More camp observations from the Ultimate Packer Fan

Monday July 31, 2006

Editor's note: this on-site report was provided by the Ultimate Packer Fan.

Practice was hot – Africa hot.

There were three halfback option passes with Herrion throwing on all three. I think Herrion looks better than Gado right now.

Spitz wiffed in one on one pass rush against Pickett. Johnny Jolly got a good push against College. Tony Moll needs work on pass protection.

Here’s a difference between high and low draft picks. Ryan Pickett (round 1) runs some of the DL agility drills as fast or faster than Dave Tollefson (round 6). The difference is Pickett is 70 pounds heavier. Talked awhile to Tollefson’s girlfriend at practice. She’s easy on the eyes. Looks like most of his signing bonus is hanging on her finger. Theplayers call him mini-kamp because he looks like Kampmen but smaller. Hehad decided to sign with Green Bay even if he wasn’t drafted. He visited here before the draft and liked it here and knew smaller ends are used in this defense. Maybe because there is little depth at end too.

In a drill with the ends today the lack of depth struck me. Kampmen, KGB, Montgomery and a bunch of no names. Hope they stay healthy.I would say the best depth is LB, DT and TE (Tory Humphry has caught a lot of balls). CB might be OK if Woodson pans out. He seems to have an attitude out there. Looks a little lazy or a “been there, done that”attitude. Hard to put my finger on yet.

Martin caught an out pass vs Carroll this afternoon. Carroll immediately looks to the high school ref on the sidelines and hollers “didn’t you see that m-f'er push me off”. Some things never change.

Jennings caught a long bomb last night that was perfectly thrown. He didn’t have to jump and caught the ball as effortlessly as I have seen at a camp. Soft hands and looked natural. He’s not another track guy trying to play receiver.

Less time is spent on special teams as was under Sherman. But who knows because Sherman’s ST’s were poor to mediocre. If they improve it might make the case for good special teams are a result of better players not coaching (like 1996). The depth of the roster is better I believe and linebackers are deep so special teams may improve.

Last night Favre threw a touch pass 15 yards downfield in the right flat toHenderson that was a masterpiece. Hawkins was there and jumped to defend but the ball was about 6 inches over his reach and right on the money to Will who rumbled down the field. Gonna miss passes like that when he hangs it up.

Rock Gullickson leads the entire team in calisthenics early in practice. He looks like a Marine drill sergeant and his voice booms across the field. Sherman never warmed up the team as a whole group. They do all the old basic warm up stuff done by high school teams. I always thought it was weird they never did that before.

It’s hard to get a read on Hawk and Hodge in the run game. They have not had a live 9 on 7 run scrimmage with tackling yet. Thought they would have by now.