The final week of training camp got underway today and for all the players who didn’t even put on a uniform against the New York Jets last Saturday, all 32 of ’em, it was a day to get the muscles working again.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur said the return to practice was for the guys who didn’t play, giving those that did, a light start to a very important week.
They’ll all rev it up Tuesday, take a break Wednesday and have one more practice before they depart on Friday to Buffalo where the Packers will close the newly negotiated three game pre-season against the Bills.
The summer of Love resumes.
Jordan Love returned to Ray Nitschke Field today although he only took part in a few individual drills before re-joining the rehab group inside the Don Hutson Center, but at least it’s progress after suffering the shoulder injury in the exhibition opener against Houston. Also returning to practice were wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown and defensive tackle Tyler Lancster. Still on the sidelines were Devin Funchess, Chris Blair, Vernon Scott and Juwann Winfree. Two players who got nicked in the Jets game were also sidelined, safety Will Redmond and linebacker Ty Summers.
When the team periods began, the offensive guard shuffle continued at what’s now a dizzying pace. Rookie Royce Newman who started against the Jets, took his first reps at left guard with Lucas Patrick at right guard. During the second 11 on 11 period, they swapped sides. It’s anybody’s guess how the offensive line will look when the regular season begins in three, scant weeks.
LaFleur knows his starting offense hasn’t taken a snap in the first two pre-season games although they got some reps during last week’s join practices with the Jets. To keep pointing toward the first game that counts, LaFleur will run more move the ball periods with down to down personnel substitutions and red zone drives to at least simulate real game situations.
The move the ball period produced an Aaron Rodgers led touchdown drive but the two minute drill was won by the defense, stopping the offense at midfield.
It’s obviously a big week for the boys on the bubble and a couple of undrafted free agents got in front of reporters in the media auditorium after practice.
Safety Christian Uphoff never got called on draft weekend coming out of Illinois State but he did his research. He looked over recent Packer rosters and noticed how many undrafted rookies not only made the final 53, but became contributors. Linebacker Krys Barnes is the most recent example. That’s why he signed with the Packers hoping for a fair shot. He had one of the most eye opening special teams plays of camp in the Jets game, beating not one, but two gunners, getting knocked down and still making a tackle in punt coverage. He knows all about the numbers game and the odds he’s up against with four veterans above him on the depth chart. He just wants to make sure he catches the eye of coaches during every rep the rest of the week.
Then there’s defensive lineman Jack Heflin. He’s already been told enough, getting only three, walk on only offers to college after his prep career in northwestern Illinois. Close to the Iowa border, Heflin grew up a diehard Hawkeye fan and told his mother as a 150 pounder high schooler, “I’m going to play for Iowa.” Heflin rolled his eyes when describing his mother’s “Oh sure” reply. After a stint at Northern Illinois, Heflin entered the transfer portal and enrolled at Iowa and worked his way into the starting defensive line. When the phone didn’t ring on draft weekend, he reached out to the Packers and defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, another former Hawkeye, and after a zoom session, felt really comfortable about keeping his NFL dream alive with the Packers. So far so good. Montgomery likens Heflin to Tyler Lancaster, another undrafted free agent who worked his way into the defensive line rotation. Matter of fact, Heflin says the D-line room is already like family. Lancaster’s grandparents live in his hometown and Dean Lowry, like Tyler a Northwestern grad, had a sister who played club volleyball with Heflin’s girlfriend. Small world but a big chore awaits for Heflin to earn a spot on the 53 but he, like every other player on the bubble says he can control only what he can control and that’s to keep trying to get better.
The roster has to be down to 80 players by Tuesday afternoon and General Manager Brian Gutekunst made three moves on Monday. The first was the most surprising, waiving linebacker Kamal Martin. Last year’s 5th round pick out of Minnesota looked to be headed for a starting role next to Christian Kirksey a year ago in camp until he got hurt. That allowed Barnes to step up and grab the job. Martin entered the covid protocol and was never much of a factor even with snaps late in the year. This camp, it just wasn’t happening and he had several physical and mental errors in the Jets game that led the Packers to cut him loose.
Also waived was tight end Daniel Crawford who signed with the team when they were light at the position with Josiah Deguara and Dominique Dafney working through injuries.
Finally, Gutekunst traded third year cornerback Ka’dar Hollman to the Houston Texans, reportedly for a 7th round pick in 2022. Hollman was a sixth round pick from Toledo in 2019 and just couldn’t crack the rotation at corner. With Jaire Alexander, Kevin King, Chandon Sullivan and this year’s draft picks Eric Stokes and Shemar Jean-Charles, not to mention Kabion Ento, Hollman’s chances to return were slim. The Packers will actually get the pick Houston received along with wide receiver Anthony Miller in a pre-camp trade with the Chicago Bears. The Miller acquisition led the Texans to offer up Randall Cobb back to the Packers in another deal. Considering Kylin Hill’s strong showing as this year’s 7th round pick, the Packers did well to get something for a player who was headed to the waiver wire.
