LaFleur: ‘I Want Everybody’ at Voluntary OTAs

Packers coach Matt LaFleur, however, didn't have to close to everybody on the field for Tuesday's practice. And you could sense the frustration.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – “Control what you can control” is right out of Coachspeak 101.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur wishes all his players would be in attendance for the voluntary organized team activities. But that’s something he can’t control. As was the case last week, a number of key players were absent for the start of the second week of OTAs on Tuesday.

While the attendance sheet is out of LaFleur’s control, he seemed at least a little perturbed that so many players weren’t present. Under former coach Mike McCarthy, the Packers generally had full participation, or at least close to it, by the time OTAs were complete. So far, participation is considerably less than 100 percent.

“Each guy has that right to make that choice,” he said before practice. “If you’re asking me, I want everybody here. So, I think some of the thought process may have changed over what’s transpired over the last two years, especially with our COVID situation where we didn’t have OTAs. But my thing to our guys is, well, neither did anybody else. So, everybody had the same circumstances that they were dealing with. With everybody being open, you'd like to see as many guys as possible here.”

One player who was present after missing at least part of last week was cornerback Rasul Douglas. A sensation last season after being grabbed off Arizona’s practice squad, Douglas got his wish by re-signing early in free agency.

“The guys welcomed me in,” Douglas said after practice. “Honestly, my first home game here, I was thinking I want to be here forever.”

Douglas had five interceptions in his abbreviated first season with Green Bay, including a pair of pick-sixes, and allowed just a 44.6 percent completion rate, according to Sports Info Solutions. He dropped only one interception in 12 games but dropped one on Tuesday, when he showed his typically strong anticipation skills and burst to the ball.

“It feels good,” to be back, he said, “but nothing’s ever [guaranteed], you know what I’m saying? A contract means a contract, but at any time, if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing, they can let you go. You just got to keep working.”

While three receivers – including Allen Lazard and Sammy Watkins – were absent again, 31-year-old veteran Randall Cobb was doing his thing while wearing a hooded sweatshirt beneath his jersey on an 80-plus-degree day.

“He’s such a leader in that room, not only on offense, but he’s been sitting there in those special teams meetings and doing a great job with that and being able to help a lot of these young guys out,” LaFleur said.

Here was the participation report from Tuesday.

Not at practice: QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Amari Rodgers, WR Sammy Watkins, WR Allen Lazard, RB Patrick Taylor, TE Marcedes Lewis, OLB Rashan Gary, OLB Jonathan Garvin, OLB Randy Ramsey, OLB Preston Smith, CB Jaire Alexander, S Adrian Amos.

Rehab group: LT David Bakhtiari (knee), OL Elgton Jenkins (knee), TE Robert Tonyan (knee), RB Kylin Hill (knee), DT Dean Lowry (unknown), DT Hauati Pututau (unknown).

Amos was at his sister’s graduation. Some other players had travel issues.

“Our guys have done a really good job of letting us know when something comes up or they can’t make it,” LaFleur said. “Apparently, it was pretty challenging getting into Green Bay last night. A lot of flights getting cancelled all across the country. So, we’re missing a couple guys that we had anticipated being here.”

LaFleur said “the plan all along” has been to keep Bakhtiari out until the start of training camp. He missed almost all of last season – including the playoff loss to San Francisco – with the ACL tear sustained on New Year’s Eve 2020.

What to Watch During Week 2 of Packers OTAs

Quarterbacks

(Photo: Jordan Love and Danny Etling at OTAs. USA Today Sports Images)

During the draft, Aaron Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show that he’d participate in a few days of OTAs as well as the mandatory minicamp. Rodgers wasn’t at OTAs last week. He might not be there this week, either, given that he and Tom Brady will battle Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in The Match on Wednesday.

Assuming Rodgers doesn’t fly to Green Bay for practice, to Las Vegas for golf and back to Green Bay for practice – he probably could afford the airfare – that means another week at the wheel for Jordan Love.

Rodgers “doesn’t really need this time right now, so I enjoy it,” Love said last week. “Him not being here, it just means more reps for me and more reps for everybody else in the quarterback room. So, obviously, I’m loving it.”

Last week, some of the competitive periods were split in two groups, with Love directing a group of mostly veterans and Kurt Benkert and Danny Etling leading a group of mostly younger players.

Rookie (Mental) Wall

(Photo: First-round pick Devonte Wyatt at OTAs. USA Today Sports Images)

Perhaps the most important facet of these offseason practices is the ability to get the rookies/newcomers up to speed with the scheme so they can hit the ground running and really compete during training camp.

“You can only take it one day at a time and just hope for a little bit of improvement each and every day and watch these guys go out there and play with confidence,” coach Matt LaFleur said last week. “I think a lot of young guys are just out there playing more off feel than really knowing all the intricate details.

“There’s a lot that goes into this and there’s a lot of time spent teaching and there’s just a lot going on in their mind when they're out there. So, the more they hear us and we can put them through different situations whether it’s walk-throughs or team (reps), you just hope for those incremental improvements each and every day from those guys.”

The challenge increases this week. For the rookies, they got a taste of the first two days of playbook installs during the rookie camp. Those were the focus of the practices on Monday and Tuesday last week. It was fresh material on Thursday, and will be again this week.

“That’s where it’s going to start to pile up on them a little bit,” LaFleur said. “So, I think that’s where you can really kind of see more so into next week of where they’re at.”

Knock, Knock. Who’s There?

(Photo: Allen Lazard at last year's minicamp. USA Today Sports Images)

Last week, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, receivers Sammy Watkins and Allen Lazard, cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas, outside linebackers Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Jonathan Garvin and Randy Ramsey, and tight end Marcedes Lewis weren’t seen at Tuesday’s voluntary practice.

Watkins, the fourth pick of the 2014 draft, was signed in free agency. He played for the Rams in 2017, when LaFleur was offensive coordinator. Lazard has not signed his restricted free agent tender.

“Sammy’s done a nice job,” LaFleur said. “He’s been here throughout the majority of the offseason. I would say there’s a lot of differences between our offense when we were together in L.A. and what we’re doing here, just in terms of maybe not conceptually, but how we call things and how we coach different things. So, there’s certainly a lot for him to learn, but I think he’s done a nice job.”

With Robert Tonyan rehabbing his torn ACL and Lewis absent, Tyler Davis got added first-team reps.

If Douglas and Alexander are present, it will be interesting to see how defensive coordinator Joe Barry lines up his top trio of Douglas, Alexander and Eric Stokes.

June 1 Coming

(Photo: Dean Lowry sacks Cleveland's Baker Mayfield. USA Today Sports Images)

June 1 is a big day financially. Starting Wednesday, players can be released with the financial pain being spread over two years instead of one.

The Packers have one candidate: defensive tackle Dean Lowry. If the Packers were to release him on Tuesday, there would be $3.988 million in dead cap and $4.084 million in cap savings. If the Packers were to release him on Wednesday (or thereafter), there would be $2.122 million in dead cap and $5.95 million in cap savings.

Lowry has been a mainstay of the defensive line since being drafted in 2016 and is coming off one of his top seasons. However, the Packers did draft Devonte Wyatt in the first round and Jonathan Ford in the seventh round as well as sign proven veteran Jarran Reed in free agency. Plus, they added veteran Chris Slayton off waivers.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Lowry is on the hot seat. But the development of the depth chart – and the potential impact on Lowry – could be worth watching during training camp and the preseason.

Alexander vs. Rookies

(Photo: Jaire Alexander covers Marquez Valdes-Scantling at training camp in August. USA Today Sports Images)

In 2018, the Packers used their first-round pick on cornerback Jaire Alexander. To help get him ready for the season, he was matched early and often against Davante Adams. In 2021, the Packers used their first-round pick on cornerback Eric Stokes. Just like a few years earlier, Stokes got rep after rep against Adams to get ready for the season.

It could be role reversal if Alexander is on the field. The Packers selected three receivers in this year’s draft. At least one of them will need to contribute as a rookie. What better way to get Christian Watson (and Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure) ready than to match them against one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL?

Coming Up

(Photo: De'Vondre Campbell at OTAs. USA Today Sports Images)

This is the second of four weeks of offseason practices, with three practices slated for Tuesday through Friday. Next week, it’s the mandatory minicamp, set for June 7 through June 9. The offseason will conclude with the third week of voluntary OTAs the following week.