There are holes on the roster that will need to be filled by members of the Green Bay Packers’ future rookie class, but they won’t be given starting roles right away either.
During Tuesday’s OTA practice, as the Packers went through 7-on-7 and full-squad drills, they had two offensive and defensive teams at the same time. In one group, they were the expected starters of the season. In the second group, these were the second and third mighty players, as well as most of the debutants.
When the Packers played a basic 4-3 defense, the linebackers were Isaiah McDuffie, Quay Walker and Eric Wilson. Anthony Johnson was at safety next to Xavier McKinney. The offense included Rasheed Walker on the left side and Andre Dillard on the right side, replacing the injured Zach Tom.
We finally saw Jordan Morgan change in both attacking positions. Edgerrin Cooper also played a few snaps at linebacker, and while Josh Jacobs suffered a hamstring injury, Marshawn Lloyd saw snaps as he moved back to the “starting” end of the field but was still behind AJ Dillon.
The quick transition from being drafted to almost immediate participation in NFL training is a massive challenge for every rookie. Additionally, the Packers are implementing a fresh defensive system under Jeff Hafley.
So to make sure everything is implemented correctly and that players know where they need to be and how to get there as the game progresses, 11-on-11 drills are performed at a slightly slower pace, as Matt LaFleur noted after practice. He added that this allows for more repetition and teaching opportunities.
“I think it will happen organically,” LaFleur said, as things gain momentum. “We approached the offseason in a similar way last year. The first week was more of a jog, and then as time went on we started to pick up the pace.
“Of course I want to be careful and make sure we do everything the right way, but I think learning the drills is part of the process. There are a lot of new guys there who need to learn, and we will accelerate as we progress into the next OTA tournaments.”
This approach to newcomers isn’t entirely fresh for LaFleur. In the past, few players joined the team and were immediately assigned to starting roles. A few that come to mind are Darnell Savage and Quay Walker.
On the other hand, it also doesn’t mean that Johnson will be the Packers’ starting safety next to McKinney in Week 1, or that Wilson will see more linebacker snaps this season than Cooper. Early-round picks Javon Bullard, Cooper, Lloyd and likely Morgan will play key roles on the Packers’ 2024 team.
However, before they have the opportunity to run with those in practice, each novice must record a tape in which he or she can learn the manual in conference rooms and then apply it on the practice field. Like anything fresh, it’s a process.
“They were great,” LaFleur said of the freshmen. “Personally, I think I really appreciate Gutey and his staff for the people they bring into the building.
“You can never have enough people of exceptional character who love the game of football, who are willing to put in the work and who are very willing to coach. It makes coming to work easier every day. It’s more exciting to come here and try to build something special together.”
