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According to Rock, it's Aaron Rouse, Allen Barbre, Brandon Jackson, Desmond Bishop, and James Jones.
The improve-from-within philosophy Ted Thompson embraces as Green Bay Packers general manager relies on young players’ ability to develop quickly and take on prominent roles.
So, it has to be considered a good sign for the Packers that, among roughly 60 players who reported for the offseason strength and conditioning program in March, the five who have shown the most improvement hail from the 2007 draft class: Brandon Jackson, James Jones, Aaron Rouse, Allen Barbre and Desmond Bishop.
“Those five guys have really, really done a great job this offseason,” strength and conditioning coach Rock Gullickson said this week. “You can see their confidence just is growing. You can see that they feel like they’re filling into the veteran role and taking the challenge to improve. A lot of times, that’s difficult, because the vets kind of watch out for each other a little bit. But of all the guys, those five guys really stick out as guys you’d have to consider for most improved.”
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According to Gullickson, each member of the improved fivesome — Jackson, Jones, Rouse, Barbre and Bishop — stands out in all five categories like “they’re a different guy than they were previously.”
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All that’s without mentioning the Packers’ top draft pick in 2007, defensive tackle Justin Harrell, who injured a disc in his back while lifting weights last month and won’t be cleared for contact until training camp. With Corey Williams’ departure via trade and Jolly recovering from shoulder surgery, coaches remain hopeful Harrell can take on a prominent role.
“You look at him, you think, ‘Wow — what could we mold him into?’” Gullickson said of Harrell, who started three games late last season. “The setback is something that, we’ll have to start kind of back at square one. But he’s going to be fine, and I know he’s itching to get started.”
So, it has to be considered a good sign for the Packers that, among roughly 60 players who reported for the offseason strength and conditioning program in March, the five who have shown the most improvement hail from the 2007 draft class: Brandon Jackson, James Jones, Aaron Rouse, Allen Barbre and Desmond Bishop.
“Those five guys have really, really done a great job this offseason,” strength and conditioning coach Rock Gullickson said this week. “You can see their confidence just is growing. You can see that they feel like they’re filling into the veteran role and taking the challenge to improve. A lot of times, that’s difficult, because the vets kind of watch out for each other a little bit. But of all the guys, those five guys really stick out as guys you’d have to consider for most improved.”
...
According to Gullickson, each member of the improved fivesome — Jackson, Jones, Rouse, Barbre and Bishop — stands out in all five categories like “they’re a different guy than they were previously.”
...
All that’s without mentioning the Packers’ top draft pick in 2007, defensive tackle Justin Harrell, who injured a disc in his back while lifting weights last month and won’t be cleared for contact until training camp. With Corey Williams’ departure via trade and Jolly recovering from shoulder surgery, coaches remain hopeful Harrell can take on a prominent role.
“You look at him, you think, ‘Wow — what could we mold him into?’” Gullickson said of Harrell, who started three games late last season. “The setback is something that, we’ll have to start kind of back at square one. But he’s going to be fine, and I know he’s itching to get started.”
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