The Packer Pundit

Roster moves
Packers general manager Ted Thompson got a jump-start on this weekend's roster cutdown by releasing offensive linemen Will Whitticker and Mookie Moore. The Packers will have to be at the NFL-mandated limit of 53 players by 3 p.m. (CT) on Saturday.Whitticker started eight games as a rookie last season at right guard, but lost his job because he was ineffective. The new coaching staff tried him at left and right tackles during the off-season mini-camps and Organized Team Activities practices, but he injured his hamstring early in training camp and never returned to practice. Moore was obtained during training camp, but has missed a number of practices and preseason games with a shoulder injury.

Henderson's outlook positive
William Henderson had cartilage removed from his right knee on Aug. 21, two days after leaving the Packers' 38-10 exhibition victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field because of discomfort in the joint. Originally expected to miss three to six weeks, the 12-year veteran is already well into his rehabilitation program and thus far has experienced no setbacks. "He's off the charts," coach Mike McCarthy said on Wednesday. "As far as rehab for his injury, he's way ahead of schedule. All indications (are) it looks like he'll be ready for Chicago."

I Smell Something Burning
Cornerback Charles Woodson ranked his performance Monday night in the Packers' 48-17 loss to the Bengals as one of the most forgettable in his nine-year career. The former Heisman Trophy winner surrendered two of Carson Palmer's three touchdown passes and gave up four receptions for 84 yards in the first half before leaving. "It was definitely one of the most humbling," said Woodson following practice. "That's like the second game I ever felt like that in my career. I definitely don't want to feel like that no more."

Cameo appearance
Unlike 2003, when coach Mike Sherman didn't even dress Brett Favre and Ahman Green for the exhibition finale against Tennessee, the plan is to start Favre and probably Green and let them play one series Friday afternoon against the Titans at Lambeau Field. Aaron Rodgers then will play possibly the rest of the game. "The best part is being able to go in earlier and kind of get into a rhythm when we'll still have our first guys in," Rodgers said. McCarthy said there wasn't any way he would enter a season with just two quarterbacks. That's good news for rookie Ingle Martin, whom offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said had enough potential to keep. "He does," Jagodzinski said. "It's going to take some time, but he's got good arm strength."

Reduced access
Favre made it clear that he will speak to Wisconsin reporters once every two weeks during the regular season. Since the Super Bowl years, Favre has been holding press briefings on a weekly basis. In his first four or five years with the team, Favre was like every other player on the roster and was expected to be in the locker room during times when reporters were present. Nowadays, he is almost never present. "I would prefer not to talk at all but they talked me into every other week," Favre said. "We usually rehash the same stuff." Asked if he would talk to reporters after games, Favre said, "It depends what kind of mood I'm in. I know the last couple games last year I didn't talk, but I knew what everyone was going to ask. I plan on talking after every game."

No regrets
On Wednesday, Favre didn't back off his assertion four weeks ago that this was the most talented but also most inexperienced team of his 15 in Green Bay. The fact that the Packers might be year or two away from becoming a contender isn't lost on Favre. "I'm well aware of it," Favre said. "What do you want me to do? Quit? Are you saying it's not worth it? "It's not easy. But I enjoy doing it. Do I enjoy losing? No, but I enjoy the challenge of competing every week. "It may not go great. I have no idea what to expect this year, I really don't. Is that scary? Not really. I'd love to think we're going to the Super Bowl, but we have to worry about winning a game first." Favre compared the Packers' youthfulness to a camping trip or horseback-riding outing in which some wait for others to lead. "We need guys to step up like that, and in a hurry," he said. "But there's no substitute for experience."

First look
New kicker E.J. Cochrane was more than satisfied with his performance on field goals and kickoffs Wednesday after practice. "I was definitely happy," Cochrane said. "It was a windy day. I missed some but on a normal day I make them." Punter Jon Ryan is the starting holder. But because Cochrane kicks left-footed and his holder must work from the other side, the Packers assigned wide receiver Ruvell Martin to hold for him Wednesday and against the Titans.

(Edit: Ruvell Martin holding? Hmmmm... doesnt look good for Cory Rodgers)

The magic number
It's pretty much assured the Packers will carry Bubba Franks, David Martin and Donald Lee on their roster. But would they carry a fourth tight end? Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski didn't rule out that possibility, although he was quick to point out it would be up to McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson. The fourth tight end would be Tory Humphrey, who has had a solid training camp and is currently playing two positions. Humphrey is helping fill the void at fullback because of William Henderson's knee injury. Conceivably, the Packers could keep Humphrey and go with Henderson as their lone fullback. Then they would have to cut only one player out of a group of halfbacks that includes Najeh Davenport, Samkon Gado, Arliss Beach and Noah Herron. Though Lee has hardly played during the exhibition season and hasn't been productive in camp, it doesn't appear that Humphrey is threatening to take his job. "I know what he can do," Jagodzinski said. "We know what he can do as a staff."

Jammed signals
Neither coach Mike McCarthy nor defensive coordinator Bob Sanders was happy with the lack of communication between defenders in the Packers' 48-17 loss to the Bengals Monday and expect improvement in the exhibition finale today against Tennessee. Part of the problem came from safety Marquand Manuel making his first appearance in the exhibition season. Though Manuel has a reputation for knowing offenses in and out and being able to make the calls in the secondary, he had some communication problems.

Sanders said Manuel wasn't the only one who made mistakes. "Naturally, you're going to have mistakes, but it's inexcusable," Sanders said. "You don't have any miscommunications; that's what Mike preaches, that's what I preach and the guys know it. We're working to get that corrected. We don't make excuses. We just have to be better." As for Manuel's performance in his first game, Sanders said it was typical of a player who has been out for a long time. He said he wasn't worried about Manuel's ability to run the secondary and get everyone lined up correctly. "(He was) just getting back going," Sanders said. "He hadn't played in a long time, he had the adrenaline flowing, he was ready to go. He's a great guy, his attention to detail, he'll be fine. They all weren't on him. It wasn't him necessarily or anything."






Favre: Young Packers running out of time
Associated Press / Posted 8-31-2006

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - Brett Favre still sees talent on offense, and understands it will take some time for the Green Bay Packers' young players to blossom. But after a rough outing at Cincinnati and with the preseason finale against Tennessee only two days away, Favre seems impatient with the progress his revamped offense is making.

"We have a long ways to go, but a short time to do it," Favre said Wednesday, venting moderate hints of frustration to - and at - reporters in a tenser-than-usual group interview session. Favre says he and the team are running out of time to work out the kinks in their new-look offense. "It is preseason. Call it what you want," Favre said. "But you'd like to be able to gauge something off these games, and I don't know. I really don't. There's a lot of potential, but that in itself doesn't get it done." MORE>>



Peterson Returns For Roster Fight
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com / Posted 08/31/2006

Defensive lineman Kenny Peterson had no idea when he tweaked his ankle and limped off the practice field on Aug. 10 that it would be three weeks before he'd play in a game. "Definitely not. It caught me by surprise the length of time it's taken to get back," Peterson said. "But it's one of those injuries where time heals all wounds. I'm going to go out here and see what I can do."

What Peterson has is essentially one game to show he deserves a roster spot. Having missed the first three preseason games, the fourth-year veteran knows he's one of many players on the roster bubble when Tennessee visits Lambeau Field on Friday. Peterson returned to practice late last week, but the ankle was nowhere near strong enough for him to make the trip to Cincinnati. On Wednesday, after the only practice this week, Peterson stayed late to work on some fundamentals and test the ankle further. He gave a thumbs-up to defensive coordinator Bob Sanders as he left the field. Now he's hoping to get the thumbs-up from the entire coaching staff when final roster decisions are made on Saturday. MORE>>



Lanky wide receiver making push to stick
Martin's been solid in camp
By Rick Braun / Packer Plus writer / Posted 8-30-2006

Ruvell Martin has been here before. He's been down to the end of training camps the previous two years, only to be left with disappointment and discouragement. At 6-4 and 217 pounds, Martin has the kind of size NFL coaches love in a wide receiver. But Martin isn't one of those guys who possess sprinter's speed, and that leaves him in a pack of hundreds - maybe thousands - of hopefuls who often just don't quite make it.

He signed with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. And then he heard the most discouraging words ever when Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer cut him during training camp in 2004. Martin said Schottenheimer told him he simply wasn't fast enough to play in the NFL.

Fast forward to the present, and Martin might be closing in on his dream. On a Green Bay team looking for playmakers at the receiving position, Martin is one of few who has drawn raves at the position. "He's showing up, isn't he?" Packer offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said when asked about Martin. "You keep looking up and No. 18 keeps making plays. That's a good thing when you know the guy's number. So he's doing really well. He just needs to show up now when we play in the games, and I think he will." MORE>>



Rookie linebacker provides a look into future
Hodge makes impression with his consistent progress
By Bob McGinn / journalsentinel.com / Posted 8-30-2006

Linebacker Abdul Hodge appears to have a bright future with the Green Bay Packers even though his rookie season, barring injury, will find him sitting on the bench. Hodge didn't come close to beating out four-year veteran Nick Barnett at middle linebacker. He didn't give the coaching staff a good enough reason to shift Barnett to the strong side. And the coaches never had cause to do anything more than toy with him on the strong side.

"He will be a special teams player (in 2006)," defensive coordinator Bob Sanders said Wednesday. "And he will be a guy that will be ready to go when his number's called." Besides being a fixture on special teams, Hodge looks to be a starter on the goal-line defense. He backs up Barnett and A.J. Hawk in the nickel and is behind them both in the dime. "He's exactly where he needs to be," linebackers coach Winston Moss said. "He's always been progressing. He hasn't taken a step back." MORE>>



Clifton having trouble getting into top form
By Pete Dougherty / greenbaypressgazette.com

It's not like it rates anywhere near the top of their concerns, but the Green Bay Packers are waiting for Chad Clifton to return to the prime form that landed him a near-elite contract for a left tackle three years ago. Clifton missed all of the Packers' offseason practices this year because of arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle in January and on his right knee in May. He hasn't moved quite as well in preseason games as in past years and had his worst performance in his most recent outing, Monday night at Cincinnati, where in a little more than one half of game time he allowed a sack, a pressure and had two false-start penalties. Clifton and right tackle Mark Tauscher are the anchors of an offensive line suffering through growing pains with rookies Jason Spitz and Tony Moll starting at guards. The team needs its two tackles — both are seven-year starters — in prime form, especially Clifton because as the back-side protector for quarterback Brett Favre, he's one of the most important players on the team. MORE>>



Martin finds himself in unique position
Tight end gets shot at fullback
By Rick Braun / Packer Plus writer / Posted 8-30-2006

With fullback William Henderson out recovering from knee surgery and questionable at best for the season opener, Martin is hoping to be part of the solution in his absence. Martin, of course, is not a fullback by trade. He's been the Green Bay Packers' backup tight end for the past five years, but apparently is being groomed as one of the possible fill-ins for Henderson. Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski is already quite familiar with Martin. Jagodzinski was Martin's position coach with the Packers for Martin's first three seasons before leaving after the 2003 season. Jagodzinski is now back as the coordinator and likes what he's seen in Martin. "He looks like he's a good football player," Jagodzinski said. "I remember way back when we ended up playing the Jets in the Meadowlands (in 2002) and we were short a fullback and he ended up doing it. He ended up playing it, and he's a real natural. He's a football player. He's had a great camp. He gives you some flexibility." MORE>>



Let's see it
Gado needs to pick his game up
By Tom Silverstein / journalsentinel.com/ Posted 8-30-2006

(Edit: And the award for worst sport's writer similie goes to...)

An oasis in an otherwise barren land of despair last season, Green Bay Packers running back Samkon Gado raised hopes with his late-season success that he could be the kind of hidden gem starter Ahman Green was six years ago. Gado spent the off-season as the No. 1 running back because of injuries Green and backup Najeh Davenport were still rehabilitating and had the ability to take his case to the new coaching staff without much competition around him. But it turned out Gado was slow to adapt to the team's new zone blocking running scheme and failed to establish himself as at least a solid No. 2 through the first five weeks of training camp. As a result, he goes into the exhibition finale Friday against the Tennessee Titans needing to make believers out of the coaches that he can be effective in this system. MORE>>



Hawk fined for illegal hit
Head-to-head shot costs him $5,000
By Tom Silverstein / journalsentinel.com / Posted 8-31-2006

Rookie linebacker A.J. Hawk's welcome-to-the-NFL moment didn't come on a tackle he made or a pass he deflected this summer for the Green Bay Packers. It came with a notice from the league that he had been fined $5,000 for "impermissible use of the helmet" during the Atlanta game Aug. 19. When asked about the play recently, Hawk said he had not yet received a letter from the National Football League but had been told by teammates he should probably expect one. Players were not made available to reporters Thursday but a league spokesman confirmed that Hawk had been fined.

Hawk collided head-to-head with Falcons quarterback D.J. Shockley as he came up the middle on a blitz. Though his intent might not have been to hit Shockley with his helmet, he appeared to leap as he attempted to sack the quarterback. The officials flagged Hawk for a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the play. The rules are clear about such collisions. According to the rule book, "No defensive player may hit the quarterback in the head, face or neck." Helmet-to-helmet hits almost always draw a fine from the league office. Film of every game is reviewed and the NFL's director of football operations, Gene Washington, decides whether a player should be fined. STORY>>




Packers Re-Launch Official Team Web Site
New LambeauField.com To Hit Cyberspace As Well
posted 08/31/2006

POPULAR WEB SITE FEATURES FRESH LOOK AND NEW FEATURES

Packers fans on the Internet Thursday, Aug. 31, were introduced to two developments that will enhance the way they follow their favorite team as Packers.com re-launched a fresh look and new features, and LambeauField.com made its debut. Routinely among the NFL's top five most-visited team sites since its inception in 1997, Packers.com takes advantage of the latest technology and offers Packers fans easy-to-access features that allows them enhanced methods to follow the team.

"We're pleased to launch an updated Packers.com for our fans," said Packers President/COO John Jones. "Packers fans always have been strong followers of the team and their use of Packers.com has proven that. The updated site takes advantage of latest in cutting-edge Web design and gives fans many more features to best keep tabs on the team." MORE>>

(Edit: The New Packers.com web site looks great but it takes a bit long to download... this coming from the 'mother of all long downloading sites'. I like the new look and feel and the pictures are super crisp. Very Nice!)









Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre took some time during practice at Ray Nitschke Field Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006 to meet Roman Fendryk, 8, of Coleman. From left are Jerome Fendryk, Roman, Favre and Chad Osmanski. Photo by Jim Matthews/Press-Gazette