IPBprez
Cheesehead
Thu, Aug. 25, 2005
Cal's Rodgers in danger of dropping off Packers' depth chart
By BOB MCGINN
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
When training camp opened four weeks ago - and even through the first two weeks of practice - it seemed unthinkable that Aaron Rodgers would not be the No. 2 quarterback for the Green Bay Packers this season.
That might still turn out to be the case. The Packers drafted Rodgers in the first round to be Brett Favre's successor, and will do nothing to retard his development.
Yet, the Packers can hardly ignore the present.
After two lousy performances in exhibition games, Rodgers is in serious danger of falling to No. 3 behind Craig Nall, the forgotten man on the depth chart.
``Obviously, there's a question,'' Rodgers said Thursday. ``I haven't done anything to separate myself from Craig in the games, obviously.''
Rodgers will get a golden opportunity, perhaps his last of the summer, to win the top backup job when he follows Brett Favre in an exhibition game Friday night against the New England Patriots at Lambeau Field.
Nall, a four-year veteran, might not even play. If needed, J.T. O'Sullivan will finish up.
``We kind of know Craig,'' Packers offensive coordinator Tom Rossley said. ``Craig's played well. But we need to play the other guy (Rodgers) and see what he can do.''
In the Buffalo scrimmage and the two games, Rodgers hasn't done much of anything. Under Rodgers, the backup offense in exhibition play has gained merely 93 yards in 35 plays (2.7-yard average) over nine scoreless series that ended with eight punts and an interception.
Granted, there were extenuating circumstances. Although Rodgers has completed just 6 of 15 passes, four were dropped. He has been the victim of some poor routes and some poor pass protection.
This is a mere snapshot, the Packers insist, and it is. Still, the Packers surely hoped Rodgers would have displayed enough by this point to have the No. 2 job locked away.
``It's a tough situation for him,'' Green Bay quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell said. ``There's not a whole lot of rookie quarterbacks that have come in and just stole the show right away. There's a learning process. I knew he was going to have great days and bad days.''
Bevell said he wasn't disappointed in Rodgers after the first month because he expected him to be inconsistent given the nature of the Packers' expansive offense. It took Favre three or four years to function comfortably in it.
``We really like Aaron Rodgers,'' Rossley said. ``He had about four bad plays in a game and that made people think he was way off. He's on target to contribute and help us.''
One quarterback headed for the Hall of Fame, Favre, posted a passer rating of 64.8 in his first exhibition campaign in Atlanta and then had 46.0 for the Packers in his second year. He was No. 3 all year as a Falcons rookie behind Chris Miller and Billy Joe Tolliver.
Rich Campbell never advanced past third-string in four seasons (1981-'84) for the Packers. Campbell, one of Rodgers' predecessors at the University of California, had been the last first-round quarterback in Green Bay before Rodgers.
If Nall does win the No. 2 job, Rodgers said he wouldn't be crushed.
``If I'm not No. 2, somewhere down the road I'm going to be No. 1,'' Rodgers said. ``I understand that. I'm going to get an opportunity. Whether I'm 2 or 3, I'm going to make the most of my opportunities in practice so when my time comes I can step in and lead this team.''
Rodgers scored 35 on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test. According to scouts, he was wonderfully coached at Cal by coach Jeff Tedford and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach George Cortez.
On the practice field, Rodgers has shown sufficient arm strength, a quick release and adequate accuracy. His high-water mark was the Aug. 4 evening practice against Buffalo.
``I think I've had a real good camp,'' he said. ``I haven't done the things I've wanted to do in the game yet. I don't think people understand how difficult it is to really pick up this offense and be effective immediately.''
It should be remembered that Rodgers was graduating from high school in June 2002. After one year of junior college, he went to Cal and became the starter in Week 4 of 2003.
Rodgers isn't disappointed in himself at the four-week point of his first training camp.
``When you look at four weeks into Cal compared to the next season same time, I mean, there was two different players,'' he said. ``I was totally in control of the offense that second year. I was a leader.
``That's kind of the way I look at this year. I mean, I want to definitely make good strides. But a year from now, I think you're going to be looking at a completely different player.''
Alex Smith, the top pick in the draft, was having an awful time of it in San Francisco this summer before the 49ers went back to Tim Rattay as their starter.
``My buddy Alex is struggling with it just like I am,'' Rodgers said, referring to the West Coast offense. ``It just takes a little bit to transfer what you're doing in practice to the games against different defenses.''
Rodgers likes his situation better than Smith's because he probably won't be expected to play in 2005.
As far as coaching, Rodgers said the staff in Green Bay was every bit as good as the staff at Cal. From a technical standpoint, Bevell has worked extensively with Rodgers' footwork but not his ball carriage or release.
``This staff has been awesome and Darrell's been a phenomenal quarterback coach,'' Rodgers said. ``Obviously, I love coach Tedford and coach Cortez, too. Tough question.''
Exhibition game or not, Rodgers will be facing one of the league's most confounding defensive schemes on Friday night in coach Bill Belichick's 3-4.
``They blitz less than the Bills do, which is nice,'' Rodgers said. ``But at the same time, when they drop their guys out of there, there's not a lot of open spots in that defense.
``A lot of times the only thing they're giving you is a little dump-off pass. We're going to have to take those and make some yards out of them.''
Cal's Rodgers in danger of dropping off Packers' depth chart
By BOB MCGINN
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
When training camp opened four weeks ago - and even through the first two weeks of practice - it seemed unthinkable that Aaron Rodgers would not be the No. 2 quarterback for the Green Bay Packers this season.
That might still turn out to be the case. The Packers drafted Rodgers in the first round to be Brett Favre's successor, and will do nothing to retard his development.
Yet, the Packers can hardly ignore the present.
After two lousy performances in exhibition games, Rodgers is in serious danger of falling to No. 3 behind Craig Nall, the forgotten man on the depth chart.
``Obviously, there's a question,'' Rodgers said Thursday. ``I haven't done anything to separate myself from Craig in the games, obviously.''
Rodgers will get a golden opportunity, perhaps his last of the summer, to win the top backup job when he follows Brett Favre in an exhibition game Friday night against the New England Patriots at Lambeau Field.
Nall, a four-year veteran, might not even play. If needed, J.T. O'Sullivan will finish up.
``We kind of know Craig,'' Packers offensive coordinator Tom Rossley said. ``Craig's played well. But we need to play the other guy (Rodgers) and see what he can do.''
In the Buffalo scrimmage and the two games, Rodgers hasn't done much of anything. Under Rodgers, the backup offense in exhibition play has gained merely 93 yards in 35 plays (2.7-yard average) over nine scoreless series that ended with eight punts and an interception.
Granted, there were extenuating circumstances. Although Rodgers has completed just 6 of 15 passes, four were dropped. He has been the victim of some poor routes and some poor pass protection.
This is a mere snapshot, the Packers insist, and it is. Still, the Packers surely hoped Rodgers would have displayed enough by this point to have the No. 2 job locked away.
``It's a tough situation for him,'' Green Bay quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell said. ``There's not a whole lot of rookie quarterbacks that have come in and just stole the show right away. There's a learning process. I knew he was going to have great days and bad days.''
Bevell said he wasn't disappointed in Rodgers after the first month because he expected him to be inconsistent given the nature of the Packers' expansive offense. It took Favre three or four years to function comfortably in it.
``We really like Aaron Rodgers,'' Rossley said. ``He had about four bad plays in a game and that made people think he was way off. He's on target to contribute and help us.''
One quarterback headed for the Hall of Fame, Favre, posted a passer rating of 64.8 in his first exhibition campaign in Atlanta and then had 46.0 for the Packers in his second year. He was No. 3 all year as a Falcons rookie behind Chris Miller and Billy Joe Tolliver.
Rich Campbell never advanced past third-string in four seasons (1981-'84) for the Packers. Campbell, one of Rodgers' predecessors at the University of California, had been the last first-round quarterback in Green Bay before Rodgers.
If Nall does win the No. 2 job, Rodgers said he wouldn't be crushed.
``If I'm not No. 2, somewhere down the road I'm going to be No. 1,'' Rodgers said. ``I understand that. I'm going to get an opportunity. Whether I'm 2 or 3, I'm going to make the most of my opportunities in practice so when my time comes I can step in and lead this team.''
Rodgers scored 35 on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test. According to scouts, he was wonderfully coached at Cal by coach Jeff Tedford and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach George Cortez.
On the practice field, Rodgers has shown sufficient arm strength, a quick release and adequate accuracy. His high-water mark was the Aug. 4 evening practice against Buffalo.
``I think I've had a real good camp,'' he said. ``I haven't done the things I've wanted to do in the game yet. I don't think people understand how difficult it is to really pick up this offense and be effective immediately.''
It should be remembered that Rodgers was graduating from high school in June 2002. After one year of junior college, he went to Cal and became the starter in Week 4 of 2003.
Rodgers isn't disappointed in himself at the four-week point of his first training camp.
``When you look at four weeks into Cal compared to the next season same time, I mean, there was two different players,'' he said. ``I was totally in control of the offense that second year. I was a leader.
``That's kind of the way I look at this year. I mean, I want to definitely make good strides. But a year from now, I think you're going to be looking at a completely different player.''
Alex Smith, the top pick in the draft, was having an awful time of it in San Francisco this summer before the 49ers went back to Tim Rattay as their starter.
``My buddy Alex is struggling with it just like I am,'' Rodgers said, referring to the West Coast offense. ``It just takes a little bit to transfer what you're doing in practice to the games against different defenses.''
Rodgers likes his situation better than Smith's because he probably won't be expected to play in 2005.
As far as coaching, Rodgers said the staff in Green Bay was every bit as good as the staff at Cal. From a technical standpoint, Bevell has worked extensively with Rodgers' footwork but not his ball carriage or release.
``This staff has been awesome and Darrell's been a phenomenal quarterback coach,'' Rodgers said. ``Obviously, I love coach Tedford and coach Cortez, too. Tough question.''
Exhibition game or not, Rodgers will be facing one of the league's most confounding defensive schemes on Friday night in coach Bill Belichick's 3-4.
``They blitz less than the Bills do, which is nice,'' Rodgers said. ``But at the same time, when they drop their guys out of there, there's not a lot of open spots in that defense.
``A lot of times the only thing they're giving you is a little dump-off pass. We're going to have to take those and make some yards out of them.''