GREEN BAY, Wis. Alexis Sanchez Jersey . - Ted Thompson is happy to have Julius Peppers in the fold. But the Packers general manager insisted Thursday that landing the eight-time Pro Bowl defensive end from the rival Chicago Bears wont have an effect on what Green Bay does with its nine selections in next weeks NFL draft. In his first public comments since Peppers surprising signing on March 15, Thompson said he believes the 34-year-old lineman has plenty left in the tank and that he expects him to have an impact on the Packers up-and-down defence. "Theres no evidence of any decline in his play, in our opinion," Thompson said Thursday. "He still has the same athletic traits that he had coming out (of college). Hes had a remarkable history in the NFL in terms of durability. Were looking forward to it. I think he is, too." The 6-foot-7, 287-pound Peppers certainly has been durable, playing in 186 of a possible 192 games. Hes also been productive, registering the second-most sacks (118.5) in the NFL and forcing the fifth-most fumbles (39) since he entered the league. He leads all NFL defensive linemen with nine interceptions over that span. But playing 855 snaps for the Bears last season, Peppers managed only 7.5 sacks, the third-lowest total of his 12-year NFL career. The Packers envision him as a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker in their 3-4 defence, and their hope is that by playing him fewer snaps, they will not only increase his production but give opposing offences another pass-rushing threat to worry about opposite four-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Clay Matthews. Matthews, who missed six games last season with a twice-broken thumb, is expected to be fully healthy for training camp. "When I view him as a football player, hes an individual youd like to create targeting problems," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said of Peppers in March. "He has the ability to play from the two-point stance, has the ability to play on the move." In 10 career games against the Packers with Carolina and Chicago, Peppers has recorded 9.5 sacks, his fourth-highest total against a specific opponent. The Packers finished tied for eighth in the 32-team NFL last season in sacks with 44 despite Matthews absence. Their hope is that Peppers, who reported for the first day of the off-season program last week, will have an impact on more than just that one category. Last season, the Packers finished tied for 24th in scoring defence (26.8 points per game), 25th in yards allowed (372.3), 25th in rushing yards allowed (125.0), 24th in passing yards allowed (247.3) and tied for 20th in takeaways (22). "Its fun to see Julius. Hes a specimen. He looks great," Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said last week. "Itll be fun to get him really into the fold and get him feeling like hes part of the team, encouraging him to be a leader for us. I think he brings a lot to the table -- on the field and in the locker room. Im just excited about not having to run away from him anymore." As hopeful as the Packers are of Peppers contributions, Thompson insisted that he wont approach the No. 21 overall pick - or any of his other picks - differently with Peppers on board. "We talked about this before. I might sound like a broken record, but we feel that the draft is a long-term investment," said Thompson, whose teams most immediate needs appear to be at safety, linebacker, tight end, offensive line and cornerback. "We dont get too carried away with what our perceived needs are at the moment. We think thats good business. If you can marry those things up thats fine but if you stretch to try to fill quote unquote need somewhere then you end up messing up a couple of spots, so we try to stick to the best player available." 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Shed missed the last three years either because of injury or Sjogrens Syndrome.ANAHEIM, Calif. - After Hilary Knight skated with the Anaheim Ducks, the two-time U.S. Olympian emerged confident she can play hockey with anybody in the world.Knight practiced with the Ducks on Friday as part of her work to raise the profile of womens hockey. The skilled forward is thought to be the first non-goalie to practice with an NHL team, and everybody in Anaheim thought Knight fit in perfectly.Im one of those women who just like to push boundaries, Knight said. Ive got a frame and stature that can blend in sometimes with some of the guys, and its a great opportunity to go out there and skate with them.Indeed, the 5-foot-10 Knights speed and size allowed her to blend in seamlessly with the two-time Pacific Division champion Ducks. Her whip-quick wrist shot impressed Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau, who has never watched a womens hockey game live.I was really pleasantly surprised at her skill, Boudreau said. Once she got over the jitters, I think she was really good. Id be pretty nervous if I walked into an NHL room and had to practice with them, and I thought she handled it really well.Knight joined the Ducks for the first 25 minutes of their workout, going through skating and passing drills, and she returned later for 20 minutes of shooting. Knight also dropped in as a guest coach for a Ducks-affiliated womens team on another rink in the training complex.The day was a dream fulfilled for Knight, one of the worlds elite players. She won an NCAA title during a decorated four-year career at Wisconsin, and she has Olympic silver medals from Vancouver and Sochi, where the U.S. team lost twice to Canada in the gold-medal game.She is clearly the best player in the world right now, said Ducks defenceman Ben Lovejoy, an avid fan of womens hockey along with his wife. In her element against her peers, she is clearly dominant. ... She truly did fit in. You really had to try on the ice to find her, because she wasnt out of place at all. She was snapping pucks right on the tape. Precise passing. She put it on the money every time.Lovejoy and Knight both grew up in New Hampshire, and Knight lived in Lovejoys hometown for several years. TThey discussed their roots on the ice, and Knight also had in-depth conversations with Boudreau, centre Nate Thompson, captain Ryan Getzlaf and fellow U. Victor Lindelof Jersey. . Olympian Ryan Kesler.I was just trying to pick their brains, Knight said. I was like a sponge out there: OK, what can I learn? Watching Ryan Kesler, how does he shoot? Getzlaf was teaching me things about the sticks. All of them were really friendly, and Im just so fortunate to have this opportunity. I was like, OK, dont smile too much.Knights shot didnt look out of place among the Ducks, even if the targets are smaller when 6-foot-4 Frederik Andersen and 6-foot-3 John Gibson are the puck-stoppers.Goalies here are huge, Knight said with a laugh. I knew they were tall, but theres no holes in that net.The Ducks approached Knight last month about participating in practice, and she eagerly agreed. She hopes the publicity benefits the IIHF World Girls Ice Hockey Weekend next week, when thousands of girls will get a free chance to play hockey at rinks across the world.Womens hockey is fairly robust in North America, which dominates the sport on the international level. Olympic officials periodically express public worry about the slower growth of the game in Europe, where Sweden and Finland were the top teams until Switzerland grabbed bronze medals in Sochi.I want to grow the sport, and this is a step in doing that, Knight said. I want to get another invite in the future.Knight is stepping into the skates of pioneers including goalie Manon Rheaume, who signed with Tampa Bay in 1992 and played in exhibition games for the Lightning. Hayley Wickenheiser, Canadas five-time Olympian, played with a mens pro team in Finland in 2003, while U.S. defenceman Angela Ruggiero became the first woman to play in a North American mens pro league with the CHLs Tulsa Oilers in 2005.For her next feat, Knight would love to play in an NHL exhibition game. Boudreau and Lovejoy wont be surprised if it happens someday, although most NHL teams are winding up their preseason schedules in the next few days.That would be huge, Knight said. 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