Lowry proving worth to defense
GREEN BAY - Thursday's takeaways from practice at Packers training camp:
Lowry keeps delivering
Dean Lowry isn't going to make any Pro Bowls or be a big-name player in the NFL, but his day-in, day-out performance in training camp has shown why he's worth his middle-class salary status ($4.8 million in salary and bonuses) at a time when the league's middle class is shrinking because of cap constraints. Lowry has been lining up daily with the Packers' starting defensive line and usually finds a way a couple of times a practice to stuff a run or get pressure, if not a sack, on the quarterback. On Thursday, it happened on back-to-back snaps during a move-the-ball period when he would have had likely sacks of Jordan Love.
On the first, Love was working with the starting offensive line, and Lowry smoked rookie center Josh Myers off the snap. Love eventually completed a throw to running back Kylin Hill, but it's a good bet Lowry would have sacked Love before he got the throw off. On the second, Lowry again pressured Love and then let up, as he's supposed to in practice, which allowed Love to pull the ball down and run to his right. Even now in his prime (age 26) Lowry probably won't put up a big stat line — he has 10 sacks and 24 quarterback hits in five NFL seasons — but he's always available (one missed game in his career) and looks like he's on course to deliver some bang for the buck in 2021.
▪ Every time the Packers have given Oren Burks a good look with the starting defense the past three seasons, the inside linebacker has played his way off the field. Two weeks into training camp, new defensive coordinator Joe Barry appears to have become intrigued by Burks, just as Mike Pettine was periodically as the team's previous defensive coordinator. In the last couple of practices, Barry has given Burks a few snaps as the lone linebacker with the No. 1 dime defensive unit. Krys Barnes is the starter in that role and De'Vondre Campbell the backup, but until the last couple practices they were the only inside linebackers who worked with the starters in that role.
Burks' combination of speed (4.59second 40) and length (6-31⁄8) make him a potential candidate for the job, but the question is whether he has honed his feel for the pass game enough to put those attributes to good use. So far in his career he has gotten several shots at a regular role in the defense but been unable to hold it. Instead, his niche has been as a core special teams player. Nothing notable has happened in Burks' limited work with the starting dime so far. He has the final weeks of camp to turn another look-see into something more substantial.
QB watch
In the two-minute drills to end practice, Aaron Rodgers was unable to get the ball in the end zone with the starting offense whereas Love did with the No. 2s.
Rodgers started with the ball at his 20 with 1:44 to play and moved the ball past midfield. Facing a fourth-and-3 he converted with a completion to Josiah Deguara against Adrian Amos and then then spiked the ball with three seconds left. Instead of trying a Hail Mary from the 38, he ran a swing pass and lateral play that resulted in a quick fumble when Randall Cobb's lateral to tackle Elgton Jenkins failed.
Love, on the other hand, took advantage of a busted coverage on a fourthand-3 to hit wide-open Malik Taylor with a 53-yard touchdown pass to end his two-minute possession, which started at the 40 and with the same 1:44 left to play.
Injury update
Returned: QB Aaron Rodgers (veteran rest), TE Marcedes Lewis (vet rest), OLB Preston Smith (vet rest), CB Kevin King (off NFI, hamstring), DL Kingsley Keke (off NFI, ankle), ILB Isaiah McDuffie (off NFI, hamstring), CB Stanford Samuels (foot), LB Kamal Martin (knee), WR Chris Blair (ankle).
Didn’t practice: OLB Rashan Gary (groin), Aaron Jones (hamstring), OLB Randy Ramsey (ankle), WR Equanimeous St. Brown (hamstring), WR Juwann Winfree (shoulder), NT Kenny Clark (groin).
The Packers later placed Ramsey on season-ending injured reserve and signed cornerback Dominique Martin.
Bits and pieces
▪ In his first practice of camp, King, just off the non-football injury list, lined up at starting cornerback opposite Jaire Alexander in walk-through but did not take part in 11-on-11 periods. First-round pick Eric Stokes remained the starter in 11-on-11.
▪ Amos had the lone interception of the day, on a throw by Love. Love tried to hit Taylor on a downfield throw along the sideline, but Love hung the ball in the air too long and gave Amos time to track it from safety for the leaping interception. On the next play Love hit DeAndre Thompkins on a deep shot behind cornerback Kabion Ento.
▪ Receiver Devin Funchess left practice after appearing to injure his lower back or leg. He didn't return.
Quote of the day
“We're always trying to put our guys in a great position to go out there — you want them to be successful. But at the same time I know there's that balance of trying to get too cute or whatever in terms of what we're going to throw out there (in a preseason game). But certainly I feel there's enough all-purpose plays within our plan that we feel good about that (Love) can go out there and execute at a high level.”
— Coach Matt LaFleur on his decision to limit the game planning this week for Love's preseason debut against Houston.
Practice schedule
The Packers' next practice open to the public will be a joint session with the New York Jets at 10:10 a.m. Wednesday at Ray Nitschke Field.