Here is today's Green Bay Update from Jeff Ash. If you have any questions
or comments about the update, contact Jeff (mailto:jeffash@netnet.net).
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Greetings from Green Bay, where on a hot summer night I have a water bottle
at hand and a chaw of Beemans gum, some of the best stuff around.
-- Desmond Howard rejoined the Packers on Wednesday, signing a 2- or 3-year
deal, likely for close to the veterans' minimum of $400,000 a year. Though
coach Ray Rhodes insists he'll be used at WR, look for Howard to again be
almost exclusively a kick and punt returner. A quote from Howard, who
worked out for the Eagles but not the Packers: "I think I can duplicate the
effort (of his great Super Bowl season of 1996) and that's my intention."
He was delighted to leave the Raiders, for whom he struggled in 2 seasons
and who cut him earlier this month: "One thing I wanted to do was be
associated with a winner . . . a team that I knew was committed to winning.
A team that does more than talk about it."
Even so, Howard is no lock to make the team. After all, at 29, he's 3 years
older than we all recall. The Packers liked what they saw of Jahine Arnold
at WR and as a return man during the minicamps. Howard hasn't been assigned
a number. TE Tyrone Davis wears his old No. 81, and RB DeMonn Parker wears
the No. 22 worn by Howard in training camp in 1996.
-- Speaking of familiar faces, the Packers last month considered signing LB
Wayne Simmons, who got along with Rhodes when he was defensive coordinator
under Mike Holmgren. LB James Willis, who began his career with the Packers
and played for Rhodes in Philadelphia, also said he wouldn't mind returning
to Green Bay. Neither is likely to be back, given the recent signing of
ex-Raiders LB Mike Morton and the emergence of Jude Waddy.
-- The Packers' Monday, Aug. 23 preseason game against the Broncos at Camp
Randall Stadium in Madison has all but sold out in less than a week. As of
Wednesday, just a few single seats and obstructed-view seats were left.
Check for any leftovers with Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com
-- The word is not good on former Packers defensive coordinator Fritz
Shurmur, who has liver cancer and is receiving hospice care at his rural
Green Bay home. He's been back here for a month, spending most of that time
in the hospital. Now he's home and it seems just a matter of time.
-- The Packers have firmed up their training camp practice schedule. Camp
will be open to the public from Monday, July 26 to Thursday, Aug. 26, with
47 open practices on either the Clarke Hinkle Field along South Oneida
Street or the Ray Nitschke Field along Packer Drive, both just east of
Lambeau Field. Workouts will be at 8:45 a.m. and 2:15 or 2:45 p.m. most
days. The morning practice is longer, with players in pads. The afternoon
practice is shorter, with players in helmets and shorts only, or for
special teams only. In bad weather, practice will be inside the Don Hutson
Center and closed to the public. For a complete list of open practice dates
and times, check the Packers' web site at packers.com
-- The minicamp earlier this month was one of the quietest yet most
physical anyone can remember. Some odds and ends:
Injury updates: WR Robert Brooks took part in all 7 workouts, but hasn't
convinced anyone he can come back from a 2nd back surgery ... Rookie C Mike
Newell, who also had surgery for a herniated disk, might not pass his
physical when camp begins but could start practicing at midseason or later
if that happens. ... LT John Michels played without pain in his right knee
and wants to get his starting job back. ... SS LeRoy Butler, who had
offseason surgery, worked out with his left ankle heavily taped and took it
easy. ... C Frank Winters, who had broke a leg last season, and WR Bill
Schroeder, who broke his collarbone, both worked out. ... Rookie CB Fred
Vinson, who had surgery on his left foot during the offseason, remains iffy
for the start of camp but is jogging expects to be ready for the start of
the season. ... Rookie CB Antuan Edwards, who had surgery on a sprained big
toe in April, should be running any day now and be ready for camp. ...
Rookie CB Mike McKenzie broke his right hand at the minicamp but should be
ready for training camp.
How the rookies look: McKenzie showed toughness and that he can play CB or
S. ... Parker showed speed and quickness, but runs high and needs to learn
how to change speeds, pick up blitzes and catch passes. ... WR Donald
Driver impressed with his grace and athleticism. ... DE Cletidus Hunt
showed lots of moves. ... QB Aaron Brooks has a cannon for an arm, but
needs to develop touch on his passes. ... P Josh Bidwell needs to be more
consistent on hang time and distance. ... G Craig Heimburger needs work on
pass blocking. ... T Scott Curry struggled in 1-on-1 drills.
How the veterans look: Everyone agrees Rick Mirer is a much better QB now
than when he joined the Packers last year, having learned how to play the
position properly. ... DE Vonnie Holliday was given Reggie White's old
locker. ... T Mike Wahle played well and may be the No. 3 tackle. Because
he can play G or T, he could break into the starting lineup. Line coach
Larry Beightol says the best 5 linemen will start.
The Packers cut 3 players before the last minicamp: LB Antonio London, 27,
who has since signed with the Eagles; T Antone Davis, 32; and former
Wisconsin RB Brent Moss, 27, who was overweight and too slow. London was
made expendable by Waddy, who has played well despite still being light for
an LB at 220 or less. A quote from Rhodes: "Jude Waddy came into this camp
and really impressed. He's elevated himself into the 4th spot at LB on this
football team."
Best fight on camp came on the last day, with Waddy and LT Ross Verba twice
duking it out at a non-contact practice run without pads. A quote from
Rhodes: "That's something that you don't want to encourage. But, hey, man,
this is a violent football game. We've been together 7 days and if somebody
ain't pissed and wants to do something after 7 days, then we haven't done
what I'm trying to get accomplished."
Rhodes continued his commitment to having the Packers in much better
physical shape, having them do running drills after minicamp workouts. A
quote from FB William Henderson: "The June camp in the past has never been
as physical or as demanding as this one." A quote from QB Brett Favre: "I
think we need it. There's 53 guys on this team, and some don't need the
running because they work hard enough in practice and off the field. But
there's others you've got to kind of kick in the butt from time to time."
The Packers won't have a joint training camp practice with another team
this summer, but Rhodes isn't ruling them out for future years. Holmgren
didn't care for them.
-- The Packers would like to restructure the deals of a couple of veterans
to get more room under the salary cap, but nothing has happened so far.
Favre's 7-year, $47 million deal signed in 1997 may be redone next year
with a huge signing bonus to further spread out his deal for cap purposes.
Favre's base salary is $4.3 million this year, $5.35 million in 2000 and
$6.3 million in 2001.
-- No progress to report on talks to extend CB Tyrone Williams' contract.
-- Don't look for the Packers to sign WR Antonio Freeman until after July
15, when they can do so for the 1-year franchise tender and keep the
franchise tag for 2000. If he's signed before July 15, the Packers would
lose the franchise tag for next season. He visited minicamp for a day,
saying he's working out and building a new home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Freeman is seeking $6 million a year.
-- Edwards signed a 5-year, $5.3 million deal. The breakdown: $2.2 million
signing bonus, salary of $420,000 this year; $475,000 salary and roster
bonus in 2000; $630,000 salary and roster bonus in 2001; $735,000 salary
and roster bonus in 2002; and $840,000 salary and roster bonus in 2003.
-- The NFL Europe season is winding to a close, and it doesn't look as if
the Packers will be getting much help from the 3 players it sent over. RB
Edwin Watson has played extensively for Berlin. A quote from pro personnel
director Reggie McKenzie: "Probably the only thing he is struggling with is
showing out-and-out speed. But he has his legs under him and his weight
down. He's running with power and catching the ball very, very well. I wish
we had a chance to see him block more, but as far as blitz pickup, he's
doing a good job." CB Denorse Mosley has been inconsistent for the Scottish
Claymores, but will get a look in camp. QB Ronnie McAda has played
sparingly for Frankfurt and Berlin, and the Packers haven't seen any film
on him. All 3 will be candidates for backup jobs, with Mosley and McAda
longshots.
-- Speaking of NFL Europe, the Packers have a mild interest in troubled RB
Lawrence Phillips, who has played well for Barcelona. They see him as a
possible backup for Dorsey Levens, but Phillips is likely to go somewhere
he can start, perhaps the Raiders.
-- The Packers seemingly again have changed their minds about Lambeau
Field. Last week, they said they'll consider preserving and renovating the
historic stadium, but only if it brings in enough extra money to keep them
competitive in the NFL. In March, they scrapped plans for a $75 million
renovation of the stadium because it wouldn't bring in enough money.
Largely because of rapidly increasing signing bonuses, the Packers find
themselves having spent $154,000 more than they made in the past year, and
they can't continue that kind of negative cash flow, even with $52.4
million in cash reserves.
A quote from team president Bob Harlan: "It's amazing what people write to
me about Lambeau Field. I've heard from so many fans across the country
since we talked renovation and everything in the last months. They ask:
'How can you even think about razing Lambeau Field?' It's a huge topic with
our fans. It's amazing, the romance that goes on with this franchise."
So, the Packers have an engineering consultant looking at how long the
stadium, built in 1957, can reasonably be expected to last. A study group
led by Packers senior VP John Jones will make recommendations to Harlan and
the team's executive committee in October. Those recommendations will
include estimates on how much money can be made from a new stadium or a
renovated Lambeau Field, and on how much money the Packers will have to
make to keep up with other NFL teams building new stadiums.
Other means of paying for stadium replacement or renovation might be a
one-time personal seat license fee for season-ticket holders or, yes, even
selling the naming rights to Lambeau Field. The Packers are extremely
skittish about the latter, saying that it could be something along the
lines of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, say "Lambeau Field at corporate-name
Park."
Another quote from Bob Harlan: "We've got to get a lot of answers, but we
are going to examine every question possible before we make that decision
(on keeping or replacing Lambeau Field). And if we can find a way that this
can be renovated and keep us competitive, we owe it to our fans, frankly.
We owe it to the franchise."
Green Bay Press-Gazette business reporter Tom Content's coverage of this
matter has been excellent. To check it out in much more detail than I can
provide, go to these 2 pages:
(http://www.greenbaypressgazette.packersnews.com/archives/9906/0621packcash.
shtml) and
(http://www.greenbaypressgazette.packersnews.com/archives/9906/0621futureofp
ack.shtml)
-- Speaking of Lambeau, Rhodes was asked recently by the Packers' marketing
folks whether he wanted any changes in pregame entertainment and music. His
response, according to Jones: "Change nothing! We came here with
Philadelphia and we lost the game in warmups. Our guys were looking around
at this place and the fans and the whole atmosphere. We couldn't run
anything."
-- The Packers have a group of big hitters working for them at the state
Capitol in Madison. Among their authorized lobbyists are former U.S. Rep.
Scott Klug of Madison; former state Rep. Rosemary Potter of Milwaukee; John
Matthews, the former chief of staff for Gov. Tommy Thompson; and Ray Carey,
the former director of the Assembly Republican Caucus. According to state
Ethics Board records, they represent the Packers' views on such matters as
economic development (meaning stadium funding) and capital expenditures
(meaning stadium funding). Last week, they also helped adopt a change in
state liquor laws allowing fans in the Lambeau Field luxury boxes to
continue to serve their own alcoholic beverages.
-- Pookie's back. Vince Workman, an RB for the Packers from 1989 to 1992,
will rejoin the team next month as the assistant to pro personnel director
Reggie McKenzie. Workman, 31, has been working toward a communications
degree from Ohio State since finishing his career with the Colts in 1996.
-- Keith, our longtime Update meteorologist, and the rest of you seeking
retired G Jerry Kramer's election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame may wish
to check out Chris Havel's recent commentary on the Press-Gazette web site
(http://www.greenbaypressgazette.packersnews.com/archives/9906/0617havel.sht
ml). He lobbies for Kramer and says the Packers' representative on the Hall
of Fame selection committee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Michael
Bauman, will do likewise. The Hall's 5-member seniors committee meets
Thursday, Aug. 19 to pick this year's nominee.
-- A group of kids from nearby Greenleaf and Wrightstown got quite a thrill
earlier this month when they got to play flag football with TE Mark Chmura
and C Frank Winters. One of the kids won a drawing for the game at ShopKo.
-- Finally, an update on the Fans' Man campaign to land Jerry Hershberger
of Racine on the Packers' board of directors to represent Packers fans.
Jerry, 53, is a manufacturing engineer at Johnson Wax in Racine. Since
being mentioned here last time, the Press-Gazette and Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel have done stories on it, a Green Bay sports talk radio station has
done a segment on it and our friend Scott Crevier has created a Fans' Man
page at the South End Zone (http://www.southendzone.com/fansman/).
In order to show the Packers that this is a serious candidacy, Jerry hopes
to obtain votes from at least 50 stockholders representing 5,000 or more
shares at the annual meeting, by proxy or in person at the July 7
stockholders meeting. At last report, they had 32 stockholders and more
than 1,000 shares ready to vote that way. Obviously, getting people with
the old stock will be more helpful, but everyone counts. The Packers'
response thus far has been gracious and professional. Jerry will meet in
August with the chairman of the Packers' committee on director affairs to
show he is a credible, qualified candidate for the board. This committee
appoints people to fill vacancies that may come up during the year.
For more information on the often entertaining Fans' Man campaign, check
the web site or contact Jim Hershberger at jeep41@msn.com or Jerry at
jerryh@wi.net
Your viewer mail has been missed this offseason. As always, your comments
and questions are welcome at jeffash@netnet.net
This week's sources: Green Bay Press-Gazette
(http://www.greenbaypressgazette.packersnews.com), Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel (http://www.jsonline.com/packer/news/) and Packers
(http://www.packers.com) web pages.
This week's soundtrack: "International Velvet," by Catatonia, a Welsh band
apparently huge in the UK but almost unknown in the States; and summer
music from Jimmy Buffett's "Boats, Beaches, Bars and Ballads" set and "King
of the Surf Guitar: The Best of Dick Dale and the Del-Tones."
-- Recent adventures with Evan: He can read. He is reading almost
everything he sees. I was reading Newsweek last week, and he walked up,
looked at an ad for Teligent, a business communications company, and read
the biggest type aloud, word for word -- "All. For. One. All for one."
Short words, signs and company logos are a piece of cake. He also can
recognize the first few letters of long words and will make a gallant try
at guessing the word, usually coming surprisingly close. ... My brother
organized a 74th birthday party for our dad at a local park last week. When
the ice cream truck drove around the park, it was playing the children's
song "John Jacob Jingleheimerschmidt." That's one of the tunes on Evan's
electronic keyboard. Evan recognized it and started dancing a little jig,
or twist, or something, on the basketball court. Janet laughed and made
some rude accusations about him having inherited what she claims is my lack
of natural rhythm. Not so, I assure you. In any case, a huge day for
Grandpa, who relished having all 3 sons and daughters-in-law and the 5
youngest of the 7 grandkids together. ... The Bellin Run is Green Bay's
biggest 10K run and walk, with almost 6,000 people, and 2 weeks ago it was
Evan's 1st kids race. The littlest kids -- all of them wearing No. 1 pinned
to their new T-shirts -- do about 6 blocks, and Evan did about what I
expected. He ran the first couple of blocks, then asked to be carried on my
shoulders for a while. I told him I'd carry him, but that he had to finish
running. He did, running the last 2 blocks, with people lining the last
block and a half and offering cheers and high-fives. Asked about the best
part of the race, Evan said "The finish line!" ... Earlier this week was
Father's Day and my 42nd birthday on consecutive days. Much as he was for
Janet's birthday and Mother's Day, Evan was so excited about it that I had
to cut him off several times in the days leading up to the big days, lest
he spill the beans about the gifts.
That's it.
As usual, if you wish to show your appreciation for these Packers updates,
volunteer or make a donation to the charity of your choice. Thanks as
always to Janet for saving the papers and to Scott for providing the mail
service and the web space on South End Zone.
Thanks, Jeff
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