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SUNDAY, May 7, 2006, 1:36 p.m.
Minicamp Report -- Camp 1, Day 3
One of the first things that strikes you about left guard and second-round draft pick Daryn Colledge is his natural knee bend. That and his quick hands and feet. The Packers spent more time working on run blocking in their new zone scheme – two-man drills where they’d start with a double team before one of the lineman would release to the second level – than on pass protection and that’s where Colledge’s athletic ability was most apparent. When he got beat on pass protection, it was more a breakdown in technique. In making the transition from tackle to guard, Colledge said he was opening up too much, as a tackle normally would, rather than staying square to the line. Colledge weighs 308 pounds, but probably needs to get stronger before training camp. Coach Mike McCarthy agreed with that, but also said Colledge was the prototype for the Packers’ zone blocking scheme.
Simply because of the position he plays, wide receiver Greg Jennings jumped out as much as any draft pick. He’s fluid. He has some burst. He seems to have a natural feel for the game. And he seemed to catch everything that was thrown to him and always with his hands away from his body. There was a drill Sunday where four quarterbacks, spread across the field, were throwing passes to four or five receivers. On one, Jennings ran a deep pattern behind tight end Bubba Franks and spotted the wrong ball. He thought the pass to Franks was his and started coming back to it. But at the last moment, he realized his mistake, changed direction and effortlessly plucked the ball out of the air. His hands aren’t Terry Glenn quick, but they might be the closest thing to it since Glenn was with the Packers in 2002.
As one would expect of the fifth pick in the draft, linebacker A.J. Hawk practiced fast, although he appeared to take a bad angle on a running play in the final team drill Sunday. Not only was Hawk able to keep pace with the speed of the game, he was one of those setting the pace on defense. Also as expected based on all the scouting reports, he practiced with a passion that was evident from the sideline. But it’s hard to get a read on linebackers in non-contact work.
Among the non-drafted free agents who might have a chance are running back Arliss Beach and safety Tra Boger. At 5-foot-10 and 219 pounds, Beach is virtually the same size as Samkon Gado: Just seven pounds lighter. There’s also some resemblance in their running styles. Beach isn’t as explosive, but he showed good vision and cutting ability. The same as Gado, Beach never established himself as a starter in college. He was a part-time starter at Kentucky, but gained only 288 yards on 65 carries last season. Beach said he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash on the pro day at Kentucky. Boger is a 5-11, 210-pound safety from Tulane. His father, Jerome, is an NFL official. Boger showed good ball skills, particularly on an interception Saturday. It was on a deep ball thrown down the middle by rookie quarterback Ingle Martin and intended for free agent receiver Leo Bookman. The ball hung in the air, but Bogar also caught it at the top of his jump.
Veteran wide receiver Robert Ferguson looked healthier and seemed to be playing faster than he did all last season. “I feel great,†said Ferguson. In fact, he said he recently ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 and 4.39 seconds. He said last year he was banged up all season and probably was a half-a-second to a full second slower. Ferguson spent the camp working with the first unit.
Cornerback and fourth-round draft pick Will Blackmon looked impressive in practice Sunday. In 7-on-7, he ran step-for-step on a deep sideline pass to rookie wide receiver Cory Rodgers. In the final team session, he maintained tight coverage on veteran Donald Driver on a deep ball.
It might just be that defensive lineman Donnell Washington is clueless. When asked three questions about his situation Sunday, including one about whether the coaches had given him an explanation for why he was being withheld from practice, Washington responded each time, “I don’t know.â€ÂÂ
Corey Williams, Colin Cole, Cullen Jenkins and Ryan Pickett rotated working with the first unit at defensive tackle throughout the weekend.
McCarthy said Brett Favre won’t attend the next minicamp, but would participate in 10 of the 14 organized team activities in June. . . McCarthy also said no decision had been made yet on whether rookie nose tackle Johnny Jolly needs surgery.
Ferguson lookes great........AGAIN.....LOL We'll see how long this lasts.
Minicamp Report -- Camp 1, Day 3
One of the first things that strikes you about left guard and second-round draft pick Daryn Colledge is his natural knee bend. That and his quick hands and feet. The Packers spent more time working on run blocking in their new zone scheme – two-man drills where they’d start with a double team before one of the lineman would release to the second level – than on pass protection and that’s where Colledge’s athletic ability was most apparent. When he got beat on pass protection, it was more a breakdown in technique. In making the transition from tackle to guard, Colledge said he was opening up too much, as a tackle normally would, rather than staying square to the line. Colledge weighs 308 pounds, but probably needs to get stronger before training camp. Coach Mike McCarthy agreed with that, but also said Colledge was the prototype for the Packers’ zone blocking scheme.
Simply because of the position he plays, wide receiver Greg Jennings jumped out as much as any draft pick. He’s fluid. He has some burst. He seems to have a natural feel for the game. And he seemed to catch everything that was thrown to him and always with his hands away from his body. There was a drill Sunday where four quarterbacks, spread across the field, were throwing passes to four or five receivers. On one, Jennings ran a deep pattern behind tight end Bubba Franks and spotted the wrong ball. He thought the pass to Franks was his and started coming back to it. But at the last moment, he realized his mistake, changed direction and effortlessly plucked the ball out of the air. His hands aren’t Terry Glenn quick, but they might be the closest thing to it since Glenn was with the Packers in 2002.
As one would expect of the fifth pick in the draft, linebacker A.J. Hawk practiced fast, although he appeared to take a bad angle on a running play in the final team drill Sunday. Not only was Hawk able to keep pace with the speed of the game, he was one of those setting the pace on defense. Also as expected based on all the scouting reports, he practiced with a passion that was evident from the sideline. But it’s hard to get a read on linebackers in non-contact work.
Among the non-drafted free agents who might have a chance are running back Arliss Beach and safety Tra Boger. At 5-foot-10 and 219 pounds, Beach is virtually the same size as Samkon Gado: Just seven pounds lighter. There’s also some resemblance in their running styles. Beach isn’t as explosive, but he showed good vision and cutting ability. The same as Gado, Beach never established himself as a starter in college. He was a part-time starter at Kentucky, but gained only 288 yards on 65 carries last season. Beach said he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash on the pro day at Kentucky. Boger is a 5-11, 210-pound safety from Tulane. His father, Jerome, is an NFL official. Boger showed good ball skills, particularly on an interception Saturday. It was on a deep ball thrown down the middle by rookie quarterback Ingle Martin and intended for free agent receiver Leo Bookman. The ball hung in the air, but Bogar also caught it at the top of his jump.
Veteran wide receiver Robert Ferguson looked healthier and seemed to be playing faster than he did all last season. “I feel great,†said Ferguson. In fact, he said he recently ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 and 4.39 seconds. He said last year he was banged up all season and probably was a half-a-second to a full second slower. Ferguson spent the camp working with the first unit.
Cornerback and fourth-round draft pick Will Blackmon looked impressive in practice Sunday. In 7-on-7, he ran step-for-step on a deep sideline pass to rookie wide receiver Cory Rodgers. In the final team session, he maintained tight coverage on veteran Donald Driver on a deep ball.
It might just be that defensive lineman Donnell Washington is clueless. When asked three questions about his situation Sunday, including one about whether the coaches had given him an explanation for why he was being withheld from practice, Washington responded each time, “I don’t know.â€ÂÂ
Corey Williams, Colin Cole, Cullen Jenkins and Ryan Pickett rotated working with the first unit at defensive tackle throughout the weekend.
McCarthy said Brett Favre won’t attend the next minicamp, but would participate in 10 of the 14 organized team activities in June. . . McCarthy also said no decision had been made yet on whether rookie nose tackle Johnny Jolly needs surgery.
Ferguson lookes great........AGAIN.....LOL We'll see how long this lasts.
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