The Green Bay Packers wrapped up the offseason workout program earlier this month and are now preparing for the start of training camp in late July.
The two-month program is for installation of scheme and serves as the groundwork for training camp. But what can be gleaned from the offseason?
Here are 10 things learned during the Packers offseason workout program, with insider insights from Paul Bretl and takeaways from Zach Kruse:
Jordan Love leveraging middle of field
Insight: Throughout OTAs and minicamp, the majority of Love’s pass attempts were attacking the middle of the field. Using this part of the field is an important element of the Matt LaFleur offense, as it can create big YAC opportunities by getting the pass catchers the ball in space and on the run. For some context around what we could see from Love this season in terms of throwing to the middle of the field, as noted in an article from Dusty Evely of Packer Report, Jimmy Garoppolo ranked first out of 67 eligible quarterbacks in usage rate over the middle of the field since 2019. There are, of course, a lot of similarities between San Francisco’s offense and Green Bay’s.
Takeaway: Attacking the middle of the field is such a vital part of being an efficient and well-rounded passing game in the modern NFL, especially in this scheme. It will be interesting to see if Love’s willingness to attack the middle of the field helps LaFleur run a more pure version of his offense. In theory, Christian Watson’s elite speed should open up opportunities in the intermediate areas. Expect all the in-breakers designed into LaFleur’s scheme to make a big comeback in 2023.
Safety depth chart
Insight: I go into greater detail here, but based on what I saw during the open practices, if I were putting together the safety depth chart right now, I would have Darnell Savage and Rudy Ford as the starters. The third and fourth options would be Tarvarius Moore and Jonathan Owens–I’m not sure where to slot either because both saw snaps as the third safety. Then the clear fifth option is Anthony Johnson, who is not only making the jump to the NFL but is a seventh-round pick also in only his second season at the position. Dallin Leavitt is a primary special teams player who won’t see snaps on defense, but I expect him to be on the roster. Innis Gaines and Benny Sapp rounded out the position group. I mentioned six safeties with legitimate chances of making the roster, but I can’t see the Packers keeping that many.
Takeaway: It’s tough to get excited about this safety depth chart. Savage was benched last season and Ford — a career special teamer — has never gone into the season as a starter. Maybe someone like Moore or Owens can make a splash in camp and push one of the expected starters. This position needs big improvement in 2023 or it could be a major weak point in Joe Barry’s defense. In many ways, playing consistent defense is all about hiding the weak link, and the Packers’ weakness looks fairly obvious.
Rookie TE Luke Musgrave plays with starters
Insight: History says that the majority of rookie tight ends do not produce significantly in their first seasons. As LaFleur has said, the learning curve is steep. But when it comes to Luke Musgrave, given the makeup of the tight end room, he is going to have the opportunity because the Packers are going to rely on him heavily. During team drills, Musgrave was taking a lot of snaps with the starters, and what was evident was his speed and playmaking ability he brings to the position. “He’s different,” LaFleur said.
Takeaway: The Packers look content throwing Musgrave and Tucker Kraft right into the fire at tight end. Musgrave certainly has the physical talent to contribute as a rookie, but there will be growing pains. Can he block at a level that doesn’t cripple the run game? One thing is certain: Musgrave’s speed is going to threaten defenses right away, especially down the seam. Expect highs and lows here as Musgrave learns on the job.
Zach Tom plays mostly right tackle
Insight: I know Adam Stenavich said that Tom would see snaps at right guard and center — which he did — but most of his playing time came at right tackle with Yosh Nijman. When Tom was at right guard, it was with the second-team offense. The only time he played center was during the final two-minute drill of minicamp, where he lined up with the second and third-team offenses. The Packers like to mix and match along the offensive line, but the center job still very much belongs to Josh Myers and right guard to Jon Runyan.
Takeaway: The Week 1 starting lineup across the offensive line could easily be Bakhtiari-Jenkins-Myers-Runyan-Tom. It’s a solid group, and Nijman would provide an excellent swing tackle candidate. The takeaway here is that the Packers need Tom on the field in one way or another, and right tackle is the easiest path for him into the starting lineup. There might not be a better positional battle this summer than at right tackle between Tom and Nijman.
Jayden Reed over Samori Toure?
Insight: Samori Toure has garnered a lot of attention this offseason, but oftentimes with the first-team offense, it was rookie Jayden Reed starting in the slot. However, one other observation I’ll make is that when Rasul Douglas and Jaire Alexander returned to the starting defense for minicamp, it was Toure who was targeted more often, perhaps showing the value that even a years worth of experience can have. Regardless of who the “starter” is in Week 1, I expect both to see ample playing time.
Takeaway: Snaps and targets are available for the No. 3 receiver behind Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. The battle between Reed, a talented second-round rookie, and Toure, a second-year player expected to make a leap in 2023, will be one to watch during camp. The Packers really need a reliable target to emerge behind Watson and Doubs or a veteran addition will need to be considered.
Special teams will help determine RB3
Insight: Running backs coach Ben Sirmans said prior to OTAs that special team would play a huge factor in determining who the third running back was. During special teams drills, Lew Nichols, Tyler Goodson, and Patrick Taylor were all taking those reps. In terms of experience, Taylor has the edge after being a core special teams player a season ago. With that said, keeping Goodson off the roster is going to be a challenge if he continues to showcase his playmaking abilities with the ball in his hands, but he will need to find a special teams role. Nichols, meanwhile, is a draft pick and checks a lot of boxes for the Packers by having production, targets in the passing game, and pass-blocking experience, although he did not see many special teams snaps in college.
Takeaway: It’s fair to wonder if the Packers will roster four running backs to open 2023, given Taylor’s all-around reliability, Goodson’s explosiveness and Nichols’ draft status. The Packers are going to rely heavily on the position this season and having four could make sense, especially if Taylor is a mainstay on special teams and Goodson or Nichols carves out a role in the offense or as a returner.
Connection between Jordan Love, Romeo Doubs
Insight: If Love had a go-to target throughout these practices, it was Romeo Doubs who said that some chemistry had been established over the offseason after the two had worked out together on a few occasions. From Love’s perspective, he said that he wasn’t specifically looking for Doubs pre-snap but that he was just getting open a lot. The return of Alexander and Douglas made things more challenging, but Doubs still had a sliding touchdown catch against Alexander that I’m not sure happens a year ago, showing the improvements and strides that he’s made.
Takeaway: It’s not surprising that Doubs and Love have a connection. The two played plenty of snaps together during the preseason and even in practices during the regular season while Aaron Rodgers nursed a thumb injury. Is the offseason workout program foreshadowing a breakout second season from Doubs? He was terrific last summer and then flashed playmaking ability before an ankle injury derailed his rookie season.
Rookie kicker Anders Carlson packs power
Insight: Matt LaFleur said that consistency will be key for the young kicker, but it’s clear that he has an NFL leg. During an indoor practice session, Carlson was clearing the cross-bar with ease from 50-plus yards and looked effortless in doing so. Overall during the two minicamp practices, he was 11-for-12 on field goal attempts that ranged from extra point distance to 54 yards.
Takeaway: While the Packers won’t get the consistency of Mason Crosby in a rookie kicker, Carlson can provide some much-needed power. Crosby struggled from over 50 yards and couldn’t launch kickoffs late in his Packers career. Leg strength is a big part of kicking the ball at Lambeau Field, and the Packers are getting an upgrade in Carlson.
Speed on offense is real
Insight: Several Packers’ veterans have talked about the speed that this offense has, and it is evident on the practice field. Musgrave ran a 4.61-second 40 time and flies down the field for a player of his size. Although not an official time, Jon-Eric Sullivan of the Packers said that they clocked Reed at 4.37 during the pre-draft process. Tucker Kraft would run a 4.69-second 40, and of course, we can’t forget about Christian Watson. Having this much speed will not only give each player the opportunity to generate big plays, but they’ll create opportunities for others with the attention they draw and the spacing that they force the defense to play with.
Takeaways: The Packers are inexperienced and raw on offense, but the skill position groups — especially at receiver and tight end — are nothing if not fast. They’ll make mistakes, but they’ll make mistakes going 100 miles per hour. The Packers will hope the overwhelming speed can help the offense overcome some of the inexperience in 2023.
Defensive line rotations
Insight: With a lot of inexperience along the defensive front, there are unknowns about what the Packers’ rotations will look like. In their base 3-4 defense, I saw Devonte Wyatt, TJ Slaton, and Kenny Clark. When in nickel, it was Slaton and Clark. My guess is that during obvious passing downs, we would see Wyatt in for Slaton in those situations. Another combination featured Wyatt, Slaton, and Colby Wooden. Although we want Clark on the field for every snap, that’s not realistic either, so others are going to have to be relied upon. The Packers aren’t short on pass rush options, but if this defense is going to play better in 2023, they have to be better against the run, which is where the unknown lies, especially with relying heavily on rookies.
Takeaway: There’s no two ways around it: the Packers need big leaps in development from Slaton and Wyatt. If either struggle, this position group could be in trouble. The Packers shouldn’t hesitate to add a veteran here if camp isn’t going well.
