Mission to replace Sharpe won't be easy for Holmgren

The Journal Sentinel staff

Green Bay Much of Green Bay Packers coach Mike Holmgren's time during the regular season was occupied designing ways in which to get wide receiver Sterling Sharpe open to catch the football.

Much of Holmgren's time now is occupied with finding ways in which to obtain a receiver of Sharpe's talents.

And the Packers' last shot appears to be this month's college draft, where several big-play receivers will be available.

But what if the Packers can't trade up and land an up-and- coming Sharpe? What if they enter the season with the group of receivers they have now?

For one thing, they will be more diversified.

Instead of going to one of the best of all time, the targets will include a Pro Bowl tight end (Keith Jackson); a solid veteran (Mark Ingram); a couple of good athletes (Robert Brooks and Anthony Morgan); a reliable back (Edgar Bennett); and some unknown commodities (Terry Mickens, Charles Jordan, Bill Schroeder, Mark Chmura).

It would be quite a change for Holmgren to enter a season without a Hall of Fame receiver. He's been blessed with Jerry Rice and Sharpe during his only two jobs in the National Football League and would be certainly coaching his offense from a different perspective without them.

"A lot of times you don't know those guys (Rice and Sharpe) are that type of player until you throw them the ball that many times," Holmgren said. "Maybe Robert Brooks is that type of player if I threw the ball to him 100 times.

"I've been fortunate to have a Jerry Rice in San Francisco and Sterling Sharpe here, but those guys when they were rookies no one knew what they were going to be like either. We'll be all right."

Brooks stands to be the Packers' primary receiver because he was a starter last season and knows the offense inside and out. But Holmgren is taking a long look at Ingram during this week's minicamp because he also has the potential to carry the burden.

During his eight-year career, Ingram has averaged 15.3 yards per catch, which is nearly two yards better than Sharpe's career average. The most catches he's had in one season is 51 in 1991, so it's yet to be seen what he can do if he's the primary target.

"I really haven't visualized myself in this offense yet," said the 5-11, 194-pound Ingram. "I just want an opportunity to come in and catch some balls. I'm sure they'll see what I do best and work with that."

Ingram described himself as a guy who works hard to get open and relishes a chance to go one- on-one with a cornerback. He said running the kind of short, crossing routes Sharpe excelled in is something that's right down his alley.

"I've done it all my career," Ingram said of going across the middle. "That's part of my job. If you were to ask me my qualifications or for a job description that's what it would say."

Offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis hasn't given up on the possibility of the Packers landing a J.J. Stokes or Michael Westbrook in the draft, but he believes the Packers have a lot to work with now.

For one thing, they have a Pro Bowl-type quarterback who showed last season that he doesn't have to rely on Sharpe every play to be successful. For another, they have a chance to run a truer form of the offense in which the ball is spread around more evenly.

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