Highlights From Practice 18 of Packers Training Camp

It was an eventful Sunday at Packers training camp, with the return of David Bakhtiari, talk of preseason playing time, the play and player of the day, and much more.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Coach Matt LaFleur said he’s given “a lot of thought” to whether he’ll play his starters for some of Thursday’s preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“It depends what day you catch me,” LaFleur said of the resolution.

The play-or-not-to-play dilemma is one of the biggest for any coach. Common sense suggests playing front-line players in the preseason will make them better prepared for the start of the regular season. Common sense also suggests that front-line players can’t get hurt in a game that “doesn’t count on your record” if they’re not playing in it.

Last training camp, the Packers didn’t play their starters in the preseason and got trounced in Week 1 against the Saints. It was an embarrassing loss that resulted in a lot of questions about LaFleur’s preseason approach. Ultimately, though, one game might not mean much in the big picture. The Packers shook off their embarrassment and won 13 of their next 15 games and secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been an outspoken critic about playing in preseason games, rightly saying the challenge is much bigger facing his own defense on the practice field than going against an opponent’s vanilla defense in an exhibition game. Asked a couple weeks ago, Rodgers seemed at least partially open to playing against the Chiefs, so long as he’s out there long enough to get a good sweat and build some rhythm.

“I definitely don’t see any benefit to playing one series,” he said on Aug. 9. “If we’re going to play, we should play and play a quarter, a couple of series, two to three series. Just suiting up for four plays, to me, is a waste.”

It also would be a waste to have a serious injury on the sixth snap. That’s when Jordy Nelson suffered a torn ACL at Pittsburgh in the 2015 preseason. The season effectively was over at that moment – a meaningless 8-yard gain in a meaningless game.

“I don’t want to use the term ‘meaningless games’ because every opportunity out there is a chance to get better and improve,” LaFleur said, “but when they don’t count against your record, what’s the risk? What’s the reward? There really is not a correct answer. The correct answer is whatever works. Unfortunately, we don’t know that.

“You look back a year ago and you’re like, ‘Well, if you would’ve played the guys at all in the preseason, would you have gotten whipped like you did in Week 1 vs. the Saints?’ I don’t know what the answer is. Maybe, maybe not. But I do think we had a pretty successful year until it wasn’t at the end. We had a lot of success over the course of the regular season. To me, a lot of it comes down to your gut feeling of what you need to get out and what you want to see and where you’re at as a football team. I respect everybody’s opinions on this. If you ask 32 head coaches, they’re all going to have a little different opinion on what you should do in that situation. As far as what is the right answer, I don’t think anybody knows.”

Player of the Day

Eric Stokes (USA Today Sports Images)

After a standout rookie season, cornerback Eric Stokes got off to a rough start to training camp. He was victimized several times by rookie receiver Romeo Doubs. Following one rep during one-on-ones, Doubs made the play and Stokes pounded his helmet into the turf in frustration.

Stokes, however, has found his groove. He was the best player on the field on Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers threw three passes at No. 21 during a two-minute drill at the end of practice. The first was an incompletion to tight end Josiah Deguara. Stokes danced after that one. The second was an incompletion to receiver Allen Lazard. Stokes posed after that one. The last came on a deep ball up the sideline to receiver Sammy Watkins. The ball was well-thrown but Watkins couldn’t get an inch of separation and Stokes knocked it away.

Pasted to the outside of Stokes’ locker are a series of notes, such as “Don’t Let Me Get Too High or Low.” Asked about them last week, Stokes said: “Just stuff I’ve got to remember day in and day out. This is what I dream for. It’s just like different little things. Don’t ever get too high. Don’t ever get too low. Just keep it right in the middle. Just try to keep your composure.”

Play of the Day

Kenny Clark (USA Today Sports Images)

When AJ Dillon is doing spin moves in the backfield, you know there’s trouble. The trouble on this particular play was defensive tackle Kenny Clark overwhelming left guard Jon Runyan to produce a big loss.

Packers Depth Chart Notes

Shemar Jean-Charles (USA Today Sports)

- The newsworthy item on the depth charts is there were no major moves following Friday’s game.

- With the No. 2 defense, the outside linebacker tandem was Jonathan Garvin and La’Darius Hamilton. Against the Saints, it was Garvin and Tipa Galeai. Was that a switch in backups or just another day in the revolving door as the team tries to figure out who will be the top backups?

- The No. 3 tandem at outside linebacker was Galeai and Kobe Jones. Fifth-round rookie Kingsley Enagbare, who had a hot streak last week and led the team in pressures on Friday (but also was guilty of a horse-collar tackle), was the last man on the pecking order.

- While cornerback Kiondre Thomas had an excellent performance vs. the Saints, the No. 2 cornerback trio remains Shemar Jean-Charles and Rico Gafford on the perimeter and Keisean Nixon in the slot.

- Another young player who had a big-time game against the Saints was rookie offensive lineman Zach Tom. Nonetheless, the No. 1 offensive line was the group that started all week against the Saints: Yosh Nijman at left tackle, Jon Runyan at left guard, Josh Myers at center, Jake Hanson at right guard and Royce Newman at right tackle. Tom did get a few first-team snaps at right tackle.

Packers Transactions

Coach Matt LaFleur (USA Today Sports Images)

Before practice, the Packers released outside linebacker Chauncey Manac and center/guard Ty Clary.

Manac, an undrafted rookie who had a 0-yard sack on Friday, was at the bottom of a promising depth chart that includes Jonathan Garvin, Tipa Galeai, Kingsley Enagbare and Kobe Jones in the pursuit of the backup spots behind starters Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.

Coach Matt LaFleur didn’t rule out filling one of those spots with a safety.

Packers Sunday Injury Report

David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins (Bill Huber/Packer Central)

In a major development, David Bakhtiari was activated from the physically unable to perform list. That has the Packers in position to line up in Week 1 with Bakhtiari at left tackle and Elgton Jenkins at right tackle.

“It feels good, man,” he said after his debut. “We’ll see how I respond tomorrow but, as of right now, it’s a good checkmark on the day. Felt good, I was happy where I was at.”

While Innis Gaines (hamstring) returned to the practice field, the team remains down four safeties with Vernon Scott out with a shoulder injury. The team is “still getting opinions” on Scott, who was injured trying make a tackle on Friday.

Gaines was limited to individual drills and worked a bit as a jammer on punt return.

Returned to practice: S Innis Gaines (hamstring), LT David Bakhtiari (knee).

New injuries: S Vernon Scott (shoulder).

Old injuries: S Dallin Leavitt (shoulder), S Tariq Carpenter (knee), S Darnell Savage (hamstring), DT Akial Byers (ankle).

Physically unable to perform list: K Mason Crosby (knee), RB Kylin Hill (knee).

Packers Training Camp Schedule

Aaron Rodgers (USA Today Sports Images)

Training camp is closed to the public for the rest of summer. Officially, there are two days left in camp with practices on Monday and Tuesday, a travel day on Wednesday and the preseason finale on Thursday.

Also, the Packers must cut their roster to 80 players by 3 p.m. Tuesday. They’re at 83.

Sunday’s Training Camp Highlights

Christian Watson (USA Today Sports Images)

- This practice was focused on the starters who were held out of Friday’s preseason game. In the lone two-minute drill, Aaron Rodgers and Co. started at their 30 with 1:50 on the clock and no timeouts. On fourth-and-10 from the 30, Randall Cobb found a void in the defense and made a nice leaping catch for a gain of 24. The drive stalled there. Rodgers clocked the ball on first down, gained only 5 on a checkdown to AJ Dillon that was defended well by linebacker Quay Walker on second down, and threw back-to-back incompletions to Sammy Watkins and Cobb.

- Rodgers coaxed the defense offside and connected with Josiah Deguara for a nice gain. What was noteworthy was Rodgers exchanging fist-bumps with center Josh Myers for making it happen. Rodgers has been tough on Myers at times.

- Rodgers connected on a pair of passes to rookie receiver Christian Watson, who was getting his first 11-on-11 reps since coming off PUP last week.

"It feels amazing just to be able to up against the defense and get some live reps," Watson said. "It feels like it’s been a long time coming for me. It’s only been a few weeks but I feel like it’s definitely been a long time coming and I’ve been itching to get back out there. So, it feels great."

- A swing pass to Dexter Williams gained a nice chunk of yards because of new receiver Travis Fulgham’s block of Rico Gafford.

- Watkins hasn’t dropped many passes. He might not have dropped any, actually. But he did along the sideline on a Rodgers scramble drill.

- Shemar Jean-Charles had great coverage to prevent a deep completion to Watkins. On the next play, he was beaten by Romeo Doubs on a post and flagged for holding.

- Kicker Ramiz Ahmed made all six field-goal attempts with a long of 51. He is 17-of-19 at practice and 2-for-2 in games.