by Joe Tailgate on June 24, 2009
in NFL News
The Packers and Greg Jennings have agreed to a deal that will keep the wide receiver with the team through the 2012 season. Jennings will be paid nearly $9 million per season under the deal, which would make him one of the highest paid receivers in the league.
The Pack look like they’re planning to get Ryan Pickett and B.J. Raji on the field together as much as they can. When the Packers drafted Raji with the No. 9 overall pick in April, they talked of moving one of the two behemoth defensive tackles to play some end in their new 3-4 defensive scheme, and in offseason practices they’ve done it. When both players have been present, they’ve lined up with the No. 1 base defense: Pickett exclusively at nose tackle and Raji at defensive end.
Aaron Kampman said he believes the team can be successful in their new 3-4 defensive alignment if they can execute in the alignment.
“Historically it’s been a great defense. I think it has an opportunity to be a good defense. If we execute it, it’ll be good,” Kampman said. There have been rumors this offseason that Kampman was not happy with the switch to a 3-4 defense that makes him play at linebacker instead of defensive end.
Clay Matthews said he was 100% recovered from a pulled hamstring that limited him in off-season practices. He originally hurt his hamstring in late May.
Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements had a list of roughly 10 things for Aaron Rodgers to work on this offseason. ‘The first day we met, I said ‘here’s a list of about 10 things,’ Clements said. ‘Some more important than others, some just very technical things, and then we continued to work on those as the offseason progressed.’ Perhaps most important was footwork. Head coach Mike McCarthy believes footwork is critical in the West Coast passing game because so much of the system is predicated on timing.
by Joe Tailgate on June 23, 2009
in NFL News
- The Packers and WR Greg Jennings are close to agreeing to a new deal, the veteran wide receiver said Monday after minicamp practice. Jennings warned that a breakdown was still possible. Nevertheless, this was the first time he had publicly been so optimistic about a potential new contract with the team since he began seeking a new deal at the conclusion of the 2008 season. “We’ve been working on some things. We’re coming pretty close, as far as my understanding is, to some type of a deal,” Jennings said. “But when I say close, we could still be far . . . if that makes sense. But I think we’re coming close. You just never know how long ‘close’ can take to actually closing the deal.”
- The Packers look like they’re planning to get Ryan Pickett and B.J. Raji on the field together as much as they can. When the Packers drafted Raji with the No. 9 overall pick in April, they talked of moving one of the two behemoth defensive tackles to play some end in their new 3-4 defensive scheme, and in offseason practices they’ve done it. When both players have been present, they’ve lined up with the No. 1 base defense: Pickett exclusively at nose tackle and Raji at defensive end.
- Redskins RB Clinton Portis claims that there is no bad blood between him and coach Jim Zorn. “How this story came about, I have no idea,” Portis said. “There’s nothing going on. There’s no beef between me and Coach Zorn. We’re on good terms at this present moment. There’s no problem.” Portis had a spat with Zorn after the coach benched him at halftime of the Dec. 7 loss at Baltimore. “I don’t know why people have that in their mind,” Portis said. “Me and Coach [Joe] Gibbs had a great relationship. We talked more than me and Coach Zorn do, but lately me and Coach Zorn been talking, trying to get on the same page. Things been going good. He understand me and I understand him.”
- Bengals QB Carson Palmer reiterated that WR Chad Ochocinco remains his top target within the team’s offense. “He’s going to play (the lead role) because he deserves to play there,” Palmer said. “He’s been one of the best receivers in this league for a long time. He’s still able to play at that level, and still capable of making big plays and carrying the load offensively at the receiver spot, so he will.”
- How serious is Cowboys WR Roy Williams taking his new job as the No. 1 receiver? For the first time in his life, or so one of Williams’ unnamed buddies told SI.com’s Peter King. “I’m serious,” King quoted his source. “Roy never lifted before. Now that he has, and now that he’s serious about making himself a great football player, especially with T.O. gone, I think he’s really going to have a good year.” Strength and conditioning coach Joe Juraszek said earlier in June that Williams has been hard at work this offseason to slim down and get himself in better shape for the year.
