Top 5 Packers Training Camp Position Battles
Cody looks at the most intriguing training camp battles for the Green Bay Packers when camp kicks off in under two weeks at Ray Nitschke Field.
By PackerAaron
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Comments (22)
stockholder
July 16, 2022 at 07:47 am
I'll take Goodson. The WR battle will be decided on practice field.
Coldworld
July 16, 2022 at 08:43 am
Hopefully they will all be decided on the field.
mrtundra
July 16, 2022 at 08:17 am
As far as the RT spot goes, I think if Elgton cannot go right away, that spot goes to Yosh Nijman. Then, if Bakh cannot go from week one, Yosh fills in for Bakh at LT and one of the rookies goes to RT. I doubt they move Newman to RT, so I think Rhyan and Tom battle it out for RT with Rasheed Walker providing back up. If something happens to Myers and Elgton isn't ready to play, I think Tom gets the nod at C and Rhyan goes to RT with Walker and Van Lanen as back ups, there. I love our depth and I really love the versatility of our OL. Most guys can play anywhere, along the line. Got to be nice to have that versatility with our young guys along the OL.
LLCHESTY
July 16, 2022 at 02:45 pm
I hope they leave Tom at C and let him compete for the starting spot. The center needs to know all of the OL assignments, if he ends up the backup he'll have a good handle on competing for other spots next year after a year in the weight room. He needs to get stronger but a guy that technically sound won't be on the bench long if he's healthy.
Bakhtiari will get plenty of rest days in camp so my guess is Nijman is at RT on the days Bakh is practicing and Newman and Rhyan compete for the RG spot and get snaps at RT on the days they rest Bakh. Wallace needs a lot of technique work so they probably just leave him at LT until he gets sorted, like they did with Nijman.
dobber
July 16, 2022 at 03:45 pm
I think they'll groom Tom to be Lucas Patrick 2.0--backing up all 3 IOL positions. I wouldn't be surprised if Newman is getting a lot of practice snaps at RT in camp.
Leatherhead
July 16, 2022 at 03:59 pm
That’s how I see it Dobber. At left tackle, you split time between Bakhtiari and Nijman and hope that one of them is still healthy by the playoffs Runyan, Myers, Rhyan in the interior backed by Tom, and Newman/Van Lanen at RT. That’s 8. We only dress 9.
LLCHESTY
July 16, 2022 at 05:18 pm
If Bakhtiari is healthy Nijman will be the RT.
LLCHESTY
July 16, 2022 at 05:28 pm
I'm not completely sold on Myers so I'd like to see Tom compete for the starting C spot this year but I agree I think he eventually plays inside. I'd like to think of him more as Jenkins light than Patrick! I think he could play RT in a pinch too once he adds some strength.
3lakeslarry
July 16, 2022 at 01:55 pm
Just to complicate the WR position battle further, if the Packers want to get a free agent WR or trade for one, what will they look for? Experience certainly. Only a one or two years contract to allow the rookies to develop? We already have some speedy receivers so maybe a reliable safety valve receiver or TE?
LLCHESTY
July 16, 2022 at 03:19 pm
Speed. As of now they're counting on Watson and Doubs to be the deep threats. If they don't look ready to produce I think they bring in Fuller or Hilton. Watkins ran a 4.43 but that was many injuries ago and he's 14 lbs heavier than he was as a rookie.
It's just speculation but I think Watson is the starter at X and Lazard and Doubs switch off between Z and slot. Doubs at Z and Lazard in the slot is a good setup for the smoke screens Rodgers liked to throw to Adams. Lazard had 195 snaps in the slot, Adams had 172 and even MVS had 79. So they have 250 slot snaps to replace. I think Lazard gets a few more, Doubs gets a few and the rest will be split between Cobb, Rodgers and Tonyan if he's healthy. They probably want Watson mostly playing X so they could rotate Watkins to Z if they want them both on the field. Watkins is a big WR and supposedly a pretty good blocker so I could see them running trips with Lazard and Watkins as the blockers for WR screens to Rodgers or Doubs. I think Cobb is a 3rd down safety blanket for Rodgers at this point. 3rd and 6 Rodgers trusts him to be where he's supposed to for 7 yards kind of thing.
Leatherhead
July 16, 2022 at 05:43 pm
Watkins and Lazard start. Rodgers and Watson will be #3/4 guy. Doubs and Cobb are #5 and #6, and if everybody else is healthy one will be inactive on gameday.
LLCHESTY
July 16, 2022 at 07:01 pm
I think Doubs will be the 3rd starter with Watson and Rodgers getting a lot of snaps. Doubs is more versatile and can line up in the slot or as the Z
Leatherhead
July 17, 2022 at 04:27 pm
I think it is unlikely that a Day 3 pick will come in and start ahead of last year's Day 2 pick, Sammy Watkins, Allen Lazard, or Christian Watson. I'm not disputing Doub's talent or versatility. I also think it's likely than an injury to somebody will increase his opportunities. But as it stands, it's really hard for me to see him as a starter.
This offense succeeds in large measure because we do not turn the ball over very much. You achieve that by playing guys who have demonstrated repeatedly in drills and practices and games that they hang onto the rock. Rookies are notorious for making mistakes and so I think the progress of both rookies will be gradual, unless an injury takes Watkins, Lazard, or Amari out of the picture.
LLCHESTY
July 18, 2022 at 12:18 am
If Doubs became a #1 WR and Watson never became more than MVS part 2 would you care? I wouldn't. I don't care where they're drafted, Doubs is more ready to play this year. Maybe Rodgers suddenly becomes a good WR but I'm not banking on him being anything more than a slot guy at this point. With Doubs and Lazard on the field they can both line up in the Z or slot and the offense doesn't have to show their hand til the snap.
I looked at the 3rd WR as a starter. They had over 900 slot snaps last year; Tonyan had 78, Deguara had 77 and Dafney had 13. That means a 3rd WR was on the field almost 750 snaps. Close enough to a starter for me.
I think Watson plays strictly as an X this year unless he masters the playbook and routes early and that's a lot to ask coming from the offense he is. I think he'll be on the field plenty, probably with Watkins moving to Z most of the time. Maybe Rodgers plays on certain down and distances. Cobb is strictly a 3rd down guy at this point.
Bure9620
July 17, 2022 at 12:55 pm
They did get a FA, Sammy Watkins
Bure9620
July 17, 2022 at 12:55 pm
They did get a FA, Sammy Watkins
EricinGB
July 16, 2022 at 02:41 pm
Packers OL is strong and very deep and blessed with too many to keep on the 54 and too good to clear wavers...depending on injuries and play at other positions, it's not a question of whether or not Packers will make a trade it's a question of what position the Packers choose to trade for...
LLCHESTY
July 17, 2022 at 12:41 am
I'm not sure who you're thinking about here. Jenkins most likely starts the season on the PUP list and the Packers will keep 9 on the active roster. I don't see teams lining up to trade for Van Lanen, Jake Hanson or Rasheed Walker. They have a lot of depth on the OL but it's all young depth that probably doesn't have a lot of trade value yet.
Turophile
July 17, 2022 at 05:55 pm
EricinGB. Is this true ?
Let's say for argument, we keep
Bakhtiari and Jenkins (though one or both may start on the pup), Runyan, Myers, Nijman, Newman, Rhyan, Tom, Hanson. That's nine. The Packers keep from 8-10 on the OL, more often 8-9 than 10.
Walker and Van Lanen are not unreasonable PS squad guys and neither are especially attractive candidates for poaching, as neither is experienced enough to have much real value.
So who do the Packers have to trade that someone else wants badly enough ?
Caleb Jones, George Moore, Michal Menet ?
The only candidate that might be traded (imo) might be Newman, since I suspect Rhyan will be better than him and the other guard, Runyan, is too good to lose. However Newman got invaluable snaps last year and is probably seen as too valuable to trade, especially early season when the Packers have guys coming back from ACLs.
IF Jenkins makes a new home at RT and IF Tom looks good as backup tackle, then maybe Nijman is expendable later in the season, but I doubt it. Tom might be better as a center, anyway, making Nijman even less expendable.
The Packers have a good selection of players on the O line, but not so good they'll trade someone this year.
LLCHESTY
July 18, 2022 at 12:23 am
I don't think Nijman is going anywhere, he's cheap and under team control through 2023. I think when Jenkins comes back he replaces the weakest link whoever that is and I think it's probably the RG spot. They might move Runyan to RG if Jenkins is more comfortable playing LG but I think Nijman will be just fine at RT, especially if he gets the bulk of the practice snaps there in TC.
MarkinMadison
July 17, 2022 at 07:54 pm
I've written this elsewhere before, but I see both OL and WR being in a constant state of change this season. You want to see Doubs and/or Watson make an impact, but they likely won't be ready for that at the beginning of the season. Hopefully by the end of the season one or both of them are ready to make an impact. On the OL, you'd like to see Bakh and Jenkins manning one or both of the Tackle spots, but that will not happen at the beginning of the season. Hopefully by November that will be the case. So I think things will remain very much unsettled for the offense until Christmas. Hopefully at that point everything has developed as planned and they are ready to rock the playoffs.
LLCHESTY
July 18, 2022 at 12:39 am
Doubs was calling the WR coach at 11o'clock at night to ask about the playbook during OTAs. I think he comes into TC with a good handle on things and his route running is pretty good by rookie standards.
I guess I'm higher on Nijman than most others are. I thought by the end of the year he was playing well and they made a mistake by replacing him in the playoff game.