3 Packers on Thin Ice Following OTAs
The Green Bay Packers just wrapped up their final week of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) with near-perfect attendance. This gave the coaching staff a golden opportunity to scrutinize everyone, including those players skating on thin ice.
Green Bay kicked off its offseason program on April 15th. Phase 1 was all about strength and conditioning, an important aspect for a couple of players who have struggled with soft tissue injuries (Eric Stokes and Christian Watson).
Then came Phase 2, where the team got together for group workouts. Phase 3, the grand finale, was the OTAs, which concluded on Thursday.
Next up, the Packers will round off their offseason program with a mandatory minicamp from June 11-13th. The good news? Everyone who’s not sporting an injury was present at the OTAs, so there won’t be a flurry of new faces next week.
Unfortunately, some players stood out for all the wrong reasons, sticking out like a sore thumb at a hand-modeling audition. Here are three Packers who are on thin ice following OTAs.
3. Anders Carlson, Kicker
Anders Carlson's rookie season was a bit like a rollercoaster ride, and not the fun kind. His well-documented struggles saw him nail only 27 of his 33 field goal attempts (an 81.8 percent success rate) and 34 of his 39 extra point attempts (87.2 percent). To add to the drama, he seemed to regress as the season progressed, which is not the storyline you want to follow.
In response, the Packers decided to stir the pot by bringing in two kickers this offseason—veteran Greg Joseph and youngster Jack Podlesny. So, how will Carlson respond to this challenge? So far, so good.
He put on a respectable performance at OTAs, though he wasn’t exactly flawless. Carlson likely has a leg up on his competition (pun absolutely intended), but he still has a marathon ahead to prove his mettle.
The coaching staff hasn’t been shy about voicing their concerns regarding Carlson, and they’ve made it clear that they’re on the hunt for the best kicker available to support their championship-hopeful squad. Will Carlson rise to the occasion, or will he be left kicking himself?