Here are your Patriots news 3-30 and notes for this week Mike Vrabel is building a team in his image and he and Eliot Wolf have done a terrific job rebuilding the team The Patriots have tried to get several different wide receivers in the building the past few years and it wasn’t a lack of trying that caused them to be unsuccessful and he brings a route-running skill that will lend itself well to a Josh McDaniels’ schemed offense Diggs was on his way to a seventh straight 1,000-yard season The Patriots haven’t had a 1,000-yard season from a wide receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019 He will immediately upgrade a position that is badly in need of it Coach Vrabel was a guest on Chris Long’s “Green Light Podcast,” and Long asked him about the addition of Diggs it’s just trying to make sure that we’re supporting Drake and supporting the football team confident receiver that’s produced throughout his career in multiple ways “There’s a play style to him that I’ve always appreciated and that we want to continue to enhance and make sure that he’s doing things to help us and his presence have been great through our conversations Derek Havens mentioned the play style that Vrabel alluded to on our podcast earlier this week Diggs brings that edge that has been missing from the Patriots’ offense In Diggs’ first press conference he was asked about playing for Vrabel a former player and if that had anything to do with his signing I also kind of factor in that he was a former player meshes really well with coaches that played at one time They know what it takes to put the time in being out there I guess it wouldn’t say it’s too much like a robot Sometimes they get caught up in being in the numbers and the Xs and O’s “Player coaches know that you’re out there how you see things can be differently when you once were a player So he was a big draw for me seeing that he played the game of football and how well he played the game of football He played with a team or individuals that were great at what they do “Being around greatness and breeding greatness it’s like – it’s rubbing shoulders with it I feel like it’s a good relationship to have he has a lot of similarities with people say through the grapevine so I look forward to meeting and connecting with him.” I’ve been doing this for ten and a half years – I always add the half now – but I’ve played with a lot of quarterbacks Once you know somebody on a more personal level I feel like it’s a lot of carry-over to the field whether they’re risk-takers or like to play aggressive That’s something that I get excited about and love to be around But as far as his development as a quarterback I feel like that’s not really too much of my job I just look forward to getting back out there and being one of the weapons for him.” Ja’Whaun Bentley: The inside linebacker and defensive captain was released on Friday ESPN’s Mike Reiss was the first to report it Bentley was a terrific linebacker for the Patriots but with a new coaching regime and new defensive philosophy that favored faster Bentley didn’t fit what they were looking for His release gives him a chance to latch on with another team early Last week, right here in this column I asked if Bentley could be going this season He tried to lose weight to fit more in the attacking style of defense Could this signal Marte Mapu moving back to linebacker this season Matt Stevens: The Patriots announced that former Patriot safety Stevens who was part of the Super Bowl XXXVI winning team has died He was paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle accident in 2007 but took part in clinical trials that allowed him to regain mobility with special leg braces Hunter at #4: Who the Patriots draft at #4 is still really up in the air it could be Will Campbell or perhaps another left tackle But one scenario that appears very possible is for the Patriots drafting WR/CB Travis Hunter The Giants signed Jameis Winston and then added Russell Wilson on a one-year deal Neither is considered a long-term answer at QB The Giants are reportedly enamored with Shadeur Sanders They had a scout at every Colorado game last season Things could break well for the Patriots to nab Hunter in one scenario Tennessee is expected to take quarterback Cam Ward with the #1 pick is expected to take Abdul Carter to pair up with Myles Garrett as bookend edge rushers If they pick Sanders as their future quarterback it would leave the Patriots with the opportunity to take Travis Hunter One thing to remember is that Eliot Wolf is from the Green Bay school of draft philosophy And the Packers traditionally draft OL/DL in the first round Hunter is considered a potential generational talent would give Josh McDaniels plenty of options to design plays with Mack Hollins: Don’t go to sleep on Hollins The big target enjoyed the best season of his career playing with McDaniels and the Raiders He should be a big red zone target for Drake Maye Vrabel on the Chris Long podcast had this to say about Hollins:  “I haven’t heard one person say anything negative other than maybe wear some shoes once in a while It’s just you’re talking to a very mature person I love the conversations that I have with him I’ve always looked at him from afar and said this guy is somebody that could always play for us,’ and we weren’t able to add him and now we’re able to add him through this process.” Ashton Jeanty: The Patriots have many ways to go with the #4 pick as mentioned above. Left tackle, wide receiver, edge rusher, defensive tackle, tight end, but running back? Mike Dussault of Patriots.com did a mock draft where he had the Patriots going in a different direction with their top pick While I tend to think that the Patriots will go in a different direction Mike’s choice was brilliant in that it got people talking (mostly unfit to print LOL) but it opened the door to think outside the box Jeanty is definitely one of the top players in the draft and one who seems destined for a very successful career in the NFL Kendrick Bourne hung out with Jeanty a bit this week and offered this on his Instagram page: “Jeanty to the Patriots?” Still a long shot considering the other needs of the team Patriots 4th & 2 Podcast: Derek and I discussed the Stefon Diggs signing and the tight ends and offensive line prospects in the draft.  Please check us out and listen to us on YouTube, Apple, or wherever you listen to podcasts Russ Francis/Chuck Fairbanks: The former Patriot tight end and head coach should be in the Patriots team Hall of Fame and the fact that Francis isn’t is an absolute travesty Francis and the Raiders’ Dave Casper changed how teams used the tight end position This will be displayed in our Sunday posts until it happens Casper is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Francis’ numbers stand up well against Casper’s Last season was a nightmare for the Patriots The offensive line was a mess between injuries and subpar play but it was expected to be the team’s strength and keep them in games specifically the middle of the defense from top to bottom with coordinators and a head coach in their first years at that position but they are good coaches who will eventually get their chances to shine elsewhere Rising star Christian Barmore suffered from blood clots and they lost their best defensive lineman a defensive captain and the glue in the inside linebacker position His injury was one that the team never recovered from the middle of the defense was a weak spot in the running game Peppers had an off-field incident that caused him to miss several games He was eventually cleared of his most serious charges Dugger suffered an injury that was much worse than initially thought but he had offseason surgery and should be better by the start of training camp The new coaching staff wants to play a faster more attacking style of defense that doesn’t play the traditional two-gapping style they played for more than two decades under Bill Belichick and Mayo The first domino was signing Milton Williams who is an ascending disruptor and penetrator on the defensive line Davon Godchaux is gone but the team signed Khyiris Tonga from the Cardinals The Patriots signed Robert Spillane to man the MLB spot They resigned Christian Ellis to a pretty nice payday who didn’t move the needle much when signed but he’s a very highly-rated linebacker according to PFF I wonder if Marte Mapu is being switched back to linebacker but they also added Marcus Epps on a one-year deal who is more of a free safety than the others The Patriots’ pass rush was virtually non-existent in 2024 Think about how far they fell in two years the Patriots were the #4 team in pressure rate yet blitzed less than the three teams ahead of them they signed veteran edge rusher Harold Landry Landry has averaged 8.8 sacks and does a terrific job of setting the edge The team also signed K’Lavon Chaisson from the Raiders The Patriots are hoping he can replicate that in 2025 Davis and Gonzalez now give the Patriots and outstanding duo at the boundary corners with Marcus Jones playing the slot corner These are excellent additions to the Patriots’ defense They have nine draft picks and have the cap space left to make a trade or two after the draft to add more talent to the team They’ve had an excellent start to team building I think that there’s guys up there that we have to have from that position creating a standard of what it is to play with speed and violence and physicality and effort and relentlessness We’re excited about what Milton [Williams] is going to bring to our football team We’re excited to see where Christian Barmore is coming back and where his availability is going to be Continue to work with some of these young guys excited about where Keion White and his ability to continue to work on his technique that if we can continue to refine some of this technique You know how technical the position can be.” you got to have guys up front that are going to… Who’s going to combat some of these players on defense Who’s going to block some of these premier players that get drafted high is who’s going to be the guy that stands up to the a**hole on the other side.” Patriots HC Mike Vrabel was asked by Chris Long who is going to be the a**hole on the defense “Special person as I’ve gotten to know him.” He took them out of school and he had candy and stuff They’re going to be working this candy off.’ I’m like You let them eat candy and not have to go work them out.” Patriots’ HC Mike Vrabel on the special player and person that Morgan Moses is you don’t need a miracle to win football games You just need the right people in the building and then obviously we’ve got the right people here CD won a Super Bowl; Milton just won a Super Bowl They’re going to bring knowledge of the game on how to bring longevity through those weeks of week 18 “It’s important for us to be able to learn from one another he told — eight years in the league as a free agent without a tryout and he comes in here and now he’s 140 tackles two years in a row That’s somebody that comes in the building every day to learn “So guys are going to get around these guys and we’re going to talk football we’re going to learn about each other on the field and off the field nothing that comes at us — no adversity that touches us on the field is going to be able to break us because we’re going to have an unbelievable bond “So when we run out of that tunnel on Sundays You’re going to feel something different because we’re going to go out there as one unit and we’re going to play football together.” RT Morgan Moses on building a culture on the team “Somebody asked me what success looks like you can judge it by wins and losses during the season but success for me in the offseason is going to be that the players believe in what we’re doing and they believe in the connections that we’re making.’” — Mike Vrabel Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at [email protected] Listen to our Patriots 4th and 2 podcasts on Apple and YouTube as Russ Goldman, Derek Havens, and I from PatsFans.com discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. moving down a few spots and grabbing an extra 2nd or 3rd rounder looks like the best play now unless he is the reincarnation of Walter Payton so don’t have the luxury of picking a RB with a high 1st round pick Green Bay Packers passing coordinator Jason Vrable -- one of Matt LaFleur's top offensive assistants on staff -- will be in Mobile to be the offensive coordinator of the National Team at the Senior Bowl, the event announced Wednesday Vrable will coach under "head coach" Mike Kafka of the New York Giants on the National Team staff The Senior Bowl is using a "Coach Up" format that allows assistant coaches from across the NFL to take on elevated roles during the week of the event Assistants are nominated by a team's head coach or general manager General manager Brian Gutekunst has a long history of drafting players from the Senior Bowl so having Vrable on staff should only increase the scouting profile the Packers have on many prospects scheduled to participate in Mobile The Senior Bowl will be played on Saturday There will be three days of practices -- offering a terrific evaluation opportunity -- before the game At least 100 players from the Senior Bowl have been drafted in each of the last four drafts, including a record 110 players last year. The Packers drafted an NFL-high eight players from the Senior Bowl in 2024 and a ninth (linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper) was invited to the event – The Green Bay Packers’ passing-game coordinator is the team’s former receivers coach and still spends a lot of practice time with that position group he was the National team’s offensive coordinator at the Senior Bowl for the past week Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst’s love of the Senior Bowl is well known With extra intel from Vrabel about skill and work ethic paired with the team’s need at the position don’t be surprised if one of these receivers winds up with the Packers Restrepo almost certainly is too short for the Packers to consider He had two big-time seasons with 85 catches for 1,092 yards in 2023 and 69 catches for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024 It’s taken me all of 15 minutes to decide Xavier Restrepo is my favorite (and possibly the best) WR out here today. #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/FbMx6q30VW Higgins had a big final season with 87 catches for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns In four college seasons – two at Eastern Kentucky and two at Iowa State – he caught 227 passes for 3,309 yards and 28 touchdowns He dropped two passes this season (2.2 percent) and seven in his career According to PFF, Higgins in 2024 broke 12 tackles and averaged 3.8 yards after the catch. He caught 14-of-24 contested-catch opportunities. He showed his physicality with a trick-play touchdown on Saturday “That kind of body control is all over Higgins' tape at Iowa State,” The 33rd Team’s Tyler Brooke wrote “He also showcases legitimate technique with his route running along with solid explosiveness and long strides to be a vertical outside threat and safety blanket for his quarterback.” No help is always tough for a DB in 1-on-1s, but Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins showing off some vertical separation is good to seeBig part of what would make a successful Senior Bowl for him pic.twitter.com/ZjJFFp9zAL Johnson had 86 receptions for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023 and 83 receptions for 898 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024 Johnson had a tremendous week at the Senior Bowl but the Packers don’t like short and small receivers He was PFF’s top performer at receiver “His elite route-running chops were on full display and he was able to separate against press coverage which is what his biggest question mark is at his size,” PFF’s Max Chadwick said Tez Johnson reportedly “rose up draft boards” more than any other player at the Senior Bowl this week.Johnson reportedly didn’t lose a SINGLE 1-on-1 rep through three practices.Many NFL scouts reportedly believe Johnson’s route running skills could put “NFL CB’s” in the… pic.twitter.com/S80YjCGSUb Noel caught 245 passes for 2,855 yards and 18 touchdowns He set career highs in 2024 with 80 receptions for 1,194 yards and nine touchdowns The shortest receiver drafted by the Packers during the Brian Gutekunst-Ted Thompson regimes was Amari Rodgers with a third-round pick in 2021 He was short at 5-foot-9 1/2 but thick and 212 pounds That Rodgers was a bust probably means Gutekunst would be incredibly reluctant to back off the team’s historic thresholds Jaylin Noel with the phenomenal adjustment to the ball against Quincy Riley! #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/VMrk3bHQlM Bryant caught 54 passes for 984 yards (18.2 average) and 10 touchdowns in 2024 as he went over 2,000 career receiving yards Bryant forced 14 missed tackles and averaged 6.9 yards after the catch. Impressively, he dropped just one pass. He told The Draft Network’s Justin Melo that he considers a 50/50 ball to be more like 70/30 He had a 43-yard catch in the game and could set himself into the Day 2 mix Taylor Elgersma to Pat Bryant for the big play!@LaurierFootball @IlliniFootball 📺: @SeniorBowl on NFL Network📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/uX6CHKRvsp Hudson was a late add to the Senior Bowl roster he caught 47 passes for 770 yards (16.4 average) and four touchdowns Hudson isn’t much of a YAC threat (3.8 average, five missed tackles) and had double-digit drop percentages all five seasons, according to Pro Football Focus, but caught 13-of-27 in contested-catch situations. He could be a “tremendous value” as a Day 3 pick Williams had a huge final season with 70 catches for 1,196 yards and 14 touchdowns He is an electric player with 20 missed tackles and 8.4 YAC per catch and surprisingly strong in contested-catch situations with 10-of-16 A quick release at the line of scrimmage from @WSUCougarFB WR Kyle Williams 😳📺: Reese's Senior Bowl -- Saturday, 2:30pm ET on NFL Network pic.twitter.com/cl0B1bGJIj Williams was one of Daniel Jeremiah’s top 10 players of the week “I knew Williams had good speed,” Jeremiah wrote “but what impressed me in practice was the polish he showed in his release He created separation throughout the week and caught the ball well He’s put himself in the mix to be drafted on Day 2.” He had the fastest time speed on the practice field among the receivers and was second-fastest overall Felton played two seasons for the Hokies and caught 70 passes for 1,027 yards and 10 touchdowns had five drops (13.5 percent) and caught 8-of-15 contested catches SENIOR BOWL DAY 3: WR Da'Quan Felton, Virginia Tech puts his size on display pic.twitter.com/CwKCIeohZv Lane is another receiver who is too short and too small After catching 69 passes during his third season at Middle Tennessee State he transferred to Virginia Tech for his final two campaigns with a total of 74 receptions for 1,004 yards and eight touchdowns Lane does come with some added appeal with a 10.9-yard average and two touchdowns as a punt returner during his career COUNTDOWN TO THE #NFLDraft83Jaylin Lane (5’9”, 191 lbs) is an wide receiver out of VT who has shined at the Senior Bowl. He’s undersized but creates an abundance of separation and has strong hands. Day 3 receiver who will stick in the NFL for a while pic.twitter.com/ZkcuWFXbNm Davante Adams: Hall of Fame-worthy receiver, elite taco salesman and professional pot-stirer. https://t.co/vDfvxzbkjp Packers offseason preview: Salary cap, free agents, fifth-year options, Jaire Alexander, draft capital, positions of need The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Jason Vrable will be the National team’s offensive coordinator The Senior Bowl announced on Wednesday that Green Bay Packers passing game coordinator Jason Vrable who previously served as the team’s wide receiver coach from 2020 through 2023 will be the National Team’s offensive coordinator for the week of practice in Mobile as he’s likely up for an offensive coordinator role under Matt LaFleur whenever current offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich ends up leaving for greener pastures Vrable will have the opportunity to work hands-on with some of the top draft prospects during a week of all-star game practices teams whose coaches participate in the game end up falling in love with a couple of players they were able to coach throughout the week and end up selecting them on draft weekend If you’re wondering who is participating in the Senior Bowl this year, the following offensive players have accepted invites and are projected to be top 50 selections according to the early consensus draft board: the players haven’t been divided into the National and American squads so it’s uncertain which players will end up on the team that Vrable will be coaching image captionGreen Bay Packers wide receivers coach Jason Vrable is shown during the second quarter of their game Saturday The Green Bay Packers beat the Cleveland Browns 24-22 Packers26 17MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL / USA TODAY NETWORK Jan 12, 2025 6:00 AM ESTIn this story:NFLThe NFL coaching cycle is in full swing Multiple head coach and coordinator opportunities have opened up already and interview requests are quickly firing in as every team looks to settle their immediate future with the right hire we've already covered the head coach candidates and general manager candidates to monitor (link below) I wanted to tackle some of the lesser known coaches on the rise who could be featured names for coordinator positions and head coaches of their own someday here are some criteria I used to determine this list: this list is organized alphabetically (last name) so as not to imply any bias with the candidates or default into a "ranking" of them What is a passing game coordinator?I've heard this question often the exact responsibilities vary from team to team it's little more than a title they can hand out to promote a coach that they want to keep around Kyle Shanahan did this with Mike LaFleur and Mike McDaniel for years with the 49ers.  the position is an expanded assistant role focused on the passing game as the name would suggest essentially coaching specific passing situations (third downs red zone passes) and working with the offensive coordinator and coordinate the team's passing attack PGCs have more say in the offensive process than any non-position coach (if they a team's PGC can be the spark of innovation the team needs to unlock something different about their approach.  1. Joe Bleymaier, Kansas City ChiefsAnother fast-rising coach up the Chiefs' ranks, Joe Bleymaier is expected to be a feature in several offensive coordinator searches this offseason Bleymaier was promoted to wide receivers coach in 2021 serving in that role until being moved to passing game coordinator in 2023 when the Chiefs overhauled the offensive staff Over the last two seasons as the team's passing game coordinator Bleymaier has played a crucial role in the Chiefs' offensive evolution with Mahomes and has helped them stay at the top of the NFL.  2. Tanner Engstrand, Detroit LionsA former assistant under Jim Harbaugh at San Diego and later Michigan, Tanner Engstrand climbed the ranks from graduate assistant to assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in just eight years After a short stint as the offensive coordinator for the XFL's DC Defenders under Pep Hamilton where his role under Dan Campbell has grown every season going from an assistant to quality control to passing game coordinator in just two seasons Some view Engstrand as a key figure in the design and calls of the explosive plays that have made the Lions so dangerous.  Many view him as the in-house replacement for Ben Johnson if/when he is hired away but Engstrand will also be a hot name for other offensive coordinator jobs around the league 3. Josh Grizzard, Tampa Bay BuccaneersA former collegiate defensive back, Josh Grizzard has quickly risen up the coaching ranks as a hot commodity He spent a year as a student assistant at his alma mater Yale in 2012 before being hired by David Cutcliffe to join his staff at Duke he played a part in developing Daniel Jones with the Blue Devils Todd Bowles credited Grizzard with adding "fresh new ideas" to the team's offense and has played a big role in the Buccaneers becoming one of the best offenses in the NFL this season He is viewed as a strong internal candidate to replace Coen if he leaves in the offseason but don't be surprised if other teams call him to replicate Tampa Bay's success Cincinnati BengalsJustin Rascati's first job in the pros came coaching the offensive line in Denver working under Mike Munchak and Chris Kuper He spent two seasons working with the offensive line before working with the quarterbacks in Fangio's final season  Rascati followed Kuper to Minnesota under Kevin O'Connell working as the assistant offensive line coach His time coaching the offensive line opened his eyes and gave him some much-needed perspective on game planning Rascati's involvement in the passing game under O'Connell caught the eye of Zac Taylor As Taylor looked to open up the passing game coordinator role after some changes on the offensive staff Rascati's name popped up on his radar After a few interviews, Taylor named Rascati the team's passing game coordinator, calling him "the greatest fit of all time" Rascati added a breath of fresh air with what he learned under Munchak and Kevin O'Connell giving the Bengals' offense new answers It's hard to argue with the results this season Joe Burrow had arguably his best season in the pros and the Bengals shredded teams week after week through the air He joined Green Bay in 2019 as an offensive assistant after working for the New York Jets in 2017 and 2018. Before that, he spent four seasons with the Buffalo Bills most notably as the assistant quarterbacks coach to open the 2016 season When Anthony Lynn was promoted to offensive coordinator Vrable took over as running backs coach to finish the season As the passing game coordinator from 2022 to this year Vrable has helped the Packers finish with a top-ten passing offense in 2023 and 2024 While orchestrating their two-minute offense Vrable helped design the ninth-best success rate and sixth-best scoring drive percentage in the league during these situations.   the Patriots “prioritized experience over potential” Robert Kraft’s team and brand were not only defeated but destroyed Former president Ronald Reagan had a great quote: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” the New England Patriots were considered the premier franchise in the NFL and out-execute to beat any team on any given Sunday That brand has been completely destroyed in less than a year I don’t know what Robert Kraft was thinking but he was blind to the fragility of what made his franchise a relevant Ownership took it for granted that 20 years of dominance would just live on regardless even if the leaders who built it and knew how to sustain it were gone here’s hoping the organization learned its lesson and will allow new head coach Mike Vrabel to do the job they hired him to do without all the meddling What we had as fans was too good to let die We want our children’s children to experience it for themselves Green Bay Packers passing game coordinator Jason Vrable will serve as the National team's offensive coordinator during the Senior Bowl Vrable will work closely with the wide receiver group a position that Green Bay will likely look to add talent to through the 2025 NFL Draft Since taking over as general manager in 2018 Brian Gutekunst has drafted 10 wide receivers and seven of them competed at the Senior Bowl The Senior Bowl recently announced the wide receivers who are on the National team roster Let's look at who Vrable will coach throughout the week and who could be potential targets in April The Illinois wide receiver had one drop on 78 targets this past season He can be a load to bring down after the catch due to his strength He does the dirty work on the perimeter as a blocker He can win at all three levels and has reliable hands to help clean up the drop issues that plagued Green Bay's wide receiver group this past season Iowa StateHiggins is a big-bodied wide receiver with strong hands The Cyclone wide receiver had two drops on 129 targets this past season He has outstanding body control and is unfazed by catching passes in traffic Higgins finished this past season with 14 contested catches Higgins bullies defenders as a blocker out on the edges Da'Quan Felton, Virginia TechFelton is a well-put-together wide receiver. He's willing to do the dirty work as a blocker. The Norfolk State transfer was featured on Bruce Feldman's Freaks list Felton is a big-play threat but he'll need to sand down the rough edges of his game It will be a big week for him down in Mobile Williams has the speed to stretch the field vertically. The Washington State wide receiver can shift gears to be a threat with the ball in his hands. According to PFF Williams finished this past season with 590 yards after the catch The UNLV transfer finished his two seasons at Washington State with 131 receptions for 2,041 yards and 20 touchdowns The other four wide receivers on the National roster include Tez Johnson (Oregon) Jaylin Noel (Iowa State) and Xavier Restrepo (Miami) Due to Green Bay liking their wide receivers to be 5-10 or taller and at least 190 pounds it's possible that those four prospects won't be on Green Bay's board Gutekunst has sat in the captain's chair of Green Bay's war room for seven drafts and he's taken a wide receiver from the Senior Bowl in four of those drafts. With the Packers likely back in the market for a wide receiver during the 2025 draft it's safe to assume that he'll target one who was down in Mobile Jason Vrable: Defenses Respect Packers WR Jayden Reed Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Hunter, one of the most talked-about prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, is hoping to continue playing both receiver and cornerback in the pros, just as he did in college. In fact, Hunter took the college football world by storm winning the Heisman Trophy thanks to his dominant play on both sides of the ball He also captured the Biletnikoff Award for his production as a wide receiver racking up 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns.  “I don’t know how anybody could say how hard it would be. We’ve never seen a player necessarily do it,” Vrabel said via MassLive “I think there’s some things he can improve on by probably concentrating on just one position But never going to put any restrictions on Travis or any player We’re going to continue to put more on their plate Travis Hunter's fiancee shows support at award ceremony “If he were on our football team and showed great skill at one position and started to really do well in his conditioning and it didn’t fall and didn’t drop (off) we would be open to playing everybody we had at more than one position Anything that would help the football team I’d be all in favor of.”  Deion Sanders deserves more money? FOX Sports analyst says 'numbers don't lie' For the Patriots, Hunter could be a game-changer on either side of the ball. With the team still needing help at receiver alongside Stefon Diggs, Hunter could offer instant production. Vrabel’s comments suggest the Patriots would likely start Hunter at one position, allowing him to master the details, before potentially unleashing his full versatility down the line. By Lover of sports and competition After falling 22-10 to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round the attention has shifted to the 2025 season The Green Bay Packers offseason has officially begun The roster and coaching staff will certainly look different next season Green Bay is looking to become a serious title contender and has some weaknesses that need to be improved upon over the next couple of months it has been revealed that Green Bay passing game coordinator Jason Vrable is going to be the offseason coordinator for the National Team for the Senior Bowl Vrable has been with the Packers since 2019 He's held roles as an offensive assistant The Senior Bowl is a college All-Star game that features the nation's best graduating prospects entering the NFL Draft Vrable being down at Mobile is an advantage during the draft process Getting an up-close look at these prospects over a couple of days allows different players to stick out Scouting guys and watching film is one thing but being in person to see how guys practice and respond to your type of coaching is underrated Vrable was a part of an effective Packers offense they finished the year fifth in total offense (370.8) As the 39-year-old looks to gain more experience getting this opportunity showcased that he's looked at in high regard around the league This environment will allow him to improve as a coach which will only help the Packers going forward © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands Jason Vrable begins his sixth season with the Packers and his third as passing game coordinator after being promoted on Feb Vrable spent four seasons as wide receivers coach after being promoted on March 12 also serving as the passing game coordinator in 2022-23 Originally hired as an offensive assistant by Head Coach Matt LaFleur on Feb Vrable assisted with the wide receivers during the 2019 season He will begin his 12th season as an NFL coach having six years of experience prior to joining the Packers Vrable coached four wide receivers who posted 35-plus catches 400-plus receiving yards and three-plus receiving TDs as rookies (Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson in 2022 the first time in NFL history that a team had four rookie WRs hit those marks over a two-season span Vrable tutored Reed in 2023 as he set the single-season franchise rookie record for receptions with 64 eclipsing WR Sterling Sharpe's mark of 55 in 1988 Reed tied for the team lead with eight receiving TDs the third most by a rookie in team history and posted a team-high 793 receiving yards as he became the first rookie to lead the Packers in catches and receiving yards since Sharpe in 1988 Reed also became the first rookie in NFL history to post 60-plus catches 100-plus rushing yards (119) and multiple rushing TDs (two) 3 on the team with 39 receptions for 581 yards (14.9 avg.) and four TDs in 2023 under Vrable's guidance 2 in the league in yards per catch among rookies A team-high 18 of Wicks' catches went for 16-plus yards a 46.2 percentage that was the top mark posted by any Packer with 30-plus receptions dating back to 2000 2 on the team with 59 catches for 674 yards (11.4 avg.) and eight TDs teaming with Reed to form one of only three WR tandems in the NFL with eight-plus receiving TDs each in 2023 Vrable helped WR Allen Lazard set career highs in receptions (60) and receiving yards (788) 4 in team history among rookies behind Billy Howton (13 in 1952) Max McGee (nine in 1954) and Reed (eight in 2023) seven) to become only the third rookie duo in NFL history to each have 40-plus receptions and three-plus receiving TDs Vrable helped WR Davante Adams set single-season franchise records for receptions (123) and receiving yards (1,553) on his way to earning unanimous first-team All-Pro honors from The Associated Press the first Green Bay WR to earn first-team honors in back-to-back years since Sharpe (1992-93) becoming the first player in league history to record three seasons (2018 1,350-plus receiving yards and 11-plus receiving TDs He earned Pro Bowl honors for the fifth consecutive season as he joined James Lofton (1980-85) as the only WRs in team history to be named to the Pro Bowl in five-plus consecutive seasons who posted 40 catches for 513 yards (12.8 avg.) and a career-high eight TDs with all eight of his TD catches coming in Weeks 6-18 (tied for No Adams matched Sharpe's single-season team record (1994) for receiving TDs with 18 and became the first player in NFL history to register 100-plus receptions (115) and 18-plus receiving TDs in a single season receiving yards per game (98.1) and receptions per game (8.2) becoming the first NFL player to lead the league in all three categories since Sharpe in 1992 Vrable also coached WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling who led the NFL in yards per reception (20.9) the top single-season mark in the NFL from 2011-20 (min While assisting with the wide receivers in 2019 5 in the NFL in receiving yards per game (83.1) and No 4 in receptions per game (6.9) on his way to earning Pro Bowl honors for the third straight season Adams led the team with 83 catches for 997 yards (12.0 avg.) and was tied for the team lead with five receiving TDs despite missing four games due to injury Vrable also assisted in the development of Lazard in his first season who posted 35 receptions for 477 yards (13.6 avg.) and three TDs with all of his catches coming in the final 11 contests Vrable arrived in Green Bay after serving two seasons (2017-18) as an offensive assistant for the N.Y one of only nine WRs in the NFL to register 50-plus catches 750-plus receiving yards and six-plus receiving TDs in both 2017 and 2018 highlighted by career highs in 2017 (63 catches for 941 yards and seven TDs) Vrable also worked with veteran WR Jermaine Kearse who posted a team-high 65 receptions for 810 yards (12.5 avg.) in 2017 as he and Anderson formed one of only three WR duos in the NFL to both post 60-plus receptions and 800-plus receiving yards in 2017 Vrable spent four years with the Buffalo Bills working as an offensive quality control coach from 2013-15 and then as an assistant quarterbacks coach in 2016 He also assumed the role of interim running backs coach following Anthony Lynn's promotion to offensive coordinator in Week 3 of the 2016 season Vrable helped RBs Mike Gillislee (5.71) and LeSean McCoy (5.67) rank No The duo also accounted for 23 total TDs on the season as the Bills ranked No 1 in the league in rushing offense (164.4 ypg) the team's best rushing average since 1976 (183.3 ypg) Vrable also helped QB Tyrod Taylor earn his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection in 2016 after completing a career-high 269 passes on 436 attempts (61.7 pct.) for 3,023 yards and 17 TDs Vrable coached at the college level for six years he worked at the University of Charleston as the school's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks/running backs coach he led a Golden Eagles offense that led the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in total offense (392.4 ypg) and rushing offense (246.1 ypg) in 2012 Vrable worked for Syracuse University as an offensive quality control/assistant to the wide receivers coach (2009) and graduate assistant/assistant to the quarterbacks coach (2010) who set the Syracuse single-season record with 202 completions in 2010 and led the Orange to an 8-5 record including a victory over Kansas State in the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium Vrable coached quarterbacks at Robert Morris University (Moon to coach quarterbacks after beginning his coaching career as a strength intern at the University of South Florida in the summer of 2007 1 in school history in passing yards (6,102) He was twice named the Pioneers' Most Valuable Player and served as a team captain his final two seasons Vrable was named Marietta's Clyde Lamb Award winner in 2007 recognizing him as the school's male scholar-athlete of the year He was inducted into the Marietta College athletic hall of fame in February 2018 Vrable graduated with a bachelor's degree in sports medicine in 2007 and completed a master's degree in sports management from Robert Morris University in 2009 Key comments from Green Bay's coordinators and offensive assistants Key comments from Green Bay's offensive assistants Key comments from Green Bay's offensive position coaches Aaron Rodgers and Tom Clements reunited for a common goal Promotion comes in form of addition to title and responsibilities Key comments from the Packers' offensive assistants Key comments from the Packers' coordinators and offensive assistants Key comments from Packers' coordinators and offensive assistants Key comments from the Packers' coordinators and offensive assistant coaches Key comments from the Packers' assistant coaches Key comments from the Packers' offensive coaches Please select 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View Obituary & Service Information The family of Joseph Matthew Hudak created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Made with love by funeralOne Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text dam Vrable is a Bay City Central graduate who starred with the Coastal Carolina baseball team (With permission Coastal Carolina University)With permission Coastal Carolina .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Lee Thompson | lthomps2@mlive.comAdam Vrable’s gameface comes with a smile He’s the perfect blend of goofball and gamer and I’ve known him since we were 7 or 8,” said longtime friend and teammate Matt Voss “You never knew when he was 0-for-4 because he always acted like he was 4-for-4 He always had positivity – and he backed it up with his play.” Vrable’s magnetic personality and mesmerizing ability made him a natural born leader on the baseball diamond the kind who inspired stunning success at Bay City Central Grand Rapids Junior College and Coastal Carolina University as a player and at the University of Louisville as a coach approach and results of an absolute winner Vrable takes his place among his hometown’s greats with induction to the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame He joins the Class of 2021 that is being honored Nov 14 at the DoubleTree hotel and banquet center in downtown Bay City Vrable is living the baseball dream as first base coach at Louisville one of the top Division I college programs in the country The eighth-year assistant has helped the Cardinals win four ACC Atlantic Division titles and twice reach the famed College World Series He has coached 20 players who have seen action in Major League Baseball including Detroit Tigers pitcher Kyle Funkhouser and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith “I love to see their development,” Vrable said “They show up as 18-year-old kids and you see them walk out as 22-year-old men with a chance to play pro ball or begin life in the real world you’re constantly growing in the game yourself.” Louisville first base coach Adam Vrable congratulates Christian Knapczyk during a 2021 game against the University of Miami (With permission Louisville Athletics)Karthik Kalvakuri | Louisville Athletics Vrable was virtually raised on baseball during his Bay City upbringing he tagged along with big brothers Joseph and Brent as they competed and had a large group of baseball-loving friends It didn’t take long to see Vrable had the “It” factor players were drawn to him as a leader – and big things happened wherever he roamed “He had a special way about him that made kids want to follow,” said Mark Krzysiak who coached Vrable for three years at Bay City Central he gave 100 percent and he did it with a smile on his face Vrable made his varsity debut as a freshman – ripping an RBI single against Midland in his first at-bat – and would establish himself as front man at shortstop And he would drive the Wolves to rare levels of success “We were playing Arthur Hill one day and Vrable was pitching (Our infielders) made a few errors and weren’t too serious about making those errors Their body language wasn’t good,” Krzysiak said Vrable grabbed both of them by the collars looked those guys in the eye and said some explicits Everybody saw it and it got everybody’s attention “These guys were his best friends and he could joke with them but he was ready to kick their butts because they weren’t serious at the right time It was game time and he wasn’t going to let anybody screw around when there were goals to be accomplished.” Bay City Central's Adam Vrable tags Midland Dow's Troy Grunder out at second base during their game in 2003.Times Photo Playing alongside the likes of Matt Garrett Vrable led Central to the 2003 Saginaw Valley League championship He was a two-time first-team all-stater and was selected to play in the Comerica Park All-Star Game He graduated as Central’s all-time leader in career hits and stolen bases and ranked among the leaders with 21 pitching victories “When we were sophomores playing Western – and they were ranked No 1 or 2 in the state – he led off the game by hitting one off the fence We ended up winning 1-0 or 2-1,” said Voss who as a second baseman formed a smooth double-play combination with Vrable this is the kind of player this guy is going to be That carried over to the football field as well where Vrable served as starting quarterback for two varsity seasons He led Central to back-to-back playoff berths in 2001 and 2002 topping all SVL passers with 1,112 yards during the regular season as a senior Vrable took his skills to the Grand Rapids Junior College baseball program in 2004 and promptly helped his new squad win it all at the NJCAA World Series He batted .360 with four home runs in the magical season That earned him a look from Division programs and his most alluring offer came from Coastal Carolina – one of the country’s top golf and resort destinations on the Atlantic Ocean – the Chanticleers were a budding baseball power Bay City Central's Adam Vrable gets back to first as Saginaw Heritage first baseman Jason McKinney applies the tag in a 2003 game.THE BAY CITY TIMES and the plane would go out over the ocean then make its way back in,” Vrable said The game was so much faster and I had to adjust to it weight training… But just being around that group Vrable would be joined by former Central teammate Matt Rademacher and together they helped propel Coastal Carolina to the Big South Conference championship and a program record for wins Playing against some of the nation’s blue chip baseball programs the Chanticleers proved they could compete – and Vrable ate up the challenge “We were kind of like the guys who weren’t ever good enough to be at those big schools so we played with a little edge and chip on our shoulder,” he said “We were happy to be where we were at (with the program) starting 138 of the 156 games he played at Coastal from 2005-07 and batting .295 with 60 RBIs and 32 stolen bases for his career He led the team with a .324 batting average as a junior then set school records with 131 putouts and 211 assists at second base in 2007 when he was named to the Big South all-tournament team “Adam Vrable was one of the most competitive players I’ve ever coached,” Coastal Carolina coach Gary Gilmore said absorbing every word you said and processing this information into his performance “Adam was a fantastic student-athlete that played the game hard and fast His most endearing quality for me was his unconditional love for the game of baseball but what an incredible effort he gave during each game.” Vrable endeared himself to his teammates and fans as the light-hearted leader he performed a dance outside the dugout before every game that broke the tension and put his team in the right mindset to compete “He was a bubble Division I kid coming out of high school but I remember telling people ‘You want this kid in your dugout “I remember Coach Gilmore telling me ‘Vrable doesn’t stick out at first but he grows on you – and he’s one of the most important ingredients in our program right now.’” Adam Vrable helped the Coastal Carolina baseball team to the Big South title in 2007 Vrable’s playing days gave way to a coaching career and he got his feet wet with stops at Furman The Citadel and Charleston Southern before landing at Louisville works with the outfielders and coaches first base While Vrable said he has head coaching aspirations, he’s enjoying the opportunity before him at Louisville. He has been part of two College World Series teams, traveled to the Dominican Republic for a baseball camp, shook hands with Miguel Cabrera in Omaha and served as the pitcher for The Citadel’s Bo Thompson in the college baseball home run derby on national television 5-year-old Hank and 3-year-old twins Lou and Len they would do well to follow their father’s lead “I wanted to do it the right way,” he said Vrable joins the Hall of Fame class of 2021 that includes Becki Bach Simmons the 1974 Essexville Garber football team and the 1975 Handy baseball team Banquet tickets are available at baycountysports.com or during office hours at Bay City Central 1974 Garber football team was greater than the sum of its parts State runner-up 1975 squad set new standard for Handy baseball Dan Revette always motivated kids to play with pride Reluctant setter finds her volleyball calling in Hall of Fame career Gene Rademacher’s watchful eyes never missed a detail in Hall of Fame career An absolute winner at every stop, Adam Vrable enters Hall of Fame Softball brought out the strong side in Jody Gifford Markwart Traci Morin has no regrets in life of volleyball that led to Hall of Fame Like his father before him, Terry Smith follows destiny to Hall of Fame Twists and turns of diving lead Becki Bach Simmons to Hall of Fame After one-year pause, Bay County Sports Hall of Fame banquet is back Bay County Sports Hall of Fame stories Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Green Bay Packers receivers/passing game coordinator Jason Vrable spoke to the media on Thursday Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur spoke to the media on Friday about the goals for rookie minicamp and first impressions for the new members of the team Packers GM Brian Gutekunst spoke with the media on Saturday after the final day of the 2025 NFL Draft Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur spoke to the media following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft Green Bay Packers director of football operations Milt Hendrickson spoke to the media on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft following the team's selections of Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver Fourth-round selection Barryn Sorrell spoke with the media at Lambeau Field about getting drafted by the Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst spoke to the media about Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft Green Bay Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan spoke with the media following the team's selection of T Anthony Belton in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst spoke to the media about the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst spoke to the media on Monday about the experience and atmosphere of the NFL Draft coming to Green Bay Green Bay Packers TE Tucker Kraft spoke with the media ahead of the kickoff of the 2025 Tailgate Tour Green Bay Packers DL Lukas Van Ness spoke with the media on Tuesday before boarding the bus and departing on the Packers Tailgate Tour Green Bay Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy spoke to the media on Tuesday as the 2025 Tailgate Tour got underway Mark Murphy spoke to the media on Tuesday at the NFL Annual Meeting about rule changes as well as highlights from his 17-plus years as President/CEO of the Green Bay Packers Packers GM Brian Gutekunst spoke to the media on Monday at the NFL Annual Meeting about the free agency acquisitions and the depth on the offensive line Packers all-time leading scorer Mason Crosby delivered a heartfelt speech during his retirement news conference on Friday at Lambeau Field Packers GM Brian Gutekunst spoke with the media in Indianapolis Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst spoke with the media Tuesday morning at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis about the offseason and the NFL Draft Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst spoke with the media following the conclusion to the 2024-25 season Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur spoke with the media on Tuesday on the team's playoff loss to the Eagles and previewing the offseason Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love spoke with the media following the 22-10 loss in the NFC Wild Card playoff to the Philadelphia Eagles Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur spoke with the media following the 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card playoff Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur spoke to the media ahead of the NFC Wild Card matchup against the Philadelpha Eagles Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich spoke with the media ahead of the team's matchup in the NFC Wild Card round vs Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley spoke with the media ahead of the NFC Wild Card matchup vs Green Bay Packers assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia spoke to the media Thursday about moving on from the Bears game and looking ahead to the challenge the Eagles present Green Bay Packers WR Matthew Golden spoke to the media on Friday as the team kicked off rookie minicamp Green Bay Packers DL Warren Brinson spoke to the media on Friday as the team kicked off rookie minicamp Green Bay Packers DL Barryn Sorrell spoke with the media on Friday about his emotional draft day experience at Lambeau Field New Green Bay Packers DL Collin Oliver spoke with the media after being drafted by the team in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft Green Bay Packers OL John Williams spoke to the media on Friday about his unique skillset playing multiple positions on the O-line Green Bay Packers T Anthony Belton spoke with the media as the second-round pick prepares for rookie minicamp Green Bay Packers WR Savion Williams spoke to the media on Friday about how he has acclimated to the area and his excitement for the Packers' offensive scheme Green Bay Packers CB Micah Robinson spoke with the media on Friday about his collegiate journey and his familial connection with the Packers Take a closer look at the 2025 NFL Draft held in Green Bay the Packers added three players to the defensive line Mike Spofford breaks it down in this edition of Packers Daily Mike Spofford recounts the 2025 NFL Draft experience as a whole including the in-person moments with Matthew Golden and Barryn Sorrell in this edition of Packers Daily This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page GREEN BAY – As the Packers continue to make changes to their coaching staff Head Coach Matt LaFleur has promoted wide receivers coach Jason Vrable adding passing game coordinator to his title and duties Here are five things to know about Vrable: This is his second promotion from LaFleur in the last three years joined LaFleur's initial 2019 staff as an offensive assistant He then took over the position in 2020 when Alvis Whitted was not retained He now takes on the additional work of passing game coordinator which had been handled by former Packers QB coach Luke Getsy now the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears Both of WR Davante Adams' first-team All-Pro selections came on Vrable's watch Vrable has overseen the development of players across the spectrum – an undrafted find in Allen Lazard a promising draft pick in Marquez Valdes-Scantling Adams was hitting his prime when Vrable came on the scene and his game has only continued to rise with back-to-back All-Pro selections and now a streak of five straight Pro Bowl selections Vrable played QB at Marietta College in Ohio finishing his career in 2006 ranked first in school history in passing yards He was a two-time team captain and team MVP as well as the school's male scholar-athlete of the year He was inducted into the Marietta College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018 He's coached the QB position at various stops throughout his career Vrable's coaching career began at his alma mater in 2007 Vrable also coached receivers and running backs along the way including a stint as the interim running backs coach for the Bills In his two years as an offensive assistant for the N.Y Joining the Packers became the third different time and place he'd worked with former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was on the Syracuse offensive staff in 2010 and on the Buffalo Bills' offensive staff in 2013-14 with Vrable Then the two reconnected in Green Bay in 2019 Rookie first-round pick carries his family with him on the field Murphy Takes 5 is a monthly column written by President and CEO Mark Murphy  Rookie minicamp serves as brief introduction '66 NFL title game hero started on defense throughout Packers' three-peat Green Bay has found productive offensive linemen and cornerbacks in final round interior lineman Warren Brinson added to the mix Family flanked Packers' fourth-round pick on emotional draft day Massive crowd outside Lambeau Field roared its approval Mark Murphy's relentless pursuit secured tentpole offseason event The Green Bay Packers have named Kevin Koger offensive quality control coach and Jason Vrable offensive assistant Head Coach Matt LaFleur made the announcements Friday Koger joins the Packers after working for six seasons at the collegiate level he coached wide receivers at Eastern Kentucky adding special teams coordinator to his duties in 2018 the Colonels' special-teams unit ranked No led the Ohio Valley Conference with 23.2 yards per kickoff return and was one of 10 in the nation that did not allow a blocked kick a former co-captain and All-Big Ten honorable mention selection as a senior at the University of Michigan in 2011 was a quality control coach at the University of Tennessee in 2015 working with the offensive line and wide receivers He worked as a graduate assistant for the Wolverines in 2013-14 assisting the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Koger began his coaching career as a tight ends/wide receivers coach at Saline (Mich.) High School in 2012 Vrable enters his seventh season as an assistant coach in the NFL he served as an offensive assistant for the New York Jets Vrable spent four seasons with the Buffalo Bills After Week 3 of the 2016 season when Anthony Lynn was promoted to offensive coordinator Vrable added the duties of interim running backs coach he worked in the college ranks for six years Vrable began as a strength intern at the University of South Florida for the summer of 2007 and then returned to Marietta (Ohio) College where he was a two-time captain and offensive Most Valuable Player as a quarterback and then worked for Syracuse University as an offensive quality control/assistant to the wide receivers coach (2009) and graduate assistant/assistant to the quarterbacks coach (2010) Vrable spent two seasons at the University of Charleston (2011-12) as the school's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks/running backs coach as the school led its conference in total offense and rushing offense in 2012 Mississippi State receiver had signed with Green Bay in January Green Bay also signs 10 rookie free agents  Former top 10 draft pick has played five years for Cardinals and Giants First-year player signed with Green Bay on Jan The free event will take place from 3 to 10 p.m. with outdoor activities for all ages offered throughout the day Drone Restrictions in Effect; Unauthorized Drone Activity Will Be Reported to Law Enforcement Free virtual event to celebrate the 2025 NFL Draft will feature Packers players and will be live streamed online Event to feature Green Bay culture and Wisconsin favorites; Day 3 starts with Bike Parade and ends with Brad Paisley concert; fans reminded to register for free entry on OnePass app Organization will oversee men's and women's national teams for Olympics in LA Fan voting will take place now through May 1 to select the winner Parking available in Brookwood Drive or Lombardi Time Square Lot; Additional road closures and detours now in effect GREEN BAY - Nearly two months after dismissing wide receivers coach Alvis Whitted Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur unveiled staff changes that include moving offensive assistant Jason Vrable to the receivers position LaFleur added passing game coordinator to quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy’s title and confirmed the hiring of former University of Miami offensive line coach Butch Barry to his staff LaFleur did not comment on the staff changes has never been a full-time receivers coach assisting mostly with quarterbacks and running backs during his 14 years as a coach His only other time in charge of a position was in 2016 when he was named interim running backs coach three weeks into the season Former coach Mike McCarthy hired Vrable as offensive assistant in 2019 and LaFleur kept him on staff in the same position he had worked two years (2017-18) as an offensive assistant with the New York Jets and four years with the Buffalo Bills (’13-16) serving as a position assistant for Syracuse in 2009 The wide receivers roster could be vastly different this year with an influx of young talent expected It is one of the deepest drafts in decades at the receiver position and the Packers will try to take advantage of it after leaving the position barely stocked beyond Davante Adams last season Getsy’s promotion may allow him more time to work with both the quarterbacks and receivers He served as receivers coach under McCarthy from 2016-17 and the results he got were part of the reason he was able to move into an offensive coordinator’s job with Mississippi State in 2018 He returned last year to coach quarterbacks which is a good stepping-stone for NFL coordinator positions It’s unclear whether LaFleur considered his brother Mike LaFleur holds the same title in San Francisco and coach Kyle Shanahan allowed his contract to run out so he could pursue a job with his brother But Mike LaFleur accepted a contract extension with the 49ers less than two weeks after his brother fired Whitted ending the possibility of them being reunited It’s unlikely the Packers coach sought his brother for the receivers position which would be a step down from the job he has now But LaFleur could have asked Getsy to move to receivers if Mike LaFleur had come aboard as passing coordinator Though it took two months for him to decide on Vrable it doesn’t appear he looked hard outside the organization for Whitted’s replacement Another option LaFleur had was to promote quality control assistant Kevin Kroger who has more experience coaching receivers than Vrable but not as much experience coaching in the NFL Barry’s hiring was reported last week but had not been made official Barry coached the offensive line for the Hurricanes last season but was fired after one year he was an assistant offensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers RELATED: End could come suddenly for career of Tramon Williams RELATED: Packers get an eyeful from Wisconsin prospects at pro day RELATED: Packers must weigh whether to give Geronimo Allison another chance Barry attended and coached at Central Michigan although his time did not overlap the two years (2004-05) that LaFleur spent there as a graduate assistant Barry was a graduate assistant at CMU in ’02-03 before leaving to coach the offensive line at Southwest Minnesota State Barry is the second offensive coach to be hired during the offseason joining quality control assistant Connor Lewis Notes» The Packers made tight end Jimmy Graham's departure official by announcing the termination of his contract including on a Twitter post from Graham thanking the Packers organization for his two years with the club Graham did not miss any games and caught 93 passes for 1,083 yards (11.6 average) and five touchdowns in 32 regular-season games and seven passes for 108 yards (15.4) in two postseason games Graham made $22 million in his two seasons with the Packers He was scheduled to make $8 million this year all of which will come off the team’s salary cap putting them between $25 million and $35 million under the 2020 salary cap » Free-agent linebacker Christian Kirksey who played two seasons for Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine when Pettine was the head coach in Cleveland visited the Packers on Thursday after being released this week Kirksey played in only two games for the Browns last season and only seven in 2018  because of injuries » Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard earned $307,304 in performance-based play in the 2019 season The Green Bay Packers have named Butch Barry senior analyst and promoted Luke Getsy to quarterbacks/passing game coordinator and Jason Vrable to wide receivers coach Head Coach Matt LaFleur made the announcement Thursday Barry enters his 18th season coaching in college or the NFL He joins the Packers after serving as the offensive line coach at the University of Miami (Fla.) last season native was the assistant offensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay finished in the top 10 in total offense Barry coached for five seasons at Central Michigan spending his first four years (2010-13) as the tight ends coach and his final season (2014) as the offensive line coach It was his second stint as a coach for Central Michigan having worked as a graduate assistant (2002-03) after playing on the offensive line for the Chippewas Barry coached the offensive line at Southwest Minnesota State (2004-05) Michigan Tech (2006-08) and North Greenville University (2009) while also working as the offensive coordinator from 2007-09 Getsy returned to the Packers last season after spending the 2018 season as the offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach for Mississippi State he helped QB Aaron Rodgers earn his eighth career Pro Bowl selection after registering his seventh season with 4,000-plus passing yards 25-plus passing TDs and 10 or fewer interceptions MSU finished the regular season ranked second in the Southeastern Conference and 20th in the FBS in rushing yards per game (226.4) Getsy worked as the wide receivers coach in 2016-17 after originally joining the Packers in 2014 as the offensive quality control coach Getsy coached on the collegiate level for seven seasons (2007-13) After his playing career at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Akron Getsy was a graduate assistant for the Zips (2007-08) he was the offensive coordinator at West Virginia Wesleyan Getsy returned to Pitt to serve as an offensive graduate assistant in 2010 he was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania Getsy was the wide receivers coach at Western Michigan Vrable enters his eighth season as an assistant coach in the NFL and second with the Packers He joined Green Bay last season as an offensive assistant after working in the same position for the New York Jets in 2017-18 Vrable discussed the second-year wideout and veteran addition Sammy Watkins at length on Thursday The Green Bay Packers have been making their assistant coaches available to the media throughout this week leading up to the start of OTAs next Monday and on Thursday it was the offensive assistants’ turn to answer questions With the Packers needing to find players to step up at the wide receiver position that group’s primary coach had some intriguing comments about a few potential contributors — in particular a second-year pro and a newly-acquired veteran Vrable started his comments out by saying that he likes the competitiveness in the receiver room then complimented a few young players for their development over the course of this spring “I’ve seen Malik (Taylor) and Juwann (Winfree) and Amari (Rodgers) who look night and day compared to what they did last year I think it’s all the way they worked in the offseason the way they understand the playbook and the way they’re flying around out there That’s a promising sign for the depth of this group particularly if Rodgers can become a substantial contributor after a rookie season that too often saw him relegated to exclusively punt and kick return duty Rodgers lined up for just 103 offensive snaps in 2021 catching four of eight targets for 45 yards and picking up 11 yards on his only rushing attempt Vrable was blunt about the reason for Rodgers’ limited opportunities last year: he simply wasn’t good enough “I don’t give Amari the out that (Randall Cobb) was here It’s your job to beat Randall out or beat our Z out I’ve got him working out at Z and he’s done that before His performance just wasn’t on their level but he wasn’t doing the high-level things that Randall was doing or the Z Rodgers’ confidence is the factor that needs to change the most but comfort level and familiarity with the playbook and route concepts that are crucial That appears to be coming along for the former Clemson receiver as Vrable said he already looks faster and stronger than he did as a rookie he’s been spending plenty of time working on his technique presumably with mentor and family friend Randall Cobb “His route-running is already cleaner and crisper,” Vrable said Cobby bumped me the other day and was like ‘Yo you can feel it from him.’ And I just smiled and was like ‘It’s just the start right now We’ll see where it’s at when the pads come on and the lights go on.” Another of Vrable’s charges this offseason is Sammy Watkins, who signed a free agent deal with the Packers some weeks ago after a stint with the Baltimore Ravens last year. Vrable was on the Buffalo Bills’ coaching staff in 2014 the same year that Watkins entered the league as Buffalo’s first-round draft pick Vrable’s past experience with Watkins made him the front office’s pick to help write up scouting reports on the wideout when he has been a free agent in the past (I know) a lot of the good things he can do because I was with him for that time.” Among the factors that Vrable emphasized multiple times is Watkins’ ability to catch the football “One thing you’ll see with him is he plucks the ball different Vrable went out of his way to focus on Watkins’ maturity something that shone through when the two got together for dinner during his free agent visit to Green Bay this spring living life the right way and doing as much as he can to get back to another Lombardi.” Hopefully Watkins and Rodgers will be able to form a strong connection with the other Rodgers on the Packers’ roster that should help answer one of the biggest questions remaining about whether this Green Bay team really is a top contender to bring back one of those Lombardi Trophies to Wisconsin The ancient settlement at Vráble is a major site for the archaeology of the early Neolithic LBK culture of central and southern Europe Excavations show it was divided into three parts or \"neighborhoods.\" Archaeologists have found traces of roughly 300 longhouses at Vráble,of which about 80 were inhibited it any one time Each longhouse would have been the home of one or more extended families The mass burial had about 35 decapitated skeletons Archaeologists investigating an early Neolithic settlement in Slovakia have discovered the battered remains of about 35 people who appear to have been decapitated and then thrown into a ditch almost 7,000 years ago The location of the grisly find this summer and the positions of the skeletons suggest the victims were dumped there on purpose possibly as human sacrifices intended to magically strengthen a defensive wall built above the ditch "I think it has something to do with magical ideas about how to define and fortify the settlement," co-leader of the project Martin Furholt a professor of protohistoric and social archaeology at Kiel University in Germany "We have a ditch around a site where people are living and then you put people in the ditch — whether they were killed deliberately or died of natural causes — because probably there were ideas about the magical or symbolic power that these [dead] people had," he said Related: In a burial ground full of Stone Age men, one grave holds a 'warrior' woman Furholt and his colleagues at Kiel University — formally the Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel — have worked since 2012 at the site at Vráble in Slovakia near that country's borders with Austria and Hungary alongside scientists from the Institute of Archaeology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) The site is an ancient settlement attributed to the early Neolithic LBK culture named after the German term "Linearbandkeramik," which means "linear band ceramics" and refers to the type of pottery they made Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox Furholt said the ancestors of the people at Vráble seem to have crossed into what's now Greece from Anatolia (now Turkey) about 1,500 years earlier The LBK culture spread from there to many parts of Europe and they may have been the ancestors of the first Neolithic settlers in Western Europe who built megalithic structures such as Stonehenge in England and Carnac in France The ancient mass grave is near one of the entrances to the settlement at Vráble and several aspects suggest the people dumped there were deliberately killed we have not recorded any clear signs of trauma or distinct pathological changes," Zuzana Hukeľová an anthropologist at the SAV involved with the excavation "Yet the bodies did not have skulls and we are still unsure how and when the heads have been removed." "[The] decapitation might have been one of the possible causes of death," she said adding that the researchers hope to learn more from the results of anthropological tests being conducted now The bodies lay in various positions — on their backs, on the sides, on their stomachs, or with the arms and legs widely spread and bent at the elbows and knees, "like a swimming frog," Hukeľová said "This is one of the positions indicating that the body was probably thrown into the pit." Most of the dead seem to have been young adults between 18 and 25 years old when they were killed and some seem to have been between 25 and 35 But there were no mature or elderly individuals who was also the only person buried with their skull "We will know better once the skeletons are analyzed," she said Furholt said the Neolithic settlement at Vráble consisted of up to 80 "longhouses" at any one time with each longhouse being the home of one or more extended families The settlement was divided into three distinct neighborhoods and it seemed that the defensive wall and ditch were built around just one neighborhood in the later stages of its occupation which might have been an attempt to keep out people from the other neighborhoods Related: 15 people were brutally murdered 5,000 years ago, but the bodies were buried with care "Only one of these neighborhoods gets this kind of fortification but none of them connect this neighborhood to the others," he said "This makes us think that it wasn't to defend against someone from the outside but it was a kind of an internal division where they tried to block access to their neighbors." Christian Meyer, an archaeologist at the OsteoArchaeological Research Centre (OsteoARC) in Goslar, Germany, isn't involved in the excavations at Vráble but has studied mass violence at other LBK sites.  —'Magical' rock crystals found at Stone Age ceremonial site in England —Scientists just reconstructed one of the oldest family trees ever charted —7,000-year-old massacre: 9 Neolithic outsiders murdered with blows to the head "Interpretations like massacres, executions, torture, mutilation and various cultic practices have been suggested," he told Live Science in an email. "Given what is already known about this archaeological culture, the discovery of what seems to be another mass grave is not surprising in itself." An unusual feature of the mass grave at Vráble was that the people buried there were missing their heads. This "seems to be most striking and is likely of profound significance," Meyer said, adding that it warrants further explanation. "This site will advance our knowledge about social interactions and the treatment of the living and the dead during these times, many thousand years in the past," he said. Live Science ContributorTom Metcalfe is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor who is based in London in the United Kingdom Hårby Valkyrie: A 1,200-year-old gold Viking Age woman sporting a sword Archaeologists discover hundreds of metal objects up to 3,400 years old on mysterious volcanic hilltop in Hungary Archaeologists have discovered a 7,000-year-old mass grave in Slovakia containing 38 skeletons The remains were found at the Vrá ble-Vèlke Lehemby site in Slovakia one of the largest settlements of the European Neolithic period Early studies suggest the heads were removed purposefully after death Only one skeleton belonging to a child under the age of 6 had its skull intact.  Archaeologists are now trying to understand why the heads were so methodically removed These headless bodies set themselves apart from traditional burials in the same region Early observation of the remains suggests the decapitations were likely intentional On the bodies preserved well enough to still have observable neck bones This suggests the heads were severed with very sharp tools like in the medieval ages with a sword or with an axe you would see cut marks and also crushed vertebra in the regions of the neck," she said.  This is feasible since people in the area had access to obsidian a rock that is razor sharp when broken.  Whether the head was removed before or after death is unclear a professor of prehistory and social archeology at Kiel University There have been several reports of Neolithic people decapitating bodies after their death and taking the head with them "People often kept those heads in their houses or deposited them elsewhere," said Furholt.   "There is a scenario of this killing event with taking the heads as trophies and putting them on the palisades," she said.  There are two other notable mass graves in the area At the Talheim site and children's remains tell the tale of a brutal conflict It's thought the victims were massacred by a neighboring village and left to rot.  Neolithic people may also have considered the bodies to have magical powers and that their bodies helped reinforce the strength of the palisades many Neolithic enclosure ditches surrounding settlements all over Europe show depositions of dead human bodies or body parts," he said referring to the deposition at the Herxheim site as an example.  Vráble-Vèlke Lehemby was made up of three settlements on the far right in the illustration above ran around the village over the length of approximately a mile.  These weren't the first headless bodies found in the ditch Earlier excavations had uncovered a few other headless skeletons but these were spread out much more sparsely and interspersed with more normal burials.  That's why the discovery of such a huge mass of headless bodies came as a complete surprise There may be even more bodies in the grave Fuchs said they had to stop digging because they were restricted to just over five weeks of excavation But bones found at the edge of the grave suggest it carries on further than what they have found.  "There are many possibilities and it is important to remain open to new insights and ideas But it is indisputable that this find is absolutely unique for the European Neolithic so far," Maria Wunderlich an archaeologist at Kiel University who worked on the dig Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker GREEN BAY - It may take a while for the Green Bay Packers to adjust to life after Davante Adams I’m not gonna lie,” Vrable said Tuesday of the night he learned Adams was being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders.  “I was blessed to have him for three years you've seen the growth of him as a player and as a man Never want to let that guy out of the building if we had the choice Adams was at the end of his contract and the Packers placed the franchise tag on the veteran receiver March 8 The two sides worked to reach a long-term deal and the Packers even exceeded the Raiders' contract offer But Adams let it be known he wanted to play on a new team with his old friend So Adams went to the AFC and the Packers received first- and second-round picks in the upcoming NFL draft in return Vrable admitted the process wasn’t easy for the coaching staff.  It was a hard evening,” Vrable said.  Vrable said he and the receiver will stay close More: Tom Clements thought his NFL coaching career was over. Then Aaron Rodgers called nothing but good things to say about the guy Everything you want in a player and a guy,” Vrable said.  “I like to think that we'll be friends for a long time the Packers are carrying three kickers: Mason Crosby Molson spent last season on the practice squad as a rookie and Eberle was brought in this offseason at the request of new special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia is to evaluate all three during OTAs and summer practices.  “Just kind of see who’s who and what’s what as we get going,” Bisaccia said Tuesday “I have’t really had a chance to see — I know two of them We had him for two years over there with the Raiders Silverstein: Jordan Love needs to start over again proving himself to Packers Dougherty: Everyone knows the Packers need receivers, but what are their other draft priorities? “I’ve known Crosby for a long time I actually had him back in the (2007) Senior Bowl when he came out One thing I know about Crosby is he’s come back after a down year to play really well so I’m excited about being around him seeing what his strengths are and where we can get forward to keep improving.”  said the Packers will likely only take two kickers into training camp this fall.  For three games early in the 2021 regular season Yosh Nijman stepped in on the Packers' offensive line and proved himself worthy of snaps Nijman was regulated mostly to special teams snaps again; but then in the latter half of the season Jenkins was hurt again and Nijman finished out four of the final five games in the regular season starting at left tackle David Bakhtiari returned for the season finale but too much strenuous activity sidelined Bakhtiari for the NFC divisional playoff game versus the San Francisco 49ers.  Instead of Nijman moving back in the lineup the Packers started Billy Turner at left tackle and Dennis Kelly at right tackle Nijman played three snaps on special teams speaking to the media for the first time since the game former Packers offensive line coach and now offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich took responsibility for the decision.  “Kind of my perspective on the whole thing was going with the most experienced hard-nosed guys for that kind of a game,” Stenavich said “Just the kind of game it was gonna be I thought it was going to be a pretty good slugfest And so that was my decision as an offensive line coach at the time and I think everyone was on board with it Now heading into his third season with the Packers Nijman will have a shot to be a long-term starter.  “I think Yosh is gonna get a shot at right and left tackle,” Stenavich said “That’s I think a very important thing for him this offseason is just to take that next step forward to see if we can count on him to be a reliable starter.” More: Rich Bisaccia's passion expected to extend beyond Packers' special teams More: Matt LaFleur confident Aaron Rodgers will cultivate chemistry with new receivers The Packers are hoping to have Bakhtiari back An ACL injury kept Bakhtiari out for all of the 2021 season This past January marked one year since Bakhtiari suffered the injury but a set-back last fall extended his recovery time.  “He's just making sure that he's ready to go he's in a good place,” Stenavich said of Bakhtiari’s recovery.  Stenavich would like to have more guys around the tackle position but feels overall the depth across the offensive line is set for the upcoming season we need a guy or two just to really shore up the tackle position I feel really good about the guys we have in the room and what they're all about So it'd be fun to watch them compete this offseason and really fight for starting jobs.” the two softball powers in the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference treated fans to a classic on the Blue Devils’ home field Monday exploding for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to clip the Clippers 7-6 and send the home crowd into a frenzy it was a huge gut check,” said a thrilled Lisbon coach Dave Crismon “We were up against a little adversity One of our better kids is out (injured) and we said and I couldn’t be prouder of them because they stepped up against a quality Columbiana team and got a huge win.” Providing the fireworks for the celebration were Lisbon juniors Justyce Vrable and Mya Emmerling After Anna Marshalek singled and Kyrstan Reckner reached base on a throwing error to open the bottom of the seventh Vrable stepped to the plate and connected on a towering three-run home run over the left field fence that tied the game at 6-6 “Justyce has that kind of power,” Crismon said “It was a matter of her being patient at the plate and getting the pitch she can take and drive and that’s what she did it’s a feeling like never before,” said Vrable of her clutch home run “Especially when it really matters and you put it to a team It’s one of them (the biggest hit of her career) after Blue Devil Kaity Clark doubled to left field Emmerling ripped a game-winning RBI double to right field “It was really exciting,” Emmerling said it’s my favorite win of the season.” going all seven innings while striking out five and walking one The win improved the Blue Devils’ record to 9-3 overall and they remain perfect atop the EOAC standings at 7-0 Columbiana is now 10-2 overall and 6-1 in the league “The girls did a heck of a job,” said Columbiana coach Madison Kurtz of her team’s tough setback they came out in the last inning and they didn’t give up whatsoever.” The two teams will turn around and play again at 5 p.m today at Columbiana’s Firestone Park Leading the winners was Vrable with a three-run homer and a single Reckner with an RBI double and McKenna Dailey and Mallory Gallo with doubles The loss spoiled an outstanding performance by center fielder Julia Rapp who led the Clippers with a triple and two doubles Adding a single and a double each were Tori Long and Mackenzi Gamble “We had a couple girls on the team that had some really good hits,” Kurtz said “Julia (Rapp) came out swinging and Alaina Johnston came out and did what she had to do and (starter) Tori Long threw a heck of a game.” Columbiana took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Rapp doubled and scored on a single to center by Gamble Lisbon tied things at 1-1 in the bottom of the first when Vrable singled to right and scored on a double to deep left by McKenna Dailey Rapp doubled and scored on an RBI double by Tori Long Alaina Johnston followed with an RBI single Lisbon tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the third after Clark singled Emmerling and Dailey walked and Gallo connected on a double to left Columbiana answered in the top of the fourth when Rapp tripled and scored on a throwing error The Clippers added to their advantage with solo runs in the fifth and sixth innings Gamble doubled to right and came around to score on a RBI groundout by Ava Davanzo Rapp hit a high fly to deep left field that was dropped for an error scoring another run for the visitors which made it 6-3 But the Clippers were set down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh setting the stage for the Blue Devils’ four-run come-from-behind win in the bottom half of the frame “I’m so very proud of all of them It was a never-say-die attitude,” Crismon said EAST PALESTINE — This is East Liverpool’s best shot at unseating Salem as the Columbiana County boys track .. West Branch and Beaver Local’s softball teams were rewarded with high seeding positions after the .. Copyright © 2025 Ogden News Publishing of Ohio | https://www.morningjournalnews.com | 308 Maple Street GREEN BAY − Shouts rang out across Clark Hinkle Field echoing off the tin side of the Don Hutson Center over the top,” Green Bay Packers wide receivers coach Jason Vrable yelled Then the quick answer from receiver Allen Lazard as the ball landed softly in his hands Q, the nickname assigned Quinshon Odom, was understudying for quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Wednesday while the quarterback took a rehab day due to lingering knee and thumb injuries Jordan Love and Danny Etling were running as QB1 and QB2 It was an unusual spot for Odom in a Packers practice But it delivered a shot of energy to the dreary Wednesday practice in Green Bay “Q being out there throwing the ball to us,” Lazard said following Wednesday’s practice "we don't really get to work with him as much hands on so the times that we do Odom is in Green Bay as part of the club’s minority coaching fellowship program an initiative to inspire and create opportunity for “young and aspiring minority coaches.” This is his second stint with the Packers having previously worked with the team player personnel department during the 2018 season the former Shaw University quarterback worked with various NFL and NCAA programs before returning to Wisconsin through the fellowship program “I think having someone who's played the game is huge when it comes to coaching and just talking the game,” Lazard said “Because it's one thing to sit there to watch it on TV or to watch film But to be able to go out there to do and understand how the body moves and how the mind processes things in short time being able to give you the best realistic possibilities.”  longer nights and toiling in the shadows for recognition that may not come Odom got to step into “that spotlight,” as Vrable put it and give players the chance to highlight all he and offensive quality control coach Ramsen Golpashin do behind the scenes “I have a lot of respect for Q,” Rodgers said Wednesday “He has one of the toughest jobs in the building There's nobody puts in more hours and makes less than Q His pay per hour is a little different than most of those guys But that's how you start in just about any business … And I think that's what a lot of these coaches have done “Q and Ramsen and the other assistants that we have those are kind of the unsung heroes to the team and the coaches because those are the guys that are really breaking up the film Pulling up the cards for the scout teams and like really kind of doing all the dirty work the stuff that no one wants to do to help us prepare each and every week.”   Silverstein: Packers haven't figured out how to replace Davante Adams' red zone dominance Rodgers jots down handwritten notes to each of the coaches When he got to Odom’s and Golpashin’s this year he made sure to highlight all they do that would otherwise go unseen ‘I have so much respect for the job that you do and the hours you put in and probably the very little recognition that you get for all the little things that you do it sets him up to have a long career in the NFL.”  Rodgers told reporters Wednesday that he should be back at practice Thursday so Q’s career as an NFL practice quarterback may be short lived But as those in the locker room are quick to share it’s possibly the beginning of a long career ahead It can be argued that there isn’t a position that faces more scrutiny in the NFL heading into 2022 than the Green Bay Packers wide receivers. With the off-season departure of Davante Adams the Green Bay Packers will not have a proven upper echelon pass catcher It will be a first for quarterback Aaron Rodgers It will be up to wide receivers coach Jason Vrable to make sure the Green Bay Packers wide receivers are up for the challenge READ MORE: Packers Practice Squad Preview Jason Vrable is entering his fourth season as the Green Bay Packers wide receivers coach. He replaced former Green Bay Packers wide receivers coach Alvis Whitted in 2020. This off-season, with the departure of Luke Getsy to the Chicago Bears Vrable added pass game coordinator to his resume the decision to give Vrable the additional title was a curious one It isn’t that Jason Vrable isn’t a good assistant coach But since taking over as the Green Bay Packers wide receivers coach the Packers haven’t developed a long list of wide receivers who has helped develop Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon head coach Matt LaFleur believed Vrable was the right man for the position but he will also face his toughest season as the Green Bay Packers wide receivers coach He won’t have the luxury of having the best NFL wide receiver in his group Vrable will need to develop the young group of pass catchers But he will also need to help the veteran receivers take the next step as well The Packers head into 2022 with a good core of young talented wide receivers. This off-season, the Packers added Christian Watson (second round) and Romeo Doubs (fourth round) via the NFL Draft Brian Gutekunst traded up in the 2021 NFL Draft to select wide receiver Amari Rodgers So far in training camp, Romeo Doubs has grabbed headlines for his quality play. Last week in preseason action, Rodgers showed some promise Christian Watson started off camp on the PUP list but was removed from the list last week and is slowly getting into the swing of things It will be up to Jason Vrable to develop the young pass catchers There is no doubt that the Packers would love to bring along the three youngsters slowly and even Aaron Rodgers need at least one of the young pass catchers to develop and contribute right away it appears Doubs has the best chance to contribute right away He has flashed early in camp and has shown big play potential he will have his struggles as a first-year NFL wide receiver Aaron Rodgers expects a lot from his wide receivers Mental and physical lapses won’t be tolerated It will be up to Vrable to limit the physical and mental mistakes It isn’t just the young wide receivers that Jason Vrable has to worry about coaching up The veteran Green Bay Packers wide receivers also have a lot of questions heading into 2022 as well With Davante Adams now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders it is expected that Allen Lazard will be the new number one wide receiver The former undrafted free agent is coming off a career season in 2021 He caught 40 passes for 513 yards with eight touchdown receptions Lazard has earned the respect of Aaron Rodgers Rodgers pressured Brian Gutekunst to make a trade for Randall Cobb it looked like a good move by the quarterback Cobb brought a veteran presence to the slot receiver position there is no doubt that Rodgers will lean heavily on Cobb Which will be difficult knowing that he will see more playing time in 2022 The Green Bay Packers offense will look a lot different in 2022 The Packers rushing attack is expected to be what drives the offense an NFL offense can’t rely solely on running the ball Even with having Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon as their running backs If the Packers are going to have a productive offense Aaron Rodgers will cover up for a lot of shortcomings in the passing game But he needs to get some production out for the Green Bay Packers wide receivers There isn’t a receiver on the Packers roster who can take the place of Davante Adams the Packers are going to need a group effort to replace Adams production Matt LaFleur must think a lot of Jason Vrable since he gave him a promotion this off-season but that is nothing to what he faces as the wide receivers coach It will be up to him to get something out of this group of Packers receivers it will dampen the chances of the Packers having a successful passing game in 2022 The Miami Dolphins UDFA class includes several talented players who have a real shot at making the Dolphins final 53-man roster The Los Angeles Rams have had success with UDFA signings in the past and this year’s class of Rams UDFAs has several promising prospects the Cleveland Browns might not have a choice The rebuilding Cleveland Browns could either cut or trade this former Pro Bowler before the 2025 season begins .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Lee Thompson | lthomps2@mlive.comLOUISVILLE, KY -- Adam Vrable has always had one eye on the College World Series Now he's heading to a team that always has that destination in its sight the former Bay City Central and Coastal Carolina baseball star was named assistant coach at the University of Louisville on Friday He joins a program that won American Conference and NCAA Regional championships and reached its second straight College World Series last season "This is an exciting opportunity and I am blessed to be joining one of the best programs in college baseball," Vrable said "I'm looking forward to working with such an elite staff and a talented group of athletes who all share the same goal: Omaha." Vrable is serving as the volunteer assistant coach for the Cardinals and is expected to work with the hitters and outfielders while also assisting with recruiting The move mark another big step in Vrable's coaching career He spent the 2014 season at Charleston Southern University the two previous years at The Citadel and one season at Furman Vrable served as hitting coach at Charleston Southern helping the Buccaneers to a school-record 20 home victories in their first 30-win season in 14 years The team ranked 17th in the nation with a .298 batting average "Adam is one of the top young hitting coaches out there with a background in aggressive baserunning who also has the ability to coach multiple positions on the field," Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell said "He brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the ballpark every day and that fits perfectly into the way we do things at Louisville." At The Citadel, Vrable was credited with helping produce the nation's fourth-best slugging team. He also mentored New York Yankees prospect Bo Thompson, and got a chance to pitch to him in the home run derby during the College World Series in 2013 "He's an energetic guy who is fired up for the game of baseball," Thompson said which really helps the players to improve and get better." "He's the first one at the field the last one to leave and he's always willing to go the extra mile but he's also a great guy on and off the field." Vrable was a two-time all-state shortstop while setting numerous school records at Bay City Central He went on to lead Grand Rapids Junior College to the NJCAA World Series championship before transferring to Coastal Carolina where he helped the drive to a pair of NCAA Regional berths But now he hopes to take it a step further as a coach and it appears he has the right program to complete the plan Sammy Watkins hasn't played a full season since his rookie year in 2014 GREEN BAY — Jason Vrable didn’t find out Sammy Watkins was coming to town for a free agent visit until a few hours before Watkins’ flight touched down at Austin Straubel International Airport Not that the Green Bay Packers’ brain trust didn’t already know how Vrable the team’s wide receivers coach/offensive passing-game coordinator who had spent four years on the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coaching staff (2013-16) had known Watkins since the Bills had selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft He’d written reports on Watkins for the Packers personnel staff in advance of the past few free agency periods so general manager Brian Gutekunst and the scouts knew Vrable was a fan of him That’s why no one approached Vrable for his thoughts until after Watkins’ visit had been booked you’ve been with him …’ They knew I liked him before because they saw my write-ups on him in free agency,” Vrable recounted Thursday afternoon as the Packers prepared for the start of next week’s organized team activity practices it just got booked like right now.’ We went out to dinner Just see his maturity has been exceptional He was just a young rookie before and now he’s a grown man.” a productive pass-catcher in an offense that is short on proven commodities at the receiver position following the offseason trade of two-time first-team All-Pro wideout Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders is almost seven years removed from his lone 1,000-yard receiving season and hasn’t played a full season since his rookie year with the Bills the Packers believe he can thrive in coach Matt LaFleur’s offense and with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback prove-it deal that included just a $350,000 guaranteed signing bonus will lead to a renaissance for Watkins who has managed just 116 receptions for 1,488 yards and six touchdowns over the past three seasons — totals that are all fewer than the 123 receptions for 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns that Adams put up during the 2021 season alone “I know how he can catch and how strong he is; a lot of the good things that he can do,” Vrable said of Watkins who has been taking part in the team’s offseason program “Sammy is just smiling and happy to be in a building where he feels a good fit right now The last time Watkins and LaFleur were together was in 2017 after the Bills traded Watkins to the Los Angeles Rams Watkins posted 39 receptions for 593 yards and eight touchdowns Watkins was one of two big-name wide receivers Gutekunst targeted in free agency with Jacksonville’s Alan Robinson being the other $48 million deal ($21 million signing bonus) with the Kansas City Chiefs while Robinson chose to sign with the Chicago Bears where his best season was in 2019 (52 receptions for 673 yards and three TDs) $5 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens last year and finished with career lows in receptions (27) and receiving yards (394) He caught 18 passes for 292 yards in his first five games but managed only nine receptions for 102 yards the rest of the season Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay in the receiver rotation The way he was running some routes and catching (during workouts) it reminded me of when he first walked on the field,” Vrable said “The biggest thing had been some injuries (he’s had) But we know he’s going to work as hard as he can He’s here doing all the workouts right now in conditioning it’s different — I’ve been in four systems in the last four years — just getting back to what you coach it’s been fun hearing you coach the same stuff then as now.’ The only two receivers on the roster with extensive experience with the Packers are Allen Lazard who had yet to sign his restricted free-agent tender as of Thursday afternoon who is back for a second season in his second tour of duty with the team The Packers added four rookies during and after the draft selecting North Dakota State’s Christian Watson in the second round Nevada’s Romeo Doubs in the fourth around and Nebraska’s Samori Toure in the seventh round before signing ex-University of Wisconsin wide receiver Danny Davis as an undrafted free agent The rookies have only had two post-draft rookie camp practices and a handful of on-field sessions since returning to Green Bay earlier in the week but their additions certainly have filled out what had been an empty receiver room they can play multiple positions,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said where give ‘em a spot and see if they can handle that But I think they’re going to add some versatility to the room.” Stenavich has been impressed by the glimpses he’s seen his combination of size and speed is great “He’s going to be a problem once he figures things out.” Notes: Walker, who registered 139 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and five sacks in four years at Georgia, was a one-year starter for the national champion Bulldogs, but he has good speed for his size and excellent length and athleticism and could be a Day 1 starter in Green Bay Notes: Wyatt registered 113 tackles, five sacks and 12 tackles for loss in four seasons for the Bulldogs and was regarded as the best three-technique defensive tackle in this year's draft Notes: The Packers coveted Watson — trading a pair of second-round picks to move up to select the son of 1993 Packers sixth-round pick Tim Watson — after the younger Watson finished his NDSU career with 105 receptions for 2,104 yards and 16 touchdowns in four seasons including 43 receptions for 801 yards and seven TDs as a senior last year despite missing three games with a hamstring injury defensive lineman Kenny Clark and safety Adrian Amos speak to the media after the Packers fell to t… As the Green Bay Packers mark the 100th anniversary of the August 1919 meeting in Green Bay where the team was first organized Defensive backs coach/defensive passing-game coordinator Jerry Gray has been cross-training players at all positions during classroom sessions… As the Packers get set for the kickoff of organized team activity practices next week Alexander isn’t just healthier — he’s wealthier The Packers made their standout cornerback the highest paid player at that position with a reported four-year deal It marks the fourth straight year the Packers have started on the road “It’s always exciting when you get these guys in the building It’s like getting a bunch of new toys,” said coach Matt LaFleur A disorderly conduct conviction can't disqualify someone from obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Wisconsin Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said Friday he has tested positive for COVID-19 and has just minor symptoms After three years as the team’s offensive line coach Adam Stenavich had been promoted during the offseason — his first time being a coordinator he made sure he came to Green Bay for the offseason program at least until the COVID-19 pandemic struck just watching him process things a little bit quicker than he had before,” veteran wide receiver Randall Cob… Get an early look at the newest members of the Green and Gold as Packers rookies and veterans hit the field for practice Tuesday in Green Bay “Really the only ‘I’ we want to hear right now is ‘What I can do to help us win?’ That’s what we’re trying to do with all our players,” Packe… The Green Bay-area native trying to make good for the team he grew up cheering for hit a turning point midway through his rookie season and he… Check out the scene from the practice field as the Packers returned from the long weekend to run training camp drills Tuesday in Green Bay .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Lee Thompson | lthomps2@mlive.comCourtesy for The Bay City TimesMembers of the T.L Handy football team celebrate on the bus after their 18-16 victory over Bay City Central on Nov MI - Joseph Vrable wanted to keep his helmet on so badly He knew that once he took it off, T.L. Handy High School football was gone for good As a senior on the 1989 Bay City Handy football team Vrable suited up for the final game in program history The school that produced a flock of college football players the 1961 Class A state championship and a city-captivating rivalry with Bay City Central was no more after 42 years "We had a lot of Handy pride on that team," said Vrable "We knew about the history of the program and the school and that's why we laid it on the line Vrable and scores of his fellow Wildcats return to their beloved West Side school for the second annual Restore the Roar an all-class reunion centered around an alumni football game under the stadium lights at 601 Blend Street Players from even-year graduating classes take on players from odd-year graduating classes at 7 p.m The event serves as a homecoming of sorts for Handy graduates offering them a chance to return to their old stomping grounds and relive some memories from their days in Red and White "We don't have a homecoming or any football games to go see," Vrable said "But this is something we can do for ourselves Handy closed as a high school following the 1989-90 school year sending students off to Bay City Central and Bay City Western the following year So when the Wildcats took the field in the fall of 1989 But coach Ron Hughes made certain the 'Cats kept scratching until the bitter end in-your-face coach -- full of passion," said Vrable a running back who earned a Golden Helmet Award as player of the week in 1989 "He believed in excelling regardless of the odds now 40 and the general manager of Olive Garden in Saginaw and Midland said representing the Wildcats for the final time was both a disappointment and an honor "I was most disappointed that I would never be able to see future Wildcat football teams," he said "I'd love to share that with my son But every year when high school football begins I'm reminded that I can't go see the guys in Red playing out there and many familiar faces are expected to take part in the one-hand touch contest About 65 players registered to compete in the game half playing for the Handy Odds coached by Jerry Grant John Young and Bill Johnston and half for the Handy Evens coached by Gene Rademacher The festivities include a performance by the alumni cheerleaders a tribute to Handy graduate and former faculty member Pete Karoly and recognition of Dick Van Nostrand with the Distinguished Alumni Award T-shirts and DVDs are available for purchase and the school is going to be open for tours A postgame gathering is planned at Bay Lanes Keep up with the latest from Peter King and The MMQB team • LUKE RUSSERT: The NBC political reporter and Bills die-hard on what the team means to Western New York  ROBERT KLEMKO Jason Vrable is pumped up to be working with Sammy Watkins again the Green Bay Packers’ wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator got to know Watkins when he played for the Buffalo Bills from 2014-16 after Watkins signed a one-year free agent deal with the Packers this offseason He knows what the former Clemson wide receiver is capable of doing on the field and is certainly happy to be back on the same team with him what’s funny is he’s been a free agent a couple of times now,” Vrable said to the media this week I’ve wrote up Sammy for the reports with Gutey (Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst) and those guys After being drafted by the Bills out of Clemson with the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft Watkins battled injuries early in his NFL career and has since been with four different teams (Los Angeles Rams receiving yards (394) and touchdowns (one) with the Ravens last season and hasn’t reached 700 receiving yards since posting the lone 1,000-yard receiving season of his career in 2015 with the Bills 7 in yards per reception among NFL players with 300 or more catches while he is one of five wide receivers in the league with 300-plus receptions 30-plus receiving touchdowns and an average of 14.5-plus yards per catch since 2014 The former Tiger All-American also played a key role on the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV championship team in 2019 and Vrable feels the 28-year-old still has plenty left in the tank to offer the Packers now that he is in Green Bay “I talked to Sammy about it the other day,” Vrable said the way that he was running some routes and catching it reminded me of him when he first walked onto the field the biggest thing with him had been some injuries But he knows he’s going to work as hard as he can He’s here doing all the workouts right now and conditioning One thing you’ll see with him is he plucks the ball different and running through catch and his play strength – there’s a reason why we drafted him that high That Kansas City Super Bowl run was him in the playoffs he had a one-on-one and he was winning those I’ve been in four systems in the last four years.’ So ‘Just getting back to what you coach…’ He’s like it’s been fun hearing you coach the same stuff then as now,’ and he knows the details Not only is Vrable high on Watkins as a player but Vrable loves who Watkins has matured into as a person as well Just see where he’s been and his maturity has just been exceptional He was just a young rookie before and now he’s a grown man with a family and just living life the right way and trying to do as much as he can to get back and get another Lombardi which he’s one of the few guys that has held one up that I’ve been around He’s happy to be in a building where he feels a good fit right now –Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images  - New location positioned to serve Eastern Europe OEM assembly facilities - Auria will produce automotive flooring and fiber-based decorative trim - One of three new Auria facilities to open in 2019 a global leader in vehicle acoustical and fiber-based products ceremoniously opened the doors to its new Vráble The facility will produce automotive flooring systems and fiber-based decorative trim components for Jaguar Land Rover and other premium OEM customers The new facility spans more than 92,000 square feet (8,500 square meters) and houses both manufacturing and administrative space The facility will initially be home to more than 100 employees and will increase to a workforce of 150 with the launch of new business expected over the next two years The company invested approximately $10 million in the facility to date The location selection was strategic due to its proximity to OEM customer manufacturing facilities in the growing Eastern European region and the highly skilled "This new facility follows through on the commitment we have made to our customers to expand our footprint with state-of-art manufacturing," said Auria President & CEO Brian Pour "As vehicle manufacturing continues to grow in Eastern Europe we see a great opportunity to support our customers from this world-class operation in Vráble." "Fibers represent the next frontier for technological advancement for vehicles and other consumer products," said Shanghai Shenda Chairman Yao Minghua.  "Shenda companies like Auria are proud to be at the forefront of developing and delivering fiber-based solutions from world-class plants like Vráble that will meet the evolving needs of the transportation industry for decades to come." Auria recently broke ground on a new manufacturing facility in Wuhan the 242,000 square foot (22,500 square meters) Wuhan facility will produce automotive carpeting for Chevrolet and Buick models produced and sold in China.  In January 2019 Auria China took possession of the company's new regional headquarters in Shanghai.  About Auria:Auria Solutions is a leading global supplier of automotive acoustical Auria is built on a century of automotive and transportation industry heritage England and operational headquarters in Southfield operates 27 manufacturing and 11 technical facilities in 12 countries and employs nearly 7,000 people worldwide [email protected] ein führender Anbieter von hochentwickelten Systemen für Fahrzeugakustik Textilien und Frachtmanagement für Gas- und Elektrofahrzeuge un grand fournisseur de systèmes de haute technicité pour l'acoustique les textiles et la gestion de la cargaison des véhicules automobiles à .. 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