Packers' Harrell to miss OTAs after back surgery By COLIN FLY AP Sports Writer GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Defensive tackle Justin Harrell, the Packers' No. 1 draft pick in 2007, will miss all of the organized team activities while he recovers from minor back surgery and hopes to be ready for training camp. Harrell said Wednesday after the team's third OTA and second practice that he hurt himself lifting weights and had outpatient surgery to correct a disk problem a little over a month ago. "I was walking three miles a day the day after the surgery," he said. "The only thing is you've just got to stay active and keep doing things that you can do and just make sure you keep everything intact and when it's time to go, it's time to go." Harrell also missed OTAs last season while recovering from a torn biceps muscle he hurt in the second game of his senior season at Tennessee. The injury made him a surprise pick when the Packers selected him at No. 16 overall. He said he realizes he may get the label as being injury-prone. "I can't worry about that," said Harrell, who also missed five games with an injured ankle last year after he started the season on the inactive list. "I'm just trying to stay positive, I'm just trying to do what I can to make sure when training camp comes I'm ready to roll." Harrell said he hurt the disk in April, but he's not sure the details on what the surgery corrected. He said he realizes he's missing valuable time. "It's pretty much the most important time right here, just get yourself better, get more accustomed to the system, but like I said, I've just got to do what I can, what they'll allow me to do," he said. It's supposed to be a big year for Harrell, part of a group being relied on to replace defensive tackle Corey Williams, who was traded to Cleveland in the offseason. "It's a big challenge," Harrell said. "He was a good player and he's gone now, so that means us younger guys that didn't play a lot last year and the older guys have got to pick it up." The Packers also said on their team Web site that cornerback Will Blackmon (foot) and defensive tackle Johnny Jolly (shoulder) would not participate in any of the OTAs, but would be cleared in time for training camp. "Any time, particularly a young player, misses time it's not to his benefit," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "I have also in my career seen players, young or old, go through stages in their career where injuries happen one after another." ------ TAKEN FOR GRANTED:@ Packers running back Ryan Grant continues to sit out the OTAs looking for a new contract, even though the exclusive rights free agent has little wiggle room. "I'm up here working, taking care of everything I can take of. I need to be here, we need to be together as a team and just take care of what we can," said Grant, who burst onto the scene last season and finished with 956 yards and six touchdowns in seven starts. Grant said he's not trying to ostracize himself, but didn't say if he would hold out of training camp. "That has nothing to do with right now," he said. "We're not there right now, so I'm not going to worry about that." Grant has been at the team facility working alone on conditioning while he works to get a new deal done. Packers coach Mike McCarthy said that Grant has handled the situation very well so far, and that he's not sure whether it's the organization or Grant's representatives that have asked him to sit out while contract talks continue. "I'm not that involved," McCarthy said. "My relationship with Ryan is as his coach, and he has been here every day through the whole offseason. He has been lifting here four days a week." McCarthy also believes Grant is continuing to prepare himself for the season, even though he isn't working directly with the team. "Would I like him out there with everybody else? Absolutely, but he's not under contract right now, so it's clearly a business decision," the coach said. Grant said there's no hard feelings or unhappiness on his part. "It's just the business aspect," he said. "I felt like it was my best situation to handle it this way." ------ CORNER MARKET:@ Starting cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris both missed the first practice open to the media on Wednesday, but Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he's been talking to both players. "Charles has been in and out of town. I talked to Al probably about a week to 10 days ago," McCarthy said. "In their particular case and where they are in the years, their work during the OTAs will be limited, but we'll definitely hit our targets with them." In their place, the Packers relied primarily on Jarrett Bush and Tramon Williams, who was beaten a few times but also made several deflections. Pat Lee lined up as the nickel cornerback. ------ STAYING INSIDE:@ Packers fans hoping to catch a glimpse of OTAs won't see that much. Coach Mike McCarthy has decided to hold them all inside the Don Hutson Center. "It just gives us a constant practice environment, just from things that work a little better for us from a mechanic standpoint," he said. "We're not going to go out on the grass until training camp like we did last year." McCarthy said that the team will also be inside for the mandatory minicamp in June. "You guys don't like it inside?" McCarthy deadpanned. "It was nice out there today." (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)