Fatman Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 (edited) From the Wisconsin State Journal: Defensive line Defensive tackle Corey Williams admitted Sunday he was more than a little surprised when the team took fellow DT Justin Harrell with the 16th overall pick in last month's draft. But Williams, who started 11 games at that spot last year alongside Ryan Pickett and had a career-high seven sacks, remains an ascending player and worked with the No. 1 unit for most of camp. Harrell was held out of all 11-on-11 work while he is in the final stages of rehabbing the ruptured biceps tendon that cut short his senior year at Tennessee. Harrell said he thought he was going to be "full go" but he was limited to drill work and hitting the tackling bags. "They drafted me No. 1, and I want to come in here and prove myself to the guys. And you can't do that when you're not participating all the way," Harrell said. "I'm just following doctor's orders. When they release me, I'm going to go out and try my best." Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Kampman probably won't practice until training camp after an April knee scope, while demoted end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila suffered a bruised thigh Friday and sat out the rest of the camp. Johnny Jolly, a 2006 sixth-round pick in the mix inside, missed Sunday's practice because of what McCarthy termed a "personal emergency." Linebackers While the team has plenty of question marks, this isn't one of them. The starting threesome of Nick Barnett, A.J. Hawk and Brady Poppinga is the most solidified of any position on the roster, with the only competition as of now being for backup spots. "I think A.J. Hawk is a prime-time player in the National Football League. I think that'll be proven as he moves forward," McCarthy said after Hawk picked off a Favre pass down the middle during 7-on-7 Sunday. "You can see his comfort in our scheme. I think Nick Barnett is a frontline player, too, and Brady Poppinga may be the most improved of the whole (defensive) group. "That group has a lot of competition in the backup area, but those first three I've been very impressed with." Defensive backs With starting cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson missing the final two practices - Harris after feeling back tightness Saturday morning; Woodson after being excused by McCarthy to attend a Saturday night "event" - Patrick Dendy and Will Blackmon worked with the first team. Blackmon is coming off a rookie season derailed by foot and rib injuries but figures to be prominent in the battle for the nickel and dime cornerback spots, along with Dendy, Jarrett Bush, Tramon Williams and Frank Walker, the team's only free agent signing. "I am very happy with the progress Bush has made, (as well as) Blackmon. And Patrick Dendy has had an excellent weekend," McCarthy said. "There's lot of competition." At safety, veteran Marquand Manuel remains a starter despite a disappointing first season in Green Bay. Asked to assess his play last season and whether he expects to keep his starting job, Manuel repeatedly replied, "Ask the coaches, man. Ask the coaches." Edited May 24, 2007 by Fatman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 There's nothing wrong with a 3 man rotation at DT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piratesownninjas Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 There's nothing wrong with a 3 man rotation at DT. My thoughts exactly. Keep the DT's fresh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.