Tonight's leftovers
Read Rob Demovsky's Insider report for more on this, but for now, let's just say the Packers' first go at the 2-minute drill was ugly. The final damage between the three units: zero points; a net loss by the second and third teams; two bobbled snaps and a fumble by third-string QB Paul Thompson; and at least four offensive penalties. Elsewhere ... -- With Brandon Miree (Achilles') sitting out, rookie fullback Korey Hall took the majority of first reps with the starters. In the last team period, Hall caught a pass and bowled over cornerback Will Blackmon at the goal line. -- The play of the night probably goes to Calvin Russell and Aaron Rodgers, who hooked up to torch rookie safety Aaron Rouse on an all-go during the blitz period. -- Dropping 'em like they're hot: Chris Francies, Robert Ferguson, James Jones (the play after Ferguson's) and Brandon Jackson. -- Newly signed tight end Joe Werner's first practice was much like the past six years of his life: He didn't play football. -- P.J. Pope would have been in more trouble had Nick Barnett actually tried to light him up after sniffing out a screen during the last team period. -- And your final passing stats from City Stadium (7-on-7 in parentheses): Rodgers 27-for-38 (10-for-14); Ingle Martin 16-for-20 (7-for-8); and Thompson 6-for-10 (3-for-3). Clean your house, get a haircut and pick up school supplies tomorrow. The Packers return to the field at 8:45 a.m. Thursday. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
More 1-on-1s
Tonight's series of overly detailed results from 1-on-1 passing drills, presented wrestling-style (offensive player in ALL CAPS): GREG JENNINGS def. Al Harris DONALD DRIVER def. Charles Woodson RUVELL MARTIN def. Patrick Dendy* Frank Walker def. ROBERT FERGUSON CARLYLE HOLIDAY def. Will Blackmon Nick Collins def. DAVID CLOWNEY Tramon Williams def. CARLTON BREWSTER SHAUN BODIFORD def. Jarrett Bush CALVIN RUSSELL def. Atari Bigby JAMES JONES def. Antonio Malone JENNINGS def. Harris DRIVER def. Woodson MARTIN def. Marviel Underwood Walker def. FERGUSON Tyrone Culver def. HOLIDAY CLOWNEY def. Marquand Manuel Aaron Rouse def. BREWSTER Charlie Peprah def. BODIFORD RUSSELL def. Dendy JONES def. Collins *Major decision-- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Miree has Achilles injury; Franks out after taking shot to head
Fullback Brandon Miree has an Achilles injury and linebacker Rory Johnson has an abdominal injury. Both sat out tonight's practice, according to Coach Mike McCarthy. Tight end Bubba Franks also left the field after taking a shot to the right side of the head during a team drill, but McCarthy said he didn't notice Franks go out and didn't have any other information. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Crosby 5 of 5, Rayner 4 of 5 in field goal drill
In another field-goal drill, Dave Rayner made two of two kicks from 28 yards, two of two from 34 yards and 1 of 2 from 40 yards. Rayner's first kick from 40 was blocked by Jarrett Bush on a bad snap from Clark Harris. Rookie Mason Crosby made all five of his field goals, including 2 from 28 yards, 2 from 34 yards and one from 40 yards. -- The team period was marred by some penalty problems. Left tackle Chad Clifton and guard Travis Lefew both had false starts and defensive lineman Michael Montgomery was offsides. All three penalties came during an 18-play stretch. -- Pete Dougherty, pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
Franks, Jennings draw cheers
TE Bubba Franks drew the biggest cheer of the night with a deep catch over the middle and he showed some agility to avoid converging defensive backs. Greg Jennings also drew cheers when he caught a deep crossing route from Rodgers. More cheers came when running back Jackson burst through a huge hole in the middle of the line. Other observations from a team drill: -- A.J. Hawk would have easily sack Rodgers on a blitz. -- Receiver Chris Francies beat Patrick Dendy on a deep slant route. -- Calvin Russell dropped a pass from Rodgers on a blitz drill with Aaron Rouse in coverage. -- In a one-on-one receiver vs. defensive back drill, Jennings had a nice catch in the end zone over Al Harris. Jennings then later beat Harris on a crossing route over the middle. Donald Driver, who was the sidelines for the first two days of camp, caught a pair of passes over cornerback Charles Woodson. -- A large color LED TV screen is located in the northwest corner of City Stadium. The 4 by 8 1/2-foot screen is displaying Packers highlights as well as training camp schedules and other information. -- Mike Vandermause, mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com
RB Jackson struggles again
For the third straight day, rookie running back Brandon Jackson struggled to pick up blitzing linebackers during the team drill. Jackson missed a block on Nick Barnett who would have sacked quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In the same period, first-round draft pick Justin Harrell took a few snaps with the No. 1 defense. Also in the blitz period, Rodgers connected with receiver Ruvell Martin for a deep sideline completion over Patrick Dendy. -- Rob Demovsky, rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
Defensive backs finally get a chance to tackle -- a dummy
Defensive backs haven't been engaged in any live tackling during training camp, so tonight they took out their pent-up frustrations by diving at a tackling dummy placed on a thick-padded landing area. Charles Woodson didn't participate in that drill. Committing drops during the pass-catching drill in the secondary were Jarrett Bush and Will Blackmon. In an unrelated item, the NFL Network is taping portions of tonight's practice and will air footage at 7 p.m. Wednesday. -- Mike Vandermause, mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com
Rayner edges Crosby in kicking drill
Dave Rayner held a slight advantage over Mason Crosby in a kicking drill. The Packers kickers booted successful 42-yard field goals, but Rayner held the upper hand on kickoffs. Rayner's five kicks went to the 4-yard line, the 6-yard line, the goal line, the 4-yard line and the goal line. His hang times were: 4.16 seconds, 4.25, 4.00, 3.87 and 3.85. Crosby's kickoffs went the following distances: to the 7-yard line, the 13-yard line, the 17-yard line, 1 yard deep in the end zone and to the 9-yard line. His hang times were: 3.94 seconds, 4.31, 2.38, 3.62 and 4.18. Lining up for one kick return unit: Shaun Bodiford and Ryan Powdrell. -- Mike Vandermause, mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com, and Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Packers start practice at City Stadium, Werner in uniform
The crowd, estimated at between 2,000 and 3,000 people, greeted the Green Bay Packers tonight as they conducted their first practice in 46 years at the stadium, adjacent to Green Bay East High School. Dressed in shorts for the start of the 6:30 p.m. practice and who did not participate in full-scale workouts: Vernand Morency, Brandon Miree, Daniel Muir, Juwan Simpson, Allen Barbre and Rory Johnson. Newly signed tight end Joe Werner was in uniform, wearing No. 47. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Packers sign ex-basketball star Werner
The Packers have signed Chippewa Falls native Joe Werner and placed backup punter David Lonie on injured reserve. Werner, a two-time Division III all-America basketball player at UW-La Crosse, hasn't played football since high school at Chippewa Falls McDonell. But he impressed Packers coaches with his athleticism while working out as a tight end at the team's rookie minicamp in May. He's 6-foot-6 and 252 pounds. The Packers needed a tight end after Tory Humphrey broke a bone in his lower leg in Saturday's opening training camp practice. It's unclear whether he'll return this season. Lonie was on crutches and had his injured left ankle in a cast this morning. He did not punt in training camp. Werner was one of four tight ends who worked out today. The others were: former Tampa Bay Buccaneer T.J. Williams, Ryan Jones and Nate Lowry. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com, and Pete Dougherty, pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
More morning notes
Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly worked as the No. 2 defensive tackle pairing in their first practice of training camp. Colin Cole and Corey Williams continued to work with the starters. First-round draft pick Justin Harrell, who has struggled in the heat, played sparingly during team drills. -- The Packers opened practice in shorts before switching to soft shells after extended position work. -- Junius Coston got most of the work at left tackle with Chad Clifton sitting out as part of his one-a-day schedule. However, a false start on fourth down during situational work prompted coaches to replace Coston with Orrin Thompson. -- Tony Moll replaced Mark Tauscher at right tackle with the starting offense for parts of team work. -- Rookie Korey Hall, a converted linebacker and one of the Packers' three sixth-round draft picks, took the first rep at fullback with the No. 1 offense after Brandon Miree dropped out. -- Shaun Bodiford and Ryan Powdrell took the first rep on kick returns. Practice tonight is at City Stadium, next to Green Bay East High School. It's scheduled to run from 6:30 p.m. to about 9, so we'll have more updates then. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Bring in the noise
The Packers pumped crowd noise through speakers during situational team drills this morning at Clarke Hinkle Field. It had little impact on quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Ingle Martin and Paul Thompson, who were a combined 18-for-26 over two periods. Highlights included: -- Two great catches by rookie receiver James Jones. First, he elevated over Patrick Dendy for a ball from Aaron Rodgers in the front right corner of the end zone. Then, he fully extended to haul in a high Paul Thompson pass near the back of the end zone. -- Donald Driver's first two receptions in team portions of camp: a sprawling grab on the sixth play of the second team period, and a wide-open grab in the end zone off a throw from Brandon Jackson. -- A crisp, 8-for-11 performance from Ingle Martin, who ran the second unit. He got help from athletic catches by Donald Lee, Ruvell Martin and Zac Alcorn. -- An across-the-body strike to David Clowney from Thompson, who recovered after bobbling the shotgun snap. Rodgers finished 5-for-8, Thompson 5-for-7 and Jackson 1-for-1. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Driver, Pickett, Jolly finish first practice of 2007
Today's training camp practice ended at 10:31 a.m., and Donald Driver, Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly all finished their first practice of the 2007 camp. Among players who did not finish was fullback Brandon Miree. Also sitting out were Allen Barbre (hamstring) and Daniel Muir (ankle).
Running back Vernand Morency watched practice from the sideline with ice on his knee. Quarterback Brett Favre missed his second straight practice because of the death of his wife's stepfather. He is expected to return for Thursday's morning practice. Six players on a one-a-day schedule -- Chad Clifton, Aaron Kampman, Bubba Franks, Marviel Underwood, Robert Ferguson and Abdul Hodge -- sat out practice as expected. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Packers start the day in shorts
The Packers are practicing in shorts on this warm morning at Clarke Hinkle Field. Though it's difficult to tell who's fully participating, wide receiver Donald Driver and defensive tackles Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly are taking part in the walkthrough portion of practice. Driver is back after passing his physical on Sunday night. Pickett and Jolly are back after passing conditioning tests on Monday. All three were held out until doing so. Among those not participating is backup punter David Lonie, who is on crutches with an air cast on his injured left ankle. Temperatures were in the high 70s as practice started, and were expected to rise to 92 by this afternoon. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette
Wrapping up Day 3
First off, we'll go with a wrestling-style wrap-up of today's 1-on-1 passing drills (offensive player in ALL CAPS) ... (Note: Some defenders were bailed out by bad throws, but for the sake of brevity, we'll still give them the nod.)Al Harris def. ROBERT FERGUSON Charles Woodson def. GREG JENNINGS* JAMES JONES def. Patrick Dendy RUVELL MARTIN def. Frank Walker* Will Blackmon def. SHAUN BODIFORD Charlie Peprah def. CARLYLE HOLIDAY Nick Collins def. CALVIN RUSSELL Jarrett Bush def. DAVID CLOWNEY FERGUSON def. Dendy CARLTON BREWSTER def. Tramon Williams Atari Bigby def. JAMES JONES Woodson def. JENNINGS BODIFORD def. Marviel Underwood* MARTIN def. Marquand Manuel* RUSSELL def. Aaron Rouse Tyrone Culver def. HOLIDAY *major decisionElsewhere ... -- Ferguson was at least partly to blame for Aaron Rodgers' interception in the blitz period because of a sloppy route. Later, though, Ferguson had a nifty, leaping grab over Will Blackmon in the end zone that curiously drew congratulations from defenders on the sideline. -- TE Bubba Franks also had a fine touchdown grab in the final goal-line period. -- And today's passing stats (7-on-7 in parentheses): Rodgers 20-for-34, INT (10-for-13); Ingle Martin 12-for-16, INT (5-for-8, INT); Paul Thompson 1-for-4 (1-for-3); Brandon Jackson 0-for-1, INT. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Morency to miss 2 weeks with sore knee
Running back Vernand Morency's knee injury is more serious than initially believed, and he likely will miss two weeks of practice, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said today. Morency hasn't practiced since Saturday. McCarthy declined to discuss specifics of the injury, which was described Sunday by General Manager Ted Thompson as a contusion. The Packers' first preseason game is 12 days away, so Morency likely will miss that game. Other injury updates: -- Rookie guard Allen Barbre sat out today's practice with a hamstring injury and defensive tackle Daniel Muir left with a recurring ankle injury. -- McCarthy said he hopes defensive tackles Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly, both of whom failed conditioning tests on Friday, will practice Tuesday. -- Wide receiver Donald Driver, who has a shoulder injury, also could practice in the next day or two, McCarthy said. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Hawk's back at it, disrupting the offense
Linebacker A.J. Hawk was impressive in a red-zone blitz drill this afternoon. On third-and-goal from the 5, quarterback Aaron Rodgers tried to hit tight end Donald Lee on a quick slant, but Hawk perfectly read the play, stepped back and knocked down the pass, almost coming up with an interception. On third-and-goal from the 4, wide receiver James Jones caught a slant, but Hawk stopped him cold in his tracks and would have prevented a touchdown had they been doing full-tackling drills. -- Wide receiver Carlton Brewster caught a fade pass over cornerback Patrick Dendy on third-and-goal from the 8. The TD pass came from quarterback Ingle Martin. -- Fullback Corey White burst through the middle on first-and-goal from the 10 to score an easy TD. Rookie first-round draft pick Justin Harrell and Corey Williams were lined up as the defensive tackles on the play. -- Cornerback Charles Woodson made a nice diving interception of a Rodgers pass in a red zone drill. Rodgers was rolling right and his pass was intented for wide receiver Robert Ferguson. -- In a one-on-one receiver-vs.-defensive back drill, Ruvell Martin caught two long passes that would have gone for TDs. He beat cornerback Frank Walker, then safety Marquand Manuel. In the same drill, Jones ran a crisp route, came back for the ball and made a tough catch in tight coverage. -- Pete Dougherty and Mike Vandermause, sports@greenbaypressgazette.com
Crosby, Rayner about even on kickoffs
Rookie kicker Mason Crosby showed off his big leg this afternoon with a booming kickoff that went 78 yards, or 8 yards deep into the end zone. On four kickoffs, Crosby averaged 71.5 yards. Incumbent kicker Dave Rayner wasn't far behind, averaging 70 yards on four kicks. In order, Crosby's kickoffs went 69, 78, 69 and 70 yards. His hang time ranged from 4.06 seconds to 4.31 seconds. Rayner's kickoffs, in order, went 67. 70, 74 and 69 yards. His hang time ranged from 4.22 seconds to 4.31 seconds. -- Rob Demovsky and Mike Vandermause, sports@greenbaypressgazette.com
Hodge, Simpson practice; temperature nears 90
Today's training camp practice began at 2 p.m. under sunny skies. The official temperature was 89 degrees just before 2 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Ashwaubenon. Quarterback Brett Favre is the only player not in attendance.. Dressed in shorts and not taking part in full activities: guard Allen Barbre, running back Vernand Morency, wide receiver Donald Driver and defensive tackles Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly. Back in uniform after sitting out Sunday are linebackers Abdul Hodge and Juwan Simpson. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Practice set for 2 p.m. today
The Packers are expected to practice at 2 p.m. today on Clarke Hinkle Field between the Don Hutson Center and Lambeau Field/Oneida Street. With temperatures expected to reach the high 80s or low 90s today, railbirds should make sure to bring plenty of liquids to hydrate themselves.
Favre to miss three practices
After watching Brett Favre struggle to a four-interception performance in tonight's practice, coach Mike McCarthy said he could tell Favre had a lot on his mind. "It clearly wasn't his best practice," McCarthy said of Favre, who is expected to fly to Mississippi on Monday after the death of his wife's stepfather. He is scheduled to return Wednesday, meaning he'll miss three practices. "It's got to be on his heart," McCarthy said. "Family first, and that's where his focus is." Elsewhere tonight ... -- In addition to Brett Favre's four interceptions during team drills, Aaron Rodgers threw a pair of picks during 7-on-7. Jarrett Bush got one on a high throw over Calvin Russell, and a few plays later, Will Blackmon ripped the ball from Greg Jennings' hands on a sideline route. -- Dropping 'em like they're hot: Carlton Brewster (twice), Shaun Bodiford, Brandon Jackson (twice) and Noah Herron. -- Favre also fumbled on an apparent pass fake during the next-to-last team period. -- CB Patrick Dendy continued to take all reps as the nickelback with the first unit. -- P David Lonie's injured left ankle was heavily taped. It's unclear if and when he'll take some camp kicks off Jon Ryan. -- CB Charles Woodson spoke with McCarthy at length after practice about "a personal thing," according to McCarthy. "I think he'll be fine," McCarthy said. -- Mostly meaningless passing stats (7-on-7 in parentheses): Favre 20-for-31, 4 INTs (9-for-11); Rodgers 13-for-24, 2 INTs (3-for-10, 2 INTs); Ingle Martin 5-for-10. -- Practice ended at 8:53 p.m. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Franks works with starters
Tight end Bubba Franks opened each team period with the starting offense tonight -- a new twist in the veteran's battle for position on the depth chart. Franks, who has spent most of the offseason behind Donald Lee, was the lone tight end in a three-wide look on the first team play of practice with the No. 1 offense. When the unit took the field for the second team period, he was the lone tight end in a two-back set. He also joined Lee in several double-tight sets on the first plays of other periods. The Packers finished practice with only three tight ends after Zac Alcorn dropped out, apparently because of cramps. Tory Humphrey, who broke his ankle Saturday, likely is out for the season. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Hodge day to day with knee injury
Linebacker Abdul Hodge is day to day because of a recurring knee injury and likely will be limited to one practice a day when he returns, coach Mike McCarthy said after tonight's practice. Trainers iced Hodge's problematic knee during practice Saturday, and the second-year pro from Iowa couldn't finish today's morning session. He watched tonight's practice in shorts on the sideline. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Rookie receiver catching on
During back-to-back drills -- the first a team drill and the second a blitz drill -- rookie receiver James Jones caught four passes, including beating nickelback Patrick Dendy on a deep in-route. -- Pete Dougherty/pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
Jackson takes lumps
For the second day in a row, halfback Brandon Jackson got steamrolled during a team blitz drill. On Saturday, A.J. Hawk ran over Jackson on one play. On Sunday night, middle linebacker Nick Barnett did the same. -- Pete Dougherty/pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
Harrell beats rookie guard in one-on-one drills
Rookie first-round draft pick Justin Harrell finally won a rep during one-on-one pass-rushing drills. On consecutive snaps, Harrell guard Pat Murray, an undrafted rookie who has not had a lot of success on that drill. -- Rob Demovsky/rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
Rayner holds kicking edge
Notes from practice: -- Dave Rayner held the upper hand over rookie Mason Crosby in a kicking drill. Rayner booted 6 of 6 field goals while Crosby made 5 of 6. Ruvell Martin was the holder for all of Rayner's kicks, while Jon Ryan held for Crosby. Rayner's successful kicks came from 25, 25, 30, 33, 38 and 43 yards. Crosby made good on kicks from 25 and 25 before missing wide right from 30 yards. He then booted three successful kicks from 33, 38 and 43, although the last one was kicked above the right upright and was barely good. -- Will Blackmon made a spectacular interception of an Aaron Rodgers pass when he stole the ball out of receiver Greg Jennnigs' hands. It was the second interception of the night for Rodgers, who was also picked off by cornerback Jarrett Bush. -- Mike Vandermause/mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com
Malone picks Favre twice ... Malone?
Veteran quarterback Brett Favre and rookie free agent cornerback Antonio Malone have very little in common. But the two had a lot in common on three on consecutive plays druing a team drill. On the first play, Malone intercepted a Favre pass intended for Robert Ferguson. On the next play, Favre beat Malone on a deep pass to James Jones. But Malone won the rubber match on the next play by intercepting a badly underthrown Favre pass. Final score, Malone 2, Favre 1. -- Mike Vandermause/mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com
Woodson makes nice pick; Harrell, Franks move up
Some observations during team drills: -- Cornerback Charles Woodson made a nice diving interception of a Brett Favre pass intended for Greg Jennings. Favre was working out of the shotgun formation and was under heavy blitz pressure. -- First-round draft pick Justin Harrell moved up to the second-team defense. Harrell played on the No. 3 unit on Saturday. -- Tight end Bubba Franks lined up with the No. 1 offense during team drills. Franks had been working behind Donald Lee in prior practices. -- During a punt-return drill, receiving kicks were:Woodson, Will Blackmon, James Jones, Jennings and Shaun Bodiford. - Mike Vandermause, mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com
Role reversal
In one of the more unique drills in training camp thus far, a Packers lineman was given the ball, and two smaller players -- usually wide receivers and/or running backs -- converged to strip the ball away. Presumably, if an opposing lineman ever gets his paws on a ball in a game situation, the Packers will be prepared to force a turnover. - Mike Vandermause, mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com
7 players not in pads
Seven players were dressed in shorts and weren't taking part in the full-pads workout. They included Johnny Jolly, Ryan Pickett, Juwan Simpson, David Lonie, Abdul Hodge, Donald Driver and Vernand Morency. All but Hodge had missed prior training camp practices. - Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Favre takes part in evening practice
Brett Favre stepped on to Clarke Hinkle Field at 6:27 p.m., flanked by Vernand Morency on his left and Donald Driver on his right, to take part in this evening's training camp practice. Favre missed this morning's practice due to the death of his wife's stepfather, Rocky Byrd. Favre is expected to travel to Mississippi for the funeral and will miss an unspecified number of practices later this week. - Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
More notes from morning practice
A few more injury updates we didn't post earlier: -- RB Vernand Morency (knee) is day to day. General Manager Ted Thompson called the injury a contusion. -- LB Juwan Simpson (shoulder) was injured Saturday. He was on the field in shorts this morning. -- P David Lonie (ankle) has not kicked yet in camp. Elsewhere ... -- DT Justin Harrell doubled over in pain from an apparent cramp in his left calf late in practice. He briefly received attention from trainers before wrapping a towel around the leg. He did not participate in the final team period and was slimping slightly afterward, but it did not appear to be anything more serious than a cramp. -- Greg Jennings and Charles Woodson took the first reps on punt returns in the two team special-teams periods, respectively. Will Blackmon, James Jones and Shaun Bodiford also fielded punts. -- Jones had an impressive, sprawling catch in the third team period. -- While Junius Coston and Orrin Thompson saw time at left tackle with the first team, Tony Moll rotated in for a period at right tackle. McCarthy said it was too early to offer any evaluation of Coston and Thompson, who are competing for a reserve spot. -- CBs Patrick Dendy and Frank Walker each batted down passes during the 7-on-7 period. -- Dendy worked as the nickel cornerback with the first-team defense. -- Practice was cut about 12 reps short because of the tight end shortage. It started around 8:45 a.m. and ended at 10:27 a.m. -- And the ever-popular passing statistics from team, blitz and 7-on-7 periods (7-on-7 in parentheses): Aaron Rodgers 15-for-21 (5-for-8); Ingle Martin 8-for-13 (5-for-5); Paul Thompson 3-for-4 (1-for-2). Rodgers took all the first-team reps. Martin worked exclusively with the second unit except in the second team period, when he swapped with Thompson. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Favre's absence
Quarterback Brett Favre missed practice this morning because of a death on his wife's side of the family that will require him to leave the team for a day or two early this week, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Favre is expected to participate in practice tonight but then leave the team perhaps as early as Monday to attend the funeral. Favre was scheduled to participate in this morning's practice but didn't so he could work with his wife, Deanna, on arrangements for his temporary leave.
Humphrey out for season?
The Packers will continue evaluating backup tight end Tory Humphrey's ankle injury for at least the next few days, but a source with knowledge of the injury said Humphrey probably will be out for the season. Humphrey sustained the broken ankle on the first day of training camp, Saturday, during an 11-on-11 drill. He was coming off a strong offseason and was in the running for one of the three or four roster spots that will go to tight ends.
Thompson: Driver should be ready to go for preseason opener Aug. 11
Packers GM Ted Thompson said he would be surprised if WR Donald Driver, who has missed the first two practices with a shoulder injury, is not ready for the preseason opener Aug. 11 at Pittsburgh. At his post-practice news conference, Thompson also said QB Brett Favre, who missed this morning's practice because of a death in the family, likely will miss more practices for the same reason. However, that schedule and the logistics are unclear. In other news, Thompson said he would like to add another tight end at some point because of Tory Humphrey's ankle injury, but no move is imminent. Thompson also said he is not concerned about the durability of RB Vernand Morency, who sat out this morning's practice. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Favre out of morning practice because of death in the family; Humphrey has broken ankle
QB Brett Favre missed today's morning practice because of a death in the family, Coach Mike McCarthy said. Favre is in Green Bay and may practice tonight. In other news: -- TE Tory Humphrey has a broken ankle. No timetable has been set for a possible return. -- With Bubba Franks sitting out and Clark Harris and Zac Alcorn battling cramps, the Packers finished practice with only one TE -- Donald Lee. -- McCarthy said Franks, WR Ferguson, S Marviel Underwood, T Chad Clifton, and DE Aaron Kampman all are on one-a-day schedules. Favre may miss some morning practices, too, but that will be determined on a day-by-day basis, McCarthy said. -- DT Johnny Jolly and Ryan Pickett also remain day to day after failing their conditioning tests. -- At one point during a blitz period, QB Aaron Rodgers completed six passes in a row. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Wynn, Underwood start practice, but drop out; Harrell suffers from apparent calf cramp
Rookie RB DeShawn Wynn, who missed yesterday's practice with a stomach virus, padded up for the first time today but dropped out of practice. Safety Marviel Underwood, who is coming off a major injury from last season, started practice but also didn't finish. First-round draft pick Justin Harrell appeared to be suffering from a minor cramp in his left calf. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
QB Rodgers looks sharp in team drill
Some observations from a team drill at this morning's practice: -- In QB Brett Favre's absence, QB Aaron Rodgers looked sharp in completing several passes in traffic to receivers Carlyle Holiday, Greg Jennings, Chris Francies and TE Donald Lee. Third-stringer Ingle Martin wasn't nearly as sharp, as he threw several incompletions. Another backup, QB Paul Thompson fumbled a snap. -- Colin Cole and Corey Williams continued to work with the No. 1 defensive line unit. -- Backup offensive linemen Adam Stenavich and Orrin Thompson committed consecutive false start penalties from the left tackle position. -- Based on running back reps, the pecking order in the absence of Vernand Morency was rookie Brandon Jackson, first; P.J. Pope, second; and Noah Herron, third. -- Rookie TE Clark Harris didn't do himself any favors by dropping a pass in traffic over the middle. -- Mike Vandermause, mvandermause@greenbaypressgazette.com; and Rob Demovsky, rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
Ryan averages 49.6 yards in punting drills
On 10 punts, Jon Ryan averaged 49.6 yards and 4.15 seconds of hang time this morning. Ryan punted from his own 25 slightly downwind. His best punt was a 61-yarder with 4.3 seconds of hang time, but he also had a shanked kick that went 23 yards and out of bounds. For a second straight day, Ryan was the only punter in action. David Lonie was in shorts and didn't participate in the morning practice punting drills for undetermined reasons. -- Rob Demovsky, rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
Favre, Morency sit out this morning's practice
Bright sunshine and a cloudless sky greeted the Packers at their first training camp morning practice today, which began at 8:45 a.m. Not present at practice were QB Brett Favre, RB Vernand Morency and TE Tory Humphrey. Selected veterans generally will sit out some morning workouts during training camp. On Saturday, Humphrey suffered what is believed to be a broken left fibula during practice. Practicing in shorts this morning are: WR Donald Driver, TE Bubba Franks, P David Lonie, T Chad Clifton, WR Robert Ferguson, DE Aaron Kampman, DL Ryan Pickett, LB Juwan Simpson and DL Johnny Jolly. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Stuff so important it probably didn't make the paper
Extras from Day 1 ... -- Rookie RB Brandon Jackson's troubles weren't limited to the team period. He also needed help getting used to the blocking sled. "They put a lot of weight on there," said Jackson, the Packers' second-round pick from Nebraska. "I never had that much weight on the sled. That was my first time doing something like that." -- Jackson was working at fullback when LB A.J. Hawk ran over him on a team-period blitz. -- In addition to Jackson's two drops in team periods, rookie TE Clark Harris dropped a pass down the seam; RB Vernand Morency fumbled; and Charlie Peprah stripped WR Carlton Brewster after a catch. -- CB Will Blackmon had a chance for the day's only interception, but Ingle Martin's errant pass bounced off his chest. -- Shaun Bodiford looked about as bad as any pro receiver possibly could while trying to adjust to an Aaron Rodgers pass during 7-on-7. -- S Marquand Manuel appeared to be at fault for a coverage breakdown that left WR Robert Ferguson wide open down the right sideline during the special-category period. QB Brett Favre underthrew Ferguson so badly, though, that Ferguson had no chance to come back and make the catch. -- RB P.J. Pope filled in a few times with the first-unit offense while Morency and Jackson rested. -- Blackmon, Charles Woodson, Greg Jennings, Carlton Brewster and James Jones worked on punt returns. Only Jones handled all of his cleanly amid stiff gusts of wind at Clarke Hinkle Field. Notably absent from the group was Bodiford, whose primary value was expected to be on special teams. -- Colin Cole and Corey Williams stayed on the field when the second-team defense took the field in a 3-3 look for the start of the second team period. The rest of the unit consisted of: DE Michael Montgomery; LBs Abdul Hodge, Spencer Havner and Tracy White; and DBs Tramon Williams, Jarrett Bush, Atari Bigby, Patrick Dendy and Marviel Underwood. -- Donald Driver, on the Packers' young receiver corps: "They’re hungry. All of them right now, they want opportunity. When you got guys like that on the team, it makes it easy so you can just go out there and do your job." -- And your mostly meaningless passing statistics from the team, 7-on-7 and special-category periods (7-on-7 in parentheses): Brett Favre 16-for-23 (5-for-7); Aaron Rodgers 14-for-20 (6-for-10); Ingle Martin 8-for-13 (5-for-7). Rookie Paul Thompson did not participate in any of the competition periods. -- Tom Pelissero, tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Practice wrap-up
Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly and DeShawn Wynn were on the non-football injury list today, and receiver Donald Driver failed his physical because of a shoulder injury, coach Mike McCarthy said after practice. Pickett and Jolly were placed on the list because of conditioning, and McCarthy said he was “not happy.” Wynn has an illness. Tight end Tory Humphrey, who was hurt during practice, has an ankle injury and was taken for X-rays, according to McCarthy. -- Tom Pelissero/tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Kickers hit all attempts
There was no advantage gained in the first field goal period. Dave Rayner went five-for-five, making two field goals from 27 yards, one from 32 yards and two from 37. Jon Ryan was his holder. Rookie Mason Crosby went four-for-four with all of his field goals from 32 yards. David Lonie and Ruvell Martin each held for two of Crosby's kicks. — Rob Demovsky/rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
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