After a rare day completely off -- no meetings, film study or scheduled weightlifting -- on Sunday, the Packers were back at work Monday in full pads for the second time. It was a cleaner, more energetic practice than Saturday’s padded session, which coach Mike McCarthy called sloppy. The team returns to the field Tuesday morning. Here are some notes from Monday’s practice:
House specialty: Second-year cornerback Davon House was a forgotten man last year. He battled injuries in training camp, got buried on the depth chart and appeared in just two games. But after a full and productive offseason, House drew rave reviews from McCarthy at minicamp. That commendation continued after an excellent Monday practice, where House made several impressive plays, including a nifty interception. “He's doing things very well in the drill work,” McCarthy said. “He's made a big improvement in the off-season and he's off to a good start." McCarthy added that House, along with rookie Casey Hayward and veterans Sam Shields and Jarrett Bush, “are all in the picture” for the No. 2 cornerback job.
Night and day on D-line: It’s unclear yet if the performance on the field will be better, but there’s no denying the revamped defensive line is a totally different unit this season. There are many new faces and they’ve brought energy, personality and depth to a depleted and beleaguered group that last year bore the brunt of the blame for the Packers having the worst pass defense in NFL history. General manager Ted Thompson signed free agents Anthony Hargrove, Daniel Muir and Phillip Merling and drafted Jerel Worthy (second round) and Mike Daniels (fourth) to add juice, the most overused word thus far in camp. We’ll have to wait for some games to find out if the level of play is improved, but the decibel level has certainly increased. Hargrove and Worthy, in particular, are extremely loud and proud. McCarthy noted the added zeal and “depth” on the unit, hoping the competition brings out the best. This will be an interesting group to monitor because, even with Hargrove and defensive end Mike Neal starting the season suspended, there are far more bodies than roster spots.
Who you calling old? Wide receiver Donald Driver and cornerback Charles Woodson know football is a young man’s game. They’ve heard the jokes and the whispers – that they’re over the hill, past their primes and on their last legs. But with age comes wisdom and both used their wilier heads to overcome livelier legs Monday. Driver, who’s been practicing with a vengeance, seemingly on a mission to prove himself anew after taking a pay cat to return to Green Bay, faked rookie cornerback Casey Hayward out of his cleats on a route that resulted in a touchdown completion. And later, in team drills, Woodson, who’s been playing some safety in camp, pounced from the slot corner position on an Aaron Rodgers throw, intercepting it for what he could’ve returned for a pick-six score. Driver and Woodson may be long in the tooth, but are still up to the same old tricks.
Special day: The specialists were mighty impressive Monday. Punting from the 50-yard line, Tim Masthay was terrific, getting seven of nine Aussie-style punts downed inside the 10, including a few inside the 5. Kicker Mason Crosby, meanwhile, converted field goals of 50 and 53 yards. He hasn’t missed one yet in camp. And long snapper Brett Goode, well … he snapped long and he snapped well.
Another tight end: The Packers signed DeMarco Cosby (6-foot-2 1/2, 245 pounds) on Monday, giving them eight tight ends. Cosby was on the Rams’ practice squad for one game last year and wasn’t with a team when the Packers called him. At the University of Central Missouri, he caught 71 passes for 970 yards and 10 TDs in 14 games as a senior.
Injury update: The only new injury was to tight end Eric Lair, who limped off the field with a right knee injury. The most noteworthy news was that Jermichael Finley returned to practice in a limited capacity, after missing the last two days with a concussion. The tight end was in sweat pants and participated only in individual, non-contact drills. Wide receiver/kick returner Shaky Smithson (chest bruise) and tight end Brandon Bostick (finger) also were back on the field. Hargrove, who’d been away since Thursday attending to a personal matter and then had a travel issue, was back and practicing, too. Wide receiver Greg Jennings (elbow) and tackle Mike McCabe (hip) were still out. The seven players who haven’t passed their physical remained sidelined.
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