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          NFL Nation

          Stairway to catches: Packers receivers juggle another new practice drill

          GREEN BAY, Wis. -- It’s not just juggling that’s keeping the Green Bay Packers’ receivers busy during organized team activity practices this offseason.

          On Monday, we saw another unusual drill: catching passes off a staircase.

          It’s another new practice implemented under first-year receivers coach Luke Getsy, who last week had his players juggle tennis balls and footballs to work on hand-eye coordination and grab bricks to build strength in their hands.

          With practice moved indoors because of rain, the receivers worked off to one corner of the Don Hutson Center, where there’s a stairway that leads to a catwalk used to film the workouts. With a coach standing on a staircase, receivers went down on one knee with their back to the stairs. The coach then fired passes that receivers had to catch over their shoulder.

          “Well, you’re always trying to improve,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after practice. “The stair throw, we actually did that some last year. It’s more for guys that struggle with the over-the-shoulder catches and things like that.”

          If it’s a drill that was used before, it had never been done in front of reporters like it was during Monday’s open OTA session.

          There have been plenty of changes on offense this offseason, including three new position coaches: Getsy (who was an offensive assistant last year), Brian Angelichio (tight ends) and Ben Sirmans (running backs). McCarthy also has made alterations to his playbook, which helps keep a veteran quarterback like Aaron Rodgers on his toes. Rodgers said it’s been positive because he has to study even more than usual in the offseason.

          He also likes the new practice drills, even the ones that pertain to other positions.

          “I think you need some of that,” Rodgers said. “Every year, you kind of need to mix it up -- maybe every two or three years -- but it can’t get stagnant. We have a new running back coach, new tight end coach and Luke with a new position. I think it’s great. You can’t have anything get too stale or get too monotonous. You’ve got to throw some new energy into it.

          “That’s the great thing about our staff and the kind of guys that we have, is you want them to continue to look for advancement and get opportunities. What happens is then the young guys come up and kind of put their own imprint on their position group.”