Approximately 550 people lined the fences at Clarke Hinkle Field to watch the Packers complete their final two practices of the weekend.
Both workouts were in shorts but that will change Monday, which marks the first day of practice for the veterans as well as the first day fans get to hear the crunch of shoulder pads and helmets.
Sixth-round pick Corey Williams signed his contract in mid-morning just in time to participate in the last half of practice. With the addition of Williams, the defensive end/tackle out of Arkansas State, the Packers had 32 players take part in both workouts.
One highlight of the morning featured rookie quarterback Scott McBrien connecting with wide receiver Chris Day on a 40-yard pass down the sideline. Day, a rookie free agent out of Grambling, lunged forward to catch the ball near the fence, much to the delight of the fans.
Day and fellow wide receiver Carl Ford also received work as punt returners in the morning session. Rookie punters B.J. Sander and Nathan Chapman split the punting duties as both Day and Ford had difficulty at times fielding punts off the left-footed Sander.
Both sessions continued to give players more individualized training than normal due to the low amount of participants. Coach Larry Beightol took notice of his offensive line's improvement from the first day.
"Good job, that's the way to work," Beightol said as the offensive lineman worked on footwork and hand movement. "We're getting better, now you're starting to cook."
GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman also attended part of the afternoon workout after conducting a season-opening press conference **(Audio)** earlier in the day.
The offense got a chance to work as an 11-man unit near the end of practice and focused mainly on screen passes. Dahrran Diedrick, a free agent running back out of Nebraska who participated on the Packers' practice squad a year ago, received much of the work as he was the only true running back taking part in drills.
Cornerback Chris Johnson and defensive tackle Eric Powell both missed practice for the second consecutive day due to knee injuries.
The team has tomorrow off for physical testing but practice resumes Monday, first at 8:45-11:15 a.m. (pads), and again at 2:45-4:10 p.m. (pads).
Where: Clarke Hinkle Field
Weather: 77 degrees, sunny, light breeze
Did not participate: Chris Johnson (knee) and Eric Powell (knee).
Remains unsigned: Ahmad Carroll
