Quick Thoughts Before Green Bay Packers OTAs Begin

OTAs, or organized team activities, will begin for the Green Bay Packers on Monday, May 23rd, and continue off-and-on through mid-June.

In total, there are nine days in which these optional team activities will take place, and they are scheduled for May 23-24th, May 26th, May 31-June 1st, June 3rd, June 13-14th, and June 16th. Also sandwiched in between these dates will be mandatory minicamp from June 7th through the 9th.

Of course, it will be great to have some form of Green Bay Packers football back, but it is important to keep in mind that regardless of what we hear about these practices when it comes to a player’s performance, to take it all with a grain of salt. After all, it’s only May, and the pads won’t be on.

With that said, I have some quick thoughts to share about this Green Bay Packers team before OTAs kickoff.

– As I’ve already said, these workouts are voluntary, so don’t expect Aaron Rodgers to be there. While, yes, he will have to get on the same page this summer with Christian Watson, Samori Toure, and Romeo Doubs, step one for these rookies is getting very familiar with the playbook–which will continue to take place in the coming weeks.

– Be on the lookout for Watson and Doubs, not only at the receiver position but on special teams as well. Watson was an All-American kick returner at North Dakota State while Doubs averaged 12.4 yards per punt return on 37 career attempts.

– This is going to be a very important summer for Amari Rodgers. He saw minimal playing time on offense as a rookie, in part because he just wasn’t ready. Now entering Year 2, it’s important he takes that step forward, not only for his career trajectory, but this Green Bay offense is going to need him.

– Although Rodgers may not be in attendance, other star players from this Green Bay Packers team will be, as many have contract bonuses tied to their attendance at offseason programs.

– Also, with Rodgers not participating, that means more reps for Jordan Love–which is a very good thing. This will be a very important preseason for him, as well as the Packers. A strong performance could up his trade value.

– Not only during OTAs but into training camp as well, Matt LaFleur is going to look like a mad scientist out there with all of the offensive line configurations he will have available to him–versatility truly is the hallmark of this unit. Prior to the draft, depth along the offensive line was lacking, but that isn’t the case anymore. As LaFleur often says, it’s about putting the best five on the field.

– Other positions to watch are wide receiver, the interior defensive line, and linebacker–specifically, how many players do the Green Bay Packers keep at each position? Six wide receivers or seven? Five linebackers or four? And six interior linemen or five?

– Who is going to emerge as the third safety? Vernon Scott has 90 career snaps, according to PFF ($$), while Innis Gaines, Shawn Davis, and Tre Sterling all have none.

– I could ask the same question about the Packers’ cornerback depth as well. We know who the Big 3 are going to be–but how does the depth chart shape up behind them? Once again, there is a lot of inexperience, but one name to watch is Keisean Nixon, who Green Bay signed earlier in the offseason and is someone who Jerry Gray went out of his way to mention last week.

– I also want to add, in regards to all of the questions that we have at these positions I just mentioned, we aren’t finding out the answers to those questions during OTAs.

– The Green Bay Packers roster currently sits at 89 players after they released JJ Molson–which means they have an opening. I recently discussed three free-agent options who fill positions of need and who won’t break the bank. Click here to read more.

– And speaking of additions to this roster, De’Vondre Campbell, Corey Bojorquez, and Dennis Kelly were all acquired after June 1st–so just because it is getting late into the offseason doesn’t mean there aren’t contributors that can’t be found at this point.

– We will most likely never know how this plays out, but I am curious if the amount of practice time devoted to special teams increases this summer. By hiring Rich Bisaccia and giving him a say in who some of the offseason additions have been — Pat O’Donnell, Keisean Nixon, and Dominik Eberle — Green Bay is heading in the right direction when it comes to making needed changes to this unit.

– While we are on the topic of special teams, I still expect Mason Crosby to be the Green Bay Packers’ kicker this season. He certainly had his miscues in 2021, but not every miss fell completely on his shoulders either. Crosby is the safe bet; the Packers know what they are getting with him, while Eberle’s experience creates some unknowns, and with unknowns comes risks.

– Who is going to step up at edge rusher for the Packers? OLB Coach Jason Rebrovich wants a rotation of four players each week, and we know who two of them will be, but can Green Bay get more from their third and fourth options? Last season, the lack of impact plays when Rashan Gary and Preston Smith weren’t on the field was very noticeable. This is one position where a veteran free agent addition really does make sense.

– Keep your eyes on Tyler Davis during OTAs as well as throughout the summer. Following the draft, Brian Gutekunst spoke very highly of him. As the 2021 season progressed, we saw more of Davis, who made a nice play in the passing game against Baltimore and is someone who is a very willing blocker.

– I would consider Kylin Hill the front-runner for the RB3 role — once healthy — but Patrick Taylor is also a very good fit for LaFleur’s offense while UDFA Tyler Goodson is an intriguing prospect as well with his ability as a pass-catcher, in addition to what he can do on the ground. Last year, Green Bay kept three running backs, but this is another position where it’s a numbers game–do the Packers keep three once again, or this time four?

– The addition of Devonte Wyatt at 3-tech should give Kenny Clark even more freedom to move around, which should lead to more one-on-one matchups for him. And that, of course, is a good thing. Quay Walker’s presence next to Campbell will also make this Green Bay defense less reliant on that third safety.

– Remember, as this summer unfolds and we try to figure out who is going to make the roster and who isn’t–how they perform on special teams may play a bigger factor in the decision than what the player does on offense or defense.