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HOT TOPIC
In a departure from their traditional two-a-day schedule, the Packers rolled out an itinerary for training camp that falls in line with a growing trend in the league.
Camp will open July 28 in Green Bay with an evening practice, the first of eight such late starts in the typically hectic first three weeks of the preseason.
The Packers will have seven days of two practices, with the first starting at 9 a.m. and the second not going until 6:30 p.m.
First-year head coach Mike McCarthy structured the two-a-days in that manner to give the players more recovery time as well as provide the coaching staff ample time for film review and preparation.
On alternating days, the Packers will have just one practice in the mid-afternoon.
"In the 2-1-2-1 schedule, you never have two practices back to back, so that enables the players to take care of their bodies," McCarthy said. "I'm sure as you walk through the NFL and you talk to different players, they feel like coming into camp they're in great shape. And, then they come out of camp and a lot of times they feel like they're beat down and they're getting ready to start the season."
McCarthy said the spaced-out two-a-days were beneficial when he was an offensive coordinator with New Orleans a few years ago. Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski also operated on a similar schedule with Atlanta the previous two years.
Quarterback Brett Favre favors the altered schedule after having dual practices in the early morning and afternoon the last 14 years. The extra downtime during the day might allow him to sneak in a few rounds of golf.
"As long as we don't meet all day, I'll be fine with it," Favre said.
Besides looking out for the players' best interests, the Packers are anticipating that training camp will be a bigger draw for fans than it has been for several years. The Packer Country Regional Tourism Office figured the camp provides a $35 million boost annually for the local economy.
Newly appointed president John Jones said the evening practices will allow area residents time after work to see the team on the field.
With those late-starting practices expected to last 2 1/2 hours, the Packers plan to put up portable lights at the practice field across from Lambeau Field.
The successful "Family Night" intrasquad scrimmage will be held for the sixth time Aug. 5 at Lambeau. The event sold out the last two years. The $8 tickets go on sale June 17.
PLAYER NOTES
--DT Donnell Washington's nonexistent start to what shaped up to be a promising NFL career ended June 9.
Head coach Mike McCarthy announced after practice during the team's organized team activities that Washington had been released. Washington was a third-round draft pick (72nd overall) by Green Bay in 2004 but never played a down in a regular season game.
"Quite frankly, we're kind of excited about some of the fellas we have at that position," general manager Ted Thompson said. "We wish him well; we wish it would have worked out here. But, this gives him a chance to go hook on with another team."
Washington was signed through 2007.
The mammoth Washington, who's listed at 6-feet-6 and 328 pounds, got himself into some hot water with the new coaching staff when he reported for the post-draft minicamp in early May out of shape. Washington was kept off the field for the entire camp.
He was cleared to practice in the second minicamp later in the month. He also participated in the first five of the Packers' 14 OTA practices, but was conspicuously missing on the field June 8 and 9 before McCarthy broke the news.
Both Thompson and McCarthy downplayed the impact Washington's earlier conditioning issue played in releasing him.
"Not very much at all," Thompson said.
McCarthy said he never gave Washington an ultimatum to shape up or he'd be shipped out.
"This is professional sports, and we just went in another direction," McCarthy said.
Washington missed his entire rookie season in 2004 because of a foot injury sustained early in training camp. He was activated for only one game last season but was kept on the sideline.
The Packers, under then-head coach and general manager Mike Sherman, traded up 14 spots to take Washington in the third round of the 2004 draft. Cornerback Joey Thomas, whom the team selected two spots before it grabbed Washington, was cut by Green Bay early last season.
--The Packers reached the midway point of their OTAs on June 9 with four prospective defensive starters still missing.
Cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson and nose tackle Ryan Pickett haven't reported for the voluntary sessions. There was no indication that any of them would show up when practice resumes June 12.
Meanwhile, McCarthy expects rookie linebacker A.J. Hawk to be on the field June 12. Hawk, the fifth overall pick in the draft, completed his studies at Ohio State and was to graduate June 11.
--Director of pro personnel Reggie McKenzie took the high road after he learned June 4 that he was passed over in favor of Denver assistant general manager Rick Smith for the GM post with Houston.
It was the first time McKenzie, 43, was in the running for general manager with an NFL team. He has been in the Packers' front office since 1994 and served in his current position the last 10 years.
"It was a great experience for me. It was my first interview, and I felt like I was in a win-win situation," McKenzie said. "I'm happy to be back here. Disappointed at first (to not get the job), like any competitive person would be, but I'm still glad to be back here in Green Bay."
McKenzie figured Smith had the inside track to the job because of his previous working relationship with new Texans head coach Gary Kubiak during their time in Denver.
"If you're working with a guy and you feel comfortable and you trust his work, I'm pretty sure you're going to go to bat for him, too. I would, especially if he's good at what he does," McKenzie said.
--The team released safety Jeremy Thornburg on June 5 after he failed a physical.
Thornburg, a second-year player, missed the final month of last season because of a shoulder injury. He hadn't participated in any offseason workouts this year.
--Former Packers treasurer John Underwood on June 8 was appointed by commissioner Paul Tagliabue to an NFL committee on revenue-sharing distributions.
The Packers are one of eight teams with representation on the panel, which will be chaired by Tagliabue. The committee will determine the standards for appropriating money in the league's new supplemental revenue pool.
The pool is funded by the 15 highest-revenue teams, of which the Packers are one, for potential distribution to the other 17 teams.
Underwood is an emeritus member of the Packers' board of directors.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.
TRANSITION PLAYER: None.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
--S Todd Franz (not tendered June 1).
--NT Grady Jackson (not tendered June 1).
--WR Andrae Thurman (not tendered as ERFA).
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
--DE/DT Kenny Peterson (tendered at $721,600) is a versatile backup who played in every game for the first time in his career. Part of team's youthful influx of linemen.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
--OT Kevin Barry: UFA; $2.785M/2 yrs, $600,000 SB/$600,000 RB; 2006 cap: $1.55M.
--DT Colin Cole: ERFA; $500,000/1 yr.
--RB Najeh Davenport: UFA; $655,280/1 yr, $25,000 SB/$45,280 WO.
--LS Rob Davis: Potential UFA; 1 yr, $800,720/1 yr, $25,000 SB; 2006 cap: $460,000.
--WR Rod Gardner: UFA; $855,720/1 yr, $100,000 SB.
--RB Ahman Green: Potential UFA; $2M/1 yr, $500,000 SB.
--FB William Henderson: UFA; $2.09M/2 yrs, $250,000 SB/$105,720 WOB; 2006 cap: $1.165M.
--CB Jason Horton: Potential ERFA; $425,000/1 yr.
--DT Cullen Jenkins: ERFA; terms unknown.
--DE Aaron Kampman: Potential UFA; $25M/5 yrs, SB unknown.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
--DT Kenderick Allen: RFA rights terminated by Giants; terms unknown.
--WR Marc Boerigter: UFA Chiefs; $782,700/1 yr, $90,000 SB.
--PK Billy Cundiff: FA; $585,000/1 yr.
--S Marquand Manuel: UFA Seahawks; $10M/5 yrs, $2M SB; 2006 cap: $1.4M.
--NT Ryan Pickett: UFA Rams; $14M/4 yrs, $2M SB/$3M RB; 2006 cap: $4.975M.
--LB Ben Taylor: UFA Browns; $665,280/1 yr., $50,000 SB.
--LB Tracy White: Not tendered as RFA by Jaguars; $555,720/1 yr, $25,000 SB.
--CB Charles Woodson: UFA Raiders; $52M/7 yrs, no SB; $10.5M combined RB/salary 2006.
PLAYERS LOST
--WR/KR Antonio Chatman: Not tendered as RFA/Bengals; $1.5M/2 yrs, SB unknown.
--LB Na'il Diggs (released).
--RB Tony Fisher: UFA Rams; $625,000/1 yr, $40,000 SB.
--C Mike Flanagan: UFA Texans; $8.85M/3 yrs, $3M SB.
--LB Paris Lenon: UFA Lions; 3 yrs, terms unknown.
--PK Ryan Longwell: UFA Vikings; $10M/5 yrs, $3M SB.
__WR Terrence Murphy (released; failed physical/neck).
--QB Craig Nall: UFA Bills; $4.27M/3 yrs, $1.3M SB.
--G/C Grey Ruegamer: UFA Giants; $750,000/1 yr, $40,000 SB.
--LB Robert Thomas (released).
--WR Javon Walker: Traded Broncos.
-- DT Donnell Washington (released).
MEDICAL WATCH: No updates.
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