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Packers DT TJ Slaton putting together ‘outstanding camp’ in new defense

Paul Bretl | 8/2/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — In the new defensive scheme under Jeff Hafley, Packers’ defensive tackle TJ Slaton has acclimated himself very well to the change, even surprising Matt LaFleur in a few ways.

“I think TJ’s had an outstanding camp,” said LaFleur before Thursday’s practice. “He really has. I think just, you know quite frankly he’s surprised us in some ways. He’s just been, his ability to get off the ball and wreck double teams, whatever it may be, I think he’s done a really nice job. So I’m really excited to see how he’s progressed.”

At 6-4 – 330 pounds, Slaton may not have the prototypical build of a defensive tackle in a 4-3 system, but rather may be better suited in that regard for a 3-4 scheme as the nose tackle, which is the role he filled under Joe Barry.

However, that hasn’t been the case at all. As defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich mentioned earlier in the offseason, Slaton is the “biggest man athlete” that he’s ever seen in his life. Adding that Slaton can two-step dunk a basketball. So from an athleticism perspective, Rebrovich as no concerns about Slaton acclimating to his new role.

“You know you never quite know how one guy’s going to transition to a certain style of defense,” added LaFleur, “but he’s done a really good job.”

Through nine training camp practices, we are seeing the disruptive results that can occur when you combine Slaton’s size and athleticism with an attacking front where the goal is to get off the ball an into the backfield. Whether it’s against the run or the pass, Slaton’s presence in the backfield has become a regular occurrence at practice over the last week-plus.

“The coolest part about him right now,” said Hafley, “and I was joking doing bed check the other night, I talked to him for a while, the way he’s getting off the ball at his size and how disruptive he can be and penetrate, he’s hard to block. And you kinda saw a smile on his face and another guy who I believe has bought in and he’s doing everything that we’re trying to have those guys do and coach them to do.

“If you get big guys like that penetrating up front causes problems and I’m really happy with the way he’s started and I hope he can continue to build off of it because I think if he does and continues to improve he can really helps us out a lot and help himself out a lot.”

Last season, Slaton saw his pass rush opportunities more than double from his first two seasons with the Packers. He went from having just 134 pass rush snaps in 2022, according to PFF, to 303 in 2023. Slaton also played 466 snaps from the B-gap, compared to only 171 the year prior. And with that, he took advantage of those opportunities, recording a career-high in pressures with 16. His previous high was just six.

In addition to his pass rush production, Slaton recorded the fourth-most run-stops of any defensive tackle last season and the fifth-most tackles in the run game. Run defense may still be his calling card, but Slaton showcased last year that he can move around and be disruptive getting after the quarterback as well.

LaFleur really likes the depth that the Packers have between the defensive tackle and defensive end positions, with nine players that can be relied upon each week. With this new attacking play-style, the need for depth upfront becomes even greater, with Kenny Clark mentioning that that rotating players in and out to stay fresh will become of greater importance.

Having that much depth and different skill-sets can really allow Hafley to mix and match his rotations based upon the opponent and game-plan. The specifics of what that might look like is still be cultivated and may remain fluid throughout the season. But early on in training camp, we’ve seen Slaton among the starters, lining up next to Clark on early downs or obvious running situations.

“I like this. I like this a lot,” said Slaton about the new defense. “You’ve got to play fast. You’ve got to get off the ball and be very aggressive to play in this scheme, in this really attacking type of defense.”

Improved play from the defense as a whole starts with more consistency up front. This is a group that ranked 23rd in average yards per carry allowed last season and gave up 200-plus rushing yards in four games. The pass rush also ran very hot and cold, recording seven games, according to PFF, with a pressure rate of greater than 45 percent–which is excellent–and seven games with a pressure rate below 30 percent–which is not excellent.

The quickest way to blow up any offensive play is with immediate pressure up the middle. That not only becomes an emphasis for the defensive front but the focal point of what Slaton and his teammates are going to being asked to do by Hafley. Slaton’s ability to carry this play-style and disruptiveness into the regular season can have a heavy impact on not only improving the play of the defensive front but the defense as a whole with the positive trickle-down effect that can have.

“I think much similar to the receiving group, we feel really good about our front,” said LaFleur. “When you’ve got RG and Preston and J.J. and then inside you’ve got Kenny Clark, Heavy D, Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, I mean, there’s a lot of players there. T.J. Slaton. Like, we feel really good about the collective unit and I think each one of those guys is going to get more 1-on-1 opportunities along the way because it’s hard to zero in on just one guy.”

Greg Joseph gets a leg up in Packers’ kicker competition

Paul Bretl | 8/1/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Through eight training camp practices, the Packers competition at kicker between Greg Joseph and Anders Carlson had been fairly close. However, on Thursday, the battle took a turn in Joseph’s favor.

Joseph would begin the day 22-for-24 and Carlson 21-for-24. During the first round of field goals, which consisted of kicks from 41, 45, and 47 yards, Joseph would make all three of his attempts while Carlson would make only one. The second time through, with kicks from 42, 49, and 51 yards, Joseph again made all three, while Carlson made only two. Practice would then conclude with both kickers making 58 yarders.

“It didn’t feel like too much out there,” said Joseph at his locker about the wind. “The first field-goal set, it felt like it was a little in our face and the second set, a little at our back and then for the team situation kick, it didn’t feel like there was much at all.”

And just like that, Joseph is now 29-for-31 in camp (93.5%) and Carlson is 25-for-31 (80.6%).

“Feels good,” said Joseph about where his kicking game is at. “Like I said, I don’t look at stats. I don’t look at yesterday. I’m not looking at tomorrow. Look at today and literally seeing my foot through each and every ball one at a time like singularly and that’s it.”

For Carlson, not only are the three missed field goal attempts noteworthy, but all three misses were to the left, which is the same issue he faced last season. Carlson spent the offseason focusing on his angles and approach leading up to the attempt in an effort to correct that.

“For the most part, my field goal misses I just felt like were left,” said Carlson during the first week of training camp. “As I looked at it, that’s what I worked on leading into OTAs. Like I said, I feel like I did a better job and I like my ball flight.”

Joseph has been in the NFL since 2018 after going undrafted out of Florida Atlantic. He had spent the last three seasons with the Vikings. Over his career, he has made 83 percent of his field goal attempts and has been extremely reliable on kicks under 40 yards, missing only one of his 65 attempts.

From 40-plus yards, however, Joseph is only 38-of-50, including 16-for-28 from over 50 yards. Playing in Cleveland in 2018, Joseph does have experience kicking in the elements, but he is just 3-for-7 in his career at Lambeau Field.

“70-75 percent, I’d say,” said Joseph when asked how much of kicking is mental. “I think that’s what separates really good collegiate kickers from NFL kickers. All of us, you know, a lot of us can kick the ball far, but it’s I think that mental edge, that mental approach is massive and it’s the difference between a good kicker and a great kicker.”

Perhaps an advantage for Joseph in this situation is the experience he has. He’s been in training camp kicking competitions before, has more NFL experience, and more field goal attempts in high leverage situations, which includes making five game-winners in the 2022 season alone.

These experiences, along with the help from personal coaches, have helped Joseph develop a process where he’s only focused on what he has to do to be successful. Joseph isn’t watching Carlson kick and he’s not worried about whether he’s 7-for-7 or 0-for-7 that day. The only kick that matters is the next one and that his attention is on his pre-kick routine.

“Nope,” said Joseph when asked if he watches Carlson. “I go through my steps, my cues, my process that, you know, took time to cultivate and make sure works for me and I’m going through that. And if you happen to hear say good job or oh, like, I don’t care. Block it out. All I’m focused on is seeing my foot through that next ball.”

Of course, both kickers are being evaluated on a daily basis, but LaFleur said during minicamp that the competition may not truly begin to take shape until there are more “high pressure, game-like” situations. With Family Night on Saturday, two joint practices, and three preseason games, those opportunities are coming.

Without question, Joseph had the better practice, but it’s still early in the process. One bad day or one good day won’t determine the winner of this positional battle. However, having said that, what took place on Thursday is at least noteworthy.

“I just get into a rhythm where, I know it sounds easy to say, me versus me, but I believe that if I kick to the level that I’m capable of, it’s me versus me and I’m going to put my best foot forward, make as many kicks as I can and the rest will take care of itself,” said Joseph.

Packers training camp notebook: Greg Joseph gets a leg up on Anders Carlson

Paul Bretl | 8/1/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Thursday was the Packers’ final training camp practice before Family Night on Saturday and the ninth overall. Today’s practice lasted two hours and two minutes.

As always, let’s crack open the notebook and dive into what took place today.

Who was practicing and who was not? Still sidelined were Carrington Valentine, Keshawn Banks, Deslin Alexandre, and Tucker Kraft. Valentine had a hamstring injury pop up on Wednesday, and Matt LaFleur did not have a timeline for when he would be back on the field. The team will be cautious.

“I think we’re still kind of going through that right now,” said LaFleur, “but certainly we’re going to be very cautious when it comes to those. It’s unfortunately the price of doing business at times. You get into camp, they’re bound to happen sooner or later for somebody and he’s been doing a lot of good things. He tried to power through it, it’s just that’s not something that you want to fight through all the time, or usually.”

Edgerrin Cooper dropped out of Wednesday’s practice with a hip injury and did not practice on Thursday. Josh Jacobs was out with a groin injury and Don Callis with a hamstring. Several players sat out on Thursday for a vet rest day, including Tyler Davis, Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, Preston Smith, and Elgton Jenkins. Josh Myers was absent for a personal matter.

Who was where along the offensive line? After several practices where Kadeem Telfort was the primary right tackle, today it was Andre Dillard who saw the bulk of those reps with the starters. At right guard was again Jordan Morgan, and at center was both Sean Rhyan and Jacob Monk. Left guard was Royce Newman and left tackle was Rasheed Walker. With the second unit, as both Telfort and Caleb Jones compete for the swing tackle role, both played right and left tackle with that offense. The center was either Monk or Rhyan–depending on who wasn’t with the ones–and the right gaurd was Luke Tenuta and the left guard Lecitus Smith.

Today was Bullard’s turn to start next to Xavier McKinney at safety, although before practice, LaFleur had some high praise for Anthony Johnson Jr. and the offseason he has put together.

“He’s had an outstanding camp up to this point,” LaFleur said. “I think it’s a very competitive situation. He’s really learned a ton. He’s made a huge jump I would say, in my eyes, to this point from last season. Now he’s got to go out and do it as we get to some live bullets in terms of those preseason games. So it will be interesting to see how he does. But I’m excited for him.”

The linebacker rotation remained the same, with Quay Walker in the middle, and Eric Wilson and Isaiah McDuffie to his left and right. In nickel, it was Walker and McDuffie, while Wilson and Ty’Ron Hopper were the nickel backups.

Without Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd was the second running back today behind AJ Dillon. After the draft, we heard GM Brian Gutekunst say that Lloyd brings something “different” to the running back room, and we sure saw that. During a carry in the team drills, Lloyd made a lightning quick cut to avoid a linebacker and then accelerated upfield for what looked like would have been a big run.

The kicking battle takes a turn. For the most part, the competition between Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph has been –pretty even, but today, Joseph got the upper-hand, making all seven of his attempts, while Carlson would make only four, with all three misses being to the left. Carlson is now 25/31 in camp and Joseph is 29/31.

“Nope,” said Joseph when asked if he watches Carlson kick. “I go through my steps, my cues, my process that, you know, took time to cultivate and make sure works for me and I’m going through that. And if you happen to hear say good job or ohh, like, I don’t care. Block it out. All I’m focused on is seeing my foot through that next ball.”

The starting punt return unit featured Keisean Nixon returning, Bo Melton and Corey Ballentine as the jammers, along with Kingsley Enagbare, Kristian Welch, Lukas Van Ness, Eric Wilson, Isaiah McDuffie, Malik Heath, and Evan Williams.

Of note, and keep in mind the Packers didn’t have Gary or Smith, but Colby Wooden saw some defensive end snaps today and Kenneth Odumegwu was at defensive end with the second defense. The Packers have been working both Ballentine and Kalen King in the slot, but when both are with the second defense, King is the nickel and Ballentine is on the boundary. During a few reps with the ones when Nixon wasn’t in, Ballentine took his spot.

During the two-minute drill, we saw the defense really trying to do the dictating by sending a few linebacker blitzes, rather than just sitting back.

Two minute drill: The offense was at their own 45 yard line with 1:00 left on the clock, down 28-21, and with no timeouts. Dontayvion Wicks both sparked and kept this drive going. He had a 13 yard catch, finding the soft spot between defenders. On the next play, Jordan Love connected with down the left sideline for 27 yards on a really impressive catch with Eric Stokes in tight coverage. Love then had a pass fall incomplete, completed a pass to Jayden Reed for nine yards and then threw the ball away while scrambling. On the following play, Wicks drew a penalty, setting up first and goal for the offense with four seconds left, Love threw a quick out route to Wicks but Jaire Alexander was there to push him out of bounds at the goal line. The offense ended up doing pushups.

“It was the play call,” said Wicks about the deep ball. “Get open. Him putting his trust in me to go up and go get it. I knew it was close to the sideline so I was just trying to get my feet in and attack the ball.”

Sean Clifford two minute drill: Facing the same situation, Clifford scrambled back to the line of scrimmage. On second down, he led Malik Heath too far on an out route. On third down, he complete a pass to Samori Toure along the sideline, and then threw an incomplete pass on fourth down–ending the drive.

An interesting tidbit from LaFleur, during these two minute periods, Love is making the play calls for the offense, giving the coaches an opportunity to see what he likes in these situations.

“I just think it’s good for him to be in an uncomfortable situation and get that experience. It’s kind of a work in progress,” said LaFleur, “but he called the majority of the plays yesterday in the two-minute. We’ll follow that again today with him doing that. I think it’s just really good, No. 1, I want to see what he likes, what he’s thinking and why he’s thinking. I think that will help us moving forward, when we get into games. That’s certainly an area where we’ve got to be better. And so it gives, I guess, our coaching staff an opportunity to see what he really likes and what he’s calling in those situations.”

Rasheed Walker ‘making strides’ as he solidifies himself as Packers left tackle

Paul Bretl | 8/1/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — During the offseason, left tackle was thought to be a premiere positional battle that was going to take place during Packers’ training camp. However, the opposite of that has been true, and it’s a credit to the play of Rasheed Walker.

“I think Sheed’s been doing good,” said Jordan Love on Wednesday. “I think Sheed has kinda solidified himself over there and is continuing to make a name for himself.”

Back in April, the Packers drafted Jordan Morgan in the first round, a left tackle from Arizona. Although GM Brian Gutekunst would mention that the team believes Morgan can play inside, the thought from the outside was that he would be competing with Walker for those starting left tackle reps.

However, even during OTAs and minicamp, that was never really a competition that unfolded. Morgan would see a few left tackle snaps during those practices, but spent more time elsewhere along the offensive line. And now in training camp, he has only been lining up at right guard, which is where the Packers believe he will have the best opportunity to compete for playing time.

Throughout the offseason, even with the addition of Morgan to the Packers’ roster, Walker remained unfazed and just continued to work, controlling what he could control.

“He’s come in with the right mindset,” said Matt LaFleur. “Sheed didn’t say anything after the draft. He just came in and got to work and that’s what we’re looking for and I think he’s been a guy that’s been totally locked in and dialed in and it’s amazing to see just the growth, the maturation from when he was a rookie to now. I think it’s night and day.”

Walker was thrown into the mix last season after David Bakhtiari’s knee injury. While early on, there were plenty of flashes of the potential that Walker possesses, like any first time starter, there were growing pains as well. Specifically what LaFleur and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich wanted to see was more consistency from him over the course of each game.

Walker’s overall numbers show up and down play, but like many of the Packers’ young players on offense last season, he began to find his footing during the second half of the season. During Week 9, the Packers introduced an in-game rotation at left tackle with Walker and Yosh Nijman that lasted six games before Walker asserted himself as the full-time starter.

Over Green Bay’s final six games, including the two playoff games, Walker began to find that consistency, giving up just one sack and nine pressures. He ranked 10th in pass-blocking efficiency and 29th in run-blocking grade. Contributing to the growth Walker experienced last season and that he’s carried over into the summer is the improved technique in which he’s playing with.

“He’s got an edge about him,” said Stenavich. “He’s a very intense competitor, and that’s the one thing that has really helped him. He plays with an edge, and he plays with kind of a chip on his shoulder. And with him, there’s kind of a big learning curve with buying into technique, buying into things that may not have been as important in the college game, but when you’re playing against really good competition every day, you have to be on point with things like that.

“So once he figured that out, and he’s still got improvements to make, but he’s making strides, and you couple that with the competitiveness, the effort that he plays with, there’s a lot of good stuff there, and he’s shown us that he’s a guy we can trust there at the spot.”

Like any player, there is still room for growth as Stenavich mentioned, but Walker’s competitive edge coupled with the incredibly valuable experience that he’s gained over the last year has him playing with a supreme level of confidence.

The Packers certainly have the talent to be a top offensive unit in football this season, but in my opinion, the ceiling for this team will be determined by how good the offensive line is, and a lot of that potential success begins with Walker at left tackle–one of the most important positions in the game.

“He stepped up big time last year,” added Love. “I think with the whole Bakh situation last year, he was kinda thrown into a role where it’s that next-man-up mentality and I think he did a really good job, so I think Rasheed is just, the same thing we talked about, building on what he did last year, trying to be as consistent as possible.

“But I think Sheed’s a very talented player. He shows crazy flashes all the time, but just that consistency we gotta keep building upon. But I don’t think Sheed’s ever worried about that. I think his mindset is, he’s a dog and he’s trying to go out there and just prove himself every day and I don’t think he lets any of that phase him.”

Packers’ WR Grant DuBose capitalizing on early training camp opportunities

Paul Bretl | 7/31/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Not to be forgotten about in the crowded and talented Packers’ wide receiver room is second-year wide out Grant DuBose, who has built upon a strong showing during offseason programs with a fast start to training camp.

“Grant, I mean, he’s been playing really well,” said Jordan Love on Wednesday. “Grant missed a lot of time last year in camp and didn’t really have his shot, so it’s really cool to be able to see him go out there and ball. But he’s, you saw the one today, he’s making some plays. Contested catches, he’s coming down with, and he’s playing really fast right now. he’s got a great feel for the offense and it’s just good to be able to see him out there. we’ve got a really deep receiver room right now and I love to see the competition. Guys are rising and making plays. So I’m excited to see what he can keep doing as we get into preseason and going forward.”

Coming out of the offseason, DuBose looked much more refined on the football field as many second year players are, with the added experience they’ve gained and the comfortability that comes with being in the same system for a full year. Working with both the second and third team offenses during OTAs and minicamp, DuBose quickly became a favorite target of Sean Clifford’s and Michael Pratt’s.

Now through eight training camp practices, DuBose has carried that momentum from the spring to the summer. Especially as of late over the last few practices, DuBose has seemingly made a catch or two each day during the team portion. On Wednesday, he saw a few snaps with the starting offense and also made the play of the day.

During 11-on-11 and working with the second-team offense, the defense jumped offsides giving Sean Clifford and the offense a free play. DuBose immediately went downfield and on a well-placed ball by Clifford between safeties Evan Williams and Zayne Anderson, DuBose rose above them to come down with the catch.

“It means a lot,” said DuBose about the catch. “We had a free play. You always want to take a shot when you can. They threw it up, gave me a chance. Just gotta come down with it. Trying to make a play for the team, be able to put us in position to win. That’s the mentality.”

DuBose was a seventh-round pick by the Packers in 2023 and this offseason compared to last has been drastically different for him because this year he’s been fully healthy. A back injury kept DuBose sidelined throughout offseason programs and until the Packers’ second preseason game, which left him playing catch-up.

While what takes place in the meeting rooms is certainly important, equally if not more important is being able to apply that information on the practice field. DuBose did not have that element for much of the offseason and when he returned, there just weren’t enough opportunities remaining to make up for all that lost time.

“I’m way ahead,” said DuBose about this offseason compared to last. “Last year this time around, I was sidelined still. I didn’t come back until the second preseason game. You know I’ve taken a big leap from last year. I’m feeling a lot stronger. I’m feeling faster. You know, just healthier overall. So I’m in a good spot.”

DuBose would spend all of his rookie season on the practice squad. Of course, he wanted to be on the 53-man roster, but the practice squad provided him with a tremendous development opportunity as he gained more comfort within the offense and was able to practice each day against Jaire Alexander and the rest of the Packers’ starting secondary.

“I mean, you know, still being in the offense, you able to learn right along with the guys on the 53,” said DuBose about his rookie year. “So, you know, I’m still in the classroom with the guys. So, you know, I am still learning in a way, and just being out there and playing with the one defense. Those reps matter and they count. I’m also getting better. I’m playing alongside, you know, Ja and those guys out there. Our first team secondary. So I think that allowed me, you know, to take the next step, you know, heading on into this season too, as well.”

Along with Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks, DuBose spent the offseason in south Florida with his fellow receivers, preparing for the upcoming season and focusing on the nuances of route running, his releases at the line of scrimmage, pad level, and lateral quickness. In addition to being healthy and more comfortable within the offense, DuBose’s offseason training with Wicks and Reed has been a catalyst towards the play we are seeing now.

“It was good,” said DuBose of the offseason. “Being able to go down with those guys and just be able to work and progress together. Kind of just, we work out at the same place. You know, just being there alone with those guys. Making each other better. I think that all translate when we all get together out here, and it’s going to show on Sundays. It was a good offseason being able to work and progress with those guys.”

In a very full wide receiver room, every rep matters for DuBose as he makes a push for a roster spot. Beyond what he does when the ball is thrown his way, the ability to block in the run game and contribute on special teams will be other important factors in building out the back-end of the receiver depth chart.

After laying a strong foundation through the first week-plus of training camp practices, the next step for DuBose is to continue showcasing his day-to-day consistency and getting incrementally better each day.

“I think it brings out the best in all of us,” said DuBose of the competition at receiver. “That room, we compete at a high level. I think that we appreciate each other’s work, which allows us to be able to compete at a high level but also play for each other. I enjoy it. It makes us all better. I guess it’s just may the best man win. All the reps count. You just gotta take advantage of all the ones that you get. Come down to decision-making time, hopefully it’s in your favor. That’s the mentality.”

Packers’ training camp notebook: Love and offense shine in two-minute drill

Paul Bretl | 7/31/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers were back on the practice field Wednesday for a longer practice in the heat, that included a heavy dose of 11-on-11.

“Guys are going to have to dig deep today because we were a little lethargic yesterday, and it was a very long practice,” said Matt LaFleur before today’s practice. “Today’s going to be a lot longer, I’d envision at least a half an hour longer, a lot of reps and so we know it’s going to be hot. Warned them yesterday to make sure they take care of their hydration, everything they put in their body, make sure you get a good night’s rest and it’s going to be a little bit of a gut check.”

Today’s practice ended up going for two hours and eight minutes–the longest practice of training camp so far. As always, let’s open up the notebook and dive into what took place.

Who was in and who was out? After only participating in individual drills on Tuesday, MarShawn Lloyd was back for the team portion of practice today. He was still being eased in, however, seeing just a few touches with the third team offense. Carrington Valentine (hamstring) nor did Donovan Jennings (knee). Deslin Alexandre and Keshawn Banks both remained out, as did Tucker Kraft, but he’s getting close to returning.

“He will not practice but he is getting close,” LaFleur said Wednesday morning. “He is asking every day to be out there, which is what you want. But as soon as the medical staff gives us the clearance, he will be out there.”

Offensive line notes: The offensive line rotation remained what has been the status quo, with Rasheed Walker at left tackle, followed by Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jordan Morgan, and Kadeem Telfort starting at right tackle with Andre Dillard worked in. Sean Rhyan would also get some reps for Morgan at right guard, but again spent most of his snaps with the second unit at both guard and center. For the second practice, Newman briefly saw some reps at left guard with the starters.

Defensive lineup notes: At safety, Anthony Johnson was starting next to Xavier McKinney today, with Javon Bullard and Evan Williams leading the second unit. Bullard continues to get some reps in the slot as well. Linebacker remained the same as well, with Quay Walker in the middle in base with Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson around him. The starting nickel duo consisted of Walker and McDuffie. Wilson has been a core special teams contributor during his time with the Packers but is continuing to make strides on defense.

“Oh, you talk about a pro,” said LaFleur. “He does everything the right way, so dependable, you can trust what he’s gonna do out there. Certainly, he’s made a huge impact on teams, but I also I think he continues to get better and better as a linebacker and so, I think he’s a great guy to have in the room, a real leader in the linebacker room and on this football team.”

The Packers again had one-on-ones between the pass catchers and defensive backs. Here are some of the notable outcomes:

Romeo Doubs vs. Jaire Alexander: Complete
Jayden Reed vs. Keisean Nixon: Complete
Christian Watson vs. Eric Stokes: Complete
Luke Musgrave vs. Xavier McKinney: Incomplete
Bo Melton vs. Corey Ballentine: Incomplete
Evan Williams vs. Joel Wilson: Incomplete
Malik Heath vs. Don Callis: Complete
Bo Melton vs. Kalen King: Complete

Grant DuBose has had a strong start to training camp and was able to build upon that day. He had a few receptions and saw some reps with Jordan Love at quarterback. The play of the day was a pass from Sean Clifford to DuBose down the right sideline. It was a free play, with Clifford fitting the ball nicely between two defenders and included DuBuse skying to take the ball away from them.

“He came in kind of with his back against the wall, so to speak,” said LaFleur about DuBose’s rookie season. “I mean having the injury and missing the entire offseason. Missing a lot of camp. That’s tough for a young player. So he had a full offseason to recover. Obviously he had a whole year in our system, learning our offense. Very detailed guy. Going to give you great effort. Great hands, can run through the ball, he’s strong. So I’m excited to see what he can do in within the preseason and the games.”

The offensive line is become a bit more steady, although there is certainly room to continue improving, and with that we are seeing more positive plays for the Packers offense, both first and second units, as a whole.

Jordan Love’s two-minute drill: The scenario had the offense starting at their own 35 yard line, down 28-21 and with not timeouts. Love finished the drive going 5-for-6 with a few throws to the flat to Josh Jacobs when needed. The big plays were a 17(ish) yard pass to Jayden Reed, with Love avoiding the pressure, getting outside the pocket, and finding Reed in a scramble drill. Love also had a big scramble down the right sideline on another play with space cleared out. The drive finished with Love finding Dontayvion Wicks in the end zone from the 10-yard line, with Wicks finding the soft spot between the safeties. Without the kickers kicking today, the Packers went for two and with pressure in his face, Love delivered a strike to Wicks–fitting it perfectly between defenders.

Sean Clifford’s two minute drill: Clifford faced the same scenario. The drive started with a “sack” from JJ Enagbare. The initial pressure appeared to be created from the interior with Enagbare cut underneath to get to the quarterback. The next play was an incomplete pass to Malik Heath with Corey Ballentine in coverage. On the third play, Colby Wooden dropped back into the middle of the field and deflected Clifford’s throw. The last two plays were a six yard completion to Bo Melton and a throw to Marshawn Lloyd in the flat that was short of the sticks.

As camp continues, don’t forget about Ballentine. He missed the start with an injury, but last season proved to be a capable player on the boundary and has special teams experience. During offseason programs, he was working out of the slot and saw snaps with the second defense today.

“Just trying to add more versatility under my belt,” said Ballentine about playing in the slot. “I think adding some depth to the room, as well. Knowing that position, I feel like, helps me know where all my help is at corner. I feel like it’s good to be well-rounded. Having me in there to do some blitzes and also fit in the run (game) fit me well. I’m a little bit bigger of a body, so I think I can do that well. I don’t have a problem tackling. I think it’s been a good fit so far, just learning the defense, learning my role, where I’m supposed to fit in that position and going back and forth between the two still.”

I’ve said this before but we are seeing the linebackers and safeties making a lot of plays around the line of scrimmage. Outside runs, screens, or throws to the flat haven’t generated much success for the offense.

Two standouts on defense included TJ Slaton and Enagbare. Slaton blew up a run and had a pressure early on in the team portion while Enagbare created a pressure in addition to his sack in the two-minute period and had a pass deflection at the line of scrimmage as well.

“Just trying to stack these days, man,” said Enagbare. “That’s camp life.”

Tyler Davis provides such a steady presence at tight end as a blocker. There was one play where he went in motion, the ball was snapped and Kenny Clark bursts through the line. Davis circles back to the backfield and picks up Clark, giving the quarterback time to throw. Another block on the edge created space for Josh Jacobs outside.

Packers WR Romeo Doubs stands out on Tuesday but it’s consistency that has him playing at a high level

Paul Bretl | 7/31/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Romeo Doubs was a standout performer during the Packers’ seventh training camp practice on Tuesday. Certainly those highlight plays are important and needed, but it’s Doubs’ consistency that makes him such a reliable presence in this offense.

“I think Rome’s had an outstanding spring,” said Matt LaFleur during minicamp. “I really do, and it’s evident by the work he puts in on a daily basis. He’s in there in the morning catching off the JUGS. He’s one of the last guys to leave the building. He’s very deliberate about the work he puts in and I think it’s shown.”

During the one-on-one period early on in Tuesday’s practice, Doubs found himself matched up with Jaire Alexander on three occasions and was able to win all three reps. On the first rep, Doubs unleashed a few different moves before breaking hard inside and making the catch for a touchdown. On rep No. 2, Doubs made a leaping catch. And on rep No. 3, Doubs created separation on an out route, but Jordan Love led Doubs just a bit too far.

“I think Doubs is a close second for my favorite, being one of my top receivers in the league,” said Alexander after Tuesday’s practice. “So I always want to go against Doubs. The dude’s freaking really good. He come in his rookie year not catching a single pass on me. Now we’re going up for 50-50 balls now. Dude is really good.”

Then during the team portion of practice, Doubs caught a pass on a fade route from Love during a red zone drill, and had another roughly 25 yard reception on a deep corner route.

“I’m still looking for growth and I’m still working on some things,” said Doubs. “I’m not going to sit here and act like things are completed but, as a player, I look forward to progress every day and it’s great when it shows up.”

With Christian Watson missing time last season due to injury, and Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks experiencing expected growing pains that come with being a rookie in the NFL, Doubs provided Love with a consistent target each week.

Doubs would appear in 17 games last season, and including the playoffs, he led the team in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. In total, Doubs caught 69 passes for 908 yards and nine touchdowns over 19 games, including a 151 yard performance in the playoffs against Dallas.

Along with Doubs’ overall production, he was a favorite target of Love’s in some key situations during the Packers’ run in that second half of the season. Against the Los Angeles Chargers, Doubs caught the go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes. On a fourth-and-one in the second half against Kansas City, Doubs caught a 33 yard pass from Love that put the Packers at the 11 yard line. Then in Carolina, Doubs caught a 36 yard pass on third down, which then led to the go-ahead field goal.

The element of Doubs’ game that has allowed him to distinguish himself from a production perspective and make those pivotal receptions in late game situations is his ability as a route runner.

“It has been really cool watching Romeo over these last three seasons; the steps he makes every single year,” said Adam Stenavich. “His route-running right now has been pretty tremendous. He’s always had super-strong hands but the routes that he’s putting on tape right now are pretty impressive and he ended the season last year, the last half of the season, he was playing at a pretty high level.

“He’s really continued that in camp so far. I think with him, it’s just working on the techniques of all the different routes and being elite at all of them is really going to help his game. But he’s shown pretty cool stuff on film so far.”

In it’s truest form, no, the Packers do not have a No. 1 wide receiver on the roster like some other teams around the NFL–although that actually ended up being one of the strengths last season. Almost regardless of the situation they faced, Love was willing to throw the ball to any one of the six receivers. From the defensive perspective, this forces them to defend the entire field. They can’t just hone in on one or even two players. This leads to better spacing, and more room to operate, and more one-on-one matchups as well.

It still remains to be seen if this season one of the Packers receivers will grab a hold of that title, although that happening certainly isn’t a requirement for success. However, in terms of production and reliability in key moments, Doubs is making a case.

“I mean just from a consistency basis, you get it every single play with Rome right now,” said Watson on Tuesday. “I think he’s really taken it up a notch this camp so far.”

RB MarShawn Lloyd back on practice field for Packers

Paul Bretl | 7/30/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis—Green Bay Packers rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd was back on the practice field Tuesday for the first time since training camp began just over a week ago.

“It was definitely good, definitely a lot that I learned about being in shape,” said Lloyd about being back. “Definitely in the best shape I need to be in. Felt like I was good when we’re not in the shoulder pads and running regular, but once you put on the helmet and shoulder pads, it’s a whole different story. But yeah, super excited to be out there.”

Lloyd participated in the individual drills on Tuesday but not the team portion as he gets eased back in. He did not specify when he would be back competing in 11-on-11s, but is just taking it “day by day” right now.

“So day by day, I’m just adding more and more things,” Lloyd said. “Today I did indy and then some other stuff and then tomorrow I’ll add some more. By Saturday, I should be able to do pretty much a lot of the stuff. So I’m just going day by day adding more and more stuff, just slowly getting back to it.”

Lloyd had been sidelined with a hip injury that happened just before training camp started, when all the rookies had reported and when he was going through a workout.

“It was right before,” said Lloyd. “We had little workouts before everyone came back, and I just tried to make a cut and it was my hip flexor. Just tried to make a cut and I strained my hip flexor a little bit.”

The Packers selected Lloyd in the third round of this past April’s draft and he brings something “different,” as GM Brian Gutekunst put it, than the other running backs on the roster. Lloyd measures in at 5-9 – 220 pounds and has terrific burst, running in the 4.4s, that is easily spotted on the practice field when the ball is in his hands.

“From what I saw from OTAs,” said Adam Stenavich on Monday, “I was very, very excited about his speed, his cutting ability, his ability to catch the ball from the backfield and stuff like that. Yeah, I can’t wait to get him out there.”

During his final college season at USC, Lloyd averaged an impressive 7.1 yards per carry on 115 attempts with nine touchdowns. Among all running backs, he ranked seventh in average yards per carry and 26th in average yards after contact, according to PFF.

Lloyd also brought a dynamic element to the USC passing game out of the backfield, averaging an eye-popping 17.8 yards per catch in 2023–although that was only on 13 attempts. In an admittedly small sample size, Lloyd led all running backs in yards per catch in 2023 and average YAC per reception.

Although he wasn’t targeted often in the passing game during his college career–only 43 times combined during the 2022 and 2023 seasons–Matt LaFleur believes that with his explosiveness, he can be a matchup problem out of the backfield. And as we saw with AJ Dillon coming out of Boston College, just because the opportunities weren’t always there, doesn’t mean the ability to do so doesn’t exist.

“He definitely can be a weapon out of the backfield,” said LaFleur. “I love all the measurables. He’s a 220-pound back that runs 4.4 and can run routes out of the backfield. I think he could be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.”

The pass catching aspect is what Lloyd was focusing on the most during the off time between minicamp and training camp.

The challenge, to a degree, for Lloyd is that with the missed time at the start of training camp, he is playing a bit of catchup. However, Lloyd feels confident in his familiarity with the playbook from offseason programs and the work he’s already put in, and has been staying engaged in meetings and walkthroughs while sidelined.

“I’m all good with the plays,” said Lloyd. “I’ve been still studying, still be in the plays, still watching the walk throughs and everything. But now I’m actually physically inside of it. But all the plays and everything, I’ve got to down pat.”

We know that Josh Jacobs is going to be the lead running back for the Packers, but how the playing time behind him will breakdown remains to be seen. Dillon was regularly taking the backup running back reps ahead of Lloyd during the offseason programs–although things can certainly change once training camp unfolds further.

Dillon is in excellent shape and brings a well-rounded skill set to the position, able to handle just about any situation a running back could face, and knows LaFleur’s offense inside and out. Lloyd, meanwhile, with his speed and burst, is someone that Stenavich has said he wants to get involved in the offense. The Packers also have Emanuel Wilson, who is competing with Dillon for a roster spot.

Those decisions still have plenty of time to be worked out and we won’t begin to gain some clarity around them until Lloyd gets more opportunities. Until then, Lloyd is going to continue to work his way back and do whatever he can to help the team win.

“It’s on all gas no breaks,” Lloyd said. “All my goals is all for the team right now. I don’t have anything individual. I feel like what we do as a team, those things will come. I just want to be able to utilized in all ways to help the team as much as possible.”

Packers’ training camp notebook: Observations from 7th training camp practice

Paul Bretl | 7/30

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers were back on the practice field on Tuesday for their seventh practice of training camp and it was a hot one. They’ll practice two more times this week on Wednesday and Thursday and then will hold their annual Family Night practice inside Lambeau Field on Saturday.

Let’s open up the notebook and dive into my observations and takeaways from today:

– Roster moves: The Packers made three additions, bringing back long-snapper Peter Bowden, who was released last week to make room for Jacob Eason. The Packers also added cornerback Don Callis, a 2024 UDFA from Troy who was in for a tryout during rookie minicamp and signed cornerback LJ Davis. The corresponding moves to make room for those players included releasing cornerback Zyon Gilbert, fullback Henry Pearson, and kicker James Turner.

– Back on the practice field for the first time during training camp was running back Marshawn Lloyd (hip) and safety Kitan Oladapo (foot). Both participated in individual drills but not the team portion. Zayne Anderson and Robert Rochell were also back at practice while Deslin Alexandre and Keshawn Banks remained out.

– The starting offensive line configuration remained the same with Rasheed Walker at left tackle, followed by Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jordan Morgan, and Kadeed Telfort at right tackle for the most part, although Andre Dillard continued to get worked in as well with the ones.

– Adam Stenavich said on Monday that there would be a good competition for the swing tackle role, mentioning Telfort, Dillard, Luke Tenuta, and Caleb Jones competing, but so far it certainly looks like Telfort is the front-runner. When he’s not with the starters at right tackle, he’s with the twos at left tackle. Dillard is seeing the same rotation, with Stenavich adding that he has to get more comfortable on the right side.

“He’s been a good surprise and he’s been just a steady guy,” Adam Stenavich said about Telfort. “He’s not the most athletic. He’s not all that stuff. When you look at the numbers, he’s a big guy. He plays consistently, which in the offensive line is very important. He’s just a consistent presence. He’s very football intelligent. He’s just one of those guys that I’m excited to just see how he plays and how he keeps developing. We’ll see at the end of camp how it all aligns.”

– Of note along the offensive line, Sean Rhyan did see some work at right guard with the starters during the red zone period, but was mostly with the second team and even took some snaps at center with that unit.

“I think there’s been a lot of good moments,” said LaFleur about Rhyan before practice, “and there’s some things, as a whole up front, not just Sean, everybody, we’ve got to do a better job up front. So, but I think Sean, again, played a lot of meaningful snaps for us. He’s getting some work on both sides of the line, on the left and on the right. So, he’s a guy that is competing for a spot.”

– At linebacker, as has been the case all of camp, Quay Walker was in the middle with Eric Wilson and Isaiah McDuffie to his right and left. In nickel, it was Walker and McDuffie with the ones, and Wilson and Edgerrin Cooper with the twos. Ty’Ron Hopper has been playing middle linebacker with the second and third team defenses. Evan Williams was next to Xavier McKinney, but the Packers continued to rotate heavily at safety.

– Colby Wooden saw some first team reps at defensive tackle today next to Kenny Clark.

– The second offensive line unit was made up of Luke Tenuta at right tackle, followed by Rhyan, Jacob Monk, Royce Newman, and Dillard. When Rhyan went to center with this unit, Tenuta went to right guard and Travis Glover took over at right tackle.

– The pass-catchers and defensive backs competed in one-on-one drills, here are some of the notable outcomes:

Keisean Nixon vs. Jayden Reed: Incomplete
Keisean Nixon vs. Dontayvion Wicks: Incomplete
Romeo Doubs would beat Jaire Alexander twice
Xavier McKinney vs. Luke Musgrave: Incomplete
Eric Stokes vs. Christian Watson: Complete
Bo Melton vs. Carrington Valentine: Complete

– In addition to the one-on-ones, I thought both Nixon and Doubs were two of the standout players from today’s practice, with Doubs also having a few receptions in addition to his wins in the one-on-one reps. Nixon has been extremely consistent in coverage throughout the training camp practices.

– On the flip side, there were some tough reps from Morgan, both of which came against Karl Brooks. One rep was in the run game with Brooks blowing up the play and another came as a quick pressure in the passing game.

LaFleur has been impressed with not only Daniel Whelan’s training camp, but the entire offseason he’s put together up to this point.

“I think Daniel has had an outstanding offseason. In practices he’s kicking the crap out of the ball. Hopefully we only have to use him as a holder, but it’s probably not realistic. When you have a punter who’s capable of pinning an opposing offense deep, that is a real weapon. I think he’s progressing nicely. Now he’s got to go out and do it in games. From what he’s shown in practice, I’ve got a lot of confidence in seeing a huge step in the right direction for him.”

– The last few practices in particular, I thought we’ve seen some really good burst from Emanuel Wilson. Perhaps the uphill battle that he is facing, however, when it comes to making the roster is he will really need to stand out in pass protection and potentially on special teams–two areas where AJ Dillon has proven to be reliable.

– I thought Josh Jacobs had two of his bigger runs of training camp early on. It looked like the left side of Walker and Jenkins was able to create some running lanes for him. Overall, however, I still wouldn’t say there was a ton of running room for the offenses.

– With James Turner released, the kicking competition is down to Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph. Carlson would finish the day 5-for-6, missing right from 41 yards. Joseph would make all six of his kicks and his 22-for-24 in training camp. Carlson is 21-for-24.

– Red zone period: Each of the three offenses started from the 11 yard line. Jordan Love and the starters went through twice.

Love’s first attempt: The first attempt for the starting offense ended in a touchdown. The first two plays were runs to Josh Jacobs that went for two yards each, then on third down, Love avoided pressure by stepping up in the pocket and delivered a pass to Jayden Reed in the end zone, who found the soft spot between the two safeties.
Love’s second attempt: The drive started with a three yard completion to Romeo Doubs. Back-to-back pressures by TJ Slaton forced Love to scramble, with one pass falling incomplete and the other broken up by Xavier McKinney. On the fourth play, Love found Doubs in the end zone, who was being covered by Eric Stokes.
Sean Clifford’s first attempt: In a live game, it looked like first down would have ended in a sack by Karl Brooks, who benefitted from good coverage on the back end. The next play was a fantastic throw by Clifford as he threaded the needle in the back of the end zone to Grant DuBose. The following two plays were in incompletions and the fifth play ended in a “sack” by Devonte Wyatt.
Micahel Pratt and Jacob Eason each had three plays: Pratt would go 0-2, missing Julian Hicks on both attempts–the second play was a false start. Eason would have been sacked by Lukas Van Ness, who beat Caleb Jones. On the second play he found Wilson in the flat, and then Wilson ran it in from the one-yard line.
Love’s third attempt, which began at the 18 yard line: The defense had three safeties on the field for this series. The first play was a pass breakup by Nixon who was covering Wicks. The second was a beautiful throw by Love on the run to the back corner of the end zone to Musgrave, but it was dropped. Practice then ended on an interception by Stokes, who made an aggressive play on a pass intended for Christian Watson.

“Stokes has looked like the guy we thought he could be,” said LaFleur before practice. “I think he’s done an outstanding job out there.”

Packers’ rookie Jordan Morgan will focus on RG creating trickle-down effect to other positions

Paul Bretl | 7/30/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — After Packers’ first-round rookie offensive lineman Jordan Morgan played four of the five positions along the offensive line during OTAs and minicamp, he has only been working at the right guard position during training camp.

The Packers decision to do this is twofold. On one hand, they want Morgan to be able to focus on just one position. Particularly for a rookie, who is already navigating the learning curve that comes with making the jump to the NFL, having one position to prioritize can take a lot off their plate, and allows them to hone in on the skill-sets required to be successful at that one spot.

“I think with that,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich on Monday, “with young guys, you kind of want to start them at a spot, and you don’t want to move them around as much, just so they can hone in on the techniques and the assignments and all that stuff.”

The other reason that the Packers have Morgan at right guard right now is that they believe this position gives him the best opportunity to compete for a starting spot to begin the regular season. He will be competing with Sean Rhyan for this role, who has primarily been at left guard with the starters with Morgan on the right side.

“When you look at the big picture, where you think he would compete best this year for a starting role, we looked and thought the right guard position was the spot,” Stenavich said. “So, I think, as of now we’ll kind of focus there, and as he grasps it and gets better there, we can move him around if we want to, or he does a great job there and he stays there and we’re good to go. Right now we’re just focusing on keeping him at one spot, so he can really hone in on it and be the best that he can be.”

Morgan played 2,392 career snaps at Arizona State, with all of them coming at left tackle. Following the first round of the draft, general manager Brian Gutekunst did mention that because of Morgan’s strength and footwork, they believed he had the ability to play inside.

The challenge for Morgan in this transition to right guard is, again, twofold. Not only is he playing a new position–guard instead of tackle–but he’s being asked to play on the right side of the offensive line versus the left, which from a play-call perspective, and technique standpoint, everything is opposite.

“It’s footwork,” said Morgan about playing right guard. “But it’s also just like hand placement. Everything happens quicker on the inside, so it’s just about getting out there quicker and understanding that things are going to come at you fast and you’ve just got to react quicker.”

With Morgan at right guard, their is a trickle-down effect to other positions along the offensive line. For starters, Rasheed Walker seems pretty locked into being the team’s starting left tackle this season. When Morgan was selected back in April, the original thought was that he could compete with Walker, but that hasn’t turned out to be the case at this time.

While Walker’s overall numbers from 2023 show up and down play, like many of the Packers’ young players on offense last season, he began to find his footing during the second half of the year. Consistency is what Stenavich and Matt LaFleur were looking for from him, and we began to see more of that over the Packers’ final six games, two of which were playoff games, with Walker giving up just one sack and nine pressures in that span. He ranked 10th in pass-blocking efficiency and 29th in run-blocking grade.

“I think Rasheed, he’s got an edge about him,” said Stenavich. “He’s a very intense competitor, and that’s the one thing that has really helped him. He plays with an edge, and he plays with kind of a chip on his shoulder. And with him, there’s kind of a big learning curve with buying into technique, buying into things that may not have been as important in the college game, but when you’re playing against really good competition every day, you have to be on point with things like that.

Morgan at right guard also means that the swing tackle role is up for grabs as well right now. Stenavich mentioned that there would be several players competing for that role, which includes Kadeem Telfort, Andre Dillard, Luke Tenuta, and Caleb Jones. However, while there is still plenty of time for a competition and additional rotation to take place, the leader in the clubhouse appears to be Telfort, who has spent the majority of his time these last four practices at right tackle with the starters.

“He’s been a good surprise and he’s been just a steady guy,” Stenavich said about Telfort. “He’s not the most athletic. He’s not all that stuff. When you look at the numbers, he’s a big guy. He plays consistently, which in the offensive line is very important. He’s just a consistent presence. He’s very football intelligent. He’s just one of those guys that I’m excited to just see how he plays and how he keeps developing. We’ll see at the end of camp how it all aligns.”

Of course, the caveat to everything discussed is that the configuration of the offensive line is always fluid and things can change depending on how each player is performing. But for now, while competitions are still unfolding, the offensive line is at least beginning to take some shape.