Tomorrow is Family Night, the Green Bay Packers’ practice at Lambeau Field, so the team took it a little light on Friday. For the first time since they were allowed to wear full pads, the Packers chose to only wear shells for practice today. Per head coach Matt LaFleur, this practice only included three team periods, much fewer than in a typical practice.
By the way, if you want to watch Family Night tomorrow, it will be streamed on the Packers’ official website. Practice will begin around 7:30 pm CT.
Here’s what happened during Friday’s practice.
Participation
Six new Packers were added to the injury report today: receiver Sam Brown Jr. (ankle), tackle Rasheed Walker (groin), tackle Travis Glover (shoulder), defensive end Arron Mosby (groin), cornerback Nate Hobbs (knee) and cornerback Kamar Hadden (hip). That is on top of running back MarShawn Lloyd (groin), receiver Christian Watson (knee), offensive lineman John Williams (back) and defensive end Collin Oliver (hamstring), who have already been on the injury report for the past few days.
Green Bay is probably being conservative in their reporting of injuries in a light practice like this, but it’s worth keeping an eye on these situations as we go into Family Night. Linebacker Quay Walker (ankle) continues to participate, but not fully, as he recovers from his offseason surgery.
Offense
The Packers felt like experimenting on the offensive line today. Both Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton got looks with the first-team offense at left tackle, with Walker being out of practice. Jacob Monk, who had previously worked in with the first-team unit as a right guard and center, also played some left guard when the coaches gave Aaron Banks a breather.
Personally, I wouldn’t make too much of this, as the Packers clearly want to keep players healthy for Family Night tomorrow.
Unfortunately, the big news of the day on the offensive side of the ball was that running back Emanuel Wilson went down, leading to the team taking a knee on the field. Wilson was ultimately able to walk off the field under his own power, despite a limp, but that’s the silver lining on a dark cloud.
Defense
In his pre-practice press conference, head coach Matt LaFleur praised undrafted rookie defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse for his performance so far in camp. Stackhouse has the body of a nose tackle, something the Packers desperately need on their 53-man roster, as their returning defensive tackles are all around 300 pounds besides starting nose tackle Kenny Clark.
LaFleur challenged Stackhouse in front of the media, stating, “I think at some point, we’re going to have to see him get in there” against the first-team offense. Stackhouse did end up getting looks with the first-team defense today, which is a huge development for the rookie. Don’t be surprised if he ends up making some splash plays in the preseason. The Packers seem excited about him. As a reminder, Stackhouse received more guarantees than any of Green Bay’s other undrafted free agent signings this offseason.
With both Hobbs and Hadden out in the cornerback room, rookie seventh-round pick Micah Robinson got some first-team looks today. Hobbs, Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine are virtual roster locks, but the team will need to keep at least two more cornerbacks on its 53-man roster. Top candidates include Robinson, Hadden, Bo Melton, Kalen King and Gregory Junior.
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