And that’s a wrap. The 2021 Green Bay Packers training camp and entire off-season program is in the rear view mirror as the team went through a two hour practice today. All that remains before the regular season preparation begins is a date with the Buffalo Bills on Saturday afternoon and the final roster configuration by next Tuesday.
It looks like Jordan Love has recovered from a shoulder injury halfway through his only pre-season appearance against the Houston Texans.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur said before practice that Love told him he’s pain free but they’ll still take the play time decision right up until the contest. If he does play, and that appears likely, LaFleur said he’ll go at least the first half and maybe into the third quarter with Kurt Benkert finishing up.
About the only unsettled starting jobs are at offensive guard. LaFleur said it’s a three way battle for the two positions with Lucas Patrick, Jon Runyan and rookie Royce Newman settling it this weekend. During the first team period today, it was Patrick at left guard and Newman on the right side. If it stays that way for the regular season opener, the Packers will kick off the campaign with two rookies starting.
Second round pick Josh Myers was handed the starting center job almost the moment he was drafted. He caught the wrath of Aaron Rodgers big time today. During an 11 on 11 period, with Rodgers lined up in the shotgun, Myers delivered a snap to the unexpecting quarterback and the play was foiled. Rodgers could be heard screaming at the rookie. After practice, Rodgers said it was a situation they had talked about just once earlier in camp. It was a check with the cadence that Myers disregarded and caught the QB off-guard. Better it happen now than later.
Rodgers finished his camp as sharp as he started it. He completed an array of passes. A roll right and cross field bomb to Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 60 yard touchdown. There was an arrow to a diving Davante Adams for a score in the red zone and a high lob that Robert Tonyan pulled down with one hand for another touchdown.
The reigning MVP was the Packer headliner all summer of course with his dispute with the front office and his sudden on time arrival. Meeting the media Thursday afternoon, he was asked about what by all accounts was a pretty sharp month of camp.
The defense however, had the last laughs during the final competitive, 2 minute drills. The starting D denied Rodgers and the offense on an incomplete hail mary and the second teammers forced Love to checkdown on a 4th down from midfield. Complicating the offensive effort was the music, played through each practice all summer, was cranked up to extreme volumes on the final day.
A handful of players are still sidelined by injury and unlikely to play Saturday. That list includes Equanimeous St. Brown, Vernon Scott, Za’Darius Smith, Juwann Winfree and Tyler Lancaster.
The Packers reached the 80 man roster limit by placing veteran Devin Funchess on season ending injured reserve. The veteran has played in one NFL game since the end of the 2018 season when he was with Carolina. He signed with Indianapolis but broke his collarbone in the 2019 opener and after agreeing to a free agent deal with the Packers last year, he opted out because of the pandemic. Now it appears he may never play for the Pack. Green Bay also cut receiver Chris Blair.
General Manager Brian Gutekunst also added two player for a one week audition signing defensive lineman Abdullah Anderson and defensive back Stephen Denmark. They both practiced for the first time with the team today. LaFleur hopes they can at least get a couple of snaps against the Bills.
Hopefully some world championship luck will rub off on the Pack as Jon Horst, the General Manager of the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks attended practice, spending most of the time chatting with Brian Gutekunst and Mark Murphy.
LaFleur was able to have his team together and on the field throughout the spring with OTA’s and a mini-camp, unlike last year. Now his third training camp is in the books and it’s on to the regular season.
When the practice ending horn sounded just after high noon, the focus is on the final roster exam for the young players in Buffalo and for the veterans?, a much bigger goal at the end of the 2021 rainbow.
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