The Green Bay Packers reported to training camp yesterday, with their first team practice being held today. The start of training camp marks the start of a new season around the league, and with it comes optimism for every team. Can last year’s Super Bowl winner repeat? Can the likely contenders take that next step, or will we see new teams emerge?
As for the Packers, the goal is clear. Anything less than a title will fall short of both the team and the fans’ expectations. With that being said, let’s take a look at some things to watch for as training camp gets rolling.
Position Battles
Cornerbacks
With the off-season departures of Tramon Williams and Davon House, the Packers were left a little thin on the depth chart in their secondary. Rookies Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins out of Arizona State and Miami(Ohio) respectively, are both raw talents but will have to contribute something to Green Bay’s defense.
With Sam Shields already locking down one corner spot, the question becomes who will start opposite him. Casey Hayward, the fourth year player out of Vanderbilt, is the leading candidate to man the other boundary corner position, even though he has spent a majority of his time as a slot corner.
Micah Hyde is the leading candidate for that third corner position, although nothing is certain. One of the battles I will be most interested to see unfold, will be the fight for third cornerback. Hyde has the edge with experience and his proven playmaking skills, but I expect Randall to push him for it.
Demetri Goodson and Ladarius Gunter are two other names fighting for cornerback spots on the roster. Quinten Rollins may not have as much say as he was placed on the NFI list yesterday, meaning the nature of his injury was not football related. Details of that have not yet been reported.
Inside Linebacker
Sam Barrington impressed last year at inside linebacker, and I fully expect him to start at one of the inside positions this year. The second inside position is the one up for grabs. Last year, Dom Capers plugged Clay Matthews there, and I expect to see him spend some time inside again.
The Packers drafted linebacker Jake Ryan out of Michigan, and I expect to see him push for that second starting spot. Should he get it, it would allow Clay to return to the outside, where he can excel at rushing the passer. Another name to watch is Carl Bradford, the fourth round draft pick from a year ago who was a healthy scratch for all 18 games.
Wide Receiver
We all know the first three. Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams. The question is, who will be that fourth receiver? Three names come to mind here. Ty Montgomery out of Stanford looks to fight for the spot, along with return duties on special teams.
Jeff Janis and Jared Abbrederis are the other two. Abbrederis is coming off a torn ACL, looking to make the roster. After a promising pre-season last year, Janis played just 15 snaps in three games in which he caught two passes for 16 yards.
Injuries
The Packers report to camp mostly healthy, however there are a few players who won’t be participating this year. Aside from Quinten Rollins, three other players were placed on the PUP list, or physically unable to perform. Those players consist of linebacker Mike Neal, who missed the entire off-season program although details of his injury have not been disclosed.
The other two are running back John Crockett and wide receiver Ricky Collins. Like Neal, Collins’ injury has not been disclosed, while Crockett’s injury has been reported as a sprained ankle.
Everyone else is ready to go, including Jordy Nelson who had off-season hip surgery, and linebacker Nick Perry who had shoulder surgery and missed most of the off-season program. Casey Hayward is also ready to go after battling a foot injury that held him out of most of the off-season program, though he didn’t undergo surgery on it.
Suspensions
Something not so common for Green Bay are the suspensions a few players have received. Defensive end Datone Jones was suspended one game for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. Defensive tackle Letroy Guion has been suspended for three games after his February arrest, however he is planning to appeal.
Tight end Andrew Quarless was arrested during the Fourth of July weekend for firing a firearm twice. He has not yet received word on a possible suspension.
There are many reasons to be excited as a Packer fan heading into this season. Led by Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay looks to achieve the ultimate goal of bringing the trophy back to town. The journey starts now, in training camp, where the blueprint for success is set. Packers football is among us, oh and Packers Nation if you’re worried, just remember to relax.
James Alexander is a Packers Beat Writer for RSEN. You can follow him on Twitter @JAlexander_NFL
Image Courtesy of Creative Commons via Flickr.
