GREEN BAY – Don’t be surprised if the Green Bay Packers sign a second kicker in the next week or two.
They’ve had only one kicker, seventh-round draft pick Trey Smack, through the first 1½ weeks of training camp, and he’ll be the lone kicker for the upcoming Family Night practice Aug. 7.
General manager Brian Gutekunst said he has only one kicker in camp for now because he opted to add a second long snapper so the team can practice field goals while Matt Orzech recovers from a calf injury. Injuries at other positions, namely tight end, also were a factor.
“With some of the things we were going through roster-wise,” Gutekunst said, “we just at that point thought we started getting slim (and) felt we needed to bring in another snapper so we could progress, and we just didn’t have any room (for a kicker). But I think at some point I’d like to bring in another kicker if we can. We’ll see how quickly Matt can get back.”
Smack has done live kicking only twice in camp and has been a little shaky, going 3-for-5 the first day and 5-for-8 the second (8-for-13 overall, 61.5%). He’s also kicked inside Lambeau to help get acclimated to the swirling winds.
“I think the first time we’ve done that during camp, and he’s done really well,” Gutekunst said of kicking in Lambeau. “I’m excited for him. He’s got to continue to improve. My patience I think is, I’d like to have more of it, I always would. But I think we’re gonna have a pretty good football team this year, and if you’re going to make it and be part of it, you gotta perform.”
Jordan Love has slow day in red zone
The Packers’ starting offense had a rough day in its red-zone period of practice Aug. 6.
The Packers’ practice was in pads but was short (1 hour, 35 minutes) because they’ll have a more physical practice on Family Night. Among other things, their 2-minute drill was conducted at a jog-through pace. Their backups took a higher percentage of reps also in what likely was preparation for the preseason opener in a week at Denver.
But their red-zone period was full speed, and quarterback Jordan Love along with the rest of the starters scored only one touchdown on six plays.
That included Love throwing what should have been an interception. On second-and-8 from the 11, Love tried to hit tight end Josh Whyle on a slant, but the quarterback apparently didn’t see safety Xavier McKinney. The ball skipped off McKinney’s hands, though, for an incompletion, not an interception.
A snap later, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon sent both inside linebackers (Zaire Franklin and Edgerrin Cooper) on a double-A-gap blitz. Love had to get rid of the ball quickly with Franklin in his face and tried to hit Christian Watson in the corner of the end zone as the receiver ran a crossing-type route with McKinney a step behind in coverage. But Love over-led Watson, and the ball fell incomplete.
On the final play of the period, a third-and-goal from the 4, Love held the ball with good protection and then tried to hit wide-open running back MarShawn Lloyd on a swing pass with the pass rush finally closing in. But he over-led Lloyd on the incompletion.
Love threw one touchdown pass in the period. On that play, Lloyd was left uncovered in the right flat, and Love dropped a pass off to him for an easy catch-and-run touchdown.
Injury report
PUP: Edge Micah Parsons (knee), LS Matt Orzech (calf), TE Luke Musgrave (neck), DL Jordon Riley (Achilles), DL Javon Hargrave (knee).
NFI: RB Chris Brooks (knee).
DNP: RB Josh Jacobs (groin), CB Carrington Valentine (hamstring), DB Johnathan Baldwin (knee).
Tidbits
∎ Running back Josh Jacobs didn’t practice because of groin injury. It’s the first practice in which he hasn’t participated in this camp. Indications were he shouldn’t be out long.
∎ Undrafted rookie receiver J. Michael Sturdivant has been getting open a lot and catching his share of passes. In this practice he had one catch when he broke wide open on an out for a nice gain on a throw by backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
If there aren’t any injuries among the receiver corps, Sturdivant would have to play very well in the preseason to convince the Packers to keep him on the 53-man roster as a seventh player at that position. But if nothing else he’s a strong candidate for one or two spots on the practice squad, along with Isaiah Neyor and Will Sheppard.
“They’re all competing. I feel good about that room,” coach Matt LaFleur said of the receivers. “That’s great competition.”
∎ Starting right guard Anthony Belton worked at right tackle in this practice, which left Jacob Monk, Donovan Jennings and Jager Burton splitting time as the guards with the No. 1 offense. Starting left guard Aaron Banks (knee) still is not taking part in team drills, though he has been doing individual drills every other day.
∎ Bryan Nehring, the Packers’ former longtime assistant equipment manager, made an appearance at training camp. Nehring had worked every Packers’ training camp but one (1985) since 1980.
Quote of the day
LaFleur on what sets apart the Packers’ upcoming Family Night practice from other teams: “It is different than everybody else, than most teams. There are a couple teams out there that have opportunities in their stadiums where a lot of people come to watch. But I’ve never experienced anything like this. It’s so good for our young players. It’s really the first time you’re in our stadium, you’ve got hopefully 60,000 or whatever we’re gonna get, but it feels more like a preseason game than a practice.”
This article originally appeared on Packers News: Packers still might bring in competition for kicker Trey Smack | Insider
Reporting by Pete Dougherty, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Packers News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Pete Dougherty, Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
