After a short special teams practice Tuesday morning featuring Najeh Davenport and Hurley Tarver as the recipients of Ryan Longwell's and Louie Aguiar's kickoffs, and Robert Ferguson and Charles Lee catching Josh Bidwell's punts, the entire Packers squad hit Clarke Hinkle Field for their first full practice since their victory against the Arizona Cardinals Saturday night.
Former Packers GM Ron Wolf was on hand to take in Tuesday's afternoon practice.
Not even the deafening sound of construction taking place on nearby Oneida Street and Packer Drive could break the concentration of Green Bay wide receivers, as they ran routes without allowing a single ball to hit the ground throughout the 20-minute drill.
The first-string defense was a presence against the run early, not allowing running backs Ki-Jana Carter or Rondell Mealey beyond the line of scrimmage on any of the first four plays of the afternoon. But minutes later, the starting offensive line reconvened and blocked expertly, allowing for big gains by Carter and Tony Fisher.
During that exercise, defensive tackle Gilbert Brown came up limping, but resumed practice a few minutes later following some special teams work.
Next on the Packers' practice agenda was the nine-on-seven drill. Fullback William Henderson made a reception good for a 15-yard gain, despite linebacker Hardy Nickerson's tight coverage.
A wide-open Lee handled a 40-yard launch from backup quarterback Doug Pederson. Lee had another ball thrown his way that required him to reach down out of bounds and haul it back in for the completion.
The Packers' seven-on-seven drill found injured center Mike Flanagan snapping left-handed. Flanagan, who is a natural southpaw, broke his right thumb during practice August 2.
The same drill also saw rookie safety Marques Anderson leap and stay in bounds for an interception of a Pederson pass.
The Packers' next practice will be Wednesday, August 21, from 8:45-11:25 a.m., and special teams in the afternoon from 2:15-3:15 p.m.
-- by Leslie Ricker
