Sean Clifford or Michael Pratt? Both or neither? It’s decision time for Packers

Paul Bretl | 8/25/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — There will be a number of roster decisions that Packers’ GM Brian Gutekunst will have to make over the next roughly 60 hours. However, one of the more difficult decisions to be made lies at the quarterback position.

The good news for the Packers is that these decisions at quarterback don’t involve the staring position–they obviously have that part figured out. But as far as the backup role goes, I’m not sure of how much clarity there actually is, even after three preseason games and 19 training camp practices.

“We’ll see,” said Matt LaFleur after the preseason finale when asked if they are good enough at backup quarterback. “Certainly, again, I think it’s similar to the kicking competition in terms of there were some really good moments and then there were some things we absolutely have to do better, and then we’ll evaluate everything that’s out there for us.”

As has been the case throughout much of the summer, in the Packers’ preseason finale against Baltimore, there was some good and there was some bad from both quarterbacks.

Clifford and Pratt would rotate every two series in this game. Afterward, LaFleur said that they did this to provide a more fair comparison, with both quarterbacks playing with the same units and, for the most part, going up against the same players on defense.

For Clifford, he got off to a very slow start. He began the game just 1-for-7 passing on his first two series. Overall his numbers weren’t all that impressive, completing 6-of-14 passes at a very low 3.8 yards per pass attempt with one touchdown–although it was a very good touchdown pass squeezed into a tight window to Malik Heath.

“First and foremost,” said Clifford of the touchdown pass, “Malik ran a great route and they do that little double bracket, where they bracket certain players. So I just saw that they bracketed the through route that we had going and we were able to kind of sneak it behind the ear of that linebacker, and Malik obviously made a great catch as well. It was a great play, great protection as well.”

Pratt was the far more efficient of the two, completing 8-of-12 passes at 6.7 yards per attempt. His back-shoulder touchdown pass was a really well-placed ball and a big time throw with Bo Melton having very little separation from the defender. However, just when it looked like Pratt was going to win the day, he threw an interception right to a Ravens defender. A throw and a decision that just cannot happen.

“I thought they competed hard,” said LaFleur of the quarterback play. “I thought, for the most part, they did what we asked them to do. There’s a couple throws that you always want to have back. Certainly, the interception there, when (Michael) Pratt looked like he was a flyer on a punt going after the guy that picked off the ball. Was it (Trenton) Simpson I believe that picked that off? So that was a good lesson for him. Like, you don’t have to go like you are running down on kickoff and making a tackle.”

Through three preseason games, Pratt would complete 65.7 percent of his 35 pass attempts for 178 yards (5.08 yards per attempt) with one touchdown and one interception. His quarterback rating 78.4. Clifford, meanwhile, would complete 51.1 percent of his 43 passes for 207 yards (4.81 yards per attempt) with one touchdown and one interception. His passer rating was 59.4.

While the preseason games will certainly carry some weight in the decision-making process, Gutekunst and LaFleur are evaluating the entire body of work this summer from both quarterbacks. We’ve heard LaFleur previously discuss the importance of the quarterback getting the process right and if that is done consistently, the results will follow.

After Jordan Love would sign his extension, LaFleur referenced the 2022 preseason as a turning point in his development. However, if you go back and look at Love’s numbers that summer, they weren’t all that impressive, but the process component of it–getting in and out of the huddle, pre-snap adjustments, footwork, decision-making, going through his progressions, and more–were where LaFleur saw great strides. The point being, when discussing Pratt and Clifford, it’s not only about the final numbers.

With that said, what was supposed to be Clifford’s advantage in this competition–his experience–didn’t necessarily play out that way in live game action, with Pratt being the more efficient and effective of the two overall in preseason games.

“I think I had a pretty good camp and I just think the most important thing was to learn throughout,” said Pratt. “I think there were a lot of things I really learned throughout the process and I think I got a little bit better every single day, so that was what was really important to me.”

Two qualities used to describe Clifford is the gamer-like quality he possesses, as quarterbacks coach Tom Clements has described, and that he’s resilient, as we’ve heard LaFleur say. However, while there were flashes of those qualities, inconsistency defined Clifford’s summer.

Pratt, on the other hand, is navigating the learning curve that stokes with making the jump from college to the NFL—something LaFleur has equated to drinking water out of a fire hose, resulting in the up and down play that we’ve seen from him.

Gutekunst said on a few occasions this offseason that he wants to get back to “drafting and developing” quarterbacks. It’s for this reason that I don’t think an outside addition is in the cards for the Packers. As we’ve seen with starting quarterbacks, this is a process that takes more than one offseason, or in Clifford’s case, more than a year, particularly when you’re working with Day 3 draft picks.

It’s for this reason, that I do think keeping three quarterbacks is in play for the Packers, but then that decision impacts the makeup of the rest of the roster, forcing the Packers to go lighter at another position group. As a trickle-down effect, who then has to be released? Also a part of this decision-making equation is the Packers belief–whether it exists or not–that they can get one of these quarterbacks to the practice squad without being claimed by another team.

So with the evaluation process now complete, the decision now for Gutekunst becomes Clifford, Pratt, or both? If either has to take over for a long period of time, the Packers are going to be in trouble–as is the case for most teams at the backup quarterback position. So the question becomes, in the short term, which of the two gives you the best chance to win a game or two? And in the long-term, who has more upside–and then striking a balance, or a compromise, between the two if the answers are different.

“It’s not my decision to have,” said Clifford. “I think the world of Mike (Pratt). I think that he’s a great player. I think that I’m also a great player, so it’s not my decision to have here. I think they should keep all of us.”

More questions than answers still remain at kicker for Packers

Paul Bretl | 8/24/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — After three preseason games and 19 training camp practices, the Packers still have quite a bit of unknown at the kicker position.

Throughout training camp, the kicker competition has ebbed and flowed, with there being stretches where it felt like both Greg Joseph and Anders Carlson had the upper hand at various times.

After a relatively even start, with Joseph making 22 of his first 24 kicks and Carlson making 21, the first real shift in this battle occurred on August 1st. That day, Carlson would go just 4-for-7 while Joseph would make all seven of his attempts.

However, credit to Carlson–and as we saw from him last season–he would rebound. He remained relatively steady over the last few weeks, and then over the past seven days, he took control of the competition.

The lone field goal attempt that the Packers had against Denver was missed wide right by Joseph. On Tuesday, the Packers first practice after that preseason game, Carlson would make four of his five attempts, while Joseph would go just 2-for-5. Carlson would then further pad his lead during Thursday’s joint practice, making all five of his attempts while Joseph would go 3-for-4.

Through three quarters of the Packers’ preseason matchup with the Ravens, it felt like Carlson had a firm grasp on the job. At that point, Joseph, following a rough week, had rebounded with a perfect 2-for-2 on field goal attempts, which included making a 55-yarder, along with his lone extra point attempt.

“That’s exactly it right there,” said Joseph about having a short term memory as a kicker. “Trying to exemplify it. One thing goes wrong, oh well, I can’t control it. Thank God it’s not life or death. It’s a football going through an upright. If it doesn’t happen, onto the next one, because the next one’s the most important one because I can’t change the past.”

However, up to that point, Carlson had matched, making his only field goal attempt–a 54-yarder–and both extra points. But then just like that, with 7:26 left in the fourth quarter, another seed of doubt was sowed, as Carlson missed wide right from 32 yards–not even the length of an extra point attempt.

“I don’t watch,” said Joseph post-game about Carlson’s miss. “Obviously, you hear the crowd and the announcer, I get it, but I stuck true to myself and my values that I didn’t watch any of his kicks. Not to say that I’m not interested in his kicks but I’m worried about Greg Joseph because that’s all that I can control.”

Overall, Carlson has still put together the better performance, making 81.6 percent of his 76 camp attempts, while Joseph has made just 78.9 percent. But at a position where little confidence has been instilled by either player, Carlson’s miss was a sharp reminder of the uncertainty that the Packers still face at kicker.

Carlson’s training camp hit rate of 81.6 percent if compared to 2023 totals would have still ranked 22nd out of 30 eligible kickers last season. Joseph would have ranked 28th and these are their rates in practice. Similarly to basketball, an NBA player is likely making a much higher percentage of their three point attempts in practice versus in a game. So if we are in the neighborhood of this being the ceiling for each kicker this season, that’s probably not good enough for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Considering that percentage-wise things are relatively equal, I have to think that Carlson still has the advantage, given that he’s only in Year 2 and there is upside that the Packers will want to chase. Joseph, meanwhile, has five years of experience and has made 82.9 percent of his career kicks, which includes struggling during his visits to Lambeau Field when he was with Minnesota.

What we saw from Joseph in camp has largely been who he is as a kicker, whereas with Carlson, the hope would be that the potential the Packers believed he possesses when they drafted him can still be unlocked. With that said, while all we have to go off of is this number of field goals that each kicker made, when it comes to determining who will win this role, everything is being examined closely.

“Everything that they do,” said LaFleur on what other factors he’s looking for at kicker. “Everything’s under a microscope. Everything’s being evaluated. I think obviously you put a lot of stock into when you’re playing against somebody else, whether it’s a game or practice, and just I think everything gets heightened a little bit, just the anxieties and the pressure gets amped up a little bit more.”

With roster cutdowns now looming, there is also the possibility that the Packers Week 1 kicker isn’t on the roster yet. But even that comes with some risk as there aren’t anymore training camp practices for these players to compete. If a new kicker is brought in, either Carlson or Joseph–whoever is on the 53-man–will be released with the hope that an upgrade is being made. But that won’t ultimately be decided until live attempts are made in regular season games.

From the Packers’ perspective, do you go with the familiar uncertainty, or dive head first into the unknown? The margin for error in the NFL, particularly in the playoffs is incredibly thin.

“You know, that’s not even a question for me, to be honest with you,” said LaFleur when asked if the Packers’ kicker was on the roster. “We’ve got a really good sample size, and then we’ll see what happens just around the league. Certainly there were some really good moments. Both those guys went in there, hit a 54-yarder and a 55-yarder, and then there’s a poor moment there where we missed a chip shot. You know, again, lotta good. Some we know we can be better at, and we’ll wait and see.”

Packers vs. Ravens instant takeaways: On to the regular season

Paul Bretl | 8/24/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers wrapped up their preseason with a win over the Baltimore Ravens. Next up for the team are some difficult roster decisions with cuts looming and needing to be completed by 3:00 PM CT on Tuesday, August 27th.

But before we dive into that conversation, with the game having finished up not too long ago, here are my instant takeaways.

The starters did not play. Matt LaFleur was non-committal all week in regards to whether the starters were going to play in this one. From the sounds of it, he wanted to evaluate how the week went. Then after an impressive all-around performance in Thursday’s joint practice, it’s not a surprise that the starters did not play.

“I thought it was a pretty productive week for us,” said LaFleur post-game. “Gotta give hats off to the Baltimore Ravens, first class operation. I gotta lotta respect for Harbaugh and his crew, and just the way those guys conducted themselves in practice. It was a great opportunity for us to play and practice against a premier team in this league, and I thought there was a lot of value into that, and I was pleased with our performance today.”

After sitting 31 players against Denver, 38 players did not suit up against Baltimore. Of note, not playing included Carrington Valentine, Edgerrin Cooper, and Jordan Morgan. All three have missed time with various injuries and recently returned to the individual portions of practice. It’ll be interesting to see what the extent of the roles are Week 1 for Morgan and Cooper–neither of whom played in the preseason. Also not practicing were Andre Dillard (shoulder), Tyler Davis (shoulder), and AJ Dillon (stinger), all of whom did not practice this week. A new addition to the injury report was Robert Rochell with a hip injury.

The starting offensive line consisted of Kadeem Telfort at left tackle, followed by Royce Newman, Jacob Monk, Lecitus Smith, and Travis Glover. Newman and Smith would both rotate reps at left and right guard. Telfort and Glover played the first few series, then we saw Caleb Jones (left tackle) and Luke Tenuta (right tackle) begin seeing snaps later in the game. Emanuel Wilson, Ben Sims, Bo Melton, Grant DuBose, and Malik Heath were the skill position starters.

Both Telfort and Glover appeared to perform better than in Denver. The more I think about it, my guess is that both of them make the 53-man, along with Dillard, with the Packers going heavy with 10 offensive linemen. Telfort and Glover are both young developmental tackles, and I just don’t see the Packers parting with either for that reason. Overall, the Packers offensive line played well, particularly in the run game, with Green Bay rushing for nearly 200 yards.

“I feel like I did everything I could,” said Telfort. “I made a huge, huge leap from last year to this year, and I just focused on the small things. Talking to some of the older guys like Elgton and Zach Tom, anytime I have any questions I just ask them to clear my mind and help me play faster, give me a little edge. I feel like I did everything I was supposed to this go ‘round.”

The Packers starting nickel defense included Cox, Wooden, Brooks, and Mosby on the defensive line. At linebacker were Kristian Welch and Ty’Ron Hopper. The cornerbacks were Kalen King (slot), Corey Ballentine, and Germon Green. At safety was Zayne Anderson and Anthony Johnson. Of note, on obvious passing downs, Christian Young–a former college safety–came in for Welch. I also wouldn’t read much into Anderson being on the field over Kitan Oladapo. Anderson was the free safety and Oladapo is more a strong safety, a role that Johnson–who has been ahead of Oladapo all of camp–was filling.

Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden were going up against backups and looked the part doing so. A nice finish to the preseason for the second year defensive tackles.

Kalen King made another splash play with the forced fumble. By my count, he’s also had a “sack” and two interceptions in practice this summer. He spent most of his career on the boundary at Penn State, but acclimated well to the nickel, where his physical play-style is showcased.

 “I think it went great,” said King of his performance. “I felt like I was flying around, racing to the ball, just making plays and trusting myself.”

Overall, a really good performance by the Packers second and third defensive units. All three levels were flying around the field and swarming to the ball, which helped create three turnovers. As an offense, the Ravens would average under 4.0 yards per play and finished with under 200 total yards.

Speaking of turnovers, Arron Mosby was responsible for two of them. He sacked the Ravens quarterback creating a fumble that Anthony Johnson was able to scoop and score on. Then dropping back into coverage, he had an interception. This past week, LaFleur spoke highly of Mosby’s performance this summer. LaFleur would also mention Cox, who I still think makes the team over Mosby. I think this is one of those instances where you have to ask: who is more likely to get to the practice squad? And I believe that player is Mosby.

“Really just read my keys,” said Mosby of the sack. “The tackle went down and just kept going vertical and finished with a run-run-reach and try to get the strip-sack. The ball came out and tried to go get the scoop and score but my teammate got it and he finished it off.”

The backup quarterback battle. Both Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt had their moments. The back-shoulder touchdown throw from Pratt to Bo Melton was a beautifully placed ball. Clifford’s touchdown pass to Heath was impressive as well, avoiding the linebacker and putting right on Heath.

“It was a great offensive call,” said Pratt of his touchdown pass. “Got the one-on-one coverage we were looking for. It was a slot fade and he ran a great route. The offensive line did a great job protecting, giving me some time and he made a play. It was awesome.”

However, as we’ve seen all summer, there were lows for each as well. The interception thrown by Pratt looked like just a bad decision. Clifford, meanwhile, struggled to find a rhythm early on. Pratt was by far the more efficient of the two, both by completion percentage and yards per attempt.

“I thought we did some good things today,” said Clifford. “A little bit slower start in the passing game. Getting heated up a little bit, I thought we rebounded pretty well. Made some adjustments at halftime and it definitely showed. It was a good day. When you win by that margin in the NFL, whether it’s preseason or not, you gotta be happy with it. Got a touchdown at Lambeau, so happy about that.”

My gut still says the Packers keep both quarterbacks because in wanting to get back to “drafting and developing” quarterbacks as Brian Gutekunst has said, time is needed for that to take place. As far as who the backup is–well, that’s anyone’s guess right now. Particularly as of late, Pratt seems to be the more in control of the two.

Emanuel Wilson again looked quite good with the ball in his hands. He has been really difficult to bring down, coming into the game with seven missed tackles forced and averaging 3.69 yards after contact. Another sneak peak at my roster prediction, I’m going to have him on it. The area of continued emphasis for Wilson will be in pass protection.

“I felt like I put in good work. It starts in practice,” said Wilson. “The coaches always get on me about my pad level and hitting the holes when I see them. I’ve been trying to do that every time I get the ball.”

Malik Heath has had a really good week. It was a very good day for Heath, who is coming off two good days of practice. Even in the Denver game where the stat sheet didn’t reflect a whole lot, there were two deep balls where he had his defender beat, but the Packers quarterbacks were unable to connect with him. Deciding who will be the sixth receiver–Heath or Grant DuBose–won’t be an easy one, and it’ll come down to a litany of factors.

“You’re looking at everything,” said LaFleur about the receiver battle on Wednesday. “I think any time you’re talking about that spot in particular, whether it’s the fifth receiver or the third runner, some of your backup linebackers, your fourth safety, your fifth corner, those guys have to be able to contribute on special teams. Absolutely. And I think that’s pretty standard around the league, but also, I mean you certainly want someone that can come in and help you on the offensive side of the ball and right now we’ve got a great competition. I think all those guys are doing a really good job.”

In previous years, it felt like Zayne Anderson and Kristian Welch would have been good bets to make the roster because of their contributions on special teams. And we again saw today the impact that both players have in that phase of the game. However, with so many draft picks the last two years in particular, I doubt there is room for both and there may not be room for either. If on the roster, Welch’s impact will come on teams, but credit to him for his play the last two games as the middle linebacker, which included coming away with two interceptions and almost another.

“Honestly, it was similar to the one I tipped,” said Welch of his interception. “I should’ve had another interception. It was kind of similar. That defense allows us to keep our eyes and it’s just zone coverage, so keep our eyes on the quarterback. Kind of had a good bead on it. Knew the down and distance on that play that he was probably – they were running a lot of in-breakers, so I knew that was something they were going to continue to do; it’s their offense. So, had a good bead on that one, specifically.”

Keeping Anderson as the sixth safety or Welch as the sixth linebacker means going light elsewhere–potentially releasing a more long-term higher-upside player. It’ll be really interesting to see how this plays out. With that said, I’ll reshare this quote from Brian Gutekunst at the NFL Combine about the linebacker position. Take it as you will–perhaps it’s nothing–but it’s stuck with me.

“There’s not a lot of personnel changes we’re going to have to make with the scheme change,” said Gutekunst at the NFL Combine, “but we’ll probably have to carry a couple more linebackers into training camp and maybe one or two more through the 53- and 69-man roster as we go through.”

Anders Carlson just couldn’t put this competition away. While Greg Joseph was 2-for-2 on field goals, which included making a 55 yarder. Anders Carlson was 1-for-2, making a 54 yarder, but missing a 32 yarder. Joseph has bounced back the last two days after a rough stretch, however, my question–even with Carlson’s miss–I don’t know that there is a long enough runway for Joseph to rebound after what had been a rough showing the previous week. Over the last 2-3 weeks, Carlson has been the more steady of the two. Carlson has made 81.6% of his kicks this summer and Joseph 78.9%, but we will see, and perhaps the Packers kicker isn’t on the roster yet.

“I feel like I was just going a little fast, trying to force the ball where I wanted to instead of just being smooth,” said Joseph of his rough stretch. “Today smooth was fast and it felt good. It felt good to get back to that.”

15 Packers players to watch vs. Ravens with roster cuts looming

Paul Bretl | 8/24/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Training camp practices are now over and the Packers’ preseason will conclude on Saturday afternoon following the finale at Lambeau Field against the Baltimore Ravens. For Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur, the evaluation process is nearing an end and decisions will have to be made with initial 53-man rosters needing to be set by 3:00 PM CT on Tuesday, August 27th.

For a number of players, Saturday’s contest with the Ravens will be their last chance to earn a roster spot. However, while performing well in a game can certainly carry weight when it comes to making these decisions, LaFleur is taking into account each player’s entire body of work this summer.

“I think it’s the totality,” said LaFleur. “I think you can’t put too much stock in one or the other. You’ve got to look at the whole. Granted, those games get heavily magnified because of the situation. That’s when you’re playing real football, so, obviously, there’s a lot of value to that and making sure that we get the right guys in there to see what we need to see in order to make the best decisions possible for the football team.”

So with roster cuts looming, here are 15 Packers players to watch for against Baltimore as they have one last chance to add to the foundation they’ve established over the last month of practices and games.

Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt

For the record, I do think the Packers keep three quarterbacks. Gutekunst had mentioned on a few occasions this offseason the desire to get back to drafting and developing quarterbacks. Well–and the Packers know this–but that process can’t be accomplished in one year, in Clifford’s case, particularly when taking quarterbacks on the back end of the draft. Time and patience is required.

With that said, the backup role is up for grabs. Both players are coming off less than desirable performances against Denver, but both Clifford and Pratt had strong days against Baltimore on Thursday. Here and there, we’ve also seen Pratt getting some practice reps with the twos.

For Clifford, he has to find some sort of consistency and reignite that big play ability he brings. A big difference between last summer and this one, is that while there were still interceptions being thrown in 2023, Clifford often bounced-back with a big throw or long drive. That hasn’t been the case in 2024. With Pratt, as an incoming rookie playing in what can be a complicated offense, he’s drinking water through a fire hose, as LaFleur often says, and trying to navigate that learning curve.

Emanuel Wilson

Wilson has made the most of his opportunities with the ball in his hands. He’s averaging 4.2 yards per carry in the preseason, has a few explosive runs, and is averaging an impressive 3.69 yards after contact with seven missed tackles forced. He’s shown great burst as a ball carrier, but the question mark for Wilson when it came to making the team was always around his ability in pass protection and to be a three-down back. He’s improved in this regard, there were some nice pass-blocking reps against Denver, but there is still work to be done.

“Well, we’re still working on that part of it,” said RB coach Ben Sirmans. “He has shown whether it’s 1-on-1s that when he does attack things with the proper technique that he can block people, and I think the other thing besides that is he’s shown whether it’s a walkthrough or different phases we’ve put him in where we’ve brought pressure that he’s much more I guess educated at what his assignment is and making really good decisions.

“So I think that’s something that we’re working towards, but we’ve just got to continue to put him in those situations to get a full answer on that. but my trust level is growing with him.”

Injuries, however, at running back have changed the complexion of this position group. MarShawn Lloyd has been sidelined with a hamstring injury and for a rookie learning a new offense and trying to get acclimated to the NFL level, he’s missed more practices than he’s been a part of. AJ Dillon is also dealing with a stinger and right now the team is still in wait-and-see mode, gathering other opinions.

With the new IR rules for this season, allowing up to two players to be designated to return without having to be placed on the 53-man roster first, that could open up a roster spot for Wilson depending on the extent of either of these injuries.

Grant DuBose and Malik Heath

There isn’t room for both of these players on the 53-man roster. In terms of offensive production, DuBose has made more plays this summer, often working with the second unit. However, while of course, there is a certain prerequisite that both DuBose and Heath must meet from a pass catching perspective, their ability to help in the run game–which both have shown they can do–and to help on special teams will be other key factors in determining who makes the roster.

“You’re looking at everything,” said LaFleur. “I think any time you’re talking about that spot in particular, whether it’s the fifth receiver or the third runner, some of your backup linebackers, your fourth safety, your fifth corner, those guys have to be able to contribute on special teams. Absolutely.

“And I think that’s pretty standard around the league, but also, I mean you certainly want someone that can come in and help you on the offensive side of the ball and right now we’ve got a great competition. I think all those guys are doing a really good job.”

Andre Dillard, Kadeem Telfort, and Travis Glover

If the Packers keep nine offensive linemen, then there are likely two spots up for grabs with Sean Rhyan and Jacob Monk solidified as two of the backups. This means that, in this instance, one of these players will be left off the roster. For a few weeks now, based on rotations in practice and playing time in the preseason, Dillard seems to be ahead of both Telfort and Glover and is someone I would put on the roster right now.

Glover has only entered the swing tackle mix in the last week, and otherwise spent camp practicing with the third team offense. While Telfort has continued to see reps at both tackle spots, Glover works only at the right tackle position. Again, based on performance and opportunities, I would slot Telfort ahead of Glover right now.

“I think we’re trying to figure out who the third guy is and just that consistency that we’re looking for,” LaFleur said on Wednesday. “I think it’s a good battle. We’ve got confidence in all those guys that are battling for it. It just comes down to putting that consistent performance out there.”

Unlike in past years, instead of having a true swing tackle, my guess is that if the Packers need help at left tackle, Dillard steps in. If they need help on the right side, either Telfort or Glover would fill in. Keeping 10 offensive linemen and rostering all three also seems to be in play. I do not think that Caleb Jones or Luke Tenuta have much of a chance of making the roster.

Corey Ballentine, Robert Rochell, and Kalen King

If the Packers roster five cornerbacks, which we’ve seen them do in the past, then just one roster spot is available. It’s also not uncommon to see teams keep six, meaning two roster spots would be up for grabs.

At this point, I do think Ballentine is fairly safe. As I wrote recently, he’s a more experienced defender than Rochell and King, and as we saw last year, can provide quality snaps if called upon. He’s also been working out of the slot a bit this summer to bring added versatility and has been a special teams contributor as well.

Rochell has been a quality special teams player and can likely provide more value this season in that regard than what King can. However, King, who has been lining up in the nickel, has shown acclimated himself well to that role with his physical play-style, and we’ve also seen his playmaking ability flash with two interceptions and a sack this summer. Oftentimes these back-end roster spots go to developmental players over veterans–not to mention that the need for Rochell’s help on teams is reduced with Ballentine already on the roster.

Kristian Welch and Zayne Anderson

With the Packers having so many draft picks over the last few seasons, there just isn’t the same number of roster spots available for special teams only players, which is what Welch and Anderson are. Neither would be expected to see defensive snaps this season. I don’t see a path to where both Welch and Anderson make the team, and frankly, neither might make it.

Keeping Welch likely means keeping six linebackers, just like keeping Anderson likely means keeping six safeties. The trickle-down effect of this is having to go light at another position group. In regards to the long-term outlook of the team, rostering Welch or Anderson over Glover or King or DuBose, for example, certainly doesn’t seem like the prudent move.

The flip side to this is that if both are left off the roster, the Packers are relying heavily on young players to play important special teams snaps. And just like on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, there is a learning curve that incoming players have to navigate on teams.

“What’s interesting about, when you’re talking team, is some of these guys may have been a non-teamer at their schools,” said LaFleur. “So, I think a lot of guys typically when you come into a situation as a young guy you get thrust into that role and you kind of graduate out of it the more you play.

“So, it’s just kind of getting them re-acclimated to the fundamentals, to the skills, to knowing what to do so they can go out there and play fast, because that is an important part of it. it’s a great opportunity for a lot of these guys to make their impact early on in this league. So those reps are really valuable.”

Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph

Barring a rough performance from Carlson, my feeling is that he has a firm grasp on this kicking competition. Overall, Carlson has made 81.9 percent of his kicks this summer and Joseph 78.1 percent. But beyond the numbers, Carlson has been trending in the upward direction for a few weeks now, while Joseph has been going the opposite direction. With only one game left, I’m not sure there is a long enough runway for Joseph to make up lost ground.

“Everything that they do,” said LaFleur on what other factors he’s looking for at kicker. “Everything’s under a microscope. Everything’s being evaluated. I think obviously you put a lot of stock into when you’re playing against somebody else, whether it’s a game or practice, and just I think everything gets heightened a little bit, just the anxieties and the pressure gets amped up a little bit more.”

‘Fresh legs’ leading to big plays for Packers TE Tucker Kraft

Paul Bretl | 8/23/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — After working his way back from an offseason pectoral injury, Packers’ tight end Tucker Kraft returned to team drills last week. Now, with several practices under his belt, he has seemingly hit his stride, adding another big play threat to the Packers’ passing game.

“It’s great to get him back out there in those 11-on-11 drills and he’s been chomping at the bit, as you know and working really hard,” said Matt LaFleur recently.

During Tuesday’s team practice, Kraft had a pair of receptions during the 11-on-11 periods. Both were receptions around the line of scrimmage that Kraft was then able to turn into sizeable gains with his yards after the catch (YAC) ability. To put it simply, he looks quite explosive right now.

Then, in Thursday’s joint practice with Baltimore, in what was an efficient day overall for the offense, Kraft was a favorite target of Jordan Love’s. According to Packer Central’s Bill Huber, Kraft caught five passes in that joint practice. One was a screen in the red zone where Kraft broke a tackle and scored a touchdown. Later on, he had two other receptions on pass plays over the middle, one of which went for 20 yards.

In a third-down drill, Kraft caught a pass that moved the chains. Lastly, in the move-the-ball period, Kraft had another 20 yard reception.

“Tucker looks great,” said Love after Thursday’s practice. “Since he’s been back out there, we’ve felt his presence — for sure. And I think he’s  hit the ground running. I think he has some fresh legs right now after missing a little bit but he looks great out there. It’s very apparent on the field and it’s great to have him back.”

This YAC ability that we are seeing from Kraft in practices and his overall impact on the passing game isn’t anything new. During the second half of the 2023 season when Kraft was thrust into a larger role while Luke Musgrave was sidelined, he acclimated himself quickly to the Packers’ passing game.

From Week 12 on, Kraft caught 28 of his 36 targets for 327 yards and two touchdowns. During that span, Kraft ranked 10th among tight ends in targets, eighth in yards and was sixth in YAC.

“Well, I just, really I just took what opportunity I had and I ran with it,” said Kraft about his rookie season. “There was a point in the season last year where I had to look myself in the mirror and say if I’m only going to get opportunities to run block and pass pro then I’m going to be the best on our team in run block and pass pro.

“So those opportunities carried through three weeks and my career changed with a flat route. I didn’t have to have a coach try to get me open, I got myself open. Caught a ball in the flat, turned up and I stepped out of bounds, but it was a play that was able to highlight my athleticism and the potential that I could–the impact that I could make in this offense.”

What makes Kraft a real weapon for this offense is his well-rounded skill set that allows him leave his mark on both the running and passing games. Having a tight end who is capable in each of those areas can do wonders for an offense, specifically for Matt LaFleur has the play-caller, as having that element helps open up the playbook for him from a creativity standpoint.

A tight end with these capabilities adds a layer of unpredictability to the offense. Pre-snap, defenses can’t decipher as easily whether a run or pass is coming simply based on where the tight ends are lined up. Opponents are then forced to respect both the run and the pass on any given play, thus having to defend the entire field, which creates better spacing, and opportunities for not only the tight end but the other skill position players within the offense.

“I think he’s a complete tight end and I think he’s only scratching the surface of what he’s capable of doing,” LaFleur said. “I think when you look back last year, I mean it’s night and day from where he is now from where he was at this time. Just the familiarity with the offense, the confidence I would say from going out there and playing at a high level, so we’re excited to get him back in the fold.”

Kraft, along with Luke Musgrave, are both going to be big factors in the Packers’ offense this season, even with all the talent at the receiver position. According to Sumer Sports, 32 percent of the Packers snaps in 2023 came with two tight ends on the field. Behind 11 personnel, this was the offense’s second-most utilized personnel package and only two teams used two tight end sets more than the Packers.

Having Kraft full healthy for the start of the season will allow the Packers to have both him and Luke Musgrave at full strength and playing their best football–something that did not occur often last season. When the two were healthy early on, Kraft hadn’t had his breakout moment yet. Then as Kraft emerged, Musgrave was sidelined with an injury.

Everything previously described about the impact a do-it-all tight end can have is magnified when you have two tight ends who can contribute in that capacity, especially with Kraft and Musgrave bringing different skill sets to the table, with Kraft very good after the catch and Musgrave able to stretch the field.

“No, I don’t,” said LaFleur when asked if the offense had the best versions of Musgrave and Kraft together last season. “It seemed like they were all kind of like going out at different times. Obviously, Luke missed quite a bit towards the end of the season, so yeah, to have both of those guys at full strength I think can definitely change the complexion of our offense.”

Packers training camp notebook: The Ravens come to town

Paul Bretl | 8/22/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Training camp for the Packers wrapped up on Thursday afternoon, hosting the Baltimore Ravens for a joint practice prior to the two teams’ preseason matchup on Saturday. Practice would last two and a half hours.

With so much going on and the offensive and defensive units practicing on opposite ends of the field, I chose to focus my attention on just the defensive side of the football to see how this new look unit fared against Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, and others.

To begin, following some one-on-ones between the offensive and defensive lines, the Ravens offense started at midfield running a series of plays from that spot as both teams cycled through their first, second and third units. Below is what stood out to me as I watched:

Xavier McKinney was everywhere. One play you look up and McKinney, who was the lone deep safety, made his way to the far left sideline to help Eric Stokes in coverage. Then you see McKinney making a “tackle” at the line of scrimmage in the run game. A play or two later he’s making another tackle on a short pass to the flat, followed by a pass breakup over the middle. On top of that, you can see the command and control he’s in pre-snap as he’s communicating to the rest of the secondary.

As practice went on, the pass rush picked up steam. At least from the defensive perspective, I thought TJ Slaton was one of the players of the day for the Packers. He was a force in the middle, generating push, and helping to create pressure. But really, just about everyone along the front was able to find some success. Lamar Jackson was under pressure often and forced from the pocket.

“We just did what Green Bay Packers do,” said Rashan Gary. “Go out there, start fast and play physical. We don’t really care about the other team, what they have going, don’t matter they players. It’s about what we got in the building and what we believe and trust.”

Contributing to the success of the defensive front was the play of the secondary. There were a number of instances where, because of the coverage on the back end, Jackson had nowhere to go with the football, which gave the defensive front some additional time to get to the quarterback. After practice, Jaire Alexander would mention that he was targeted only one time.

“We definitely worked together and that’s what we’ve been preaching all week, especially coming off the Denver practice,” said Clark on the play of the defense. “Just make sure we’re communicating. Make sure we’re working together and just playing hard. Guys came out with the right energy, the right effort, and it was physical.”

Now, there are there notes I need to make. One is that in a practice, Jackson wasn’t going to tuck the ball and takeoff like he normally would when facing pressure. We also know that if pressuring Jackson is step one, step two is bringing him down, and that is arguably the more challenging part of the equation. So while the Packers were able to create pressure–do those turn into sacks? We won’t know.

“Lamar was not looking to run,” said John Harbaugh after practice. He was looking to stay in there and throw. I think he probably would have run more in a game than he did today. And that’s a problem for a defense too.”

Continuing on, Derrick Henry in the run game ripped off a couple of chunk runs. We all know how difficult he is to bring down and trying to determine how a running play ends up without live tackling isn’t always easy. Lastly, Ravens’ starting center Tyler Linderbaum was not practicing.

Highlights from the first period:

– Jackson connected on a corner route to Zay Flowers with Keisean Nixon in coverage for a good sized gain.
– Henry with an explosive run up the middle where he gets to the second level.
– A group effort to create pressure, followed by a pass breakup by McKinney on an over the middle throw.
– Jackson went deep to WR Deonte Hardy but Eric Wilson was tight in coverage. Incomplete pass.
– Pressure from Rashan Gary forces incomplete pass.
– Good pass protection from the Ravens. Jackson with time hits WR Tylan Wallace over the middle with Stokes in coverage.
– Quick throw to the flat, McKinney there for the tackle.
– At one point there were three straight pressures created by Gary, Enagbare, and Van Ness.

“This practice was important because it gives guys a little bit more confidence,” said Alexander. “We had one team we faced last week and could’ve did better. I think we did a little bit better today. So we’re taking strides in the right steps.”

Red zone period: The Ravens’ offense ran 15 plays inside the 20 yard line. The positive plays for the Ravens included two touchdown passes, a read-option keeper for Jackson, who looked like he was able to get around the edge, and then a pass interference penalty on Nixon. But, for the most part, the pass rush continued to get after Jackson.

Highlights from the red zone period:

– Wyatt with a tackle for loss against Justice Hill.
– Jackson’s touchdown pass was the tight end Charlie Kolar with Javon Bullard nearby and Isaiah McDuffie trailing in coverage.
– I counted two pressures for Kenny Clark and he drew a holding penalty as well.
– McKinney made another tackle in the flat on a quick throw.
– The Packers’ secondary created pressures for Smith and Arron Mosby on two separate plays.
– It looked like Smith and Karl Brooks would have had a combined sack.

“Oh man, I’m just excited to see them Week 1 and throughout the rest of the season,” said Alexander of the defensive front. “Those guys are gonna make our jobs easier and then we’re gonna play off them. It’s gonna be a show.”

Move the ball period for the starters:

– First down: Jackson threw incomplete to Flowers on a deep out. It did look like Flowers had beat Stokes but couldn’t come down with the pass inbounds.
– Second down: Few yard run for Derrick Henry.
– Third down: Good coverage from the Packers. Enagbare gets the initial pressure but Jackson escapes and picks up first down.
– First down: Justice Hill ran right and was pushed out of bounds by McDuffie for about three yards.
– Second down: Jackson completes a pass to Isaiah Likely for a moderate gain, who found the soft spot between McDuffie and Stokes.
– First down: A five-six yard gain for Henry on a run up the middle. “Tackle” made by Quay Walker.
– Second down: Throw to Hill in the flat; tackle made by McKinney.
– Jackson completes a touchdown pass to Malik Cunningham in the back right corner of the end zone. He was being defended by McDuffie.

Move the ball period for the second units: During the first attempt for the Ravens offense, the Packers defense forced a “punt.” Wilson was in to make a “tackle” on a first down run. A second-down throw to the flat went for little thanks to Ty’Ron Hopper. Then a false start penalty backed the Ravens up. On third down, the pass was completed but short of the sticks.

On the second time through this drill for the second units, the drive started with a big play up the seam to Qadir Ismail with Ballentine in coverage. Quarterback Josh Johnson then found Riley Sharp on first down for a five yard gain. On second down, Anthony Johnson made the tackle in the flat for a few yards and then a tackle for loss on a third down toss play. The Ravens would kick a field goal.

The two-minute drill. The situation was each offense began at their own 30 yard line, down 24-27 with 1:30 on the clock and one timeout.

Packers first team offense: The drive was sparked by a 15 yard slant to Jayden Reed. On the third play, Love connected with Romeo Doubs for a 42 yard gain. Doubs beat his defender on what looked like a go route down the left side and the safety didn’t come to help in time. A screen to Josh Jacobs on the next play lost four yards. Love then attempted back-to-back throws to the back right corner of the end zone to Wicks. The first was overthrown and the second was broken up by Ar’Darius Washington.

“I think it was a good practice today,” said Love at his locker. “We started a little slow to start, the team-run period I don’t think was our best. But we definitely picked it up and started moving. I think red zone was a great period for us. We were able to execute at a high level down there and then finish a two-minute drive. Obviously I wish we could get that touchdown, but ended with a field goal, so it was good.”

Ravens first team offense: The drive began with a sack by Clark and Wyatt. Jackson would then complete the next two passes. Having to go for it on fourth down, Jackson completed the pass to Rashod Bateman to move the chains. The next two plays were completed over the middle on a shallow route and then in the flat. With nine seconds left, Enagbare forced a pressure and Jackson threw the ball away. Justin Tucker would come up short from 62 yards and into a slight breeze.

“I mean it just helps so much in the back end having a front seven like that,” said Evan Williams. “Just the confidence in those guys to go get ’em up front because you have a clock in your head as a DB, right, and if it gets to like three seconds with our front seven, the ball’s gotta be out at that point. Otherwise, Lamar’s out there scrambling for his life, so just yeah, having that confidence that those guys are just gonna wreak havoc throughout the game is just a great feeling from a guy in the back end.”

Pratt and Clifford: Both quarterbacks would lead drives that ended in field goals. Pratt connected with DuBose on a deep out, Merriweather in the flat, Sims, and a slant to Toure. Joseph made the kick from 51 yards. Clifford picked up moderate gains on passes to Messiah Swinson. The big play came on a 25 yard corner route to Henry Pearson. The next two passes were incomplete, followed by a modest gain on a completion to Stanley. Carlson then made the kick from 51 yards.

Ravens second team offense: The drive ended quickly for the Ravens, following an interception by Evan Williams. This was his fifth interception of training camp.

“It felt great,” said Williams of his interception. “I was just kinda dropping into interior zone, right, and had a strong side to my right and I’m allowed to kind of be a free player in that situation, kind of play off the quarterback, use my instincts in that sense and yeah, No. 1 kinda eliminated so I knew routes were coming to my side from the front side and shifted over a little bit, able to make a play, get down, just looked at my team. Everybody’s running on the field. It was a good moment, for sure.”

What about the kickers? Carlson finished the day 5-of-5 and Joseph 3-of-4. It was a better day from Joseph, but over the last week-plus, Carlson has been the more steady of the two. There really isn’t much of a runway left for Joseph to make up ground with only one preseason game remaining. Carlson has made 81.9% of his kicks in camp and Joseph 78.1%.

Packers take a swing on K Alex Hale’s potential, designating him as International Pathway Player

Paul Bretl | 8/21/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers made a pair of roster moves on Wednesday, announcing that they designated kicker Alex Hale as the team’s International Pathway Player. Previously, it was defensive end Kenneth Odumegwu from Nigeria who held that designation but as the corresponding roster move, he was released.

Hale was signed about two weeks ago as the Packers–at the time–new third kicker. Up to this point, Hale has made 14 of his 21 attempts in practice, but still a ball of clay when it comes to experience as a kicker, the Packers like what they’ve seen up to this point and want to take a swing on Hale’s potential.

Before being signed by the Packers, Hale was living in San Diego and working out with kick coach John Carney–just waiting on any sort of opportunity. The workout that the had with the Packers was his first.

Hale came to the United States the year after he graduated high school and walked on to the football team at Oklahoma State. Before beginning his football career in the states, Hale was an accomplished wakeskater back in Australia, and he also grew up playing soccer.

And if you’re wondering what wakeskating is, Hale described it was “wakeboarding without the bindings” and doing skateboard-like tricks.

“I stopped wakeskating and I wanted to go to college and wanted to pursue a sport at the same time,” said Hale at his locker recently. “So, I began looking at kicking and I started from scratch. Went to see John (Carney) and he told me as much as he could and sent me on my way.”

Hale went undrafted this past April after spending four seasons at Oklahoma State. During that span, he would make 71 of his 74 extra point attempts and 45-of-54 field goals. From 40-49 yards he was 9-for-16 and 3-for-4 from 50-plus yards.

You wouldn’t necessarily know it by looking at Hale’s production, but his first ever live field goal attempt came in an actual game, and the first time he ever put on pads and a helmet was during his first collegiate practice.

Throughout that time at Oklahoma State, Hale was routinely challenged for that starting role. So although the competition with Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph is certainly elevated, it’s also not new for Hale either.

“Every year there is always competition,” said Hale of his time at Oklahoma State. “They always bring someone in. No spot is ever given to you so you always have to prove your spot.”

Players who are a part of the International Pathway Program (IPP) do not count towards the 90-man roster. So the Packers should now have an open roster spot following this move with Hale originally counting towards the 90-man.

In season, as an IPP, Hale will not count towards the practice squad, allowing the Packers to have 17 players on that unit just as they did in 2023 with Odumegwu. The IPP exemption, however, does not count towards the 53-man roster.

Hale won’t be in the mix for the Packers kicking job this season–that title will belong to either Anders Carlson or Greg Joseph, unless another addition is made during roster cutdowns. He will, however, have a full year with the organization to work on his craft and ultimately see where that takes him.

“It definitely gives you confidence and some reassurance that, hey, some people are interested in the way you’re performing,” Hale said after being signed. “I’m sure my journey’s got a lot more left than whatever happens over the next few weeks. So, yeah, just take it as it comes and try to do my best.”

More opportunities in slot for S Javon Bullard gives Packers added game-planning options

Paul Bretl | 8/21/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers’ rookie safety Javon Bullard has been pulling double-duty as of late, often “starting” at safety next to Xavier McKinney while also seeing his opportunities in the slot increase as well. These snaps from the nickel allow the Packers to get Evan Williams on the field, along with being able to be more matchup specific with the game plan.

“I like both. I like both,” said Bullard after Family Night about playing safety and slot cornerback. “I want to be on the field. That’s all that matters to me. I want to be able to help this team win, whatever position that may be. Whatever the coaches see me as, that’s where I’m going to play.”

I would estimate that at this point it’s been roughly two weeks now where we’ve seen Bullard getting regular slot snaps during each of the practices. Even in playing just eight snaps against Denver in the preseason game, most came from the nickel.

In these instances, as expected, Williams is then the deep safety next to McKinney. At the boundary cornerback position are Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes–although occasionally Keisean Nixon has been lined up out wide. While I wouldn’t say Nixon getting boundary snaps has been common, it has happened sporadically throughout camp in what I would guess is an effort to cross-train Nixon to get him comfortable at multiple positions.

Although a safety, lining up in the nickel isn’t new to Bullard. In fact, during the 2022 season with Georgia, in which they won the National Championship, Bullard was the defense’s primary nickel cornerback that season. He has a physical play-style and has been a sound tackler throughout his career, which are important elements to playing inside.

In coverage that year, Bullard held opponents to just 8.9 yards per catch and forced five pass breakups with two interceptions. Out of 95 eligible cornerbacks and safeties that season who had enough playing time from the slot, Bullard ranked 29th in yards per snap allowed.

“It’s a completely different position,” said Bullard. “To the person that doesn’t watch enough football, people think DB is all the same. From outside corner to inside corner to safety, all of those are different. You talk about playing the deep part of the field and covering a guy with 4.3 speed in the open field. It’s completely different but reps [bring] muscle memory. You’ve got to dial into your keys and your technique.”

While oftentimes we can become fixated on which players are starting, I don’t see this as an either-or situation where the Packers are setting themselves up to choose between Bullard or Nixon as their starting slot cornerback. Rather, I believe it’s going to be game-plan specific, and based on the opponent and type of slot presence the Packers want on the field for each specific matchup.

“We’re trying to get our best players out there,” said Matt LaFleur about the Packers’ secondary. “The guys that give us the best chance to win, and there’s nothing to say that you can’t have multiple groupings as well. I know a lot of teams will do that, just depending upon what they want to play. Do they have a lot of different bodies in there. Some teams will have a big nickel or they get more of the safety body type in there versus their regular nickel, it’s just however it shakes out.”

One of the key words of the offseason that we heard general manager Brian Gutekunst often use was interchangeable. Meaning that between the two deep safeties and the nickel cornerback, he wanted all three players able to rotate between roles. We see this not only with Bullard playing safety and in the slot, but with all three of the Packers’ primary safeties rotating between playing deep versus in the box depending on the situation. There is also a lot of late post-snap movement to create some confusion for the offense.

Generally speaking, having this level of versatility among multiple players to the safety position generates a layer of unpredictability to the Packers’ defense. Pre-snap, opposing offenses won’t be able to necessarily get a beat on what responsibility each player has or where they might end up as the play unfolds based solely upon who is on the field or where each safety is initially lined up. 

From a game-planning perspective, this feature also opens up the playbook for Jeff Hafely, who has the flexibility to change things up from week-to-week depending on the opponent and what the Packers want to take away. It’s this point specifically that will play a key role in determining who’s lined up in the slot more often during a given game.

Whether we’re discussing the staring spot next to McKinney or who will be lining up in the slot, if you ask LaFleur, those are both competitions that are still unfolding. But regardless of who ends being the starter on paper at either position, Bullard is going to be a factor at both spots, it just might vary week-to-week on where more of those opportunities come from.

“The thing that you notice is just the level of physicality he plays with,” said LaFleur about Bullard. “He’s got great instincts and his versatility. I mean, whether it’s safety, nickel, I feel like he’s a guy that can do either-or.”

Packers training camp notebook: Time to bounce back

Paul Bretl | 8/20/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers were back on the practice field for the first time since Sunday night’s preseason game in Denver. It was a beautiful day for football, a bit cooler with a breeze, and practice was a bit shorter, lasting just under an hour and a half.

As always, let’s open up the notebook and dive into what took place during practice, along with some pre and post-practice quotes from Matt LaFleur and the team.

New additions to the injury report: AJ Dillon (stinger), Spencer Waege (concussion), Andre Dillard (shoulder), Tyler Davis (shouler), Preston Smith (illness). Carrington Valentine and Jordan Morgan continued to go through individual drills. Before practice, LaFleur said they would see how today and Wednesday went before deciding if Morgan would participate in Thursday’s joint practice. Rob Demovsky would report that Dillard’s injury is not considered serious.

Returning to the practice field was Edgerrin Cooper, who participated only in individual drills. Donovan Jennings was back after missing the preseason game in Denver, while MarShawn Lloyd was still out, and from the sounds of it, may not practice this week.

“Best feeling ever,” said Cooper about being back on the field. “I think that was the longest I’ve been without playing football and just missing out and stuff like that. It was mentally tough, but that the thing about being a pro and just do what you have to do.”

Roster moves: The Packers announced that they released UDFA running back Jarveon Howard, who had been dealing with an ankle injury and brought back Henry Pearson to fill his roster spot.

LaFleur wasn’t happy with how the team performed in last week’s joint practice and in the preseason game, specifically the execution–LaFleur said he didn’t have a problem with the effort. Early last week, he announced that the starters wouldn’t be playing against Denver in the game. This week, however, he is taking a different approach and said it is “to be determined,” whether or not the starters will play against Baltimore on Saturday and will be determined by how the week goes.

“I think we’re working through things,” said LaFleur before practice. “Some different stuff from a scheduling perspective in terms of what are the alternatives if we don’t play them, what are the benefits if you do play them? So I’m kinda working through that right now. We’ve had a lot of discussions internally and, like I said, to be determined.”

Jacob Monk gets a chance with the starters. With Morgan still not in the team portion of practice, Sean Rhyan was starting at right guard–as has been the case–but a change today was Monk was in the mix at right guard with the starters as well.

It was a rough practice overall for the Packers’ kickers. Greg Joseph would finish the day 2-for-5 with three straight misses. Anders Carlson was 4-for-5–missing from 47 yards. While Alex Hale was 3-of-5–missing from 49 yards and 46 yards. Now with only two practices left, Joseph and Carlson are almost identical on field goal makes versus misses, both are trending in opposite directions. Joseph has struggled the last week, while Carlson has been fairly consistent.

The starting offense looked very good today. Through two move the ball periods and the two minute drill, I had Jordan Love completing 14-of-17 passes, including two really well-placed balls to Romeo Doubs, one on a corner route with Eric Stokes in coverage and another down the right sideline between two defenders. Contributing to Love’s success was the offensive line, who held up very well in pass protection.

“We’ve got to take it one day at a time – for real – and just try to be as consistent as possible while learning and building on the offense,” said Elgton Jenkins. “I think we’re heading in the right direction, for sure. We’ve got a lot of guys who know how to play football. We’ve got one goal in mind.”

Practice would end with three two-point conversion attempts. On the first two attempts, the offense was unable to score with both passes broken up by Keisean Nixon and Jaire Alexander. In the offense’s defense, passing the ball in such a confined space is not easy. Then on the final attempt, Love tried to fit the ball in a tight window but it was batted up in the air by Quay Walker. It was Jenkins, however, who caught the ball just outside the endzone and he seemed to be pushed across the goal line by his teammates.

So did Jenkins actually score? Well, it depends who you ask. Evan Williams says no. But, of course, Jenkins disagreed.

“One-hand, man,” said Jenkins of his catch. “The ball was in the air and I seen the opportunity. You feel me? Once you see the opportunity, you’ve got to go out there and you’ve got to make a play. Score a touchdown and win the game.”

Tucker Kraft and YAC. We all know from last season Kraft’s ability to pick up yards after the catch and he showcased that today, turning two catches around the line of scrimmage into 10-plus yard gains. He looks really fast right now.

Javon Bullard was still the “starting” safety with Xavier McKinney, but he continues to get quite a bit of work from the slot. My gut instinct right now tells me that the nickel defender–whether Bullard or Keisean Nixon–will be dependent upon the opponent.

“We’re trying to get our best players out there,” said LaFleur about the secondary. “The guys that give us the best chance to win, and there’s nothing to say that you can’t have multiple groupings as well. I know a lot of teams will do that, just depending upon what they want to play. Do they have a lot of different bodies in there. Some teams will have a big nickel or they get more of the safety body type in there versus their regular nickel, it’s just however it shakes out.”

Corey Ballentine providing steady presence on back-end of Packers’ CB depth chart

Paul Bretl | 8/20/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — While there were and still are some unknowns around the cornerback position for the Packers, throughout the offseason, Matt LaFleur has been bullish about this room, particularly the depth that they have. Contributing to LaFleur’s confidence is having the steady presence of Corey Ballentine on the back-end.

“Corey did a great job,” said LaFleur of Ballentine’s play in 2023. “He was in a tough situation because there were a lot of games where maybe he wasn’t anticipating starting and then on a Friday or a Saturday, ‘Hey, you’re going in there. You got to go play ball.’ And I thought he did an outstanding job, just whatever we asked of him he was always prepared and that’s the expectation.

“I thought he handled that like a mature player and went in there and played a lot of meaningful snaps for us and also gave us a boost on special teams. So, he’s a versatile player that did a lot of good things for us.”

Ballentine joined the Pack3rs in 2022, where he contributed on special teams. However, defensively last season, Ballentine’s role expanded greatly with Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes both battling injuries and the team trading away Rasul Douglas.

Despite the week-to-week uncertainty for Ballentine around whether or not he would be starting, he provided needed stability at the boundary position, playing 488 snaps last season. On 48 targets, Ballentine allowed only 28 completions (58.3%) with one interception and four pass breakups. Opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of just 79.4 when throwing his way, and from Week 10 on, Ballentine ranked 15th out of 130 eligible cornerbacks in forced incompletions, according to PFF.

Those numbers included an impressive Week 17 performance against the Minnesota Vikings, where Ballentine was targeted and tested often. Thrown at nine times in that game, Ballentine allowed just three receptions for 33 yards. Three of those targets came against Justin Jefferson in which Ballentine didn’t surrender a catch.

“It meant a lot to me,” said Ballentine of his play in 2023. “It was kind of like a reminder that just persevere, push through all my circumstances and put my best foot forward. Always be ready whenever I’m called, and I think it’ll pay off on the back end if I continue to do that.

“Stay prepared, stay ahead, so that when I go out there, I’m not overthinking. I know what I’m doing, I’m prepared so I can go out there and play – play fast, play free. I feel like that was one of my best years, one of my more productive years. I’m looking forward to stacking more of those and increasing that.”

During training camp as the defense goes through their individual warmups with their respective position groups, Ballentine hasn’t been with the boundary cornerbacks, but rather he’s working with Keisean Nixon and rookie Kalen King out of the slot.

As someone who is comfortable playing physical, there are parts of Ballentine’s game that can help facilitate for a smooth transition to the nickel. However, this isn’t a full blown position change for Ballentine either–rather it’s another way for Ballentine to help out the cornerback room.

As of late, when the second defense has been on the field, Ballentine has been lined up on the boundary with Robert Rochell opposite of him and King in the slot. Then in the Packers’ two preseason games, 47 of Ballentine’s 53 snaps have come lined up outside.

“Just trying to add more versatility under my belt,” said Ballentine about playing the nickel. “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’m liking it so far.”

Ballentine doesn’t fall into the roster lock category, but he does have the advantage over King and Rochell, who he is competing with for the final roster spot or two. In the instances in practice where Alexander, Stokes, or Nixon need a breather, it is Ballentine who is subbed with the starting defense to play either the nickel or the boundary.

In comparison with Rochell, Ballentine is the more experienced and proven defender, who now brings inside and out versatility to the defense. And while King has made several splash plays, as we saw in the preseason game against Denver where he missed an open field tackle and allowed three completions on three targets for 40 yards, like any late Day 3 pick, he’s still navigating the learning curve that comes with making the jump from college to the NFL, resulting in inconsistent play.

However, although all that may be true, for Ballentine, comfort is the enemy. Now entering his sixth season in the NFL and throughout his career always seemingly on the fringe of making the team versus being left off, being comfortable with where he stands could be the difference between having a job with potential playing time and being left off the roster.

“I try not to get comfortable,” said Ballentine. “I think that’s important in this business. Even before I got to the league, I had a scout tell me that that’s one of the worst things you can do is be comfortable because then you start going through the motions and your sense of urgency goes down. I feel like that’s not a good place to operate from. Things like that that I can’t control, I don’t think about it too much. I try to control what I can control.”

Beyond the depth that Ballentine can provide defensively, he’s a proven special teams contributor as well. In two seasons with the Packers, he’s played 257 special teams snaps across four different phases. For any back end of the roster player, especially at a special teams-heavy position like cornerbacks, being able to contribute in this phase of the game is a must.

Two practices, including a joint one with the Baltimore Ravens, and a preseason game with the Ravens are all that remains for the Packers before final roster decisions have to be made by August 27th. With his play, Ballentine has put himself in a position to make a push for the 53-man roster, and if afforded that opportunity, he has multiple ways that he can contribute if called upon.

Although Ballentine doesn’t want to get comfortable, he’s in a familiar position and knows what it takes to be successful in such a role.

“What I’ve learned in my football career is everything is a process,” Ballentine added. “You’ve got to work your way through the rough patches. I think that’s what I had to do – weather the storms. Even when I first got here, I was on practice squad and I had to work my way onto the active. It’s always a process.

“My last two years, I did that. I’ve kind of learned how to weather the storm and really put my best foot forward and be ready whenever. I feel like I’ve answered when I’ve been called on. I don’t have a problem with doing that; I’m looking forward to continuing that.”

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