McCarthy 'Mum on Al Harris' and Update on Injuries

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Harris' threat handled carefully
McCarthy refuses to speak his mind

By TODD ROSIAK
trosiak@journalsentinel.com

Posted: June 21, 2006

Green Bay - There wasn't much reaction Wednesday from the Green Bay Packers' camp with regard to Al Harris, as the team wrapped up its 14th and final day of voluntary off-season practices.

Harris said Tuesday night that he'd consider not showing up for the start of training camp on July 28.

He signed a six-year, $18.635 million contract extension in September 2004 but has skipped all the team's voluntary workouts over the past few months to demonstrate his unhappiness with the deal.

Following practice in the Don Hutson Center, coach Mike McCarthy said he wasn't interested in publicly sparring with Harris.
"I'm not going to discuss contracts. We don't do that in the media. I don't believe in communicating through the media," he said. "All the conversations I've been a part of as far as Al Harris I've been told over and over again he's nothing but a true professional. He's always comes in shape, (been an) extremely hard worker and I don't think that's going to change."

The Packers have been without both their projected starting cornerbacks - Harris and Charles Woodson - throughout June.

Woodson, who signed a seven-year, $39.03 million deal with Green Bay in the off-season, did not show up last week or this week, despite McCarthy's hopes he might.

Skeleton crew: Aside from Harris, the Packers' secondary was also sans cornerbacks Jason Horton, WillBlackmon, Ahmad Carroll, Mike Hawkins and Jerron Wishom and safeties Mark Roman, Marquand Manuel, Marviel Underwood and Nick Collins on Wednesday.

That left them with just five defensive backs - cornerbacks Patrick Dendy and Therrian Fontenot and safeties TraBoger, Tyrone Culver and Atari Bigby.

"We were worried about it, obviously, because we slowed some things down and put some water breaks in between periods," said McCarthy. "But it's a great opportunity for all those guys and I think they had a good day."

Roll call: Quarterback Brett Favre was excused and left town Tuesday.

Running backs Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport, linebacker Tracy White, center Wayne Lucier, tight end BubbaFranks, wide receiver Robert Ferguson and defensive tackle Corey Williams were also absent.

Injured but present were running back Arliss Beach, tight end Garrett Cross, linebackers Brady Poppinga and NickBarnett, center Chris White and tackles Adrian Klemm and Chad Clifton.

Center Scott Wells and defensive tackle Colin Cole returned.

Injury update:

McCarthy said he expected Clifton and Klemm to be ready to participate at the open of training camp.

Green and Davenport, meanwhile, he wasn't so sure about.

"I would say if we had to go play a game in training camp that I think those guys would be ready," he said. "We're just going to be smart on an individual basis."

McCarthy also said Poppinga appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from knee surgery.



From the June 22, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Next Up: Training Camp

by Mike Spofford, Packers.com
posted 06/21/2006

Strength and conditioning was taken care of in the early spring. Then came the installation of the offensive and defensive schemes through minicamps and organized team activities (OTAs).

So with the players in shape and the playbooks understood, the upcoming five-week training camp will go beyond learning all the things that came with a new coaching staff.

It will focus on building the 2006 Green Bay Packers into a team ready to make the franchise's first losing season in 14 years a distant memory, and it all starts July 28.

"You have to come together as a team," offensive tackle Mark Tauscher said. "You spend so much time together here, you're either on the field all the time or watching film and trying to make corrections from the mistakes in practice.

"It's going to be an important time, especially with the youth we have. You have to be able to make corrections and be able to do them quickly so they're not lagging into the third and fourth week of the season."

Head Coach Mike McCarthy emphasized that the players already have been shown everything they'll need to know as far as schemes and situations. So it's their job to review it during the next month to help prevent training camp from being repetitive, and make it truly productive.

"We're not adding anything," McCarthy said. "Everything they've been given to date is what we'll use in the upcoming season.

"The practices (in camp) will be longer and more involved, and we'll create a game-like atmosphere for our players. We'll have padded practices throughout."

That will create not only a more intense environment as players battle for roster spots, but a more realistic one to see who can truly contribute to a team at this level.

"Everyone looks like an all-star in shorts," defensive lineman Aaron Kampman said. "With pads on it becomes a lot more physical, and players either shine or don't shine.

"It's kind of where the rubber meets the road and we try to start building our team. Training camp is where it ratchets up a notch. Or three."

McCarthy's first training camp as a head coach will have only seven two-a-day practices through the first three weeks, with only one practice on the other days.

That's likely to keep the intensity up when the players are on the field because they know maximum effort won't burn them out.

"I think Coach McCarthy has made a big push as far as having an open competition at a lot of spots, but also trying to keep everybody fresh so we're not going into the season beat to heck," Tauscher said. "He made that a major point the first time we met him - 'Just trust us and we'll take care of you.'

"We're going to get our work done but we definitely hope to stay fresh and not be dinged up going into the season."