Travis Duncan
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Second-year pro Davon House turned heads on Monday at Packers training camp.
By Travis Duncan
Packerforum writer
The biggest news out of Packers camp is directly tied to the team's biggest issue last season: pass coverage.
The secondary got its first major shakeup when safety Charlie Peprah was released last week. Then Charles Woodson was moved from corner to strong safety in the base defense.
Then on Monday Davon House emerged into the Packers nickel defense, along with Tramon Williams, Woodson and Jarrett Bush, according to the PackerReport.
In 2011, House's rookie season, he saw action as backup in just two games. One thing some have noted about House is his size. Even though six-foot even is not towering it's still pretty big for an NFL corner and it obviously works to his advantage.
At practice on Monday House deflected a pass and intercepted two passes, the Green Bay Press Gazette reports.
Head coach Mike McCarthy said that House was "doing things very well in the drill work".
Isn't that just another way of McCarthy saying, "Hey, let's see what you got in a game kid?"
Yes it is.
"I think they are all in the picture," McCarthy said via the Journal Sentinel. "(House) had the big interception there in the red zone."
The head coach added, "But I think all those young guys need to continue to grow through install faces on defense, and on offense, as we get all of our schemes in and all of that. But these guys need to play in games. That's where the playing time will come."
Meanwhile, it was Bush who emerged last week as a top candidate for a starting spot at cornerback. The odd man out is Sam Shields who we can now labeled the "embattled" one in this position battle.
Adding his name to the mix, rookie Casey Hayward got reps with the first unit on Monday, according to various media reports.
Bob McGuin of the Journal Sentinel wrote on Saturday "Lumped behind Tramon Williams, Jarrett Bush, Sam Shields and Davon House when training camp opened, Hayward has been the most impressive defensive back and overall rookie so far."
Williams is a lock at the starting corner position in the base 3-4 defense. Now that Woodson will be at strong safety in the base scheme. Bush, House, Shields and Hayward will be competing for the other opposite corner job.
Finley, Hargrove back at practice
Tight end Jermichael Finley was at practice Monday after being cleared following a concussion.
Defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove was back at Packers camp after attending to a personal matter recently. Hargrove will miss the first eight games of the season with an NFL mandated suspension from fallout with the Saints bounty scandal.
McCarthy comfortable with offensive line; Bulaga confident
"I think it's comfortable to stand up here and not answer the questions I've answered in the past," McCarthy said Monday.
"Every year we would sit here and try to determine when were going to establish a starting offensive line. Now the obvious is being presented everyday at practice. When the five men practice every single day together, obviously continuity comes quicker."
That unit is Marshall Newhouse at left tackle, T.J. Lang at left guard, Jeff Saturday at center, Bryan Bulga at right tackle and Josh Sitton at right guard.
The biggest question mark will be Newhouse at left tackle.
Concerning Newhouse, McCarthy said last week, via the Associated Press, "My confidence with Marshall grows every time I see him practice and perform. (I think a) pretty good indicator is the quarterback has a lot of confidence in him. Aaron has a lot of confidence, and that's important, because Aaron is in the huddle. He has a very good feel looking in guys' eyes during the course of the game."
Bulaga said Monday, "We feel like we have a good group of five guys that we're consistently working with the same five everyday, that's big. No guys are nicked up, everyone feels good."
He added,"When you can work with the same five guys-now obviously Marshall's worked with T.J. and I've worked with Josh [Sitton] it's just a matter of getting Jeff in there. I think it's a pretty good group, you've got a good mix of veterans and young guys. Every guy brings a different skill set and I think it all gels well together."
McCarthy said Monday that Bulaga is on the cusp of being "recognized as one of the best right tackles" in the NFC.
He added that Bulaga is ready to have a big year, (dependent on health) and is stepping up into a leadership role.
