Cheese Curds, 8/9: Jaire Alexander is leading the defense’s surge in practice

The hype around the Green Bay Packers’ defense just continues to build as the team gets closer and closer to the start of the preseason. Monday’s practice saw the defense dominate the offense, particularly in two-minute drills, and while it’s not as simple as one player making all the difference, there appears to be a dramatic effect resulting from Jaire Alexander’s return to full strength.

Alexander missed most of last season with a shoulder injury that he suffered while making a tackle in the run game in week five. He returned to play only a few snaps in the Divisional Playoff game, but he’s back to 100% and looking like it through two weeks of training camp.

The All-Pro cornerback probably will not play much in the preseason (if he plays at all), but then the preseason is hardly a good time to evaluate how a defense will perform in the regular season. Teams tend to run very simple playcalls and focus their efforts on evaluating players down the depth chart rather than rolling out exciting new schemes or personnel packages.

That’s why seeing the defense perform so well in practices is this exciting. And much of the reason for that excitement — as well as the energy that unit brings on a daily basis — starts with its number one cornerback.

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The defense has been living up to its offseason billing this week in practice.

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One big reason for the defense's excellent play is Alexander's return to normalcy -- that is, his elite coverage ability. He appears to be about the only person who can cover Romeo Doubs on a regular basis right now, and it's exciting to think about what he'll do this season if he stays fully healthy.

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Scott has leapfrogged Shawn Davis for the third safety job and should get plenty of starter's reps this week with Darnell Savage taking a few days off due to a hamstring injury.

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Apparently Rodgers' offseason brew isn't defined in the NFL's substance abuse policy as a banned substance. That's good to know, I suppose.

Bears LB Roquan Smith requests trade out of Chicago | NFL.com
The Bears are in disarray! Perhaps the new regime at Halas Hall doesn't feel loyalty to players drafted highly by previous GM Ryan Pace and his staff.

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Kyler Murray wouldn't have to worry about these kinds of fines.