News and notes from the first open practice of 2009:
CB Charles Woodson, S Nick Collins and WR Donald Driver were the only veterans not at the voluntary workouts.
Collins and Driver have issues with their contracts. Woodson has never been an off-season regular.
RB Tyrell Sutton and CB Brandon Underwood have school. TE Travis Dekker was put on reserve/military.
CB Tramon Williams, an exclusive rights free agent, received a new one-year deal, which is worth $900,000 according to the NationalFootballPost.com. He will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
LB Clay Matthews (hamstring), LB Brad Jones (groin) and WR Lorne Sam (abdominal) were out with minor injuries. Matthews said he felt much better today and was day-to-day.
First team defense during walk-throughs: DE B.J. Raji, NT Ryan Pickett, DE Cullen Jekins, LOLB Aaron Kampman, ILB A.J. Hawk, ILB Brandon Chillar, ROLB Jeremy Thompson, LCB Tramon Williams, SS Atari Bigby, FS Aaron Rouse, RCB Al Harris.
Second-team defense: Johnny Jolly, Anthony Toribio, Justin Harrell; Cyril Obiozor, Desmond Bishop, Spencer Havner, Brady Poppinga; Pat Lee, Anthony Smith, Jarrett Bush, Will Blackmon (also nickel back).
Biggest surprise had to be Jeremy Thompson working out as the first-team right outside linebacker. Matthews said he and Brady Poppinga are second-team there, although coordinator Dom Capers said not to pay attention to where everyone is at this point.
OLB coach Kevin Greene on Thompson: "Jeremy Thompson brings a lot to the table. He's very athletic, very athletic. He's very fluid. His fluidity at outside backer is going to obviously be a plus."
Kampman was not asked to drop into coverage very often. But when he did around the line of scrimmage, he was fine. When he had to drop 5-7 yards with a running back, he looked very stiff and awkward.
Matthews, Chad Clifton, Alfred Malone, Scott Wells, Breno Giacomin and Cullen Jenkins all did rehab workouts.
Smith subbed for Bigby and Jolly/Harrell for Jenkins.
No. 1 O-line (from left to right): Tony Moll, Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Josh Sitton, Allen Barbre
No. 2 O-line: Jamon Meredith, Andrew Hartline, Evan Dietrich-Smith, T.J. Lang, Dane Randolph
Matt Flynn got the reps at No. 2 QB.
Lang also saw some time at right tackle, with Dietrich-Smith moving over to right guard and Duke Preston at center
Offense struggled for much of the day. Really only bright spot was Greg Jennings, who caught everything within his reach, including a beautiful grab over the middle on which he beat blanket coverage by Tramon Williams
Rodgers 6-11 in team periods. Had one intended for Brett Swain batted away on a nice play by Al Harris, and a fastball over the middle dropped by James Jones.
Flynn 6-10, had one dropped when it appeared hed laid it in perfectly to Patrick Williams on a post, only to have Pat Lee and Charlie Peprah knock it out of his hands at the last second. Also had another batted down at the line.
Brohm 0-1, with a couple of scrambles
Will Blackmon, Tramon Williams and Ruvell Martin were the three punt returners.
Jeremy Kapinos got the first punts.
Per Capers' usual method of operation, the cornerbacks don't switch with motion. I saw a lot of man to man with zone sprinkled in.
GM Ted Thompson talked with fans and signed autographs. Security man extraordinaire Jerry Parins was nearby. I'm just saying.
Never heard so much chattering and hand signals with a Packers defense. Constant chatter.
The defense had struggles in base stopping the run and getting QB pressure.
But with more exotic fronts and sub packages, they were doing some good things.
Raji only played DE.
Kampman would have had a sack if Ryan Grant didn't blatantly hold him on a free rush.
McCarthy was a little prickly in his post-practice press conference: "Attendance, huh? We'll do this one time for you because we're so accommodating to the media....What did you think of the practice today? What did you think of that team out there, the other 96 percent that are out there busting their butts since March?"
Everybody was raving about the way CB Al Harris is adjusting to the new scheme.
Fun fact from Greene on why Thompson is on the right side: "Is he left handed or right hand. He's left handed so generally you'll be more productive rushing from the defensive right side using his dominant left hand."
Mike Trgovac on Ryan Pickett at nose: "Pick has very good feet, plays with his hands well and really that's all it takes....He's got plenty of quickness for it. He's as quick as all those guys that play that position in the league."
Trgovac on Harrell: "He's perfect. He fits it very well. I've been very pleased with the way Justin has approached this offseason. I have not been with him in the past so I can't speak to the past. But he's been very determined, he's moving very well and he's very focused right now and he's just naturally a bright kid. I've been very pleased with his effort so far. He wants to learn, he wants to know all the little ins and outs of the defense and he picks things up very quickly. he doesn't make a mistake very often. Or he doesn't make a mistake twice very often."