manuel will start at strong safety but didn’t participate in minicamp because the Packers are making sure the pulled groin he sustained in the Super Bowl with Seattle is fully healed.
Second-year cornerback Michael Hawkins has added a few pounds from offseason workouts but still looks rail-like at 6-1.
Special teams: Jon Ryan, a signee from the Canadian Football League, showed an ability to drive the ball on punts and should provide a genuine challenge to B.J. Sander for the punting job. Sander consistently showed more hang time than Ryan and had fewer shanks over the weekend, though Ryan showed more power and perhaps a better ability to kick deep directionally.
The Packers didn’t conduct any live place-kicking drills with Billy Cundiff and Dave Rayner in this minicamp.
Four players caught punts: Cory Rodgers, Jennings, Woodson and Blackmon.
 Pete Dougherty, PackersNews.com
http://www.packersnews.com/00coverart/050806-C1pack8inCOLandWEB.jpg
Greg Jennings
http://images.packers.com/pg/2006-04-13/photo3.jpg
Kevin Barry and Will Whittaker
http://images.packers.com/pg/2006-04-13/photo2.jpg
Kevin and Will serving food
http://x73.xanga.com/122a53710723752989776/z35528647.jpg
Greg Jennings[/img]
The following is a look at the Packers’ roster, with an emphasis on offseason changes, after their first minicamp.
Receivers: Aside from Driver, Jennings jumped out more than any receiver.
Ferguson worked as the starter opposite Driver, and Rod Gardner, picked up on waivers for the final two weeks last season, was the No. 3. Neither showed much among an offensive group that’s learning McCarthy’s version of the West Coast offense, though Gardner had one long touchdown catch in team drills, over cornerback Mike Hawkins and rookie safety Tyrone Culver.
Free-agent signee Marc Boerigter, who played for Kansas City the past four years, had a nondescript camp. Rookie Cory Rodgers, a fourth-round pick, got behind the secondary on a couple of deep routes and caught one long touchdown pass from quarterback Brett Favre, but his best chance of contributing this year will be as a returner on punts and kickoffs.
“Youâ⠂¬â„¢re going to have a very tough competition between five or six guys,†McCarthy said.
Tight ends: Starter Bubba Franks and backups David Martin and Donald Lee probably will make up the tight-end corps when training camp ends, though NFL Europe player Tory Humphrey might have a shot at winning the No. 3 job.
Quarterbacks: To the naked eye, Aaron Rodgers was one of the better performers in this camp.
Though far from flawless  on Saturday, for instance, he threw one pass right to rookie defensive end Dave Tollefson, who’d dropped into coverage on a zone blitz  Rodgers was accurate with most of his throws and showed touch on deep balls. He connected on several long throws each day, including touchdowns to Gardner and Boerigter on back-to-back plays during team drills Saturday, and another to Driver on Sunday.
The progress he’s made from working in McCarthy’s offseason program since March was obvious.
“Aaronâà ¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s having an excellent minicamp,†McCarthy said. “Statistically, big-play opportunities, controlling the huddle, managing the offense.â€ÂÂ
Rookie Ingle Martin, a fifth-round draft pick from Furman, appeared as overwhelmed as most rookie quarterbacks do in their first minicamp. He missed a number of open receivers though showed some ability to get outside the pocket scrambling.
Offensive line: Kevin Barry especially, but Will Whitticker as well, hurt their chances for winning starting jobs at the two open guard positions because they’re overweight for the new zone-blocking run scheme.
Barry figured to line up as the starter at right guard in minicamp but played behind second-year pro Junius Coston because he’s at least 20 pounds overweight. In the 340-pound range, Barry wasn’t quick enough to function well in Jagodzinski’s agility-oriented blocking scheme, which requires quickly getting to linebackers for second-level blocking. Jagodzinski wants him a little less than 320 pounds.
Whitticker, who’s 6-5 and listed at 338 pounds, might not be mobile enough for the zone scheme after starting 14 games at right guard last season as a rookie. He played at left tackle for most of this camp because of injuries to Chad Clifton and Adrian Klemm.
Daryn Colledge, a second-round draft pick, lined up as the starting left guard all camp and looks like the front-runner for that job barring an additional roster move such as the signing of free-agent Ross Verba. Third-round pick Jason Spitz worked behind Colledge.
Klemm injured his knee Friday and missed the rest of camp. He’s not in the running for either of the guard jobs and probably will be the top backup at both tackles.
Chris White, who’s athletic but small (290 pounds), is a good fit for the zone blocking scheme and is the likely backup to Scott Wells at center.
Running backs: With Ahman Green (torn quadriceps) and Najeh Davenport (broken angle) rehabilitating injuries, Samkon Gado worked as the starter all minicamp.
Though there was no hitting or tackling in the non-pad practices, he showed some burst by going untouched on one long outside run during team drills Saturday.
Green said he won’t be ready to practice until late in training camp, and depth could be a problem if he or Davenport encounter any setbacks. Undrafted rookie Arliss Beach and second-year pro Noah Herron could end up battling for a spot on the practice squad.
The Packers are using the offseason to see if Vonta Leach (6-0, 250) is agile enough to fit in the zone-blocking scheme at fullback, where he split time with William Henderson last season.
Defensive line: Third-year pro Donnell Washington was a colossal disappointment because he was out of shape and faces an uphill battle to make the roster. General Manager Ted Thompson kept him last season strictly on potential at defensive tackle, but Washington chose not to take part in the team’s offseason workout program and was so out of shape for the first day of minicamp that Thompson and McCarthy held him out of practices Saturday and Sunday.
Free agent Ryan Pickett, signed this offseason for a $5.5 million bonus, appeared to be in good condition. He occasionally battled weight problems when he played for St. Louis. He rotated at defensive tackle in the No. 1 defense with Corey Williams, Cullen Jenkins and Colin Cole.
Kenderick Allen, a fourth-year pro and recently signed free agent, is a huge man (6-5, listed at 328 pounds) trying to break into that tackle rotation. Kenny Peterson, a swing tackle-end, didn’t practice Saturday and Sunday because of an ankle injury.
At 255 pounds, Dave Tollefson, a seventh-round draft pick this year, isn’t as big as Aaron Kampman but showed some similar qualities in effort and quickness.
Linebackers: A.J. Hawk, the fifth pick in the draft, didn’t make any eye-catching plays, but those opportunities won’t show up much until training camp, when 9-on-7 running drills and team drills are performed in pads. He appeared comfortable with the speed of the NFL game.
Ben Taylor, signed as a free agent from Cleveland, started at strong-side linebacker on Saturday and Sunday and is the front-runner for that job. Second-year pro Roy Manning started there Friday. Abdul Hodge, a third-round pick, can’t be ruled out as a possible starter if the instincts he showed in college carry over quickly to the NFL.
Secondary: Charles Woodson’s coverage ability at cornerback stood out immediately. The free-agent signee, who will make almost $10 million this year, had one interception of a Brett Favre pass and nearly made another.
Rookie cornerback Will Blackmon, a fourth-round draft pick, showed athleticism and an ability to play the ball by leaping to knock down at least two bombs thrown his way over the weekend, including one Sunday to Cory Rodgers in a seven-on-seven drill. Blackmon has good size for a cornerback (6-0, 198 pounds), and his move to receiver for his senior season at Boston College last year was evident in the way he tracked the deep throws.
Free-agent signee Marquand Manuel will start at strong safety but didn’t participate in minicamp because the Packers are making sure the pulled groin he sustained in the Super Bowl with Seattle is fully healed.
Second-year cornerback Michael Hawkins has added a few pounds from offseason workouts but still looks rail-like at 6-1.
Special teams: Jon Ryan, a signee from the Canadian Football League, showed an ability to drive the ball on punts and should provide a genuine challenge to B.J. Sander for the punting job. Sander consistently showed more hang time than Ryan and had fewer shanks over the weekend, though Ryan showed more power and perhaps a better ability to kick deep directionally.
The Packers didn’t conduct any live place-kicking drills with Billy Cundiff and Dave Rayner in this minicamp.
Four players caught punts: Cory Rodgers, Jennings, Woodson and Blackmon.
 Pete Dougherty, PackersNews.com
http://www.packersnews.com/00coverart/050806-C1pack8inCOLandWEB.jpg
Greg Jennings
http://images.packers.com/pg/2006-04-13/photo3.jpg
Kevin Barry and Will Whittaker
http://images.packers.com/pg/2006-04-13/photo2.jpg
Kevin and Will serving food
http://x73.xanga.com/122a53710723752989776/z35528647.jpg
Greg Jennings[/img]