Quick Thoughts with Packers OTAs beginning

Green Bay Packers football is back! Well, kind of. Offseason Team Activities (OTAs) begin for the Packers on Monday, May 22nd.

OTAs are a voluntary portion of the offseason where teams are able to have both veterans and rookies in the building and on the practice field. Altogether there will take place on May 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 30th, and 31st, along with June 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 8th.

While it’s great to have the Packers back on the practice field together, keep in mind that it’s only May, and the pads won’t be one. There will be things that we see and hear to take note of, but everything should be taken with a grain of salt at this stage of the offseason process.

So without further ado, here are some quick thoughts before OTAs begin for the Green Bay Packers.

– Overall, this is a young Packers team, so I expect a pretty good turnout in terms of participants. Many veterans have bonuses tied to their participation.

– It’s Love’s first season as the starting quarterback, but it’s not his first going through OTAs as QB1, not to mention that he’s now entering his fourth year in the system. Love should look crisp during these pad-less practices, playing confident, in rhythm, with sound footwork that follows his progressions while getting the ball out on time and accurately.

– We knew that the right tackle position was going to be up for grabs in a training camp battle between Yosh Nijman and Zach Tom, but this past week when offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich spoke with reporters, he mentioned that Tom would also be competing at right guard and center. With the versatility that the Packers have on the offensive line, they’ll have the ability to try out a variety of combinations this summer.

– When it comes to where they decide Tom should play – after all, he is one of the best five – will it be where they think he is best or where there is the biggest dropoff? If I were to guess, I would say dropoff because, with offensive line play, the sum of the parts is greater than one individual.

– Everyone will be watching the Packers’ young pass catchers, but ultimately, any possible success that Jordan Love is going to experience this season begins with the offensive line. If the run game can’t find holes, Green Bay then becomes one-dimensional and predictable. If Love doesn’t have time in the pocket, things just aren’t going to end well.

– Samori Toure is turning heads this offseason. We’ve heard both Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur have some high praise for him, and this past week, receivers coach Jason Vrable mentioned that Toure had put on 8-10 pounds and has drawn the attention of many within the facility. Let’s see if he can get off to a fast start over the next few weeks.

– Who will be starting at safety next to Darnell Savage? My guess is Rudy Ford given that after Savage, he is the second-most experienced safety on the team in terms of snaps counts, and he provided some needed stability at the position last season. It’s been made clear, however, by both Joe Barry and Ryan Downard that this starting role is wide open. Also competing is Jonathan Owens, Tarvarius Moore, and Anthony Johnson.

– Following OTAs is mandatory minicamp in mid-June that will take place for three days. If the Packers feel that they need to add a veteran to any one of a few position groups, it’ll be done after that point once they see how the young players perform. Positions where they could potentially use some veteran help are receiver, tight end, quarterback, and interior defensive lineman.

– At least on paper, and at this point in the offseason, there doesn’t seem to be many roster spots up for grabs. The ones that come to mind are for the backup quarterback, kicker, the third running back, and the fifth safety spot. Others will emerge, but those are the obvious ones right now.

– When it comes to the third running back role, as running backs coach Ben Sirmans said last week, special teams will play a huge factor. Not that how they perform in the running back role doesn’t matter, but it may not carry the most weight. Also crucial will be blocking abilities.

– Matt LaFleur said earlier this offseason that Christian Watson would take on greater route running responsibilities. I don’t expect to glean much over the next few weeks in regards to that, but as the summer unfolds, it will be interesting to see what that looks like, whether it include more slot snaps, and how the Packers go about mixing and matching other pass catchers with him.

– The Packers do not have a shortage of pass rush options along the interior defensive line, but I’m curious how they’ll handle early downs and obvious running situations. Their go-to lineup will include Kenny Clark, TJ Slaton, and Devonte Wyatt, but it’s not as if those three can play an entire game either. With the versatility that Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks possess, I’m wondering if we see them get some defensive end snaps in those situations to be edge setters.

– Rashan Gary won’t be participating as he still works his way back from knee injury, so there will be some additional edge rusher snaps to go around. My guess is that Preston Smith and Kingsley Enagbare are with the starters, followed by Lukas Van Ness and Justin Hollins with the second team.

– If you’re looking for an undrafted rookie to watch, keep your eyes on edge rusher Brenton Cox, a former five-star recruit out of high school who put together some productive seasons at Florida. To learn more about Cox, click here.

– The two kickers on the roster currently are Anders Carlson and Parker White; neither has any NFL experience. Inevitably there will be ups and downs, but as Rich Bisaccia said last week, the Packers are prepared to weather the storm. The Packers also have two punters on the 90-man roster, something they didn’t do last offseason, for what it’s worth. Releasing Pat O’Donnell – which I don’t think will happen – saves Green Bay almost $2 million in cap space.

– Green Bay has two exciting options at tight end in Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave, but keep in mind, because of the difficulty that comes with transitioning from college to the NFL at this position with having to impact the game as both a blocker and pass catcher, it takes most two or even three seasons to fully hit their stride. There are going to be highs and lows from each. While what Kraft and Musgrave can do in the passing game stands out the most, Gutekunst has often mentioned their abilities as blockers as well. Having tight ends who can impact both the running and passing games will help open up the playbook for LaFleur and keep defenses guessing.

– In general, there is going to be a lot of inconsistency in the passing game with so much inexperience on the roster. What I imagine the hope is from the Packers is that this will shorten the learning curve and help build chemistry between Love and his receiver/tight ends more quickly.

– Jayden Reed can do a lot of things for this Packers offense, including lining up out wide from the slot and be utilized as the motion man/gadget player. Based on Stenavich’s comments last week, the Packers will ease Reed – and the other rookies – in before adding too much to their plates. Watson and Doubs can both play inside and out but spent most of their rookie seasons on the boundary, so I would guess Reed sees more slot snaps through OTAs.