JLOVE THE NEXT GREAT PACKERS QB WOOOOOO!

I was there today and had a very different vantage point. I started at the near side 40 and people who said they'd save my seat when I went to the bathroom did not which was not cool, but it worked out ok. I wound up at the far 20 and had all the safeties doing drills right in front of me and our LBs off to my left. I didn't see any 11 on 11 and linemen across the field I couldn't tell much that was going on other than they were working on lateral movement a lot.

I also saw the fastest man on the team, by far! #21 Eric Stokes avoided everybody except one trainer he was working with in the end zone. It looked like he was mostly testing his foot, working on pure foot speed as well as cutting / changing direction. HARD! Obviously I don't know if he was at his limit or keeping some in reserve. Running sideline to sideline did not look like he was going all out, but definitely much more than a jog. After almost everybody left he was still hanging out on the field and looking VERY happy to be back! Idk if this was his first day on the field but if not he seemed very pleased with his progress; not a wince on any step.

Of our safeties #36 Johnson looked the hungriest; running fast, cutting hard etc. on every step. In fact one of the coaches told him he almost took another coach's hand off on the previous rep which was a diving tackle drill on a big pad and tumbling onto a mat. #34 Owens looked like he was taking it easy until it came time to hit, then it sure looked like he's done that before! In all the drills they did which included a LOT of catches and direction changes nobody looked weak and there weren't much in the way of bobbles; #48 Sapp fell on an abrupt change of direction front to back. His feet just slipped out from under him. He looks hungry too. #24 Carpenter and 59 Campbell each dropped one while things were being thrown fast and all over the place.

On the LB drills I can't say anything notable other than they were practicing peanut punches which was nice to see. Lots of body control stuff with hitting gaps. In a scrimmage I did see #7 drop a ball; Idk if that was a different incident from what Aaron said or not but anytime a defensive player gets his hands on the ball he's probably done something well.

I only saw #16 O'Donnell kick anything. In order of what I saw it was 60 yards, 60, 50,60, 50, 60 with massive hang time, 40, 55 with spin like a well thrown spiral; those all on drills. It did look like the shorter kicks were by design, going for more hang time but I don't know that. In live scrimmage he got 55 yards, BLOCKED, 50+, 50, 50 & 45. I definitely got the impression that anytime we need a 50 yard punt out of him that is NOT a problem! I did see #41 Whelan hold for #17 Carlson but just drills, they never allowed Carlson to kick.

I did see #37 Valentine get an interception but couldn't see if it was a bad throw, he made a great play on the ball, or what. It was not an easy catch. I saw #23 Ja on the sideline drilling with tennis balls and one coach; he caught everything that was catchable and took it hard that he missed the one that wasn't catchable but he still stopped it dead.

Of all the WRs I was most impressed with #11 Reed. He did drop one from JL10 but that was a diving attempt that was on his fingertips and would've been a miracle for anybody to reel in. He caught a LOT of kicks but it looked like they weren't drilling the return at full speed, just letting everybody get into position and adjust then blow it dead. I guess it's not really fair to #9 because I saw him make two spectacular catches from JL10, but we expect that right? One went for every bit of 50 yards through the air, I'm not sure if that was the same one Aaron mentioned. Owens had him covered on one of those two and I couldn't tell you if #9 would've been able to break free for a TD or not, Owens had a hand on him and stopped like a good sport. Doubs caught one from JL that was basically a relief valve, leaking out to the side.

#6 caught one in a live drill (7 on 7) from Mr Magoo and so did 82 Chrest. #17 came out running hard and looking hungry but doesn't look like an improvement over our other backups yet to me. The last play he threw one wildly out of bounds, I saw one thrown incomplete and a thrown interception.

#18 Heath and 80 Melton each caught one from Clifford. I saw him misfire on a throw, could easily have been an interception if linemen were around. He ran twice, it looked like at least one was a designed run and the other one might have gone for a TD.

RB:
#33 caught the ugliest pass you've ever seen, coming from #19 Etling. 31 Wilson caught one from JL10. #32 Nichols missed 2 but Idk from who, and one of those might have been a drill. I saw him make a hungry run shortly after a drop; not an angry run, they weren't going full contact but he sure looked determined! 28 Dillon dropped 1 and also fumbled.

TE: #49 Allen caught 1 from JL, looked good! 81 DeGuara caught one in a drill and 2 in live scrimmage. I saw 88 Musgrave catch 2 from JL.

The difference watching JL at QB is glaring! He's just so in command, poised and smooth. I saw him run twice, that also looked like one each, planned and making something out of nothing. He was misdirecting defenders with his eyes, and also creating space with body movement as though he's been watching a hall of famer do it. He did throw 1 into a crowd that landed incomplete. If that wasn't a drill to throw a 50/50 ball I'd call it poor judgment.

1 offensive player did 10 squat thrusts instead of the required pushups; I wanted to see who's pushing themselves that hard at the end of practice but couldn't make it out. I think his first number was 2.

After everybody else was done 6 people kept drilling catches from the machine; #25 Nixon was first and NOBODY on this team is hungrier! I only saw him take one return and it looked like everybody else was half speed and he was double speed, that was beyond awesome! Also there were #11, 33, 18, 82, & 83. I think I also saw 28 there which would make 7. Nobody dropped anything.

These guys look like a team and I hope to be there tomorrow.