Packers' Mandatory Minicamp - June

[Yoop]

Other teams can't sign him unless they give a 2nd rounder to us.

Lazard not signing his tender yet has nothing to do with "showing off" to other GMs.

What over value are people placing on Lazard? What defense has been listened to? I think it has more to do with some being overly sensitive and blowing things out of proportion much more thank over valuing Lazard or even defending him. In reality I don't see any of that here.

He'll sign his tender soon. Come to TC. Play WR for the Packers and what will be, will be. Let's not make a mountain out of a mole hill here.

I forgot all about teams having to fork over a 2nd round pick, smart, I bet Gute was hoping someone would anti up that for him.

[Drj820]

Amari and Doubs seem to be on a collision course for some real competition for maybe the same role.

[Labrev]

[TheSkeptic]

I like that idea of moving Gary over center and Quay moving to OLB. It puts the best pass rusher on the shortest path to the QB.

[Labrev]

[Realist]

Other teams can't sign him unless they give a 2nd rounder to us.

Lazard not signing his tender yet has nothing to do with "showing off" to other GMs.

What over value are people placing on Lazard? What defense has been listened to? I think it has more to do with some being overly sensitive and blowing things out of proportion much more thank over valuing Lazard or even defending him. In reality I don't see any of that here.

He'll sign his tender soon. Come to TC. Play WR for the Packers and what will be, will be. Let's not make a mountain out of a mole hill here.

I forgot all about teams having to fork over a 2nd round pick, smart, I bet Gute was hoping someone would anti up that for him.

My guess is Lazard is trying to get a multi year deal. Can't blame him. Third down target and blocker. Hope Gute doesn't extend him for something stupid. One yr tender and move on.

[Labrev]

[Labrev]

Well, will ya look at that! Douglas being the nominal starting nickel does not preclude Jaire from getting reps in the slot. Mind = Blowwwwwwn...

[Labrev]

Big day for Amari today

[BF004]

Well, will ya look at that! Douglas being the nominal starting nickel does not preclude Jaire from getting reps in the slot. Mind = Blowwwwwwn...

I would have shot at you for suggesting something so silly.

[Labrev]

[Labrev]

[Labrev]

[Labrev]

[YoHoChecko]

Most interviews at the locker room are pretty short.

Samari Toure in under two minutes says he finds a way to play with a chip and thinks special teams are too often overlooked for how impactful they can be...

But today had a handful of longer interviews as well, so maybe worth watching rather than read sound bites. Love getting to know the players a little.

11 minutes with Jaire Alexander


8 Minutes with Sammy Watkins


and 4 minutes with Adrian Amos

[YoHoChecko]

I don't want this to be a whole thing because the information I have to OTA and Minicamp is exceptionally limited, but I just want to put it out there....

Jordan Love's ball placement seems to be regressing, not progressing.

I hope it's a "worse before it's better" impact of some new technique that Tom Clements is pushing on him, but like, for all the talk about being more confident and knowing the offense, the accuracy and ball placement just seems like a shotgun, not a rifle.

[YoHoChecko]

Random Insomnia, so I'm gonna do some minicamp summarizing, as I have seen it.

I actually think between the interviews (especially Rodgers'), the tweets, the lineup info, etc, we actually learned a TON about where the depth chart and team stand on things right now. Obviously, that doesn't mean it's where it will end up and there's plenty of time, but this was a pretty comprehensive understanding of how the team is treating things that before we had to speculate or were in the dark. Now the speculation lies mostly on who/where there will be the most room for change between now and the start of the season.

Here are some of my take-aways:

Wide Receivers

If I had to sketch out a depth chart based on what I've read and heard and seen, it would look something like this:

image.png (10.82 KiB) Viewed 387 times

It seems apparent from the team activities and from Rodgers' comments that the WR group really breaks into 3 groups. Four guys are almost exclusively with the 1s (well, 3 at minicamp plus Lazard)--Watkins, Cobb, Winfree, and Lazard. Then another three guys are rotating between first and second teams--Amari, Watson, and Doubs. Leaving the rest--Malik Taylor, Samori Toure, and Danny Davis, with the 2nd/3rd team and fighting for a roster spot. I have not heard a single thing about Malik Taylor,. I searched and found a tweet that listed him (last, incidentally) among guys taking returner reps. Another where he was mentioned because he's standing next to some other guys in a picture. I guess that's better than hearing mostly bad things (Danny Davis), but it's not a great start to a spring in which his old peer Winfree has been a mainstay with the first team units.

Offensive Line
We actually got a lot of insight here. Again, if I had to make a depth chart, it would look something like this:

image.png (9.76 KiB) Viewed 387 times

With Hansen and Newman rotating in and out with the ones (Newman at RG/RT with the 1s; Hansen at RG when Newman kicks to OT and #2C otherwise), it appears Hansen is the top interior backup at this moment. But with Tom playing all three interior positions with the 2nd/3rd team, there's competition in there. Cole Van Lanen looks to be the backup swing tackle to Nijman, which is both an elevation for him from last year, and a precarious roster spot if Bakh returns healthy. I haven't read or seen anything indicating that Rhyan is doing anything but RG.

I'd estimate that the RT job competition is primarily, at this moment, between Nijman and Newman, even though Van Lanen also gets reps with the 1s. CVL's reps come when Nijman is at LT and Newman is at RG. He feels like the third choice to me. Maybe this year's Benjamin Braden.

Secondary Pecking Order
An area of offseason intrigue, this feels more clear-cut (again, at this moment in time) than I expected.

image.png (13.99 KiB) Viewed 387 times

Nixon has been the clear CB4 and Gafford and SJC are battling at CB5 and CB6, seemingly ahead of Ento at the moment, and definitely ahead of Kieondre Thomas, though that guy has made some ST noise. Texada feels like the longest shot.

Speaking of STs....

Gunners

The top names I keep seeing are:
Winfree
Gafford
Nixon
Toure
Thomas
Jean-Charles

Gafford's name has come up a lot related to STs, which may be why his name comes up a lot in the secondary, but maybe he's showing out in both respects. Thomas has had a couple of notable reps as a gunner, but isn't getting anywhere close to the quality of defensive reps as Nixon and even Gafford, so it's tough to count on him making the roster. Toure probably needs to win a Gunner/Jammer job to make the roster unless there's an injury at WR. The Jammers seem to be the reserve safeties early, Scott and Gaines, but their results have sounded pretty mixed. Worth noting that Amos and Douglas have flashed in some punt team capacities, as well; getting some starters involved.

Other Nuggets

• I love hearing they had a few reps where Gary bumped inside and Quay lined up at the edge. It's a look, not a position switch, but that's the sort of versatility these big, high-level athletes are supposed to give us. Walker was a plus blitzer at UGA.

• Our starting defense, either in nickel or base, looks like it will have EIGHT 1st round picks on it if Wyatt wins a job: Gary, Wyatt, Clark, Preston, Walker, Alexander, Stokes, Savage. Non-first round picks include All Pro DeVondre Campbell and steady high-caliber Adrian Amos. The 11th spot is likely either a 3rd DL like Slaton, Dean, or Reed or a 5th DB like 2020 Pro Bowler Rasul. Insane Talent.

• Looks like plenty of multiple TE sets and some multiple RB sets for the first team offense. In team drills, Deguara, Davis, and Lewis all caught balls from top QBs, indicating they're all getting starter reps.

• Rodgers openly, explicitly said he prefers guys with production not potential and to temper expectations for rookie receivers. That's the sort of thing we know from historical anecdotes, but it was still impactful to hear him say so directly. Maybe it'll put a chip on the young shoulders

• Rodgers also said that his contract is year-to-year, regardless of the numbers, and that he will contemplate retirement (without dragging it out) after each season. The "definitely" made the headlines, but this was equally noteworthy

[williewasgreat]

I don't want this to be a whole thing because the information I have to OTA and Minicamp is exceptionally limited, but I just want to put it out there....

Jordan Love's ball placement seems to be regressing, not progressing.

I hope it's a "worse before it's better" impact of some new technique that Tom Clements is pushing on him, but like, for all the talk about being more confident and knowing the offense, the accuracy and ball placement just seems like a shotgun, not a rifle.

Not that unusual to see some regression when a new coach takes over and maybe makes some changes to a player's techniques. Need to allow time for new ideas to take shape.

[Crazylegs Starks]

I don't want this to be a whole thing because the information I have to OTA and Minicamp is exceptionally limited, but I just want to put it out there....

Jordan Love's ball placement seems to be regressing, not progressing.

I hope it's a "worse before it's better" impact of some new technique that Tom Clements is pushing on him, but like, for all the talk about being more confident and knowing the offense, the accuracy and ball placement just seems like a shotgun, not a rifle.

"I don't want this to be a whole thing..." Oh, you know exactly what you're doing. Can't fool me, YoHo.

Regardless, there do seem to be more tweets noting bad throws/picks from Love. On the other hand, there was that one summer where ARod was throwing a lot of picks, too, and nothing came of it (2018?). Like you said, our knowledge is limited.

[YoHoChecko]

"I don't want this to be a whole thing..." Oh, you know exactly what you're doing. Can't fool me, YoHo.

Hey, I posted an entire mega-post summary to bury my own observation in the weeds of the thread. I committed to not trying to start a thing! Not my fault if people find this post more interesting.