(If the reports are true, it sounds like Greg Jennings has agreed to a contract extension. What are your thoughts?)
We're excited for Greg Jennings' future here; there is no doubt. I think Greg is a young man that has developed here in Green Bay and I can't say enough about him personally. I like the way he goes about his business, and he is definitely well deserving of this contract. I'm excited for Greg.
(Did you shorten things today because of the heat?)
No, that was the plan all along. We really got a lot of work done in the OTAs. Our participation was outstanding, so really our mini-camp the last three days was about corrections. Every team period that we had, whether it was blitz, third down, red zone, it was clearly just the corrections and the things that we felt like we needed to go back over from the OTAs. I was very happy with the amount of quality work that we were able to accomplish during OTAs, but that was really the plan all along. Today was about teaching. Today was about putting a final stamp on the teaching process of the offseason program, because now when we get back here it's not about what to do and who goes where. It's how fast we are doing it, the conformity that you need on all three phases. So this week was clearly about teaching and getting things cleaned up.
(Did you talk to Aaron Kampman this morning after the news broke that his high school coach was killed?)
I had the opportunity to speak to Aaron. Actually I was the one that delivered the news to Aaron. He was in meetings when we got the news. It's a tragedy. I think Aaron will at some point tell you what he meant to him and the impact that he has had on his life. I can recall when Aaron went down to the first game this past year. It's a tremendous loss and really our heart goes out to his family.
(What do you think of the new practice field, and if you work outside later in the season, does that mark a change in philosophy?)
Number one, the new practice facility, it's beautiful. I think Ted Thompson has done an outstanding job with player safety. All of our fields are now exactly the same. It's the exact same surface outside. The new practice facility, Nitschke Field, also has the heating coils, which will allow us to go out in the winter time. That really was the issue in the past; I was not comfortable with the field prior, just some of the problems that it created. Now we'll have that opportunity to get outside. I think, more importantly, if you had a chance to go over there, the stands and the environment that it has created for the fans. I think our training camp is second to none just from the environment that our fans create for us during training camp and the night practices with the lights and the stadium-type environment. I think it will be great for everybody.
(You realize you have set yourself up for some lobbying though from players that won't want to practice outside?)
Well, we're all fair people. I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, but they really have nothing to do with where and when and how we practice. They may want to make you think so, but we're going to do what's in the best interest of getting our team ready to play games.
(What will be required of players from now until training camp?)
A number of the players are going off to different training programs. We have some guys going to Arizona and different spots. Some guys are doing it in their hometowns. It's really a focus of taking care of your body and getting ready for training camp. From a priority standpoint, they need to spend time with their families, take care of their legs. But like I've stated, just talking with a number of the players, some of them are going to the training programs they used prior to the offseason program.
(Any changes on injuries or guys that won't be available for the start of camp?)
No. I think we'll be ready to go with all of our players that missed time this spring. A number of them will probably go one-a-day schedules, and that's something after we have the physicals the first day of training camp we'll decide.
{sportsad300}(With Jennings' contract, is that an indication that the team takes care of its own, and what message does that send to the rest of the team?)
I think clearly our program has been identified with the fact that we draft players, we develop players, and hopefully we're able to keep as many as we possibly can. Our free agent philosophy is well-documented. From a coaching standpoint, we're excited, because these are players, these are individuals that we have relationships with. We have history with these players. In Greg's instance, on a personal level, you're always happy when anybody, player or coach, gets a contract that enables him to put his family in a better situation. I think our path and our philosophy with our football team is clearly identified.
(Was Justin Harrell dealing with an injury?)
Justin Harrell missed practice yesterday. He had an illness.
(Heading into the break, you have seen the team on the field now for several weeks. What do you think of this team?)
Everybody's excited. I'm sure every head coach right now is giving the talk about it's the best offseason program. I talked to our football team about some of the things we accomplished in the past and compared it to that. I think our football team did a great job of coming in here, learning the systems, whether it was offense, the changes we made, defense being new, special teams being new. They took full advantage of their opportunity to have a clear understanding of what we're asking them to do. So I am very pleased with that. I thought our practice tempo, the structure and the procedural things, the way we operate every day, were excellent. Those were all positive indicators that we're moving in the right direction. But the reality is our football team will come together in training camp, and I think we've done a very good job, players and coaches alike, getting ready for that training camp.
