RaiderPride
15 years ago
From ESPN




Green Bay Packers
Training camp site: Team facility in Green Bay, Wis.


Campfires
At least two and possibly three positions on the offensive line are up for grabs as the Packers transition to a younger -- and, they hope, bigger -- offensive line. Jason Spitz seems primed to overtake veteran Scott Wells at center, while Allen Barbre is hoping to hold off rookie T.J. Lang for the right to replace Mark Tauscher at right tackle. And if Wells wins the center job, Spitz could move to right guard and compete with Josh Sitton.

Got all that? Because there's plenty of competition elsewhere on this team. The Packers moved back into the first round of the April draft to grab outside linebacker Clay Matthews, but a spring hamstring injury allowed second-year player Jeremy Thompson to grab hold of the job seemingly designated for Matthews. Thompson will spend training camp trying to hold off Matthews.

Elsewhere, the Packers will have an intriguing (if somewhat inside baseball) competition for their No. 3 receiver position behind Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. James Jones' playmaking skills would seem to give him the edge over 2008 top pick Jordy Nelson, but Jones' injury troubles last season make him an unknown quantity this summer.

Camp will be a downer if ...
... one of the Packers' two backup quarterbacks doesn't demonstrate substantial improvement. Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm got rookie exceptions last year, but neither ran the offense smoothly during minicamp last month.

Brohm's case is especially interesting. He flopped last summer after the Packers made him a second-round pick, by default leaving the No. 2 job to Flynn. If Brohm wants to restore his track as the Packers' top backup and a future starter (for another team), he'll have to get it turned around in camp this summer. Otherwise, he'll be buried on the depth chart for another year.

Camp will be a success if ...
...the Packers can demonstrate mental proficiency with the 3-4 defense. There is little doubt that retrofitting the personnel base will take some time. But if the Packers can master the different alignments and strategies typically employed by coordinator Dom Capers, they'll almost certainly improve their defensive proficiency from a year ago.

Capers and his staff are good teachers, and it's reasonable to expect Packers players to have absorbed the mental part of this new scheme.

A true one-two punch?
Training camp would be a nice time for someone to step in as a legitimate second option behind tailback Ryan Grant. One question the Packers would like to solve: Do they have someone on the roster who provides a stylistic complement to Grant?

Is Brandon Jackson the best answer? You could make an argument that his style isn't different enough from Grant to make him a viable option. Could that person be DeShawn Wynn? Or possibly Kregg Lumpkin? The Packers would like to leave camp with a firm idea on whether they have someone they can consistently rotate into the lineup for strategic purposes.
""People Will Probably Never Remember What You Said, And May Never Remember What You Did. However, People Will Always Remember How You Made Them Feel."
Dulak
15 years ago
Interesting article ...

my comments -

- I like the offensive line competition. Ie we need a goodline this year. No more 34 sacks allowed.

- Whats up with collins? He still holding out for more $?

- I'm a bit interested in the ROLB position - thompson or matthews

- IMO it will be a no brainer that jones takes over the 3 spot. He seemed to indicate he no longer sufferes from his injuries as he did last season. He was a nice go to guy in 07; would expect him to do just as well this coming year.

- as far as the RB issues ... to be honest I'd rather they bench grant and use jackson and wynn of lumpkin or the new guy they are working.
but whatever - grant got his money so I assume they will make him work for it.

I cant wait for some nice preseason games where we can actually talk about something other then theory
shield4life
15 years ago
- Jones could take over the 3rd spot but depending on how much Nelson has developed since last year. Great potential in Jordy for this year and the future.

- I love Grant, I just hope he pans out to be like 2 years ago.
Glad To Be A Packers Fan.
15 years ago
Poppinga is the starter. This out of touch ESPN crap is never correct.
blank
Rockmolder
15 years ago

Poppinga is the starter. This out of touch ESPN crap is never correct.

"CaliforniaCheez" wrote:



I doubt it. I'd like someone who can at least rush the QB a little opposite of Kampman. So far, Poppinga hasn't gotten us any pressure on the QB at all. The rest of his numbers have been average at best as well. If Thompson can even resemble a Lamar Lathon (LB who played opposite of Greene under Dom Capers) or a player like Shaun Phillips, I think he'll get the nod. Mainly because he has tons of potential and can still grow a lot. Poppinga, on the other hand, has been on his current level for about 3 years. Of course, he could excel in this scheme but I doubt it.

Apart from that, we still have a 1st round LB waiting. I have a feeling that if he might become the starter, he could put up numbers comparable to Poppinga's, but get some more QB pressures.
earthquake
15 years ago
I dont think its really that big of a deal which one is the #3 or #4 WR, they will both see heavy playing time, nelson will probably see a lot of time in run formations, considering his size and blocking ability.
blank
Dulak
15 years ago
Was going to point out - that chillar should be a sure thing as a ILB on passing downs (IMO he's our best coverage guy).
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beast (21-Dec) : So far the college playoffs have sucked... One team absolutely dominates the other
beast (21-Dec) : Well even if you weren't positive towards a guy, you wouldn't nessarily want to tell the media that (if they don't know about it)
Martha Careful (21-Dec) : I think MLF want Love to look past the end half issues, and feel good about his play. Our coaches generally keep a very positive tone.
beast (21-Dec) : I think a great running game will do that for most QBs
packerfanoutwest (21-Dec) : Coach Matt LaFleur has said quarterback Jordan Love is playing the best football of his career.
beast (21-Dec) : Oh, that's how you keep beating buckeye, with cheating
Zero2Cool (20-Dec) : There is a rule that if your name starts with 'b' you lose 15 points. Hey, I don't make the rules, I just enforce them!
wpr (20-Dec) : and then there is Beast. Running away with it all.
beast (20-Dec) : As of tonight, 3 way tie for 2nd in Pick'em, that battle is interesting!
beast (20-Dec) : Lions vs Vikings could be the main last game as it could determine division winners or #1 vs #2 seed
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Zero2Cool (19-Dec) : Matt LaFleur today says unequivocally "Ted Thompson had nothing to do with the drafting of Jordan Love."
Zero2Cool (19-Dec) : Apparently, the editing is what pieces comments together. That Ted thing ... fake news.
Zero2Cool (19-Dec) : LaFleur "opportunity that Ted Thompson thought was too good to pass up"
Zero2Cool (19-Dec) : Jordan Love pick was Ted Thompson's idea.
Mucky Tundra (19-Dec) : Kyle Shanahan on signing De'Vondre Campbell as a FA last offseason: “We obviously made a mistake.”
packerfanoutwest (19-Dec) : Alexander’s last season with GB
Martha Careful (18-Dec) : if I were a professional athlete, I would probably look to see who the agent is for Kirk Cousins and then use him
beast (18-Dec) : $100 million fully guaranteed Kirk Cousins gets benched for rookie
Mucky Tundra (18-Dec) : a lower case b
Mucky Tundra (18-Dec) : The real lie is how beast capitalized his name in his message while it's normally spelled with
packerfanoutwest (18-Dec) : haha that's a lie
beast (17-Dec) : Despite what lies other might tell, Beast didn't hate the Winter Warnings, it felt refreshing to Beast for some reason.
Zero2Cool (17-Dec) : whiteout uniforms in general are pretty lame and weak. NFL greed at it's worst
Martha Careful (17-Dec) : The Viking uniforms, the whiteout uniforms specifically absolutely suck
beast (17-Dec) : Thanks Zero2Cool, looks a lot better now
beast (17-Dec) : Seems like someone has a crush on me, can't stop talking about me
Zero2Cool (17-Dec) : Should be gooder now. The forum default theme went to goofy land.
Zero2Cool (17-Dec) : What the hell
packerfanoutwest (17-Dec) : yeah beast hates the Winter Warning Unies
Mucky Tundra (16-Dec) : Okay I'm glad to know it's not just something happening to me lol
Mucky Tundra (16-Dec) : Zero, did you copy the Packers uniforms from last night and white out the board?
beast (16-Dec) : Oh crap, is the board going to the Winter Warning Uniforms too?!? It's all white on white right now!
Zero2Cool (16-Dec) : WR Odell Beckham Jr is officially a free agent after clearing waivers.
Zero2Cool (16-Dec) : Packers are 6th in sacks.
Zero2Cool (16-Dec) : RB David Montgomery will undergo season-ending knee surgery.
Mucky Tundra (16-Dec) : Dan Campbell on onside kick with 12 minutes left: In hindsight, wish I didn’t do that
Zero2Cool (16-Dec) : They have that whole 12th man thing so ...
Zero2Cool (16-Dec) : Of the times we've played there, I just can't recall hearing our fans.
wpr (16-Dec) : Well done jdlax. Well done.
wpr (16-Dec) : I think more likely to be Pack fans that live in the area.
wpr (16-Dec) : Pack fans represent. I pointed it out early in the game to my wife. Announcers said Packers travel well.
Zero2Cool (16-Dec) : That was crazy to hear go pack go in Seattle of all plays. That 12 man thing an all
Mucky Tundra (16-Dec) : jdlax, good man!
jdlax (16-Dec) : Mucky, there were too many of us there to credit any single one but for sure i was 60% responsible.
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