GREEN BAY – The Packers conducted their 11th open practice of training camp, in full pads, on Wednesday at Nitschke Field.
Here are five things learned from the workout:
- WR Romeo Doubs can be counted on to make at least one significant play every day.
On Wednesday, Doubs finished off a red-zone drive for the No. 1 offense with a TD catch from QB Jordan Love in the back of the end zone. A day earlier, he was hauling in a bomb from Love, and last week, he was making a back-shoulder circus catch along the sideline.
Plus there have been all sorts of plays in between.
The fourth-year receiver has been both steady and spectacular depending on the moment, and both Love and Head Coach Matt LaFleur spoke about his route-running as a major area of growth over his still-young career.
Love referenced how his knowledge of coverages helps him understand how to use his route to beat the defense. LaFleur mentioned his "patience" as a route runner.
It's all added up to Doubs standing out in one way or another on the practice field every day.
"He's had the right mindset," Love said. "He attacked the offseason the right way. We put a lot of work in in California. I just love where he's at mentally right now. He's playing pretty lights out."
- The guy doing the same on defense is LB Edgerrin Cooper.
It's not much of an exaggeration to say Cooper was everywhere on the practice field Wednesday – shooting gaps on running plays, getting into the backfield to disrupt play-action, tipping passes at the line of scrimmage, and breaking up plays downfield.
His anticipation combined with his speed is a tough combination for offenses to deal with.
"The more he's able to dissect plays, it's hard for these O-line(men) on run plays to be able to get to him sometimes because he's so quick," Love said.
Over the last two practices, Cooper has worked alongside Quay Walker in 11-on-11 for the first time this summer, now that Walker is back from an offseason ankle procedure. Those two will be in the middle of all the defensive action after injuries to both last season limited them to just one start together – the playoff game in Philadelphia.
Once he got going as a rookie second-round pick last year, Cooper became a playmaker, recording 13 tackles for loss, seven QB hits, 3½ sacks, a forced fumble and two recoveries in just over 400 snaps. That might be just a snapshot of his abilities.
"I feel like the sky's the limit," Cooper said. "Now, I'm coming for it all. I feel like I have so much more left in my tank. Everybody's saying how I'm this and that. I think I got a lot more. I don't like to stay comfortable at all. I just want to attack it more."
- Rasheed Walker was back but rookie Warren Brinson exited practice with an injury.
Walker, the veteran left tackle, returned to practice after missing a few days due to a groin injury but was limited to individual drills, so Jordan Morgan continued to get the work at left tackle with the No. 1 unit.
Brinson, the defensive lineman and sixth-round pick from Georgia, appeared to suffer some type of upper arm injury in the midst of a running play in 11-on-11 and left the field with the athletic training staff.
- Passing game one-on-ones were particularly intense and competitive.
There were so many intriguing matchups in the pass catcher/defender one-on-ones – Doubs vs. Carrington Valentine, Matthew Golden vs. Keisean Nixon, Jayden Reed vs. Kalen King, Mecole Hardman vs. Javon Bullard, and the list goes on.
Many of them saw multiple reps, and whoever got beat the first time usually came back to win the next one. The best battle might've been Golden vs. Nixon, as Nixon broke up a pair of deep passes before, on the third rep, Golden fought him on an inside move for position underneath and muscled his way to the catch.
Also of note, Bo Melton had an interception going against Julian Hicks, and then toward the end of practice in 11-on-11 red zone, Melton broke up a ball in the end zone intended for Malik Heath.
- The starters don't know if they're playing in Saturday's preseason opener, but they'll be ready to.
Love reiterated the message from the head coach has been to prepare to play Saturday, and decisions will be made known soon enough. Love admitted "it gets old" going against Green Bay's defense every day, so seeing another defense with different looks would be a nice change-of-pace.
"At the end of the day Matt has the final say," Love said. "Whatever he's kinda feeling for the offense, how many reps we're going to get, whether it's a drive, whether it's a quarter …
"I think it's always nice to get a couple preseason snaps just to put yourself back in that game-mode mentality."
