(You have players other than just the quarterbacks using wristbands; what is the thought process with that?)
It's just a different method of communication. There are different ways of doing two-minute; there are different ways of doing no-huddle. We just try to practice all of the different options as we go through training camp, and that's also the need for crowd noise and just try to get as many game-like situations as possible.
(Can you talk about Ruvell Martin's play during camp?)
I think Ruvell is having an excellent camp. He has made a couple of big-time catches just in the last two days. Ruvell is a guy that you get excited about because you've seen him grow since the day that he has been here. He continues to get better each day and each year. He has done a great job with his body.
(How did the first-team offense handle the crowd noise today?)
Very productive as far as the way they performed, but the thing I was looking for was the communication. I thought the communication was much better this time as opposed to prior segments, so I thought they did a nice job.
(What was the difference in that?)
It was really good last time and it was even better this time.
(Why wasn't Ryan Grant out there today?)
Ryan has a slight strain in his hamstring, so he missed practice today.
(How has Aaron Rodgers grown during the course of training camp?)
I think Aaron has done a really good job of getting through the installation phase. We have one more install this afternoon and then we'll hit that tonight. Everybody goes through it from a quarterback standpoint because you're not running into the same concepts every practice, and we're hitting all of the different situations. The most important thing I look for from Aaron is to be consistent and not to have the highs and lows, and I think he's done a pretty good job of that so far.
(Any one particular area you have seen him grow in?)
I think his footwork is really under control. Decision-making is something you are always working on every day. It doesn't matter where you are as far as your quarterback experience. I thought he had a couple of days where he was playing too fast, so those to me are good problems because my experience has been some quarterbacks play too slow when they initially get in. He is doing a really good job of staying consistent.
(Is today the last of your installs?)
Yeah, correct. We will install this afternoon and we will rep that tonight. The practice format will reflect the installation and then we'll start getting ready for the Cincinnati Bengals tomorrow.
(Was there a sense of relief for you after yesterday came and went?)
A sense of relief? You could say in a lot of ways. I'm about press conferenced out, number one. That's something, it's a responsibility, I understand, but it was something that the situation needed to be resolved and it was nice to get to a finality of that. But I'm relieved that we're talking about football, our football team, and that's what the focus needs to be on.
(What was it like to see Brett Favre in another uniform?)
I have no comment on that. I didn't see it. I know he reported yesterday, but I didn't see anything on TV.
(What are you looking for on Monday night from the quarterback position?)
I think it's important, number one, just to see the mechanics. You want to see the quarterback handle the game. He has to handle to huddle, he has to handle the communication from the sideline, he has to handle the adjustments that go on during the course of a game, just handle that whole part. I refer to that as the mechanics. And then the second part is his productivity. That's the thing you always have to break it down. You want to see him make progress from the scrimmage and move forward in their first preseason game.
(Given the lack of experience with your backup quarterbacks, is it a shorter window for them to show you what you need to see from them, considering you may have to look elsewhere for a backup?)
My plan all along with Brian and Matt has been we have a window to prepare them for the season. I really don't, I don't get caught up in what ifs and who's out there, that's not my thought process. I'm focused on the players that are here. Those two quarterbacks will be ready to play when their time is called upon, and it's the responsibility of the coaching staff and the players to get that done.
{sportsad300}(How has Rodgers grown in his command of the two-minute drill?)
I think it's really a product of him being here. He's on time, his development. He's ready to play. There's no he needs to do this a little better, he needs to do that a little better. He's ready to go. He needs to go out and play games. He has entered the last step, and he has benefited from playing behind Brett for three years. He's been in this offense for two years and this is h is third training camp going through it. It's just time to play games. I'm very happy where he is, his footwork, his reads, his mechanics, understanding, all those things.
(For that reason, are you inclined to give him a few more snaps in the preseason?)
That's more of an offensive unit issue. I don't ever want to sacrifice a unit for one player. I know the importance of quarterback play, but we will go through the preseason and hit the number of plays based on what we need offensively.
(How about Abdul Hodge's play to this point?)
It's nice to see Abdul back. I think he's done a great job in the offseason correcting his ailment, and he looks a lot like the young man that was here his rookie season. He's flying around, he's an aggressive player. Monday night will be a big night for him. He's definitely back, and he's the player that everybody thought he was, and I'm excited for him, because you can see the confidence in the way he practices and the way he attacks his job.
(What is Orrin Thompson's injury?)
He has an ankle sprain. Day to day, yeah. None of our injuries are very serious. We have some fatigue injures that have hit our team, which is normal for training camp. But I'm not really concerned about the seriousness of any of them.
(Are you looking to get some answers on Monday night from the offensive line?)
Looking for productivity. It's more the way we're rotating. We're trying to keep the younger players in one spot. I'm referring to Josh Sitton and Allen Barbre. Daryn Colledge is so valuable, he's played in every position so far except center. Tony Moll is kind of fitting in that category too. Junius needs to get healthy. It's really the ability to keep rotating those guys in. But to answer your question, to get the conformity for the first group, that's something that's probably going to take us at least the first two possibly three games to settle in on that.
(How about Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton?)
I just look for them to sharpen their skills and get to playing to the level they're capable of playing. Both our tackles played at a high level last year, and we want to get them playing at that level as fast as we can. Mark's conditioning is exceptional. He hasn't had any nicks or bumps. And Chad, his weight is lower than it's been at this time in the three years we've been here. So I look for them to start strong for us.
