MISCELLANEOUS/PERSONNEL:

The Packers had a closed practice on Friday.  It was a light, 50% speed jog through.  Only credentialed media could attend, so there are some references from Wood and others about Friday and not from others.  Friday was the third practice, while today's practice (Saturday) was the fourth, albeit the 3rd open practice.  There is a practice on Monday, but it is closed to the public, which is a shame, as it is scheduled to be a padded practice.  TGR

Practice done after 1:53.  [Long practice after Friday's 90 minute practice.  TGR]  Demovsky

Starters in team: Love Jones Watson - Doubs Musgrave - Kraft Bakh - EJ - Myers - JRJ;  Defense: Tom Wyatt - Clark - Slaton Smith - Campbell - Quay - Hollins Jaire - Rasul Ford - Savage.  [Van Ness gots some reps with the ones later.  TGR]  Herman

Defense in nickel Smith-Clark-Slaton-Hollins-Campbell-- Jaire-Nixon-Walker-Douglas Ford-Savage.  2) Owens and Moore now at S with second defense.    Bretl

I have to head out for the remainder of practice. Follow the usual beat guys through the rest of the day. Best players of the day so far: Love Toure Enagbare.  Herman  [Love 10 for 13 on the day, at this time, per Herman.  TGR]

Matt LaFleur on what he's looking for in a slot WR: "It just comes down to what you're asking them to do. Are you asking them to run a lot of choice routes? Are you asking them to big body whoever's in the slot. A lot of it is matchup based."  Wood

Last year, the Packers leader in slot snaps and slot targets was Allen Lazard, who's hardly the traditional slot receiver. Could that change with Jayden Reed? Here's what coach Matt LaFleur had to say moments ago.  

Van Ness getting reps with the ones oppo Preston Smith in team drills.  Herman

Matt LaFleur says he wants right tackle battle to play out naturally. Not accelerating the competition just because there's a new starting QB behind the O line. He says current layout of camp, with extra week before regular-season opener, gives ample time to prepare.  Wood

INJURIES:

Looks like Dontayvion Wicks won’t be participating in today’s practice. He has been out since Thursday.  Bretl

OLB Rashan Gary (PUP list; knee), CB Eric Stokes (PUP list foot), WR Grant DuBose (Non-Football Injury List; back), WR Dontayvion Wicks (concussion).  Huber

Keisean Nixon just took a hit as a returner and is down on the ground keeled over. Not great. Nixon walking it off now. He heads to the sidelines. Not sure what he hurt tbh.  2) Tucker Kraft limping on the sidelines with a bag of ice around his right leg. He looks done for the day.  Herman

Tucker Kraft caught a knee to his quad. He’s walking around the sideline with an ice pack wrapped on it now. Just a little banged up.  Wood

JORDAN LOVE GETS SOME LOVE FROM PLAYERS AND THE MEDIA:

Samori Toure gushing about Jordan Love's pass on 3rd down in 2-minute drill: "It was literally a perfect ball. It can't be more perfect than that. If he throws it any more outside, it's out of bounds. Any more inside, the safety makes a play on it. He put it in a perfect spot."  Rasul Douglas and Darnell Savage discussed the play in locker room. Savage noted he reached sideline to give Samori Toure a good hit. Douglas joked he needed PBU. Both agreed it was hell of a catch from. Toure: "You're going to get hit either way. Might as well catch the ball.'"  2)  Rasul Douglas said Jordan Love kept throwing out routes all day. Douglas almost took slant to Romeo Doubs for 6. So Love knew Douglas was cheating up when Samori Toure went on out-&-up. Toure sold the route. Love delivered. Douglas: "J-Love put that mother f***er on the money."  Jordan Love, having his best day of camp, hit Samori Toure down the left sideline for 33 yards on 3rd & 3 from the 46. Drop his pass over Rasul Douglas before Darnell Savage could teach the sideline to help. A big-time play from 10.  3) Jordan Love’s first 2-minute drop off camp: 4-7, 56 yards. One incompletion was a clock kill. Moved the football 74 yards in 1:40 against the Packers starting defense. Awfully good debut in his first camp as starter.  Wood

Definitely Jordan Love’s best day of camp so far. Will have full details in today’s story. Looked crisp and in rhythm with a tight spiral. Play of the day was a 33-yard connection with Samori Toure down left sideline in two minute, drill which defense eventually squeaked out.  Schneidman

The Schneidman tweet just above is just another example.  Trust me, Herman, Wood, Schneidman, Demovsky, and Huber all wrote nice things about Jordan Love over the first foujr practices.  There was a fair amount of emphasis on the intangibles, such as always knowing where to go with the ball, standing tall in the pocket with Hercules Van Ness bearing down on him, and the like, not just on completing passes to various wide receivers.  TGR 

QUARTERBACKS/WIDE RECEIVERS:

Love dealing right now in two minute. Gorgeous 33 yard pass to Toure down sideline on third and 3. 2) Good series of passes for Clifford, ends period with a bullet to 82 on an out.  Hodkiewicz

Next play Love to Doubs on a slant complete but Ford probably could have laid him out in a real game.  2) Love and Watson not on the same page. Ball falls harmlessly incomplete over the middle.  3) Short flat to Toure who makes a nice move and picks up some nice yards. 4)  Love complete super short to Watson and Jaire, per usual, all over it. Maybe 1 yard pickup.  5) Love hits Dillon in the flat for a nice pickup. Good read. 6/7 on the day. Love’s decision making and ability to know where to go with the ball has been fantastic through 3 live practices.  6) Love hits a deep out route to Toure. Toure has been really good through the start of camp. 7) Love just missed Watson on a deep corner. Watson had a bit of a step. 4/5 on the day now.  8) Love to Doubs on a slant for a first down. 4/4 on the day now.  [GB looking hard for the Z receiver and a slot defender.  TGR]  9) Love on fire to start. 3/3 now after hitting a deep crosser to Jayden Reed for about a 20 yard pickup. Packers picking on Nixon a bit. 10) Love and Myers fumble a snap. The 2nd time that’s happened in camp already.  11) Play action again and Love uses his mobility to get outside and hit Toure with a bullet rolling to his left. 2/2 for Love to start.  12) Play action fake, Love fires over the middle in stride to a sliding Watson for about 15 yards. Nice throw from Love.  13) 

Crowd goes wild for the one-handed grab by Cody Chrest.  2) LaFleur on Malik Heath: “He’s done a lot of great things. He’s a strong football player. He can run through contact. He does a good job of releasing off the line of scrimmage and widening corners when he’s getting press coverage, just ripping through. He’s got really good ball skills and he’s a bigger guy. I think Malik has shown us what he can do, and now it’s about the consistency in which he does it.” Bretl

RUNNING BACKS:

Really nice little run inside by Lew Nichols. Showed off vision, burst and balance. His best play of camp.  2) Emmanuel Wilson with a burst inside. He’s a big back with a little wiggle. Fun to watch.  [Duplicated under defensive linemen.  TGR]   Herman

"Through two days, Tyler Goodson and Lew Nichols seem to be ahead of Patrick Taylor for this role."  2) Tyler Goodson has already been used in so many ways on this offense. Just today, he lined up in the backfield, slot, and out wide. Was a ball carrier, pass catcher, and used as the motion man. He could very well fill that Tyler Ervin-like role from a few seasons ago.  Bretl

TIGHT ENDS:

Corey Ballentine and Kingsley Enagbare blow up a run play in the backfield. Tyler Davis with a couple tough reps blocking.  2) Ok Luke Musgrave just got physical with Kenny Clark and helped open a hole for Jones. That was impressive. Haven’t seen anything like that as a blocker out of 88 yet.  [No pads, but a good sign, especially with Tyler Kraft leaving the field with ice applied to his knee/leg.  TGR]  Herman

Tucker Kraft said yesterday one of the things he’s learned most since GB drafted him is how to work combo blocks. Here he is working combo with Lukas Musgrave.  Wood

Tyler Davis has been holding up well as a blocker. Going to be a role if he can continue to do that.  [Contradicts Herman's tweet #1, but both likely true with Davis having a couple of rough spots today after being good in the first three practices.  TGR} Bretl 

OFFENSIVE LINE:

Jordan Love with a deep strike to rookie WR Jayden Reed, who got open on a corner against Keisean Nixon. His best deep ball of camp. Good block on the blindside from Yosh Nijman, giving Love time to set his feet.  2) Zach Tom, first right tackle for the third straight of what Matt LaFleur would call a “real” practice. He’s getting a ton of reps there.  3) Yosh Nijman says he doesn't see it as a "challenge" or "disadvantage" to win RT job when he's taking about half his reps at LT: "I'm playing those two positions right now, and making sure I'm really good at playing both of them."  4)  Yosh Nijman first up at right tackle today (Friday's closed practice with Bakh staring out as the LT). Zach Tom told me yesterday it was still a rotation despite him being first RT the past 2 days. The reps reflect that.  Zach Tom still rotating as starting RT even today. Yosh Nijman slides over to LT for David Bakhtiari after a few reps, and Tom takes RT. If nothing else, is clear that if anyone other than Bakhtiari plays LT, it’s Nijman.  4) Zach Tom and Yosh Nijman have swapped. Tom’s first appearance at LT in camp. Nijman at RT.  [So, does tweet 4 mean tweet 3 is still gospel?  TGR]  Wood

Love finds Watson on quick out, Jaire there right away. Dillon with running lane behind Myers/Jenkins Smith gets by Musgrave, Love dumps it off to Musgrave, has room in front of him Love finds Toure in flat Watson in slot, him and Love not on same page. Incomplete.  [This paragraph duplicates some other tweets, but I liked the addittional detail.  I hope it isn't confusing.  TGR]  2)  Nice job by Nichols and left side of OL (Hanson, Rhyan, Newman) selling screen.  3) Tom continues to get some third string snaps at center.  Bretl

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN:

[Wyatt with a pressure - see linebackers.]  2) Tight end screen to Musgrave. Slaton read it nicely and is all over it.  3) Colby Wooden just beat Sean Rhyan and Emmanuel Wilson for a sack on McGough. Impressive play by Wooden.  [Wooden beat some backups, but nice to see him earn a positive tweet.  Probably gonna need him to play a few hundred snaps.  TGR]  4) TJ Slaton with a big time time run stuff on Dillon. Looked like a former number 93 engulfing a RB behind the line.  [GB could live with Slaton as is, but it would really help if Slaton significantly improves. TGR]  5) Offensive line moving some defenders today. Emmanuel Wilson with a burst inside. He’s a big back with a little wiggle. Fun to watch.  6) 

LINEBACKERS:

Wyatt with a pressure; Enagbare cleans up for a “sack”. Great day for Enagbare. Play continued and Love threw complete to Reed who bobbled but caught.  [Who, if anyone, did Wyatt beat?  TGR] 2) Holy shit Lukas Van Ness. He just threw Deguara 4 yards into the backfield into Jordan Love’s path. Some real Hercules stuff. Play called dead to save Love from the wrath of an angry god. [Should I put this in the tight end section?  Deguara isn't a TE.  TGR]  3) Enagbare “sack” on Etling.  Herman

Going back to offseason programs, there have been a few nice run defense snaps from Van Ness. Has been able to set a strong edge, forcing Dillon back inside to Slaton.  Bretl

DEFENSIVE BACKS:

Love throws to Doubs on a quick pass but Douglas reads it perfect and breaks it up. Nice play by Rasul.  2) I know he’s been playing in the slot in team drills but I hadn’t noticed this up until this point - Innis Gaines is with the cornerbacks in individual drills. It seems they may be viewing him primarily as a slot CB. That cuts down on some of the competition at safety potentially.  Herman

Matt LaFleur on Darnell Savage: "He's had a pretty strong camp. I thought when he came back, throughout the course of OTAs, he'd really grown. We're hoping to see that continued growth when we get the pads on."  2)  Rudy Ford has consistently been starting safety alongside Darnell Savage in early part of camp. Third straight day he’s with the first string.  [Written after Friday's practice. TGR]  Wood

End around to Malik Heath. Really nice play by Ballentine to fight through the blocker and get into the backfield.  Bretl

Shemar Jean Charles breaks up a nice pass from Clifford to watts on a slant. Then Thomas breaks up a pass late to Bonds on next play.  Huber

SPECIAL TEAMS:

Carlson goes 0 for 3 on FG between 45-49.  Hodkiewicz

Rough first set today for rookie kicker Anders Carlson. Kicking into a wind, Carlson was wide right from 45R, wide left from 47L, wide left from 49R. Pat O’Donnell struggled with the hold on the last kick.  [Who was the long-snapper as O'Donnell doesn't normally have problems holding?  TGR]  2) Anders Carlson’s next 3: 50L wide left; 51L good; 53R wide left.  The rookie has a leg. Might require a bit of patience. Wood

Carlson goes 1/3 on some deep ones. I think they were all 50+. 1/6 on the day now.  Herman

2-minutes drive ended at the 1-yard line with Jordan Love completing a pass to Luke Musgrave at the goal line on 3rd & goal. Looked to me like Musgrave caught it at the line, but official had him short. A chip-shot field goal for rookie kicker Anders Carlson.  [So, probably 2/7 as the 1/6 were in drills, and the chip shot was in team.  Not that it's particularly reassuring.  TGR]  Wood  

One more practice note. If the Packers need him for whatever reason (injury, roster move, etc), Daniel Whelan can punt. Impressive today both into/with the wind. On 12 punts, he averaged 52.0 yards and 4.56 seconds of hang time. All were swinging away, no pooch/Aussie attempts.  Demovsky

I wrote this following minicamp, but it still lays out what this potential roster battle at punter could look like. It was a really nice day for Daniel Whelan, who packs some power.  Bretl  [Waiting to hear about Whelan's holding prowess, or whether the new long snappers, the veterna Orzech or the rookie Broughton Hatcher, are good enough that an excellent holder is less important.  TGR] 

Nixon and Ford the opening gunners on punt team. Gaines and Ballentine had the next reps. Awesome jam by SJC on Gaines. 2) Keisean Nixon, Jayden Reed and Aaron Jones getting work back as kick returners. Before you get too excited about 33, he’s done this in previous training camps as well and it never really amounts to anything in season.  Herman

TWO MINUTE DRILL:

Most of these plays are interspersed throughout the sections above.  There is a tweet that mentions Chrest positively.  This is just to give an idea about how things flowed during practice.  TGR

1) 2 min drill. Love at QB Quick pressure from IDL. Throws ball away. Finds Watson over middle. Handoff to Dillon Quick slant to Watson, Douglas all over it for PBU. Great route by Toure. Love drops it in there down left sideline.  2) Nice run by Dillon to left side. 6 seconds left from 5. Pass complete to Musgrave, pushed out at one. 2 seconds left. Carlson FG good.  3) 2 min drill: Etling at QB Quick out to Watts. Scrambles. No where to go with ball. Quick out to Heath, incomplete. Ball looked just out of reach.  3) Clifford scrambles to buy time, finds Bonds on sidelines. Clifford tries to squeeze pass over middle to Watts, broken up by SJC in tight coverage. Kiondre Thomas with PBU on quick slant to Bonds. Solid day for Nichols as ball carrier Clifford finds Chrest on out route. 4)

Photo courtesy of Tork Mason of USA Today.