The Packer Pundit

Green, Manuel To Get Limited Snaps Monday Night
Head Coach Mike McCarthy has indicated the starters will play into the third quarter Monday night at Cincinnati, but that won't be the case for running back Ahman Green and safety Marquand Manuel, who will be seeing their first game action.

Green, coming back from a torn quadriceps tendon that ended his 2005 season prematurely, and Manuel, who missed the first two weeks of training camp with a calf injury, will play one or two series each. McCarthy indicated neither would be pushed too far in his first game back. (More on Green below in Surf section)

Manuel's last game was Super Bowl XL while with Seattle, which ended for him with a leg injury unrelated to this summer's calf problem. He's less concerned with how many snaps he plays than with using those snaps to get his body ready for full contact.

More cuts coming
The Packers have to have their roster down to 75 by 3 p.m. on Tuesday, something Thompson said will be difficult to do since the team plays Monday night. "Yeah, it's very difficult. Most teams will probably be playing on Thursday and Friday this week and they'll get to sit around and look at their rosters and will be all set," Thompson said. "We play away on Monday night and we'll probably get back here by 4:30 or 5 in the morning and have cuts the next day." The Packers will have another quick turnaround after the final preseason game on Sept. 1. "The other difficult thing about that is because we're playing on Monday night, we're not allowed to play on Thursday night because there's a NFL rule about putting games too close together and we were forced to play on Friday," Thompson said. "Then the final cuts from 75 to 53 are the next day. It's a disadvantage, but that's just the way it worked out."

Like he never left
Backup linebacker Brady Poppinga also will see his first game action on Monday, in a sense completing his recovery from a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament. Poppinga's injury came with just three games remaining in 2005, so he looks at his rapid eight-month recovery as nothing more than a regular off-season because he's missed so few games overall. "I feel like I never left, felt like I never had the injury," Poppinga said. "It's a blessing and I never want to take that for granted." McCarthy said Poppinga will be on the same plan as Green and Manuel as far as playing time on Monday. (More on Poppinga below in Feature Section)

Big Finish
Two big pass plays highlighted the end of practice Wednesday. On the second-to-last play, new receiver Carlton Brewster made a spectacular catch on a long pass. While being covered tightly (and perhaps held) by Ahmad Carroll, Brewster was falling to the ground and hauled in the pass one-handed, an eye-popping play by any standards but especially by a player practicing for only the second time after being acquired via trade with Cleveland on Tuesday. "He made a nice play today and he's fitting in," McCarthy said of Brewster. "We're going to try to get him some work on special teams on Monday night. He's off to a good start." Then on the final play of practice, tight end Zac Alcorn made a tough catch over the middle despite a near-clothesline hit from Manuel.

Injury update
Tight end Bubba Franks (foot) returned to practice, as did cornerback Mike Hawkins (knee), though Hawkins participated only in individual and seven-on-seven drills, not team work. Running back Najeh Davenport, who dropped out of practice Tuesday night with a hip injury, remained out. Running back Arliss Beach was wearing a red no-contact jersey to protect some shoulder tendonitis on his right side, though he didn't shy away from any contact to his left side.

Packers Release Todd Williams
Offensive tackle Todd Williams was released Wednesday morning by the Green Bay Packers. The 6-foot-5, 332-pound Williams sustained a knee injury during the fourth quarter of Saturday's preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. He was taken from the field on a cart. Williams, a three-year veteran out of Florida State, was signed July 30 as a free agent. He was listed as the Packers' third-string left tackle.

Boerighter's disease spreads
Packers’ receivers suffered a case of the dropsies at practice Wednesday. Fullback Vonta Leach, who has struggled all training camp to hang onto the ball, dropped a pass out of the backfield. Also putting the ball on the turf were receiver Ruvell Martin and tight end David Martin. Even cornerback Ahmad Carroll got into the act when he dropped an interception that hit him in the hands

Extra points
Fullback William Henderson watched Wednesday’s practice from the sidelines wearing shorts. Henderson underwent knee surgery on Monday and is expected to miss at least three weeks of action.

Pack Across the Pond!

Quickie Links and a paragraph --

Harris, Woodson form dynamic duo
By Chris Havel / GB Press Gazette

The Packers' defense might field one of the top-five cornerback tandems in the league. Al Harris and Charles Woodson have looked and played the part throughout much of training camp. Harris griped about his contract in the offseason, and Woodson didn't volunteer to participate in the OTAs, yet both have taken care of business. MORE>>





Packers' Jennings on the Fast Track
By Brad Zimanek / GB Press Gazette

Rookie Greg Jennings will surpass Robert Ferguson as a starting wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. The only reason it might not happen before the season opener may be because coach Mike McCarthy doesn't want to put too much pressure on him, but look for Jennings to do exactly what he was drafted to do — replace Javon Walker. That doesn't mean Jennings is going to the Pro Bowl as a rookie, but he could easily double Walker's production in his first year in 2002 (23 catches for 319 yards), with expectations beginning to creep even higher. The Packers are giddy with anticipation and almost don't want to jinx a good thing too soon. MORE>>





Boerigter, Grady Jackson join new teams
By By Steve Lawrence / Packer Report

Marc Boerigter was released by the Packers on Tuesday after failing to impress at wide receiver after being signed as a free agent during the offseason. Less than 24 hours later, he had latched on with the Indianapolis Colts, meaning he went from Brett Favre to Peyton Manning as his quarterback. The Falcons are counting on the 355-pound Jackson to do what he did in Green Bay: stuff the run. The Falcons finished 26th in the league against the run and went 1-7 when allowing a 100-yard rusher. MORE>>

Hawkins Misses Out
By Jason Wilde / madison.com

Hawkins, the Green Bay Packers' raw second-year cornerback and fifth-round pick last year, went into training camp in a dead heat with Ahmad Carroll for the No. 3 cornerback job after adding 10 pounds of muscle to his thin frame during the offseason. Since then, though, he's missed most of camp and both exhibition games with tendinitis in his right knee, allowing Carroll and Jason Horton to get ahead of him at the nickel and dime cornerback spots. MORE>>

Davis not about to take a hike
By BOB McGINN / journalsentinel.com

Once Davis assumed the Packers' snapping duties in November 1997 from injured defensive end Paul Frase and ineffective center Frank Winters, he has snapped in 145 straight games, counting playoffs. At 37, Davis is two months younger than the league's oldest long snapper, Kendall Gammon of Kansas City. A couple others, including San Diego's David Binn and Washington's Ethan Albright, also have snapped in more games than Davis. In 1998, punter Sean Landeta called Davis the finest snapper he had encountered in his first 14 seasons. MORE>>





Anger Drives Green
By Jason Wilde / madison.com

Ahman Green has something to prove to everyone - his teammates, his coaches, the other 31 teams in the league, the media, the fans - and the Green Bay Packers halfback will begin doing exactly that Monday night at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, where he'll play his first NFL game since he ruptured the quadriceps tendon in his right leg Oct. 23 in a loss at Minnesota. "The thing about him, he's going to run angry, which is to his benefit and ours because I fully expect him to do pretty darn well in this scheme," said Packers offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, who has installed what he thinks is a very Green-friendly zone-blocking scheme. MORE>>

Mr. Intensity
Starting spot likely waiting for fierce linebacker Poppinga
By TOM SILVERSTEIN / journalsentinel.com

"He's big, he's quick, he's fast and he makes an impact at the point of attack. He is a very aggressive player. That's what you love about him." -- Defensive Coordinator Bob Sanders

Whether it's in practice, in games or the race to the chow line, Green Bay Packers players know to stay out of the way of the human high-speed train known as Brady Poppinga. The second-year linebacker is so wired he'd make an electrician nervous.

"I'll bet he sleeps with his eyes open," linebackers coach Winston Moss said.

On Wednesday, Poppinga continued to work with the second team behind veteran free agent Ben Taylor, but behind the scenes everyone knows the station Poppinga is headed for is starting strong-side linebacker, and arrival is expected on Sept. 10 when the Packers take on the Chicago Bears.

"That's a question you might want to ask (the coaches)," Poppinga said of where he'll be come the opener. "I don't know who makes the decision. We'll find out. Who knows? I just know that I'm competing every day. All that stuff will work itself out." MORE>>

Driver should get more recognition
By Mike Vandermause / GB Press Gazette

"My goal is to prove people wrong, show 'em that my career is not over yet, it's pretty much just started." -- Donald Driver

Packers rookie receiver Greg Jennings had just dropped a pass after getting decked by Atlanta Falcons safety Chris Crocker with a vicious hit over the middle last Saturday night. When Jennings got to the sidelines, fellow receiver Donald Driver was in his face.

"You would think he would ask me, was I all right?" said Jennings with a smile. "But he was like, you got to tuck (the ball) quicker, you got to tuck it quicker." Jennings reflected for a moment and added: "That's why our receiving corps is going to be so good, because of the leadership that (Driver) brings. He's always coaching us on the field, off the field, and just giving us advice."

Driver received a contract extension from the Packers during the offseason and will be paid $17 million over the next four years. He will be worth every penny. Not only is Driver the Packers' go-to receiver, he also serves as a bona fide locker room leader and unofficial assistant coach.

"Every time I come to the sideline, Driver's always in my ear, giving me some words of wisdom, some of his knowledge," said Jennings. "He sees everything. It's great to be out there with someone like that."

What's baffling is that Driver is so valuable, yet so under appreciated in some NFL circles. The Packers know how lucky they are to have the eighth-year receiver in the fold through 2009. But it's amazing how many people outside the organization still question whether Driver is a legitimate No. 1 receiver. MORE>>

Packers will rely on youth movement
By Pete Dougherty / greenbaypressgazette.com

"You don't go with youth for youth's sake. You try to put the best players out there, and if some are inexperienced, then you just attack that inexperience (with practice). Our coach is very good and very eager to try." -- GM Ted Thompson

If anything stands out about the Ted Thompson-Mike McCarthy management team, it's their willingness to put young players in major roles. The Packers' general manager and new coach, respectively, have placed a heavy load on rookies for the 2006 season.


Besides linebacker A.J. Hawk, who as the No. 5 pick overall should be a starter regardless of the team that selected him, the Packers have two rookies starting at guard (Jason Spitz and Tony Moll), and they've cut short the competition at both kicker and punter to test Dave Rayner and Jon Ryan for the rest of training camp. Rayner is a second-year pro who was a kickoff specialist last year, and Ryan is a 24-year-old who played in the Canadian Football League in 2005.

The Packers have 12 draft picks and at least three other undrafted rookies who have a shot at making the final roster this season. That includes not only the starters at guard, but second-round pick Greg Jennings, who will be the No. 3 receiver at worst and might be a starter before the season is over. MORE>>

Related Article --


Rodgers, Hawk far from busts
By Tom Oates / WI State Journal

Sometimes you can tell right from the start.

Take B.J. Sander, for instance.

All you had to do was watch Sander punt once and you could tell that former Green Bay Packers general manager Mike Sherman had wasted a third-round draft pick (plus a fifth) on him in 2004. With most NFL rookies, however, it's better to refrain from declaring them a bust too soon.

Take Aaron Rodgers and A.J. Hawk, for instance.

When Rodgers, Green Bay's first-round pick in 2005, looked mentally and physically overmatched in exhibition games last year, many dismissed him as Brett Favre's potential successor at quarterback. And when Hawk, this year's first-round pick, didn't start making big plays the day he arrived, the grumbling began that he was just another great college linebacker who didn't have the size or speed to make an impact in the NFL.

After only two exhibition games, however, Rodgers and Hawk have made those conclusions look way premature. Neither one has been mistake-free, but both have played well enough to silence the rush-to-judgment faction and show they have a chance to be key players for the Packers in time. Hawk, in particular, recovered from a sluggish start and is getting better right before our eyes. MORE>>

Thompson's Revamped Roster
Starting to take Shape
By Chris Jenkins Associated Press

"These next two weeks are the time that you don't want to be in here," Thompson said. "It's difficult to talk to these kids, just because most of them have done everything we've asked them to do and we opt to go in a different direction. And it's not their fault, that's just the way the ball bounced this time around." -- GM Ted Thompson

You won't hear Ted Thompson badmouth the man he fired, former Packers coach Mike Sherman, or the players Sherman brought to Green Bay in a series of questionable personnel decisions.

He doesn't have to. Thompson's roster moves speak for themselves.

Nearing the beginning of his second season in Green Bay, Thompson has taken significant steps to wipe away leftovers from Sherman's stint as the team's general manager.

Thompson erased one of the most visible reminders of the previous regime on Monday with the release of punter B.J. Sander. But Thompson didn't criticize Sander, or the man who traded up to draft him in 2004, on the way out. MORE>>

Related Article --


So long to Sherman's third-rate third round
By Steve Lawrence / Packer Report

Joey Thomas, B.J. Sander and Donnell Washington should have been key performers on this Packers team. Instead, they are history.Three strikes, and you’re out. MORE>>