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Packers 2024 Training Camp Preview: Tight Ends

By: Paul Bretl 7/11/2024

With Green Bay Packers training camp less than two weeks away, I’ll be doing a position-by-position preview. Next up are the tight ends.

If you missed any of the previous position previews, you can find them below:

Quarterbacks
Running backs

Roster: Tyler Davis, Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave, Ben Sims, Messiah Swinson, Joel Wilson, Henry Pearson (FB)

A dynamic one-two punch: We saw individually last season the potential that both Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft possess, but what we didn’t see a lot of were those powers being harnessed on the field together–or at least not with the full capabilities that are now available. That ability can help unlock a whole new world of potential for the Packers’ offense.

“I think tight ends are great weapons, right? Because they can really wear a bunch of different hats,” said tight ends coach John Dunn. “And so not to get into the schematics of how we use guys but you start getting two on the field and now the defense (asks), how do you match that? How do they defend that? How are you using them? And we talk about it in our room all the time, the more you can do, the better we’re going to be as an offense, the better we’re going to be as a unit, the better we’re going to be as a group. I think it’s exciting.”

For Matt LaFleur as the play-caller, having two tight ends who can impact both the running and passing games helps open up the playbook for him, allowing the Packers to get much more creative, particularly from 12 personnel, when both tight ends are on field, and a grouping the Packers used relatively often last season.

Having one tight end, but especially two, who can make plays in the passing game and be a capable blocker 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. Further stressing opponents is the the different skill sets Kraft and Musgrave bring, with Kraft being excellent after the catch and Musgrave a matchup nightmare downfield.

“I think it just adds to the complexity of your offense, in terms of having multiple personnel groupings,” said Matt LaFleur. “I think both those guys can do it all. I think they both will end up becoming complete tight ends in this league in terms of their ability to run block and then what they can do for you in the passing game. And I think they both have a little bit different flavor to them, which for us, allows for more flexibility on the offensive side of the ball. They’re both great dudes that love the game of football, and I think just to see where they are from a year ago, it’s night and day.”

When LaFleur took over as the head coach we often heard him discuss the ‘illusion of complexity,’ which the combination of Kraft and Musgrave enhances. The versatile duo allows the Packers to run a number of plays from just a few personnel packages and like-plays–or plays that begin similarly but end up being different–that build off each other throughout the game. All of which creates mismatches for Kraft and Musgrave to exploit and is an added stressor for opponents, keeping them guessing and off-balanced.

Tucker Kraft’s pec injury: Kraft did not participate in offseason programs due to a torn pec that he was rehabbing from. The injury happened during a routine lift.

“Just a regular lift,” Kraft said. “It was my last rep of the day on bench. Nothing crazy, not heavy weight. We were speed-benching and it just popped right off the bone.”

LaFleur said that there isn’t any “long-term concern” with Kraft’s injury and that he could even be back for the start of training camp, although if not, it does not sound like he will miss too much time.

“I’m just ready to take off in this league and establish myself as a football player, really. That’s where my frustration lies,” Kraft said.

“I was really excited about this offseason – to have the whole offseason – to get running off the football again, get my second step down, my landmark. What I want to establish this year is I want to be the best Y in the outside zone – running the ball at the tight end. That’s my individual goal for the season. That just opens up so many avenues.”

With Kraft sidelined for OTAs and minicamp, along with Tyler Davis still rehabbing from an ACL injury, that opened up an opportunity for Henry Pearson, who was the third tight end during offseason programs, behind Musgrave and Ben Sims. Pearson is listed as a fullback, and worked with Josiah Deguara during practices last season. With the H-back role presumably available, Pearson’s versatility, being able to be moved around the formation, and ability as a blocker and pass-catcher as a college tight end, make him a prime candidate to fill that role.

“He always busts his butt,” said LaFleur about Pearson. I think there’s a great opportunity for everybody here, quite frankly. And that’s one of the things that we talked to the team about. It doesn’t matter, first-rounder, UDFA, if you’re a tryout guy, you;re here for a reason. You got an opportunity and it’s really on them to go out there and showcase what they can do and you got two days to leave a pretty good impression.”

Perhaps the bigger question about this specific position is whether the Packers want to have a specific player filling that role as Deguara did. Deguara played roughly 15 snaps per game in the latter half of the season. In addition to Pearson being someone who could handle those responsibilities, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ben Sims or Tyler Davis taking snaps in that role either.

Don’t forget about Tyler Davis: In what has become a crowded and quite talented tight end room for the Packers, Tyler Davis still has the ability to carve out a role on this team.

On offense, Davis certainly won’t be the focal point at tight end, but during the 2022 season, he was most often used as a blocker. His presence could provide added competition for Ben Sims, who primarily filled a blocking role last season. Or as already mentioned, perhaps, with Davis’ athleticism and versatility, the Packers have him fill the H-back role that is now vacant.

What, if any, role Davis has on offense is still to be determined, but his calling card is on special teams, where he has filled a do-it-all role in the past. Following Davis’ season-ending injury last August, Rich Bisaccia said that losing Davis was like losing his right hand because of all the roles he’s able to fill while doing so at a high level.

In 2022, Davis played 344 special teams snaps – the most on the team – and did so across five of the six special teams phases. He was also third on the team in tackles.

“It’s always interesting,” said Davis about his role on special teams, “but that’s why I love, that’s why I love this game, the preparation is the key and I love preparing. I know it might sound like a lot to a lot of people but to me it’s what I love to do, so it’s not anything too crazy for myself. I love my roles. I love to be on everything. I love the variety I can play with and just really looking forward to getting back to that.”

Despite rehabbing from an ACL injury, Davis remained engaged and active within the Packers tight end room when possible. While he wasn’t able to be on the practice field with his teammates and fellow tight ends, as one of the veterans of that position group, Davis was still involved in meetings and able to answer questions or provide guidance when needed.

“Tyler’s a stud,” said Dunn. “He is as dedicated of an individual as they come. There’s not enough good words I can say about Tyler, just him really being one of the veterans in the room, just the guidance.”

Davis did not participate in the on-field portion of offseason programs, and a specific timetable for his return hasn’t been announced. But Davis is on the right path with his recovery. The start of Packers’ training camp will be a few weeks shy of one year from when Davis suffered the ACL injury.

“I’m feeling good,” said Davis. “Getting there. It’s just a process. Taking it day by day, trying to do the best I can each day. Everything is moving in the right direction, so excited about it.”

Ben Sims carved out a blocking specific role: A late addition to the Packers 2023 roster, Green Bay claimed Sims off waivers when he was released by Minnesota during roster cut downs.

Sims would play 212 offensive snaps last season, with nearly 65 percent of them coming as a run-blocker. By PFF’s grading system, Sims would rank 29th in run-blocking out of 83 eligible tight ends. Sims would also play a key role on special teams, on the field for 105 snaps, most of which came on the kick return unit.

Having a tight end who can handle the blocking specific duties is an important element of the LaFleur offense, a role that was previously filled by Marcedes Lewis. Sims does, however, have pass-catching upside, posting a RAS of 8.32 coming out of Baylor. He would catch five passes on six targets in 2023 for 25 yards with one touchdown.

“Growth,” said Dunn when asked what he’s seen from Sims. “You know that was interesting because obviously he comes, I think it was a week before the first game, something like that, and so Tucker and Luke are going through, and they had an offseason, they had a training camp to at least learn the system, so Ben, he’s thrown right in and didn’t blink. That’s what I love about him.

“So for him the interesting part and cool part, not to speak for him, but being here now, he wasn’t part of the offseason program last year. So kind of learning it from the level ground as opposed to the game plan and here we go is going to be really beneficial to him.”

Four or five tight ends? Potentially the big question with this position group is whether the Packers will roster four or five players at it. We know Musgrave and Kraft will be on the team, and I’m going to assume Sims will as well. But will the Packers keep both Davis and Pearson or just one of them?

If I were picking now, I would guess they keep just four and go with Davis over Pearson because of his special teams ability. For what it’s worth, in the LaFleur era, the Packers never rostered five tight ends on the initial 53-man–although in 2019 they did keep four tight ends and one fullback.

Messiah Swinson and Joel Wilson: Swinson signed as an undrafted rookie following this year’s draft. He is listed at 6-8 – 255 pounds. In four seasons, Swinson had only 42 targets, averaging 11.3 yards per catch with two touchdowns. Nearly one-third of his snaps came in the slot, but he was frequently utilized as a blocker.

The Packers signed Wilson to the practice squad last November. He went undrafted out of Central Michigan last April. Between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Wilson caught 75 out of his 105 targets at 11.0 yards per catch with 12 touchdowns. According to PFF, 45 percent of his snaps came from the slot.

Fully healthy, Kingsley Enagbare’s continued success will be key for Packers’ defensive front

By: Paul Bretl 7/10/24

After what was thought to be an ACL injury that Kingsley Enagbare sustained in the Green Bay Packers’ playoff win against Dallas, to the surprise of many, Enagbare was on the practice field during OTAs and minicamp.

“It was great news,” said Enagbare. “I’m on my 10 feet walking.”

During the draft, Matt LaFleur confirmed that Enagbare never had surgery on his knee and that, internally, they were optimistic about where he was at in the rehab process. Still, I’m not sure anyone outside of the building expected to see Enagbare on the practice field at this stage of the offseason, and we still don’t know exactly what the knee injury was.

For roughly half of the offseason, Enagbare was limited in what he could and couldn’t do as he went through his rehab. But for the second half, he was able to return to form.

“I was pretty limited for probably like half of it,” said Enagbare, “but the other half, I was back running, pressing, basically where I am now.”

And now? As we saw during practice with Enagbare participating in both individual and team drills, he’s a full-go.

“100% 100%,” said Enagbare when asked how he was feeling.

During the second half of the 2023 season, Enagbare’s production really began to take off. Of the 27 pressures he recorded last season, 18 of them came in Week 12 and beyond. During that span, Enagbare ranked 28th in PFF’s pass-rush win-rate metric out of 128 eligible edge rushers. He would rank 36th in run-stop rate as well.

In addition to his contributions on defense, Enagbare would also play the eighth-most special teams snaps on the Packers, routinely playing across three different units.

“He’s been outstanding,” said LaFleur about Enagbare. “You talk about a guy who comes to work with the right mentality each and every day, he’s the epitome of that. And I think we’ve seen the growth.

“We saw it last year, the growth from Year 1 to Year 2, and I think we’re still seeing that growth as he develops his body and continues to learn the game. And certainly we’re asking these guys to do a little bit different things from a front standpoint but he’s somebody that’s certainly capable of it. He just brings an edge to your defense.”

Having Enagbare fully healthy provides a big boost to the Packers’ defensive end depth. Under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, where the job of the defensive front is to attack and get into the backfield, rotating defenders often to keep them fresh will be important, which puts an added emphasis on the unit’s depth.

Compared to what the defensive front was asked to under Joe Barry, this new system is a bit more simplified and puts the emphasis on being disruptive. Rather than having to defend two gaps and reading what the offense is doing before reacting, Hafley’s defense asks the defenders to get off the ball and into the backfield as quickly as possible.

“At least for the D-line aspect, we’re being preached or being talked to just go upfield and pretty much create havoc, whether it’s sack, TFLs. Just go vertical,” Enagbare said.

“That itself it’s very simple. Really nothing to think about. See ball, get ball type of thing. It’s pretty much I guess how we all essentially kind of want to play… Just look forward and make a play.”

As the new defensive coordinator, one of the key tasks for Hafley will be getting more consistency out of the defensive front. This was a unit last year that ranked 23rd in yards per carry allowed and had four games where they surrendered 200-plus rushing yards–a league-high.

The pass rush was also very hot and cold. While there were seven games where the Packers pressured the quarterback on 45-plus percent of his dropbacks–which is quite good–there were also seven games where they failed to pressure the quarterback more than 30 percent of the time. That was not very good.

Hafley’s attacking play style in the trenches will help provide that consistency through increased disruption, but also playing a key factor in those results will be Enagbare, who is healthy and continuing to ascend as he enters his third NFL season.

“Man, coming back, I’d seen him walking around and jumping around, and I’m like, ‘What?,’ said Rashan Gary. “We heard the same thing that we heard last year and I’m like, ‘Man, God is good.’ He understands that it could have went either way for him, so having that mindset and having the way that he’s attacked this offseason.

“Because he’s talked to me and he’s like, ‘I felt like I let you guys down at the end of the season with not being able to finish with the 49ers.’ I’m like, ‘Don’t be too hard on yourself,’ but having that mindset, he should be that hard on himself. Me being an older player, I’m trying to take some of that off him but man he’s hungry and he’s gonna have a hell of a year for us.”

Packers 2024 training camp preview: Running backs

By: Paul Bretl 7/10/24

With Green Bay Packers training camp less than two weeks away, I’ll be doing a position-by-position preview. Next up are the running backs.

If you missed any of the previous position previews, you can find them below:

Quarterbacks

Roster: Josh Jacobs, AJ Dillon, Marshawn Lloyd, Emanuel Wilson, Jarveon Howard, Ellis Merriweather

Jacobs knows leadership role must be earned: Although Josh Jacobs is a former All-Pro, NFL rushing leader, and team captain for the Raiders, those accolades are just that, accolades, even though they are impressive ones. His new teammates didn’t see the work that went into playing at that high level or what it took to earn the respect of his former teammates.

Jacobs wants to be a leader on this young Packers team but knows that is an honor that’s earned and not just handed out, regardless of what a player has done at their previous stops. So, as Jacobs nursed a hamstring injury during voluntary OTAs, was it a requirement that he be on the practice field, or was doing so a prerequisite for a successful season? Not really. But Jacobs is out to prove that he has the right mentality and work ethic to be a leader.

“Yeah, I do,” said Jacobs when asked if he needs to be on the practice field. “Because these guys haven’t seen me on the day to day. Sometimes you see the end result, but you don’t see the work it takes to get there. Like I said, trying to be a leader on this team with this young group, and I feel like you’ve got to show and prove a certain mentality, certain demeanor and certain work ethic, for a lot of guys that want to take that next step. Especially with being there before, a lot of guys don’t really know how to do that.

“I tell people all the time, having Davante Adams come to the Raiders was the best thing for me, because I seen a player be great, and I seen a player be great on a day to day basis, so for me, that’s what I try to bring.”

Jacobs looking to bounce back: Just one season after being the NFL’s rushing leader in 2022 when Jacobs totaled 1,653 yards on the ground, his production dipped last season. Jacobs finished 2023 with 805 yards at only 3.5 yards per attempt.

As is often the case, there were several factors in play that contributed to his down year. One of which was that Jacobs dealt with injuries, appearing in only 13 games. Jacobs’ offseason last year was also outside of the norm, as he held out during training camp after being franchise-tagged, with a reworked deal not getting done until August 26th. In addition to all of that, the Raiders’ offense could never gain consistent traction either.

Fully healthy this offseason, along with having his contract situation in order, gives Jacobs a leg up compared to this time last year. But the added help around him in the Packers’ offense also contributes to what hopefully becomes a bounce-back season.

Behind the Packers’ offensive line, Green Bay ranked top-10 in yards per carry as a team last season. On top of that, the potential that this Packers’ passing game has with Jordan Love under center and the playmakers at receiver and tight end around him could result in fewer eight-man boxes that Jacobs will have to contend with.

“It’s just so special when you got a guy like Jordan Love back there, and you can’t really just load the box every play, and you make defenses decide what they want to stop,” Jacobs recently said in an interview with NFL Network. “I think that’s going to be the biggest help for me this year.”

There is also something to be said for playing in Matt LaFleur’s offense, which keeps defenses off-balanced through a variety of looks and provides the running back position with one-on-one opportunities.

“The thing that I like the most is how diverse it is—especially for me,” said Jacobs of LaFleur’s offense. “Like, we can line up wide, we can do dual backs, they have certain packages of personnel that allow me to win, put me in space and be able to win in space. And as a running back that’s all you ask for, get your 1-on-1 matchups and that’s where you can show how special you are.”

Jacobs’ impact on the passing game: As we all know, Jacobs can handle a heavy workload as a ball carrier, but he also brings a natural pass-catching ability to the running back position as well. Over five seasons with the Raiders, he was targeted in the passing game 249 times, and as Jacobs told Matt LaFleur when he first arrived to Green Bay, he believes he has more to offer in that regard.

“I was talking to (LaFleur) about that actually and I was telling him I feel like I want to catch it a little bit more,” Jacobs said. “I feel like I didn’t get to show that as much as I would have liked. So, that’s definitely something in the conversations we had. I know the schemes out here, they do a lot of outside-zone running. I think it just fits me, man. I can’t wait to get in and feel it out and see where I fit in. But also try to leave my mark on it, too.”

Beyond the prerequisite of making plays as a ball carrier, the running back’s ability to not only impact the passing game but be moved around the formation is an important element of LaFleur’s offense as it can create mismatches for the running back to exploit, along with one-on-one opportunities in space, where Jacobs has excelled. During his All-Pro 2022 season, he ranked 11th in average yards after contact and first in missed tackles forced.

Coming out of college, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote that Jacobs has the “ability to track the ball like a receiver.” So, in addition to Jacobs seeing more targets than he did with the Raiders, the real difference may come with what he’s asked to do in the passing game, specifically lining up from the slot more often and running a greater variety of routes.

Don’t forget about AJ Dillon: While the pads have yet to come on, AJ Dillon is looking more trim this offseason while still maintaining his muscle mass, and as he put it, he is in the best shape of his life.

The result appears to be a more explosive version of Dillon, which the Packers need. Last season, Dillon averaged just 3.4 yards per rush, with his eight carries of 10-plus yards ranked 47th out of 58 eligible running backs. He also ranked 42nd in average yards after contact, which is supposed to be his calling card as a physical back.

“I’ve got a bunch of motivation but it’s all internal,” said Dillon. “I’m in the best shape of my life. I feel good so I’m ready to do whatever it takes. I want to go win a Super Bowl. I’ve been here – this is Year 5 now. We’ve been close. That’s really it. I’m going to go out, work and I’m going to be a dog in whatever capacity on game day. That’s it. Motivation? I’ve got it. Discipline? I’ve got it. I’m here and trying to be great.”

By Dillon’s own admission, and Sirmans has agreed, there are times when Dillon is overthinking on the field, and rather than reacting to what’s happening and letting his natural abilities take over, he’s pressing, which can slow him down.

“Just let the game do more of coming to him,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans last season, “and when he relaxes and does that, he’ll be fine. If you’re out there thinking too much about I need to do this or I need to be this type of guy, then that’s going to take away from you playing natural football.”

From a contract standpoint, with Dillon carrying a dead cap hit of only $167,500, he is far from a roster lock. But as the headline suggests, even with the additions of Jacobs and Marshawn Lloyd, don’t forget about Dillon this summer.

In the early going of offseason programs, he was routinely getting reps ahead of Lloyd. Now, that doesn’t mean he will be RB2 to start the season–that is still to be determined–but there is value in the stability Dillon can provide. He knows the LaFleur offense inside and out and has proven to be quite capable in pass protection and as a receiver. If Dillon can add some playmaking to his well-rounded skill set, then there is certainly a role that can be carved out.

“I envision going out there and balling out every time I’m on the field,” added Dillon. “Whatever that is, that’s for the coaches to decide. Like I said, I’m putting myself in the best position possible, in great shape, working, trying to lead, trying to cross my T’s and dot my I’s.

“Whether that’s special teams, running back, receiver, tight end, fullback, kicker, quarterback, I’m down to do whatever. I’m happy to be here. Like I said, I’m just going to put my helmet on and go to work.”

Marshawn Lloyd adds a new element to the Packers’ running back position: Following the NFL draft, we heard both LaFleur and Adam Stenavich say to some effect that Lloyd brings a different element to this position group for Green Bay. After a short time of watching Lloyd on the practice field, you see what LaFleur and Stenavich were referring to, with him bringing a level of burst and acceleration that the other backs just don’t have.

“He’s got serious speed,” said GM Brian Gutekunst about Lloyd. “He’s very elusive, he’s got great balance, so he’s a little bit different than some of the backs that we have in our depth chart right now.”

The focus for Lloyd during the time off between minicamp and training camp was going to be on the pass-catching aspect of his game. Last season with USC, Lloyd put up ridiculous numbers in the passing game, averaging a whopping 17.8 yards per catch, leading all running backs in yards per catch and average YAC per reception.

“He definitely can be a weapon out of the backfield,” said Matt 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.”

However, Lloyd wasn’t involved all that heavily in the passing game during his time in college–although as we saw with AJ Dillon, just because the opportunities weren’t there doesn’t mean there isn’t the ability. Over Lloyd’s final two seasons, he was targeted 43 times, including only 18 times in 2023. For some context, those 18 targets ranked 117th among running backs last season.

As has already been detailed, the pass-catching element at running back is an important component when it comes to seeing steady playing time at this position in LaFleur’s offense.

“Pass catching,” said Lloyd when asked what he will focus on. “Just being able to be available as a pass catcher. Being able to use my abilities to make people miss and be used in space. I feel like that’s something I’m gonna work on this whole offseason. It’s been pretty good.”

Although I don’t believe that anyone should forget about Dillon at the running back position this summer, I also don’t think Lloyd is going to experience a rookie season like Dillon did, where he was the third running back and saw minimal playing time. Because Lloyd adds a different dynamic to the offense, Stenavich wants to get him involved as often as they can.

“I would like to get him out there as much as possible,” said Stenavich. “He’s got a skill set that’s a little bit different than AJ’s as far as his speed. He’s not quite the bruiser that (Dillon) is obviously, but he’s got a different type of skill set. So it’ll be nice to get him the ball in space and just see what he can do. I think he’s gonna add a good explosive element to the offense, for sure.”

Where does Emanuel Wilson fit in all of this? If the Packers value Dillon’s well-rounded skill set on the roster, it becomes difficult to see where Wilson fits on the 53-man. In the limited action we saw from him last season, he displayed good burst with the ball in his hands.

However, when it comes to being the third running back on the roster, while there is a certain prerequisite as a ball carrier that has to be maintained, the ability to contribute on special teams and hold up in pass protection will be key factors in determining if Wilson will make the team. During training camp, Wilson could very well have to showcase that he can hang with Dillon when it comes to these parts of the game.

“I just think it’s, there’s a learning curve for every young player in this league,” said LaFleur last October prior to the Denver game, “and you just kind of have to prove it through practice. He’s a talented guy, no question about it. But it’s just that trust that he can go out there no matter what the defense gives us that he’s going to be able to go out there and execute.

“Because it’s not just running the football. It’s protections, it’s all that. I think he’s progressing nicely. We’ll give him more opportunities throughout practice in order for him to be able to go out there and do it in a game.”

In many instances, when it comes to determining the final roster spot at a position group, you could make the case that the team should choose the younger, higher-upside player, which in this case is Wilson, over the veteran on a one-year deal, which is Dillon. However, with both Jacobs and Lloyd under contract for the next four seasons, that thought process becomes less important.

“I’d say mentally, honestly,” said Wilson of where he saw the most growth in his first season. “Just sitting back, asking the guys questions about pass protection and really the running the scheme to. Having my mental reps is the most important thing for me.”

Jarveon Howard and Ellis Merriweather: Howard, similarly to Jacobs and Lloyd, has a more compact frame, listed at 5-10 – 215 pounds. A 2024 UDFA from Alcorn State, Howard’s most productive season was in 2022, when he rushed for over 1,200 yards at 5.0 yards per carry, and 12 scores, ranking 20th at the FCS level in yards after contact. As a pass-catcher, he finished his career with 54 targets, averaging 6.6 yards per catch.

Merriweather went undrafted in 2023 out of Massachusetts and was signed to the Packers’ practice squad in November. Standing 6-1 and weighing 220 pounds, Merriweather averaged 4.0 yards per rush during his final college season, forcing 20 missed tackles and had 15 runs of 10-plus yards. He would also catch 29 passes at 6.7 yards per reception.

Packers 2024 Training Camp Preview: Quarterback

By: Paul Bretl 7/9/24

With Green Bay Packers training camp less than two weeks away, I’ll be doing a position-by-position preview, starting with the quarterbacks.

Roster: Jordan Love, Sean Clifford, Michael Pratt

Countering the counters: Opposing defenses have now had a full offseason to look back and digest Love’s tape. They’ve been able to really examine what he does well and where he struggles and will undoubtedly come up with game plans that try to take away the former while putting him in scenarios that exacerbate the latter.

“You might anticipate a defense maybe bringing a little more pressure,” said Clements. “Disguising a little bit more. Making it more difficult to see where to go. So that’s from a quarterback standpoint, if that happens you have to have a lot of film study and be able to react.

“I mean that was one of Aaron’s (Rodgers) best attributes is the he could process information very quickly and usually make the right decision and get the ball where it had to go. That’s something that we’ll have to see how defenses approach it, but that’s something you’ve got to be ready for.”

For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, it’s obviously important that Love and the offense counter these adjustments thrown at them but also do so somewhat quickly. Taking a week or two to adjust can have a big impact on potential playoff seeding. Instead, these counters need to be made on the fly.

With the experience Love has gained over the last year, his ability to process the play as it’s unfolding has improved as has his overall comfortability with the offense and the players around him. These will be key factors when it comes to countering the counters.

Emphasis on footwork: Proper footwork is at the core of what quarterbacks coach Tom Clements emphasizes in his teaching, and not only with Love, but with Aaron Rodgers as well. That element has again been the focus for Love this offseason.

“There’s always little things,” said Love on what he’s working on. “I think the biggest thing for me is just staying poised in the pocket, being able to say balanced in the pocket. Sometimes I get out of whack with my feet and I might start drifting in the pocket too much. Just pocket awareness, making smaller moves and understanding when I’ve got to get out of there.”

Footwork is the foundation for a quarterback’s success on any given play. As quarterbacks coach Tom Clements has said previously, he usually has a good idea of how the pass turned out by watching the quarterback’s footwork.

Footwork, the cornerstone of a quarterback’s performance, is more than just steps. It’s about executing the right drop to ensure timely throws, maintaining balance, and keeping the feet in constant motion. This synchronized movement with the quarterback’s eyes is crucial for a successful play. Any deviation from this can disrupt the quarterback’s mechanics, leading to inaccurate passes or mistimed plays.

Proper footwork also extends beyond just being in the pocket. In today’s NFL, making off-schedule throws on the move is a must as well.

“Also throwing on the run,” said Love when further describing what he’s been working on. “Being able to escape the pocket and make those off-schedule plays is something I worked a good amount on.

“Also, just being comfortable, seeing the defense, going back and watching the tape, seeing things I could have done different with picking up protections and things I wasn’t doing earlier on that I started being able to pick up on later in the season. But I think the biggest thing for me is just pocket movement, making smaller movements.”

In addition to the individual drills that the quarterbacks go through, Matt LaFleur has heavily utilized 7-on-7 periods during OTAs to help further emphasize the footwork element at the quarterback position. LaFleur has made it known he is not a fan of 7-on-7 drills, largely because there isn’t a pass rush, but the focus right now is on having “perfect feet,” and this drill helps accomplish that.

A big jump for Sean Clifford? The addition of Michael Pratt in this year’s draft doesn’t mean that the Packers aren’t bullish about Clifford. In fact, Clements expects the second-year quarterback to make a big jump.

“He developed throughout the year,” said Clements, “which is what you’d like to see. He’s doing a great job in this offseason. So I think he’ll make a big jump from year one to year two.”

As I’ve detailed before, my sense is that drafting Pratt was more so about adhering to an organizational philosophy that goes well beyond Gutekunst’s tenure as GM, where the development of the quarterback position is prioritized, almost regardless of what the depth chart looks like, and it was less about the Packers feeling a sense of urgency to find an upgrade for Clifford.

Although we saw very little of Clifford last season, one intangible trait that LaFleur often used to describe Clifford was ‘resiliency.’ Regardless of what had just happened, whether it be a turnover, a sack, or a missed throw, Clifford was very quick to bounce back and move on. He’s a competitor.

However, a big part of Clifford’s responsibilities as the backup was running the scout team offense each week. In that role, just like many of the other Packers’ rookies, Clements saw growth in Clifford as the year went on.

“Sean, he definitely did grow,” said Clements. He’s like a game-type gamer. A little bit of Matt Flynn in him. Once the season started, and he was running the scout team, and he started to become more familiar with our offense and then running opposing team’s offenses, you usually have a lot of similar plays, and he ran the scout team very well, ran the huddle well, he’s a good leader, and he started to make plays throughout the year.”

I’m sure if Pratt is able to come in and push Clifford, creating some additional competition, the Packers will be thrilled. All offseason, Gutekunst has continually mentioned the importance of competition within every room.

With that said, don’t forget about Clifford either, just because there is a new quarterback on the team. The Packers are ‘super excited’ about what they have in him, as LaFleur put it, and with Clifford having a full year in the NFL and in LaFleur’s offense, he is going to have a massive leg up in any potential competition that takes place this summer with Pratt.

“As I said, usually there’s a big jump from year one to year so I anticipate that to be the case,” Clements said. “You just have to be ready to go. Sean is very into the game. If you watch him on the sidelines, he’s always talking to Jordan, learning, watching what’s going on out on the field. He loves football, so he just needs to continue to work and be ready.”

Michael Pratt had some promising moments but still has a way to go: There were a few occasions during team drills during offseason programs where Pratt was able to impress. During one two-minute drill, in particular, Pratt led the third-team offense into field goal range, which Anders Carlson was able to connect on from 46 yards.

Pratt finished the drive, completing 5-of-9 passes for 46 yards, and from my vantage point, it looked like two of those incompletions would have been classified as drops.

Beyond the numbers that don’t mean a whole lot this time of the year, what stood out most was the process of it all. Playing full-speed, Pratt appeared poised in the pocket, he was mostly accurate, and got the ball out quickly, knowing exactly where to go with it.

“Definitely slowing down,” said Pratt on the speed of the game. “I think this week, you know, yesterday and today, I think everything’s really started to slow down a little bit. I feel like I’m at the point now where rookie minicamp and first week it was like hearing the whole call and it’s like thinking about the formation, thinking about the motion, thinking about the protection, thinking about the concept, like now once I get the call, I can kind of visualize the formation and the motion together.

“Think about the protection a little bit because I might need to change it and then the concept, now that I know the formation, it’s X this or Z this. I think it’s definitely starting to click a lot better and I’m able to operate a little faster and able to play a little bit faster.”

In the past, we’ve heard Matt LaFleur mention ‘letting it rip,’ when he’s discussing what he wants to see from Jordan Love or Sean Clifford. This doesn’t mean being overly aggressive or throwing the ball downfield just for the sake of doing so, but rather, being confident in what you see and the quarterback getting the ball out of his hands. On Wednesday, Pratt was letting it rip.

However, having said that, Pratt still has a ways to go. Ultimatley I believe that the learning curve that Pratt is and will experience will be the differentiator in deciding who Love’s backup quarterback is. Clifford having that familiarity and understanding of the offense, plus the added comfort level of the speed of the game, will help him separate himself from Pratt as training camp and the preseason unfolds.

“Any time you talk about the quarterback position, there’s so much information thrown at these guys, and it’s a big learning curve,” said Matt LaFleur. “But I think much as how we saw Sean (Clifford) adjust, I think OTA’s it’s survival mode because you’re drinking basically water out of a fire hose and you’re just trying to survive out there and I think these next five weeks will be good for him to kind of like decompress a little bit, take what he’s learned.

“He’s going to have to stay in the book and hopefully it will help him digest it a little better so when he gets to training camp he’s ready to roll. He’s done a nice job. I’m not saying he hasn’t. It’s just you don’t get as many reps as you’d like to at that position. That’s why we like to do a lot of the two-spots and today, we’re short in a couple areas so we didn’t do that. But yeah, I’m looking forward to when he gets back to camp, he’s already gone through it once, learned basically the entire install and to go through it again a second time I think will be really beneficial for him.”

Early signs point to LB Isaiah McDuffie having a role in Packers’ defense

By: Paul Bretl 7/8/24

In addition to already having Quay Walker, the Green Bay Packers invested into the linebacker position early on in this year’s draft, taking Edgerrin Cooper in Round 2 and Ty’Ron Hopper in Round 3. But regardless, early signs point to Isaiah McDuffie having a role on the defense this season.

“I mean, that’s out of my control,” said McDuffie on the team drafting two linebackers. “I come in every day ready to work with the mindset to get better. New guys in the room, I feel like they can contribute to the team, bring ’em along with us.

“So, no, I wouldn’t say I had any hard feelings toward it, but I would say at the end of the day, I know what I have to do. And if I go out there and produce and do my job I’ll be on the field.”

Due to injuries to both Walker and De’Vondre Campbell last season, McDuffie would play nearly 50 percent of the Packers’ defensive snaps. He proved to be a very sound tackler, missing only six of his 92 attempts, and was at his best against the run, flowing sideline-to-sideline and filling gaps.

“I would say so, for sure,” said McDuffie when asked if he liked what he put on tape last year. “I would say there were some things I was proud of. Going into this season, I’m holding my head high and I’m ready to continue on that path.”

In the early going of offseason programs, McDuffie has been a regular lining up next to Quay Walker. When the Packers have been in their base 4-3 defense, it has been Walker as the middle linebacker, with McDuffie and Eric Wilson alongside of him. When Cooper has been worked in, he has taken Wilson’s place.

Then, when the Packers are in nickel with only two linebackers on the field, which is the alignment that the majority of their defensive snaps are going to be played in, McDuffie has been the primary linebacker next to Walker. While depth charts in May and June may not mean a ton, as of now, McDuffie appears to be LB2.

The fact that McDuffie is seeing the starting snaps over Cooper at this stage of the offseason shouldn’t be all that surprising, given his experience not only in the NFL but also, McDuffie’s final season at Boston College was with Jeff Hafley as his head coach.

“I think any time you kind of have a headstart with knowing the guy it helps,” McDuffie said about his relationship with Hafley. “Football’s a small world, so the more people you know and relationships you build, it’s always a positive.”

Cooper would impress during OTAs and minicamp, but as Matt LaFleur pointed out, he’s entering a critical stretch as he continues to familiarize himself with the playbook and get his body ready for the training camp and the grueling NFL season. To some degree, Cooper may experience the typical growing pains that just about every rookie goes through. McDuffie, meanwhile, can provide a steady presence alongside Walker.

As Cooper continues to acclimate to the NFL level and Hafley’s system during training camp, the Packers may prefer his upside and playmaking potential over McDuffie’s experience and ability against the run. However, it’s not as if the Packers have to choose Cooper or McDuffie–why not both?

Although the Packers will certainly want to be mindful of tipping their hand based on their defensive personnel, Hafley has spoken often about maximizing a player’s strengths, which for McDuffie is run defense and for Cooper that’s being able to operate in space, along with both players being asked to blitz–something we’ve seen a lot of from this linebacker unit during offseason programs.

“The things I believe in defense,” said Hafley at his introductory press conference, “whether you’re playing 3-4 or 4-3, press man which I do love, zone coverages, vision and break, quarters, match, it comes down to can you take your players who you have and put them in the best position to succeed? And can you take your players and maximize their ability?

“Like, every player wants to get better, and that’s our job to do. Our job is to put the players in the best position to succeed and make plays.”

Two words we’ve heard often this offseason when describing the Hafley defense are ‘run’ and ‘hit’–a play-style that suits McDuffie and this Packers athletic linebacker unit well.

Hafley’s ability as a teacher to draw up digestible game plans that can be implemented in the allotted timeframe helps his players understand the why behind not only what they are being asked to do and how it ties into the bigger picture of the defensive game plan, but also the responsibilities of their teammates. As Hafley has pointed out, a terrific game plan on paper means nothing if it can’t be executed properly.

Players having confidence in what they’re being asked to do results in fast and physical play–which is the ultimate goal for this defense–along with a much more proactive rather than reactive approach, with the defense doing the dictating.

“The biggest thing is running to the ball,” said McDuffie about Hafley’s defense. “And at the end of the day, I think I do that well, just getting to the ball, tackling the guy with the ball. I feel like they’re going to put us in positions to do that, and I’m excited about that.”

On young Packers’ team, Preston Smith’s veteran leadership provides important element

By: Paul Bretl 7/2/24

Entering his 10th NFL season, Preston Smith has quickly become the veteran on this Green Bay Packers football team, which for the second year in a row, could be the youngest in the NFL. In fact, at soon-to-be 32 years old, Smith is the only player on the 91-man roster who is over 30.

“It’s always the goal of mine to make Year 10 and now that I’m here,” said Smith during minicamp, “it’s always a goal to just keep on chopping. Keep on chopping at the wood and making sure that I keep on doing what it takes to stay here and I keep on doing what it takes to reach my own personal goals and to make sure that — because I’m so close to a lot of ’em — and I got so many opportunities and I still feel like I got so much ball left in me.

“I feel like I got a lot of gas left in the tank and I still have an opportunity to make big plays and play for a long time in this league.”

Smith signed with the Packers during the 2019 offseason after spending his first four seasons with Washington. He was a part of a spending spree that GM Brian Gutekunst went on during free agency, where he also added Za’Darius Smith, Billy Turner, and Adrian Amos.

During his tenure with the Packers, which is now going on Year 6, Smith’s experience, along with the example he sets day-in and day-out, has put him in a leadership role, one that he very much embraces. Following the Packers’ playoff loss to San Francisco, it was Smith, while the team was still in the 49ers’ locker room, that set the tone for the upcoming months, describing what a “championship offseason” looked like.

As he does, Smith led by example. He was a regular member of the Packers’ voluntary offseason programs, which began back in mid-April, and is something that certainly isn’t required for a player going on his 10th NFL season.

“Man, any guy in this locker room will tell you Preston is Preston,” said Rashan Gary. “Preston is the heartbeat, man. He’s going on 10 years. I’ve been with him my whole six years. Everybody feeds off him. When Preston talks, everybody be quiet and listen because when 10 years talk, he’s coming from experience and understanding. That’s what P brings, man, just a leader through in and through outs.”

One of the more impressive feats that Smith has accomplished in his career is that he’s been the dictionary definition of durable. Over his nine NFL seasons, Smith has missed only one game and is rarely even on the team’s injury report.

As Matt LaFleur said, to a degree with injuries, there can be some luck involved. However, this is also a testament to Smith’s work ethic Monday through Saturday to make sure he prepared for Sundays. As the old saying goes, a player’s best ability, is their availability.

“Just taking care of the little things,” said Smith. “The recovery, making sure I take care of my body, I put the right things in my body and I make sure that I don’t do anything to jeopardize my health and I make sure I stay on top of my recovery process and taking care of my body so I don’t have to miss those games.

“Of course being an older guy, they feel like you start to get fragile and it’s not like that. I’m like fine wine. I’m getting better with age, as we can see, and I’m just happy to be here. I’m just happy to work with these guys and I’m looking forward to this season and the things that’s going to come.”

After a down 2020 season, Smith has recorded between 8.0 and 9.0 sacks in each of the last three seasons, although his pressure production has varied during that timeframe, with him totaling 63 pressures in 2021, 42 pressures in 2022, and 52 pressures in 2023.

However, the shift to Jeff Hafley’s defensive play style and scheme should afford Smith and the rest of the defensive front more opportunities to be disruptive, thus resulting in more steady production.

There were the instances under Joe Barry that drew the ire of the Packers’ fan base, where Smith would find himself in coverage across from some of the game’s top wide receivers like Justin Jefferson or Davante Adams. However, as Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber detailed in an article, Smith’s extensive use in coverage was more of a myth than a fact.

The more impactful change under Hafley for Smith and the defensive front will be the shift from a two-gap defense to a one-gap system. Under Barry, the defensive front used a two-gap system, where the job of the defender was to read what the offensive line was doing and what was happening in the backfield, and then fill the more vulnerable gap that they were responsible for. In short, the pass rushers were often asked to read and then react.

In this new system, however, each defender is responsible for just one gap, and in short, the responsibility of each player is much more simple: get upfield and be as disruptive as possible.

“Finally, I’m out here rushing more,” said Smith, “and I get to get after the quarterback a whole lot more. I just love the system.

“It’s definitely fine detailing in his system,” added Smith. “Everybody has a role and everybody has a responsibility. Nobody gets a pass in no way or shape or form. Everybody has a responsibility in each call and anything. You kind of know the responsibility in the run game and the pass for everybody.”

The Packers laid a strong foundation during the offseason, as LaFleur put it, and right now the vibes and energy are high. Every player in that locker room certainly understands the opportunity that is in front of them this season–and that’s exciting.

While the infusion of youth into this roster last offseason was an integral part of the Packers’ quick turnaround in 2023, Smith’s veteran leadership is a very valuable element within the Green Bay locker room. Before the Packers can worry about the Super Bowl, the first step is making sure they return for training camp both mentally and physically ready to compete.

“We just go with that mindset that we feel like we’re the underdogs, so we’ve got to go out there and hunt,” Smith said. “You’ve got to earn the right to be hunted. Right now, finishing how we finished last year, we know there’s a lot of things we can improve on that we want to go past where we were at.

“We know this year we’re working on those things, guys getting comfortable in the system – new system on defense – guys working hard, working together, working with the coaches, coaches working with us. We’ve just going out there doing the best we can to make sure we start better than we left off.”

‘Big things’ ahead for Packers’ DE Rashan Gary with fully healthy offseason

By: Paul Bretl 6/24/24

The big difference for Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary this offseason compared to last isn’t that he’s adjusting to a new defensive scheme under Jeff Hafley. It’s that he’s fully healthy and able to work on his game rather than having to rehab.

“Man, it’s a blessing,” said Rashan Gary at his locker following the Packers’ second minicamp practice. “I remember when I first got back here, and I was talking to the training staff. I’m like, ‘I miss this. I actually miss this.’ Just having the offseason to do what I need to do, I worked on parts of my game I really didn’t have time to work on last year. It’s very important and very crucial for me, so now I’m just enjoying it and thankful to God.”

Gary suffered that ACL injury during Week 9 of the 2022 season. To the surprise of many, he was available for the Packers’ Week 1 matchup against Chicago to open up the 2023 season, roughly just 10 months removed from when the injury occurred.

Easing Gary back in, he was used in a rotational capacity for the first five games of the season, averaging just 21 snaps per contest during that span. However, Gary made the most of those opportunities, totaling eight pressures and leading the NFL with a pass rush win rate of a whopping 33.3 percent, meaning that every three snaps, he was beating the offensive lineman he was lined up against.

Realistically, there was no way that pace would be maintained over the course of a season, especially as Gary’s workload returned to normal capacity. Gary finished the season with 66 pressures, which ranked 20th among edge rushers, and he was 21st in pass-rush win rate.

Oftentimes, when players are working their way back from injuries, they’re almost playing catch up to a degree throughout the offseason and even into the season–trying to work their way back to where they were rather than having the opportunity to focus on specific aspects of their game in an effort to get ahead.

A year ago, Gary was working through the former, just trying to get healthy. Now, he is living in the latter, with a full offseason to continue perfecting his craft.

“I think that’ll be great for him because he’s coming in with the right mindset,” said Preston Smith about Gary. “He’s been doing a lot of great things and of course you see what he did last season. I think this season is to realize what he needed to work on last year and to fix coming off injury.

“This year, having a chance to be healthy through a whole offseason and to get ready for the season, I think it’s gonna be big for him. I’m expecting a lot of big things out of him.”

In part, Gary’s early season success last year was a product of the situations he was being put in. With him on a snap count, the Packers were strategically using him on obvious passing downs, where all he had to worry about was getting after the quarterback. Naturally, Gary won a high number of those reps–he’s just that good.

This new defense under Hafley should afford Gary and the rest of the Packers’ defensive front the opportunity to just go and get the football, which, as we’ve seen, Gary excels at.

“Attack, attack, attack,” said Gary of Hafley’s defense. “Aggressive and I’m loving it. Just pin your ears back and relax and play.”

Under former defensive coordinator Joe Barry, it was a two-gap system, where the job of the defensive front was to read what the offensive line was doing and what was happening in the backfield, and then fill the more vulnerable gap that they were responsible for.

In this system, however, each defender is responsible for just one gap, and in short, the responsibility of each player is much more simple: get upfield and be as disruptive as possible.

“I feel like just less things to have to think about,” added Gary. “Having a younger team. We have a lot of guys who can play fast but we just need them to not think so we cut off their brain a little bit and allow them to pin their ears back and go. I feel like up front that’s what they’re allowing us to do in this scheme.”

Overall, the Packers need more consistency from their pass rush unit in 2024. This was a group that ran very hot and cold last season.

While there were seven games where they pressured the quarterback on more than 45 percent of his dropbacks – which is excellent – there were also seven games where they had a pressure rate below 30 percent, and that’s the opposite of excellent.

On its own, Hafley’s defense should help with some of that heavy lifting when it comes to generating more pressures because of what it asks the defensive front to do. But another key element will be a fully healthy Gary, who was able to attack this offseason.

“I said it before, I’ll say it again,” said defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich, “he’s the best leader on our team. I mean, every day he comes to work, every day he’s encouraging. Any of you guys that have seen pre-practice when he’s out there, he’s constantly pulling somebody aside to talk to them. He’s the engine. He drives it. It’s what he does.

“So from a mentality standpoint, I don’t see any difference. Now, the good thing is, he’s had a full year of his injury that he’s come back from, and we’re taking it day by day just like anything else, and hopefully, we’re wishing for the best for him this upcoming season.”

Good vibes and energy help Packers lay strong foundation heading into training camp

By: Paul Bretl 6/21/24

The Green Bay Packers have entered their summer break before they report back for training camp in mid-July with the energy and vibes within the locker room and on the practice field quite high.

“Mr. Larry,” said Quay Walker in response to a question from Larry McCarren, “I’d be lying to you if I said we wasn’t because honestly, I done been on a championship team and I understand that it’s college and this is the NFL, but chemistry is there already and any time you have a team with chemistry, that’s a good, good sign.

“At the end of the day, we still gotta play football, but the chemistry is there and that’s all you could ask for right now, to be honest you.”

Following the Packers’ playoff loss to San Francisco last January, Preston Smith detailed the importance of this being a “championship offseason” for the team, meaning that everything each player does is very intentional and with one goal in mind–winning. What the Packers do in the months leading up to training camp sets the stage for how they perform in critical moments during the upcoming season.

“We’ve got to have a championship offseason,” said Smith back in January, “so everything rolls into the season because, at the end of the day, those games come back to following your training, trusting your technique, and trusting everything you worked hard for this offseason. Coming into this next season, we’ve got to focus on the things that we can improve on, make sure that our weaknesses are our strengths, and we improve on the things we’re good at.”

This Packers team knows the opportunity that is out there for them this upcoming season. It’s not only outside of the building that the expectations are high. That in itself can contribute to the energy and vibes in the building–it’s exciting to believe that you’re playing on a Super Bowl-caliber team.

One way that this enthusiasm and commitment to a championship offseason has shown through during this time of the year is with the Packers’ near-perfect, and at times perfect, attendance during OTAs, which are voluntary. Perhaps this seems like a small thing, but it’s not the norm around the NFL either.

Every player in that locker room knows what the end goal is this season, and this offseason showcased a team that is working as one cohesive unit to do everything they can to achieve it, cultivating the chemistry – and subsequently the vibes and energy – that Walker described.

“I think everybody is locked in,” said Xavier McKinney following the first OTA practice. “I think we understand. It’s good to because us being young as a team, we understand the talent that we have on this team and we do understand where we can take it if we work hard and do what we’re supposed to do day in and day out. I think that’s just a credit to these guys in this locker room. Like I said, everybody’s been great. Everybody’s came in every day with a great attitude and just ready to put the work in. I know it’s going to pay off for us.”

Optimism this time of the year runs rampant throughout the NFL. The Packers certainly aren’t the only team who are excited about the upcoming season. But with that said, these feelings are certainly justifiable.

During the Packers’ season-ending stretch, Jordan Love and the offense were operating as one of the best units in football. And now in Year 2 together, as good as this group looked at the end of last year, there is the potential for a jumping-off point with a full offseason to build off of what has already been established.

Defensively, change can help breathe new life into a unit, and that seems to be the sentiment that every player is feeling playing under Jeff Hafley and his coaching staff. ‘Run’, ‘hit’, and ‘aggressive’ are a few of the words that we keep hearing from players when they’re describing Hafley’s defense. Defenders are being asked to play fast and make plays–and they love it.

“You can tell the energy around the building from top to bottom is great,” said Rashan Gary, “especially on defense having a whole new staff, a whole new life. We’re loving it on defense.

“With the offense, man, I love their swagger. It’s not like last year at all. We come back, everybody work day in and day out. Like I told everybody to come back 1 percent better than what we were today when we left, we’re gonna be fine and where we want to be.”

All of this is great, but over the course of a long NFL season, eventually, the Packers are going to get punched in the mouth – it happens to every team – and they’ll have to respond. It’s in those moments that the offseason optimism can feel like a distant memory.

While it may never truly be known how a team is going to react in those situations until they face them, as Smith mentioned, the work that the Packers are putting in now will help guide them through those critical moments.

At the end of the day, there’s only so much that can be gleaned from this time of the year, and of course, what takes place in April, May, and June doesn’t guarantee success during the season. With that said, it’s also hard to envision this Packers team being in a better spot heading into training camp than where they’re at right now–and while that isn’t everything in the grand scheme of an NFL season, it does matter.

A strong foundation has been laid this offseason, however, the work is far from done. Each player needs to come back from this time off mentally and physically ready to endure what can be a grueling NFL season and build off of the energy and good vibes that have already been established.

“I think we’ve laid a good foundation,” said Matt LaFleur following the final minicamp practice, “and I think the guys the things that we stressed to these guys in terms of our communication, how close the connection can get, I think it’s a good start.

“But it really doesn’t matter once we come back to training camp. (Then) it’s about what we do moving forward. Again, it’s just the foundation. So, I feel really good about the group in there and hopefully throughout the course of these give weeks is you cannot come back the same player. You’ve got to come back better. You’ve got to come back in better shape, and you’ve got to come back better mentally.”

Matt LaFleur ‘really confident’ in Packers’ CB depth

By: Paul Bretl 6/19/24

From the outside looking in, the cornerback position for the Green Bay Packers could be one with some question marks coming into the upcoming season. However, internally, that isn’t how the Packers view things. In fact, Matt LaFleur really likes the depth of this unit.

“We’re going to play our best players,” said LaFleur during minicamp, “but like I said I think yesterday, I feel really, really confident with the group that we have and there’s going to be some unforeseen things that happen but luckily we’ve got a lot of depth, in particular at that position.”

This confidence in the cornerback position isn’t new, either. GM Brian Gutekunst’s approach to the draft, not taking a cornerback until the seventh round even when there was the opportunity to do so early on, told us that the Packers were bullish about this group.

The way that the offseason has unfolded has only added to that confidence. Jaire Alexander has parlayed his strong finish to the 2023 season into a highly productive offseason, where he’s been present throughout the offseason programs, providing leadership off the field and competitive fire on it.

“Ja’s been outstanding,” LaFleur said. “Again, he’s been here every day, shows up, great attitude, eager to learn, is out there competing with the guys, talking trash, which I love because I love just amping up that level of competition in a fun way. He’s never demeaning. I think he’s been a great teammate and been a great leader for us.”

One of the bigger positional battles that will take place during training camp will be for the starting cornerback spot opposite of Alexander. In the early going, it has been Eric Stokes taking those starting reps with Carrington Valentine as the secondary option.

How snaps will be divided between those two over the summer is still to be determined, or at least at this time, LaFleur wasn’t going to get into specifics, but the goal is to create competition, and the best player will play.

Valentine was challenged to put on weight this offseason and he rose to the occasion, arriving back to Green Bay with added weight and muscle. Valentine’s approach to the offseason has helped him stand out among the rest, as LaFleur put it, while adding that he’s got a “bright future.”

Stokes is now fully healthy with a plan in place to keep him on the field after visiting a hamstring specialist this offseason at UW-Madison with Christian Watson and he is as good as LaFleur has ever seen him.

“I think he’s as good as I’ve ever seen him,” said LaFleur during OTAs. “Both mentally and on the field. I want to temper the expectations with that, but I really mean that. He’s out there competing each and every day. He looks fully healthy. He’s doing a great job of challenging our wide receivers.

“He’s always in great faith. I think you see that personality is back. That’s tough on players when they’re going through an offseason not having opportunity to really build upon their bodies when you’re just focusing on rehabbing and getting healthy. He’s had a chance to really develop his body. He looks in great shape. I think the play says the same.”

With Keisean Nixon’s size, his willingness to help out in the run game, and his comfortability in man coverage, LaFleur likes his fit in Jeff Hafley’s defense as the nickel cornerback.

“He’s a big guy for the position; he’s 200 pounds or whatever,” LaFleur said. “His willingness to fit in the run fits, whether it’s an A-gap or B-gap, stick his nose in there and then also his ability to play man coverage.

“Certainly, there’s going to be some elements to our scheme that are going to be different. He’s going to have to learn the new scheme. He’s played in this style of system before with the Raiders when Gus Bradley was there. So, he’s familiar with some of the things that are going to be asked (of) him. But that was a big get for us to get him back, in my opinion.”

As far as depth goes, the Packers would re-sign Corey Ballentine, who lined up on the boundary last season but has been taking snaps in the slot during offseason programs, providing the secondary with a versatile option off the bench if needed. Green Bay also has Kalen King, seventh-round pick, who many considered a steal at that point in the draft.

Last season, the Packers’ defense ranked in the bottom half of the league in yards per pass attempt allowed and recorded the second-fewest interceptions with just seven. An important contributing factor to what hopefully becomes improved play this season will be Hafley’s defense.

The heavier use of press-man coverage suits the skill sets of this Packers’ cornerback room quite well, while Hafley’s vision-based approach for the back end should result in more opportunities to make plays on the football.

A number of Hafley’s former players and now many of his current ones on the Packers have praised him for his ability as a teacher to simplify the game plan, allowing the defenders to react rather than overthinking, and putting them in positions to be successful, where their individual strengths can shine.

“I love Jeff,” said Carrington Valentine. “He pushes us. He tells us the whys, the ins and outs. We’re just not going out there lining up. We’re understanding of why we’re doing stuff and I’m learning a lot.”

Optimism runs rampant through the NFL during this time of the year. It’s a time of hope across the league. However, at the end of the day, potential has to translate to production, or it doesn’t much matter.

With that said, the foundation that is laid during this time of the year can oftentimes provide a jumping-off point for training camp that, hopefully, carries into the regular season. It’s early, but the Packers’ cornerback room appears to be on that track.

“There’s a really good vibe right now, and I think that’s a great starting point,” said Hafley about the cornerback room in May. “We’re just installing our defense, and we have a long way to go, but you can’t ask for anything else, the way these guys have attacked it and how hard they’ve worked, and that’s just one group that it’s fun to watch right now. we’ll see. I think the competition is so important, right? It’s going to bring out the best in those guys and they’re going to get coached really well.”

Upcoming off-weeks ‘critical’ for Packers rookie LB Edgerrin Cooper

By: Paul Bretl 6/17/24

For the Green Bay Packers and the rest of the NFL, they’ve reached summer break, with players and coaches having the next five or so weeks to themselves before reconvening for training camp.

This is one last time for everyone involved to recharge their batteries before the grueling NFL season begins, but for the Packers’ rookies, particularly linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, this is a “critical” five-week stretch, as Matt LaFleur put it.

“I think he’s another guy that he’s going to have to build on what he’s already put out there,” said LaFleur during minicamp. “I think these five weeks are going to be absolutely critical for him in terms of not only the mental, but the physical and making sure he’s taking care of his body.”

From the time the college football season ends to the time that the incoming rookies arrive at the team facility, there is little break for them. Many participate in Collegiate All-Star games, then they make their way to Indianapolis for the NFL Combine, and there are Pro Days as well, not to mention the constant travel that comes with meeting with various teams as part of the pre-draft process.

Prospects are, of course, still training during those months, but the focus is on completing drills like the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, 3-cone, and other athletic testing events. However, there’s being in shape, and then there’s being in football shape.

“I think a lot of these guys after the draft process they’re not in the best physical condition because like Coop took a visit here,” LaFleur said. “I don’t know how many visits he had, but it’s a different style of training.

“You’re getting ready for the Combine, you’re trying to go run your fastest 40, the Underwear Olympics, if you will, and it’s different when you start playing ball. So I think this is a critical time for, in particular his case he’s got to keep building on the foundation that he’s laid and we expect him to come back even better and have a better knowledge base on what is required of him.”

Along with the physical side of things, the other part of the equation for Cooper is the mental side–specifically the playbook. As is the case for any incoming rookie, there is an adjustment to a new scheme and the speed of the NFL game.

This jump from college to the NFL is different for every player, but the linebacker position can come with a steep learning curve, given that these players are responsible for defending both the run and the pass and need to know where their teammates are going so they’re aware of any potential spacing that will need to be filled.

As LaFleur said, Cooper has laid the foundation during OTAs and minicam. Cooper would add that the final week of OTAs and the two minicamp practices are when things started to slow down for him. But in order to build off of what he’s done and to pick up where he’s left off when training camp arrives, as the defense goes through installs a second, third, and fourth time, he’ll need to keep his nose in the playbook during the off time to maximize those reps.

“You know, just going over your rules and even drawing stuff up and writing down what each guy got, and putting the puzzles together,” said Cooper when asked what staying in the playbook looks like. “Just quizzing yourself. The thing is going from there and then going back to your notes. It’s just all putting it all in your head so it’s all second nature.”

‘Run’ and ‘hit’ have been two words often used this offseason to describe what the Packers are searching for in their new defense under Jeff Hafley. In today’s NFL, the ability to run and shrink the field is a must at the linebacker position, along with running and hitting cultivating a specific type of play-style that the Packers want to have on the defensive side of the ball.

While we haven’t seen the hitting part take place yet with the pads not being on, Cooper’s 4.51-second speed has been on full display throughout the practices open to the media. His ability to move sideline-to-sideline with ease to limit outside runs, along with shooting gaps as a blitzer has been quite impressive.

“There was one play in particular today that I thought for sure we were going to get him on and he did a heck of a job with it,” said LaFleur. “And I was kind of teasing the coaches, did you preview him for that play? And they did not. So, that’s a credit to him and just how engaged he’s been and how locked in he’s been throughout the course of the offseason.”

As the Packers do with most of their rookies, they’ve been easing Cooper in. When in their base 4-3 defense, it was been Quay Walker in the middle with Isaiah McDuffie to his left and Eric Wilson to his right. Cooper then eventually takes over for Wilson. When the Packers are in nickel and have only two linebackers on the field, Cooper and McDuffie are both taking reps next to Walker.

Running and hitting is what Cooper does best. In regards to what the Packers are asking of him, he says there is not a lot of difference with what his responsibilities consisted of at Texas A&M. This is a defensive scheme where he can thrive and make an immediate impact.

Cooper is going to be a factor in the Packers’ defense this season, but in what capacity is likely still being ironed out, to some degree. How Cooper attacks the next five weeks will play an important role in him hitting the ground running during training camp and seizing the opportunity in front of him.

“I’m trying to come in and perform for my team,” said Cooper, “and doing what’s best for my team. So really just staying on the pedal and doing what I got to do. Staying in shape. Getting more shape. Staying in the playbook and doing everything I need to do.”