GREEN BAI, Vis. - “Control what you can control” is directly from Coachspeak 101.
Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFler wants all of his players to be present at the volunteer organized team activities. But it’s something he can’t control. As was the case last week, a number of key players were absent at the start of the second week of the OTA tournament on Tuesday.
Although the attendance list is out of LaFler’s control, he seemed at least a little upset that so many players were not present. Under former coach Mike McCarthy, the Packers generally had full participation, or at least close to that, until the end of the OTA. So far, the participation is significantly less than 100 percent.
“Every guy has the right to make that choice,” he said before training. “If you ask me, I want everyone to be here. So I think some of the thought processes may have changed from what has happened in the last two years, especially with our COVID situation where we didn’t have OTA. But my thing for our guys is, well, not anyone else. So they all had the same circumstances they faced. Since everyone is open, you would like to see as many guys here as possible. ”
One player who was present after missing at least part of last week was corner back Rasul Douglas. A sensation last season after being taken off the Arizona training team, Douglas made his wish come true by re-signing earlier at the free agency.
“The boys took me in,” Douglas said after training. “Honestly, my first game at home here, I thought I wanted to stay here forever.”
Douglas had five interceptions in his shortened first season with Green Bay, including a pair of spades, and allowed only 44.6 percent of the completion rate, according to Sports Info Solutions. He missed just one interception in 12 games, but lost one on Tuesday, when he showed his typically strong foresight skills and broke out on the ball.
“It feels good,” he said, “but he never returned.” [guaranteed]You know what I’m saying? A contract means a contract, but at any time, if you are not doing what you should be doing, they can let you go. You just have to keep working. ”
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While three recipients - including Allen Lazard and Sammy Watkins - were absent again, 31-year veteran Randall Cobb was doing his thing while wearing a hooded sweatshirt under a jersey on a day of 80 degrees and above.
“He is such a leader in that room, not only in the attack, but he sat there at those special team meetings and he did a great job with that and he could help many of these young guys,” LaFler said.
Here is the report on participation from Tuesday.
Not in training: KB Aaron Rogers, VR Amari Rogers, VR Sammy Watkins, VR Allen Lazard, RB Patrick Taylor, TE Mercedes Lewis, OLB Rashan Gary, OLB Jonathan Garvin, OLB Randy Ramsey, OLB Preston Smith, CB Jair Alexander, S Adrian Amos.
Rehabilitation group: LT David Bakhtiari (knee), OL Elgton Jenkins (knee), TE Robert Tonian (knee), RB Killin Hill (knee), DT Dean Lovri (unknown), DT Hauati Pututau (unknown).
“Our guys did a really good job of letting us know when something came up or failed,” LaFler said. “Obviously, it was quite challenging to enter Green Bay last night. Many flights across the country have been canceled. So we’re missing a couple of guys we expected to be here. “
LaFleur said that the “plan all the time” was for Bahtiari not to appear until the beginning of the training camp. He missed almost the entire last season - including the playoff defeat to San Francisco - with an ACL tear on New Year’s Eve 2020.
What to watch during the second week Packers OTAs
Quarterbacks
(Photo: Jordan Love and Danny Etling on OTAs. Sports pictures USA Today)
During the draft, said Aaron Rogers Pat McAfee Showthat he will participate in a few days of OTA as well as in the obligatory mini camp. Rogers was not at the OTA last week. He may not be there this week either, as he and Tom Brady will fight Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in Wednesday’s match.
Assuming Rogers doesn’t fly to Green Bay for training, to Las Vegas for golf and back to Green Bay for training - he could probably afford a plane ticket - that means another week behind the wheel for Jordan Love.
Rogers “doesn’t need this time right now, so I’m enjoying it,” Leo said last week. “He’s not here, it just means more repetitions for me and more repetitions for everyone else in the quarterback’s room. So I obviously like it. ”
Last week, some of the competition periods were divided into two groups, with Leo directing a group of mostly veterans, and Kurt Benkert and Danny Etling leading a group of mostly younger players.
Rookie (Mental) Wall
(Photo: Peak of the first round of Devonte Viatt at OTAs. USA Today Sports Images)
Perhaps the most important aspect of these off-season practices is the ability for beginners / newcomers to become familiar with the scheme so that they can start off the field and really compete during the training camp.
“You can only go one day at a time and just hope for a little improvement every day and watch these guys go out and play with confidence,” coach Matt LaFleur said last week. “I think a lot of young guys are just playing more than feeling than they really know all the intricate details.
“There’s a lot going on in this and a lot of time spent teaching and there’s just a lot going on in their minds when they’re out there. So the more they hear us and we can put them in different situations, whether it’s a pass or a team (repetition), you just hope for those gradual improvements every day from these guys. ”
The challenge is growing this week. For starters, they tried the first two days of installing a playbook during the beginner’s camp. These were the focus of the exercises on Monday and Tuesday last week. It was fresh material on Thursday, and it will be again this week.
“It’s going to start to pile up on them there,” LaFleur said. “So I think you can really see more about where they are next week.”
Knock Knock. Who’s there?
(Photo: Allen Lazard at last year’s mini-camp. USA Today Sports Images)
Last week, quarterback Aaron Rogers, receivers Sammy Watkins and Allen Lazard, cornerbacks Jair Alexander and Rasul Douglas, outside backs Preston Smith, Rush Gary, Jonathan Garvin and Randy Ramsey, and consecutive Marcedes Lewis were not seen in volunteer training on Tuesday.
Watkins, the fourth pick of the 2014 draft, was signed in a free agency. He played for the Rams in 2017, when LaFleur was the offensive coordinator. Lazard has not signed its limited tender for a free agent.
“Sammi did a good job,” LaFleur said. “He was here for most of the off-season. I would say there is a lot of difference between our attack when we were together in LA and what we do here, just in terms of maybe not conceptual, but how we call things and how we train different things. So he certainly has a lot to learn, but I think he did a good job. ”
With Robert Tonian rehabilitating his broken ACL and Luis absent, Tyler Davis got additional first team representatives.
If Douglas and Alexander are present, it will be interesting to see how defensive coordinator Joe Barry will set up his top trio of Douglas, Alexander and Eric Stokes.
June 1 is coming
(Photo: Dean Lovri fires Baker Mayfield from Cleveland. Sports pictures USA Today)
June 1 is a big financial day. Starting Wednesday, players can be released with financial pain that will be spread over two years instead of one.
The Packers have one candidate: Dean Lovry’s defensive match. If the Packers released him on Tuesday, it would be $ 3.988 million in equity and $ 4.084 million in savings. If the Packers released him on Wednesday (or later), it would be $ 2.122 million in capital and $ 5.95 million in savings.
Lovri has been a mainstay of the defensive line since he was drafted in 2016 and is coming out of one of his best seasons. However, the Packers drafted Devonte Viatt in the first round and Jonathan Ford in the seventh round, as well as signed the proven veteran Jarran Reed in the free agency. Plus, they added veteran Chris Slayton to the waiver.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Lovri is in a hot spot. But the development of the depth chart - and the potential impact on Lovria - could be worth observing during the training camp and pre-season.
Alexander against the novice
(Photo: Jaire Alexander covers Marquez Valdes-Skantling at a training camp in August. USA Today Sports Images)
In 2018, the Packers used their peak from the first round on cornerback Jair Alexander. To help him prepare for the season, he played early and often against Davante Adams. In 2021, the Packers used their peak from the first round on cornerback Eric Stokes. As a few years earlier, Stokes got a tail for the national team against Adams to get ready for the season.
It could be a role swap if Alexander is on the field. The Packers have selected three recipients in this year’s draft. At least one of them will have to contribute as a beginner. Is there a better way to prepare Christian Watson (and Romeo Dubs and Samori Toure) than to parry them against one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL?
Coming up
(Photo: De’Vondre Campbell at OTAs. USA Today Sports Images)
This is the second of four weeks of off-season training, with three training sessions from Tuesday to Friday. Next week, it is a mandatory mini camp, scheduled for June 7 to June 9. Out of the season, the third week of voluntary OTAs will end next week.
