Packers With Something to Prove: Players to Watch in Training Camp

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Ruvell Martin, WR

Ruvell Martin is a true workman’s receiver. Having played in NFL Europe and battling to make an NFL roster for three years, he broke in as a Packer late in 2006 and carried that momentum over to have a very productive 2007 season.

Granted, Martin only hauled in 16 passes, but consider this: A remarkable 15 of them were for either a touchdown or a first down. 

Moving the chains and putting points on the board are the most valuable things a receiver can do for his club, and Ruvell’s four touchdowns in 2007 had me thinking he was finally the tall-build, red zone threat the Packers needed.

However, hampered by injuries in 2008, Martin finds himself on the rebound entering 2009’s training camp. A guy who showed vast improvement from year to year, Ruvell now has to battle his way to make the roster once more, as the Packers are loaded at receiver and are set on Jordy Nelson and James Jones being their three and four options, interchangeably.

Martin is no stranger to fighting for his NFL life, and will do so come training camp, as he will battle to maintain his role as the fifth and likely final receiver on this club.

Korey Hall/John Kuhn/Quinn Johnson, FB

It’s not the most intriguing position battle for obvious reasons, but the fullbacks need some love here. Last season, both Korey Hall and John Kuhn saw the field quite often at fullback.

Hall brings a great understanding of the game from the flip side, having played linebacker in his tenure at Boise State. He is widely considered the true starter at the position, and took the most reps at fullback for the Packers in 2008.

John Kuhn contributed later on in the season, earning more playing time as the year progressed. He is also a key contributor on special teams and posted 11 special teams tackles in 2008.

However, when drafting Quinn Johnson in the fifth round last April, Ted Thompson clearly saw something that he liked. Quinn also played linebacker at Louisiana State, so the physicality is there. When blocking in the NFL, the tenacity of a big time SEC linebacker is certainly helpful.

When Jacob Hester graduated, LSU switched Johnson to fullback, and the move was a good one. An interesting stat: Johnson had 11 touchdown-resulting blocks in 2008, second on a team that had significant talent on the offensive line.

I wouldn’t think the Packers would use a fifth rounder on a fullback just to have a body (and a huge one at that) in training camp. Johnson is here to compete.

But with the running-back group shaping up, it seems improbable the Packers will consider keeping all three fullbacks on the team. We’ll see which of these workhorses makes the final 53-man roster after training camp.

Will Blackmon, KR/PR/CB

Will Blackmon has shown very brief glimpses of greatness, and I still feel he has the capability to become an above-average/great return man. However, as I mentioned earlier, the Packers were dead last in the league in kick returns, so Blackmon may be on the hot seat in 2009.

He returned two punts for touchdowns in 2008, averaging just over 11 yards a return. On kickoffs, he averaged 21 yards per return, but he, and the entire Packers team failed to reach the end zone.

Shawn Slocum takes over as the Special Teams Coordinator after three seasons as special teams assistant. His most daunting tasks will be finding a punter to get the job done (Jeremy Kapinos and Durant Brooks will fight for the job) and setting up the offense in better field position.

When it comes to field position, Blackmon is the essential piece, assuming that he will resume his duties as the primary return man. Tramon Williams may potentially challenge him, along with Jordy Nelson. They both have had experience returning kicks and punts in their brief career with the team.

For Blackmon, it’s time to step up. His overall value on the team may decline if he cannot come up big in 2009, as Tramon Williams solidified himself as the third cornerback, and Blackmon has struggled to be productive there.

He is but only one part of an entire unit that struggled last season, but with a big year from him, he can be the most important piece to turning things around.

Assuming Blackmon finds a way to consistently set up the offense in good field position, his contributions will go far from unnoticed, and he can prolong his tenure in Green Bay for years to come. 

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