PackOne
16 years ago
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080901/PKR01/80901040/1058 

The Green Bay Packers face perhaps the NFLs best rushing offense in the Sept. 8 season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, and it looks like they might finally have their top run stopper back.


Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett got onto the practice field on Monday afternoon for the first time after missing all of training camp and the preseason with a hamstring injury. Though the Packers dont have to issue an official practice or injury report until Thursday, coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that Pickett worked today.

The Packers put Pickett through a multitude of tests over the weekend and finally cleared him to return for Mondays practice.

Pickett wasnt sure how many snaps he would play in the opener against the Vikings but considering how thin the Packers are at defensive tackle and that the Vikings last season led the league in rushing yards and rushing average thanks in large part to running back Adrian Peterson Pickett could get his usual workload despite missing the entire preseason.

General Manager Ted Thompson kept only three true defensive tackles Pickett, Johnny Jolly and Colin Cole on the 53-man roster. Last season, they opened with six, although only four were activated for the first game.

Were going to have a three-man rotation instead of six, Pickett said. I think its going to be great, and maybe Ill get more plays this year than I had last year. My first year (in Green Bay in 2006) I had so many and then it almost got cut in half last year. Im looking forward to having more plays.

Though Pickett was sweating at his locker following his post-practice shower, he said he never felt winded during practice.

I actually felt lighter on my feet if you can believe that, he said.

Pickett wouldnt disclose his weight, although he acknowledged that hes heavier than 330, which was his listed weight on the roster.

Just a little bit, but not too much, Pickett said. Im right on point. Im actually probably lighter than I was at this point last year.

KGB returns, too
Pickett wasnt the only defensive lineman to return to practice on Monday.

Defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila returned a week after he experienced a setback with his surgically repaired knee.

I did a little something out there today, he said after practice, and it felt good.

Asked whether it felt different than last Monday, when he returned only to drop out a day later due to recurring soreness, he said: It felt good, so thats very encouraging.

More injuries
Center Scott Wells also returned to practice on Monday after missing the last two preseason games with a lower back injury.

Others who appeared to be limited or out of practice were: safeties Atari Bigby (ankle) and Charlie Peprah (hamstring), linebackers A.J. Hawk (chest) and Tracy White (ankle), receiver James Jones (knee), guard Josh Sitton (knee), left tackle Chad Clifton (rest) and defensive end Jeremy Thompson (groin).

Its unlikely any of those players will return for Tuesdays practice but some could come back after Wednesdays off day.

I wanted to make sure I split the workload up and did all the heavy lifting early in the week but give the guys that are nicked time to get ready, McCarthy said. And well get their work at the end of the week.

Hodge is gone
To make room on the 53-man roster for new long snapper Brett Goode, the Packers cut linebacker Abdul Hodge, a third-round pick from the 2006 draft.

Hodge had a good training camp after patellar-tendon surgeries sidelined him all last season.

At the initial cuts to 53 players on Saturday, General Manager Ted Thompson kept Hodge as a seventh linebacker, which is one more than usual. But Thompson decided to cut Hodge instead of, among others, linebacker Tracy White, rookie tackle Breno Giacomini, safety Charlie Peprah and cornerback-safety Jarrett Bush.

Thompson said the Packers tried to trade Hodge over the weekend before cutting him Monday morning to make room for Goode.

Depth chart
Here are some notables from the teams unofficial depth chart, which the Packers released Monday:

Will Blackmon was listed as the punt returner ahead of Jordy Nelson and Tramon Williams. Blackmon and Nelson were listed as the top two kickoff returners ahead of Williams, Pat Lee and Kregg Lumpkin.

Blackmon was listed as the backup cornerback behind Charles Woodson, while Williams was behind Al Harris. That means Blackmon moved ahead of Jarrett Bush as the No. 4 cornerback.

The interior of the offensive line was Daryn Colledge at left guard, Wells at center and Jason Spitz at right guard.
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bozz_2006
16 years ago
+1 for being the bringer of good news!

PS I love how Mike McCarthy aka Mr. Pittsburgh says that Pickett "worked" today.
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longtimefan
16 years ago
I am more concerned with Pick making it back..I think in the long run we would miss him way more the kgb
bozz_2006
16 years ago
he practiced and he felt fine. i'm confused; are you still concerned?
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longtimefan
16 years ago

he practiced and he felt fine. i'm confused; are you still concerned?

"bozz_2006" wrote:



Came across wrong...

I want him in the games much more then KGB..

.So if KGB has to sit out or get less playing time I am okay with that..
digsthepack
16 years ago
Looking at the roster composition along the DL and LB corps, I have to assume that Jenkins and/or Montgomery get a decent number of snaps inside on passing downs.....giving the interior rotation some additional bodies. That said, I just have a sneaking suspicion that the LB corps will be the unit that keys the defense this year.

Given the talent amongst the starting and backup LBs, I envision a lot more blitzing, and a lot more use of unusual formation/player groupings to be extremely disruptive. Sanders is of the Jim Bates mold....somewhat conservative in scheme....but Winston Moss has his title for a reason......to make sure that Bates follows through on McCarthy's desire to be more aggressive/disruptive with the defense this year, as the team DOES possess the talent to do so.

I have a sneaking suspicion that if Sanders is unable/unwilling to break from his comfort zone scheme-wise, that Moss will assume greater control over the defense and, as Maximus said in Gladiator, "unleash hell upon my command".

Just a thought......
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Mucky Tundra (14h) : Yeah where did it go?
packerfanoutwest (20h) : or did you resctrict access to that topic?
packerfanoutwest (20h) : why did you remove the Playoff topic?
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Tua’s old DC won a Super Bowl Year 1 with Tua’s former backup
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : *winning MVP
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Funny observation I've heard: Carson Wentz was on the sideline for both Eagles Super Bowl wins w/guys supposed to be his back up winning
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : NFL thought it would get more attention week preceding Super Bowl.
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Yes, the Pro Bowl. It was played Sunday before Super Bowl from 2010-2022
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : pro bowl
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : From 2010 to 2022, it was played on the Sunday before the Super Bowl
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : They moved it to the BYE week before Super Bowl several years ago.
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : it was always after the SB.....
beast (10-Feb) : Though I stop following pro bowl years ago
beast (10-Feb) : I thought the pro game was before the Super Bowl?
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : ok now for the Pro Bowl Game in Hawaii
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : If I was Philly I would try to end it instead of punting it
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : VICTORY! We have (moral) victory!
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Hey they mentioned that we 3-peted
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : seems to me the 49ers should have traded Aiyuk when they had the chance
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : if the Eagles get it down to the 1, do they Tush Push or give it to Barkley?
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : 49ers have a money problem if they want to sign their QB
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Wait for real? Didn't he just get an extension two years ago?
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : 49ers gonna trade Deebo. Interesting
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Replays always never seem to show the holdings
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Great throw by Hurts
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Where Carter falls prey to bad off the field influences (to be clear, not saying he'd clip someone though)
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Had Carter not gone to Philly were they already had a lot of old college friends, he ends up in a similar spot to Aaron Hernandez
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : I think some of his coaches told scouts to stay away
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : the street racing incident+conditioning and motivation problems
beast (10-Feb) : Then Carter was street racing, where the other car crashed and people died... and other teams were scared to pick Carter for some reason
beast (10-Feb) : I think the Saints traded up, giving their next year 1st to the Eagles, and then they sucked and Eagles got the 10th overall pick
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : wtf Barkley?
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Getting Carter and Nolan Smith in the first round in 2023 was pretty darn good
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : for some reason i'm thinking of a draft where the Eagles where in the mid 20s and a top player fell all the way to them
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : I think so. I would need to look it up. Think it may have been Carolina's pick.
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : i'm not sure who i'm thinking of now
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : oh fuck me i messed that up
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Jordan Davis was 13th overall
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Carter was 9th overall
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Eagles had 15th and 10th selections, moved to 13 and 9 to get Davis and Carter back to back
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Eagles traded up for Carter, didn't they?
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Obviously he was a huge risk but getting a top 5 talent on the dline in the mid 20s is fortuitous
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Jalen Carter falling into their lap certainly helps
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : And we could only wish to have this type of D
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : It's not like Philly has had low draft picks, but has managed to get themselves a top notch pass rush. We spend so much draft capital of D
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : another crap halftime show
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : I think it is over, but then I think of Atlanta and want Philly to go in with the same intensity in the second half
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : And with a Pass Rush that might as well be on a milk cartoon and no Jaire
Martha Careful (10-Feb) : I cant help but feel good about how well the Packers D played in Philly during the playoffs
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