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Pastimes : Green Bay Packers -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: SE who wrote (579)	8/5/1999 8:17:00 AM
From: Tmoore	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1150

How about: IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR THE PACKERS IN 99 <vbg> Tmoore

To: SE who wrote (579)	8/6/1999 1:25:00 AM
From: C	Respond to of 1150

Pack's defensive line looks strong even without White By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Reggie White left a hole on the Green Bay Packers' defensive line that Vonnie Holliday is trying to fill. No one's sure who will fill the hole White left in the Packers' collective soul when he retired. ''You just don't replace a guy who brought as many things to a team as Reggie did,'' coach Ray Rhodes said. ''All we can do is plug the hole in the line and hope other guys pick up the leadership he brought. They can't really do it, but you hope they can get close.'' White won't be missed as much on the field as he will in the locker room. Even without White, last season's defensive player of the year, the Packers' defensive line is among the NFL's strongest. Santana Dotson and slimmed-down Gilbert Brown return at the tackles, while Holliday moves from right end to left. Keith McKenzie leads the pack of contenders for Holliday's right end spot. ''I feel really good about our front four,'' said defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas, who has spent most of training camp worrying about his secondary. ''We're strong up front, and that's where it all starts.'' Thomas has retained some of departed coordinator Fritz Shurmur's defensive plan, but much has changed. Still, both defenses rely on a strong front line, which the Packers know they have -- with or without Reggie. ''We know the defense takes its tone from us, and the things we're harping on now are the things Reggie used to do,'' Dotson said. ''We have to realize that we're the ones who have to make the plays now, and we're doing that. It's a big responsibility.'' The Packers are betting that Holliday, their ferociously talented lineman who was runnerup to Oakland's Charles Woodson for rookie defensive player of the year honors, will be able to learn his second new position in two seasons. He was a defensive tackle at North Carolina but became a standout end in the pros. Holliday knows he will see more running plays coming his way as a left end, but he also expects to improve on the eight sacks he had last year. ''I've got to improve my game in every area,'' Holliday said. ''In a way, this year is even bigger for me than last year. I've got to take responsibility for everything that goes on now.'' Though he's still the biggest player on the field, Brown looks slightly slimmer than he did earlier in the year. Dotson said Brown, the Packers' best run-stopper, has improved his mobility after being criticized last season for his bulk. ''Gilbert's looking great. He's getting around and making plays,'' Dotson said. ''He's going to make a lot of people look out for him.'' Except for Holliday and Dotson, all of the defensive linemen will be rotated to different positions. That means McKenzie, utility backup Vaughn Booker and rookie Cletidus Hunt will get ample playing time in different situations. The Packers are particularly high on Hunt, their third-round draft pick from tiny Kentucky State. After strong showings in the Packers' summer minicamps, Hunt has received special attention from the staff and the veterans during training camp as he is molded into a regular. On Thursday, Booker took Hunt aside during drills to educate the rookie on some finer points of attack. In the afternoon, defensive line coach Mike Trgovac spent 15 minutes with Hunt after practice, working on footwork. ''I get a lot of confidence when I work with these guys,'' Hunt said. ''They know how much I have to learn and they're not afraid to show me, so that makes me glad I'm going to be able to contribute.'' Though he wasn't as visible as Holliday last year, McKenzie matched Holliday's eight sacks and emerged as more than a quality pass-rusher. The former college linebacker is expected to pick up the bulk of time at right end. ''We know it'll be a whole different ball game without Reggie here,'' McKenzie said. ''All we can do is try to make it our own team now.''