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In this
file photo, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers,
left, watches as rookie quarterbacks Brian Brohm, center,
and Matt Flynn, right, take snaps during the NFL football
team's minicamp in Green Bay, Wis. With Brett Favre still
mulling a marketing deal that could keep him in retirement,
and new starter Rodgers absorbing most of the scrutiny in
Green Bay Packers training camp, Brohm and Flynn are able to
continue their development while flying under the radar.
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GREEN BAY - Brett Favre is locked in
a standoff with the Green Bay Packers' front office. Aaron Rodgers
is absorbing constant scrutiny as the new starting quarterback
trying to replace a three-time MVP.
Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn? They're
just two rookies trying to learn how to play quarterback in the NFL,
and they're more than happy to fly under the radar for now.
Brohm, a second-round pick out of
Louisville, said the only time Favre's situation directly affects
him is when a bunch of TV cameras gather around Rodgers in the
locker next to him and he has to go get dressed somewhere else.
"There's been a lot of media
attention, so it's been tough to get to my locker when Aaron is over
here getting interviewed," Brohm said. "That's the only
thing, I've had to wait a little bit to get back to my locker."
Otherwise, Brohm and Flynn, a
seventh-round pick out of LSU, have been having typical training
camps for rookie quarterbacks: Generally solid play, mixed in with
the occasional batted pass or ill-advised scramble.
"I think in both Brian and Matt
together, you are seeing them get more comfortable with the speed of
the game, more comfortable in the pocket," Packers coach Mike
McCarthy said earlier this week. "That's what you look for in
young quarterbacks, so I'm very pleased with the progress they have
made so far."
Assuming Favre doesn't end up
lingering on the Packers' roster as a $12 million backup this season
— the least likely of all the potential resolutions to the Favre
dispute — the Packers will likely end up with both rookies backing
up Rodgers.
The Packers had Rodgers ready to go
when Favre retired in March, but still needed a backup plan. They
talked to veterans, including Daunte Culpepper, but ended up picking
Brohm and Flynn during the NFL draft in April.
Both were considered good value picks
for the Packers. Brohm was considered a potential top-10 pick going
into his senior season, but his uneven performance with a so-so
Louisville team last season cost him on draft day.
McCarthy has praised Brohm for
picking up the Packers' offense quickly, but Brohm knows he has
plenty of work left to do.
"Typically, I'm pretty critical
of myself," Brohm said. "But I feel like I've done a
pretty good job of picking things up. Obviously, there's been a few
mental errors here or there that I need to clean up, but that's part
of the learning process. The more reps you get, the better you're
going to get at running the plays."
And Flynn was drafted as a project in
the seventh round — not bad, considering all he did last season
was lead LSU to a victory over Ohio State in the BCS championship
game.
But Flynn didn't necessarily have a
smooth ride in college. He was expected to take over as LSU's
starter after the departure of top draft pick JaMarcus Russell but
injuries left him alternating with Ryan Perrilloux.
"I learned a lot in college from
my experience, and I learned a lot about myself," Flynn said.
"I grew up a lot in that situation. I've learned, I have a hard
head. I don't let things sink in and get to me. I just stay calm and
do what I can do. When there's things out of your reach, that you
can't control, why worry about it? Just worry about yourself."
For Flynn, that applies to the Favre
situation, too.
"If I worry about stuff like
that, then I'm not going to be able to perform the best I can,"
Flynn said. "Right now, I'm a rookie. You have to start
somewhere. And in order for me to achieve my goal of becoming a
longtime quarterback in the NFL, I can't worry about things. I have
to try to progress myself as a quarterback and try to get better
each practice, because I believe my best football is in front of me.
So you can't worry about things."
Brohm said he isn't worried about the
Favre situation — but he certainly wants to be the No. 2
quarterback this season.
"Yeah, that's obviously a job I
want to hold on to," Brohm said. "But, right now, I'm just
trying to get better and hopefully impress the coaches."
Brohm and Flynn will get their first
taste of an NFL game day atmosphere Sunday, when the Packers host
their annual "Family Night" scrimmage at Lambeau Field.
"It's going to be very
exciting," Brohm said. "It's going to be a lot of fun. I
just can't wait to get out there and see what it feels like."
Notes:@ TE Tory Humphrey missed
Saturday's practice with tightness in his ankle and Achilles'
tendon. Humphrey said he wasn't concerned about the injury, despite
missing all of last season with a broken lower leg and anticipated
playing in Saturday's scrimmage. "I should be ready,"
Humphrey said. ... C Scott Wells sat out Saturday with a strained
lower back muscle. Wells said the injury wasn't related to one he
sustained earlier in the offseason. "It's on the other side, a
different muscle," Wells said. "It's kind of weird. But it
doesn't seem too serious." ... CB Tramon Williams (hip flexor),
RB DeShawn Wynn (concussion) and DTs Ryan Pickett (hamstring) and
Justin Harrell (back) also sat out Saturday. ... RB Noah Herron and
LB Abdul Hodge got into a shoving match during Saturday's practice
that escalated into a brief brawl also involving DE Jason Hunter and
RB Vernand Morency. McCarthy said offensive players might have been
venting frustration after struggling early in practice. "I
think when frustration sets in you get some of that extracurricular
activity," McCarthy said. "That's really not necessary.''
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