GREEN BAY, Wis. - The brief scuffle at Packers practice turned heads in the crowd. The dropped ball by a receiver during an offence vs. defence security drill drew roars from defenders. The team has grinded through off-season workouts with a work ethic that coach Mike McCarthy says is one of the best hes seen during his nine years as head coach in Green Bay. The energy is up. "Im not saying the other groups werent mature," McCarthy said. "It just seems like this group is further ahead than weve been, and you can sense the energy." Caveat: Its June, still more than six weeks from the start of training camp and three months from the start of the 2014 season. Almost every team feels good this time of year. The Packers, of course, have a championship pedigree. Confidence that comes with winning three straight NFC North titles, and just a few seasons removed from winning the Super Bowl. "The work ethic is very high. This group is really extremely competitive, in tune. Our new training environment has been unbelievable. It has put us so far ahead of where weve ever been, so I think with that brings more confidence so theres just a sense of maturity," McCarthy said. Changes on the coaching staff brought some new perspective. Quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo left to become the offensive co-ordinator of the New York Giants, while outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene left to spend more time with family. Sam Gash is the new running backs coach after Alex Van Pelt slid over to replace McAdoo. Winston Moss is the assistant in charge of all linebackers now, not just inside linebackers. Former Illinois and Florida head coach Ron Zook is now an assistant special teams coach. Green Bay hopes the defence will be improved this year with the addition of Julius Peppers and the anticipated healthy return of linebacker Clay Matthews from an injured thumb. Eddie Lacy has a full year of seasoning now as the lead rusher in a talented backfield that complements Rodgers. The 2011 NFL MVP, for one, likes the spunk hes seen on the practice field. "I love it. I love the energy, I love the passion. There will be those altercations in training camp. When guys remember this is a professional environment, not a personal environment, then you wont have any issues in the locker room," Rodgers said. "But every now and then you have to stir it up a little bit, you have to make some changes." Rodgers said he also likes the changes he has seen with new personnel and new coaches. "Its a natural progression. And when you have some new players theres always going to be stuff like that, guys getting used to this tempo," Rodgers said. "Sometimes guys dont like getting tossed down a little bit, and you need to work it out." Fringe players anxiously looking for a roster spot shouldnt get too overly worked up. Jobs arent won in June, McCarthy said, when practices are tailored to highlight agility and playing in space. But McCarthy likes some of the intangibles that he has seen so far. "I think youre seeing more player interaction as far as what goes on on the field. Guys self-correcting, and a lot more pro-active as far as sharing information," he said. "Those are good things. I see more of it this year." Note: The Packers signed rookie free agent Shaun Lewis on Tuesday. Lewis, a 5-foot-11 linebacker from Oklahoma State, tried out at Packers rookie minicamp in May. He had 73 tackles and three interceptions last season for the Cowboys. __ Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ___ Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP Nike Air Max Womens 90 2018 . The Asheville, N.C. native, who signed as a free agent with the CFL club last May, didnt see any action with Edmonton this season after opening the year on the injured list. Nike Air Max Womens 90 Gold . The thinking at the time was Clowney could have already been promised he would be selected first overall by the Houston Texans, therefore negating any need to meet with any other teams. The plot took another twist this week. http://www.nikeairmaxwomens90.com/ . He has spent much of his adult life trying to give back to his native South Sudan, the war-torn African nation the Cavaliers forward and his family fled when he was a young boy. Nike Air Max Womens 90 White . Al Harrington, another former Knicks forward, scored 22 of his 24 points after halftime for the Nuggets, allowing them to withstand Anthonys attempt to rally the Knicks after his poor shooting had them behind until the final minutes of regulation. Anthony finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds, missing 20 of 30 shots in the Knicks sixth straight loss. Nike Air Max Womens 90 Red . - Jordan Addesis shootout goal helped the Plymouth Whalers to a 3-2 win over the Sault Ste.BALTIMORE -- The percentages weighed heavily against Robinson Cano as he stepped into the batters box against Miguel Gonzalez in the fifth inning of a tie game. Cold numbers were rendered completely meaningless by the Seattle slugger, who provided the struggling Mariners with a pivotal three-run homer in a 6-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night. Cano was 2 for 23 lifetime against Gonzalez (5-6) before driving a split-finger fastball into the seats in right field to put the Mariners up 4-1. It was his eighth home run of the year, the first in 15 games since July 12. "I had success with it throughout my career against him," Gonzalez said. "So I decided to throw that pitch. But it just stayed up, middle." When Cano gets his bat on a mistake of a pitch, the results are usually predictable -- regardless of who throws it. "He was sharp," Cano said of Gonzalez. "It was only just that pitch that, he just threw it middle of the plate and I was able to make a good swing." It was enough to give Seattle its eighth win in 21 games since July 7. The Mariners had scored two runs or fewer in seven of their previous 10 games, but the recent addition of Austin Jackson, Kendrys Morales, Chris Taylor and Chris Denorfia has provided hope that things will soon change. "We dont have the big bopper in the middle of our lineup, obviously, but weve got some guys that are professional hitters and know the strike zone and know what they can do up there," manager Lloyd McClendon said. Caleb Joseph homered and Manny Machado had three hits for the Orioles, whose previous seven games were decided by one run. Coming off a 14-week stay on the disabled list with a strained back muscle, Seattle starter James Paxton gave up two runs in 4 1-3 innings. Relievers Dominic Leone (4-2), Brandon Maurer, Yoervis Medina, Charlie Furbush and Fernando Rodney followed with a combined 4 2-3 innings of four-hit ball. With the score 1-all in the fifth, Jackson got his first hit with the Mariners, a single.dddddddddddd He took third on a double by Dustin Ackley and scored when Cano hammered the 1-1 offering from Gonzalez. "It cost us the game," Joseph said. In another situation, perhaps Cano would have received a free pass. But given the numbers ... "Just trusting Miggy there," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Hes made a lot of good pitches and had a lot of success against him, and it just didnt work out." Joseph homered in the bottom half to hasten Paxtons exit. Morales made it 6-2 with a two-run single in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Ryan Flaherty singled in a run in the bottom half, but Rodney retired Machado with two outs and runners on the corners. Paxton faced only two batters before falling behind. Nick Markakis drew a leadoff walk and scored on a double by Machado. Ackley tied it in the third with his sixth home run, the first of his three hits. TRAINING ROOM Mariners: Seattle placed DH Corey Hart on the 15-day DL with a bruised right knee. Orioles: First baseman Chris Davis did not start because hes still feeling the effects of a stomach virus, Showalter said. Davis was in an 0-for-11 skid before flying out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth. ON DECK Mariners: Seattle calls upon right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma (9-5), who has a 32-16 lifetime record but allowed four runs over seven innings in a loss to Baltimore last week. Orioles: Chris Tillman, who began his professional career in the Mariners organization, seeks to go 6-0 lifetime against Seattle. BACK IN ACTION Paxton hadnt pitched since April 8, so even though he didnt make it through five innings there was cause for optimism. "We thought he would be a little bit pumped up, over-amped a little bit and probably a little rusty," McClendon said. "Once the game got going, I thought he was extremely efficient. The breaking ball started to come around." So did the fastball. "As he got his lather going, you saw the velocity go up to 98, and we started to feel pretty good." ' ' '