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As the week goes along, more continues to be discussed about the Green Bay Packers' rookies, and particularly about fourth-round linebacker Jake Ryan, who played on 38 of the Packers' 67 defensive snaps on Sunday. This comes a week after he filled in for Nate Palmer on a series against the Broncos as well, and it seems clear that the team is starting to see him as more than just a special teams player at this point in his rookie season.
With that said, it seems too early to simply hand him the starting job, especially when the team tends to like to bring along their mid- and late-round picks slowly and work them into their primary positions very gradually.
While Ryan is one focus lately, the Packers also made a minor but notable adjustment to their gameday coaching responsibilities. It's nothing as drastic as giving Mike McCarthy playcalling duties back, but it is an attempt to take a little bit off of Tom Clements' plate as he works on preparing for the next drive.
What You Might've Missed: Draft picks developing | Packers.com
On Sunday, both Aaron Ripkowski and Jake Ryan showed some of the tendencies that put them on the Packers' radar and made them draft picks this spring. We're hoping they have more opportunities to do just that over the next few months.
Jake Ryan makes a case for inside LB job | Packersnews.com
Ryan's role on defense has probably arrived a bit earlier than we expected, both due to Sam Barrington's injury and Nate Palmer's struggles. Not only that, but he has been making some nice plays
Notes - Eddie Lacy feeling better, but James Starks may see more time | JSOnline.com
Our bet is that Starks gets the start regardless of Lacy's status. Starks has put up 100 total yards in a game three times this season, while Lacy has yet to do it once.
Green Bay Packers sticking with Tom Clements as playcaller - ESPN
Mike McCarthy isn't going to make a drastic change - rather, he made a more subtle one this week by bringing QB coach Alex Van Pelt down from the booth to the sideline. That allowed Clements to focus more on setting up the next series rather than discussing the previous one with his quarterback.
Current players not even born last time Lions won at Lambeau | 247sports.com
The streak that dates back to 1991 predates every Packers rookie and even a handful of other players on the roster. Linebacker Joe Thomas spoke about the streak and its impact (really its lack thereof) on the current team.
2016 NFL Draft order: Cleveland Browns moving up, Tennessee Titans fall - SBNation.com
In case you were curious, Detroit still holds the top spot for now, while the Packers' record of course still puts them in the middle of the playoff pack.