Green Bay Packers' Training Camp: Week 2 Stock Report

The second week of Green Bay Packers' training camp is almost behind us, which means it's time to take stock of the players for their efforts this week.

Some players have delivered on the already-high expectations held for them prior to the start of camp, while others have been pleasantly surprising standouts. But some Packers have not impressed during practices this week, which could push some of them toward the roster bubble if they keep it up.

Keep in mind that the following stock reports take into account this week's practices only; a player with "falling" stock could turn it all around next week and emerge on top at the end of camp. Thus, don't think of this stock report as the final word on each players' camp. 

WR Myles White: Rising

Morry Gash/Associated Press

Prior to training camp, a glance at the Packers' offseason roster suggested there may not be a spot for wide receiver Myles White on Green Bay's final roster this season. 

White is part of a crowded position group that also includes Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery, Jeff Janis, Jared Abbrederis and a crop of talented undrafted rookies in Adrian Coxson, Javess Blue, Jimmie Hunt, Larry Pinkard and Ed Williams. 

However, White's fortunes may be changing. Abbrederis and Coxson, two players who already could have been on the bubble, are both sidelined (concussion and heat-related illness, respectively) and did not practice on August 4, per the Green Bay Press-Gazette. 

Moreover, White has been putting together an impressive showing during practices. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's training camp recap summarized White's tremendous efforts this week:

"

In the first rep of one-on-ones Saturday, he blew by Damarious Randall, but the pass was underthrown. In the leadoff spot again Tuesday, he burned LaDarius Gunter, but at the last second, the rookie lunged in for the deflection. When the backups matched up in a two-minute drill late Tuesday, White sped past Quinten Rollins on another take-off route and hauled in a well-thrown 35-yard bomb from Scott Tolzien close to the sideline.

"

The Packers won't keep six receivers on the final roster unless all six have made a clear claim to being worthy of a spot, and perhaps White will find himself leaving Green Bay this summer, after all. But he's certainly taking advantage of a slight opening presenting itself at wide receiver with his eye-catching performance. 

CB Casey Hayward: Falling

Morry Gash/Associated Press

Don't be alarmed by Casey Hayward's "falling" stock in Week 2 of training camp; he is by all means still Green Bay's best option to start on the outside opposite Sam Shields. 

But the fact remains that at least in practices on Monday and Tuesday, Hayward didn't deliver a knockout performance. In fact, Hayward ended up in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's "Thumbs Down" section of its training camp recap on August 4:

"On Saturday, Hayward was burned badly by Davante Adams on a slant-and-go," Tom Silverstein wrote. "On Tuesday, he got caught guessing and was torched deep by Cobb before missing a jam and suffering the same fate against Nelson." 

Silverstein also noted that on Tuesday, Hayward spent time sitting down and rolling a baseball under his left hamstring, and then his right hamstring. He didn't miss time, but the Packers did not practice Wednesday, so we'll see if his hamstrings continue to bother him on Thursday. 

WR Ty Montgomery: Rising

Morry Gash/Associated Press

The Packers certainly don't need rookie Ty Montgomery to become an impact receiver in his first year on the team; contributing on special teams would be enough of an improvement for the team. 

However, if head coach Mike McCarthy wasn't counting on Montgomery getting many receiving snaps this season, Montgomery is proving that he might deserve them. 

Montgomery certainly left a lasting impression on starting cornerback Sam Shields during Monday's practice, when the rookie juked past the veteran and ran the ball into the end zone, leaving a stunned Shields in the dust, per ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. 

But it's not just Montgomery's receiving routes at which he's excelling. Per Demovsky, he's already amassing a nuanced understanding of the playbook, he hasn't had a single drop, and he's shown his vast versatility returning kicks, lining up wide and catching passes out of the backfield.

He's also been wildly productive scoring not one, not two but three touchdowns in Monday's practice. 

As a third-round draft pick, expectations for Montgomery were already high. But this week in camp, the rookie is demonstrating that he can do it all, making him an invaluable addition to the roster. 

ILB Nate Palmer: Rising

Morry Gash/Associated Press

Inside linebacker Nate Palmer may be practicing with a cast on his hand this week, per Demovsky, after suffering an injury to his finger at practice on Saturday. However, it's not limiting the impressive play he began to show during the first practices of camp. 

As Demovsky reported, with Clay Matthews sitting out practice Monday, Palmer took most of the first-team reps at inside linebacker alongside Sam Barrington.

This followed the somewhat surprising development during the first week of camp of Palmer being first up when Matthews and Barrington came off the field, rather than rookie Jake Ryan or second-year player Carl Bradford.

"I thought he did a good job working through it," head coach Mike McCarthy said after Monday's practice, per Demovsky. 

Palmer's rapid ascent at the position for the second week in a row is quickly displacing Bradford, who as an outside-linebacker convert, desperately needs the snaps. But so far, he hasn't been able to beat out Palmer to earn them.  

ILB Carl Bradford: Falling

Morry Gash/Associated Press

As Nate Palmer's stock rises this week during training camp, fellow inside linebacker Carl Bradford's falls in direct relation. 

It's surprising and somewhat concerning for Bradford that the Packers are in their second week of camp, and he isn't a consistent part of the second-team inside linebackers behind Clay Matthews and Sam Barrington. 

Sure, Bradford rotated in alongside Barrington during practice on Tuesday as Matthews sat out with knee soreness, per Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. But so too did Joe Thomas, Jake Ryan and Palmer. 

Per Cohen, Palmer and Ryan received "the majority" of first-team reps in Matthews' place, with Thomas and Bradford receiving fewer. 

When Bradford was moved to inside linebacker during his first training camp with the Packers, it was understandable that he'd have some trouble picking up the new position, much different than the "devil 'backer" edge-rush position he played in college at Arizona State.

But the fact that Bradford is still struggling to make an impact on the inside in his second training camp at the position is concerning. And given that his size limits what he can do as an edge-rusher in Green Bay's 3-4, he needs to step it up. 

Especially with Matthews sitting out, Bradford has a huge opportunity to get noticed. "It's a big opportunity for the inside linebackers," head coach Mike McCarthy said after Tuesday's practice, per Cohen. "And they need to start making more plays, frankly."

That's exactly what Bradford needs to do in future practices to not end up on the wrong side of the roster bubble.