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Brett gets a thumbs down.
Cliff Christl:
Packer Insider
FRIDAY, Aug. 4, 2006, 7:13 p.m.
Camp Report, Aug. 4
THUMBS UP
If there’s one position where the Packers can feel better about their depth now than when they started training camp eight days ago, it’s probably cornerback. Third-year men Ahmad Carroll and Jason Horton, and second-year man Mike Hawkins all seem to be improved over a year ago. They get beat here and there, but they’re seldom getting flat-out burned and they’ve been even more noticeable for making plays on the ball.
Let’s let Kurt Schottenheimer, secondary coach, give his assessment. “Ahmad is really becoming a good player,†he said. “He takes more reps than anybody and he’s competing all the time. Jason Horton is such a good athlete. He’s had some injuries, but you see him out here. He has excellent ball skills, very good anticipation, good instincts. He just needs to be consistent. I think he’s going to be a player like Al Harris in time. Mike Hawkins, we’ve been extremely pleased with, particularly the first three days of this camp and the last two. He’s getting his hands on balls. Technique getting better. You can tell he’s a kid who has a lot of confidence, but just lacks experience.â€Â
A year ago, Hawkins was so raw, but such an exceptional athlete, it was almost like a freak show. Now, he’s starting to look like a football player. “We’re deep,†said Schottenheimer. And there might not be another position where depth is more important.
THUMBS DOWN
It’s maybe nothing to be alarmed about at this point. He’s working with new receivers and they don’t have their timing down pat. He also still makes some throws that might look routine for him, but that other quarterbacks couldn’t make. A prime example was a strike he threw down the middle to tight end Tory Humphrey in a team period Friday. He also hit rookie wide receiver Greg Jennings on a 40-yard strike in another team drill.
But Brett Favre hasn’t had one of those days yet where he’s been on fire and nothing hits the ground. And that’s unusual eight days into training camp. Friday might have been Favre’s best practice yet, so maybe this is an ill-timed thumbs down. He completed 7 of 9 in 11-on-11 and 9 of 14 in 7-on-7, but there were a fair share of short tosses to backs and tight ends that make those numbers somewhat misleading.
Here’s Favre’s stats in team and 7-on-7 periods for the entire camp: 114 completions in 211 attempts, or 54%, with nine interceptions. Favre’s lowest completion percentage in 14 years with the Packers is 57.3 in 1999. Is Favre in a sharper decline at age 36 than maybe most people think? Until he has one of those days where he wows everybody again on the practice field, it’s a question that begs to be asked.
INJURY REPORT
Guard William Whitticker (hamstring), cornerback Charles Woodson (hip) and Hawkins (knee) dropped out of practice late.
Cornerback Al Harris and tight end Zac Alcorn returned to practice.
Rookie wide receiver Leo Bookman, who missed five practices earlier, was out again with an ankle injury. Bubba Franks (knee), Chad Clifton (knee), Najeh Davenport (calf), Arliss Beach (head) and Patrick Dendy (ankle) remained sideline.
ODDS & ENDS
Punting from their own three-yard line with a slight breeze at their backs, Jon Ryan averaged 58.8 yards and B.J. Sander 50 yards on six punts each.
Despite coming out and getting extra work before practice catching punts from a Jugs machine, Cory Rodgers dropped two more and Greg Jennings also bungled two.
Rookie receiver Chris Francies made a nice catch of a high Aaron Rodgers’ pass on a slant pattern in seven-on-seven. … Backs Samkon Gado and A.J. Cooper both beat linebacker A.J. Hawk to make catches across the middle, also in seven-on-seven.
Rookie running back Ben Brown dropped another easy pass.
ON THIS DAY
Aug. 5, 1977 – The Packers announced the hiring of Pete Marasco as assistant director of player personnel. Marasco, 38, was scouting coordinator for the New York Jets for the past two years. Marasco and his brother, Carl, gained notoriety as two of the first draftniks, annually compiling the Marasco Ratings of the top college football prospects. Their list was published annually by Pro Football Weekly.
SCHEDULE SATURDAY
The Packers’ annual Family Night scrimmage will be held in Lambeau Field. The players will take the field at 6:30 p.m. and the scrimmage will start at 7:30. The event is sold out.
Cliff Christl:
Packer Insider
FRIDAY, Aug. 4, 2006, 7:13 p.m.
Camp Report, Aug. 4
THUMBS UP
If there’s one position where the Packers can feel better about their depth now than when they started training camp eight days ago, it’s probably cornerback. Third-year men Ahmad Carroll and Jason Horton, and second-year man Mike Hawkins all seem to be improved over a year ago. They get beat here and there, but they’re seldom getting flat-out burned and they’ve been even more noticeable for making plays on the ball.
Let’s let Kurt Schottenheimer, secondary coach, give his assessment. “Ahmad is really becoming a good player,†he said. “He takes more reps than anybody and he’s competing all the time. Jason Horton is such a good athlete. He’s had some injuries, but you see him out here. He has excellent ball skills, very good anticipation, good instincts. He just needs to be consistent. I think he’s going to be a player like Al Harris in time. Mike Hawkins, we’ve been extremely pleased with, particularly the first three days of this camp and the last two. He’s getting his hands on balls. Technique getting better. You can tell he’s a kid who has a lot of confidence, but just lacks experience.â€Â
A year ago, Hawkins was so raw, but such an exceptional athlete, it was almost like a freak show. Now, he’s starting to look like a football player. “We’re deep,†said Schottenheimer. And there might not be another position where depth is more important.
THUMBS DOWN
It’s maybe nothing to be alarmed about at this point. He’s working with new receivers and they don’t have their timing down pat. He also still makes some throws that might look routine for him, but that other quarterbacks couldn’t make. A prime example was a strike he threw down the middle to tight end Tory Humphrey in a team period Friday. He also hit rookie wide receiver Greg Jennings on a 40-yard strike in another team drill.
But Brett Favre hasn’t had one of those days yet where he’s been on fire and nothing hits the ground. And that’s unusual eight days into training camp. Friday might have been Favre’s best practice yet, so maybe this is an ill-timed thumbs down. He completed 7 of 9 in 11-on-11 and 9 of 14 in 7-on-7, but there were a fair share of short tosses to backs and tight ends that make those numbers somewhat misleading.
Here’s Favre’s stats in team and 7-on-7 periods for the entire camp: 114 completions in 211 attempts, or 54%, with nine interceptions. Favre’s lowest completion percentage in 14 years with the Packers is 57.3 in 1999. Is Favre in a sharper decline at age 36 than maybe most people think? Until he has one of those days where he wows everybody again on the practice field, it’s a question that begs to be asked.
INJURY REPORT
Guard William Whitticker (hamstring), cornerback Charles Woodson (hip) and Hawkins (knee) dropped out of practice late.
Cornerback Al Harris and tight end Zac Alcorn returned to practice.
Rookie wide receiver Leo Bookman, who missed five practices earlier, was out again with an ankle injury. Bubba Franks (knee), Chad Clifton (knee), Najeh Davenport (calf), Arliss Beach (head) and Patrick Dendy (ankle) remained sideline.
ODDS & ENDS
Punting from their own three-yard line with a slight breeze at their backs, Jon Ryan averaged 58.8 yards and B.J. Sander 50 yards on six punts each.
Despite coming out and getting extra work before practice catching punts from a Jugs machine, Cory Rodgers dropped two more and Greg Jennings also bungled two.
Rookie receiver Chris Francies made a nice catch of a high Aaron Rodgers’ pass on a slant pattern in seven-on-seven. … Backs Samkon Gado and A.J. Cooper both beat linebacker A.J. Hawk to make catches across the middle, also in seven-on-seven.
Rookie running back Ben Brown dropped another easy pass.
ON THIS DAY
Aug. 5, 1977 – The Packers announced the hiring of Pete Marasco as assistant director of player personnel. Marasco, 38, was scouting coordinator for the New York Jets for the past two years. Marasco and his brother, Carl, gained notoriety as two of the first draftniks, annually compiling the Marasco Ratings of the top college football prospects. Their list was published annually by Pro Football Weekly.
SCHEDULE SATURDAY
The Packers’ annual Family Night scrimmage will be held in Lambeau Field. The players will take the field at 6:30 p.m. and the scrimmage will start at 7:30. The event is sold out.
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