Packers camp preview
By
Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
Green Bay Packers Training Camp
Site: St. Norbert College
Location: DePere, Wis.
Start date: July 28 (rookies and vets)
2005 Record: 4-12
Expanded NFL Training Camp Coverage
Three Burning Questions
Can Mike McCarthy control Brett Favre and command his respect?
Favre's 29 interceptions last season might lead one to believe he is an out-of-control gunslinger, trying to make big plays on every down. The reality is that Favre threw 23 of those 29 interceptions when Green Bay was behind. He had a marginal running game and not many weapons in the passing game. While McCarthy will allow Favre to be himself, he must also try to reel him in a little. McCarthy must convince Favre that short slants and crossing routes can provide yards after the catch, so he doesn't need to throw deep as much. But this quarterback is strong-willed and may need early success in the West Coast offense to fully buy into it.
Camp battle to watch
Will Whitticker vs. Junius Coston
Coston
WhittickerThis is a bad interior offensive line heading into training camp and the Packers will be hoping these unproven players can emerge as starters. Whitticker started some at right offensive guard as a rookie in 2005, but he was clearly not ready. He is big and physical, but is a plodder and may lack the movement this offensive line expects. Coston is a small school guy who has the versatility to play every position in the offensive line and the athletic ability and movement coaches are looking for, but his instincts are questionable and he is still raw. Favre cannot feel good about the interior of this offensive line, especially in a division loaded with dominating defensive tackles.
Who will emerge to give the Packers a legitimate run game?
The good news for the Packers is they have three quality backs, all capable of solid production. The bad news is all three are coming off injuries and represent question marks heading into training camp.
Ahman Green and
Najeh Davenport have missed a combined 22 games with the Packers and neither has participated in offseason workouts and minicamps, so the first time we will see them will be in training camp.
Samkon Gado is healthy but must prove he was not a one-year wonder. If Green is healthy by September, he's the guy to emerge out of the pack, not only because of superior skills but also because he has an incentive-laden contract, which gives him extra motivation.
Will the Packers be a disaster in the kicking game?
The Packers appear to be in deep trouble at the moment. The biggest loss is kicker
Ryan Longwell, who stayed in the same division and upgraded Minnesota's kicking game.
Billy Cundiff is his replacement, but he was cut by Dallas in 2005 and may really struggle as the weather deteriorates late in the season. He has never really been a clutch kicker. Punter B.J. Sander has a chance to develop, but he's not quite ready for greatness and the return jobs may have to be handled by rookies. There is no stability at the long snapper position. This team could easily lose games late in the season because of missed kicks and poor field position.
The person under the microscope
McCarthy has never been a head coach on any level and is now in charge of a veteran team with the most knowledgeable fans in the NFL. To make things even tougher, neither offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski nor defensive coordinator Bob Sanders has ever been a coordinator at any level. Their success may be the key to how McCarthy is perceived. The Packers do not have great personnel and lost eight games in 2005 by seven points or less, so McCarthy's game management will be scrutinized by players and fans. Can he control Favre? How does he earn the respect of these players?
Breakout player
The consensus was that linebacker
A.J. Hawk was the player in the 2006 draft most prepared to make the transition to the NFL. He has great range, a strong attitude and outstanding intelligence. He will be an immediate rookie starter on a defense that badly needs playmakers. He will likely line up at weak outside linebacker, where he can play in space and utilize his speed and range. He can also be an effective blitzer off the edge and will be excellent in coverage because he has the ability to cover man-to-man or get good depth in drops. This guy will never come off the field. However, he is a linebacker who must slip blocks and avoid a lot of physical confrontation at the point of attack. With a fast linebacking corps and the ability to play man-to-man with the corners, the Packers can use Hawk in a variety of ways.
Comeback player of the year
Although some coaches think
Charles Woodson would be a better fit at safety at this stage of his career, Woodson can still play corner (if he is motivated) and could fit well in this defense. Sanders loves his corners to play aggressive press coverages, and both
Al Harris and Woodson can do just that. He can dominate smaller receivers with his physical style of play and is not afraid to come up in run support. He can also be an effective blitzer. However, he is a gambler and the coaches will have to give him some safety help over the top to avoid big plays. If he stays healthy, Woodson can have a big year in this defense with the chance for some game-changing plays.
Offensive philosophy
The biggest story in Green Bay heading into training camp is the new zone blocking scheme being installed to protect Favre and also help the run game. Jagodzinski will implement the zone blocking taught to him by his mentor, Alex Gibbs. It requires good movement from the offensive line and the ability to spread out and get better angles. The feeling is the scheme will result in less sacks and will put the linemen in better position to pick up loops and stunts. The new scheme also fits all three Green Bay running backs, who like to see a hole and hit it without a lot of moves. They should be able to have success behind an offensive line that will wall off and position block to create seems.
As far as the passing game is concerned, we will see a West Coast philosophy with a lot less deep throws from Favre. Green Bay will utilize a lot of quick slants and crossing routes by the wide receivers designed to get yards after the catch. Unfortunately, this group of receivers does not have great speed. Favre will be asked to hit his receivers in stride with good touch, or dump the ball off to his backs and tight ends underneath. He will not be asked to make a lot of big plays in the vertical passing game. This will be a very methodical offense with few risky calls, and that is not Favre's style. Another key will be the interior pass blocking, which right now looks suspect. If Favre is flushed out of the pocket too much, he may start to freelance, which can lead to problems. Getting Favre to buy into a philosophy that says a screen pass or a quick slant with some yards after the catch is just as good as a great deep route will be the key to the success of this offense.
Defensive philosophy
Defensive coordinator Jim Bates did a great job in 2005, getting more production from his players than their talent level indicated. However, when he was passed over for the head coaching job, he decided to leave. Sanders has never been a coordinator, but does know this defense and will keep many of the same principles in place. A big key will be the play of Woodson and fellow corner Harris. With an average defensive line applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the Packers may need to blitz, meaning they may need to play press schemes on the outside. Both Harris and Woodson love to play tight man-to-man schemes. Their success will give the defensive line enough time to get to the quarterback, or will allow Sanders to blitz his linebackers more, instead of always dropping them into coverage.
They will use a 4-3 front, with one-gap penetrating schemes, but they will also play some over/under alignments, where a defensive tackle is lined up over the center. This is a linebacker-oriented defense and it is a group that should be able to run and chase with some versatility. Although both corners are aggressive bump-and-run guys, they are vulnerable to double moves and will gamble at times, so we may see some two-deep zones, with safety help over the top to avoid giving up big plays. This is a proven defense, but will Sanders be able to run it effectively and how aggressive will his play calling be? With improved personnel you would expect the Packers to take more chances with blitzes, especially if they can't get there with just the front four.
Gary Horton has been a football talent evaluator for more than 30 years. He spent 10 years in the NFL and 10 years at the college level before launching a private scouting firm called "The War Room."
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