Packers 2016: First Week of Training Camp In The Books

While the Green Bay Packers had their annual Family Night scrimmage over the weekend, and it's always impressive to see the fans come out in such huge numbers for a practice, it doesn't tell you anything (yet) about the players. Maybe Jared Abbrederis was impressive and maybe Davante Adams wasn't. But it doesn't matter until you see them play in a preseason game, and maybe it doesn't even matter then if someone like Adams is already penciled in as the starter by the coaches and isn't being asked to do much during the preseason.

So far, the good news is that the Packers have few injuries. And while some players are out, it gives other players a chance to prove themselves. Both WR Jordy Nelson and Ty Montgomery are on the PUP list (so that's provided Abbrederis more practice time). Also, LB Sam Barrington is on the PUP list (though I still expect him to become the starter when he's ready) and his absence has given rookie LB Blake Martinez a big opportunity:

Blake Martinez making good impression, on track for a big role in #Packers' defense https://t.co/KUU2UZwcM4 pic.twitter.com/KphGBP0oaY

— Packers News (@PGPackersNews) August 2, 2016

It might be a little bit concerning that Barrington is still unable to practice but we don't know all that's gone on with him over the past year during rehab. Maybe it's still precautionary and nothing more. Though it's a little surprising that Martinez has seemed to have moved ahead of LB Jake Ryan, or maybe the coaches know what they have in Ryan and want to see what Martinez can do. None of them are going to be mistaken for Luke Kuechly but at least the Packers have options and it looks like they found a good player in Martinez.

It's super early, there hasn't been any real football played yet that can truly evaluate the players, and they don't play their first preseason game until next Sunday, August 7. I'm glad the season is getting closer but I'm not jumping to any conclusions yet.

Packers Beat Saints On Thursday and Set Their 53 Man Roster on Saturday

Few projected starters took the field for the Green Bay Packers last Thursday against the Saints, and those that did see the field like DE Mike Daniels weren't there for long. It was the QB Brett Hundley show again as the Packers have found a NFL starting QB in the 5th round but I'm not sure if anyone played well enough on Thursday to have changed the team's mind.

Abbrederis, Thornton, R. Neal, Bradford headline #Packers cuts to 53-man limit. Blog: http://t.co/Uuqk6bRoDZ pic.twitter.com/ithwGtRe96

— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) September 5, 2015

WR Ty Montgomery didn't take the field against the Saints which looked like a sign that he had the No. 3 job locked up, that was until the Giants released WR James Jones. He hasn't been gone for long and should step right back in. Plus he's been working this year with former Packer coach Ben McAdoo in New York. Though Janis catches a TD pass in almost every preseason game, he also vanishes for stretches and does drop a pass or two. White is a handy emergency receiver who's familiar with the system but he has either a drop or penalty in every game. I love Abbrederis's game, but he had a fumble in his only preseason game played (ball security in the preseason is huge) and he hasn't been healthy over the last two years.

They keep nine offensive lineman. OL Don Barclay and Josh Walker led everyone in snaps played this preseason, but neither of them was very good. At times, as many as four starting lineman were out with injuries, so this might have to do more with keeping depth than quality.

RB Alonzo Harris stays, RB Rajion Neal is released. I'm a little surprise that either of them were kept. It had to help Harris that he's a big guy, he out weighs Lacy, and McCarthy generally prefers size and power.

They keep five defensive lineman. This could become a seven man rotation after DE Datone Jones and DT Letroy Guion finish their suspensions but they won't have much depth for their first game. Despite being a 3rd round pick, Thornton never did show much (though he was never terrible either) and his release isn't a big surprise. I'm not sure how DT Josh Boyd has kept his job, the Saints shoved him all over the place in the 1st quarter, but he'll be part of the rotation in 2015. Hopefully Pennel and Gaston play bigger roles during the regular season than Boyd.

They keep nine linebackers. I'm a little surprised to see LB Nate Palmer survived the transition to inside backer while wearing a club on his broken hand, but his rivals (like Carl Bradford) never surpassed him. LB James Vaughters had a nice preseason and it would be good to see him back, and LB Joe Thomas (though he's too small) is another quality player, though neither brings something that they don't currently have on the roster from another player. I hope they find a role for rookie 4th round LB Jake Ryan during the regular season.

They'll have three rookie cornerbacks on the 53-man roster. CB Ladarius Gunter was the surprise of the preseason and it's not at all to see him make the roster in addition to their two top draft choices, who both struggled as the preseason wrapped up. They really needed someone like Gunter to emerge because they lost three veteran CBs this offseason (Williams, House, Bush) and they needed replacements. Who'll be that 3rd CB, someone who occasionally lines up outside in place of Shields or Hayward? Gunter deserves the job on merit but it's not clear he's actually moved ahead of either Russell or Rollins so far.

It's a pretty deep roster and while WR Jordy Nelson's loss casts a shadow over the preseason, he's the only player currently on the I.R. In recent years, the Packers have sometimes had several players on the I.R. to start the season, so Nelson's injury is huge but overall the roster is in good health. Compare that to their first opponent, the Bears, who have five players on I.R. right now. It does seem like Aaron Rodgers is correct and the preseason is too long, especially that fourth game that probably changed their roster little, but I don't see how that would have avoided Nelson's knee injury. Bring on the Bears!

The First Week of Packers Training Camp Is In The Books

Though the Green Bay Packers started training camp last week, I haven't been too interested in who's playing in the first few practices of the season. It'll be the preseason games that really matter. But early season injuries are a big deal and several players were held out of practice to start the second week.

#Packers DNPs: Clay Matthews Adrian Coxson Ricky Collins John Crockett Matt Rotheram Jared Abbrederis Mike Neal Returned: Quinten Rollins

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 3, 2015

Only four names really need to be discussed.

LB Clay Matthews had been practicing but he was held out for the first practice this week due to "knee soreness" and I don't think it's a big deal. Matthews said he's "just taking care of my body" and they probably don't want him to overdue it. Plus it's more practice time inside for LB Nate Palmer, who's coming off a lost 2014 season due to injury and changing positions.

WR Jared Abbrederis. I thought he would need a strong 2015 camp to bounce back from a lost 2014 season (knee injury) and that hasn't worked out for him so far. I'm a little worried about this concussion, he insisted that he's only had one concussion in college, but that could potentially be more of a problem than a bad knee. There is a lot of competition at receiver but he still has the preseason games to prove his worth.

LB Mike Neal. He's coming off a terrible 2014 season, and it's not clear when he'll be returning from offseason hernia surgery. They have some depth outside at linebacker in the meantime.

CB Quinten Rollins. Their 2nd round pick was held out for the first week with a hamstring injury. His absence gave more screen time to undrafted rookie CB LaDarius Gunter and he looks like a keeper, which isn't a problem since they have to replace the three cornerbacks they lost in free agency. Also, the news that CB Casey Hayward had foot surgery this offseason gives me some concern about his long-term future, which potentially makes Rollins even more important.

Barclay Tears ACL; Will Miss 2014 Season

Packers Offensive Lineman Don Barclay suffered a torn ACL in practice today and will now miss the 2014 season, Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper reports. 

Apparently, during a pass blocking routine this afternoon Barclay was carted off the field with a knee injury, at first appearing to be nothing serious.

Unfortunetaly, though, that idea has since been proven incorrect, a frustrating truth Green Bay must be getting used to by now, as Barclay is one of three guys (joining Jared Abbrederis and Colt Lyerla, who will now miss several weeks) already this weak to go down with a major wound.

Lyerla Diagnosed With Knee Sprain

Packers Tight End Colt Lyerla has been diagnosed with a knee sprain, Cheesehead TV reports. 

During yesterday's practice, it was found that Lyerla had suffered some kind of leg injury, causing many Green Bay fans to hold their breath.

Fortunetaly, though, nothing too serious has been found, and the sprain won't keep Lyerla out for the 2014 season.

Remember, earlier this week it was announced that fellow rookie and ex-Badger Jared Abbrederis had torn his ACL, probably giving a good amount of Pack followers that "here we go again" feeling we've all become accustomed to over the last few years. 

It's Official; Abbrederis is Out For the Season

Going into today, the Packers knew that the tests on WR Jared Abbrederis' knee would likely turn out badly.

Yesterday, the team found that the Abbrederis had torn his ACL, something they wanted to confirm this afternoon just in case their original discovery wasn't correct.

Still, unsurprisingly that didn't prove to be the case, with ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reporting that the worst case scenario has turned out to be true, an unfortunate happening that will keep Abbrederis out for his rookie season (while also disappointing the many Wisconsin fans who wanted to see him play in Green and Gold).

Abbrederis Could Have Torn ACL

Packers Wide Receiver Jared Abbrederis could have a torn ACL, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Bob McGinn reports. 

Apparently, Abbrederis suffered a severe knee injury yesterday, something that was thought this morning to be the aforementioned wound.

Nonetheless, the Pack aren't taking any chances with that finding, planning to have the youngster undergo more tests for a confirmation.

Either way, this news has got to be dissapointing for Green Bay and their newest prospect, as the Badger State native who played his college ball at the University of Wisconsin from 2010-2013 is likely hurt badly even if his ACL turns out okay.

Five Key Things To Watch In Camp: Number 5 - WR Depth

Training camp is starting next weekend and the players will start reporting for camp later this week, so I'm counting down in reverse order the five key things to watch this year in training camp. The good news is that the Packers start the season in pretty good shape having made some key changes during the offseason, but there's always some question marks that will need to be addressed.

Re-setting the #Packers' depth chart on offense: http://t.co/z48h8c0HF2
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) June 30, 2014

The top three wide receivers are set (Nelson, Cobb, and Boykin) and there are six other receivers competing for three to four roster spots (probably two of them on the practice squad). The numbers four and five receivers shouldn't expect to play a major role, but injuries have knocked out the starters for significant time in each of the last two seasons (Nelson and Jennings in 2012, Cobb in 2013) so it's possible one of them will be asked play an expanded role in the offense for a few weeks. Having depth at the receiver position is so important in Mike McCarthy's offense that it elevates this competition to a key one.

Also, one of the backups could be the next kick and/or punt returner. The top two return men are DB Micah Hyde and WR Randall Cobb, but it's possible that both of them are excluded from return duties if they are both starters.

Davante Adams should have the edge on everyone else because of his recent selection in the 2nd round, but as Rob Demovsky mentioned in the above link, Adams had some trouble holding onto the ball in OTAs. Though he has been known as a sure handed receiver in the past. The odds of him not actually making the roster are practically zero, but he's not going to be the number four receiver if he's dropping passes during preseason games. We'll have to watch how he performs in those early games.

Myles White. After the big three, White is next in seniority, having played on 125 snaps and targeted for passes 12 times. It's not much of a resume, but having that experience can be a big advantage. He looked pretty good in training camp last year (with a couple of drops, unfortunately) but it didn't prevent his release.

Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis. Having both been recent draft picks helps their case for a roster spot, but its even that they're both healthy and looked good in OTAs. I'm sure the team wouldn't mind if Janis had a strong camp, but if he's too impressive they might have trouble sneaking him onto the practice squad.

Kevin Dorsey, Alex Gillett, and Chris Harper. They all have some experience with the Packers, but they've all been released at least once in their NFL careers. Harper might be struggling with a hamstring injury which is a huge set-back for him. Since they're in camp, they have a chance, but they're currently long-shots.

Which receiver or two emerges as the key backups this season will be something to watch this preseason.

Rookie DT Khyri Thornton was a Packers Fan Growing Up

Since the draft happened, so much has been made this offseason about Wisconsin Wide Receiver Jared Abbrederis.

Abbrederis, as we all know by now, grew up rooting for the Packers in the Badger State, making him the guy we all want to succeed.

However, Abbredris actually isn't the only new guy who grew up watching Green Bay, as it was recently revealed to Packers.com Staff Writer Mike Spofford that Southern Miss Defensive Tackle Khyri Thornton was also a Cheesehead fan during his youth.

“It’s a blessing right now. I couldn’t have asked to come to a better team, the Green Bay Packers,” Thornton told Spofford at the team's recent rookie orientation. “Who wouldn’t want to come to the Packers? This was my favorite team growing up, my best friend’s favorite team. I’m enjoying it right now.”

Apparently, Thornton's Uncle Tyrone Bolware played for the Golden Eagles from 1994-1997, just four years after Brett Favre's departure.

So, the youngster watched Favre and the Pack from his Florida home instead of any of the Sunshine State teams, although he did come close to playing college ball at Florida State before failing to meet NCAA requirements, making him go to Southern Miss.

Abbrederis doesn't consider playing for Packers a distraction

For a fifth-round pick on an NFL powerhouse like the Packers, former Wisconsin Wide Receiver Jared Abbrederis is pretty relaxed. 

The ex-Badger star, who suffered a career-threatening broken femur when he was a sophomore in High School, grew up outside of the small Wisconsin town of Wautoma, making him a big fan of the Pack.

With that, as well as the fact that he's the first UW player drafted by Green Bay since 2001, you'd think the youngster would be nervous going into the upcoming season, although that apparently isn't the case. 

"It's not a distraction to me," Abbrederis told ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. "I'm more about doing my thing and not really worrying about what people think or anything like that so I don't think it really bothers me."

While it probably shouldn't, as the Packers biggest stars right now come from far away places like California, Alabama, and Kansas, I'm surprised that this guy is so calm going into his rookie season.

Expectations for him shouldn't be so high, since he is just the 176th overall pick, but still, we can't downplay how important a Badger finally being on the roster is to the fans of the state, especially since it's been so long since it last happened. 

Packers Depth Chart: Wide Receiver

At this time of year, it's not surprising to see as many as ten wide receivers on the Green Bay Packers roster. What is surprising is that they selected three wide receivers in one draft. It didn't used to be uncommon for GM Ted Thompson to draft wide receivers (from 2005-2008, the Packers selected two wide receivers in each year's draft, and also used a 2nd or 3rd round pick on one). However, in the five drafts from 2009-2013, only one wide receiver was selected with a high pick (Randall Cobb) and three overall.

In recent years, the Packers have filled out their wide receiver depth with young veterans or rookie free agents. WR Jarrett Boykin has been a success story but there are at least a dozen other players who didn't work out. The Packers have lost a lot of experience at the position over the past two years (Jennings, Driver, Jones) so it makes sense that they'd want to add some quality in addition to quantity this year.

Roster locks: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarrett Boykin, Davante Adams. I'd like to see one more solid season from Boykin before anyone talks about a long-term extension, but he should be a very good No. 3 wide receiver. I won't know if Adams is ready to contribute in 2014 until I see him in a preseason game.

The Packers are probably going to keep six wide receivers, one more on the active roster and another on the practice squad, so the final six players are fighting for just those two spots.

Myles White. He lined up on 125 offensive plays last season which makes him the number five WR last season in terms of snap count. He had a strong 2013 preseason, except he had trouble holding onto the ball, which is a sure fire way to get released. Luckily for him, he was signed to the practice squad at the start of the 2013 season and promoted to the active roster in October after Cobb was hurt. If he can bulk up without losing any quickness (and avoid dropping passes) he could be a roster surprise. However, he's probably not eligible for the practice squad (ESPN.com says he played in 7 games last season and players with over six career active games are ineligible). He's going to have to prove he's worthy of a spot on the 53 man roster, and he might lose his spot to another receiver who's still eligible for the practice squad.

Kevin Dorsey and Alex Gillett. If Cobb hadn't been injured, and Jeremy Ross hadn't earned his release, neither player might have stuck around/returned after the last preseason game. I'm not expecting either of them to stick next season.

Chris Harper. He was a 4th round pick by the Seahawks in 2013, but he's been released twice since then. He only played on two offensive snaps for the Packers last season, but he played a lot on special teams, which makes me believe he's a great athlete but not much of a receiver. I don't think the Packers would have drafted either of the following two players if they really liked Harper.

Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis. I really want Abbrederis to succeed, so I hope he wins the No. 5 spot, but he'll be battling a similar player (White) who already has a year of NFL experience under his belt. Janis seems like an obvious choice for the practice squad; an amazing athlete with speed and size who could play offensive and defensive roles on the scout team.

Former #Badger Jared Abbrederis is wearing No. 84 for the 13-time World Champion Green Bay Packers. pic.twitter.com/bRGsohIDzp
— On Wisconsin Badgers (@wiscybadgers) May 17, 2014

Packers Continue Signing Draft Picks; Get WR Jared Abbrederis and Center Corey Linsley on Contracts

The Green Bay Packers, in their continuing hurry to sign all of their 2014 draft picks, have gotten WR Jared Abbrederis and Center Corey Linsley on contracts, team GM Ted Thompson announced last night. 

The duo, products of Wisconsin and Ohio State, respectively, were each taken by Green Bay in Saturday's fifth round.

During their times at those Big Ten schools, each put up pretty good numbers, as Abbrederis collected 202 receptions for 3,140 yards and Linsley helped the Buckeyes break multiple school records with 87 touchdowns and 637 points last season. 

Later on at the combine, the two's success continued. There, Linsley, a 296 lb, 6'3" Offensive Lineman, reached 27 inches on the vertical jump, while Abbrederis ran the 40 yard Dash in just 4.50 seconds.

Interestingly, Abbrederis is the first Badger to be taken by the Packers since 2001, when OL Bill Ferrario was drafted in the fourth round. The four-year college star is also the first Wisconsin rookie to head up to Green Bay under Ted Thompson, making him signing today very likable.

As for Linsley, him being acquired is also very intriguing, as he is well known for his ability to control rushing defenders.