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I feel like they both player similar styles, in that they play aggressive, can be hot headed with things don't go their way. Oh, and the trash talking.
Here are 10 things we learned from an hour and 44 minutes watching practice on Day 2, then speaking with head coach Matt LaFleur and several players afterward.
1. Gary’s physique: Rashan Gary, Green Bay’s first of two first-round picks in 2019, looks far more lean than he did at the end of last season, despite saying he’s actually gained about four pounds and stayed around the same body fat percentage (272 to 276, between nine and 10 percent) since we last saw him.
“I just feel like I’m growing into my grown-man body,” Gary said. “I’m 22 years old and still got time to grow. I just feel like I’m just forming into it.”
Gary spent his offseason running stadium stairs, 50-yard sprints, 110s and gassers at McKinney High School in Texas. He filmed his workouts and posted many of them to social media to show whoever wanted to watch that he’s determined to make the second-year jump the Packers need and expect him to.
During his rookie year, Gary sat buried on the outside linebacker depth chart behind Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Kyler Fackrell, and only played 24 percent of the Packers’ defensive snaps while registering just two sacks and three tackles for loss. Now behind only the Smiths and even seeing a decent amount of time with the starters in three-edge rusher sets through the first two practices, Gary is ready to prove why the Packers spent the No. 12 overall pick on him.
“Everything I did in the offseason coming up to this point is about being the best me, coming back and being an impact player,” Gary said. “You know that’s what I want to be and that’s what I will be. So that’s just been my whole mindset and I’m just down and grinding.”
2. Scott’s pass breakups: Facing an offense quarterbacked by first-round pick Jordan Love, seventh-round rookie safety Vernon Scott showed promise by breaking up two passes in short succession during 11-on-11s. The TCU product faces an uphill battle to make the team with no preseason games and likely is fighting with undrafted rookie safety Henry Black (Baylor) for one spot on the safety depth chart with Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage Jr., Raven Greene and Will Redmond already locked in.
“Not a surprise. He definitely showed that ability in college,” LaFleur said when asked about Scott being around the ball Monday. “It’ll be interesting when I go back and look at the tape because there were a couple of times where he’s got to be careful as the post player, being too shallow so balls don’t get thrown over his head, but he definitely has great instincts and we expect him to be a playmaker.”
3. First interception of camp: Last preseason, it was Blake Martinez who tallied the first interception of camp against Aaron Rodgers. This year, it was another inside linebacker, Christian Kirksey, who picked off Rodgers after dropping back in coverage and plucking what seemed like just a bad read by the quarterback. The entire defense erupted for Kirksey, the Packers’ biggest 2020 free-agent signing tasked with helping fix a shoddy run defense and restore trust at a position that caused the Packers headaches in 2019.
4. A different long snapper: Reserve offensive tackle John Leglue has snapped for Mason Crosby’s end-of-practice field goals the first two days of practice with Hunter Bradley still on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Bradley has been in attendance at practice but has yet to suit up and work with Crosby and punter JK Scott. Leglue has actually looked pretty good snapping the ball aside from one high snap Saturday, but the Packers probably want the guy they pay to snap balls back in a helmet as soon as possible.
5. Ervin getting involved: Tyler Ervin rescued the Packers’ historically bad punt return unit late last season after signing with Green Bay in Week 13, but the running back only played 24 snaps on offense and touched the ball five times. But against the Lions in Week 17 and the Seahawks in the Divisional Round, Ervin showed why he can be effective as a gadget piece out of the backfield.
Monday, he worked with the wide receivers and caught several passes for sizable gains during 11-on-11s, including a nifty grab down the left sideline on a pinpoint pass from Love. He also took a jet sweep handoff from Rodgers and darted through a hole on the left side, which drew a celebratory fist pump from the quarterback. Ervin will make the team again as the Packers’ primary return man, and he could even be one of four running backs to see snaps on offense, too.
“I think there’s a great opportunity,” Ervin said of potentially contributing on offense this year. “It’s just something I’ve had to learn how to get good at, and really I see myself as a person who can play multiple positions. I’m not really trying to categorize myself, because I feel like when I do that, I think I limit myself.”
Packers offensive line coach Adam Stenavich was San Jose State’s offensive line coach when Ervin played running back for the Spartans, and LaFleur said Stenavich has been in his ear about what Ervin can do on offense.
“He’s an explosive player. He’s pretty elusive,” LaFleur said. “We’re just going to continue to try to give him opportunities to see what he can do.”
6. The O-line’s right side keeps rotating: After Lane Taylor got the first crack at right guard reps with the first team Saturday while Billy Turner played right tackle, Rick Wagner started at right tackle Monday with Turner at right guard before Taylor shuffled in at right guard with the ones later on. By all indications, the right side of the offensive line will continue to change and there’s no indication on when LaFleur wants to have a starting five solidified.
Said LaFleur: “Right now, we’re so early, we want to just continue to mix and match those combinations and try to let it play out, which it usually does.”
7. Don’t count out Tonyan just yet: Even with tight end Jace Sternberger returning from the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, Robert Tonyan took first-team reps at tight end and made a nice catch over the middle during team drills on a pass from Rodgers. While Sternberger may have more upside, Tonyan is the more proven pass catcher. The Packers may just be easing Sternberger in after he barely played with the starters last season and missed the last couple of weeks of teamwork while sidelined, but don’t suddenly cast Tonyan aside just because Sternberger is healthy. The No. 1 priority for Tonyan is to stay healthy and if he can, the Packers hope to see more catches like that unreal sideline grab against the Cowboys or his touchdown catch against the Washington Football Team last year.
8. A center to watch: Corey Linsley’s contract expires after this season, and given the more valuable impending free agents in Green Bay, the Packers may need a new starting center in 2021. That center may be Jake Hanson, the rookie sixth-round pick who started 49 games at center for Oregon over the last four seasons. He, not last year’s backup center Lucas Patrick, snapped to Tim Boyle with the second-team offense, while Patrick played right guard with the second unit.
9. Rodgers is happy: For all the talk about the Love pick potentially souring Rodgers’ mood, just take a read at this quote from Boyle on Monday: “Aaron’s been awesome. To be quite honest with you, this is probably the best mood I’ve seen him in training camp. Not that he’s been in bad moods, but he’s spunky, he’s throwing jokes around. I think part of it is the comfort level of the offense. Like myself, he doesn’t really have to think about formations, that kind of stuff. But he’s in a great mood. We joke around 24/7 and Jordan brings a nice aspect into the mix. But yeah, Aaron’s been great. He’s not grumpy at all. He’s a great dude. You guys know him, throwing jokes around. But he’s been awesome with me and Jordan and it’s gonna be a fun training camp.”
10. Injury/health report: Sternberger and defensive lineman Treyvon Hester returned to practice after spending the last couple of weeks on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Bradley and outside linebacker Greg Roberts remain on the list, but they were at practice. Inside linebacker Curtis Bolton, offensive lineman Simon Stepaniak, running back Patrick Taylor and offensive tackle Yosh Nijman were all present and working out at practice without helmets, as all four remain on the physically unable to perform list.
He does look svelte in that pic
Dareus might be too pricey $$, but GB OC Hackett was with him in Jax, so we'd have some intel on the guy
Dareus was also with Pettine in Buffalo; the fact that he knows the defense and we have two coaches gives us all the insight we would need on him (and there are definitely some effort/character questions worth considering). I had forgotten about Harrison having a year with Pettine, so good to know there are a couple options. I'd take both; I'd seen that harrison wants his next stop to be a place he feels good finishing his career over the next 3ish years. I don't think we'd be offering anyone more than a 1-year rental.BSA wrote: ↑18 Aug 2020 16:53Dareus might be too pricey $$, but GB OC Hackett was with him in Jax, so we'd have some intel on the guy
I'm still holding out hope for DL Damon Harrison. GB allegedly put an offer on the table per one of the reporters
I listened to Snacks on a podcast last week and he said he hasn't decided IF he's going to play this year, but if he does it will be with a defense he has some familiarity with...( he overlapped with Pettine in NYJ) Harrison also was unhappy with his treatment in Detroit, so beating them 2x per year might be enticing
Harrison can play 1-tech and 3-tech and offers some pass rush/pocket collapse in addition to run stuffing
GB needs to give Clark a breather and it seems like Lancaster is just too big of a dropoff in talent
That's what confounds me on why Snacks turned our "supposed" offer down prior to the draft.BSA wrote: ↑18 Aug 2020 16:53Dareus might be too pricey $$, but GB OC Hackett was with him in Jax, so we'd have some intel on the guy
I'm still holding out hope for DL Damon Harrison. GB allegedly put an offer on the table per one of the reporters
I listened to Snacks on a podcast last week and he said he hasn't decided IF he's going to play this year, but if he does it will be with a defense he has some familiarity with...( he overlapped with Pettine in NYJ) Harrison also was unhappy with his treatment in Detroit, so beating them 2x per year might be enticing
Harrison can play 1-tech and 3-tech and offers some pass rush/pocket collapse in addition to run stuffing
GB needs to give Clark a breather and it seems like Lancaster is just too big of a dropoff in talent
That's a fair point from a football POV, and there's more available players than open spots right nowYoHoChecko wrote: ↑18 Aug 2020 17:04I don't think anyone still off a roster is too pricey right now.
I wish Rodgers would get rid of the ball as quick as Boyle.go pak go wrote: ↑18 Aug 2020 11:27I still think Darius Shepherd gets an unfair bad wrap. He was so good last August.YoHoChecko wrote: ↑18 Aug 2020 09:14That video got me a little hyped for our young receivers, tooBSA wrote: ↑17 Aug 2020 21:49
Yes he is - and its a damn shame we don't get to see him in preseason action this summer.
Here's video highlights from last year, dude can spin a ball
And it sounds like he really took a leap forward on knowing the MLF offense going into 2020. In his presser he said this is the 1st time since high school that he's been in the same offense 2 years in a row.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC5RuhK ... e=youtu.be
They have enough money to hang out for the rest of their lives comfortably. Plus probably media deals and promotion money they’ll get over the years.BSA wrote: ↑18 Aug 2020 17:24That's a fair point from a football POV, and there's more available players than open spots right nowYoHoChecko wrote: ↑18 Aug 2020 17:04I don't think anyone still off a roster is too pricey right now.
But in this COVIDseason, you're competing against the somewhat appealing idea of just sitting out this crazy season
Harrison has earned $42M and Dareus $89M so far- how much do they need to get off the couch and into the viral arena ?
Turf toe is a sprain. But if they are not labeling it turf toe it must be a different type of sprain.
I was pulling for a Jernigan signing, but the Jags scooped him up.go pak go wrote: ↑18 Aug 2020 17:04That's what confounds me on why Snacks turned our "supposed" offer down prior to the draft.BSA wrote: ↑18 Aug 2020 16:53Dareus might be too pricey $$, but GB OC Hackett was with him in Jax, so we'd have some intel on the guy
I'm still holding out hope for DL Damon Harrison. GB allegedly put an offer on the table per one of the reporters
I listened to Snacks on a podcast last week and he said he hasn't decided IF he's going to play this year, but if he does it will be with a defense he has some familiarity with...( he overlapped with Pettine in NYJ) Harrison also was unhappy with his treatment in Detroit, so beating them 2x per year might be enticing
Harrison can play 1-tech and 3-tech and offers some pass rush/pocket collapse in addition to run stuffing
GB needs to give Clark a breather and it seems like Lancaster is just too big of a dropoff in talent
I mean on paper, the Packers defense is the perfect match for what Snacks is supposedly looking for and is everything that Detroit wasn't.
If I remember right, Harrison really only likes to play 0/t tech. I think he complained the Lions put him too much as a 3 tech in Detroit.
