Packers Rookie Camp

[MickeyDavis]

Begins today, hopefully they'll be some snippets of news to keep us going

Last year at this time, the Packers had most of their rookies signed to contracts, but this year progress has been a little slower.

It's not a big deal though, especially when you consider most rookie deals didn't get done until the week before training camp before the rookie wage scale was instituted two years ago.

Rookie camp began today and officially the Packers had not signed any of their 11 picks.

But they have reached an agreement with sixth-round pick Nate Palmer, an outside linebacker from Illinois St., and were close on several other deals, according to several sources. It wouldn't be surprising if they had all but a couple of deals done before the rookie camp ended on Sunday.

Rookies who aren't signed generally agree to injury agreements with the team that protects if they were to get hurt during practice or working out at the team's facility.

We'll post word of the agreements as they become available.

[Wilford Brimley]

Tyler Dunne ‏@TyDunne now
McCarthy: Pease from Kansas State jumped out on a run. Was a big-time cut. Thought it was Eddie Lacy. There are things you look for.

[MickeyDavis]

Here is a summary of Packers coach Mike McCarthy's comments following the first practice of the three-day rookie orientation this weekend:
•First impression is that we're off to a good start. But there were some rough spots. A bunch of players had travel issues. But got started on time. Today they had introductions to the facilities.
•Were a little bit ahead compared to last year.
•Eddie Lacy is very smooth. You can see things he did in Alabama. Comfort in the inside and outside zone. I'm glad he's there.
•B.J. Coleman was a cut above rest of the players, but should be given it's his second year. Had command in the huddle and where he should throw the football. Based on what I saw I was pleased.
•It's about 40-50% orientation, the rest is football. It's important players understand the responsibilities they have and way they conduct themselves around the facility and the community. Today was tough because they don't get to football until 4 p.m. Had some guys tightening up during practice. Covered a lot of things in orientation, basic things like how you get in the building.
•Told players that 60% of the team is sixth and seventh round draft picks and that the Packers are a draft and develop team but also undrafted and develop team.
•Have a video tape of history and tradition of organization. "It gets me every time we watch it."
•Evaluation process with tryout guys began while players were in college and then continues over three days. Need to have three good practices. This practice isn't just to look at draft picks.
•There will be some players who stand out. Angelo Pease from Kansas State made a big-time cut today. "I thought it was Eddie Lacy, to be honest."
•Not playing positions today on the offensive line.
•J.C.Tretter has been looked as a center, but we're not going to make any decisions today.
•Johnathan Franklin, it's very natural for him. Looking forward to seeing him catch punts. He didn't get a chance to do that today.
•Datone Jones hit the lottery because terminology here is just like it was at UCLA.
•Schedule with veterans was different this year so there were more around the building than there normally would. Had practice this morning with veterans. I like this format better than last year.

[MickeyDavis]

It’s possible that Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin will share the Packers’ No. 1 halfback position this season.

For now, however, the only thing they’re sharing is unfamiliarity with their new surroundings and a hotel room.

Lacy and Franklin will hit the field with the rest of the rookies at 4 p.m. today, officially starting the clock on their respective careers. Lacy, the second-round pick from Alabama, and Franklin, the fourth-round pick from UCLA, are going to be competing for time well past opening day of the regular season.

"It's great,” Franklin said inside the Packers’ locker room prior to practice. “Competition is going to bring out the best in you. We're definitely going to find out what kind of men we are and what kind of athletes we are. So I'm excited to compete with Eddie and learn from Eddie and get better with him as well."

Lacy said meeting Franklin isn’t that different than meeting the guys he eventually competed with when he first walked on the Alabama campus.

“I mean, we’re all friends,” Lacy said. “We’re roommates in the hotel, we talk. But we’re going to have to compete. It’s just like when you’re in college, you get there, you meet the other running backs, you’re all friends but you have to compete. It’s no different here.”

By virtue of his college resume, Lacy would appear to be the frontrunner for the starting job, but as anyone who has watched the NFL knows, sometimes the higher pick isn’t always the better player.

Franklin admits that he has his hands full competing with Lacy. He knows what he’s up against just based on what he has seen on television.

“Everybody wanted to watch Alabama when they had the chance,” Franklin said. “Eddie, he's a great player. I'm excited to be on the same team with him. I expect to learn from him and I expect to teach him a little bit."

After the rookie camp, both Lacy and Franklin will remain in Green Bay with the veterans for the off-season program. It’s then they’ll get a better idea of what the competition level is like in the NFL.

[eagle13]

•B.J. Coleman was a cut above rest of the players, but should be given it's his second year. Had command in the huddle and where he should throw the football. Based on what I saw I was pleased.

•Told players that 60% of the team is sixth and seventh round draft picks and that the Packers are a draft and develop team but also undrafted and develop team.

•Johnathan Franklin, it's very natural for him. Looking forward to seeing him catch punts. He didn't get a chance to do that today.

•Datone Jones hit the lottery because terminology here is just like it was at UCLA.

I expect Coleman to beat out graham - imagine we all do.

60% of team 6th or 7th rdrs? Man either MM doesn't know his team or he exagerates to motivate late picks. I count no more 10 at most.

Did Franklin return punts in college?

Jones should progress even faster w/ same terminology. Great!

[Newz]

Really excited for this draft/UDFA class.

[BigDee]

Can't wait till the season starts.

[MickeyDavis]

Green Bay -- Eddie Lacy dropped a pass and tripped over a tight end. Johnathan Franklin didn't do anything out of the ordinary.

Now, Angelo Pease, that's another story.

If you had said ahead of time that Pease, an undrafted free agent from Kansas State, would be the running back who would stand out during the Green Bay Packers' rookie orientation this weekend, no one would have believed you.

Lacy might be a BCS title game hero and Franklin is UCLA's all-time leading rusher, but the 5-foot-10, 215-pound Pease had the run of the day during the two-hour workout Friday inside the Don Hutson Center.

Running up the middle, Pease made a hard cut right into a developing hole and burst up the field for a big gain.

"That's a big time cut," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after practice. "Frankly, I thought it was Eddie Lacy, the way he dropped his weight and hit the hole. Those are things we're looking for."

It was just one run during one practice on a day when barely anyone knew what plays they were running, but little things like that stand out, and Pease definitely drew some attention with that run.

He didn't carry the ball that much in Kansas State's spread offense, so it's possible he's more capable than some scouts thought.

Nevertheless, the spotlight remains on Lacy and Franklin, who some media has speculated will lift the Packers offense to new heights. It's fitting that they are rooming together in the team hotel this weekend because their paths will be interwoven as the season moves forward.

"It's great," Franklin said inside the Packers' locker room before practice. "Competition is going to bring out the best in you. We're definitely going to find out what kind of men we are and what kind of athletes we are.

"So I'm excited to compete with Eddie and learn from Eddie and get better with him as well."

Lacy, the higher of the two draft picks, arrives with a lot of fanfare given his big year at Alabama. But he also faces questions about his durability and conditioning, two issues that might have resulted in him lasting until the 61st pick in the draft.

At first sight, the 5-11, 229-pound Lacy looks like a fullback, but the Packers liked him because he's quick and agile and has showed he can be an effective receiver. It almost certainly isn't worth evaluating him until he puts the pads on and has a chance to run through some tackles.

McCarthy wasn't concerned as much about the stumble and drop on a swing pass or the tumble to the ground on an off-tackle run as he was getting a live look at Lacy's talents.

"He definitely is very smooth," McCarthy said. "You can see the things particularly in the run game that he did at Alabama. He was obviously very well coached there and his comfort in the inside-, outside-zone footwork, I think that was my first impression watching him in the team run and in the running back ball-handling drills. I'm glad he's here."

As for Franklin, McCarthy wasn't making any spot evaluations other than to say the UCLA back looked to be the same guy he showed on film.

"I'm excited to watch him catch some punts tomorrow," McCarthy said. "Just because of the way the practice was structured today he did not have any opportunity to catch punts. But I think he's an excellent fit for us."

Now, he just needs to find out a little bit more about Pease.

Signed up: For the second year in a row, the Packers made a huge dent in signing their draft choices before the rookies even stepped out on the field.

By the afternoon, nine of the 11 draft picks had signed contracts.

The only two who had yet to sign were first-round pick Datone Jones and Lacy, a second-round selection. Typically, the contracts of the highest picks take the longest because the Packers may want them structured one way and the agent another.

Jones and Lacy were able to practice without risk because of injury protection agreements.

Ever since the NFL instituted a rookie wage scale, getting rookie contracts done has been a breeze for most clubs. There is very little wiggle room in how much increase there is from one year to another, so the two sides don't spend months waiting for one side to break.

All contracts are four years except that a club-option fifth year can be added onto a first-round pick's deal.

Terms of each contract weren't available, but Franklin's deal was worth a little more than $2.5 million, according to a source.

Second thoughts: Illinois State and Greendale native Ben Ericksen had agreed to sign with the Packers as an undrafted free agent, but it appears a medical issue resulted in the team not signing him.

A source familiar with the situation said Ericksen did not pass the physical but did not give specifics. A phone message left for Ericksen was not returned.

Old college try: The odds of making it are tough enough for an undrafted free agent lucky enough to sign a deal with a club, but when you're among 27 players invited to a three-day camp on a tryout basis, the degree of difficulty increases immensely.

However, it's not impossible.

Receiver Jarrett Boykin got an invitation last year, was signed to the 90-man off-season roster and then consistently stood out in training camp, forcing his way onto the team.

The Packers have 84 players on their roster, so they have room to add six from the tryout list if they choose.

Among the tryout players who stood out was receiver Tyrone Walker of Illinois State, who made a very difficult catch during an individual drill and then showed the best hands of the dozen or more players who were given shots at fielding punts.

The 5-11, 200-pound Walker led the Redbirds with 90 receptions for 1,319 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

He was one of three Illinois State players inside the Don Hutson Center, joining sixth-round linebacker Nate Palmer and undrafted free agent quarterback Matt Brown. Ericksen would have been the fourth from that program.

Lost in the woods: Cornerback Micah Hyde was on the golf course when the Packers called to tell him they had drafted him in the fifth round.

He was so excited that when he got off the phone with the Packers, he started throwing things.

"I just threw my phone up in the air, threw my clubs, threw the balls in the water, and just started going through everybody's fairway back to the clubhouse," he said. "If anyone wants some golf clubs, there's probably a whole bunch out there."

Cap and gown: Nose tackle Gilbert Pena, an undrafted free agent from Mississippi, took part in the initial segments of the rookie orientation but not the practice.

It turns out he had a pretty meaningful event to attend: his graduation. Pena was excused to attend and is expected back for the start of off-season training on Monday or possibly earlier.

[emunney]

Looks like they've got another WR to CB project in Brandon Smith, who they're listing at CB but who played WR at ASU and went undrafted in 2011. 6-1 202 and ran a 4.39 with a 40" vertical and a 6.71 3 cone at his pro day.

[emunney]

Tryout OG Ryan Clanton (Oregon) benched 225 lbs 42 times at his pro day.

[emunney]

Tryout DT Castro Masaniai ran a 5.7 (!) 40 and was arrested for beating/kidnapping his girlfriend from a McDonald's in 2011:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/1 ... 62458.html

[emunney]

Looks like they've got another WR to CB project in Brandon Smith, who they're listing at CB but who played WR at ASU and went undrafted in 2011. 6-1 202 and ran a 4.39 with a 40" vertical and a 6.71 3 cone at his pro day.

Smith, Tyrone Walker (WR, ISU), Jonathan Amosa (FB, Washington) signed to the 90 man thus far.

[Kerb Hohl]

This Smiff guy seems intriguing.

[Ill-yasova]

Lane Taylor gets the highest signing bonus of any undrafted rookie. I don't know much about him, but his size is great and I really like this quote.

Taylor, 23, played in 50 games and made 47 starts for the Cowboys. A first-team all-Big 12 selection by both the coaches and media, Taylor started all 24 games at right guard over his final two seasons and did not allow a sack.

http://www.packersnews.com/article/20130517/PKR0101/130517054/Green-Bay-Packers-OL-Lane-Taylor-gets-top-bonus-among-undrafted-rookies

[Bucksfans1and2]

Lane Taylor gets the highest signing bonus of any undrafted rookie. I don't know much about him, but his size is great and I really like this quote.

Taylor, 23, played in 50 games and made 47 starts for the Cowboys. A first-team all-Big 12 selection by both the coaches and media, Taylor started all 24 games at right guard over his final two seasons and did not allow a sack.

http://www.packersnews.com/article/20130517/PKR0101/130517054/Green-Bay-Packers-OL-Lane-Taylor-gets-top-bonus-among-undrafted-rookies

I actually had him on my UDFA watch list. He really impressed me when I was first breaking down Joseph Randle, their FB also was pretty impressive if I remember my notes and their other Guard wasn't bad either.

[Ill-yasova]

Lane Taylor gets the highest signing bonus of any undrafted rookie. I don't know much about him, but his size is great and I really like this quote.

Taylor, 23, played in 50 games and made 47 starts for the Cowboys. A first-team all-Big 12 selection by both the coaches and media, Taylor started all 24 games at right guard over his final two seasons and did not allow a sack.

http://www.packersnews.com/article/20130517/PKR0101/130517054/Green-Bay-Packers-OL-Lane-Taylor-gets-top-bonus-among-undrafted-rookies

I actually had him on my UDFA watch list. He really impressed me when I was first breaking down Joseph Randle, their FB also was pretty impressive if I remember my notes and their other Guard wasn't bad either.

Great size and production on the college level. Why did he slip out of the draft anyway?

[Bucksfans1and2]

Lane Taylor gets the highest signing bonus of any undrafted rookie. I don't know much about him, but his size is great and I really like this quote.

http://www.packersnews.com/article/20130517/PKR0101/130517054/Green-Bay-Packers-OL-Lane-Taylor-gets-top-bonus-among-undrafted-rookies

I actually had him on my UDFA watch list. He really impressed me when I was first breaking down Joseph Randle, their FB also was pretty impressive if I remember my notes and their other Guard wasn't bad either.

Great size and production on the college level. Why did he slip out of the draft anyway?

Guards in that system are a bitch to evaluate and a lot of what they do doesn't really translate to the pro game.

[emunney]

I think the one clip of him I saw was him just bulldozing somebody from one side of the line to the other on a goal line run. Cleared out a hole 10 feet wide.