The Packers got a different kind of look at training camp on Wednesday: not another Matt LaFleur update, but a chance to hear directly from the people running each side of the ball. With players not back in front of the media until after Friday’s Family Night scrimmage at Lambeau Field, the coordinators took center stage and gave a clearer picture of where things stand.
Special teams coordinator Cam Achord didn’t spend long on the broad stuff, but he did offer one of the more interesting nuggets of the day when he explained why Trey Smack wants his holder to place the ball differently than the usual straight up-and-down setup every time. It was the kind of detail that makes camp worth following.
On defense, Jonathan Gannon said the Packers have been ahead of expectations so far. He pointed to “leadership, the operation and players,” and said the group has impressed him across the board.
Versatility has been a major theme in his comments, and it shows up everywhere in his unit. The interior defensive linemen are moving around.
The edge rushers are sliding inside. The safeties are lining up in different spots across the field.
Gannon also said the Packers have enough talent in the secondary to disguise things and still get to the same calls, thanks to Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams and Javon Bullard. And when it comes to how this defense will actually look from week to week, Gannon said that “each game should look different,” with the variation coming from opposing offenses rather than from a lack of options on Green Bay’s side.
That’s a point worth watching early in the season, especially before Micah Parsons is available, and then again as the defense settles in and Parsons eventually returns.
On offense, Adam Stenavich sounded encouraged by what he’s seeing. He said backup interior linemen Jager Burton, a fifth-round rookie, and Jacob Monk, a third-year fifth-round pick, have the “right mindset.”
He also made it clear where Jordan Morgan stands: “our left tackle, and he’s out there to prove it to everybody.” Stenavich called left tackle Morgan’s “natural spot,” which should settle any lingering questions about whether Morgan would remain outside after spending most of his first two NFL seasons at guard.
Tight end has been a thin spot because of injuries, and that has pushed Josh Whyle and Drake Dabney into the mix with the starting offense more often than the Packers probably wanted. Stenavich said both have gotten better, and added that maybe no one has “improved as much as [Dabney] in the first few days.” He described Dabney as more of an in-line tight end, while Whyle has been used a lot at fullback, though that may simply reflect the numbers game at the position.
Stenavich also had a positive update on MarShawn Lloyd, who has had a rough go of it since being drafted in the third round. Lloyd has been healthy enough to play just 10 regular-season snaps over two seasons, but Stenavich said he has looked good in camp. He’s hoping Lloyd gets a significant preseason workload, especially considering how few live snaps the back has gotten in NFL games for a third-year player.
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