Green Bay Players don't come much more loyal or understanding than Green Bay Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop.
He is set to enter his fourth season, and from all appearances Bishop continues to be stuck in the same place: core special teams player, reserve inside linebacker with little hope - outside of an injury - for any real playing time.
For a lot of players, frustration would be too much to hide. Ask his coaches and teammates, though, and Bishop is the same player he's always been. Still works hard. Still just does his job. Doesn't make waves.
But that doesn't mean Bishop, who has demonstrated big-play ability when given the chance, ignores his circumstances.
"It's a real sticky situation," Bishop said Monday. "I want to be out there badly. But at the same time, some people out there don't even have jobs, so I'm kind of grateful to be in the position I'm in to even have a job and being able to compete for whatever.
"The team is trying to get to the Super Bowl. That's the main goal. But at the same time, in the back of my mind, I'm itching to get in there and make my statement."
It does not look as if it's going to happen this season. Outside of a few special packages depending on the opponent, Bishop likely won't play unless Nick Barnett, A.J. Hawk or Brandon Chillar is injured. Even with Barnett sidelined after knee surgery, Bishop has been relegated to mostly back-up duty behind Hawk and Chillar in off-season practices.
The other reality that Bishop appears to have resigned himself to is that he won't be traded. Several teams have inquired about Bishop the past two years, but the Packers have told them each time that Bishop is not available.
Again, Bishop understands.
"You realize that it's truly a business. That's what it is," Bishop said. "No player is bigger than the business of the game, so you have to kind of look at it as if you're a CEO of a company. If you had a good worker for cheap, why give him away?"
The Packers may have to entertain the thought of dealing Bishop this year. Once this season is over, Bishop will have four accrued seasons of service time. If the new collective bargaining agreement reverts back to the free-agency rules in the old one, as most expect, then Bishop will be an unrestricted free agent as soon as the ink dries. And the Packers, who also have to deal with restructuring Hawk's contract at season's end, run the risk of getting nothing in return for Bishop.
"I would anticipate Bishop having to make a career decision," said assistant head coach/inside linebackers Winston Moss. "If he feels as though he's ready to play more and move into another system, then he needs to not sign a contract (with the Packers) and he needs to move on and sign someplace else."
There is one more card Bishop could use - play me or trade me - like others around the league have.
"That's not really my style," Bishop said. "Like I said, I'm just grateful to have a job in the first place. But I don't know. It's an ongoing conversation with me, my family and my agent. It's never out of the question."
Jenkins, Chillar get an outside look: [ul]With most of the installation finished, the Packers took a look at a few new defensive twists, like using Chillar and 6-2, 305-pound Cullen Jenkins at outside linebacker.
"They've been moving me around a lot and having me try some different things just in case," Jenkins said. "I feel pretty fast this year. It's pretty cool to actually be up."
The tinkering was actually a byproduct of some improved conditioning with Jenkins. The Packers wanted him to slim down a bit to finish games and seasons better.
"Cullen has very rare ability," said defensive line coach Mike Trgovac. "He's got games where I've never seen a defensive tackle rush like him. His biggest problem last year is he didn't finish the sacks. I think the big emphasis that I had with him last year was his conditioning to play. He plays a reckless style of football, and to do that, you have to be in great shape because you're opened up to more injuries."
Chillar said last month that the team hadn't even discussed getting more reps at outside linebacker, where the Packers are thin. Even though he's 238 pounds (255 is ideal), coordinator Dom Capers is taking a look.
"Now's the time you introduce a couple different packages in case we get a guy hurt, we have to have something to go to," Capers said. "Chillar is smart enough to give us alternatives. We move him around a lot.
"I'm not sure he couldn't (play outside full time). They have to rush a lot against those tackles. That's one of the hardest things to do."[/ul]
Special teams update: [ul]Mason Crosby missed his first kick at the right hash mark from 45 yards out. In the previous two seasons, nine of Crosby's 13 missed field goals have come on that side of the field (69.2%).
"I thought on the field (the kick) was good," said special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum. "My reaction is he's dealing with two holders right now. Mason has been hitting the ball very well. His kickoffs are outstanding, and the ball is jumping off his foot. I'm pleased with where he is."
Slocum did say that Sam Shields, an undrafted rookie, needs to improve on fielding punts.
"Sam needs to be consistent catching the ball before we can put him out there and have our whole organization rely on him to catch the punt," Slocum said. "He has excellent talent, and we have a full training camp to go and a bunch of reps for him to continue to get better."[/ul]