GREEN BAY – Rookie offensive lineman JC Tretter’s NFL career is off to a painful, disappointing start.

The Green Bay Packers fourth-round pick from Cornell suffered a broken ankle during Monday’s first organized team activity practice, according to his agent, Alan Herman. Tretter had worked at right tackle during the team’s rookie orientation camp two weeks ago.

“They were doing a fumble recovery drill. Unfortunately his cleat got stuck in the turf and he broke his ankle,” Herman said when reached Tuesday afternoon.

Herman, who also represents former Packers running back Ryan Grant, said the injury is similar to the one Grant suffered during the 2010 regular-season opener at Philadelphia. Herman estimated that Tretter will be sidelined six months.

“It’s a setback,” Herman said. “I’ve had four guys in the last two years who’ve sustained a similar type injury – torn the ligament and broke the bone. It’s a six-month deal until they’re fine. Three months non-weight bearing, and then they’re back on their feet.”

Asked about Tretter after practice Tuesday, Packers coach Mike McCarthy refused to disclose the nature of Tretter’s injury, saying only that Tretter would not be available for the rest of OTAs.

"As far as injuries, obviously JC was not there, he was injured yesterday, he will not be available for the rest of the OTAs," McCarthy said. "With regards to the injury report, I’m not going to get into roll calls, injuries, just like we’ve done in the past as far as reporting in the OTAs. I’m here to talk about the players who worked today."

Asked if Tretter will be ready for training camp, McCarthy replied, "Really, Tretter is going through the medical process right now. I don’t have a clear (timetable). He’s going through the process.”

Asked why he wouldn't divulge what happened to Tretter, McCarthy said: "It’s just the way we’ve always done it.” 

GREEN BAY – Mike McCarthy wasn’t happy with what his team accomplished – or failed to accomplish – during last year’s organized team activity practices, so the Green Bay Packers coach has tweaked the structure and of his offseason slightly in an effort to make the practices more productive.

Phase III of the offseason program kicked off Monday morning at Lambeau Field, with the team set to have its first OTA practice later in the day. Tuesday’s practice is open – weather permitting – to both fans and reporters, set for 11:30 a.m. at Clarke Hinkle Field. The workouts are being held on the Hinkle practice field instead of Ray Nitschke Field behind the Don Hutson Center is being prepared for training camp, the team said.

McCarthy felt less-productive OTAs last year led to a less-productive training camp and, in turn, a slow start to the regular season, as the Packers began the year 2-3 before winning nine of their last 11 to finish 11-5.

“Our OTAs will be different this year,” McCarthy said at the end of the rookie orientation camp. “They won’t look much different to the media, but as far as, we’ll accomplish more football in Phase II than we did last year. We will probably do less team (11-on-11 sessions) in Phase III than we did last year. We’ve got a different emphasis.

“I haven’t really covered this with players yet, so I’ll cover this down the line. But we changed some things up in Phase III.”

One change that all eyes will be upon when Tuesday’s practice kicks off: The reconstituted offensive line. McCarthy juggled the lineup at the start of Phase II, shifting right tackle Bryan Bulaga to left tackle, right guard Josh Sitton to left guard, left guard T.J. Lang to right guard and left tackle Marshall Newhouse to right tackle. Newhouse will compete with Don Barclay, 2011 first-round pick Derek Sherrod and perhaps rookie fourth-round picks David Bakhtiari and J.C. Tretter for the job.

McCarthy wouldn’t say if the job is Newhouse’s to lose after he started 28 games (including playoffs) over the past two seasons at left tackle.

“I’m not going to get into the depth chart. Frankly, I’d like to get everybody lined up first,” McCarthy said. “We can talk about that when training camp opens, or see how these OTA reps sort out.”

GREEN BAY – They say it takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong. Given the class, dignity and leadership Bart Starr has exhibited over the years, it’s no surprise that the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and Green Bay Packers icon is exactly that kind of man.

For as much as Starr accomplished as a player, leading the Packers to five NFL titles (1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967) and being named to four Pro Bowl teams and the 1960s all-decade team, he was a disappointment as a coach, going 52-76-3 in nine seasons. The Packers made it to the playoffs only once during his tenure, during the 1982 strike-shortened season, and never won more than eight games in a single year. He was fired after an 8-8 finish in 1983 and was replaced by his former Lombardi Era teammate, Forrest Gregg.

But if the now 79-year-old Starr had had his way, he wouldn’t have coached the Packers at all. Or, at the very least, not done so in 1975, three years after his retirement as a player and with only one season of coaching experience under his belt.

“The greatest mistake I made in my life was to coach,” the Packers legendary quarterback said during an event last week in support of current Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ charity efforts with Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer.

“It's a great lesson that could apply to any of us. Because I didn't plan to, I hadn't prepared to. And I didn't have the guts to say to the Green Bay Packers, 'Thank you, but no thank you. I'm not going to do it.' I wasn't prepared, and it showed over the first few years. I felt very, very badly about that.”

Starr retired as a player after the 1971 season and served as the Packers’ quarterbacks coach in 1972. He then spent two years in the broadcast booth for CBS Sports before the Packers, having watched Dan Devine leave to take over at Notre Dame, came to him and asked him to coach. The Packers went 4-10 in Starr’s first season of 1975, then 5-9 in 1976 and 4-10 in 1977 before finally reaching the .500 mark with an 8-7-1 finish in 1978. It was Starr’s only winning season as a coach.

“I think we can all learn lessons from others if we listen closely to why they did or didn't do something,” Starr said. “That would be the biggest error of my life."

GREEN BAY – Alex Green didn’t watch the NFL Draft, but the Green Bay Packers third-year running back didn’t have to. When the Packers took Alabama running back Eddie Lacy in the second round, then added UCLA running back Johnathan Franklin in the fourth round, Green’s phone lit up.

“(Even) if I’m not watching it, everybody else around the world is watching it, so I was getting phone calls and text messages and things like that saying, ‘You picked up so-and-so,’” Green said Tuesday morning before boarding the bus for the team’s annual Tailgate Tour around the state.

Green, a 2011 third-round pick whose rookie season ended with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, said he wasn’t bothered by the selections, either. Having had an up-and-down season as the team’s part-time starter at running back, he said he can’t argue with the decision.

“Last year, I didn’t do anything too good in the running game, so I think it was a great thing for us to get back out there, make a step in the draft and help the team win football games,” Green said. “There’s always going to be challenges in life, there’s always going to be new guys stepping up. That’s part of the game, that’s the name of the business. I’m looking forward to it. To me, it’s a great thing. It’s going to push me more to be more focused.”

After would-be starter James Starks suffered a toe injury in the Aug. 9 preseason opener at San Diego, Green was in line to be the team’s lead back – until Cedric Benson was signed off the street on Aug. 12.

But when Benson went down with what turned out to be a season-ending foot injury in a Week 5 game at Indianapolis on Oct. 7, Green became the starter. He had 10 carries for 63 yards against the Colts, including a season-long 41-yard run, but was pedestrian thereafter.

He carried 22 times for 65 yards against Houston on Oct. 14, then 20 times for 35 yards against St. Louis on Oct. 21 and 22 times for 54 yards against Jacksonville on Oct. 28.

Green didn’t get a carry against Detroit on Nov. 18 after the bye week, and after carrying a combined 48 times for 192 yards over the next four games, he was inactive against Tennessee, did not play in either the regular-season finale or the NFC Wild Card playoff game against Minnesota and was inactive for the season-ending loss to San Francisco in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. He finished the season having rushed 135 times for 464 yards (3.4-yard average).

Running backs coach Alex Van Pelt revealed after the loss to the 49ers that Green’s surgically repaired knee was giving him problems with scar tissue causing stiffness, discomfort and pain.

Asked Tuesday morning if he was ever 100 percent last season, Green replied, “No, I wasn’t. I wasn’t. I came back, I got close to (100 percent), but once I got close, then I had a couple setbacks. I was never really quite where I wanted to be, but I made great strides in the offseason. I’m definitely getting ready for this year.

“I just couldn’t handle it any more. It got to the point where it was getting worse and worse. We just had to cut back and let it heal a little bit more.”

Because Adrian Peterson had such a phenomenal season after tearing his ACL on Christmas Eve 2011, it’s easy to forget that not every player bounces back in such superhuman fashion.

“I just came back a little bit early and just kind of wore down late. I didn’t really expect it but I knew that’s what I was heading towards, coming out of surgery a few months out,” Green said. “I always knew that next year (2013) was going to be the strongest year, so I’m looking forward to getting back stronger.

“Injuries are always a frustrating thing, especially not being able to get fully healthy throughout the whole season was definitely not something I was expecting. But like I said, I have to look past that and keep working and get better for next year.”

Green didn’t sound like he regretted pushing the knee last season, knowing that he could easily be replaced – a lesson that was even more obvious after last month’s draft.

“This is a business, (so) you don’t really want to sit out too long,” Green said. “But coming back from an injury, you never want to sit out and not play. It wasn’t really pressure, it was just me wanting to get back out on the field and play football.”

GREEN BAY – Randall Cobb has arrived, but he hasn’t peaked.

The Green Bay Packers third-year wide receiver is coming off a breakout 2012, catching 80 passes for 954 yards and eight touchdowns. With Greg Jennings leaving as a free agent to join the archrival Minnesota Vikings and franchise all-time leading receiver Donald Driver retiring, Cobb’s role will only become more prominent this season, along with James Jones and Jordy Nelson.

And that works out well for Cobb, who believes he has plenty more to give.

“I really don’t think I’ve peaked yet. I’m 22 years old. I’ve got a lot of learning still to do. I have a long way to go and I just hope I continue to get better over the next years,” Cobb said Tuesday morning as he, running back Alex Green and special teams ace Jarrett Bush prepared to board the bus for this year’s Packers Tailgate Tour.

“It’s really crazy to think that I’m 22 years old, going into my third year and I’m getting as much attention as I am. You really just have to embrace it, you have to love it and have fun with it. I’m really excited about this tour to give me an opportunity to have fun with it.

“I think definitely with Donald retiring and Greg leaving, it’s definitely going to be a lot more weight on me, James and Jordy’s shoulders. But we’re taking on the challenge head-on. We’ve been really excited to get back and work. We’ve got some young guys, some drafted guys that’s coming in. We’re excited to get back to work and see how it’s going to turn out this year.”

Cobb, who caught only 25 passes and had his greatest impact on special teams as a rookie, said he wasn’t sure if he would remain the team’s primary return man in 2013. Jeremy Ross is among the options to replace him, despite his costly fumble in the season-ending playoff loss to San Francisco, but Cobb said he’s fine with whatever the coaching staff decides.

“I don’t know. If I’m able to do it and they want me to do it, perfect. If not, perfect,” Cobb said. “We have one goal and that’s to bring the title back home. Whatever it’s going to take to bring us there, if that’s me returning, if that’s me not returning, that’s something we’ll figure out over the next few weeks going into training camp and early on in the season.”

A few moments before, quarterback Aaron Rodgers drove past en route to IPW (Individual Position Work) workouts at the Don Hutson Center and blared the horn on his Ford pickup truck, interrupting Cobb’s train of thought. (“And that’s your quarterback,” Cobb said, shaking his head.) Cobb said the NFL’s highest-paid player hasn’t taken his wide receivers out to lunch or anything just yet, but he’s not complaining.

“I need to get on him about that. He needs to do something with us,” Cobb said with a laugh. “He took me to the (Kentucky) Derby this past year. But that’s pretty much my home, so I pretty much took him to the Derby. It was fun. We had a good experience. We had a good time down there.”

GREEN BAY – This is Mark Murphy’s sixth Tailgate Tour, and with his first having come in 2008 shortly after Brett Favre announced his retirement, the Green Bay Packers president /CEO has gotten more than his share of questions about the future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback.

“I think each year it’s lessened a little bit,” Murphy said as the bus prepared to pull out of the Lambeau Field parking lot Tuesday morning. “My first year was 2008, so we actually thought we might see Brett along the tour.”

Murphy has repeatedly said that reconnecting the estranged Favre with the organization he’d come to embody during his 16-year run as the team’s starting quarterback is a priority to the franchise. Murphy reiterated that position at the NFL Meetings in Arizona in March, saying of a Favre jersey retirement ceremony, “I don’t know the timing of it. Certainly I don’t want to put a deadline on it, but it’s going to happen.”

On last year’s Tailgate Tour, Murphy said during a stop that the team hoped to retire Favre’s jersey in the next year or two, adding that the team wants to do it “when it’s meaningful to Brett.”

If and when that happens, Murphy is hoping Favre will eventually board the Tailgate Tour bus with him.

“I envision someday he’ll be on this with us,” Murphy said Tuesday morning.

Favre, of course, announced his retirement in March 2008, informed the Packers of his decision to unretire in July 2008 and, after one of the ugliest splits between a franchise and a star player in league history, was traded by general manager Ted Thompson to the New York Jets in August 2008. Favre then retired from the Jets following the 2008 season, only to unretired again and go on to play two seasons with the rival Minnesota Vikings in 2009 and 2010. He shared the stage with his successor, Aaron Rodgers, at the NFL Honors event in February before Super Bowl XLVII.

Asked if Favre’s close friend and center Frank Winters, who is on the Tailgate Tour with Murphy, might be an ally who could help him convince Favre, Murphy chuckled and replied, “That’s part of it.”

GREEN BAY – Five tryout players earned their way onto the Green Bay Packers’ 90-man roster with their performances during the rookie orientation camp over the weekend.

The Packers announced that they had signed Washington fullback Jonathan Amosa, New Mexico State linebacker Donte Savage, Arizona State cornerback Brandon Smith, Illinois State wide receiver Tyrone Walker and Prairie View A&M linebacker Jarvis Wilson, all of whom tried out during the camp.

The Packers also released outside linebacker Micah Johnson, who was signed in the offseason after being on the practice squad, and fullback Ryan Roberson, an undrafted free agent from Texas whom the Packers had signed immediately after the draft.

Amosa, 22, played in 24 games over his final two seasons with the Huskies after joining the program as a walk-on linebacker in 2008. As a senior in 2012, he appeared in all 13 contests and caught two passes for 19 yards (9.5 avg.). Amosa played in 11 games as a junior and caught a 7-yard TD pass.

Savage, 24, played in all 12 games at defensive end for the Aggies in 2012 and led the defensive line with 45 tackles, including seven tackles for loss, three sacks, four QB hurries, two blocked kicks, a fumble recovery and a pass defensed. As a sophomore in 2009, he registered 53 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two passes defensed and a blocked punt.

Smith, 26, entered the NFL as a non-drafted free agent wide receiver with Carolina in July 2011 and spent time with the Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks that preseason. He played in 19 games with three starts during his career at Arizona State and caught 10 passes for 196 yards (19.6 avg.) and two TDs.

Walker, 22, finished his career as the school’s all-time leader in receptions (250), receiving yards (3,565), receiving touchdowns (32) and 100-yard receiving games (16). He earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors in 2012 after leading the conference in receptions (90), receiving yards (1,319) and TD catches (nine).

Wilson, 22, appeared in all 11 games as a senior in 2012 and registered 63 tackles, including eight tackles for loss, a half-sack, a forced fumble, four QB hurries and two passes defensed. As a junior in ’11, Wilson posted 59 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks, a forced fumble, three QB hurries and two passes defensed.

Last year, tackle Shea Allard, wide receiver Jarrett Boykin, guard Grant Cook, wide receiver/running back Curenski Gilleylen and cornerback Otis Merrill were all signed to the active roster after the camp ended, and tight end Brandon Bostick was added later that month. Boykin, who’d been released by Jacksonville a week earlier after taking part in the Jaguars’ rookie camp, ended up making the 53-man roster coming out of camp. Bostick spent the entire year on the practice squad and was taking part in this year’s camp, too.

There was no rookie orientation camp in 2011 due to the lockout, but in 2010, the Packers brought back wide receiver Shawn Gore, safety Anthony Levine and nose tackle Aleric Mullins. Levine ended up on the practice squad and saw time on the 53-man roster.

In 2009, cornerback Trevor Ford, offensive tackle Dane Randolph, defensive lineman Dean Muhtadi and punter Adam Graessle were signed. In 2008, cornerback Condrew Allen, cornerback Kyle Ward Lafayette and offensive tackle Ryan Considine were brought back. And in 2007, defensive end DeVon Hicks, offensive lineman Pete Bier and fullback Corey White were signed.

GREEN BAY – Although the full training-camp schedule hasn’t been finalized, the Green Bay Packers’ Family Night Scrimmage is set: The annual Lambeau Field event is set for Saturday, Aug. 3.

Now in its 13th year, Family Night features an intrasquad scrimmage between the Packers’ offense and defense. Evening activities get underway in the stadium at 5:30 p.m., followed by on-field football drills at 6:30 and the scrimmage at approximately 7:30.

Tickets, priced at $10, will go on sale June 24 at 9 a.m. Fans can purchase their tickets through Ticketmaster, over the phone or via the internet. Tickets also can be purchased at the Packers’ ticket office in person. There is no ticket limit on purchases. All individuals, regardless of age, require a ticket for admittance. The event benefits the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids foster care adoption program, a signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

A group ticket program (minimum of 50 tickets) will be offered again. The application form is available online on Packers.com or in person at the Packers ticket office. Group ticket orders are restricted to approved groups and organizations, and are to be used for the sole purpose of accommodating a group or organizational outing. Resale is prohibited.

Included in the evening’s activities will be the popular Chili’s “Jerseys Off Our Backs” promotion with approximately 20 jerseys – all of which will have been worn by Packers players in the just-completed scrimmage – to be given away in a random drawing.

Parking for the event will be $5, with net proceeds to be donated to the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Program.

In case of inclement weather, no refunds will be issued unless all stadium activities – from 5:30 p.m. until the end of the fireworks show – are cancelled.

For fans not attending the event, WLUK-TV FOX 11 again will originate a statewide telecast. In addition to Green Bay, the event will be televised on WITI-TV in Milwaukee, WMSN-TV in Madison, WFXS-TV in Wausau, WLAX-TV in La Crosse and WEUX-TV in Eau Claire. It will be hosted by Drew Smith and other members of the Fox 11 sports and news staffs.

The entire training camp schedule is being finalized and will be released in the near future, the team said.

GREEN BAY – While he reminds himself – and others – every year that it’s only a three-day camp conducted in helmets and shorts, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy was clearly pleased Sunday with what he saw from his freshman class during the annual post-draft rookie orientation camp.

“As I told the rookies at the end of practice today, I felt it was clearly one of our better rookie camps, if not the best,” McCarthy said Sunday afternoon, following the eighth post-draft camp of his tenure. “I'll let this final day of video make that clear, but I thought the practices increased as far as the production and efficiency, seeing guys get on the same page.

“I thought the work was very good. The professionalism this group conducted themselves I thought was exemplary. We definitely feel good about the quality of the men top to bottom that were here this weekend.”

Asked if anyone stood out to him, McCarthy again praised undrafted free agent running back Angelo Pease, whom he’d singled out after the first practice on Friday, too.

“There's always surprises. I'd like to watch today (on film) before I point anybody out specifically,” McCarthy said. “You're always excited about your draft picks. I thought the summer free agent signings were excellent. I'm going to do it to him again, I thought Pease of Kansas State had a very good weekend. He had another run today. I think he's a good young back."

Asked how Pease, who had only 96 carries at Kansas State in two seasons, slipped through the cracks, McCarthy replied, “Well, he’s here for a reason. So that’s a credit to the player and that’s a credit to our personnel department. You’re also practicing in helmets and shorts – and that’s why you have to be practical about what you saw today. It really confirms movement ability, athletic ability. Are they systematic? Do they fit what you’re looking for? The real football doesn’t start until training camp and we all realize that.”

As McCarthy spoke with reporters, general manager Ted Thompson and the scouting staff were discussing the 27 tryout players who participated in the camp, along with 11 draft picks and eight of the team’s nine undrafted free agents (defensive tackle Gilbert Pena was excused). The Packers traditionally have signed a handful of tryout players after the camp ends.

Players on the roster Monday will then join the rest of the team during the final week of Phase II workouts. Phase III, with organized team activity practices, starts May 21.

The Packers had 84 players on the roster at the start of rookie camp, leaving room for the team to sign as many as six tryout players.

“The process of who stays and who moves on will be determined throughout the day,” McCarthy said.

Over the past five rookie camps, the Packers have brought back at least three tryout players each year.

Last year, tackle Shea Allard, wide receiver Jarrett Boykin, guard Grant Cook, wide receiver/running back Curenski Gilleylen and cornerback Otis Merrill were all signed to the active roster after the camp ended, and tight end Brandon Bostick was added later that month. Boykin, who’d been released by Jacksonville a week earlier after taking part in the Jaguars’ rookie camp, ended up making the 53-man roster coming out of camp. Bostick spent the entire year on the practice squad and was taking part in this year’s camp, too.

There was no rookie orientation camp in 2011 due to the lockout, but in 2010, the Packers brought back wide receiver Shawn Gore, safety Anthony Levine and nose tackle Aleric Mullins. Levine ended up on the practice squad and saw time on the 53-man roster.

In 2009, cornerback Trevor Ford, offensive tackle Dane Randolph, defensive lineman Dean Muhtadi and punter Adam Graessle were signed. In 2008, cornerback Condrew Allen, cornerback Kyle Ward Lafayette and offensive tackle Ryan Considine were brought back. And in 2007, defensive end DeVon Hicks, offensive lineman Pete Bier and fullback Corey White were signed.

“You spend more time on the video than you normally at camps like this because you really want to make sure you watch every play, every guy and make sure you have a clean evaluation. Because you don’t want to have someone here and you move on (too) quickly and they go on and (play elsewhere),” McCarthy said. “Obviously you didn’t give them a clean opportunity.

“That happens, too, but the reality is you’re looking for players who fit, and I told the players the same thing. It’s a two-way street. If it doesn’t work out here, you may fit somewhere else, so this is an opportunity for competition. That’s the theme of the weekend.”