The Green Bay Packers may have shown a greater willingness this offseason to sign veteran free agents under first-year general manager
Brian Gutekunst
Authentic Jaden Schwartz Jersey , but the team is standing pat for now after injuries to key contributors on defense.
One day after inside linebacker Jake Ryan (knee) and safety Kentrell Brice (ankle) each had to be carted off the practice field, Gutekunst said Tuesday
he's not going to seek outside help at either position.
With Ryan out, rookie third-round draft pick Oren Burks took snaps with the No. 1 defense at inside linebacker. And with Brice sidelined, Josh Jones, a
second-round pick a year ago, got most of the reps at safety alongside Ha Ha
Clinton-Dix. Jermaine Whitehead also worked with the first unit at safety in
Brice's place.
"You know, you never like to see any of that, especially with those guys who have worked as hard as they have. But it's football, it's part of it and it's
our job to be prepared and keep moving forward," Gutekunst said.
"I think the best practice is patience. We have some young players that show some promise out there, and we'd kind of like them to continue to grow into
those kind of roles and see what we have," he added.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he could not give timelines on either player's recovery and that Ryan was still undergoing further tests on his right
knee. Ryan got hurt while making a tackle during a team period near the end of
Monday's in-pads practice.
Brice, who took virtually every team snap with the No. 1 defense before his injury
Fernando Valenzuela Jersey , injured his ankle when he was blindsided during a punt coverage drill. He was able to attend practice and was walking gingerly
on the sideline.
Bruce missed much of last season with another ankle injury.
The starting safety spot opposite Clinton-Dix came open this offseason when longtime starter Morgan Burnett left as a free agent and joined the Pittsburgh
Steelers. Jones, who played more than 700 defensive snaps last year as a rookie,
now must put that experience to use.
"Next man up. That's the mentality," Jones said. "You hate to see one of your teammates go down, but the next guy should be prepared. That's why you prepare.
When it's your time to be called upon, you're ready."
The Packers drafted the 6-foot-3, 233-pound Burks with the hope that his athleticism and speed - he spent the early part of his college career at
Vanderbilt playing safety - would be an asset in coverage on passing downs in
the team's dime package. He was already working with the starters in that sub
group, but on Tuesday, he was with the 1s in the base defense as well.
"You just never know when your opportunity is going to come," Burks said. "I'm doing my best to get better every day. I know I'm going to make mistakes -
I'm a rookie. But I just learn from those mistakes, try not to make them twice
and try to grow."
NOTES: Pro Bowl DL Mike Daniels (quadriceps) missed practice but his injury is not considered serious. Also sitting out Tuesday were FB Joe Kerridge
(shoulder), RB Aaron Jones (hamstring), LB C.J. Johnson (hamstring) and OL Alex
Light (ankle). . Gutekunst said he had no updates on contract talks with
quarterback Aaron Rodgers
Christian Kirk Cardinals Jersey , but continued to express confidence that an extension would get done. "I wouldn't put any timelines on it," Gutekunst said.
"As long as everybody is working toward the same goal, I think we feel positive
about it."
The Arizona Cardinals have their star running back but are without their general manager as they open their first training camp under new coach
Steve Wilks.
Running back David Johnson returned to the fold this week after sitting out mandatory minicamp in a contract dispute.
”It means a lot” to have Johnson back, Wilks said after players reported Friday. ”We talked about from day one that he is a major part of what we’re
doing. I’m glad to see him back. He came back last Sunday on the 22nd very
focused, very committed. He’s in shape and looking good and I’m expecting some
great things out of him this year.”
The team added three players the past two days, despite the absence of general manager Steve Keim, who was suspended for five weeks and fined $200,000
by the team following his July 4 DUI arrest.
Cardinals President Michael Bidwill doesn’t often speak to the media but he took the opportunity to do so after the players reported and went through their
conditioning test.
Bidwill said that, as far as he knew, it was the largest penalty ever for a driving under the influence incident by someone connected to the NFL.
”I came down hard on him and he knew that was going to be the case in the early conversations (after the arrest),” Bidwill said. ”I think it’s important
for everybody now in this day and age there’s no excuse to drink and drive. We
have Lyft, we have Uber, and there are consequences for the person to be
arrested. People can be hurt or killed.”
Bidwill has stepped in to take a more active role and said that Keim and his team have been together so long that it’s easy to determine what the general
manager’s position would be if he were there
Sean Newcomb Atlanta Braves Jersey , although no contact with the GM is allowed.
The team signed safety Tre Boston to a one-year deal Friday and added defensive ends Arthur Moats and Jacquies Smith on one-year contracts on
Thursday.
”We have taken the philosophy that in his absence we are going to try to make the kind of decisions Steve Keim would make,” Bidwill said.
Quarterback Sam Bradford was excused from Friday’s run test but is expected to be a full participant, as the No. 1 quarterback, when workouts begin
Saturday. Bradford was brought along slowly in offseason workouts as he works
his way back from a knee injury that wiped out nearly all of his season a year
ago.
Rookie Josh Rosen has been praised for his offseason work and will be competing with Mike Glennon for the backup job.
Johnson led the NFL in yards from scrimmage two seasons ago but fractured his left wrist in last year’s opener and missed the rest of the season. As his
representatives and the Cardinals talk about a contract, Johnson decided to come
to camp rather than continue the holdout that began in minicamp.
”I wanted to be with the team at the start of camp,” Johnson said. ”I wanted to bounce back from last year, the injury.”
Johnson said he doesn’t know how close the parties are to a contract agreement and is leaving it to his agents to deal with. Bidwill said it is
possible for the Cardinals and Johnson to reach an agreement despite Keim’s
absence.
Los Angeles Rams star running back Todd Gurley just signed a four-year extension that guarantees him $45 million.
”My biggest thing is I was proud for him,” Johnson said. ”I trained with Gurley coming out of college and it was cool to see him get what he deserves.
Not only him, but to see Saquon (Barkley) get his deal. It’s just good to see
running backs get deals.”
Boston came back to the Cardinals after criticizing the team’s initial offer following a visit earlier in the free agent period. He agreed to a $1.5 million
contract that can reach $3 million with incentives, far less than he expected to
get when he entered free agency after a strong season last year with the LA
Chargers.
Boston set career highs last year with 79 tackles, five interceptions and seven passes defensed. He figures another year like that will get him the money
he already believes he deserves.
”I can’t get paid on the sidelines. I can’t get paid at home,” he said,. ”This year you’ve just got to get back to the roots
DJ Chark Jersey Jaguars , get back to who I was last year. Two times in a row, they can’t deny it.”
Boston played four years for Carolina with Wilks as the defensive backs coach and joked that the players called the coach Denzel Washington because of the way
he resembles the actor.
”A great coach, one of my favorite coaches,” Boston said. ”It reminds me of Denzel Washington, the way he coaches. That was our joke back in Carolina, man.
But he’s a great coach. He has a vision, a laser-like focus, somebody who
motivates you to be better. You don’t want to let him down.”
—
.
