For all you Packer fans out there, this is a team up-date. Hmmmm....looks even better than the Super Bowl champs of last year? Can you say REPEAT!
Mr. Smith goes to Green Bay: Rookie impresses
By Bob McGinn
of the Journal Sentinel staff
April 27, 1997
Green Bay -- Extremely quick but not very strong.
That's what the Green Bay Packers said about Georgia defensive tackle Jermaine Smith when they drafted him in
the fourth round and that's how Smith looked in a three-day minicamp that concluded Sunday.
"Really a quick guy," defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur said. "He's just a young pup physically. He needs
development and strength, but he has excellent skills."
Smith received more work than expected because Darius Holland sat out with an ankle injury. Smith used his
hands well, showed lateral agility and didn't back down.
However, defensive line coach Larry Brooks said it was far too early to tell how much or if Smith might contribute
this season.
"He does all the things we thought he would do," Brooks said. "Got a lot of athletic ability. The biggest thing he's
got to gain is strength. He's not a real physical kind of guy."
Here's a position-by-position look at some minicamp developments:
Wide receiver
Just as he did in this minicamp a year ago, Derrick Mayes made some outstanding catches. He extended himself
to snag a few high throws and looked powerful working out of the slot on some intermediate routes in traffic.
The Packers want to see more precision in his patterns and improved durability. He pulled a muscle Friday and
sat out some of the day, then returned Saturday as if nothing had been wrong.
Another veteran who will be expected to produce, Terry Mickens, made a favorable showing.
Chris Miller, the first of three seventh-round picks, is believed to have run the fastest 40-yard dash (4.38
seconds) in testing Friday morning. As advertised, however, he dropped too many passes.
"He has great speed and he has kickoff-return capability," coach Mike Holmgren said. "But he needs to
concentrate on the ball a little more."
Bill Schroeder, a sixth-round draft choice in 1994, is playing in the World League and didn't attend.
"They say he's playing well over there," wide receivers coach Gil Haskell said. "That's a great move for him. He's
put in two or three years on developmental and never got a chance to play."
Tight end
Of the six players in camp, first-year tight ends coach Mike Sherman said Jeff Thomason caught the ball most
consistently.
Jay Pettigrew, a free agent from DePauw, looked like a good talent early in the first practice Friday but pulled a
hamstring and missed the final four workouts.
Lovell Pinkney, the St. Louis Rams' fourth-round pick in '95, was timed in 4.6 and weighed 256. With his ability
to run, he forces safeties to respect the tight end down the middle, and as a former wide receiver at Texas he
makes some superb catches.
Nevertheless, he dropped some passes and is rather new to blocking.
"He's got great speed," Sherman said. "He's got a long way to go, but he's got some time."
Converted quarterback Kyle Wachholtz sat out with a thigh injury.
Offensive line
Top pick Ross Verba worked behind John Michels at left tackle and across from defensive end Gabe Wilkins.
"I thought he did all right," offensive line coach Tom Lovat said. "He improved each day. He's got some habits
that he's formed over the years that you've got to break, but they're not serious."
Verba will be back at left tackle in the June minicamp before the coaches decide on his position for training camp.
"I don't know if he's among the top five yet," Lovat said. "He's close. But anybody that Verba has a chance to
come in and replace responded in such a manner that it will be competitive wherever he is. They're not going to
give up their spots."
Eugene Chung, a first-round pick by New England in '92, continued to work at center although he has never
played center in a game at any level. Another good athlete, Marcus Spears, worked at right tackle.
"He's the same as Chung -- good athletes," Lovat said. "In a camp where there's no contact, Chung looked very
good."
Guard Joe Andruzzi, a free agent from Southern Connecticut State, impressed Lovat with his work habits and
ability.
Quarterbacks
With Brett Favre back home attending to his wife, who underwent surgery recently, and Steve Bono unable to
join the club until after June 1, veteran Doug Pederson and Ronnie McAda, a seventh-round pick, did all the
throwing.
McAda used his intelligence to assimilate the playbook. On the other hand, his passes lacked velocity and
accuracy. He also needs to get on a good weight program and become much stronger and heavier.
Running backs
None of the six veterans who participated made a telling impression. Travis Jervey ran about 4.5 in the 40 after
clocking 4.31 in '96, but running backs coach Harry Sydney chalked it up to various factors and said it wasn't a
concern to him.
Adam Salina, a free agent from Stanford, might have been the most impressive of the three rookie fullbacks. His
dimensions (6 feet 3 inches, 257 pounds) suggest he could be a solid blocker.
Defensive line
Wilkins turned the corner a few times against Michels and Verba even though he weighed almost 300. Brooks
has no doubt that Wilkins has the speed to supply an outside rush from right end. His predecessor, Sean Jones,
found it more and more difficult to get up the field.
"I don't have any problem with Gabe being out there," Brooks said. "He ran 4.8 something. This is his time. He
can make it or break it."
If the Packers did re-sign Jones, the 13-year veteran could help at tackle on some passing downs, according to
Brooks.
"But probably not a steady diet," he said. "If we did that we'd try to make sure it was a long-yardage situation
where the run possibility would be less. Pass rush-wise he would hold up."
The two backup ends, Shannon Clavelle and Walter Scott, appeared to be improved.
"Shannon looked good out there in underwear," Brooks said. "We've always talked about his takeoff and upfield
speed. This is his year to show us."
Linebackers
Just as Wayne Simmons never left the field in '96 it looks as if Brian Williams won't, either, in '97. Although
Lamont Hollinquest and Bernardo Harris also worked on passing downs, linebackers coach Jim Lind said
Williams was the player expected to fill the dime linebacker job vacated by Simmons.
The position changes of Ron Cox from middle to outside and Harris from outside to middle seemed to work well.
"Ron is more natural outside and Bernardo is more natural in the middle," Lind said. "Bernardo is kind of a
reserved personality, but he's very intelligent. He knows the defense."
Lind said he would have no qualms if Harris had to start early in the season for injured George Koonce.
Rookie Anthony Hicks, a fifth-round pick, had a hard time demonstrating his athletic ability because of the
information overload.
Keith McKenzie increased his weight from 242 to 255 and still ran 4.65. Lind said he thought McKenzie had the
flexibility and speed to challenge at outside linebacker.
"Remember, Bryce Paup played that running over a 4.8," Lind said. "There's a lot of new things for him yet, but
we like what we see."
Secondary
All-pro safety LeRoy Butler clocked in the 4.4s, earning praise from Shurmur and secondary coach Bob
Valesente. But on Saturday, during wind sprints, Butler lagged behind the other defensive backs and failed to
meet his required time.
"I think LeRoy's probably working himself back into shape now," Valesente said. "Last year LeRoy started to
peak at the start of training camp. I have all the confidence in the world that he'll do that again this year."
The imprisonment of Tyrone Williams and Matt Dorsett's post-operative knee enabled Roderick Mullen and
rookie Darren Sharper to have extensive exposure.
"Darren's never played corner and still needs a lot of work, but he's very instinctive, has good range and he can
leap," Valesente said. "Roderick is a physical corner who runs under 4.5. He can play close to the line of
scrimmage and he can blitz. He needs work on the skill things."
Eugene Robinson, Mike Prior, Brad Edwards and Butler have 39 years of experience, undoubtedly the most at
safety for any team.
Specialists
Rookie Brett Conway, a third-round pick, made 24 of 25 field-goal attempts from 42 yards and in with 22
players on the field but no real rush. His elevation is as good as Chris Jacke's and his get-off times were even
faster than what the Packers require, according to special teams coach Nolan Cromwell.
"It was very pleasing," Cromwell said. "He seems to be very mature. He acts like he understands what the
pressures of the job are. He seemed very confident and under control."
Despite Conway's strong kickoffs at Penn State, Cromwell said punter Craig Hentrich would have the chance to
retain his kickoff job in training camp.
"Craig did a nice job two years in a row for me and I'm just not going to turn my back," Cromwell said. "But if
Brett comes in here and kicks like he did in college, I would anticipate Brett being the guy."
Center Jeff Dellenbach, tight end Harper Le Bel and nose tackle Bob Kuberski snapped for field goals.
Sharper caught the ball easily on punts.
scott |
