Packers OTA: First Look at Some of the New Guys

The Packers are finishing up their May OTAs (three days of practice) on Friday. There isn't too much for the fans during these sessions. Any player who's coming off surgery (such as Clay Matthews) is sitting out as a precaution. However, there is something to be learned about who might be the starters.

On ESPN, I saw the coaches working Julius Peppers out at linebacker, having him drop back into pass coverage (he might have never done that before in his career). I've been assuming Peppers will be primarily a lineman and only occasionally a linebacker, but maybe the team is sincere about making him switch to linebacker. Having that added pass rusher as a threat or decoy still seems more valuable to them than the coverage a true linebacker might provide. Micah Hyde got the starting nod at safety while J.C. Tretter was first in line at center. Maybe both Hyde and Tretter will be challenged by rookies (Clinton-Dix in particular), but usually I'd expect the player starting at OTAs to be the starter in Week 1.

One more, of the #Packers RBs, including @Lil_Eazy_Ana_42, tossing medicine balls at OTAs: pic.twitter.com/G1V257Ynj3
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) May 30, 2014

And medicine ball drills! A classic.