There was a new addition on the sidelines of the Green Bay Packers’ practice field during Tuesday’s first minicamp practice: a giant video monitor.
“It caught my eye,” said quarterback Jordan Love after practice. “First time we’ve had it out there since I’ve been here, so it was cool to see that. Got a little bit of a replay going on at practice so you can just take a look and see kinda what you’d watch on film but just right there at practice, so it was pretty cool.”
This monitor is positioned off of the practice field and along the walkway that separates the Don Hutson Center from the grass. The purpose is to give players and coaches the opportunity to rewatch the previous rep, giving them feedback in real time instead of having to wait until the film sessions that follow the practice.
In theory, this should result in more productive practices with players and coaches able to adjust and correct on the fly rather than having to wait until the next day’s practice to implement what was discussed in the meeting rooms.
“I think you get instant feedback,” said coach Matt LaFleur after Tuesday’s practice. “I think the more immediate the feedback, the more beneficial it could be.
“Certainly, when you’re in season, I think it’s a little bit easier to use, in terms of usually you’re operating in like a block of five or six plays where the offense is up and the defense is up, and it will allow you to look at some things. We wanted to experiment with it today.”
The Packers have added a large video monitor to the sideline at practice. Looks like it’s showing replays so players and coaches can get an immediate look. The Falcons, among other teams, have also done this recently. pic.twitter.com/Uv0vu4kvKD
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) June 11, 2024
There have been a few other teams around the NFL who have implemented this sideline monitor during practices. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky would mention that the Atlanta Falcons are one team that uses the monitor, while LaFleur noted that Josh Jacobs used it when he was with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Right now, as LaFleur put it, the Packers are experimenting with the screen to see if they would like to implement it during training camp and the regular season. Admittedly, with an offseason roster of typically 90 players and numerous drills going on at once, using the monitor as a teaching tool this time of the year can be more challenging.
However, in-season, where there are smaller blocks of plays stacked on top of each other, the player-to-coach ratio is much smaller, and there are far more offense versus defense situations, the opportunity to use the monitor as a coaching tool can be fully recognized.
“I think it’s definitely something that will help,” added Love, “and just be able to look at out there on the field because you don’t really get the chance to see a replay like you would in a game, so I think it’d be beneficial for us.”