 GREEN
BAY - Nick Collins has been tuned in the past few weeks.
The safety is a candidate to wear a
radio transmitter in his Green Bay Packers helmet this season. The
NFL is implementing communication between a coach on the sideline
and one defense player on the field, similar to what offense players
have had for the past several years.
Collins and linebacker Nick Barnett
have been experimenting with the new device in offseason practices.
"If Nick don't like it, then
it'll be me. It don't bother me," Collins said after the
Packers completed a three-day minicamp Thursday.
But before Collins can be entrusted
with relaying play calls he hears in his helmet, the veteran must
keep his starting job.
When Collins returns July 28 to Green
Bay after enjoying a five-week break from football, he could have a
battle on his hands.
"I think there's competition
throughout our whole football team, and that's one position you
could point out where it's evident," head coach Mike McCarthy
said earlier this week.
Collins' competition is expected to
come from Aaron Rouse, who impressed the coaching staff as a rookie
last season when he replaced the injured Collins in a four-game
stretch.
Rouse did something in the brief
stint that Collins couldn't do the entire season: He had two
interceptions. Collins didn't pick off a pass until he had been a
pro for three years.
"If you look at Nick's play,
Nick has been consistent," McCarthy said. "(But) his
productivity is something that really everybody wants to improve on.
You want to see him be more productive."
Collins agreed his production as a
playmaker from the safety position wasn't acceptable. He had a
career-high three interceptions in 2006.
"When you have the opportunity
to make plays, then you've got to make plays," Collins said.
He attributed his underwhelming 2007
season, which included just 62 tackles after big-time outputs of 96
as a rookie in 2005 and 102 in 2006, to a couple factors.
Collins said his focus wasn't always
on football because of his ailing father. Willie Collins, 55, was
diagnosed with prostate cancer and endured operations and
treatments.
"I was kind of tired last year,
going back and forth (to Florida) to make sure my father was all
right," said Collins, the youngest of three children.
His season was further interrupted by
a knee injury he sustained in a game at Kansas City on Nov. 4.
Collins was sidelined for the next three games.
"It was a tough year. I was
going through a lot last year," Collins said.
"But, that was last year. This
is a new season. So, I'm just looking forward to get back."
His father's condition has improved
since the end of last season. That allowed Collins to participate in
all the Packers' offseason workouts for the first time.
"This year, everything is
smooth," Collins said. "My dad is doing better. Now, it's
time for me to just focus on what I have to do."
Collins downplays the notion that he
will have to fend off a challenge from Rouse to remain in the
starting lineup.
"Every year's going to be
competition. That's nothing new. So, I'm not worried about it,"
Collins said. "I’m going to just go out there and do my
job."
And the coaches haven't told him his
starting position is in jeopardy. Coming off a subpar season when he
still was named an alternate to the Pro Bowl, Collins is confident
he'll solidify his status with a big bounce-back year.
"This is the year for Mr. Nick
Collins. This is the year," he said. "So, I’ve got to go
out there and make plays."
NOTES: McCarthy was happy about the
amount of work the team accomplished in its offseason program.
"Clearly, I think it's the best
offseason we've had to date," he said. "It's an exciting
time for us. We feel like we've had the opportunity to improve
through this learning process because that's really what this time
of year is. I liked the way the rookies jumped in there and picked
things up. It puts us in very good position to start off camp
healthy and ready to go." ... McCarthy expects to have all his
players available when training camp opens. The Packers had some
players miss the minicamp and previous team activities for medical
reasons, including OT Chad Clifton, DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and DTs
Johnny Jolly, Colin Cole and Justin Harrell. ... RB Ryan Grant
reiterated Thursday that he expects to be under contract by the
first day of training camp. Grant is seeking a long-term deal after
refusing to sign the team's one-year tender of $370,000 as an
exclusive-rights free agent. Grant wasn't allowed to practice with
the team in the offseason. ... In the wake of former Packers
receiver Javon Walker being attacked and robbed in Las Vegas early
Monday morning, McCarthy's parting message to the players Thursday
was: "Be safe, be smart."
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