Virgil Green is used to trading personal gain for the success of the team.
In his first season with the Los Angeles Chargers
T.Y. Hilton Jersey , the veteran tight end's unselfishness might be exactly what is needed following the loss of emerging star Hunter Henry to a serious knee injury.
"This isn't the first time something like this has happened, and it's always 'next man up' mentality," Green said following the first day of mandatory minicamp Tuesday. "Everybody in that room has to contribute, whether you are No. 1 on the depth chart or last on the depth chart."
Henry sustained a torn ACL in practice last month, leaving Green as the only tight end on the roster that has caught a pass in an NFL game and drastically changing his role for the upcoming season. Green, who signed with the Chargers as a free agent in March after playing seven seasons for the Denver Broncos, had been expected to serve mainly as a blocking complement to Henry.
Instead, Green might finally get his chance to be used more in the passing game, especially in the red zone. It was how Green was expected to be featured coming out of college at Nevada, but he never caught more than 22 passes in a season, with 48 of his 71 career receptions coming in the past three.
The chance to play a more prominent role is refreshing to Green, who has four career touchdown catches.
"I've made a living blocking when there were times I thought I should have been running routes, but I kept my mouth shut and did what I was supposed to do, won a lot of games in Denver, and I hope to bring that here
Marcedes Lewis Jersey ," Green said. "Obviously, who doesn't want to catch touchdowns? I want to catch 10 touchdowns if I could, but whatever this team needs me to do to win games, that's all I want to do."
With Henry expected to miss the entire upcoming season, the Chargers will use a heavy dose of three-receiver sets highlighting 1,300-yard standout Keenan Allen and a diverse crop of talents including former first-round pick Mike Williams, who could be another big-bodied option near the goal line. Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt praised the selfless nature of the wide receivers, and Green is trying to do his best to impart the same collective spirit to the tight ends.
Whisenhunt recognizes it has been a challenge for Green to help the other six tight ends on the roster while learning the offense for the first time. But Green carries the authority from his time at an AFC West rival to help the group, which includes four rookies and two players in their second seasons, on how to approach life in the NFL.
"I've been in your position before," Green said. "Every year they said, 'Oh, this guy, he's not going to make the roster.' But somehow I made the roster. Don't stress about what's said on the outside. Just focus on your job. Do what you do, and go have fun."
Whisenhunt likes what he has seen so far from the untested tight ends behind Green
Mason Foster Jersey , but recognizes a better evaluation will come during training camp and preseason games.
"The real test comes when we put the pads on and we see how they can hold up in the blocking and what we're asking them to do there, but we have good competition with that group," Whisenhunt said.
For Green, he is excited for the chance to help the Chargers get back into the postseason for the first time since 2013. He realizes how close they were to that goal last season while splitting the two-game season series with the Broncos.
"I know what it takes, what it takes for a team to go to the playoffs and be successful, and my role is just to do whatever this team needs me to do, whatever they need," Green said. "I'm just focused on ending my career with a bang."
NOTES: Cornerback Jason Verrett (left knee) went through team drills for the first time since undergoing season-ending surgery last September. ... Defensive tackle Corey Liuget did not participate as he recovers from foot surgery, but coach Anthony Lynn expects him to be available for training camp.
__
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — A blockbuster deal brought a new wrinkle to the NFL’s oldest rivalry.
The Chicago Bears visit Lambeau Field on Sunday night, just in time for star pass-rusher Khalil Mack to potentially make his debut in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers.
A premier player joins what figures to be an already tough defense. Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks can’t hide his glee.
“When we got him, I was just so excited just to have such a prolific pass-rusher next to me. It’s going to be phenomenal,” Hicks said.
He led the Bears last year with a career-high 8½ sacks. Mack is second in the NFL since 2015 with 36½ sacks. Promising third-year player Leonard Floyd, a 2016 first-round draft pick, will line up at the outside linebacker spot opposite Mack.
This could spell trouble for offensive lines.
“You usually have to game-plan around him
http://www.greenbaypackersteamonline.com/josh-jackson-jersey , and then when you game-plan around somebody, regardless of what position it is, then there’s an advantage somewhere else,” coach Matt Nagy said. “That gives the advantage to other players on defense, so those guys need to step up when given opportunities.”
The Packers looked into trading for Mack. Now they have to face him.
“Yeah, I was lying in bed scrolling through Twitter like, ‘Dang, man. Gotta see him twice a year now,” Packers receiver Randall Cobb said about his reaction to the Bears’ deal for Mack.
The primary responsibility for blocking Mack will fall to veteran right tackle Bryan Bulaga , who will be playing his first game since tearing his right ACL in November. At least Bulaga has had some time on the practice field this preseason, unlike Mack, who held out before being traded by the Oakland Raiders.
He might get some help at times from the Packers’ deep tight end group, reinforced during the offseason with the additions of free agent Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis to join veteran Lance Kendricks.
They’ll be tasked to give enough time to the ultimate equalizer: quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
It just wasn’t clear if Mack would be ready to play this week, though Hicks sure seemed pretty confident that his new teammate would be on the field.
“Well, that’s a really good player in his prime
Ramon Humber Jersey ,” Rodgers said about Mack. “They obviously gave up some picks, but it just adds to the rivalry now that we get to see him twice a year.”
Other notes and things to watch for the game:
GRAHAM’S DEBUT: Graham, who signed as a free agent from Seattle, has already shown chemistry with Rodgers. The 6-foot-7 tight end could offer an enticing target especially in the red zone . Defenses may have to decide whether to pay more attention to Graham over the middle or receiver Davante Adams on the outside.
“He can do it all over the field,” Rodgers said of Graham. “He’s got a wide, wide catch radius and there are a lot of things he can do.”
TAKE TWO: The Bears made big moves in the offseason to get the most out of prized quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Whether he can deliver remains to be seen .
“Everything that I saw and went through last year is going to help make me more comfortable this year,” Trubisky said.
Trubisky threw for 2,193 yards in 12 games last season after Chicago traded up a spot to draft him with the No. 2 overall pick. But he also had as many interceptions as touchdown passes while compiling a 77.5 rating that was about the same as Mike Glennon’s (76.9).
ON THE CORNER: The Packers revamped their cornerback group in the offseason, bringing back veteran Tramon Williams while taking rookies Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson with their first two picks in the draft. They’ve shown playmaking promise in training camp. Last year’s second-round pick, Kevin King, is also healthy again after missing time during his rookie year with a shoulder injury. The 6-foot-5 King has the length and speed to play press coverage on the edge.
ROBINSON RETURNS: The Bears are counting on Trubisky to make big gains in first-year coach Nagy’s offense. They also gave him some new options, including former Jacksonville Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson. He returns to the field after tearing his left ACL in his left knee during last year’s opener with Jaguars. Signed by the Bears in March, Robinson did not catch pass in the preseason.
MILESTONES: The NFC North rivalry goes back to 1921, with Green Bay holding a 96-94-6 edge. The game will also open up the 100th season in the history of the Packers. The Bears are opening their 99th season.
Womens Hayden Hurst Jersey 