Organized team activities. That is the official name for OTAs, which provide the perfect opportunity to do a little experimenting.

It’s a great time to try players out at different positions and prepare them for emergency situations. The Patriots have often done that. In 2004, in the offseason, they tried wide receiver Troy Brown at defensive back. Then, after a slew of injuries, he was the nickel back on a Super Bowl winning team.

For Green Bay, there will be some of this going on, but one area where the Packers are already trying some new things, in terms of personnel, is the kicking game as the team could potentially have a new long snapper and punter in 2017 

For the last decade, the long-snapping position has belonged to Brett Goode. And by the time training camp or the regular season rolls around, it may again, but right now, he is a free agent and the only long snapper on the roster is rookie Derek Hart of James Madison.

The Packers are also doing a little experimenting at punter as well, with news coming out Thursday that Ted Thompson has cut last season’s punter Jacob Schum.

Schum did a decent job for the Packers, but the new guy, Justin Vogel, was the top rated punter in the 2017 draft according to Bob McGinn and the organization must like what it’s seeing so far.

Otherwise, it’s hard to see the team cutting Schum this early. He averaged 43.1 yards per punt and had a net average 39.1, as well as 17 punts that landed inside the 20. Obviously, the Packers desired more from his performance, but the fact that they jettisoned him, appears promising for Vogel.

It’s pretty rare for a rookie to lock down a job in OTAs, but Vogel might have done just that. Hart, on the other hand, still has a long ways to go.

With Goode available in free agency if needed, Green Bay is going to take its time and get a good, long look at Hart. If he proves to be a comparable player or one that also offers better coverage skills, the Packers would be foolish not to make the move.

For starters, the Packers would be able to retain Hart’s services over the next few seasons at a much cheaper rate in the next few seasons than Goode, who is probably nearing the end of the line anyways.

Hart wouldn’t be able to reach even restricted free agency until after three seasons, and over those three years, he would earn around $1.5 million making the league minimum. Goode would cost $3 million over the same time period based on the league minimum for veteran players with at least 10 accrued seasons.

It may not seem like much money to save, however, getting a player that’s just as productive and more of a long-term solution seems worthwhile. Then, the dance of finding someone to replace Goode and failing each offseason, could come to a halt.

Certainly, neither of these positions will be finalized until August and both may face some competition in training camp. Yet right now, each can make a strong first impression and by doing so, both can go a long way towards earning a roster spot that will be anything but experimental.