First workout starts with the basics.
The Green Bay Packers convened their rookie orientation and mini-camp weekend on Friday. It was the first time since last January’s playoff loss in Santa Clara there was actual football looking drills with guys in uniform on a spectacular early May afternoon.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur has 50 players at his disposal for the camp, all 11 draft picks, 8 undrafted rookie free agents, 18 guys are here on a tryout basis and there are 13 current veterans coming back from injury or getting a jump start on 2024. Before the initial practice, reporters had a chance to visit with the draft class in the locker room.
One pick who I feel will get plenty of snaps this fall is second round pick Edgerrin Cooper, the Texas A&M linebacker. He told me it was fun getting checked in and acclimated to Green Bay Packer football and Lambeau Field.
Had a chance to meet all three safeties drafted last weekend. Second round pick Javon Bullard has already heard from his former Georgia Bulldog teammates. The Packers may need a bigger pen as Bullard makes four ex-Georgia defensive players in the building, all arriving since 2021 with Eric Stokes, Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt. Evan Williams from Oregon can’t wait to get to work but Kitan Oladapo will have to wait. He broke a toe during the combine and has since had surgery. He’s in a walking boot and tooling around the building on a scooter.
Matt LaFleur sizes up the new safety line.
Was kind of surprised how soft spoken number one pick Jordan Morgan was, only because of his size. He’s excited to to dive into the offense and form new bonds in the locker room. 6th round pick Travis Glover is a giant at nearly 6-6 and tipping the scale at 330.
7th round pick Kalen King said the draft ws one of the most stressful and worst experiences of his life. Projected as a very high pick after his junior season at Penn State, King plummeted all the way to the end of the draft and said that will leave a permanent chip of his shoulder moving forward.
I learned third round running MarShawn Lloyd of USC is a lifelong friend of his former Trojan quarterback, now Chicago’s number one, number one pick Caleb Williams. Lloyd said they played Little League baseball against each other, they were rivals in high school, they played together in college and now they’ll be division rivals again, that said Lloyd is special.
As for the late afternoon practice which lasted for about an hour and 45 minutes, the first 20 was a stretch period inside the Don Hutson Center. It was also the first time that stretch was led by new Strength and Conditioning Coach Aaron Hill. There were some different looking stretches and movement exercises with Hill having the players in a large circle rather than lines. After warming up inside, the team moved onto Ray Nitschke Field splashed in sunshine with temperatures in the low 70’s.
First Draft pick Jordan Morgan emerges from the shadows at first practice.
The practice snaps were as elementary as possible with the kids just getting their first look at the system on their tablets this week.
One receiver who made a snappy catch was among the tryout players, rookie Dimitri Stanley out of Iowa State. It made me feel pretty old when I learned that he’s the son of former Packer receiver Walter Stanley who made a few big plays back in mid-80s. Remember his Thanksgiving Day punt return touchdown at the Pontiac Silverdome?
The two quarterbacks in camp are 7th round pick Michael Pratt of Tulane and Jacob Eason who’s been trying to land on an NFL roster for three years since leaving the University of Washington. The name’s familiar, Jacob’s father’s name is Tony Eason and he did play college football at Notre Dame. The other Tony Eason, from Illinois became the one I know leading the New England Patriots to destruction at the hands of the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. Last year’s practice squad quarterback, Alex McGough is going to get a look this summer as a wide receiver. LaFleur marveled at how skilled McGough looked running scout team pass patterns last year. He’s a great athlete said LaFleur and this might give him a better chance to stick.
The Packers signed one former Wisconsin Badger after the draft, long snapper Peter Bowden. Another one here on a tryout is offensive lineman Michael Furtney.
After practice, Head Coach Matt LaFleur met reporters and said it was great to get back on the field with players. They’re all new, as is most of his defensive coaching staff and it was good to see them start the teaching. The coach is giving the new players just enough of the playbook that will allow them to return in another week and be able to compete with veterans once the organized team activities roll out. LaFleur was spotted last weekend in the draft room wearing a sling on his left arm. He was wearing it again at practice. While not as cumbersome as his ruptured Achilles tendon during his second training camp, it’s not ideal. LaFleur at least fessed up over what happened. “I got into a little fight with a bench press, and I lost”.
Some contract business was also done heading into camp and a very big contract can now get done. On Thursday, it was learned the Packers will not exercise the 5th year option for defensive back Eric Stokes. The 2021 first round choice showed real promise as a rookie but he has played only 12 games in the last two years because of injuries. By taking on the 5th option year, Stokes would have guaranteed to earn 12.47 million dollars in 2025.
The first two draft picks to sign contracts were the 7th round selections, Pratt and King. The others should follow suit quickly thanks to the rookie wage scale slotting.
Today was also the last day the Packers had wait to offer Jordan Love an extension. Upon taking over the starting role, Love reworked his deal that will generate not quite 5h year option money for a quarterback but it also placed a May 3, 2024 date on when a long term extension can get done. Love may well be in line for perhaps a four year deal pushing toward 200 million dollars.
The team will have another short practice on Saturday before sending the kids home for a week, coming back for Phase 2 of the off-season program with veterans late next week,
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