Packers Daily Links 8.7.10

On the Packers calendar today, the annual Family Night scrimmage takes place. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the players take the field at 6:30. Tickets are still available...

Wide receiver Donald Driver signed a two-year contract extension that all but assures he'll end his career as a member of the Packers. Driver hopes to be a member of the team's Hall of Fame as Bill Huber of Packer Report found out. "I’ve always said I never wanted to leave here," Driver is quoted as saying by Huber. "When I got the opportunity in 1999, it was just trying to make it year by year. Now that I get to finish my career out here, it’s going to be remarkable. One day hoping that I can be in the Packers Hall of Fame, that’s going to be a great thing.” Driver will be 38 when his contract expires. Think he'll still be able to play by then?

Undrafted rookie running back Quinn Porter impressed again during practice on Friday. But was head coach being too rough on him? "With the No. 2 offense working against the No. 2 defense running what’s called the 4-minute offense – where the offense has the ball and the lead and is trying to run out the remaining time in the game – Porter, an undrafted rookie free agent from Division I-AA Stillman College (in Tuscaloosa, Ala.), broke free for an 82-yard touchdown run," describes Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin. "Only one problem: In a situation like that, the coaches would prefer that the player take a knee somewhere close to the goal-line so the rest of the clock can be run out instead of giving the ball back to the opponent." What's the big deal? So it now takes two scores to beat you instead of one.

Ted Thompson gave an exclusive Q&A to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. As part of the interview, Thompson spoke about the Packers' underachieving special teams. "In personnel meetings we talk about this all the time," says Thompson (subscription required). "In leading up to the draft it’s, ‘OK, what’s this guy going to do for us on the teams side?’ One of the advantages of switching to a 3-4 was it will give you a few more body types that are a little better suited for special teams. We put a lot of energy into it. I think we’re going to be better this year." I heard the same thing last year, Mr. Thompson, and guess what? I didn't help at all. The Packers had arguably the worst special teams in the entire NFL.

Linebacker Brady Poppinga sat out of Friday's practice with a concussion. Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel has more information. "Poppinga (concussion) was the only addition to the injury list," writes Silverstein. "Poppinga said he got hit in the helmet Thursday night and recognized one of the warning signs of a concussion - flickering light - and reported it to the training staff. He said he wouldn't play in the scrimmage, but didn't expect to be out very long. There is a protocol he has to follow before he can be cleared to play." The Packers are slightly thin at outside linebacker for Saturday's scrimmage.

In other injury news potentially impacting tonight's scrimmage, McGinn has a list of other players that might be held out of action tonight as well. "Some players are practicing just once a day because they're coming off surgeries - safety Derrick Martin, receivers Donald Driver and Brett Swain and end Ron Talley among them - and might not be allowed to participate," writes McGinn. "That would thin the numbers some, but McCarthy made it seem as if there are many others who might be held out." The Packers could be especially thin at safety if neither Martin or Blackmon participate this evening.

Speaking of Blackmon, Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette looks at his injury and the options available to the Packers at the return specialist position if he can't go. "Their next-best return man is cornerback Tramon Williams, who has averaged 13.3 yards on 19 punt returns in his career," writes Dougherty. "He’s been working as the No. 2 punt and kickoff returner in practice. However, last year coach Mike McCarthy pulled Williams off return duties to avoid exposing him to injury after he replaced the injured Al Harris as a starting cornerback. McCarthy could do the same this year because Williams probably will be a starter early, and perhaps for the entire season." The Packers may have no where else to turn on punts apart from Williams. He's definitely the next best option. Although I think Quinn Porter can handle the kick returns.

Fullback Quinn Johnson isn't doing much to impress says Rob Demovsky of the Press-Gazette. "There’s been nothing to suggest Johnson has moved ahead of Korey Hall and John Kuhn," writes Demovsky. "That veteran duo consistently has received the first- and second-team fullback reps and are ahead of Johnson on many special teams units. Hall and Kuhn were on the No. 1 kickoff return team, while Johnson was with the second group." Sometimes I wonder if Johnson is almost too big for his own good. He might be the best lead blocker on the trio, but he seems to be behind Hall and Kuhn in almost every other aspect of the game.

Fifth-round tight end Andrew Quarless has quietly impressed our own Aaron Nagler. "Its not so much that he’s shown anything spectacular, its more that he has looked much better than I expected," writes Nagler. "From reading about his troubles in college and how supposedly raw he is, I thought he’d  look much rougher around the edges than he has. Sure he’s dropped a pass here and missed an assignment there, but he looked surprisingly adept inline when blocking in the run game, and showed a better-than-expected knack at finding the soft-spot in zone coverage." I think it's noteworthy that quarterback Aaron Rodgers has shown confidence in Quarless to be a regular target with the first-string offense.

Second-rounder Mike Neal has been very solid through the first week of training camp. As Demovsky notes, Neal has a perfect record in one-on-one drills against the offensive line. "He has a more than respectable 8-8 record in the individual drill, although most of his victories have come against undrafted rookie guard Nick McDonald," writes Demovsky. "However, he’s also had reps against veteran tackle Mark Tauscher, fourth-year pro Allen Barbre and second-year guard T.J. Lang, and has used his bull-rush move to at least get some push against them even if he didn’t score all-out victory." While most people were surprised at the choice of Neal during the draft, so far it looks like Ted Thompson knew what he was doing. Neal is looking like he'll be a contributor to the team.

Cullen Jenkins has impressed Mike Tahan of Packer Update. "If Desmond Bishop is Mr. August, then Cullen Jenkins needs to be knighted," writes Tahan. "Sir Jenkins is having another terrific camp. He’s making life difficult for the veteran offensive linemen and downright miserable for the youngsters."

Adam Somers of Ol' Bag of Donuts ranks all of the players on the Packers roster 1 to 80.