One week into training camp, and the Green Bay Packers are still Super Bowl favorites. Of course, only a season-ending injury to Aaron Rodgers would likely change that. But as head coach Mike McCarthy transitions in his new role to oversee the entire team, the process has begun that will ultimately determine if Green Bay is able to live up to its ‘elite’ billing.
The Packers had the day off Wednesday and will then get back to work Thursday and Friday. The week will conclude with Saturday’s Family Night practice at Lambeau Field.
To wrap up the first week of training camp, here are some of the important trends in Green Bay:
Clay Matthews’ injury
Matthews missed practices Monday and Tuesday with knee soreness. The Packers’ top-paid defensive player shouldn’t need the on-field time as much as rookies, but Matthews still has plenty to learn about the inside linebacker position. He can pick up on some of it in the classroom, but a lot of it requires actual practice repetitions.
There shouldn’t be too much concern yet for Matthews’ health. After all, Week 1 of the regular season is more than five weeks away. However, defensive coordinator Dom Capers would benefit from seeing Matthews alongside Sam Barrington as the starting inside linebackers as much as possible.
The only benefit to Matthews being sidelined is the extra time that it gives to the rest of the inside linebacker group. Nate Palmer, Carl Bradford and fourth-round pick rookie Jake Ryan can all benefit from more practice snaps.
If Matthews returns quickly and shows no ill-effects of the sore knee, then the missed time will have been no big deal. If this injury lingers, though, Green Bay’s already shaky inside linebacker spot could be on unstable ground.
Jared Abbrederis’ concussion
Coming off a rookie season that was completely lost due to a torn ACL, Abbrederis had high hopes for 2015. But it took less than one practice for Abbrederis to be right back where he’d been far too many times already: trying to recover from a concussion.
With a strong emphasis on head injuries in the NFL, and with Abbrederis’ former Badgers teammate Chris Borland retiring very early due to future health concerns, it’s fair to wonder just how many more times the young wide receiver will suffer a blow to the head before it becomes too worrisome for the team or the player.
Abbrederis could return to practice soon, but his recovery time has already been six days and counting.
A No. 3 running back
John Crockett was one of the most popular undrafted players to hit unrestricted free agency in May before he chose to sign with the Packers. This was not the start to training camp that Crockett envisioned. The ankle injury Crockett suffered during minicamp in June has kept him out of every practice so far.
Meanwhile, second-year undrafted player Rajion Neal and undrafted rookie Alonzo Harris are battling for a roster spot that could have been Crockett’s for the taking.
There’s still time for Crockett to get back on the field and make his mark, but McCarthy always emphasizes player availability. And so far, Crockett has not been available.
Whoever wins the No. 3 running back job will get to wait in line behind Eddie Lacy and James Starks.
The new-look cornerback group
Tramon Williams and Davon House are out, while first- and second-round draft picks Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins are in. But if holdovers Sam Shields, Casey Hayward and Micah Hyde do their jobs well, the two heralded rookies shouldn’t see the field much early in the regular season.
Hayward recovered in time for training camp after undergoing foot surgery in the offseason to clear up a stress fracture that was discovered by doctors.
In cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt’s quest to always play the most deserving players – regardless of contract or draft position – it’s been undrafted rookie Ladarius Gunter who continues to impress. Whitt sang Gunter’s praises during minicamp, and it’s becoming increasingly likely that the former University of Miami cornerback will find his way onto the 53-man roster.
Shields and Williams both joined the Packers as undrafted cornerbacks and are now multi-millionaires with starting jobs. Maybe Gunter is next.
Suspensions
General manager Ted Thompson stated his disappointment this week that Green Bay’s roster has two players suspended by the NFL. If tight end Andrew Quarless is punished by the league at some point before Week 1, he’d join defensive linemen Datone Jones and Letroy Guion on that list.
The franchise has prided itself on having "Packer people." Thompson obviously prefers to have players on board who stay out of trouble off the field. But Green Bay re-signed Guion even after his February incident, and the Packers stuck with Quarless after his legal troubles, too.
What’s next
By next week, Green Bay will already be in exhibition mode when the team flies to New England to face the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots. That will be a good chance to see how position battles are playing out and get a feel for the progress of younger players.
In the meantime, McCarthy and the coaching staff will continue to evaluate practice performances with the goal of living up to the preseason hype as Super Bowl favorites.
