Acme Packing Company
The Green Bay Packers returned to Ray Nitschke Field on Tuesday for their first training camp practice since Family Night. We’ll only have two more opportunities, on Wednesday and Thursday, to get a look at the team before their first preseason matchup against the New York Jets on Saturday. After this week’s set of practices, they’ll only have three more practices open to the public, including a joint practice against the Seattle Seahawks on August 21st, this summer.
So how did practice go today? Let’s dive into it.
Participation
Tight end Tucker Kraft (groin) returned to practice today, and linebacker Quay Walker (ankle) also participated in 11-on-11 drills. Kraft was held out of Family Night on Saturday night, according to head coach Matt LaFleur, so that he could rest an injury he had been pushing through during camp. Recently, Walker had been participating in walkthroughs with the team after coming back from offseason surgery.
Players who were non-participants on Tuesday were running back Emanuel Wilson (knee), running back MarShawn Lloyd (groin), receiver Dontayvion Wicks (calf), receiver Christian Watson (knee), offensive tackle Rasheed Walker (groin), offensive tackle Travis Glover (shoulder), offensive lineman John Williams (back), defensive end Collin Oliver (hamstring), defensive end Arron Mosby (groin), cornerback Nate Hobbs (knee) and cornerback Kamal Hadden (hip). At this point in camp, everyone but Watson, Williams and Oliver has practiced with the team. At the start of camp, LaFleur stated that Watson and Williams had the only long-term injuries on the roster, but it’s at least a little concerning that Oliver hasn’t suited up once since minicamp.
As far as injury updates go, Wilson told the press that he believed that he tore his ACL, but it has since been revealed that he only had a bone bruise. We classify that as good news. The bad news? Hobbs, the Packers’ big free-agent signing on the defensive side of the ball, had meniscus surgery and is expected to return to practice around the start of the regular season.
Offense
The Packers added center Lecitus Smith today and waived receiver Sam Brown Jr. with an injury designation. Brown had been dealing with an ankle issue. Smith’s signing was likely a response to Green Bay’s failed experiment of converting Trey Hill and Donovan Jennings to reserve centers. Jennings had several high snaps with the third-team offense on Family Night. Smith should help the team at least get through preseason games without quarterbacks having to chase down balls when the hits are live.
With Walker out, the starting lineup today up front was made up of Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom, exactly the same lineup we saw on Family Night. At this point, it doesn’t seem like Jacob Monk is really pushing Rhyan for the right guard job, like he was earlier in the summer. There’s still the potential for Morgan to play at right guard, but those opportunities will be sparse until Walker comes back to left tackle.
When Banks missed...
