1
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:21,120
Speaker 1: Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers unscripted from Packers dot Com.

2
00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:25,599
Speaker 1: I am Mike Spofford, rejoined by my trusted colleague West

3
00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,640
Speaker 1: Hodkowits were coming to you here from our studios at

4
00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,600
Speaker 1: lambeau Field. Welcome back to the show. West. Yeah, thank you.

5
00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:34,360
Speaker 1: I was worried at first that maybe my pass card

6
00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,400
Speaker 1: when I was walking back into the building wasn't gonna work,

7
00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:38,680
Speaker 1: and you know, i'd be just sitting outside with all

8
00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:42,600
Speaker 1: of my boxes and office supplies. But fortunately I still

9
00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:44,400
Speaker 1: have a desk and obviously I still have a spot.

10
00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:46,479
Speaker 1: We thank Aaron for joining you, which I thought was

11
00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:48,199
Speaker 1: a pretty good episode. Yeah, it was fun. It was

12
00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,760
Speaker 1: a good conversation. But we are certainly glad to have

13
00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,120
Speaker 1: you back. A lot to talk about here, West, as

14
00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,880
Speaker 1: the Packers have just finished two joint practices with the

15
00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:00,160
Speaker 1: Houston Texans. The preseason opener against those same Texans is

16
00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,040
Speaker 1: coming up Thursday night at lambeau Field. But I want

17
00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:07,560
Speaker 1: to start this show with some brief recollections on an

18
00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,280
Speaker 1: all time Packers great He was back in the building

19
00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:14,360
Speaker 1: on Tuesday, Jordy Nelson making his retirement from the NFL

20
00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,880
Speaker 1: official retiring as a member of the Green Bay Packers.

21
00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:20,440
Speaker 1: He didn't stand at the podium and give a speech.

22
00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,640
Speaker 1: He just said, all right, I'll take some questions and um,

23
00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:28,319
Speaker 1: but some some interesting little anecdotes that that came out

24
00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:32,720
Speaker 1: from his career. Just your your memories, your recollections of

25
00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,520
Speaker 1: number eighty seven. I want to first off mentioned I

26
00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,240
Speaker 1: actually asked Tremon Williams about that this week, the fact

27
00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,160
Speaker 1: that if it was kind of funny seeing Geordy have

28
00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,360
Speaker 1: retirement pereimony, considering Jordi has never been a guy that

29
00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,760
Speaker 1: really wants to be in the spotlight in Treman as

30
00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:50,120
Speaker 1: Tremont always does, phund a phenomenal way of conceptualizing everything,

31
00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,760
Speaker 1: where he said, you know, the one thing that he understood,

32
00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,480
Speaker 1: Jordy understood was that even though he didn't want to

33
00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:58,040
Speaker 1: be in the spotlight, the way he played on the

34
00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,160
Speaker 1: field put him in the spotlight. And if you were

35
00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,120
Speaker 1: going to be there, you have to be able to

36
00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,520
Speaker 1: carry yourself in a way in which you're not only

37
00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,440
Speaker 1: a top flight Pro Bowl receiver, but you're going to

38
00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:09,840
Speaker 1: be a leader on this team. And I think, as

39
00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:11,959
Speaker 1: you saw as well with guys speaking around the locker

40
00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:15,760
Speaker 1: room this past week, consistency and leadership or the two

41
00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,000
Speaker 1: you know, kind of buzzwords when it comes to Jordy

42
00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:22,480
Speaker 1: Nelson from a play style perspective, I haven't covered the

43
00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,040
Speaker 1: NFL for a long time. Mike, uh, you know. I

44
00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,720
Speaker 1: know there's been great receivers that have come before Jordy Nelson.

45
00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,080
Speaker 1: They'll be create receivers that come after Jordy Nelson. But

46
00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,280
Speaker 1: I don't know if there's anyone that I've covered that's

47
00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:35,800
Speaker 1: made my jaw drop as much as Nelson did with

48
00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,160
Speaker 1: his play. And when I was asking some players in

49
00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:39,680
Speaker 1: the locker room this past week, you know, when they

50
00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:41,840
Speaker 1: think of Jordy Nelson, what did what comes to mind

51
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:44,399
Speaker 1: so many of them, as I think even Jordy did

52
00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:48,760
Speaker 1: mention that play in San Francisco. The sports science sideline

53
00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,720
Speaker 1: catches the things that he could do that went above

54
00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:56,120
Speaker 1: and beyond what a receiver should be able to do.

55
00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:01,680
Speaker 1: Maybe not biologically, but that sort of telekinesis that he

56
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,399
Speaker 1: had with Aaron Rodgers to be in the right place

57
00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:05,880
Speaker 1: at the right time, and then, by the way, when

58
00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,200
Speaker 1: you're in the right place at the right time, making

59
00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,560
Speaker 1: an out of this world catch. When I think of

60
00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:15,160
Speaker 1: Jordy Nelson and ten fifteen years go by, those will

61
00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,000
Speaker 1: be the memories that come to mind. First. Yeah, absolutely,

62
00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,280
Speaker 1: and to me, it definitely is the connection, the chemistry,

63
00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:28,560
Speaker 1: the camaraderie every yeah, with Aaron Rodgers. As I've mentioned,

64
00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,880
Speaker 1: I think before, on the show a couple of years ago,

65
00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,280
Speaker 1: Rogers and Nelson were the cover story for the Packers

66
00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,600
Speaker 1: year Book, and I was fortunate enough to get about

67
00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,760
Speaker 1: a half hour sit down in a room just the

68
00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,080
Speaker 1: three of us, had both of them together, and I've

69
00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,720
Speaker 1: never asked so few questions west in a half hour

70
00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,520
Speaker 1: interview because all I had to do was bring up

71
00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,880
Speaker 1: a play, bring up a moment, and Rogers and Nelson

72
00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,320
Speaker 1: started talking. I mean, we all know about rogers recall

73
00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,400
Speaker 1: of details and everything like that. Jordy Nelson's not far behind,

74
00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,560
Speaker 1: and that's part of the reason he had that connection

75
00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:05,160
Speaker 1: that he had with Rogers, because he remembered everything. And

76
00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,280
Speaker 1: I think in some ways as disappointing as it was

77
00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,040
Speaker 1: obviously that with the great start to seventeen and Jordi

78
00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:15,600
Speaker 1: had six touchdown catches in the first five games, but

79
00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,440
Speaker 1: then Aaron Rodgers ends up breaking his collar bone and

80
00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:22,640
Speaker 1: Jordy Nelson's last season doesn't finish the way it started.

81
00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,200
Speaker 1: It's fitting in some ways that his last touchdown catch

82
00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,920
Speaker 1: as a member of the Packers, which he second all

83
00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,839
Speaker 1: time in touchdowns, and he and Rogers as a tandem

84
00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,000
Speaker 1: have combined for more touchdowns than anyone else in Packer's history.

85
00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,600
Speaker 1: It was in Dallas prior to the dramatic Davante Adams

86
00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,320
Speaker 1: last second touchdown catch, but it was on an adjustment

87
00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:46,040
Speaker 1: at the line of scrimmage that the two of them

88
00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,800
Speaker 1: had talked about and that they both remembered from a

89
00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:53,120
Speaker 1: game in Miami in two thousand and fourteen. That this

90
00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,920
Speaker 1: is three years later than in ten, that they connect

91
00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:57,640
Speaker 1: on a touchdown in the back of the end zone

92
00:04:57,640 --> 00:04:59,880
Speaker 1: in Dallas and that ends up being his last touchdown

93
00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:04,479
Speaker 1: as a Packer. It almost doesn't get more fitting than that. Well,

94
00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:08,360
Speaker 1: it also is something that perfectly encapsulates their relationship, their

95
00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,200
Speaker 1: friendship and their partnership over all those years. I remember

96
00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:13,159
Speaker 1: there was a story I wrote that technically was on

97
00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,080
Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers for the Game Program, which was in two

98
00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,480
Speaker 1: thousand and seventeen, I believe, and I have mentioned to him,

99
00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:21,280
Speaker 1: and he was almost kind of taken back by it

100
00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,360
Speaker 1: for a moment that him and Nelson at that point

101
00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:26,760
Speaker 1: in time, there was no other quarterback and receiver in

102
00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,160
Speaker 1: the NFL that had been together for as long as

103
00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,400
Speaker 1: they had been together. And it wasn't even close. It

104
00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:36,760
Speaker 1: was by like two or three years. Because one, you

105
00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:40,080
Speaker 1: just don't find receivers and quarterbacks that are that good,

106
00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,400
Speaker 1: that are able to stick around that long together kind

107
00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:45,360
Speaker 1: of in that same age vicinity. Now you start to

108
00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:47,640
Speaker 1: see it more where it's the Aaron Rodgers and a

109
00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,520
Speaker 1: younger guy like Davante Adams or you know what Drew

110
00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:52,960
Speaker 1: Brees has done with the litany of receivers that he's

111
00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:56,800
Speaker 1: worked with over the years, and that relationship when you

112
00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:00,880
Speaker 1: can get two guys playing together for ten years, the

113
00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,080
Speaker 1: the amount of knowledge and trust that you developed with

114
00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:07,560
Speaker 1: that individual. The other thing too, about Jordy Nelson that

115
00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,839
Speaker 1: I've always found to be really insightful into the man

116
00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,120
Speaker 1: he is. He wasn't the kind of guy that was

117
00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,360
Speaker 1: ever going to stand at his locker and give you

118
00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:21,520
Speaker 1: this ESPN breaking news first of the broadcast type quote.

119
00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,599
Speaker 1: But he was accountable and he always carried himself in

120
00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,240
Speaker 1: a way in which he reflected the direction you wanted

121
00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,480
Speaker 1: the team to go. I don't think I ever left

122
00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,719
Speaker 1: at Jordy Nelson interview, thinking, man, this team has no shot.

123
00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:36,720
Speaker 1: This this you know, this thing isn't gonna get worked out.

124
00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:41,159
Speaker 1: He was a consummate professional that always stressed going back,

125
00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,160
Speaker 1: learning from your mistakes and being able to make those

126
00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,920
Speaker 1: adjustments and move forward. And I thought the perfect example

127
00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,200
Speaker 1: that was two thousand sixteen, one of his last big

128
00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:53,240
Speaker 1: years here in Green Bay. The fact that things were

129
00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:55,760
Speaker 1: going in the direction they were, people started questioning things.

130
00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:58,920
Speaker 1: Rogers utters the words around the table, and we talked

131
00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,560
Speaker 1: so much about that moment. But if you go back

132
00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,960
Speaker 1: and look at the locker room stuff and and listen

133
00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,120
Speaker 1: to Geordie's interviews at that time, he was saying all along,

134
00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:09,960
Speaker 1: He's like, we just gotta work at this thing. We

135
00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,720
Speaker 1: got to get it going and practice and it'll translate

136
00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:14,360
Speaker 1: to the field. It's not like they just snapped their

137
00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,600
Speaker 1: fingers in the tide of the season change. It was

138
00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:21,320
Speaker 1: a mental toughness and confidence that they were gonna be

139
00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:24,640
Speaker 1: able to find a way. And again with Nelson and

140
00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,520
Speaker 1: Rogers leading that offense for all those years, it doesn't

141
00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:30,200
Speaker 1: surprise me at all that they end up having the

142
00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,360
Speaker 1: success that they did. Yeah, I mean the number of

143
00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,080
Speaker 1: memories that have flooded back into my head over the

144
00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,440
Speaker 1: last couple of days. I mean, whether you're talking about

145
00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,560
Speaker 1: the nine catches for a hundred and forty yards in

146
00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,120
Speaker 1: the Super Bowl, which could have been twelve catches for

147
00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,400
Speaker 1: two hundred yards. Uh, the way things were going, and

148
00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,280
Speaker 1: unfortunately Nelson had a couple of drops. But to his credit,

149
00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:51,080
Speaker 1: Um just kept battling in that game, filling in for

150
00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:53,480
Speaker 1: Donald Driver, taking on a larger role in the Super

151
00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:55,840
Speaker 1: Bowl than the third year wide receiver at that time

152
00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,760
Speaker 1: could have ever imagined. But with Driver leaving that game

153
00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:02,240
Speaker 1: with the broken ankle. I remember two thousand fourteen, he

154
00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:04,880
Speaker 1: beats derrel Rievas of the Patriots on the slant and

155
00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:07,160
Speaker 1: then just outruns him all the way across the field

156
00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,720
Speaker 1: of the pylon for a touchdown. You mentioned the the

157
00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,120
Speaker 1: tiptoe sideline thing in San Francisco, which sort of started

158
00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:16,920
Speaker 1: a sequence of those throughout the course of that season

159
00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,440
Speaker 1: in the future seasons. With his footwork on the side

160
00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,560
Speaker 1: that an entirely different level not to jump over. Yeah,

161
00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,600
Speaker 1: it's one thing to connect on the back Shuler's another

162
00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:27,080
Speaker 1: thing to do with him, and Rogers were able to

163
00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,320
Speaker 1: do it. Yeah, I mean he has his he has

164
00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,320
Speaker 1: his career year in two thousand fourteen, when Rogers wins

165
00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:36,320
Speaker 1: his second m v P. He Um unfortunately loses the

166
00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:39,400
Speaker 1: season to an a c L, then wins NFL Comeback

167
00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,840
Speaker 1: Player of the Year honors in and finishes that season

168
00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:45,520
Speaker 1: playing with a flak jacket with broken ribs in the

169
00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,679
Speaker 1: NFC Championship game against Atlanta. I could go on and on,

170
00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:50,800
Speaker 1: and like I say, it's just all the memories of

171
00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,280
Speaker 1: everything that have that have come flooding back. Hopefully I

172
00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,120
Speaker 1: was able to capture his sentiments and some of mine

173
00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,400
Speaker 1: as well. In the piece that's on packers dot Com

174
00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:03,200
Speaker 1: right now, under the headline of Jordy Nelson reflects on

175
00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:07,320
Speaker 1: his remarkable career. But um, the memories are just endless.

176
00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:09,680
Speaker 1: Yeah they are. And and it was a great story.

177
00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:12,839
Speaker 1: The one thing I'll leave this section on him mentioning

178
00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:15,240
Speaker 1: about when he told his son they were going to

179
00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,480
Speaker 1: move back down to Kansas. They're gonna move home to Kansas.

180
00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:21,560
Speaker 1: He's like, but Green Bay is home. And when you

181
00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:23,400
Speaker 1: think about it, when he played ten years there, I

182
00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,120
Speaker 1: think Royal now is maybe eight or nine somewhere around there.

183
00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:31,000
Speaker 1: Maybe his whole life was spending Green Bay, Wisconsin. So yeah,

184
00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,040
Speaker 1: when you think of home, when you think of where

185
00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:36,439
Speaker 1: you're born, that's home. So it's a special place. And

186
00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:37,719
Speaker 1: I'm sure we're gonna be seeing a lot more to

187
00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:40,520
Speaker 1: Jordy Nelson in years to come here. Yeah, hopefully for sure.

188
00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,760
Speaker 1: Um a little bit of sponsor business here. West's select

189
00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,720
Speaker 1: Cousin Subs locations are now offering delivery. Whether you're ordering

190
00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,960
Speaker 1: catering or your favorite sub, they're delivering right to you

191
00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,920
Speaker 1: when you order online at Cousin Subs dot com. Cousin Subs.

192
00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,840
Speaker 1: We believe in better all right. The team at hand,

193
00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:01,200
Speaker 1: the two thousand nineteen m Bay Packers a couple of

194
00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:04,240
Speaker 1: joint practices with the Houston Texans in the book leading

195
00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:09,000
Speaker 1: up to Thursday Nights preseason opener. What were your general thoughts,

196
00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:12,600
Speaker 1: just your overall takeaways from the two days of practice

197
00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:15,160
Speaker 1: with the Texans. First time the Packers have had joint

198
00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,720
Speaker 1: practices in training camp with another team since two thousand five.

199
00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:20,200
Speaker 1: Did you get a chance to watch many of the

200
00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,280
Speaker 1: offensive line and defensive line one in one drills only

201
00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,559
Speaker 1: a little bit, actually more more on Monday than on

202
00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:29,000
Speaker 1: tu Yeah, so I watched both on both days more

203
00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:33,120
Speaker 1: so the Packers defensive line against the offensive line of

204
00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:36,160
Speaker 1: the Texans. And this isn't to say they don't always try.

205
00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,200
Speaker 1: I think those are very competitive drill. When you watch them,

206
00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:43,000
Speaker 1: you know, good on good, but they're just seemed to

207
00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,559
Speaker 1: be a little extra kick and energy in those when

208
00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:47,920
Speaker 1: they were going up against the Texans. I sensed that too.

209
00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:50,720
Speaker 1: It just seemed like the collisions were just a little

210
00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:53,840
Speaker 1: bit more forceful, and it just seemed like guys were

211
00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:57,360
Speaker 1: trying a little bit harder and wanting to show them

212
00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,280
Speaker 1: to be the superior side. And the one thing that

213
00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:02,959
Speaker 1: my biggest takeaway from it was is Rashan Gary can play.

214
00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,240
Speaker 1: He has the he has it in him. We want

215
00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,040
Speaker 1: to see it in some games now, but it translates.

216
00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,080
Speaker 1: He was going up against Matt Khalil on Monday and

217
00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,400
Speaker 1: he looked great. He won two reps there. He had

218
00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:17,559
Speaker 1: to really competitive reps on Tuesday. So Darius Smith phenomenal.

219
00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,120
Speaker 1: I think I used him as my thing on three things.

220
00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,680
Speaker 1: Kingsley Keekley, the rookie fifth round pick. I'm not saying

221
00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:25,959
Speaker 1: he's gonna be a starter this year, but he has

222
00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:28,160
Speaker 1: some twitch in him that I think is really special

223
00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:30,319
Speaker 1: for a fifth round player. So I enjoyed watching that.

224
00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,800
Speaker 1: And then obviously you can't avoid it. I mean there

225
00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,000
Speaker 1: were there were a couple of scuffles there. Jay Sternberger

226
00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:38,320
Speaker 1: took a pretty heavy hit. It's interesting when you go

227
00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:40,160
Speaker 1: back and look at it. I saw somebody on Twitter

228
00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:42,319
Speaker 1: brought up the video. I didn't realize this, but Jay

229
00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:44,760
Speaker 1: Sternberger had a pretty good stiff arm on Lonnie Johnson

230
00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,240
Speaker 1: last year in a college game that led to a

231
00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:49,960
Speaker 1: big touchdown. Not saying that that's where that came from,

232
00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:52,520
Speaker 1: but people don't forget. You never know. You never know,

233
00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,280
Speaker 1: but that was probably my biggest takeaway was was the

234
00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:58,679
Speaker 1: one on one drills and then obviously some of the extracurriculars. Yeah,

235
00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:03,600
Speaker 1: the Unfortunately, Ja Sternberger is being evaluated for concussion now,

236
00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:07,319
Speaker 1: even though he did actually come back into practice on Monday.

237
00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,880
Speaker 1: Trevor Davis also unfortunately took a took a hit in

238
00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,840
Speaker 1: a special teams drill. The special teams the kickoff cover

239
00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:17,160
Speaker 1: and kickoff return in particular, they were going full speed

240
00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:21,960
Speaker 1: aside from actually tackling the guy with the ball, and uh. Unfortunately, Davis,

241
00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:23,880
Speaker 1: who as we've talked about, has had a great camp.

242
00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:27,240
Speaker 1: He had a great family night. Now he's out with

243
00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,959
Speaker 1: a stinger. Hopefully it won't keep him out long because

244
00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,400
Speaker 1: that's a uh, that's a young man who was definitely

245
00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:35,719
Speaker 1: making a really, really strong bid to be on this team.

246
00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:37,840
Speaker 1: And it had nothing to do with returns. I mean,

247
00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:40,800
Speaker 1: we haven't seen much in terms of returns in this camp.

248
00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,760
Speaker 1: The reason why Trevor Davis is making headlines and get

249
00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:45,280
Speaker 1: an interview in the locker room is because what he's

250
00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:48,280
Speaker 1: doing as a receiver. Yeah, this is by far, it's

251
00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,080
Speaker 1: not even close the best camp he's had in Green Bay.

252
00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:54,200
Speaker 1: He looks comfortable, he's in sync with Rogers, and he's

253
00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,920
Speaker 1: always had game breaking speed. UM, So trying to get

254
00:12:58,000 --> 00:12:59,880
Speaker 1: him on the same page with Rodgers and get him

255
00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:02,120
Speaker 1: in tune with this offense. If that happens, and if

256
00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:03,360
Speaker 1: he can get back from this injuries, so we can

257
00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,120
Speaker 1: see him in the preseason. I really hope fans who

258
00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:08,280
Speaker 1: aren't able to get to practice are able to see

259
00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:10,520
Speaker 1: that Trevor Davis in the preseason setting because he's been

260
00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:15,040
Speaker 1: exceptional so far. Yeah, hopefully he'll be back sooner than later. UM.

261
00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:19,840
Speaker 1: With the preseason opener Thursday night at lambeau Field, we

262
00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:23,000
Speaker 1: all know these preseason games, it's not about wins and losses.

263
00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:25,280
Speaker 1: It's not necessarily about the number of points that are

264
00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:30,160
Speaker 1: on the scoreboard. It's about individual player performance, player evaluation.

265
00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,360
Speaker 1: And this is just the start, obviously, the first of

266
00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:36,160
Speaker 1: four preseason games, the most important film, frankly, that any

267
00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:38,959
Speaker 1: of these players who are fighting for roster spots are

268
00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,480
Speaker 1: going to are going to have in terms of making

269
00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:44,920
Speaker 1: their impression on the coaches, on the personnel staff. Who

270
00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:47,760
Speaker 1: are Who's the first guy that comes to mind for

271
00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:51,680
Speaker 1: you that you're going to be watching closely on Thursday, Timo.

272
00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:55,440
Speaker 1: And the main reason why someone asked an incenter in box,

273
00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:58,040
Speaker 1: and it was a fair question this past week on

274
00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:01,400
Speaker 1: how the backup quarterbacks have looked. My reply was they've

275
00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:03,720
Speaker 1: had their moments and they've had throws they want back.

276
00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:05,439
Speaker 1: All three of them have had that. I mean even

277
00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:07,280
Speaker 1: to some extent. I'm sure Aaron Rodgers has had that,

278
00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,439
Speaker 1: but we all know he'll be the starting quarterback in

279
00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:12,080
Speaker 1: Week one. But the three guys vying to back up

280
00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:14,120
Speaker 1: Rogers and then make a case for that number three

281
00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,719
Speaker 1: role on the fifty three man roster, I want to

282
00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:19,440
Speaker 1: see it in games now. Deshaun Kaiser has made some

283
00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:22,520
Speaker 1: exceptional throws so far early on, and he's had some

284
00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,600
Speaker 1: you know, tough moments as well. I actually think Tim Boyle,

285
00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,240
Speaker 1: in the reps he's had with the threes, has looked good.

286
00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:30,720
Speaker 1: He's making the right reads, he's he's being able to

287
00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,240
Speaker 1: move the ball. Trying to cut down on some of

288
00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:35,120
Speaker 1: the mental errors is going to be critical for him.

289
00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:36,800
Speaker 1: But this is the reason I said Boyle is we

290
00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:38,800
Speaker 1: didn't really get a chance to see him that much

291
00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:41,200
Speaker 1: last year in the preseason. If I remember, he barely

292
00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:44,120
Speaker 1: played at all those last two weeks. So if he

293
00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:46,680
Speaker 1: can get the chance to get out there and getting comfortable,

294
00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:48,800
Speaker 1: I really want to see if he can push Kaiser

295
00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:52,280
Speaker 1: for that number two job. And Manny Wilkins is entirely

296
00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:55,200
Speaker 1: different than the other two. His skill set and what

297
00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:57,360
Speaker 1: we've seen in camp so far. He can make throws,

298
00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:00,200
Speaker 1: he has a live arm, he's athletic, he's a scram ler,

299
00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:03,160
Speaker 1: but he's just not like anyone else on this roster.

300
00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:05,480
Speaker 1: So I want to see how that looks in a

301
00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:08,160
Speaker 1: game too. So it's probably an easy answer for me

302
00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:11,360
Speaker 1: to say the quarterbacks, but after talking, you can talk

303
00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:13,640
Speaker 1: six different ways from Sunday about how guys look and

304
00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:15,760
Speaker 1: practice when they're throwing the football and days are gonna

305
00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,520
Speaker 1: be good and days are gonna be bad. Let let's

306
00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:20,680
Speaker 1: see what happens in a game, because with that, there's

307
00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:22,600
Speaker 1: only four of them and you have to make him calm. Yeah,

308
00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:24,400
Speaker 1: and I think this is a big game. Along those

309
00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:26,320
Speaker 1: same lines, the first guy that comes to mind for

310
00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:29,320
Speaker 1: me is Deshaun Kaiser because based on what we have

311
00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,400
Speaker 1: seen in practice, Deshaun Kaiser right now, if you had

312
00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:35,080
Speaker 1: to pick it, he's the number two quarterback on this team.

313
00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:38,120
Speaker 1: So he has to use these preseason games to solidify

314
00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:42,760
Speaker 1: that um, solidify his status there and uh and continue

315
00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:45,760
Speaker 1: to generate the confidence from the coaching staff and the

316
00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:49,040
Speaker 1: personnel department that he can be that guy. With what

317
00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:51,440
Speaker 1: he's done so far in training camp leading up to

318
00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:53,360
Speaker 1: this first preseason game, you don't want to see a

319
00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,040
Speaker 1: step backward. You don't want to see a step back

320
00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,400
Speaker 1: from from anybody, but certainly from Kaiser, with the way

321
00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:01,680
Speaker 1: his relief appearances for Aaron Rodgers last season did not

322
00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:05,280
Speaker 1: go well. As you said, he has definitely made some plays.

323
00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,480
Speaker 1: I think he's flashed the most out of all of

324
00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,480
Speaker 1: the backup quarterbacks in camp so far. Now it's got

325
00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:14,360
Speaker 1: to it's got to find another level in the preseason. Absolutely,

326
00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,520
Speaker 1: And for Kaiser, he's still credibly young, but he also

327
00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:20,520
Speaker 1: is in his third season. Now you want to see

328
00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:24,080
Speaker 1: those strides. I think I've said before Mechanically, his size,

329
00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,680
Speaker 1: his prototype, he has everything you look for in a quarterback.

330
00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:29,040
Speaker 1: It's trying to tie it all together and mesh with

331
00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:31,960
Speaker 1: Matt Lafleur's scheme. And he has some good receivers that

332
00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:33,640
Speaker 1: are gonna be hungry to compete with him in these

333
00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:37,440
Speaker 1: games as well. And you're from two to seven, it's

334
00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:39,960
Speaker 1: a wide open competition. And heck, Mike, another guy that

335
00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,520
Speaker 1: I'm gonna be looking at two is Darius Shepherd, the

336
00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:45,560
Speaker 1: former tryout receiver from North Dakota State. Right, here's a

337
00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:47,920
Speaker 1: guy that's getting reps with the number one. Daris Shepherd

338
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:49,680
Speaker 1: now needs to go out there and prove that he's

339
00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:52,240
Speaker 1: not just Tye Tyrone Walker who's gonna go out and

340
00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:54,840
Speaker 1: make some pressive catches in the preseason and then just

341
00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:56,880
Speaker 1: come up short when it comes time to make the roster.

342
00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:59,360
Speaker 1: He's trying to actually make a bit at this thing too.

343
00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:03,200
Speaker 1: So seeing those young hunger receivers trying to make some

344
00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:04,840
Speaker 1: place for these quarterbacks. Two is going to be a

345
00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:07,240
Speaker 1: really interesting thing to watch. Yeah, And if there's another guy,

346
00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:08,760
Speaker 1: and I don't want to get too much more into

347
00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,400
Speaker 1: the receiver's obviously we're gonna be watching them and we'll

348
00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,200
Speaker 1: certainly talk about them after the game. But if there's

349
00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,600
Speaker 1: another guy on offense that this is a big game

350
00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:18,880
Speaker 1: and I'm certainly gonna be watching, I think it's worth

351
00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:22,960
Speaker 1: fans watching for Number seventy Alex Light at offensive tackle

352
00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:27,720
Speaker 1: because the Packers just waved injured Jason Spriggs, the fourth

353
00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:31,879
Speaker 1: year backup offensive tackle. Alex Light is now the number

354
00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:36,080
Speaker 1: three tackle on this roster behind David bok tr and

355
00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:39,000
Speaker 1: Brian Bulaga. The coaching staff likes him, They like what

356
00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,639
Speaker 1: they see, and it's about it's him doing it in

357
00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:45,520
Speaker 1: the games now in you know, under the bright lights

358
00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:47,600
Speaker 1: and in in the big setting. This is a huge

359
00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:52,040
Speaker 1: opportunity for him to really cement his status and where

360
00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:54,800
Speaker 1: he stands on this roster. And uh, he's going to

361
00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:57,040
Speaker 1: be a guy to watch throughout the entire preseason. He's

362
00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,000
Speaker 1: getting the reps too. I think you're going to see

363
00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:00,920
Speaker 1: him play a lot this season, because I don't know

364
00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:03,199
Speaker 1: how much we're gonna see Brian Bolagh. I mean, they

365
00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,400
Speaker 1: obviously have a plan for Bolaga. They want to keep

366
00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:07,359
Speaker 1: him healthy. He's in a good spot right now, He's

367
00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:10,120
Speaker 1: had a full off season. They don't want any setbacks there.

368
00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:12,560
Speaker 1: So Alex Light's gonna play a lot, and his biggest

369
00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:14,440
Speaker 1: challenge here these next four weeks is going to be

370
00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:16,600
Speaker 1: showing that, you know what, I deserve to be that

371
00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,040
Speaker 1: number three guy, deserved to be the swing tackle. You

372
00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:21,639
Speaker 1: don't have to start creating strange dominoes where if one

373
00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,120
Speaker 1: of those guys goes out, well, then Billy Turner's kicking out,

374
00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:27,160
Speaker 1: or you're having to put you know, Justin McCrae out there,

375
00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:30,880
Speaker 1: or move Lane Taylor around. I'm your guy, and that's

376
00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,000
Speaker 1: gonna be a pivotal thing for him. I like his disposition.

377
00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:36,160
Speaker 1: This guy came out of nowhere last year, Mike. I mean,

378
00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,119
Speaker 1: one of the reasons I've said this before an inbox

379
00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,640
Speaker 1: that I don't make predictions on the roster. I honestly

380
00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:42,639
Speaker 1: didn't have Alex Light making the roster. I didn't. I

381
00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,680
Speaker 1: didn't see him coming on, like I think James Camp

382
00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:47,200
Speaker 1: and then some of these scouts saw him coming on,

383
00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:49,240
Speaker 1: and that's because I don't have an eye for talent

384
00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:52,040
Speaker 1: in that way. It's not anything against alex Light, but

385
00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:54,640
Speaker 1: he came out at of Richmond. He was an undrafted

386
00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:56,679
Speaker 1: free agent and he made his presence felt. And now

387
00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,560
Speaker 1: he has a million dollar opportunity here to show that

388
00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,000
Speaker 1: he belonged. Yeah, well quickly on the defensive side of

389
00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,680
Speaker 1: the ball before we run out of time. The guy

390
00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:07,440
Speaker 1: I'm gonna be watching is Tony Brown, the young cornerback

391
00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:10,000
Speaker 1: number twenty eight. Aaron Nageler and I talked about him

392
00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:13,359
Speaker 1: on our previous show, but with Kevin King out right

393
00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,080
Speaker 1: now with a hamstring injury, Tony Brown has been the

394
00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:19,000
Speaker 1: guy with the starting nickel defense. As far as the

395
00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:23,000
Speaker 1: three corners Jr. Alexander, Termont Williams, and Tony Brown is

396
00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:26,600
Speaker 1: the third guy. He got some reps against DeAndre Hopkins.

397
00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,119
Speaker 1: These last couple of days with the Houston Texans in town,

398
00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,639
Speaker 1: we'll see how much the Texans play their starters. As

399
00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:34,479
Speaker 1: we talked about, we're not sure how much the Packers

400
00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:37,439
Speaker 1: are gonna play there's in this first game. But again,

401
00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:40,280
Speaker 1: a guy who's done everything in training camp that you

402
00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:42,639
Speaker 1: want to get to do up to this point, so

403
00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:44,240
Speaker 1: now you get to where you want to see it

404
00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:46,800
Speaker 1: at another level in a competitive game setting, you don't

405
00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:48,800
Speaker 1: want to see any regression. You don't want to see

406
00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,760
Speaker 1: a setback. Tony Brown, for me, is that guy on defense.

407
00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:53,760
Speaker 1: And something I want to say about Brown two, I

408
00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:55,720
Speaker 1: think this is the shift you've seen with the Packers

409
00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:58,840
Speaker 1: cornerbacks for the last few years. Tony Brown has a

410
00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,320
Speaker 1: lot of potential in him. This is a guy you're

411
00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:03,200
Speaker 1: talking about here that was one of the top recruits

412
00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:06,399
Speaker 1: in the country when he committed to Alabama. He ends

413
00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:09,360
Speaker 1: up being an undrafted free agent. He's an undrafted free

414
00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:12,720
Speaker 1: agent that is an incredibly intelligent human being, book smart,

415
00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:17,000
Speaker 1: great football i Q. And he's really fast too. So

416
00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:19,720
Speaker 1: it doesn't really line up that he ended up being

417
00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:21,959
Speaker 1: a college free agent, but the Packers felt very strongly

418
00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:24,560
Speaker 1: about him that when he came free during cutdowns, they

419
00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:26,760
Speaker 1: put in that waiver claim. They got him on their roster.

420
00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:29,840
Speaker 1: They've had a situation in previous years where you'd have

421
00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:32,560
Speaker 1: guys step in at cornerback and they sort of were

422
00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:34,879
Speaker 1: maxed out from a physical aspect. They weren't going to

423
00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:36,880
Speaker 1: get faster. They weren't going to get taller, they weren't

424
00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:39,600
Speaker 1: going to get quicker. Maybe they were smart, but there

425
00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,160
Speaker 1: was athletic drawbacks there that just we're going to prevent

426
00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:44,359
Speaker 1: them from being able to cover the elite receivers in

427
00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:48,000
Speaker 1: this league. Tony Brown's measurables match up with anybody, So

428
00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:50,080
Speaker 1: working with Jason Simmons, if he can get that turned

429
00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:52,680
Speaker 1: around and figured out, this isn't a huge drop off.

430
00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:54,119
Speaker 1: It isn't that if you don't have Kevin King or

431
00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:56,600
Speaker 1: Jaire Alexander, there's just gonna be this big hole. Tony

432
00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:58,399
Speaker 1: Brown has a lot of potential here and it's up

433
00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:00,480
Speaker 1: to him to show it. Yeah, definitely. Oh with that,

434
00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:02,360
Speaker 1: we're going to call it a wrap on this edition

435
00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:04,920
Speaker 1: of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our

436
00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:07,520
Speaker 1: coverage of the team and of the preseason opener against

437
00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,760
Speaker 1: Houston on Packers dot Com. Like us, subscribe to us

438
00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,080
Speaker 1: on iTunes and other podcast services if you would please.

439
00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:17,000
Speaker 1: On Twitter, He's at west Hot, I'm at Mike Spofford

440
00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,160
Speaker 1: at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody.

441
00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:21,360
Speaker 1: We will see you next time.