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Packers training camp notebook: The Ravens come to town

Paul Bretl | 8/22/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Training camp for the Packers wrapped up on Thursday afternoon, hosting the Baltimore Ravens for a joint practice prior to the two teams’ preseason matchup on Saturday. Practice would last two and a half hours.

With so much going on and the offensive and defensive units practicing on opposite ends of the field, I chose to focus my attention on just the defensive side of the football to see how this new look unit fared against Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, and others.

To begin, following some one-on-ones between the offensive and defensive lines, the Ravens offense started at midfield running a series of plays from that spot as both teams cycled through their first, second and third units. Below is what stood out to me as I watched:

Xavier McKinney was everywhere. One play you look up and McKinney, who was the lone deep safety, made his way to the far left sideline to help Eric Stokes in coverage. Then you see McKinney making a “tackle” at the line of scrimmage in the run game. A play or two later he’s making another tackle on a short pass to the flat, followed by a pass breakup over the middle. On top of that, you can see the command and control he’s in pre-snap as he’s communicating to the rest of the secondary.

As practice went on, the pass rush picked up steam. At least from the defensive perspective, I thought TJ Slaton was one of the players of the day for the Packers. He was a force in the middle, generating push, and helping to create pressure. But really, just about everyone along the front was able to find some success. Lamar Jackson was under pressure often and forced from the pocket.

“We just did what Green Bay Packers do,” said Rashan Gary. “Go out there, start fast and play physical. We don’t really care about the other team, what they have going, don’t matter they players. It’s about what we got in the building and what we believe and trust.”

Contributing to the success of the defensive front was the play of the secondary. There were a number of instances where, because of the coverage on the back end, Jackson had nowhere to go with the football, which gave the defensive front some additional time to get to the quarterback. After practice, Jaire Alexander would mention that he was targeted only one time.

“We definitely worked together and that’s what we’ve been preaching all week, especially coming off the Denver practice,” said Clark on the play of the defense. “Just make sure we’re communicating. Make sure we’re working together and just playing hard. Guys came out with the right energy, the right effort, and it was physical.”

Now, there are there notes I need to make. One is that in a practice, Jackson wasn’t going to tuck the ball and takeoff like he normally would when facing pressure. We also know that if pressuring Jackson is step one, step two is bringing him down, and that is arguably the more challenging part of the equation. So while the Packers were able to create pressure–do those turn into sacks? We won’t know.

“Lamar was not looking to run,” said John Harbaugh after practice. He was looking to stay in there and throw. I think he probably would have run more in a game than he did today. And that’s a problem for a defense too.”

Continuing on, Derrick Henry in the run game ripped off a couple of chunk runs. We all know how difficult he is to bring down and trying to determine how a running play ends up without live tackling isn’t always easy. Lastly, Ravens’ starting center Tyler Linderbaum was not practicing.

Highlights from the first period:

– Jackson connected on a corner route to Zay Flowers with Keisean Nixon in coverage for a good sized gain.
– Henry with an explosive run up the middle where he gets to the second level.
– A group effort to create pressure, followed by a pass breakup by McKinney on an over the middle throw.
– Jackson went deep to WR Deonte Hardy but Eric Wilson was tight in coverage. Incomplete pass.
– Pressure from Rashan Gary forces incomplete pass.
– Good pass protection from the Ravens. Jackson with time hits WR Tylan Wallace over the middle with Stokes in coverage.
– Quick throw to the flat, McKinney there for the tackle.
– At one point there were three straight pressures created by Gary, Enagbare, and Van Ness.

“This practice was important because it gives guys a little bit more confidence,” said Alexander. “We had one team we faced last week and could’ve did better. I think we did a little bit better today. So we’re taking strides in the right steps.”

Red zone period: The Ravens’ offense ran 15 plays inside the 20 yard line. The positive plays for the Ravens included two touchdown passes, a read-option keeper for Jackson, who looked like he was able to get around the edge, and then a pass interference penalty on Nixon. But, for the most part, the pass rush continued to get after Jackson.

Highlights from the red zone period:

– Wyatt with a tackle for loss against Justice Hill.
– Jackson’s touchdown pass was the tight end Charlie Kolar with Javon Bullard nearby and Isaiah McDuffie trailing in coverage.
– I counted two pressures for Kenny Clark and he drew a holding penalty as well.
– McKinney made another tackle in the flat on a quick throw.
– The Packers’ secondary created pressures for Smith and Arron Mosby on two separate plays.
– It looked like Smith and Karl Brooks would have had a combined sack.

“Oh man, I’m just excited to see them Week 1 and throughout the rest of the season,” said Alexander of the defensive front. “Those guys are gonna make our jobs easier and then we’re gonna play off them. It’s gonna be a show.”

Move the ball period for the starters:

– First down: Jackson threw incomplete to Flowers on a deep out. It did look like Flowers had beat Stokes but couldn’t come down with the pass inbounds.
– Second down: Few yard run for Derrick Henry.
– Third down: Good coverage from the Packers. Enagbare gets the initial pressure but Jackson escapes and picks up first down.
– First down: Justice Hill ran right and was pushed out of bounds by McDuffie for about three yards.
– Second down: Jackson completes a pass to Isaiah Likely for a moderate gain, who found the soft spot between McDuffie and Stokes.
– First down: A five-six yard gain for Henry on a run up the middle. “Tackle” made by Quay Walker.
– Second down: Throw to Hill in the flat; tackle made by McKinney.
– Jackson completes a touchdown pass to Malik Cunningham in the back right corner of the end zone. He was being defended by McDuffie.

Move the ball period for the second units: During the first attempt for the Ravens offense, the Packers defense forced a “punt.” Wilson was in to make a “tackle” on a first down run. A second-down throw to the flat went for little thanks to Ty’Ron Hopper. Then a false start penalty backed the Ravens up. On third down, the pass was completed but short of the sticks.

On the second time through this drill for the second units, the drive started with a big play up the seam to Qadir Ismail with Ballentine in coverage. Quarterback Josh Johnson then found Riley Sharp on first down for a five yard gain. On second down, Anthony Johnson made the tackle in the flat for a few yards and then a tackle for loss on a third down toss play. The Ravens would kick a field goal.

The two-minute drill. The situation was each offense began at their own 30 yard line, down 24-27 with 1:30 on the clock and one timeout.

Packers first team offense: The drive was sparked by a 15 yard slant to Jayden Reed. On the third play, Love connected with Romeo Doubs for a 42 yard gain. Doubs beat his defender on what looked like a go route down the left side and the safety didn’t come to help in time. A screen to Josh Jacobs on the next play lost four yards. Love then attempted back-to-back throws to the back right corner of the end zone to Wicks. The first was overthrown and the second was broken up by Ar’Darius Washington.

“I think it was a good practice today,” said Love at his locker. “We started a little slow to start, the team-run period I don’t think was our best. But we definitely picked it up and started moving. I think red zone was a great period for us. We were able to execute at a high level down there and then finish a two-minute drive. Obviously I wish we could get that touchdown, but ended with a field goal, so it was good.”

Ravens first team offense: The drive began with a sack by Clark and Wyatt. Jackson would then complete the next two passes. Having to go for it on fourth down, Jackson completed the pass to Rashod Bateman to move the chains. The next two plays were completed over the middle on a shallow route and then in the flat. With nine seconds left, Enagbare forced a pressure and Jackson threw the ball away. Justin Tucker would come up short from 62 yards and into a slight breeze.

“I mean it just helps so much in the back end having a front seven like that,” said Evan Williams. “Just the confidence in those guys to go get ’em up front because you have a clock in your head as a DB, right, and if it gets to like three seconds with our front seven, the ball’s gotta be out at that point. Otherwise, Lamar’s out there scrambling for his life, so just yeah, having that confidence that those guys are just gonna wreak havoc throughout the game is just a great feeling from a guy in the back end.”

Pratt and Clifford: Both quarterbacks would lead drives that ended in field goals. Pratt connected with DuBose on a deep out, Merriweather in the flat, Sims, and a slant to Toure. Joseph made the kick from 51 yards. Clifford picked up moderate gains on passes to Messiah Swinson. The big play came on a 25 yard corner route to Henry Pearson. The next two passes were incomplete, followed by a modest gain on a completion to Stanley. Carlson then made the kick from 51 yards.

Ravens second team offense: The drive ended quickly for the Ravens, following an interception by Evan Williams. This was his fifth interception of training camp.

“It felt great,” said Williams of his interception. “I was just kinda dropping into interior zone, right, and had a strong side to my right and I’m allowed to kind of be a free player in that situation, kind of play off the quarterback, use my instincts in that sense and yeah, No. 1 kinda eliminated so I knew routes were coming to my side from the front side and shifted over a little bit, able to make a play, get down, just looked at my team. Everybody’s running on the field. It was a good moment, for sure.”

What about the kickers? Carlson finished the day 5-of-5 and Joseph 3-of-4. It was a better day from Joseph, but over the last week-plus, Carlson has been the more steady of the two. There really isn’t much of a runway left for Joseph to make up ground with only one preseason game remaining. Carlson has made 81.9% of his kicks in camp and Joseph 78.1%.

Packers take a swing on K Alex Hale’s potential, designating him as International Pathway Player

Paul Bretl | 8/21/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers made a pair of roster moves on Wednesday, announcing that they designated kicker Alex Hale as the team’s International Pathway Player. Previously, it was defensive end Kenneth Odumegwu from Nigeria who held that designation but as the corresponding roster move, he was released.

Hale was signed about two weeks ago as the Packers–at the time–new third kicker. Up to this point, Hale has made 14 of his 21 attempts in practice, but still a ball of clay when it comes to experience as a kicker, the Packers like what they’ve seen up to this point and want to take a swing on Hale’s potential.

Before being signed by the Packers, Hale was living in San Diego and working out with kick coach John Carney–just waiting on any sort of opportunity. The workout that the had with the Packers was his first.

Hale came to the United States the year after he graduated high school and walked on to the football team at Oklahoma State. Before beginning his football career in the states, Hale was an accomplished wakeskater back in Australia, and he also grew up playing soccer.

And if you’re wondering what wakeskating is, Hale described it was “wakeboarding without the bindings” and doing skateboard-like tricks.

“I stopped wakeskating and I wanted to go to college and wanted to pursue a sport at the same time,” said Hale at his locker recently. “So, I began looking at kicking and I started from scratch. Went to see John (Carney) and he told me as much as he could and sent me on my way.”

Hale went undrafted this past April after spending four seasons at Oklahoma State. During that span, he would make 71 of his 74 extra point attempts and 45-of-54 field goals. From 40-49 yards he was 9-for-16 and 3-for-4 from 50-plus yards.

You wouldn’t necessarily know it by looking at Hale’s production, but his first ever live field goal attempt came in an actual game, and the first time he ever put on pads and a helmet was during his first collegiate practice.

Throughout that time at Oklahoma State, Hale was routinely challenged for that starting role. So although the competition with Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph is certainly elevated, it’s also not new for Hale either.

“Every year there is always competition,” said Hale of his time at Oklahoma State. “They always bring someone in. No spot is ever given to you so you always have to prove your spot.”

Players who are a part of the International Pathway Program (IPP) do not count towards the 90-man roster. So the Packers should now have an open roster spot following this move with Hale originally counting towards the 90-man.

In season, as an IPP, Hale will not count towards the practice squad, allowing the Packers to have 17 players on that unit just as they did in 2023 with Odumegwu. The IPP exemption, however, does not count towards the 53-man roster.

Hale won’t be in the mix for the Packers kicking job this season–that title will belong to either Anders Carlson or Greg Joseph, unless another addition is made during roster cutdowns. He will, however, have a full year with the organization to work on his craft and ultimately see where that takes him.

“It definitely gives you confidence and some reassurance that, hey, some people are interested in the way you’re performing,” Hale said after being signed. “I’m sure my journey’s got a lot more left than whatever happens over the next few weeks. So, yeah, just take it as it comes and try to do my best.”

More opportunities in slot for S Javon Bullard gives Packers added game-planning options

Paul Bretl | 8/21/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers’ rookie safety Javon Bullard has been pulling double-duty as of late, often “starting” at safety next to Xavier McKinney while also seeing his opportunities in the slot increase as well. These snaps from the nickel allow the Packers to get Evan Williams on the field, along with being able to be more matchup specific with the game plan.

“I like both. I like both,” said Bullard after Family Night about playing safety and slot cornerback. “I want to be on the field. That’s all that matters to me. I want to be able to help this team win, whatever position that may be. Whatever the coaches see me as, that’s where I’m going to play.”

I would estimate that at this point it’s been roughly two weeks now where we’ve seen Bullard getting regular slot snaps during each of the practices. Even in playing just eight snaps against Denver in the preseason game, most came from the nickel.

In these instances, as expected, Williams is then the deep safety next to McKinney. At the boundary cornerback position are Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes–although occasionally Keisean Nixon has been lined up out wide. While I wouldn’t say Nixon getting boundary snaps has been common, it has happened sporadically throughout camp in what I would guess is an effort to cross-train Nixon to get him comfortable at multiple positions.

Although a safety, lining up in the nickel isn’t new to Bullard. In fact, during the 2022 season with Georgia, in which they won the National Championship, Bullard was the defense’s primary nickel cornerback that season. He has a physical play-style and has been a sound tackler throughout his career, which are important elements to playing inside.

In coverage that year, Bullard held opponents to just 8.9 yards per catch and forced five pass breakups with two interceptions. Out of 95 eligible cornerbacks and safeties that season who had enough playing time from the slot, Bullard ranked 29th in yards per snap allowed.

“It’s a completely different position,” said Bullard. “To the person that doesn’t watch enough football, people think DB is all the same. From outside corner to inside corner to safety, all of those are different. You talk about playing the deep part of the field and covering a guy with 4.3 speed in the open field. It’s completely different but reps [bring] muscle memory. You’ve got to dial into your keys and your technique.”

While oftentimes we can become fixated on which players are starting, I don’t see this as an either-or situation where the Packers are setting themselves up to choose between Bullard or Nixon as their starting slot cornerback. Rather, I believe it’s going to be game-plan specific, and based on the opponent and type of slot presence the Packers want on the field for each specific matchup.

“We’re trying to get our best players out there,” said Matt LaFleur about the Packers’ secondary. “The guys that give us the best chance to win, and there’s nothing to say that you can’t have multiple groupings as well. I know a lot of teams will do that, just depending upon what they want to play. Do they have a lot of different bodies in there. Some teams will have a big nickel or they get more of the safety body type in there versus their regular nickel, it’s just however it shakes out.”

One of the key words of the offseason that we heard general manager Brian Gutekunst often use was interchangeable. Meaning that between the two deep safeties and the nickel cornerback, he wanted all three players able to rotate between roles. We see this not only with Bullard playing safety and in the slot, but with all three of the Packers’ primary safeties rotating between playing deep versus in the box depending on the situation. There is also a lot of late post-snap movement to create some confusion for the offense.

Generally speaking, having this level of versatility among multiple players to the safety position generates a layer of unpredictability to the Packers’ defense. Pre-snap, opposing offenses won’t be able to necessarily get a beat on what responsibility each player has or where they might end up as the play unfolds based solely upon who is on the field or where each safety is initially lined up.

From a game-planning perspective, this feature also opens up the playbook for Jeff Hafely, who has the flexibility to change things up from week-to-week depending on the opponent and what the Packers want to take away. It’s this point specifically that will play a key role in determining who’s lined up in the slot more often during a given game.

Whether we’re discussing the staring spot next to McKinney or who will be lining up in the slot, if you ask LaFleur, those are both competitions that are still unfolding. But regardless of who ends being the starter on paper at either position, Bullard is going to be a factor at both spots, it just might vary week-to-week on where more of those opportunities come from.

“The thing that you notice is just the level of physicality he plays with,” said LaFleur about Bullard. “He’s got great instincts and his versatility. I mean, whether it’s safety, nickel, I feel like he’s a guy that can do either-or.”

Packers training camp notebook: Time to bounce back

Paul Bretl | 8/20/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers were back on the practice field for the first time since Sunday night’s preseason game in Denver. It was a beautiful day for football, a bit cooler with a breeze, and practice was a bit shorter, lasting just under an hour and a half.

As always, let’s open up the notebook and dive into what took place during practice, along with some pre and post-practice quotes from Matt LaFleur and the team.

New additions to the injury report: AJ Dillon (stinger), Spencer Waege (concussion), Andre Dillard (shoulder), Tyler Davis (shouler), Preston Smith (illness). Carrington Valentine and Jordan Morgan continued to go through individual drills. Before practice, LaFleur said they would see how today and Wednesday went before deciding if Morgan would participate in Thursday’s joint practice. Rob Demovsky would report that Dillard’s injury is not considered serious.

Returning to the practice field was Edgerrin Cooper, who participated only in individual drills. Donovan Jennings was back after missing the preseason game in Denver, while MarShawn Lloyd was still out, and from the sounds of it, may not practice this week.

“Best feeling ever,” said Cooper about being back on the field. “I think that was the longest I’ve been without playing football and just missing out and stuff like that. It was mentally tough, but that the thing about being a pro and just do what you have to do.”

Roster moves: The Packers announced that they released UDFA running back Jarveon Howard, who had been dealing with an ankle injury and brought back Henry Pearson to fill his roster spot.

LaFleur wasn’t happy with how the team performed in last week’s joint practice and in the preseason game, specifically the execution–LaFleur said he didn’t have a problem with the effort. Early last week, he announced that the starters wouldn’t be playing against Denver in the game. This week, however, he is taking a different approach and said it is “to be determined,” whether or not the starters will play against Baltimore on Saturday and will be determined by how the week goes.

“I think we’re working through things,” said LaFleur before practice. “Some different stuff from a scheduling perspective in terms of what are the alternatives if we don’t play them, what are the benefits if you do play them? So I’m kinda working through that right now. We’ve had a lot of discussions internally and, like I said, to be determined.”

Jacob Monk gets a chance with the starters. With Morgan still not in the team portion of practice, Sean Rhyan was starting at right guard–as has been the case–but a change today was Monk was in the mix at right guard with the starters as well.

It was a rough practice overall for the Packers’ kickers. Greg Joseph would finish the day 2-for-5 with three straight misses. Anders Carlson was 4-for-5–missing from 47 yards. While Alex Hale was 3-of-5–missing from 49 yards and 46 yards. Now with only two practices left, Joseph and Carlson are almost identical on field goal makes versus misses, both are trending in opposite directions. Joseph has struggled the last week, while Carlson has been fairly consistent.

The starting offense looked very good today. Through two move the ball periods and the two minute drill, I had Jordan Love completing 14-of-17 passes, including two really well-placed balls to Romeo Doubs, one on a corner route with Eric Stokes in coverage and another down the right sideline between two defenders. Contributing to Love’s success was the offensive line, who held up very well in pass protection.

“We’ve got to take it one day at a time – for real – and just try to be as consistent as possible while learning and building on the offense,” said Elgton Jenkins. “I think we’re heading in the right direction, for sure. We’ve got a lot of guys who know how to play football. We’ve got one goal in mind.”

Practice would end with three two-point conversion attempts. On the first two attempts, the offense was unable to score with both passes broken up by Keisean Nixon and Jaire Alexander. In the offense’s defense, passing the ball in such a confined space is not easy. Then on the final attempt, Love tried to fit the ball in a tight window but it was batted up in the air by Quay Walker. It was Jenkins, however, who caught the ball just outside the endzone and he seemed to be pushed across the goal line by his teammates.

So did Jenkins actually score? Well, it depends who you ask. Evan Williams says no. But, of course, Jenkins disagreed.

“One-hand, man,” said Jenkins of his catch. “The ball was in the air and I seen the opportunity. You feel me? Once you see the opportunity, you’ve got to go out there and you’ve got to make a play. Score a touchdown and win the game.”

Tucker Kraft and YAC. We all know from last season Kraft’s ability to pick up yards after the catch and he showcased that today, turning two catches around the line of scrimmage into 10-plus yard gains. He looks really fast right now.

Javon Bullard was still the “starting” safety with Xavier McKinney, but he continues to get quite a bit of work from the slot. My gut instinct right now tells me that the nickel defender–whether Bullard or Keisean Nixon–will be dependent upon the opponent.

“We’re trying to get our best players out there,” said LaFleur about the secondary. “The guys that give us the best chance to win, and there’s nothing to say that you can’t have multiple groupings as well. I know a lot of teams will do that, just depending upon what they want to play. Do they have a lot of different bodies in there. Some teams will have a big nickel or they get more of the safety body type in there versus their regular nickel, it’s just however it shakes out.”

Corey Ballentine providing steady presence on back-end of Packers’ CB depth chart

Paul Bretl | 8/20/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — While there were and still are some unknowns around the cornerback position for the Packers, throughout the offseason, Matt LaFleur has been bullish about this room, particularly the depth that they have. Contributing to LaFleur’s confidence is having the steady presence of Corey Ballentine on the back-end.

“Corey did a great job,” said LaFleur of Ballentine’s play in 2023. “He was in a tough situation because there were a lot of games where maybe he wasn’t anticipating starting and then on a Friday or a Saturday, ‘Hey, you’re going in there. You got to go play ball.’ And I thought he did an outstanding job, just whatever we asked of him he was always prepared and that’s the expectation.

“I thought he handled that like a mature player and went in there and played a lot of meaningful snaps for us and also gave us a boost on special teams. So, he’s a versatile player that did a lot of good things for us.”

Ballentine joined the Pack3rs in 2022, where he contributed on special teams. However, defensively last season, Ballentine’s role expanded greatly with Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes both battling injuries and the team trading away Rasul Douglas.

Despite the week-to-week uncertainty for Ballentine around whether or not he would be starting, he provided needed stability at the boundary position, playing 488 snaps last season. On 48 targets, Ballentine allowed only 28 completions (58.3%) with one interception and four pass breakups. Opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of just 79.4 when throwing his way, and from Week 10 on, Ballentine ranked 15th out of 130 eligible cornerbacks in forced incompletions, according to PFF.

Those numbers included an impressive Week 17 performance against the Minnesota Vikings, where Ballentine was targeted and tested often. Thrown at nine times in that game, Ballentine allowed just three receptions for 33 yards. Three of those targets came against Justin Jefferson in which Ballentine didn’t surrender a catch.

“It meant a lot to me,” said Ballentine of his play in 2023. “It was kind of like a reminder that just persevere, push through all my circumstances and put my best foot forward. Always be ready whenever I’m called, and I think it’ll pay off on the back end if I continue to do that.

“Stay prepared, stay ahead, so that when I go out there, I’m not overthinking. I know what I’m doing, I’m prepared so I can go out there and play – play fast, play free. I feel like that was one of my best years, one of my more productive years. I’m looking forward to stacking more of those and increasing that.”

During training camp as the defense goes through their individual warmups with their respective position groups, Ballentine hasn’t been with the boundary cornerbacks, but rather he’s working with Keisean Nixon and rookie Kalen King out of the slot.

As someone who is comfortable playing physical, there are parts of Ballentine’s game that can help facilitate for a smooth transition to the nickel. However, this isn’t a full blown position change for Ballentine either–rather it’s another way for Ballentine to help out the cornerback room.

As of late, when the second defense has been on the field, Ballentine has been lined up on the boundary with Robert Rochell opposite of him and King in the slot. Then in the Packers’ two preseason games, 47 of Ballentine’s 53 snaps have come lined up outside.

“Just trying to add more versatility under my belt,” said Ballentine about playing the nickel. “I think adding some depth to the room, as well. Knowing that position, I feel like, helps me know where all my help is at corner. I feel like it’s good to be well-rounded. Having me in there to do some blitzes and also fit in the run (game) fit me well.

“I’m a little bit bigger of a body, so I think I can do that well. I don’t have a problem tackling. I think it’s been a good fit so far, just learning the defense, learning my role, where I’m supposed to fit in that position and going back and forth between the two still. I’m liking it so far.”

Ballentine doesn’t fall into the roster lock category, but he does have the advantage over King and Rochell, who he is competing with for the final roster spot or two. In the instances in practice where Alexander, Stokes, or Nixon need a breather, it is Ballentine who is subbed with the starting defense to play either the nickel or the boundary.

In comparison with Rochell, Ballentine is the more experienced and proven defender, who now brings inside and out versatility to the defense. And while King has made several splash plays, as we saw in the preseason game against Denver where he missed an open field tackle and allowed three completions on three targets for 40 yards, like any late Day 3 pick, he’s still navigating the learning curve that comes with making the jump from college to the NFL, resulting in inconsistent play.

However, although all that may be true, for Ballentine, comfort is the enemy. Now entering his sixth season in the NFL and throughout his career always seemingly on the fringe of making the team versus being left off, being comfortable with where he stands could be the difference between having a job with potential playing time and being left off the roster.

“I try not to get comfortable,” said Ballentine. “I think that’s important in this business. Even before I got to the league, I had a scout tell me that that’s one of the worst things you can do is be comfortable because then you start going through the motions and your sense of urgency goes down. I feel like that’s not a good place to operate from. Things like that that I can’t control, I don’t think about it too much. I try to control what I can control.”

Beyond the depth that Ballentine can provide defensively, he’s a proven special teams contributor as well. In two seasons with the Packers, he’s played 257 special teams snaps across four different phases. For any back end of the roster player, especially at a special teams-heavy position like cornerbacks, being able to contribute in this phase of the game is a must.

Two practices, including a joint one with the Baltimore Ravens, and a preseason game with the Ravens are all that remains for the Packers before final roster decisions have to be made by August 27th. With his play, Ballentine has put himself in a position to make a push for the 53-man roster, and if afforded that opportunity, he has multiple ways that he can contribute if called upon.

Although Ballentine doesn’t want to get comfortable, he’s in a familiar position and knows what it takes to be successful in such a role.

“What I’ve learned in my football career is everything is a process,” Ballentine added. “You’ve got to work your way through the rough patches. I think that’s what I had to do – weather the storms. Even when I first got here, I was on practice squad and I had to work my way onto the active. It’s always a process.

“My last two years, I did that. I’ve kind of learned how to weather the storm and really put my best foot forward and be ready whenever. I feel like I’ve answered when I’ve been called on. I don’t have a problem with doing that; I’m looking forward to continuing that.”

Packers’ preseason game vs. Broncos provides humbling experience

Paul Bretl | 8/19/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The good thing for the Packers following their 27-2 loss to the Broncos is that wins and losses in the preseason do not matter. What does matter, however, is how they respond to what has a humbling four days in Denver.

It wasn’t only in the preseason game where the Packers were pushed around, but the starters in Friday’s joint practice took their share of lumps as well.

“That was a long night,” said Matt LaFleur after the game. “Certainly, I think I was hoping our guys would come out with more strain, effort, grit after kinda getting humbled the other day in practice.

“And then to have it happen again (is) not where you want to be. I think it’s a good lesson for our guys in terms of, it doesn’t matter who’s out there. If you don’t put your best foot forward each and every time you go out on that field, these things happen to you. We’re going to have to regroup, take a long, hard look in the mirror. We’ve got to get better. We need that urgency from everybody.”

In addition to putting up only two points, which were obviously scored by the Packers’ defense, the offense totaled just 168 yards and averaged an abysmal 3.1 yards per play. The Packers also turned the ball over twice and picked up only 10 first downs.

With 31 players not suiting up, the Packers second and third string players had the challenge of going against the Broncos starters on both sides of the ball for a large portion of the first half. That talent gap was then magnified by the team’s inability to capitalize on advantageous situations that they found themselves in.

That is where the frustration for LaFleur lies. As we’ve heard LaFleur discuss previously, particularly during this time of the year, it’s not all about the results, but rather the process, with the thought being that consistently executing the process will lead to the right results.

So regardless of what unit is on the field, executing on the “simple” things needs to happen, especially when those opportunities present themselves. At halftime of Sunday night’s game, LaFleur mentioned that a lot of “simple things” and “Day 1 installs” were being busted. Even in going against Denver’s starters, the Packers had premiere plays–or ideal looks based on their play-call–that they were unable to execute on.

“It was great to see a lot of our younger players go up against NFL starters,” said LaFleur. “I thought there was more resiliency and fight in the second half, especially defensively there were some good moments. Certainly getting that interception, a safety, there was a couple I want to say three-and-outs. I think the defense was in some tough situations with some of those sudden changes, where the field position was flipped and we were backed up.

“But all in all, offensively, just want to see more fight from our guys. That was frustrating, just the lack of ability to move the football, both in the running game and in the passing game. We’ve definitely just got to re-evaluate and take a long, hard look at everybody.”

Those issues on offense started with underwhelming play from the Packers’ backup quarterbacks Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt. Combined the duo would complete 16-of-26 passes for 80 yards with one interception that was thrown by Clifford. Their collective quarterback rating was just 52.6.

Clifford has been turnover-prone throughout training camp and has battled consistency issues. Oftentimes when we’ve seen him throw interceptions, Clifford’s timing is off–which isn’t uncommon for quarterbacks–and his rhythm is disrupted. Or he’s just trying to do too much. With the offensive line struggling against Denver, Clifford was rarely able to find a rhythm. A good example of when he did was on that out route to Malik Heath when the offense was backed up in it’s own territory.

Then on his interception, that was a throw that never should have been made and seemed desperate at the end of the half with Clifford wanting to make something happen. We’ve often heard LaFleur mention Clifford’s bounce-back ability, but in terms of generating big plays, that hasn’t been the case this training camp–only an overwhelming number of negative plays.

“Definitely humbled today,” said Clifford after the game. “Just did not make plays when they were there, just a lot of opportunities missed today. (I’ve) got to be better. I pride myself on making those plays, especially in critical moments, third downs, and just wasn’t able to convert. So lots to work on.”

Overall, Pratt was inaccurate and it looked like things were moving a bit quickly for him. While he has certainly made strides since arriving in Green Bay, whether it’s LaFleur, Adam Stenvaich, or Tom Clements who is asked about Pratt, they all mention that the learning curve he is navigating right now is quite steep, and we were watching those growing pains in real time.

While all the attention will be on the play of Clifford and Pratt, it’s not as if everything around them was perfect either. The offensive line really struggled, resulting in pressures and an inability to get the run game going, which put the offense behind the sticks and in predictable passing situations.

“I think the production kinda speaks for it, but I think it wasn’t just on them,” said LaFleur on the play of Clifford and Pratt. “It’s everybody. It’s all 11. We’ve got to block better up front, we’ve got to finish runs better, we had a couple drops. So I think it’s just collectively all 11 have got to be better in order for us to have any success offensively.”

Even for the best teams in the NFL, adversity is going to strike over the course of a season–that’s just how it goes. So the odds are this won’t be the first time the Packers hit a wall in 2024.

However, there’s also no need to hit the panic button either—I repeat, the Packers were without 31 starters. If I’m able to glass-half-full guy, going through some humbling experiences, particularly during the preseason and in practices, can end up being a net positive, even if in the moment it’s tough to handle.

Without question, this is a team with high expectations this season with the focus being on getting to and winning a Super Bowl. But it’s these moments during Friday’s joint practice and Sunday’s preseason game that can serve as a reminder that if the Packers want to accomplish their big goal this season, it begins with the little daily tasks and executing the processes correctly. Then you’re at least in a position for everything else to have a chance of falling into place.

“You always want whoever you put out there to go out there and compete at the highest level,” said LaFleur. “The thing I challenged our team on is, I said, ‘You’ve got to check yourself. On every play, are you giving your max effort? Are you straining the way that we want you to strain? Is the style of play what we want to see?’ I think it’ll be a good opportunity for all of us to evaluate and see the guys that really want to put it all out there, not only for themselves but for the team.”

Instant takeaways from Packers’ preseason matchup vs. Broncos

Paul Bretl | 8/18/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers just wrapped up their second preseason game against the Denver Broncos, and overall, it wasn’t a pretty performance, but the good thing is that this time of the year the scoreboard doesn’t matter.

“That was a long night,” said Matt LaFleur post-game. “Certainly, I think I was hoping our guys would come out with more strain, effort, grit after kinda getting humbled the other day in practice. And then to have it happen again (is) not where you want to be.

“I think it’s a good lesson for our guys in terms of, it doesn’t matter who’s out there. If you don’t put your best foot forward each and every time you go out on that field, these things happen to you. We’re going to have to regroup, take a long, hard look in the mirror. We’ve got to get better. We need that urgency from everybody.”

With the game having just wrapped up, as always, here are my instant takeaways from what we saw take place on the football field.

Before getting to lineup notes, let’s start with the poor play from the Packers. As Matt LaFleur said, the starters were not going to play in this game. The Broncos, however, did play their starters for a good portion of the first half and you could see that difference. While that was certainly a factor in what we saw, the Packers did get some “premiere” looks but were unable to take advantage–“busting a lot of the simple things,” as LaFleur put it. Do you hope that the players–regardless of what unit they’re with–can take advantage of those looks? Of course. But don’t fret either–the Packers were without just about every one of their starters.

“Bottom line, it wasn’t good enough,” said LaFleur at halftime. “We had a lot of busts all across the board. We had some premier plays. We throw a pick against a premier look, we’ve got to do a better job in the second half.”

Who was in and who was out? Without the starters, there were 31 players who didn’t suit up. I, of course, am not going to list every one of those players as most are what you’d expect. You can click here for the full list. Of note, AJ Dillon was among those not playing and neither was Jordan Morgan, who returned to individual drills at practice this week, but as of Wednesday, was unsure if he’d start in this game. Ty’Ron Hopper and Tyler Davis made their preseason debuts.

“I mean, to get that last game, that last preseason game, it’s going to mean a lot,” said Morgan on Wednesday. “I mean everybody’s two games in. I’ve got to hone in, I’ve got to lock in and do everything to the best of my ability.”

What does this mean for AJ Dillon? Well, if Dillon–who has been the backup running back in camp–was sitting with the starters because the Packers didn’t think he needed the reps, then you can put him on your 53-man roster. A player competing for a roster spot isn’t getting a preseason game off. We do not know if Dillon was dealing with any sort of injury. He did participate in Friday’s joint practice.

As I’ve written about before, Dillon may not have the juice Emanuel Wilson does, but he’s a reliable pass-blocker, pass-catcher, and can help on teams. With players like Josh Jacobs and MarShawn Lloyd, pass-blocking and teams are going to be where Dillon and Wilson earn playing time. Pass-pro and teams contributions are where Wilson is continuing to develop and is improving. He had a few solid pass pro reps in this game.

“We’re still working on that part of it,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans last week when asked about Wilson being a three-down back. “He has shown whether it’s 1-on-1s that when he does attack things with the proper technique that he can block people, and I think the other thing besides that is he’s shown whether it’s a walkthrough or different phases we’ve put him in where we’ve brought pressure that he’s much more I guess educated at what his assignment is and making really good decisions.

“So I think that’s something that we’re working towards, but we’ve just got to continue to put him in those situations to get a full answer on that. but my trust level is growing with him.”

A few lineup notes: On defense, it was Eric Wilson and Hopper at linebacker with Ralen Goforth the Sam backer when the defense was in base. Javon Bullard started in the slot and moved to safety for Anthony Johnson when lined up in the 4-3. The starting boundary cornerbacks were Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell. Kalen King took over in the nickel once Bullard was done for the day, which was pretty quickly.

What about the offensive line? Andre Dillard was at left tackle, followed by Royce Newman, Sean Rhyan, Jacob Monk, and Kadeem Telfort. As the first half went on, Travis Glover took over at right tackle for Telfort, who then moved to left tackle for Dillard. Just this week, we saw Glover get some snaps with the twos over Caleb Jones. For what it’s worth, out of these three tackles, Dillard played the fewest snaps. Royce Newman would play the entire game at both guard spots and took some lumps.

Overall, a rough showing for the Packers’ offensive line units. Glover seemed to really struggle. Telfort took some lumps and the run game had nowhere to go. Depth has often been a strength for the Packers in the trenches, but there are some unknowns this year, particularly at tackle.

“But all in all, offensively, just want to see more fight from our guys,” LaFleur said. “That was frustrating, just the lack of ability to move the football, both in the running game and in the passing game. We’ve definitely just got to re-evaluate and take a long, hard look at everybody.”

It was a rough outing for Clifford, who did have to face the Broncos starters. I recently took a look at the Packers’ backup quarterback battle, and when discussing what I’ve seen from Clifford in practices, when he throws an interception, oftentimes the timing is off–which isn’t uncommon for quarterbacks–and disrupts his rhythm. Or he’s just trying to do too much. With the offensive line struggling, Clifford was rarely able to find a rhythm. A good example of when he did was on that out route to Malik Heath when the offense was backed up.

Then on the interception, that was a throw that never should have been made and seemed desperate at the end of the half. Last summer, Clifford was able to bounce back from the negative plays with a big one, but that hasn’t happened this year.

“Definitely humbled today,” said Clifford. “Just did not make plays when they were there, just a lot of opportunities missed today. (I’ve) got to be better. I pride myself on making those plays, especially in critical moments, third downs, and just wasn’t able to convert. So lots to work on.”

Michael Pratt wasn’t all that better, although he didn’t turn the ball over. There were instances were he was able to find a rhythm and build some momentum, but overall, Pratt was inaccurate and it looked like things were moving a bit quickly for him. While he has certainly made strides, whether it’s LaFleur, Adam Stenvaich, or Tom Clements who is asked about Pratt, they all mention that the learning curve he is navigating right now is quite steep.

“I think kinda the production kinda speaks for it, but I think it wasn’t just on them,” said LaFleur on the play of Clifford and Pratt. “It’s everybody. It’s all 11. We’ve got to block better up front, we’ve got to finish runs better, we had a couple drops. So I think it’s just collectively all 11 have got to be better in order for us to have any success offensively.”

The disjointed passing game didn’t really give us much of a look at Bo Melton, Grant DuBose, or Malik Heath, all of whom played a large portion of the game–not to mention that Heath and DuBose may be battling for just one roster spot. DuBose did have a nice open-field tackle as a flyer on the punt coverage team. Special teams will play a factor in determining who gets this roster spot.

The Packers’ pass rush really picked up in the second half and played a key role in limiting the Denver offense. Brenton Cox and Arron Mosby each had some quality pass rush reps. Of course, at this stage it wasn’t the starters they were facing, but even early on, I thought the defensive front was able to get some push, but Bo Nix did handle it well, to his credit.

“I thought there was more resiliency and fight in the second half, especially defensively there were some good moments,” said LaFleur. “Certainly getting that interception, a safety, there was a couple I want to say three-and-outs. I think the defense was in some tough situations with some of those sudden changes, where the field position was flipped and we were backed up.”

Speaking of the pass rush, Jonathan Ford looks much more explosive this year. In a crowded defensive line room, I’m still not sure a roster spot is there for him, but he’s looked good this summer.

After the draft, GM Brian Gutekunst used the phrase “stopping power” to describe Hopper’s physicality. That skill set was on display against Denver, with Hopper in on 11 total tackles. There’s still work to be done from a coverage standpoint and operating in space, but that’s not unexpected for an incoming rookie who has missed practice time with an injury. In practices, we’ve seen that same ability to make plays at the line of scrimmage, as a blitzer, and he’s contested some passes in coverage as well. Hopper has played middle linebacker in base and was handling play-calling duties against Denver when Wilson exited the game.

With little scoring, we didn’t get to see the Packers kickers all that much. Greg Joseph would miss right from 47 yards. After it looking like he was gaining an edge over Anders Carlson about two weeks ago, things are relatively equal. Joseph is 51-of-62 in camp an Carlson is 40-of-61.

5 Packers and position battles to watch in preseason game vs. Denver

Paul Bretl | 8/18/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — From the sounds of it, after a joint practice in Denver on Friday, most of the Packers’ starters aren’t going to suit up for the preseason game with the Broncos. However, with roster cuts looming, there will still be plenty to watch for with playing time and roster spots up for grabs.

Here are the key positional battles that I’ll have my eyes on as Sunday’s game unfolds:

Backup quarterback: Both Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt are in a critical stretch right now, in the midst of playing three preseason games and two joint practices in a two week span. While experience is what perhaps mainly gave Clifford the edge early on, that window does seem to be closing, with Pratt seemingly making up ground.

Although Matt LaFleur was quick to dismiss it, during Tuesday’s practice, after a pair of interceptions from Clifford, Pratt ran the red zone and two minute periods with the second team offense. On Wednesday, it was back to Clifford taking those reps with LaFleur saying he expected Clifford to start against Denver with Jordan Love not playing.

Clifford has a gamer quality to him–playing his best when it matters most. Two of Clifford’s better days this summer have come during Family Night and in Cleveland. LaFleur has also often used the word resilient to describe Clifford with his ability to bounce back after a negative play. Those abilities are his superpowers, but a lack of consistency in practice, which sparked by being out of rhythm and trying to making things happen, has resulted in an overall up and down training camp.

Whether it’s LaFleur, Tom Clements or Adam Stenavich being asked about Pratt, there is always this initial pause before they respond. The pause is not a negative or a knock on Pratt, who is doing all the right things and continuing to make plays on the practice field. The pause comes from him being a first year quarterback, who is learning a new offense, which LaFleur equates to drinking water out of a fire hose.

Although navigating that learning curve, you can see Pratt’s comfort and understanding of the offense growing with his decision-making, timely throws, and ball placement. With the installs now in, Pratt is going through it all for a second, third, and fourth time, which is only going to help his comfort level grow.

“For Mike and I, it’s about battling every single day,” Clifford said. “We know we’re in a competition. It’s super-healthy. I respect him so much. He’s a great quarterback, so it’s awesome for me because, if I slip up, he’s going to come back and make a play. It’s balancing that back and forth and just knowing the situation, too. We know what’s at stake but you can still be friendly and have a good, competitive room and just want to win, because that’s what we’re here to do.”

Emanuel Wilson: There’s no question that Wilson has real playmaking abilities with the ball in his hands. We saw it last preseason when he averaged 5.9 yards per carry. We saw it in a small sample size during the 2023 regular season when he averaged 6.1 yards per carry. And we saw it in Cleveland when Wilson averaged 5.2 yards per carry.

However, to make the team over AJ Dillon–who is still getting the backup running back reps–pass-blocking and the ability to be a reliable pass-catcher very much matter. The pass-blocking specifically, is still an area for Wilson that, while improving, is a work in progress.

“We’re still working on that part of it,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans about Wilson being a three-down back. “He has shown whether it’s 1-on-1s that when he does attack things with the proper technique that he can block people, and I think the other thing besides that is he’s shown whether it’s a walkthrough or different phases we’ve put him in where we’ve brought pressure that he’s much more I guess educated at what his assignment is and making really good decisions.

“So I think that’s something that we’re working towards, but we’ve just got to continue to put him in those situations to get a full answer on that. but my trust level is growing with him.”

If we assume the running back room is healthy, with Josh Jacobs handling the workload at the position and then MarShawn Lloyd’s ability to make defenders miss, it’s not as if there are going to be many–if any–opportunities each week for the third running back to touch the ball. So in what other ways can that player impact the game? Special teams and being a capable blocker in obvious passing situations are likely Wilson or Dillon’s best avenue to seeing snaps, especially with Lloyd still learning in that regard.

Can Grant DuBose do it again? In the preseason opener, DuBose caught 5-of-6 passes for 66 yards. Afterwards, Jordan Love said he wasn’t surprised by this performance from DuBose, and frankly, I wasn’t either because he’s been regularly making plays in practice since OTAs began in April.

Not only is DuBose making an impact in the passing game, but he’s been praised for his ability in the run game as well, with LaFleur even showing clips of DuBose blocking to the entire team as an example of the effort he wants to see.

Now, the next step for DuBose is build off the very strong foundation he’s already established.

“You know, you just got to go out there and do the things that you’ve been taught,” said DuBose about repeating last week’s performance. “Do the things that you’ve been coached to. Not let the moment get too big for you because that’s when you play out of whack I guess, whatever you want to call it.

“Try to make the plays, just doing what you’ve been coached to do. The ball finds good energy. That’s the mentality. Did it last week now just got to do it again this week and the week after.”

What about right guard? The first question here is, will Jordan Morgan play? Talking with Morgan at his locker after Wednesday’s practice, at that time he was uncertain about if he would be available or not. While it’s being called a competition at right guard by the coaching staff, when Morgan is healthy, this doesn’t appear to be a competition at all, with him taking all of the first team reps at this position.

Not only is Morgan making the jump from college to the NFL, but he’s also moving from tackle to guard and from the left side of the line to the right side. A transition that certainly came with a learning curve, but one that Morgan is now much more comfortable with.

“I’d say just technique,” Morgan said when asked about playing guard. “I mean, the footwork and the hand placement. I’m used to punching with my left then getting out there and having to punch with my right. It’s so different and you’ve got to get used to the timing and pick up everything quicker.

“It’s been going smooth now,” Morgan added. “I picked it up pretty well the past couple of weeks.”

If Morgan can’t play, then we will likely see Sean Rhyan–although Jacob Monk did take some starting snaps during Friday’s joint practice. Rhyan is Morgan’s primary competitor for the starting right guard job, but is being cross-trained to play all three interior positions in the event that he ends up as a backup. Consistency and improved condition are what the Packers are looking for from Rhyan. Monk, meanwhile, has seen more opportunities with the ones as of late, and brings a ‘rip your lips off’ mentality to the football field.

“I’m just trying to get crackerjack at both,” said Rhyan. “Trying to minimize that lag just so that I can flip both sides real quick. So that whether something happens, left, right or center, I can just be able to–they can be like ‘alright go in,’ and I don’t have to worry about ‘is this pass set gonna’–you know? Are his hips aligned? Are his hands good? It’s all of that type of stuff. Just trying to minimalize that lag.”

The cornerback depth chart: We know who the first four spots on the cornerback depth chart belong to, but after that, things become a bit more murky. Realistically, at best, there are two roster spots up for grabs if the Packers choose to keep six. However, keeping five cornerbacks is also in the cards, which would mean only slot is available for either Corey Ballentine, Kalen King, and Robert Rochell.

From what we can glean in practice, both Ballentine and King are working out of the slot during individual drills. However, when the second defense is lined up in nickel, Ballentine and Rochell are on the boundary with King inside. Of the three, Ballentine appears to be the first boundary option, taking some starting snaps here and there when Jaire Alexander or Eric Stokes need a breather. I would categorize Javon Bullard as the true backup nickel at this time–not King.

Defensively, Ballentine proved to be a capable boundary starter last season. King has acclimated well to the slot, bringing a level of physicality to the position, and has made some splash plays, including two interceptions in practice, a “sack,” and a tackle for loss against the Browns.

“He’s just really instinctive,” said LaFleur about King. “He’s a really good football player. The more opportunities he gets the more he seems to show up and make plays.”

Rochell, who did have a nice performance against Cleveland, would be more of a special teams contributor, which is going to matter at the back-end of this position group. Rochell and Ballentine have both been core special teams contributors during their time with the Packers, while King got a lot of work there in Week 1, playing the third-most snaps on the team.

Who is starting at safety and what does the rotation look like? If you ask LaFleur, the competition to find Xavier McKinney’s running mate is still unfolding. However, it’s been a number of practices in a row where Bullard has been the “starting” safety, with Evan Williams being rotated in after him.

“I think that all those guys are doing a pretty good job,” said LaFleur. “So I think we’ll let them play out. I know you guys want to know like yesterday, but I told you, don’t pay attention to those depth charts. They don’t mean squat right now.”

Bullard is a very physical player and when not at safety, has seen his share of snaps in the slot as of late. Williams was all over the field in Cleveland making tackles, and continues to come up with the splash plays, having totaled four interceptions in training camp and a forced fumble in the preseason game.

Eventually, a starter next to McKinney is going to be named, but both Bullard and Williams are going to have fairly big roles this season. I anticipate there being quite a bit of movement, with the weekly game-plan dictating who is lining up where and how often. Right now the emphasis for the Packers is to put the rookies in as many different situations as possible to get them acclimated to the variety of hats they may have to wear in season.

Having this level of versatility among multiple players to the safety position generates a layer of unpredictability to the Packers’ defense. Pre-snap, opposing offenses won’t be able to necessarily get a beat on what responsibility each player has or where they might end up as the play unfolds based solely upon who is on the field or where each safety is initially lined up.

Don’t forget about special teams: During the preseason, always keep your eyes on who is starting on special teams. While this may not be everything, it can provide us with some insight into where things stand at some of those back end roster battles, particularly at linebacker, cornerback, and safety–heavy special teams positions.

Return of Tucker Kraft sets stage for Packers’ offense to feel full effects of him and Luke Musgrave

Paul Bretl | 8/17/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — We saw individually last season the potential that both Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft possess, but what we didn’t see a lot of were those powers being harnessed on the field together–or at least not with the full capabilities that are now available. That ability can help unlock a whole new world of potential for the Packers’ offense.

“No, I don’t,” said Matt LaFleur when asked if the offense had the best versions of Musgrave and Kraft together in 2023. “It seemed like they were all kind of like going out at different times. Obviously, Luke missed quite a bit towards the end of the season, so yeah, to have both of those guys at full strength I think can definitely change the complexion of our offense.”

Early on in 2023, when both Musgrave and Kraft were healthy, Kraft’s role on offense was fairly small. He was frequently used as a blocker, and averaged just over 12 snaps per contest through five weeks. However, as Kraft got more acclimated to his role, his playing time began to increase before he was regularly playing 80-plus percent of the offensive snaps following Musgrave’s kidney injury in Week 11. Musgrave would then return for Week 18 and the Packers’ two playoff games.

Even without Musgrave and Kraft firing on all cylinders at the same time last season, the Packers still used 12 personnel–or two tight end sets–at a relatively high rate. According to Sumer Sports, the Packers had two tight ends on the field on 32 percent of their snaps. This was the second-most utilized personnel package for the Packers and only two teams–Atlanta and New England–used 12 personnel more often.

In terms of their skill-sets, Kraft and Musgrave each bring a different element to the Packers’ offense. Musgrave with his elite speed at the position, can stretch the field as we saw last season, with 16 percent of his targets coming 20-plus yards downfield–the fifth-highest rate of any tight end. Kraft, meanwhile, is excellent after the catch with the ball in his hands, ranking sixth among all tight ends in YAC from Week 12 though the playoffs.

However, while both can impact the passing game in different ways, the Packers believe that both are also more than capable blockers, and it’s those two elements when coupled together that can help unlock an offense’s full potential.

“I set a precedent for myself,” said Kraft upon his return to the practice field, “a large goal of mine this year, I want to be the best tight end in the outside zone. That’s a huge ask, especially in our offense, and I want people to feel confident putting me out there to pass protect, putting me out there to run block, putting me out there to run routes.”

For Matt LaFleur as the play-caller, having two tight ends who can impact both the running and passing games helps open up the playbook for him, allowing the Packers to get much more creative, particularly from 12 personnel, when both tight ends are on field.

Having one tight end, but especially two, who can make plays in the passing game and be a capable as a blocker further adds the unpredictability element to the offense. Pre-snap, defenses can’t decipher as easily whether a run or pass is coming simply based on where the tight ends are lined up. There are also the mismatches Kraft and Musgrave can create with their abilities to line up across the formation.

This then forces defenses to respect both the run and the pass on any given play, thus having to defend the entire field, which creates better spacing and more room for the offense to operate in.

“I think it just adds to the complexity of your offense, in terms of having multiple personnel groupings,” said Matt LaFleur. “I think both those guys can do it all. I think they both will end up becoming complete tight ends in this league in terms of their ability to run block and then what they can do for you in the passing game.

“And I think they both have a little bit different flavor to them, which for us, allows for more flexibility on the offensive side of the ball. They’re both great dudes that love the game of football, and I think just to see where they are from a year ago, it’s night and day.”

When LaFleur took over as the head coach we often heard him use the phrase the ‘illusion of complexity,’ which versatile tight ends help enhance. The combination of Kraft and Musgrave allows the Packers to run a number of plays from just a few personnel packages and like-plays–or plays that begin similarly but end up being different–that build off each other throughout the game.

All of this creates mismatches for not only Kraft and Musgrave to exploit, but helps open up opportunities for others within the offense, and generally speaking, is an added stressor for opponents, keeping the defense guessing and off-balanced.

“I think tight ends are great weapons, right? Because they can really wear a bunch of different hats,” said tight ends coach John Dunn. “And so not to get into the schematics of how we use guys but you start getting two on the field and now the defense (asks), how do you match that? How do they defend that? How are you using them?

“And we talk about it in our room all the time, the more you can do, the better we’re going to be as an offense, the better we’re going to be as a unit, the better we’re going to be as a group. I think it’s exciting.”

Kraft returned to team drills this week at practice and plans on playing in the Packers’ season opener against Philadelphia. For Musgrave, it’s been a bit of a quiet training camp overall up to this point–although he’s had several receptions this week and is coming off a strong performance against Denver–but as tight ends coach John Dunn mentioned, that isn’t a reflection of Musgrave’s play, but that is sometimes just how things go this time of the year, depending on what the emphasis is that practice, how the defense defends certain plays, and what is being installed.

The true potential and ceiling that Kraft and Musgrave bring to the table when paired together isn’t going to be recognized during training camp anyways, with the foundation of the playbook being installed and vanilla schematic looks dominating preseason games.

However, once the regular season arrives and game-planning for specific opponents really begins, that is where LaFleur can enter the lab and conjure up some truly creative play designs for his dynamic tight end duo.

“It’ll be really productive,” said Musgrave following the team’s joint practice with Denver. “I think it’ll give us a lot of cool options to do as tight ends and also we got some great other depth at tight end that’s also really exciting, so really excited for that and I’m sure Tuck is as well and we’re just really excited.”

In crowded Packers’ LB room, special teams helping Kristian Welch standout

Paul Bretl | 8/16/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — When it comes to Packers’ GM Brian Gutekunst building out the 53-man roster in a few weeks, a big part of that equation is the numbers game–specifically, how many players does he keep at each position group. If Gutekunst goes heavy at one position the consequence of that is having to go light elsewhere.

Numbers-wise, rostering six linebackers on the initial 53-man would be outside the norm. Five is more of the standard league-wide, and if that ends up being the case for the Packers–assuming health–then the roster is pretty well set between Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Eric Wilson, and early-round rookies Edgerrin Cooper and Ty’Ron Hopper.

However, given how the last few weeks of training camp have unfolded, keeping six linebackers is a decision that seems to be more in play for the Packers than one might have thought a month ago. Particularly finding a way to get Kristian Welch on the roster, who certainly doesn’t have the upside or potential of Cooper or Hopper, and defensively he won’t be expected to see the field. But where he does have a leg up over the rookies is on special teams.

“I honestly love that part about special teams,” said Welch at his locker on Wednesday. “Each phase has it’s own challenges, right? It’s like a very unique thing in football. It’s just fun. I think it just presents a different challenge than kind of any other phase in the game and just being able to understand each little nuance and get the techniques of a punt set down. And then get the techniques of a punt coverage down. And then being able to tackle in open space. All these things kind of bring it together and that’s what I really just enjoy, honestly, especially in the NFL.”

Since entering the NFL in 2020 as an undrafted rookie out of Iowa, Welch has established himself as a core special teams contributor during that span. After spending his first three seasons with Baltimore, the Packers signed Welch to the practice squad late last summer. Then a few weeks into the regular season, he was added to the 53-man roster.

From Week 4 through the NFC divisional playoff round, Welch played 237 snaps, or nearly 49 percent of all the Packers’ special teams snaps–the fourth-highest rate on the team. Welch was a regular contributor across four different phases, finished third on the team in tackles, and among 188 eligible players across the NFL, Welch’s special teams grade from PFF ranked 39th.

“Special teams a lot of times is just being–like wanting it more than the other guy,” added Welch. “So the fundamentals, the details are all part of that, the scheme. Really it starts with your effort. Your ability to out-technique your opponent basically. It comes down to me being able to block that guy more than he wants to go make the play. And then beating them with technique within the umbrella of the scheme.”

In the Packers’ preseason opener against Cleveland, Welch was again an integral part of the special teams unit, playing nine snaps–tied for the third-most on the team–across five of the six different phases.

We frequently discuss the jump from college to the NFL on the offensive and defensive sides of the football and the transition that can often take place for incoming rookies. But the same holds true on special teams as well. Just like on offense and defense, there is the added strength and speed to contend with when competing against NFL players, and there is still the importance of using proper technique, fundamentals, and adjusting to a new scheme.

“The biggest thing for me that made that transition a lot better was I played special teams in college,” said Welch. “Coach LeVar Woods did a great job while I was in college, instilling these principles, fundamentals of blocking. But instilling those little just like little fundamentals, technique principles throughout college, and obviously I played special teams in college, which some guys don’t.”

In regards to experience on teams, Cooper comes to the NFL having seen his share of opportunities while at Texas A&M, playing over 250 snaps during his final two years. Hopper would play just over 140 snaps in that span and primarily on only two of the six phases.

Both rookies, however, are currently working through injuries and have missed valuable time on the practice field, along with not having been able to play in the preseason opener against Denver. Being locked in during meetings, studying the playbook, and going through mental reps are all crucial when trying to stay current with everything that is being taught and implemented, but there is no replacement for the live on-field reps that are being missed. There are some aspects that only experience can teach.

“So, it’s just kind of getting them re-acclimated to the fundamentals, to the skills, to knowing what to do so they can go out there and play fast, because that is an important part of it,” said LaFleur when asked about rookies contributing on special teams. “It’s a great opportunity for a lot of these guys to make their impact early on in this league. So those reps are really valuable.”

The linebacker position, in particular, is an important one when it comes to special teams contributions. In addition to the two rookies and Welch, Wilson and McDuffie would rank first and fifth on the team in special teams snaps in 2023. However, with both taking on larger roles defensively this season, that could mean fewer special teams snaps and the need for the others on the depth chart behind them to take on larger roles.

We saw the Packers take this same approach last year at cornerback, specifically with Corey Ballentine’s teams role being reduced when he was starting on the boundary. Walker and De’Vondre Campbell, the Packers starting linebackers in 2023, also didn’t play anywhere near the special teams snaps that Wilson and McDuffie did.

While the Packers didn’t believe that shifting from a 3-4 to a 4-3 style defense under Jeff Hafley was going to be a major one for their linebackers given the personnel they already had on the roster, that schematic change could alter how they construct the roster at that position. Earlier this offseason, when speaking with reporters, Gutekunst mentioned the potential need to go heavier at this position.

“There’s not a lot of personnel changes we’re going to have to make with the scheme change,” said Gutekunst at the NFL Combine, “but we’ll probably have to carry a couple more linebackers into training camp and maybe one or two more through the 53- and 69-man roster as we go through.”

For Welch, who’s primary role if on the team will be to help on special teams, he is not only competing for a roster spot with the other linebackers, but across multiple position groups who frequently contribute to special teams as well, which includes cornerback and safety. And ultimately, other factors such as a player’s age and their potential are outside elements that can come into play when building out the back-end of the 53-man roster.

With that said, while there may not be a clear path for him to make the team with the new additions that the Packers made at linebacker this offseason, a path does exist through special teams, where Welch and his experience have the advantage over his rookie counterparts.

“At the end of the day you just have to be you,” said Welch. “You can’t–you have to be confident in the player that you are. What you bring to the team and doing that best is what’s going to suit the team best.”