WEBVTT - #726 Packers Unscripted: Roster review 0:00:07.360 --> 0:00:10.920 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:10.920 --> 0:00:14.360 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined as always 0:00:14.360 --> 0:00:17.080 by my trusted colleague Weston Hodquitz, and he's right here 0:00:17.360 --> 0:00:18.119 in the studio. 0:00:18.480 --> 0:00:19.680 Hi, Wes, Hey Michael. 0:00:19.800 --> 0:00:20.440 It's been a while. 0:00:20.520 --> 0:00:22.360 It's been a minute since we've been in this setup. 0:00:22.400 --> 0:00:24.520 But I'll tell you what kind of like hopping on 0:00:24.600 --> 0:00:26.880 a bike going back to your grandparents hose, you just 0:00:26.880 --> 0:00:29.120 feel right back at home. That's happy to be back 0:00:29.120 --> 0:00:29.960 in the study, always right. 0:00:30.000 --> 0:00:32.839 It's like we never left in some ways. But we 0:00:32.880 --> 0:00:35.600 do have a lot to talk about on this show. 0:00:35.720 --> 0:00:39.400 First and foremost the fifty three man roster for the 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:43.160 Green Bay Packers, which is still undergoing some adjustments here 0:00:43.159 --> 0:00:47.200 and there. But the biggest thing that stands out about 0:00:47.200 --> 0:00:50.280 this Packers roster heading into the twenty twenty three season 0:00:50.320 --> 0:00:52.120 west is it is awfully young. 0:00:52.640 --> 0:00:54.600 It is now we won't be able to get the 0:00:54.640 --> 0:00:58.160 actual NFL superlatives on where the Packers rank and how 0:00:58.200 --> 0:01:00.680 they do all that kind of data management will pump 0:01:00.720 --> 0:01:03.560 that out after week one, but at this point in time, 0:01:03.600 --> 0:01:05.679 I know Jason Wilde was crunching some of the numbers 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:07.959 some other people on Twitter were doing it and average 0:01:07.959 --> 0:01:10.840 aged right around twenty five for green Bay, which is 0:01:11.640 --> 0:01:14.640 incredibly low compared to obviously the most recent years. But 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:16.039 then when you look at the NFL and the way 0:01:16.080 --> 0:01:19.440 things are structured, usually it's more in that twenty six 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:21.920 to twenty seven range. But the green Bay Packers right 0:01:21.959 --> 0:01:24.920 now with only one player I think over thirty, and 0:01:24.959 --> 0:01:27.640 that's David Baktiari after the decision to let go of 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:30.360 pad O'Donnell's, So it gives you an idea of where 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:32.640 they're heading. One of the things I really did enjoy, Mike. 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:34.399 We're gonna touch on a lot of topics here, but 0:01:34.840 --> 0:01:37.360 Brian Gudocun's press conference one of the first things we 0:01:37.400 --> 0:01:40.360 heard after the final cuts were announced him mentioning, yes, 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:43.440 we are young, but the expectations don't change. The green 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:46.360 Bay Packers still have very high expectations for this season. 0:01:46.680 --> 0:01:48.320 It just so happens that it's going to be with 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:51.120 a roster that is a little bit younger than the norm. 0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:54.760 Yeah, and Gudakun's talked about how and he's mentioned this 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:58.520 many times before that this roster is built with a 0:01:58.560 --> 0:02:01.560 lot of young players that he's expecting are going to 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:08.040 grow together and mature together and whatnot. But that is 0:02:08.360 --> 0:02:10.800 it's not as though everybody's just supposed to wait for 0:02:10.840 --> 0:02:13.359 an entire season to be in the books before that happens. 0:02:13.440 --> 0:02:17.240 Seventeen games is a long time. It's a long season. 0:02:17.600 --> 0:02:22.160 This team is expected to look and play much differently 0:02:22.639 --> 0:02:25.880 in November and December, when all these young players have 0:02:26.160 --> 0:02:29.760 you know, eight, nine, ten games under their belts than 0:02:29.880 --> 0:02:33.360 perhaps they do in the beginning. And this is going 0:02:33.400 --> 0:02:36.840 to be, I think, more so than any other that 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:39.440 we've seen in Green Bay in our time here, a 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:43.400 season of evolution with regard to what this team is 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:45.840 going to look like and how it's going to play, 0:02:45.840 --> 0:02:48.760 and how the coaching staff is going to figure out, 0:02:48.919 --> 0:02:51.840 most specifically on the offensive side of the ball, what 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:54.000 this team does best and what it can hang its 0:02:54.000 --> 0:02:56.920 hat on, because I you know, and we'll see the 0:02:57.000 --> 0:02:59.640 roster change throughout the course of the season, it always does, 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:02.680 but in terms of the actual play on the field, 0:03:02.960 --> 0:03:04.919 we may be looking at a very different team in 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:06.760 the second half of the season than the one in 0:03:06.800 --> 0:03:09.400 the first half of the season as everybody figures things out. 0:03:09.320 --> 0:03:11.240 More so than any other year I've covered Now you 0:03:11.280 --> 0:03:13.079 were here during some of the very early years of 0:03:13.080 --> 0:03:15.839 the Mike McCarthy era, those teams also trended very young 0:03:15.919 --> 0:03:19.040 as well. But to me, I look at it as 0:03:19.080 --> 0:03:23.280 also a huge opportunity because more than any other year, 0:03:23.320 --> 0:03:25.480 I think where I cut, whether it was covering final 0:03:25.520 --> 0:03:29.800 cuts and the roster construction of the practice squad, there's 0:03:29.840 --> 0:03:32.920 so much young talent at all these positions. Right when 0:03:33.000 --> 0:03:36.040 you look at receiver, how deep Green Bay goes with 0:03:36.080 --> 0:03:39.000 a guy like Malik Heath making this roster Grant du 0:03:39.080 --> 0:03:42.000 Bose comes back on the practice squad. But then you 0:03:42.040 --> 0:03:44.440 also have you know, Jaden Reid coming in and as 0:03:44.720 --> 0:03:46.920 you know, Brian goodkinsin and said looking a lot more 0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:48.760 polished than I think a lot of people thought he 0:03:48.880 --> 0:03:52.240 was going to as a rookie second round pick. The 0:03:52.280 --> 0:03:57.600 tight end situation with Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, you know, defensively, 0:03:58.080 --> 0:04:01.360 this plethora of defensive linemen that are going to be 0:04:01.360 --> 0:04:05.400 stepping in with Kenny Clark into this starting lineup. I 0:04:05.440 --> 0:04:08.080 think that is where the Packers really can separate themselves 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:10.960 this year. Because I give Matt Leafluor a lot of credit. 0:04:11.080 --> 0:04:13.400 I give Mike McCarthy a lot of credit. Their teams 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:16.080 did typically get better throughout the course of the year. 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:18.200 They always seem to play their best ball in December's 0:04:18.200 --> 0:04:20.200 the reason why Matt Lafluur's record is what it is 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:23.480 during the final month of the season. But that being said, 0:04:23.839 --> 0:04:27.520 the ceiling, the upside, the limitless potential of this group, 0:04:27.880 --> 0:04:29.800 I think is going to be what you are going 0:04:29.839 --> 0:04:31.880 to make the biggest difference. I made a joke, not 0:04:32.000 --> 0:04:33.880 a joke, it was serious, but kind of a funny 0:04:33.920 --> 0:04:37.320 equip if you will, an insider inbox about people asking 0:04:37.360 --> 0:04:39.320 about the opener against Chicago and the importance of it. 0:04:39.320 --> 0:04:42.760 It's huge, It's a really important game, but it pales 0:04:42.800 --> 0:04:45.560 into comparison to what the Week eighteen game against the 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:48.000 Chicago Bears, Yeah, should be and what the Packers want 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:50.039 that game to be. And I think throughout the course 0:04:50.080 --> 0:04:51.800 this year, you're gonna see this team take its lumps 0:04:51.839 --> 0:04:53.919 at times, but I think you're gonna see tremendous growth 0:04:53.920 --> 0:04:54.240 as well. 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:58.120 Yeah, And for all the anticipation and excitement about Week 0:04:58.160 --> 0:05:02.240 one against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, it just 0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:05.880 feels like win or lose, whatever the score is. There's 0:05:05.960 --> 0:05:09.440 there's almost nothing about that game that's going to define 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:12.320 the twenty twenty three Packers in Week one never really 0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:16.279 defines any team, but even more so this year, it 0:05:16.360 --> 0:05:19.479 seems that it's that's going to be this team just 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:21.919 getting out of the starting blocks, and but you don't 0:05:21.960 --> 0:05:24.120 know what. You don't know what the rest of that 0:05:24.279 --> 0:05:28.640 race is going to look like. Well, one of the 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:31.800 reasons that this team is as young as it is 0:05:31.839 --> 0:05:37.520 statistically is because not one, not two, but three undrafted 0:05:37.600 --> 0:05:41.440 rookies made this fifty three man roster. You wrote about 0:05:41.480 --> 0:05:44.120 them on our website. There's a story on packers dot 0:05:44.120 --> 0:05:46.000 com to check out. And of course I'm talking about 0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:49.880 receiver Malik Heath. You already mentioned running back Emmanuel Wilson, 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:53.720 who won the number three running back job, and then 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:58.960 outside linebacker Brenton Cox Junior. It keeps a street going 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:02.159 now of nineteen years in which the Packers will have 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:06.240 an undrafted rookie on their Week one roster. But more 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:09.560 so than just the streak, three guys in a year 0:06:09.600 --> 0:06:12.160 in which the Packers had thirteen draft picks, you know, 0:06:12.320 --> 0:06:15.880 three undrafted guys ended up busting through and making the 0:06:15.920 --> 0:06:19.120 fifty three. It's a credit to them. Also a credit 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:23.279 to the scouting department that, you know, the building of 0:06:23.320 --> 0:06:26.919 the team, the building the acquisition of new players doesn't 0:06:27.040 --> 0:06:28.800 end when the draft ends. There are a lot of 0:06:28.839 --> 0:06:31.400 guys that are brought in here to get a look, 0:06:31.720 --> 0:06:34.880 and the ones that take advantage of that opportunity sometimes 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:35.760 they stick around well. 0:06:35.760 --> 0:06:37.440 And it's funny to me because college free agency it's 0:06:37.440 --> 0:06:39.279 such a free for all, right. I mean, now, certainly 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:41.520 you build some relationships, you make some phone calls, but 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:43.400 it literally is just teams being able to just grab 0:06:43.440 --> 0:06:45.479 whatever players they can get. Afterwards, I mean, it's like 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:50.600 a you know, it's like college recruiting on like just 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:53.240 a complete tripe where it's like you're just trying to 0:06:53.279 --> 0:06:55.760 get as many people as possible. But I think Brian 0:06:55.800 --> 0:06:58.159 Goodokunz and his scouts, in my opinion, this was the 0:06:58.160 --> 0:07:01.160 strongest UFA class they've had so far, because I think 0:07:01.160 --> 0:07:03.039 there's guys on this practice squad too that can play 0:07:03.040 --> 0:07:05.200 in this league. It's just the way that numbers work out. 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:07.599 But those three guys I think all stood out for 0:07:07.680 --> 0:07:10.080 very different reasons. When you look at Malik Heath, I 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:11.640 think there are a lot of parallels there with him 0:07:11.680 --> 0:07:14.120 and Romeo Dobbs. This is a guy that won. Did 0:07:14.120 --> 0:07:16.640 not look like an undrafted free agent. But at times, 0:07:16.840 --> 0:07:18.400 I'll be honest with you, Mike, there was times in 0:07:18.400 --> 0:07:20.200 the ots I'm like, is this guy even a rookie? 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:22.559 I mean, he just he was wise beyond his years. 0:07:22.560 --> 0:07:25.640 And you know, and as you know Brian Goodekin said 0:07:25.840 --> 0:07:27.960 when he addressed the media on Wednesday, this is a 0:07:28.000 --> 0:07:29.760 guy that had some stuff happened in college, you would 0:07:29.760 --> 0:07:32.320 have probably gotten drafted had it not been for that. 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:35.400 But he you know, the Packers, they do their background checks. 0:07:35.400 --> 0:07:37.160 They feel good about these players, the same thing with 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:39.920 Brenton Cox junior, and they bring them in and give 0:07:39.920 --> 0:07:43.240 an opportunity in a clean slate. I thought Heath completely maximized. 0:07:43.280 --> 0:07:46.720 That led the Packers in receiving twelve catches for one 0:07:46.800 --> 0:07:48.920 hundred and forty six yards in the preseason. He was 0:07:48.960 --> 0:07:51.480 able to be a starter with the offense. With Romeo 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:55.320 Dobbs dealing with a hamstring in the preseason finale, kind 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:57.480 of a precautionary thing, but the Packers wanted to, you know, 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:00.280 give Heath that opportunity, and you know, made a big 0:08:00.320 --> 0:08:02.560 catch on the fifteen play eight r drive everything you 0:08:02.640 --> 0:08:04.960 wanted to see from Heath in this gate, in this preseason, 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:07.280 you saw it, whether it was the hast catching or 0:08:07.320 --> 0:08:10.120 even him blocking a guy into a field goal net 0:08:10.280 --> 0:08:13.480 on the sidelines. And then quickly just to touch on 0:08:13.560 --> 0:08:16.320 with Emmanuel Wilson. Here's a guy that spent three days 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:19.320 in Denver after the draft, got cut, ends up in 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:21.600 Green Bay. He had taken a top thirty visit here. 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:24.920 There was interest from Green Bay. But is looking at 0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:28.280 a pretty tall depth chart where you have Patrick Taylor 0:08:28.440 --> 0:08:32.240 coming back special teamer, fourth year veteran, You had Tyler 0:08:32.280 --> 0:08:34.840 Goodson looking really good after working out this offseason with 0:08:34.840 --> 0:08:37.560 Aaron Jones, and then Lou Nichols who was the seventh 0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:41.040 round pick out of Central Michigan as a rookie. Injuries happened, 0:08:41.120 --> 0:08:43.440 Wilson gets his opportunity, and as I wrote in art 0:08:43.480 --> 0:08:45.559 that story, he just made himself undeniable. 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:50.080 Yeah, and it's funny. I admit I was steered wrong 0:08:50.160 --> 0:08:53.000 in some respects on the number three running back competition 0:08:53.080 --> 0:08:57.680 because when Wilson's star was starting to rise, we heard 0:08:57.679 --> 0:08:59.760 from Matt Lafleur. I believe it was after the New 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:03.120 England preseason game, and he was talking about, well, he's 0:09:03.160 --> 0:09:04.960 got a long ways to go and pass protection. He 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:07.160 hasn't done too much on special teams. We really need 0:09:07.200 --> 0:09:09.560 him to work on his conditioning, you know, you know, 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:12.679 to be able to carry the ball fifteen sixteen times 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:15.080 in a game. I thought, Okay, they're just you know, 0:09:15.120 --> 0:09:17.559 they're downplaying this and they're going to try to slip 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:19.200 him through to the practice squad. This is not a 0:09:19.200 --> 0:09:21.640 guy who's going to make the roster and lo and behold. 0:09:21.640 --> 0:09:23.440 When push came to shove and the decision had to 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:25.240 be made, they're like, no, this is this is our 0:09:25.320 --> 0:09:27.199 number three running back. This is the guy that we 0:09:27.240 --> 0:09:30.880 want on the fifty three. I think with Breton Cox, 0:09:30.920 --> 0:09:35.120 it's a very interesting case. As as most folks know, 0:09:36.000 --> 0:09:38.160 he had some off the field issues. He was dismissed 0:09:38.160 --> 0:09:42.719 from two programs in the Southeastern Conference. Packers give him 0:09:42.720 --> 0:09:45.800 a chance as an undrafted guy. They say, Hey, same 0:09:45.840 --> 0:09:48.000 thing with Malie Heath. In a lot of ways, it's like, hey, 0:09:48.040 --> 0:09:50.040 it's a clean slate here, you get to start over, 0:09:50.160 --> 0:09:53.840 so make the most of it. And he does. And 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:56.800 what you have now for the Packers that outside linebacker, 0:09:56.800 --> 0:09:59.640 you've got Preston Smith, and Rashaun Gary right behind them. 0:10:00.120 --> 0:10:02.920 You have a first round draft pick in Lucas Fans, 0:10:03.040 --> 0:10:06.520 a second year guy in kings Leannigbari who showed some 0:10:06.600 --> 0:10:08.959 real potential as a rookie. You got Justin Hollins, a 0:10:09.040 --> 0:10:11.319 veteran who came in last year, played a half a 0:10:11.360 --> 0:10:14.400 dozen games and made an impact in Joe Berry's defense. 0:10:14.400 --> 0:10:17.160 And then you're adding Breton Cox as a sixth guy 0:10:17.679 --> 0:10:20.520 to that group. It's almost like adding another draft pick 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:24.040 because from a talent perspective, Breton Cox would have been 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:26.599 drafted and who knows maybe, I mean, you know, I 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:29.920 don't want to make a prediction necessarily, but probably anywhere 0:10:29.920 --> 0:10:32.199 from like the third to the fifth round maybe is 0:10:32.480 --> 0:10:38.320 where his talents all without anything else, you know, in 0:10:38.400 --> 0:10:43.080 the equation. So it's as though the Packers took the 0:10:43.120 --> 0:10:46.600 outside linebacker group they ended last season with. You're bringing 0:10:46.640 --> 0:10:49.480 back with Shaan Gary, and you added two draft picks 0:10:49.640 --> 0:10:53.040 in Lucas Fanis and Breton Cox Junior. This group as 0:10:53.080 --> 0:10:55.840 far as the edge rusher group to get after quarterbacks, 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:57.920 this is as deep as Matt Lafleur has had since 0:10:57.920 --> 0:10:59.680 he's been here. I think that's going to be a 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:03.880 boom for Joe Barry as he devises what to do defensive. 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:05.480 And I think that's the most impressive thing, Mike, is 0:11:05.559 --> 0:11:08.520 you look at running backs, outside linebackers, and receivers. Those 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:10.400 are three of the deepest positions the Packers had in 0:11:10.400 --> 0:11:12.600 their roster, and these guys it isn't like they just Okay, 0:11:12.880 --> 0:11:14.600 we needed a fourth guy to fill at a depth chart. 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:17.720 All these guys competed to earn those spots and now 0:11:18.520 --> 0:11:21.040 the possibilities of this group. I look at that defensive 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:23.240 front too, Mike. The ways you can mix and match 0:11:23.280 --> 0:11:25.559 guys were Shaun Gary it sounds like he's gonna be 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:27.480 on a pitch count earlier this season. According to Matt 0:11:27.520 --> 0:11:29.240 lafleor a is they try to work him back, but 0:11:29.679 --> 0:11:31.600 you got a guy like kings Leyanningbari to eat some 0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:33.760 of those snaps you have justin Hollins. You're bringing along 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:37.520 two rookies along with them. It's an intriguing, intriguing group, 0:11:37.720 --> 0:11:40.120 and I think that's again getting back to that upside 0:11:40.120 --> 0:11:44.120 and this sky's a limit for this group. That is 0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:45.920 going to be what carries them, I think throughout the 0:11:45.920 --> 0:11:46.720 course of this season. 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:48.760 Yeah, I want to get to some other thoughts on 0:11:48.800 --> 0:11:51.840 the roster, but we'll take care of some sponsor business here. First. 0:11:51.920 --> 0:11:55.720 Serious XM NFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up 0:11:55.720 --> 0:11:58.360 to the minute NFL news that true football fanatics need 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:01.680 twenty four to seven five. And at Cousin Subs, we 0:12:01.720 --> 0:12:04.280 have something for everyone like our Wisconsin cheese kurts, mac 0:12:04.320 --> 0:12:07.240 and cheese, golden fries, and creamy shakes, all paired with 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:09.920 your favorite sub or sub in a bowl. Cousin Subs 0:12:10.559 --> 0:12:14.880 fifty years of better, all right. A couple other thoughts 0:12:14.920 --> 0:12:18.160 with regard to the roster. One is that we we 0:12:18.280 --> 0:12:22.480 saw with the decisions with this fifty three how much 0:12:22.600 --> 0:12:26.480 the not just the size of the practice squad being 0:12:26.520 --> 0:12:29.480 sixteen players now over the last couple of years, but 0:12:29.600 --> 0:12:33.120 the flexibility that the league allows with regard to game 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:36.800 day elevations. Now there are limitations on certain you know players. 0:12:36.840 --> 0:12:39.440 Once you elevate a guy three times, then you have 0:12:39.480 --> 0:12:43.400 to make a more definitive decision on his roster status. 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:46.640 But that kind of flexibility, being able to elevate players 0:12:46.640 --> 0:12:49.480 from the practice squad to the active roster for game day, 0:12:49.840 --> 0:12:53.120 I think is why the Packers were able to to 0:12:53.640 --> 0:12:56.800 send in their fifty three with only four cornerbacks. Yeah, 0:12:57.000 --> 0:12:59.840 you know, because in this in this day and age, 0:13:00.000 --> 0:13:02.920 I've got four cornerbacks on the field in a game 0:13:03.080 --> 0:13:04.880 like quite a bit. I mean, you need to have 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:07.400 more than that. But do you need to have more 0:13:07.440 --> 0:13:11.200 than that on your fifty three? Not necessarily because of 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:13.760 the practice squad game day elevations. The other thing that 0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:16.360 stood out to me, and you touched on a little 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:18.640 bit with the defensive line, but also just the number 0:13:18.679 --> 0:13:21.920 of big guys that the Packers kept ended up being 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:26.160 eleven offensive linemen, although the expectation is that Luke Tannuda 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:30.240 will most likely be moved to injured reserve and it 0:13:30.240 --> 0:13:33.400 will be down to ten on the active roster, but 0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:36.360 even that says something because they wanted to carry Luke 0:13:36.400 --> 0:13:38.760 Tanuda through to the fifty three because he's a big 0:13:38.800 --> 0:13:41.320 guy that they believe can play in this league. And 0:13:41.440 --> 0:13:43.400 just because he got hurt, they didn't want to They 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:46.600 didn't want to lose him and let him go. We 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:49.720 had talked all off season about how deep this offensive 0:13:49.760 --> 0:13:52.160 line was, how many guys the Packers were bringing back 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:54.679 who were either on the active roster or the practice 0:13:54.679 --> 0:13:58.800 squad from last year. And this is a group. This 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:01.520 offensive line, I think is really the group that forms 0:14:01.559 --> 0:14:06.559 the foundation of this team, particularly on offense, when everybody else, 0:14:07.080 --> 0:14:09.479 you know, the wide receivers, the titands, and the quarterback 0:14:09.559 --> 0:14:11.120 are also young and inexperienced. 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:14.000 Yeah, I mean, the Packers have some real skyscrapers, you know, 0:14:14.160 --> 0:14:17.400 at the tackle position. I always say that same story. 0:14:17.440 --> 0:14:19.920 When yosh Nyman got here in nineteen, I'm like, Wow, 0:14:19.960 --> 0:14:22.760 that is a really big tackle, and then Caleb Jones 0:14:22.800 --> 0:14:25.160 got here last year and I'm like, he's bigger than you. Yeah, 0:14:25.920 --> 0:14:28.840 bigger Luke Tanuda, I mean, you know, Tanuda and Yash 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:31.280 actually played together at Virginia Tech. And it's like, these 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:34.680 are just monstrous, you know types of tackles, and the 0:14:34.720 --> 0:14:36.400 Packers want to see what's there, they want to try 0:14:36.440 --> 0:14:39.080 to develop it. It is funny to me that it's 0:14:39.200 --> 0:14:41.160 that they have all these tackles and then you got 0:14:41.160 --> 0:14:43.680 a guy like Zach Tom who's not the biggest offensive 0:14:43.680 --> 0:14:45.280 line in the world, and he ends up, you know, 0:14:45.320 --> 0:14:49.560 basically winning that right tackle job, finesse, footwork, technique, intelligence, 0:14:49.960 --> 0:14:52.359 and is probably going to be the backup at potentially 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:55.440 every spot now on the Packers' offensive line, depending on 0:14:55.480 --> 0:14:58.360 if injury should happen. I really like the way that 0:14:58.400 --> 0:15:01.320 the offensive line competent played out in camp because I 0:15:01.360 --> 0:15:03.800 thought you saw strides from a lot of those draft 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:06.440 picks the Packers had last year. Rashid Walker might have 0:15:06.480 --> 0:15:08.600 been the most improved player in camp from where he 0:15:08.720 --> 0:15:10.320 was at pound for pound to where he got to 0:15:10.360 --> 0:15:13.320 this year blocking for Jordan Love and the two preseason 0:15:13.360 --> 0:15:16.440 finales on the left tackle side. You know, Sean Ryan, 0:15:16.480 --> 0:15:18.680 I thought put a better effort forward this year. He 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:21.160 talked about cleaning up his diet, getting better sleep, just 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:24.200 being smarter about how he handled everything. I think that's 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:26.800 very important right now in trying to see exactly where 0:15:26.800 --> 0:15:30.960 that could all potentially fit. Lastly, just to quickly touch 0:15:31.040 --> 0:15:34.440 on this, two preseason games might the last two preseason 0:15:34.480 --> 0:15:38.760 games no quarterback hits allowed. It's preseason, I get it. Yeah, 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:43.320 But the fact that that group went that deep, everybody 0:15:43.320 --> 0:15:45.320 earned their spot there, as much as that probably caught 0:15:45.360 --> 0:15:48.640 some people by surprise. With eleven offensive linemen, I thought 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:50.720 that group, by and large, you know, they earn their 0:15:50.760 --> 0:15:51.520 keyp Yeah. 0:15:51.560 --> 0:15:53.640 And when we I mean we've seen it before. When 0:15:53.680 --> 0:15:56.120 you don't have that kind of depth on the offensive line. 0:15:56.440 --> 0:15:58.920 You get into the twos and the threes in the 0:15:58.920 --> 0:16:01.960 preseason games, and the offense just becomes a mess and 0:16:02.000 --> 0:16:04.120 it can't even function because you just you don't have 0:16:04.280 --> 0:16:08.600 enough enough continuity and enough execution up front to be 0:16:08.640 --> 0:16:10.200 able to make anything work and to be able to 0:16:10.240 --> 0:16:12.640 get a look at these other players and you know, 0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:15.320 see what they can do. Packers didn't have that problem 0:16:15.400 --> 0:16:19.040 in this preseason because because the offensive lines through the 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:22.200 multiple units held up and allowed the offense to function. 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:24.360 And we saw, we saw what Sean Clifford to do. 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:26.600 We saw what Alex Magoo did on the final You 0:16:26.640 --> 0:16:29.000 know that that what turned out to be the game 0:16:29.040 --> 0:16:31.760 winning drive against Seattle in the finale. The guys up 0:16:31.800 --> 0:16:35.200 front in on this Packers roster, as you said, they 0:16:35.240 --> 0:16:37.080 got the job done there in their spots. 0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:40.000 And they gave a guy like Emmanuel Wilson the opportunity 0:16:40.080 --> 0:16:42.960 to end up leading the NFL in preseason rushing yards. Mike, 0:16:43.000 --> 0:16:44.640 you and I have covered a lot of preseason football, 0:16:44.680 --> 0:16:46.440 not just talking about the Green Bay Packers, just NFL 0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:48.840 in general, seeing different teams come in a guy having 0:16:48.880 --> 0:16:51.120 two hundred and twenty three rushing yards in the preseason 0:16:51.160 --> 0:16:54.080 does not happen a lot, especially on thirty eight carries 0:16:54.160 --> 0:16:55.480 or whatever it was that he ended up having, I. 0:16:55.480 --> 0:16:58.000 Mean, well, and then only three preseason games as opposed 0:16:58.040 --> 0:16:59.080 to four the way it used. 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:00.920 To be exactly. I mean, I was so impressed by 0:17:00.920 --> 0:17:03.080 the young man. But it's also the partnership, the synergy 0:17:03.120 --> 0:17:05.600 that goes with the offensive line. Again is a very 0:17:05.640 --> 0:17:08.120 impressive preseason. And now the Packers hope that being able 0:17:08.160 --> 0:17:10.840 to plant all these you know, pieces for this offense, 0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:14.120 defense and special teams that that can ultimately be what 0:17:14.240 --> 0:17:15.479 you know, is going to be the thing that kind 0:17:15.520 --> 0:17:17.680 of catapults him into the season, the season of transition 0:17:17.760 --> 0:17:19.160 here at Jordan Love at quarterback. 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:21.800 Yeah, one last thing I want to touch on. I 0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:23.720 guess we'll call it a tease because I'm going to 0:17:23.720 --> 0:17:26.760 be writing a story on this very shortly on Packers 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:29.000 dot com. So when you have a chance, look for it. 0:17:29.200 --> 0:17:31.919 Not sure exactly when it's going to get posted. We 0:17:31.960 --> 0:17:34.080 talked on our last show about the decision at punter. 0:17:34.119 --> 0:17:36.640 Because pad O'Donnell had already been released, the Packers had 0:17:36.640 --> 0:17:41.320 decided that Daniel Wheelan would be their punter and his story, 0:17:41.760 --> 0:17:45.000 his story is something else, Wes. I mean, it's not 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:47.320 just that he you know, was born in Ireland. He 0:17:47.400 --> 0:17:50.520 moved to the United States when he was thirteen years old. 0:17:50.600 --> 0:17:53.000 He first played football as a seventeen year old high 0:17:53.000 --> 0:17:55.280 school junior. Was just talked into it by the coach 0:17:55.320 --> 0:17:58.679 to come out to be the kicker and punter, be 0:17:58.760 --> 0:18:01.600 the specialist on the team. Goes to a small college 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:05.440 in California, gets a chance with the Saints as a 0:18:05.760 --> 0:18:09.760 as a as an undrafted rookie. It doesn't doesn't work 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:12.520 out there, He's released, and then you know, he goes 0:18:12.560 --> 0:18:15.040 to the XFL and then ends up coming to Green Bay. 0:18:16.119 --> 0:18:18.560 But there's so there's there's so much else that's in 0:18:18.560 --> 0:18:21.760 between there, including from the time that he was released 0:18:21.760 --> 0:18:25.000 by the Saints until he stepped onto the field in 0:18:25.040 --> 0:18:28.720 the XFL, he was folding towels for eight hours a 0:18:28.760 --> 0:18:31.359 day in a hotel spa, like that was his job 0:18:31.400 --> 0:18:33.960 out in California, just trying to figure out, like, Okay, 0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:36.280 what's next, Like what am I going to do? Then 0:18:36.320 --> 0:18:39.960 the XFL comes along, and then not only does he 0:18:40.000 --> 0:18:42.359 get a shot with the Packers, but he's got to 0:18:42.400 --> 0:18:44.479 beat out a ten year veteran, a guy who has 0:18:44.560 --> 0:18:47.639 absolutely been there, done that. The you know, the holding 0:18:47.680 --> 0:18:50.080 for field goals, the cold weather, you know, all of it. 0:18:50.960 --> 0:18:55.639 And he he gave a big thanks to Pad O'Donnell 0:18:55.760 --> 0:18:58.879 for not only the way O'Donnell handled the situation, but 0:18:58.960 --> 0:19:01.959 the way he helped him, particularly with regard to holding 0:19:01.960 --> 0:19:04.639 on field goals. He said, he said, just watching it 0:19:04.680 --> 0:19:07.040 wasn't even so much what O'Donnell said, but just watching 0:19:07.080 --> 0:19:09.440