Packers Mini Camp Report

[MickeyDavis]

MM's presser after day 1

On Jolly: Great to have him back. On a limited practice, just being smart. ...It's great to have him back."

On the hold-up: Johnny Jolly's situation was clearly going through the process, a program he was involved in. It just takes time.

Expectations for him: The biggest thing for Johnny Jolly is just to be one of the 90. That's the way I want to go about. In the locker room, make sure he has the support he needs -- not football-wise. ...We just want to give him back into regularity and get back into the horse and start riding again.

On if there was any hesitation in giving him this chance: Not at all. ...If an individual can do it, I believe Johnny Jolly is that man. The toughness, the drive, the passion. This is more about life and second chances. We feel that he's gone through the necessary rehabilitation to get to this spot. I'm excited to give him this opportunity.

On how teammates welcomed him back: That's really a question for him. I don't hang out with them in the locker room.

On Shields/CB situation: Great to have Sam back. On similar plan with limited reps. It's a very competitive position along with a lot of positions. This is about installations, getting scheme in. We have time for the competition and everything to sort itself out.

On having guys here: It's very important. Not only for the player, but for the team. You always want your players here. It's a great opportunity.

On kicking competition: We'll stay with the plan we had today. Balance it out with those guys.


On teaching guys how to practice, seen improvement: Yes I have. ...Haven't seen grabbing jerseys. Frankly some of it is missed assignments. That has improved every week.

On the new-look OL: Really the offensive live, you'll probably have to ask me that question again in training camp. It's the footwork. ...I have all the confidence in the world in Josh and Bryan. Everything looks pretty good to me.

On Finley: Jermichael has looked excellent. He's put weight back on, back to where I'd like to see him. Playing with a lot of confidence:

On injuries: Guys are progressing, That's where we are.

[Asher]

On sandwiches: They're good. We like them.

On oxygen: It's there. It's breathable.

early june packers news...

[MickeyDavis]

Not much changes from OTA's to minicamp. It's football in May, in June. The real football doesn’t begin until the pads come on in August. So, everyone, please keep perspective with everything this time of year.

OK. With that disclaimer out of the way, here are some thoughts and observations from Tuesday's minicamp practice...

--- Jerron McMillian is starting to play on instincts. Yes, it's cliche. Every second-year player will say they're doing less thinking and more reacting. Still, McMillian's play so far in Year 2 supports such rhetoric. During 7-on-7 -- always a pass-happy drill that favors the offense -- McMillian broke on an Aaron Rodgers bullet to tight end Jermichael Finley over the middle for a deflection. During an 11-on-11 segment, he blitzed off the edge for a would-be sack.

At safety, the competition between McMillian and M.D. Jennings next to Morgan Burnett is going to be tight. Barring injury, I'd be surprised if Green Bay signed any of the veteran safeties still on the market.

--- The kicking competition between Mason Crosby and Giorgio Tavecchio is underway. The Packers tried to simulate some pressure at Tuesday's practice with the two kicking back and forth from 38, 43 and 50 yards. Both Crosby and Tavecchio made all three of their kicks --- and Tavecchio's 50-yarder would have been good from 60. The left-footer can boom it.

Mike McCarthy said this is the format they'll use in the future.

It's going to come down to consistency over an extended period of time.

"It was good to kick today," McCarthy said. "They kicked very well today, so we’re going to probably just stay with the plan we had today as far as balancing it out and let those guys a) get used to the protection and obviously Tim (Masthay) and Mason and Brett (Goode) have the history there, but we’ll just stay on the same plan we followed today."

--- Worth noting that Randall Cobb is one of Green Bay's best practice players. There's a reason Aaron Rodgers is always quick to compliment the wide receiver. Since his first training camp out of the lockout, Cobb has been turning heads at practice. On Tuesday, he had several receptions. Cobb hauled in a deep(ish) ball from Rodgers on a flag route inside the safety and had a pair of touchdowns in red zone work.

--- During McCarthy's press conference, asked the coach if there was any hesitation in bringing Johnny Jolly back.

His answer? "Not at all. None whatsoever."

For more on Jolly, check out Lori Nickel's post earlier today.

--- James Starks got some work with the No. 1 offense. It's not a huge surprise to see Alex Green and Starks --- the two longest-tenured running backs --- getting a lot of work in so far. But the fact that Starks is getting touches with the first team does suggest coaches will give him a fair shot this summer. After Green Bay drafted Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin, many assumed Starks was good as gone.

Instead, it appears he's getting a chance to stick around.

On Tuesday, Starks took a screen pass from Rodgers, meandered through traffic, dipped his shoulder to freeze a defender and accelerated upfield. Yet there were some lowlights, too. Starks also fumbled twice during practice. Overall, running backs coach Alex Van Pelt has been impressed with Starks.

"He's had a great camp," Van Pelt said. "I've been really proud of the way he's worked. He just puts his helmet on every day, goes out and does his job. Today was a rough one. We'll get that straightened out. But he has shown up in this camp."

--- McCarthy doesn't talk about injuries during OTA's and minicamp. But of note, wide receiver Jarrett Boykin did not practice Tuesday. He had suffered an injury during last week's open OTA session. And today, outside linebacker Dezman Moses left the field midway through practice. His calf was wrapped up.

For those asking, Desmond Bishop (hamstring) continued to sit out also, but did do conditioning work off to the side.

The following did not participate: Boykin, Bishop, WR Kevin Dorsey, RB DuJuan Harris, CB Davon House, S Sean Richardson, T J.C. Tretter, T Derek Sherrod, DL Josh Boyd, DL Jerel Worthy.

--- One other point Rodgers made in our Q&A was that it was smart for coaches to make the changes along the offensive line on day one. They could adjust immediately. A few weeks in the books, so far, so good, the Packers say.

"Obviously with Josh and Bryan moving together, they've played a lot of football next to each other and the same thing can be said for Marshall and I," right guard T.J. Lang said. "We've all played a lot of football together. That's easier, just knowing how those combo blocks work when you're with a guy that you've done it 100 times next to. It's just a matter of really flipping the switch in your mind that you're on the right side now instead of the left side.

"It takes a little bit of time. I think we've moved past most of those hiccups."

Added McCarthy: "Josh and Bryan and even on the other side T.J.’s played every position, so it’s not as big of an adjustment for him. Marshall in his younger days has played more right side. But I have all the confidence in the world Josh and Bryan will get their footwork down and this is the time to do it. But it looks pretty good to me."

[emunney]

McMillianaire!

[Newz]

McMillianaire!

Our secondary has a chance to be ridiculous.

[Godgers]

Just cut Crosby and Starks already. Why take carries away from our 2 rookies that are the present and future.

[emunney]

I also think they should stop giving Crosby RB reps.

[Ill-yasova]

I also think they should stop giving Crosby RB reps.

I'd resign John Ryan and give him ALL THE REPS at RB.

[BUCKnation]

Couldnt be much worse than Kuhn.

[eagle13]

Crosby has OLB written all over him

[jimmybones]

I also think they should stop giving Crosby RB reps.

[Reddeye]

Emptying most of my notebook after two days at Green Bay Packers minicamp:

Mike Neal is the biggest outside linebacker I've seen, an observation probably enhanced by his habit of rolling up jersey sleeves to expose his arms. In team drills, Neal was matched up a number of times on new left tackle Bryan Bulaga and looked comfortable rushing from a two-point stance. I don't think anyone knows if Neal can drop back in coverage and I'm not sure the Packers intend to find out. His role could settle as a designated pass-rusher in certain schemes. Asked for his impressions of Neal, outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene said: "He's going to be a heck of a pass-rusher screaming off the corner, I know that. It just gives [defensive coordinator Dom Capers] more options as far as that goes."
Bulaga didn't look uncomfortable at left tackle, his college position at Iowa, but this week was a good reminder of the significance of what the Packers are attempting by flipping their guards and tackles this year. While Bulaga is the key to the changes, his presumably smooth transition won't matter if new left guard Josh Sitton, right guard T.J. Lang and right tackle Marshall Newhouse can't follow suit. "It's going good," Sitton said, "but it's something that's going to take time. For me, it's going to take time." Newhouse got most of the first-team snaps at right tackle that I saw. I'll have more on Bulaga later this summer.
There is no evidence that a true competition will materialize for the No. 2 quarterback's job behind starter Aaron Rodgers. Third-stringer B.J. Coleman hasn't done anything to challenge incumbent Graham Harrell. Coach Mike McCarthy offered this polite assessment of Coleman: "Yeah, he's getting better. He's improved. I just want to see him play an actual game out. He needs to play."
It was a bit concerning to see outside linebacker Nick Perry still wearing a brace on the injured wrist that ended his rookie season. But McCarthy said: "I would think if training camp was tomorrow, he would be ready." Perry appeared to be a full participant regardless, and his spring performance has reinforced the Packers' belief that he will take a big pass-rushing leap in 2013. "He looks so much smoother and athletic than he did as a rookie," McCarthy said. "A lot of that is the transition he was making. Nick is a powerful man." I'll have more on Perry, with comments from Greene, later this summer.
Rookie Datone Jones was drafted as a 3-4 end, and at 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, he looks like one. So it was interesting to see him lining up at tackle in the Packers' nickel. The Packers haven't had that big of an interior disruptor in a while. "That's one of my biggest attributes: being scheme versatile," Jones said. "When coaches put me in a position, I think I can make plays there."
Randall Cobb seems the likeliest candidate to be the Packers' top receiver in 2013, but he was still working in the return game this week as well. McCarthy has said he prefers to take Cobb off of special teams, but he said this week that the final decision rests with Cobb's teammates. Someone will have to step up to the role before Cobb is officially relieved of his duties.

[chuckleslove]

2 months from today, first preseason game.

[eagle13]

We're going to have a phenomenal pass rush.
Clay Neal Perry from outside
Jones Raji Daniels (& Bishop?) up inside

With quality 2ndary & Jones as cover LB - our pass defense looks to be top 3.

[trwi7]

OT but the Bears traded Carimi to Tampa for a 6th.

[MickeyDavis]

With four practices remaining until the Green Bay Packers' summer break, coach Mike McCarthy said this was one of the best assimilation of his rookies and first-year players with the veterans.

"In all my years here, I think this is clearly one of the better integrations of a young group into a football team," McCarthy said Tuesday.

First-round draft pick Datone Jones has looked impressive at defensive end. Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin already have pushed the competition at running back. Young receivers like Myles White are grabbing passes and learning from veterans. Jordan Miller aims to be the top nose tackle behind Ryan Pickett.

Practice hasn't always gone smoothly but that isn't the point right now.

"This team has a different edge to it, a higher sense of urgency than I can recall," said McCarthy, who is in his eighth year leading the Packers. "I don't know how to measure it and put it on a scale each year. Maybe it's my higher sense of urgency.

"I feel the leadership of this football team is a very consistent and steady (in) personality as far as the everyday work. We haven't had the big swings, the highs and lows, that are normal during this time of year. I walk off the field pretty much every day feeling that there was a lot of quality work that had been done."

The whole team is in Green Bay the rest of the week for organized team activities. Then the rookies remain next week for a strength and conditioning primer and meetings with director of player development Rob Davis before their rookie symposium. McCarthy said he didn't have set expectations for things like the running game. He was giving more of a big-picture assessment of his team.

"These workouts are great — they're a teaching, educational part of developing your football team," said McCarthy. "We have to get in pads to find out what's real and what's perception. We'll be better, I promise you that. Big letters."

Rodgers on Jones: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been very cautious this offseason about not praising anyone too much. The team is not in full-contact practice and he's seen too many players who look good now fade in training camp.

But he broke away from that Tuesday when talking about Jones.

"I'm very confident that guys like Datone Jones are going to look even better in pads," said Rodgers. "He's had a great spring, he's been everything we were hoping for."

Shields absent: Cornerback Sam Shields missed practice due to personal reasons, according to McCarthy.

"He has some things back home he's dealing with," said McCarthy.

Progress at backup QB: Last week McCarthy said his backup quarterback, Graham Harrell, came back from off-season work in better shape. He's not the only one who has seen improvement. So has Rodgers.

"Graham's done a great job," said Rodgers. "I look at him as being in the same spot that Matt Flynn was in when Flynn was in his last year with us. It means more to him to be successful every day in practice. You saw just a slight shift with Matt, and it was no surprise when Matt got a chance to play how well he played."

Harrell has been working patiently with some of the mistakes and do-overs that have been happening in OTAs.

"Did we get 1 yard, did we get 10 yards?" said Harrell. "Sometimes it's hard to say."

Harrell said he worked with his usual trainer, but the goal wasn't to trim down to a certain body fat percentage or anything similar. It is to work out most efficiently.

"It's not like we're sitting there doing pushups or doing situps seeing if we can get a six-pack," said Harrell. "He calls it functional core. When you're standing up, you're spinning medicine balls, or doing them in circles. You're still getting core but you're also working the rest of your body."

RBs battle: Franklin is roommates with fellow rookie running back Lacy. They knew each other a little bit from the scouting combine in February, but they have very different backgrounds. Franklin is Californian, Lacy is from Alabama. They have different tastes in music. Franklin has clean-cut hair; Lacy wears his long.

"But at the end of the day, I feel like I've known him for years," said Franklin. "We don't have to get along — but we do. It's good. Of course we're all competing for the job."

Franklin said they push each other to study the playbook more or to work harder in the weight room.

"Or even patting each other on the back for making a play," said Franklin.

"Eddie is a bigger back, he can bring some power in the run game," said Rodgers. "Johnathan, he's a shifty guy, he's got some moves in the open field, he's a potentially three-down back. It gives us an interesting backfield look."

Both backs have had their good moments, as long as that assessment is taken in the proper context of being a June practice. Franklin looks the part in the agility drills. He has light, quick feet that float over obstacles.

It shows what he can do — like the highlights of him running along the sideline against Nebraska last year when he played for UCLA.

"I've got a long way to go. I'm confident. But...we're in helmets. And pajamas," said Franklin. "I haven't done nothing yet, I haven't proven myself, I haven't paid my dues."