Tuesday LaFleur: Big Battles Loom During Final Week of Camp
GREEN BAY, Wis. – As the legendary horse-racing broadcaster Dave Johnson would say, “And down the stretch they come!” as the Green Bay Packers head into the final week before the roster must get cut to 53 players.
That makes this a different week, with the urgency knob cranked up to 11.
“It’s training camp. We still have another game to get prepared for and I still think there’s a lot of battles and positions to be fought for,” coach Matt LaFleur said before Tuesday’s practice. “We’re attacking in the same way we have up until this point.”
Two of the big battles are at safety, with the starting job opposite Darnell Savage up for grabs, and running back, with the No. 3 job appearing to be a wide-open competition.
At safety, Jonathan Owens has taken most of the first-team reps but Rudy Ford started and played well against New England and Tarvarius Moore might not practice this week due to a knee injury.
At running back, Patrick Taylor is a veteran who can do everything at an adequate level, Emanuel Wilson has flourished – he leads the NFL in rushing – and Tyler Goodson’s explosiveness gave him some first-team reps before a shoulder injury.
“Yeah, I think everything’s important. Every reps these guys get, whether it’s on offense, whether it’s in one-on-one, whether it’s on we-fence, every reps these guys get is absolutely critical for them,” LaFleur said.
Here are a few more quick-hitting notes from LaFleur from before Tuesday’s practice.
Matt LaFleur (Tork Mason/USA Today Sports Images)
Will Rashan Gary take team drills this week, and will Eric Stokes start practicing?
LaFleur said “the plan” on Monday was for Gary to take his first 11-on-11 reps in training camp. “I have not gotten any updates this morning.” Eric Stokes, who remains on the PUP list following foot surgery, will not practice. Will he open the season on PUP, meaning he'd spend the first four weeks on the sideline? “That’s out of my wheelhouse.”
On undrafted receiver Malik Heath:
“I love his competitive spirit. I love how he goes out there and competes, whether it’s in the run game or the pass game. Certainly, we’ve got to get him more of an opportunity to showcase what he can do on [special] teams because, as a young player in this league, many times that’s how you get your first crack at it, to build that trust from your teammates, from your coaches, to go in there and handle more responsibility.
“I think in a short period, he’s done a nice job but you can never rest easy in this league. You can’t take a breath for one second. You’ve got to keep pushing, and that’s our job, too, is to push him. He’s still a very young player and he’s got a lot to learn, but he’s done a pretty nice job.
The forecast is for a high of 97 on Wednesday – the final practice that will be open to fans. Will that impact the practice schedule?
Yes. LaFleur said the team would move its start time up from noon to about 10:30 a.m.
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