Rodgers stymied in third-and-goal drills
GREEN BAY – Give quarterback Aaron Rodgers five opportunities from the 10-yard line and in and chances are he’s going to score touchdowns on a couple of them.
But going 0 for 5?
You’d have to give the Green Bay Packers defense some credit for that.
On the first day of pads Tuesday, the defense picked off Rodgers twice overall and broke up three passes into the end zone during the five-play, thirdand-goal drill at the end of practice.
“As a defense, that’s a big win for us,” inside linebacker Oren Burks said. “We’ve got to keep it rolling because we’ve got to keep stacking days. We’re never going to look too far back. We’re just going to keep moving forward and continue to get better.”
Sometimes the defense appears to be ahead of the offense at the start of training camp because it’s playing its scheme and not the scheme the play is designed to beat. So, there can be some confusion and misreads.
But the five plays in the final period were designed to be a competition.
On the first play, from the 10-yard line, Rodgers hit receiver Equanimeous St. Brown short of the goal-line over the middle. On the second play, Rodgers threw incomplete.
Then came the defense’s hammer. Rodgers escaped the pocket on a play from the 6-yard line and fired the ball across his body toward tight end Robert Tonyan, who appeared to be wide open. But safety Adrian Amos raced across the field and deflected the ball before it reached its target.
On the next play, from the 4-yard line, Rodgers threw a slant to Davante Adams, who was lined up in the slot. It should have been an easy touchdown, but cornerback Chandon Sullivan read it perfectly, broke on the ball and knocked it out of Adams’ arms at the goal line.
Finally, on third-and-goal at the 2, Rodgers looked to hit a comeback to Adams he has hit many times before, but his throw toward the pylon was undercut by cornerback Josh Jackson, who dove and had the ball in his arms but couldn’t hold on for the interception.
“I think Coach (Matt) LaFleur does a great job of adding that competition element to every practice,” Burks said. “So, every drill, every station, every team rep, we know that we’re going after it to continue to get each other better.”
In round one of padded action, the defense prevailed.
Left tackle depth
It took three practices for the Packers
to see what life might be like without their franchise left tackle.
David Bakhtiari limped to the sideline during red-zone drills near the end of practice, creating a crater on the left side of the offensive line. Bakhtiari, an All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler, stood to the side as practice concluded instead of going inside the Don Hutson Center, perhaps a promising sign.
LaFleur would not provide specifics on Bakhtiari’s injury after practice.
There’s a reason all the attention paid to right tackle this season doesn’t transfer to the left bookend of the line. So long as Bakhtiari is healthy this season, his position should not be an issue. If he’s not? Well, Alex Light rotated into left tackle Tuesday, but that was practice, where quarterbacks can’t be hit.
It’s uncertain whether Light would be Bakhtiari’s replacement in a game, or if the Packers would be inclined to move Billy Turner or Rick Wagner to left tackle. Both are preferred for the right side of the offensive line.
“If I have to go out there and play left tackle in a pinch,” Turner said, “I’m going to go out there and play left tackle to the best of my ability in a pinch.”
Rotating center
With center Corey Linsley getting Tuesday’s first padded practice off for what LaFleur described as a “precautionary” reason, it allowed the Packers to flex the versatility that is the strength of their offensive line.
The Packers rotated Elgton Jenkins and Lucas Patrick between center and left guard. Their flip-flopping joined the ongoing rotation on the right side between Turner, Wagner and Lane Taylor.
Jenkins, a standout left guard last season, was a center in his final two years at Mississippi State. Some scouts thought he could be a quality NFL center entering the 2019 draft, but with Linsley having the position on lockdown, the Packers moved Jenkins to left guard.
“That’s a great luxury,” LaFleur said. “He’s played it all in college, and certainly any time you have a guy with that type of versatility, it definitely adds an element to your roster.”
Adams carted off
It’s uncertain how long Montravius Adams will miss after being carted off the practice field Tuesday, but his absence could put a crimp in the Packers’ plans on their defensive line.
Adams has consistently rotated with the Packers’ starting defensive line in base defense through the camp’s first few days. He’s gotten reps as the third defensive lineman behind Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry, the same position on the depth chart he held last season.