Green Bay Josh Bell is pushing Pat Lee again in practice.
He's pointing out something after a play, and they move off to the side to discuss it. It's a common occurrence between the two young Green Bay Packers cornerbacks as these practices from the organized team activities grind to a halt. They critique each other and analyze their plays.
And they push each other.
There's also a small wager, to make it interesting, among all of the Green Bay cornerbacks, who anteed up $100 each. The cornerback who makes the most plays this summer, through the end of training camp next week, wins the pot.
Bell has Lee beat, as of Wednesday, by one play.
"But I'm going to get him," Lee said.
Lee is hoping to have the kind of spectacular off-season that promotes him into an elevated role on this team. Whether he pushes for the nickel corner job or some other major role as the Packers wait and see what becomes of their other cornerbacks, Tramon Williams, who has missed the off-season over a contract issue, or Al Harris, who is coming back from a major knee injury, it does not matter to Lee.
"I'm ready," Lee said, "for anything. For everything."
The 2009 season was a redshirt year for Lee. He missed preseason work with a back injury and then when he came back to practice, he hyperextended his knee on a kickoff return in the final preseason game against Tennessee. The Packers placed him on injured reserve Sept. 5.
Lee explained that to him, those injuries have prevented everyone from seeing how well he can play and the unique playmaking abilities he brings to the table, but he didn't dispute the decision to be put on IR for the year.
"A bone bruise is kind of a serious injury, so they didn't really want to mess with it because it could affect everything else around my knee," Lee said. "So basically I understood why they did that."
Saying he is 100% healthy now, Lee took comfort in the fact that the Packers did not draft any cornerbacks in April. A month ago, defensive coordinator Dom Capers said he would know a lot more about the young players like Lee after these OTAs. With all the work that Lee has been getting, the Packers certainly have been studying him.
"I took that as a vote of confidence, yeah. They believe in me; that makes me feel like that," Lee said. "I have a lot to prove. I have to go out there and do what I have to do. I feel like this is it for me if I don't."