Packers HC Mike McCarthy Thursday Presser: Ted Thompson's extension is well deserved

Nearly a week into training camp, there is plenty of news surrounding the Green Bay Packers. Less than 24 hours earlier, general manager Ted Thompson received a multi-year extension. At his Thursday press conference, Mike McCarthy was asked about Thompson's new contract and other new developments surrounding his team.

• Asked about Derek Sherrod, McCarthy responded that the offensive tackle is, "Fully recovered. You can see that in his balance. That's one thing that stands out, much stronger. Just needs to play, practice." 2014 marks the first full offseason Sherrod has participated in. He entered the league during the lockout-shortened offseason in 2011 and has dealt with injuries in the two offseasons since.
• According to McCarthy, Mike Neal and Nick Perry have "no restrictions" and are fully cleared to practice. "Good to have them back. Mike practiced yesterday and did some good things today."
• As noted by Tex in our practice notebook, referee Ed Hochuli attended Thursday's practice to discuss the rulebook and new points of emphasis with the team. "Our players and coaches have done a good job getting detailed explanations of what the refs see. They talked about emphasis with receivers and defensive backs. Refs getting ready for the season too. Very healthy process."
• Safety Morgan Burnett's ankle injury kept him out of practice again today. McCarthy didn't provide a timetable for his return, but noted, "Any time someone isn't out there, it gives someone else an opportunity." In this case, those opportunities went to safeties Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Sean Richardson, the latter of which hauled in an interception during practice.
• Big plays remain a focus for McCarthy and his staff. "Big plays are huge. We've added big plays to our fundamentals of football. Big plays have a lot of magnitude. We emphasize them every single day." Receiver Alex Gillett had one such play during Thursday's practice, snatching an impressive reception over rookie corner Demetri Goodson.
• As for the new contract extension for his boss Ted Thompson, McCarthy said he was, "Very happy for him. This is a unique organization. It's something that's well-deserved." McCarthy further stated that his relationship with the GM is "very good" and "fluid." When it came to his own potential extension, however, McCarthy was considerably more guarded. "I'm focused on camp. The process will take its course. I've never sweated it."

That's all for McCarthy. Keep your internet machines tuned to Acme Packing Company for the latest Packers news and developments.