Rodgers among veterans to get the day off
GREEN BAY - Wednesday’s takeaways from practice at Packers training camp:
Vets get a break; Amari Rodgers makes catch of the day
With the Green Bay Packers on the third of four straight days of practice, coach Matt LaFleur gave a few veterans the day off and conducted a short, brisk workout for everyone else. The veterans’ rest day went to Aaron Rodgers (37 years old), Marcedes Lewis (37) and Preston Smith (29). Also, Davante Adams (28) took part only in individual work early in practice. The practice itself was conducted in shoulder pads and shorts after the previous day’s fulluniform workout, and it lasted only 1 hour, 13 minutes. Jordan Love ran the No. 1 offense, and No. 3 quarterback Kurt Benkert received his most extensive work of camp, getting a handful of snaps in full-squad 11-on-11 period, and several more when LaFleur split the team for a short period, with starters going against starters at one end of the field and deeper backups against each other on the other end.
Amari Rodgers made the best catch of the day with a diving reception on an out pattern from Love. Defensive lineman Dean Lowry blew up a Kylin Hill run early in practice. And on the final play of a brief red-zone period, inside linebacker Ty Summers blitzed up the middle on third-and-goal from the 2 and pressured Love to unload the ball early to Hill in the flat, causing an incompletion because Hill hadn’t turned his head for the ball.
Running back AJ Dillon was rarely used as a receiver at Boston College — he had 845 carries as a three-year starter but only 21 catches — but his predraft workout for scouts convinced Packers GM Brian Gutekunst that Dillon could be a good receiver out of the backfield and was worth a second-round pick. So far this offseason and in training camp, the second-year pro has looked comfortable enough catching the ball, to the point that LaFleur sang his praises in the passing game before practice Wednesday. Then, of course, when LaFleur showed the ultimate confidence in Dillon’s pass catching by splitting him out wide as a receiver on one play, the running back dropped a perfectly thrown quick slant that had a chance for a nice gain.
“You see him in practice sometimes when we put him out of the backfield on some of the routes, he’s got really good hands,” LaFleur said before practice. “Shoot, he made a couple really good plays for us in the pass game a year ago, if I remember there was a flat route he caught on the left side and he was able to stick his foot in the ground and go get 20 yards. I think he’s come a long way in terms of pass protection. I think that’s one of the hardest skills for young running backs to learn is the intricacies of that. I think he’s done a really nice job of that. We’re excited about what he potentially could bring to this football team.” Dillon should play a lot this season as Aaron Jones’ backup — the Packers have used Jones on about 60 percent of their offensive snaps when healthy under LaFleur. LaFleur said Dillon will play at least one series in the preseason opener this week against Houston.
QB update
The huge difference in arm talent between Love and Benkert was evident Wednesday with Rodgers sitting out. Benkert just doesn’t have the same zip on the ball as Love and labors more on his delivery. Benkert’s best throw in full team drills was a deeper out pattern to receiver DeAndre Thompkins, but cornerback Ka’dar Hollman still was able to get there just in time to break it up. Benkert does play with a fearlessness, though. He didn’t do it Wednesday, but several times when he’s gotten the chance he’s scrambled and taken deep shots down the field. He hasn’t hit any yet.
Injury update
Returned to practice: None.
Didn’t practice: QB Aaron Rodgers (veteran rest), TE Marcedes Lewis (vet rest), OLB Preston Smith (vet rest), OLB Rashan Gary (groin), CB Stanford Samuels (foot), RB Aaron Jones (hamstring), LB Kamal Martin (knee), OLB Randy Ramsey (ankle), WR Chris Blair (ankle), WR Equanimeous St. Brown (hamstring), WR Juwann Winfree (shoulder), NT Kenny Clark (groin).
Non-football injury list: CB Kevin King (hamstring), S Will Redmond (foot), OLB Za’Darius Smith (back), ILB Isaiah McDuffie (hamstring), DL Kingsley Keke (ankle).
Physically unable to perform list: LT David Bakhtiari (ACL recovery).
Quote of the day
“I’m honored (new Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith) would think of me, first of all. You know, Arthur and I did share a locker room together in Tennessee, so yeah, I might have been looking in the mirror getting my clothes right while he was trying to get his hair right with that Just For Men (hair coloring). You guys know he’s younger than me, right? (Takes hat off to show his dark hair). But Arthur’s a great friend of mine.”
— LaFleur, on Smith recently saying, “I don’t spend an hour looking at myself in the mirror before games like Matt LaFleur does.”
Practice schedule
The Packers’ next practice is at 10:10 a.m. Thursday and is open to the public at Ray Nitschke Field.