CAMP REPORT
THUMBS UP
With each passing day, UW-Whitewater product Matt Blanchard looks like a legitimate NFL quarterback. On Saturday, he completed 6 of 8 passes in team drills, including a tight throw in traffic over the middle to Jeff Janis for about 12 yards and a welltimed, rhythmic slant to Myles White for about 8. It was the first practice in pads, and Blanchard seemed sharper than he was Thursday and Friday. At times in the first two days, he wasn’t getting the ball out of his hand. In all three practices he has been waved in ahead of rookie Brett Hundley, the fifth-round draft choice from UCLA. Excluding no-huddle, the snap counts at the position in team drills were 22 for Aaron Rodgers, 19 for Scott Tolzien, 12 for Blanchard and 11 for Hundley. Hundley’s share was proportionally less the first two days. The Packers gave Blanchard a one-year minimum deal worth $435,000 on April 15; he had been out of work since being waived off injured reserve (concussion) Dec. 9 by Carolina. Upon meeting Blanchard, Mike McCarthy told him, “Why the hell don’t you have a job?” Now one can see why the coach would say that.
THUMBS DOWN
In the first one-on-one drill matching wide receivers and defensive backs, the cornerbacks (13 total reps) and safeties (three) didn’t make a play. Well, Sam Shields did reach in and break up a long pass at the moment of truth, but not before Randall Cobb ran by him deep only to have Rodgers’ pass come up short. Things started out badly for the defense when White blazed by Damarious Randall. Again, the pass was underthrown. One of the better efforts in coverage was by Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who broke fast on a quick out to White. Part of the problem for the defensive backs was the emphasis in the drill. Joe Whitt, the cornerbacks coach, had his charges playing off coverage. When the group is aligned in bump-and-run, it’ll be more difficult for the wide receivers to get open.
INJURY REPORT
Josh Sitton (unspecified) sat out team drills and the one-on-one’s. Lane Taylor replaced him at left
guard. WR Adrian Coxson dropped out (dizziness).
BITS AND PIECES
All 1,500 or so seats at Ray Nitschke Field were jammed and fans were standing five and six deep in the north end zone when the first practice in pads of the summer started at 8:20 a.m. It’s possible 3,000 seats might have been necessary to accommodate the crowd. Packers President Mark Murphy said there were no plans to increase seating or add a deck to the mini-stadium. “This is the peak and we have so few practices,” he said. “I don’t think it’d justify the expense.”
Larry Van Alstine is back for another year as referee on the veteran crew of officials during each practice all season. St. Norbert College, training-camp home of the Packers, named its new baseball stadium Larry Van Alstine Field in April. He was a player, coach and athletic director at SNC.
Retired general manager Ron Wolf watched much of practice one week before his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Don Barclay, in pads for the first time since blowing out his knee Aug. 5, looked stout in protection. He’s backing up at RT, RG and LG.
Rookie WR Javess Blue and White ran some crafty finesse routes.
DE Josh Boyd got his pads up too high late in the 2 hour, 30 minute practice, was driven well off the ball and was pulled immediately by Mike Trgovac, the defensive line coach.
SCHEDULE
Off Sunday. Monday’s practice in pads starts at 8:20 a.m.