Packers Practice Notebook, August 7th: Family Night Edition

Between the rain and lightning, the weather was felt at Lambeau Field tonight for the Packers’ Family Night event, which still posted an attendance of 34,835 for the practice, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. The practice was delayed for lightning concerns, but fans returned to the stands shortly. In all, Family Night was cut about an hour early due to the heavy rain, with no fireworks to end the show, but lasted well beyond the one-hour window that head coach Matt LaFleur was told the Packers were going to have once they hit the field.

• During the interview leading up to Family Night, general manager Brian Gutekunst had the following to say about Davante Adams’ contract situation, as the two sides attempt to find common ground: “These things take time...these things are never easy, never short, usually takes some time, but the importance of that player to our football team, it’s important that we keep him here.”
• Gutekunst also stated, “It’s difficult and it’s going to be more difficult as we go on...life will be different for the two,” when discussing vaccinated and unvaccinated players on the roster.
• OLB Chauncey Rivers and DL Josh Avery, two players signed by the team this past week, participated in practice with the second- and third-team defenses. Avery had some splashy plays, earning credit from the broadcast crew, despite the practice not being structured in a way to showcase defensive line play.
• Players missing from the practice were receivers Equanimeous St. Brown, Juwann Winfree, and Chris Blair, tight end Josiah Deguara, nose tackle Kenny Clark and linebackers Kamal Martin and Randy Ramsey.

• With left tackle David Bakhtiari still out, Elgton Jenkins has kicked outside from left guard. At left guard, Jon Runyan, Jr. and Ben Braden have been battling at the position, while Royce Newman and Dennis Kelly rotate in more than most non-starters. At center, Jake Hanson was with the second team, his path to the 53-man roster.
• Former Detroit Lions seventh-round pick Isaac Nauta saw more playing time than expected in a light day for the 37-year-old tight end Marcedes Lewis.
• During special teams, when the punt gunners, punt returners, and punt protection/punt block teams were all working relatively independently from each other, receivers Amari Rodgers and Randall Cobb took the majority of return snaps, according to the broadcast.
• If I were to name a player of the game, it would be backup cornerback Kabion Ento who had multiple pass deflections during various periods. Ento, a potential special teams contributor and a converted wide receiver, is fighting for a roster spot with Jaire Alexander, the injured Kevin King, first-rounder Eric Stokes, slotback Chandon Sullivan, and Josh Jackson ahead of him on the depth chart at the moment. Hopefully, the preseason breaks as well for him as tonight’s practice did.

• Evidence of defensive evolution! The Packers' first-team defense actually held Aaron Rodgers in a score-or-lose two-minute situation, backing off their defensive backs...unlike in the NFC Championship Game.

• The practice was more so designed for shorter, efficient plays than passes designed to showcase their quarterback room. Still, second-year quarterback Jordan Love, the subject of many comments, tweets, and posts since April of 2020, had a great throw into double coverage that had virtually no room for error. Overall, the offense was very vanilla, likely on-purpose, but Love didn’t look out of place going head-to-head with professional players.

• The best defensive play of the day comes to us from safety Darnell Savage, who circus caught a ball that was popped up by a Davante Adams juggle.

• After practice, Rodgers threw his ball into the stands to a father and son...neither will be asked to join the team anytime soon.

• During the post-practice presser, wide receiver Devin Funchess seemed to say a racist term and perform a racist gesture. At this time, neither Funchess nor the Packers have made a public comment on the situation.

Update: