The Green Bay Packers have come clean with Covid 19 on the same day things are getting dirty with the media covering training camp.
We’ll get to the press corps in a moment.
The 4th training camp practice was a hybrid of sorts but something we’ll see more of this month. Head Coach Matt LaFleur had the guys in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts a day after their first full pad workout. After about 50 minutes, the players peeled off the shoulder pads and finished the session with a couple of jog through team periods.
There was a hold your breath moment early in the opening 11 on 11 drill. Aaron Rodgers fired a high ball deep down the middle that Adrian Amos high pointed for his second interception in as many days but the intended target, Davante Adams, stayed down for a moment. He apparently landed awkwardly on his ankle and hobbled off the field, eventually heading into the Hutson Center with a trainer. He returned and did some light running before re-joining the offense in the final walk through sessions.
The offensive line was at full strength with Corey Linsley working out after he was given a precautionary day of rest on Tuesday. David Bakhtiari, who tweaked an ankle Tuesday, was back at work.
The veterans given a break today were Za’Darius Smith and Marcedes Lewis.
No Montravius Adams however as he injured a toe and had to be given a ride into the Hutson for examination yesterday.
The last two of five players placed on the Reserve/Covid 19 list have been reinstated. Long snapper Hunter Bradley practiced for the first time today and later in the afternoon, linebacker Greg Roberts was also cleared for return. Roberts spent all of last season on the physically unable to perform list.
To make room for the virus-clean players, General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced he has waived wide receiver Travis Fulgham, just picked up last weekend off the Detroit waiver wire, and offensive tackle Travis Bruffy.
Another offensive linemen held a video zoom session with reporters, Billy Turner is back for his second season with the Packers after signing as an unrestricted free agent from the Denver Broncos last year.
Billy Turner zooms with the media from Lambeau Field.
Turner brought a solid veteran presence to the team both on the field at right guard, and in the locker room. He lives in Minneapolis and lived through the unrest after the death of George Floyd. He has been outspoken over the issues of social justice in the wake of the demonstrations that swept across the country during the summer and during his media interview, he reflected on where race relations stand and where he hopes they’re headed.
Finally, something hit the fan today blowing from Lambeau Field toward the Packer beat reporters. Just before practice began, Vice-President of Public Relations Jason Wahlers sent out an e-mail announcing the Packers were updating their practice coverage guidelines for the media. Reporters are no longer permitted to mention on social media, including twitter, who is getting practice reps with the first team, second team, third team, etc. No mention can be given to how players are used in certain packages or if players are rotating positions. The media must avoid all projections on the depth chart and personnel packages. Since no fans are allowed to observe practice this year, the Packers feel by tweeting out such information during camp workouts would put them at a competitive disadvantage.
That is certainly their call. Several teams have tightened restrictions on practice coverage especially in light of the pandemic. Buffalo forbids any tweets to be posted during practice.
Still, the move was met very coldly by the Packer press corps. The Green Bay chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association quickly issued a statement that read:
Breaking a long-standing tradition of the publicly owned Packers, Coach Matt LaFleur and General Manager Brian Gutekunst are prohibiting media at training camp from reporting who is getting reps with the first team, second team and third team, etc, and from making projections on the depth chart and personnel packages. Media in Green Bay has never revealed schemes, special packages or strategy as part of previously established ground rules in conjunction with the PFWA.
This all touched off some humorous tweets such as: “Time for 11 on 11’s, There’s a guy missing from his normal starting position. He’s a big guy. That’s all I can tell you.”
“Large men in green and gold clothing over plastic protective equipment are currently running at high speeds in a coordinated fashion.”
Under a picture of Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love playing catch, “Two quarterbacks are playing catch, I can’t tell you which one is the starter.”
It seems to me the competitive disadvantage argument isn’t on very solid ground when it comes to who’s working with the starters or who is going to be the Packers’ nickel corner. Certainly scheme related formations or plays should not be, and they aren’t being put out there by myself or colleagues. Fans, in particular Packer fans who are in essence, the owners, deserve information that until today, was covered regularly. I have a feeling the Vikings and the Bears already have a pretty good idea of what the Packers will look like in another month already. Teams that concern themselves too much about what the media is or isn’t doing when it comes to their job, might get distracted from their task, playing ball.
