WEBVTT - #607 Packers Unscripted: Group dynamics 0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:11.039 Hi everybody, and welcome to this Labor Day weekend edition 0:00:11.160 --> 0:00:15.040 of Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford. 0:00:15.080 --> 0:00:17.880 He is Wes Hodkowitz. We're coming to you here from 0:00:17.920 --> 0:00:20.640 our studios at lambeau Field and West. Since they did 0:00:20.680 --> 0:00:23.119 the roster cuts on a Tuesday, we figured why not 0:00:23.239 --> 0:00:25.799 we'll post a Packers Unscripted on a Saturday. Let's just 0:00:25.880 --> 0:00:30.760 keep changing things up, right, Nothing about this week is normal. Yeah, yeah, 0:00:30.840 --> 0:00:33.360 don't don't fight it, just roll with it, right, just 0:00:33.479 --> 0:00:35.800 roll with it. So well, Hey, I want to start 0:00:35.840 --> 0:00:40.280 today's discussion though, talking about the Packers Wide Receiver group. 0:00:40.360 --> 0:00:43.640 You have a story that UH posted on our website 0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:47.000 Packers dot Com talking about this group collectively. Now we 0:00:47.120 --> 0:00:50.440 know who the number one is, Davante Adams. We talked 0:00:50.680 --> 0:00:53.200 on our last show about the number six, Malie Taylor 0:00:53.240 --> 0:00:56.360 and him securing that last roster spot at the position. 0:00:57.240 --> 0:01:01.040 The real intrigue with this position group is those four 0:01:01.120 --> 0:01:04.960 guys in the middle, obviously talking about Marcos Valdi, Scanling, 0:01:05.000 --> 0:01:08.640 Al Lazard, Randall Cobb and A Marii Rodgers. It's a 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:12.400 very interesting collection in the type of collection of receivers 0:01:12.840 --> 0:01:16.520 in terms of the varied skill sets and experience levels 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:19.399 and all of that. The type of collection the Packers 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:22.200 haven't really had around here for quite a while long time. 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:25.720 And you know, I go back to two thousand fifteen. 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:28.559 Remember Mike McCarthy and his staff are kind of catching 0:01:28.600 --> 0:01:30.240 some flak because it was a lot of the same 0:01:30.280 --> 0:01:33.800 eleven personnel. Now, I think a big thing about that 0:01:33.959 --> 0:01:37.840 is that was pretty definitive who their top three receivers are, 0:01:38.160 --> 0:01:40.880 who their tight end was, and ultimately who they're running back. 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:45.119 Was just to clarify, eleven personnel is one running back, 0:01:45.200 --> 0:01:48.560 one tight end, and three wide receivers. That's what you're talking. Yeah, 0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:52.080 and and yeah, it wasn't so much for a lack 0:01:52.120 --> 0:01:54.320 of creativity. It's just that that those are kind of 0:01:54.360 --> 0:01:57.200 the options, right. What I like about the way the 0:01:57.200 --> 0:01:59.280 Packers have built this thing over the last two or 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:01.760 three years is even wrote in the story it's more 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:04.400 of a menu than it is a depth chart. Because, 0:02:04.400 --> 0:02:06.200 as Mark was Abolt the Scantling said, in a lot 0:02:06.200 --> 0:02:09.440 of these guys have talked about this offseason, nobody does 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:13.120 basically the same thing as another guy. You're not mixing 0:02:13.160 --> 0:02:15.560 your personnel for the sake of getting different guys on 0:02:15.600 --> 0:02:18.160 the field, You're mixing your personnel depending on what kind 0:02:18.160 --> 0:02:20.240 of look you want to give the defense. Now that 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:23.160 extends to the tight end rooms with Robert Tonyan, with 0:02:23.200 --> 0:02:26.560 Mark with Mercedes Lewis. That extends to the backfield with 0:02:26.680 --> 0:02:30.399 three very different running backs, different body types at that position. 0:02:30.760 --> 0:02:33.800 But most importantly, I think it's receiver because you have 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:36.640 the downfield threat of Mark was Veld, this Scantling, a 0:02:36.639 --> 0:02:39.280 guy that has developed more as a route runner and 0:02:39.360 --> 0:02:44.080 an underneath receiver. You have the goon Alan Wizard, a 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:46.400 guy that does the nitty gritty stuff but also can 0:02:46.400 --> 0:02:48.440 also burn you for a hundred yards too if he 0:02:48.480 --> 0:02:51.120 needs to know. Randall Cobb I think is gonna be 0:02:51.120 --> 0:02:53.400 a really intriguing fit. He gives them the slot receiver 0:02:53.480 --> 0:02:56.000 the Packers really have lacked since he left the first time. 0:02:56.440 --> 0:02:59.160 And then a Mari Rodgers, certainly the rookie third round pick. 0:03:00.000 --> 0:03:01.640 It's gonna be Davanta Adams. You're gonna see a lot 0:03:01.639 --> 0:03:04.600 of DAVANTAE sees that if he's healthy. But the four 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:07.040 guys on the field with Adams or three, if you 0:03:07.120 --> 0:03:09.480 end up seeing a lot of Aaron Jones, that's where 0:03:09.480 --> 0:03:12.640 the entrgue lies with this Packers offense. Yeah, I really 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:16.280 loved that line, that that term from Matt Lafleur when 0:03:16.320 --> 0:03:19.040 I had asked him after the Buffalo Bills after the 0:03:19.120 --> 0:03:22.520 last preseason game just about the receiver group in general, 0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:25.280 because this was actually before we knew who the sixth 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:27.320 was going to be. But I asked him about, you know, 0:03:27.320 --> 0:03:30.639 knowing essentially going into training camp barring injury, we knew 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:32.679 who the top five receivers were going to be that 0:03:32.720 --> 0:03:34.760 would make this roster, and what he thought of the group, 0:03:35.200 --> 0:03:36.920 and he kind of went through him one by one 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:39.600 and he used that term goon for Alan Lazar. Now, 0:03:39.640 --> 0:03:43.200 I took it as sort of a comparison to to 0:03:43.360 --> 0:03:46.400 like the in hockey, where you call a guy, you know, 0:03:46.560 --> 0:03:49.480 a goon because he kind of he stirs it up 0:03:49.520 --> 0:03:52.080 and he's kind of the enforcer and you know, willing 0:03:52.120 --> 0:03:54.520 to do the dirty work and whatnot, as you said, 0:03:55.480 --> 0:03:58.720 But it's also a term of endearment in some respects 0:03:58.720 --> 0:04:01.680 because that's not all at the guy brings to the table, right, 0:04:01.720 --> 0:04:04.080 I mean, it's it's part of his role. And Alan 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:08.520 lazarren is probably the best blocking receiver that the Packers have, 0:04:09.280 --> 0:04:12.640 but yet we've seen him make plenty of plays down 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:14.640 the field, a couple of big ones against the Saints 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:18.520 last year before he got injured, made the big clinching 0:04:18.520 --> 0:04:21.479 touchdown against the Rams in the playoff game last January 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:25.880 when he got behind the defense. So um, I'm really intrigued, 0:04:26.000 --> 0:04:30.400 especially because Lazard had the injury last season where he 0:04:30.480 --> 0:04:33.200 missed such a big chunk of time coming off of 0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:35.280 a big game when he when he did get hurt, 0:04:35.560 --> 0:04:38.159 I'm really intrigued to see where things go with him, 0:04:38.160 --> 0:04:43.920 and then obviously with Velde's scantling MVS. I mean, I know, 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:46.920 I know there's skepticism amongst the fan base because they 0:04:47.839 --> 0:04:50.440 remember the drop passes and some of the frustrations and 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:52.720 all this, and and I'll say this, I think I've 0:04:52.720 --> 0:04:56.000 said it an insider inbox and in other places as well. 0:04:56.960 --> 0:04:59.480 You and I are at training camp practice every day, 0:05:00.200 --> 0:05:03.760 and this is the first time I can remember since 0:05:03.880 --> 0:05:07.640 Valdes's scantling has been here where it felt like on 0:05:08.080 --> 0:05:11.280 pretty much a daily basis, he was a presence on 0:05:11.320 --> 0:05:14.200 the practice field. There were in past summers, and I'm 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:16.719 not saying he had bad training camps, but in past 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:19.960 summers there would be two, three, four days in a 0:05:20.040 --> 0:05:22.200 row where you kind of didn't really notice him where 0:05:22.200 --> 0:05:24.719 he was. Yeah, he's running his routes and taking his reps, 0:05:24.760 --> 0:05:27.920 but he's not really there. This summer, it felt like 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:30.760 he was there, like every day there, there was a 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:34.480 presence there and uh and I think it certainly bodes 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:37.200 well for for what could be ahead for MVS. A 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:39.160 couple of things I really like about MBS. One that 0:05:39.200 --> 0:05:41.520 he never gets enough credit for it. Guys really durable. 0:05:41.600 --> 0:05:43.720 I mean, he doesn't miss much time. That's true. It's 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:46.960 been out there and forgot that. That's that fast. Typically 0:05:47.000 --> 0:05:48.680 if you run in the four three's you can have 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:50.799 some hamstring injury, flat ups. That's the guy that takes 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:52.920 care of his body. He makes sure that he's accountable 0:05:52.960 --> 0:05:56.560 to his teammates and and really brings it every single day. 0:05:56.600 --> 0:05:59.840 But more importantly, everybody wants to talk about, Okay, there 0:05:59.839 --> 0:06:01.560 was a drop there, there's a drop there. Can you 0:06:01.600 --> 0:06:03.560 live with them? All that stuff that that has happened 0:06:03.560 --> 0:06:06.479 in the past. But what I want fans and people 0:06:06.480 --> 0:06:08.960 that challenge them to remember is make sure you remember 0:06:08.960 --> 0:06:11.080 the Tampa Bay game, or make sure you remember some 0:06:11.080 --> 0:06:13.400 of these other games too, because those are the games 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:16.480 that the opponent is having to watch on film. Those 0:06:16.520 --> 0:06:19.000 are the examples where this is where this guy is 0:06:19.040 --> 0:06:20.960 going to beat you. This is what you have to 0:06:20.960 --> 0:06:23.320 take into account when eight three is on the field, 0:06:24.200 --> 0:06:26.279 and what makes him so dangerous. I feel in this 0:06:26.400 --> 0:06:29.600 offense is when you have a possession, you know, receiver 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:33.560 like Alan Lazard. When you have a superstar like Davante Adams, 0:06:33.560 --> 0:06:35.960 the number six ranked player amongst his peers of the 0:06:36.040 --> 0:06:39.279 National Football League right now, He's not just a guy 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:41.160 that you can just put a safety over the top 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:43.600 of MVS that is, and just try to take him 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:46.080 out of a game. You don't have as many resources 0:06:46.120 --> 0:06:48.560 to do that. In the secondary. You have to be 0:06:48.640 --> 0:06:50.720 cognizant of where he is and you've gotta be really 0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:53.920 careful with how you handle that matchup. This is not 0:06:54.120 --> 0:06:57.200 an easy game. It is a difficult position to play. 0:06:57.600 --> 0:07:00.360 The important thing with MBS is for all the orbs 0:07:00.400 --> 0:07:03.400 that have converged over him over time, he's been able 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:05.200 to pull through all of it. And I thought he 0:07:05.200 --> 0:07:07.440 had one of his best performances in the Packers uniform 0:07:07.680 --> 0:07:09.800 in the NFC title game. I don't even go back 0:07:09.800 --> 0:07:11.960 to last year's training camp, like the two guys, I said, 0:07:11.960 --> 0:07:14.720 it was him and it was Rashan Gary. I thought 0:07:14.840 --> 0:07:16.720 MBS had a better camp this year, but he really 0:07:16.720 --> 0:07:18.480 did stand out to me last year with what he 0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:20.640 was doing, giving you signs that, Okay, he's gonna bounce 0:07:20.680 --> 0:07:23.800 back from that nineteen season. Remembers telling people if if 0:07:23.840 --> 0:07:26.600 Gary and MBS don't perform, I don't know what the 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:28.680 preseason or what the training camp is even good for, 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:31.480 because to me, those guys really stood out, and I 0:07:31.560 --> 0:07:33.320 thought you saw him take a step last season. I 0:07:33.360 --> 0:07:35.640 think going into year four, you're gonna see him take another. Yeah, 0:07:35.720 --> 0:07:37.840 I would agree with you. It certainly seems to be 0:07:37.880 --> 0:07:41.000 setting up that way. And you and I were noticing 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:45.320 this before Aaron Rodgers made all of the nice compliments 0:07:45.360 --> 0:07:48.280 that he said about MVS and what Matt Lafleur said, 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:51.360 and all of those comments are genuine. I'm just the 0:07:51.400 --> 0:07:53.240 point I'm trying to make is that you and I 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:57.160 were noticing this on the practice field before his teammates 0:07:57.160 --> 0:07:59.400 and whatnot. We're talking about him like this is definitely 0:07:59.440 --> 0:08:02.000 something that noticed with him, and now it has to 0:08:02.040 --> 0:08:04.520 carry over from training camp from the practice field to 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:06.560 the games. We have to see that. Obviously, these guys 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:09.600 didn't play in the preseason games for good reason, so 0:08:10.080 --> 0:08:12.720 we need to see it carry over. But everything is, 0:08:12.880 --> 0:08:15.560 everything is setting up, The stage is being set here 0:08:15.640 --> 0:08:17.800 for something that that could be a pretty big year 0:08:17.800 --> 0:08:19.800 for MVS. And they are gonna have a really difficult 0:08:19.800 --> 0:08:22.200 defense to contest with with Dennis Allen's group there with 0:08:22.240 --> 0:08:24.080 the Saints here in a week and a half, no question. 0:08:24.120 --> 0:08:26.880 But I'm really Mike, the thing I'm most excited to 0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:30.440 see is that Monday afterwards when NFL g s I 0:08:30.680 --> 0:08:33.839 s puts up there played playing time stats, seeing how 0:08:33.880 --> 0:08:37.360 they allocate these reps, seeing which receivers play, how much 0:08:37.360 --> 0:08:41.640 they play, who's in the backfield, who's that tight end there? Again, Mike, 0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:43.040 there were years where it's like, okay, well you can 0:08:43.120 --> 0:08:45.480 kind of jot down Jordan Davante Randall. They're all going 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:48.160 to play about sixty seventy snaps. It's not like that anymore, 0:08:48.280 --> 0:08:50.480 and it's something that could change week to week. It's 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:52.600 not like we're gonna look at the snap counts for 0:08:52.640 --> 0:08:54.280 week one and go, Okay, this is how they're going 0:08:54.320 --> 0:08:56.040 to do it all year. No it's going to be 0:08:56.440 --> 0:08:58.720 a week to week thing in this offense. As you said, 0:08:58.760 --> 0:09:01.680 it's it's a menu of receivers with with all the 0:09:01.720 --> 0:09:03.760 different things that they bring to the table. So from 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:06.440 a matchup standpoint, from a game plan standpoint, things could 0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:09.520 really change UM week to week with what mattel Fleur, 0:09:09.640 --> 0:09:13.560 Nathaniel Hackett and these offensive coaches want to do. UM 0:09:13.600 --> 0:09:16.840 some sponsor business. Here West Serious x M NFL Radio 0:09:16.880 --> 0:09:19.880 delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the minute NFL 0:09:19.960 --> 0:09:24.760 news that true football fanatics need seven three sixty five. 0:09:24.840 --> 0:09:27.679 And at Cousin Subs, we have something for everyone like 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:30.920 our Wisconsin Cheese Kurds, mac and Cheese, golden fries, and 0:09:30.920 --> 0:09:33.480 creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite sub or sub 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:38.840 in a bowl. Cousin Subs, we believe in better alright. Uh. 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:44.120 Late this past week Thursday evening, a long awaited Packers 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:47.600 Hall of Fame induction ceremony delayed by the pandemic and whatnot, 0:09:47.640 --> 0:09:51.880 rescheduled multiple times. All that Packers Hall of Fame induction 0:09:51.960 --> 0:09:56.040 for Charles Woodson and Al Harris, and well, I what 0:09:56.160 --> 0:09:58.920 I wrote about on our Packers website. Both of those 0:09:58.960 --> 0:10:02.880 guys talked about it that. Uh, it's almost two fitting 0:10:03.000 --> 0:10:07.160 that these two star cornerbacks go into the Packers Hall 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:11.319 of Fame together because u um, they really were. They 0:10:11.360 --> 0:10:14.760 only played together in games on the field essentially for 0:10:14.840 --> 0:10:17.600 four years two thousand six through two thousand and nine, 0:10:18.480 --> 0:10:21.040 but that was a special pair that the Packers had 0:10:21.520 --> 0:10:23.680 on the field together and it was neat to see 0:10:23.720 --> 0:10:27.800 them get this honor together. Great job are you covering that. 0:10:27.800 --> 0:10:30.320 I appreciate you giving me off on Thursday, you know, 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:32.920 afternoon and evening, be able to get home a littlettle 0:10:32.920 --> 0:10:35.720 bit earlier to my family. But here's the thing I love, 0:10:35.880 --> 0:10:39.040 and no one talks about this enough. The mid two 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:40.959 thousands things were kind of in shambles there with the 0:10:41.000 --> 0:10:45.480 Packers cornerback contingent. There was a miss draft picks, there 0:10:45.559 --> 0:10:49.360 was some you know, Mike mackenzie basically demanding a trade. Yeah, 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:53.720 the contract situation, all the issues they had, their Al 0:10:53.840 --> 0:10:56.600 Harris was the constant. They made that trade in what 0:10:56.720 --> 0:10:59.960 two thousand three two in from Philadelphia, which, by the way, 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:02.840 in two thousand twenty one, I never see the Eagles 0:11:02.880 --> 0:11:05.199 making that trade anymore. That was more like they were 0:11:05.240 --> 0:11:08.600 so loaded at cornerback, but with how many cornerbacks you 0:11:08.679 --> 0:11:10.800 need now in today's NFL. Who knows if that deal 0:11:10.840 --> 0:11:13.719 ever gets done. But what I loved about it is 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:16.320 he was the constant for six seven years in that 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:18.960 secondary and in two thousand and six they bring in 0:11:19.120 --> 0:11:22.880 Charles Woodson. Two guys from very different paths, different walks 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:24.960 of life, but how they came together, and as Woodson 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:27.280 kind of talked about the work that they were willing 0:11:27.280 --> 0:11:29.480 to put in, the grind that they were willing to chase, 0:11:29.920 --> 0:11:33.080 that's what kind of binded them and for them in 0:11:33.160 --> 0:11:35.120 Woodson set it from his first conference call when the 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:37.520 announcement was made, he wanted to go in with Al Harris. 0:11:37.520 --> 0:11:39.680 It took a little bit longer than I think everybody expected, 0:11:40.280 --> 0:11:42.360 but he gets that honor. You can tell how much 0:11:42.440 --> 0:11:44.400 this is the guy that just went into Canton like 0:11:44.520 --> 0:11:47.960 earlier this month, you are last month. Now. You can tell, though, 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:50.280 how much this honor means to him too, and in 0:11:50.520 --> 0:11:52.640 the path that he has traveled. It was a cool 0:11:52.720 --> 0:11:54.600 night and I'm glad that obviously he was able to 0:11:54.679 --> 0:11:56.959 enjoy it with a close friend. Yeah, it was really 0:11:56.960 --> 0:12:00.400 interesting hearing Woodson kind of tell the story of how 0:12:01.520 --> 0:12:04.040 they would they would go to practice, and Al and 0:12:04.120 --> 0:12:05.960 Charles would kind of look at each other and go, Okay, 0:12:06.000 --> 0:12:08.280 we're gonna work today, all right, Yeah, it's time to work. 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:11.680 And what they meant by that is they were just 0:12:11.679 --> 0:12:14.240 going to take all the reps at cornerback with the 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:16.360 number one defense being out there, and they weren't going 0:12:16.360 --> 0:12:18.520 to let the younger guys like rotate, and they were 0:12:18.520 --> 0:12:20.560 just going to take them all. Maybe on a hot day, 0:12:20.559 --> 0:12:24.800 he said, they would take a playoff. Yeah, exactly. They 0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:27.720 let Grammont Williams or Jared Bush or one of you know, 0:12:27.760 --> 0:12:30.120 one of these younger guys slip in there once in 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:33.040 a while, but that was you know, and those are 0:12:33.040 --> 0:12:35.560 the kinds of things that we didn't necessarily see because 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:38.720 during regular season practice as reporters, we don't get to 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:42.360 watch the eleven on eleven. So you hear these you 0:12:42.400 --> 0:12:45.440 hear these stories after the fact about how during that 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:48.560 eleven on eleven work in the regular season, those guys 0:12:48.760 --> 0:12:51.880 really did go to work. And Al Harris wanted to 0:12:51.920 --> 0:12:54.280 be a Pro Bowler every single year and he did 0:12:54.280 --> 0:12:57.600 get a couple of Pro Bowl honors. And Charles Woodson 0:12:57.600 --> 0:13:00.640 talked about how it's it's so clear shape we hear 0:13:00.679 --> 0:13:03.199 it so often about players saying, you know, the competition, 0:13:03.200 --> 0:13:05.199 this and that, that they push each other to be better. 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:08.440 And I'm not I'm not dismissing it, but we do 0:13:08.559 --> 0:13:10.720 hear it so often. The thing about Charles and al 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:14.040 As it was very, very real. They really did, They 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:16.640 really did push each other because they were both trying 0:13:16.640 --> 0:13:19.000 to be the best in the game at the same position, 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:21.320 and they were on the same team, you know, and 0:13:21.320 --> 0:13:24.400 they got they got to practice together, play together on 0:13:24.440 --> 0:13:28.040 a daily, on a weekly basis, and that's a that's 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:31.320 a really that's a really interesting set of four years. 0:13:31.360 --> 0:13:34.560 And I also look back as well that two thousand 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:36.719 and six to two thousand nine will end with al 0:13:36.800 --> 0:13:39.600 obviously going you know, going back to two thousand three, 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:42.920 and then Charles staying with Green Bay through two thousand 0:13:42.920 --> 0:13:47.240 and twelve. Those guys played through and came back from 0:13:47.280 --> 0:13:51.880 a lot of injuries. The their their toughness. It's it's 0:13:51.920 --> 0:13:55.959 no surprise that head athletic trainer Brian Engle, affectionately known 0:13:56.000 --> 0:13:59.120 as Flee, is the guy that Charles Woodson chose to 0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:02.200 present him for Hall of Fame induction. Because Woodson was 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:05.320 in the training room a lot he was dedicated to 0:14:05.360 --> 0:14:08.319 getting out there absolutely as often as he could. When 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:10.600 you look at the track record of these two players, 0:14:11.920 --> 0:14:15.200 and Fleet called them, pound for pound, two of the 0:14:15.240 --> 0:14:18.400 toughest guys he's ever come across in the National Football League, 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:20.280 and and Flea has been here for twenty five years 0:14:20.320 --> 0:14:24.920 in the Packers training room. The their dedication to being 0:14:25.000 --> 0:14:27.680 out there for their teammates, they did not until Al 0:14:27.760 --> 0:14:31.280 Harris had the knee injury in two thousand nine the 0:14:31.320 --> 0:14:34.400 a c L and until Charles Woodson had the broken 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:36.800 collar bone in two thousand and twelve, which was the 0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:38.920 second time he had broken a collar bone after doing 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:42.680 so obviously in Super Bowl forty five. Until those major injuries, 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:45.320 those guys you could count on one hand the number 0:14:45.320 --> 0:14:47.560 of games that they missed as members of the Packers. 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:50.560 Their their their dedication to their craft was exceptional. I 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:53.080 remember in two thousand and eight two UH I was 0:14:53.120 --> 0:14:55.280 reading I believe it was either Pete Doherty rooted or 0:14:55.320 --> 0:14:57.160 robbed Demoskas when I was working at the Press, because 0:14:57.160 --> 0:15:00.200 that when the report came out that Al Harris had 0:15:00.200 --> 0:15:04.480 the ruptured spleen, and I remember thinking to myself, that 0:15:04.600 --> 0:15:07.840 sounds like the worst injury you could ever possibly have. 0:15:08.800 --> 0:15:11.840 And the way that these guys persevered through this. I 0:15:11.840 --> 0:15:14.360 mean even Charles Woodson. I mean, the guy breaks his 0:15:14.400 --> 0:15:17.320 collar bone in the Super Bowl and I'm sure there's 0:15:17.320 --> 0:15:20.160 a lot of adrenaline, no question about that, especially even 0:15:20.160 --> 0:15:22.040 when he wasn't playing with you know, them being that 0:15:22.160 --> 0:15:25.560 close to a super Bowl title. I sometimes look at 0:15:25.600 --> 0:15:27.360 these guys and I go, you know, as someone that's 0:15:27.400 --> 0:15:29.800 never broken a bone, he's never torn in a c 0:15:30.040 --> 0:15:34.280 L Like, how do you get yourself up? You know, 0:15:34.360 --> 0:15:36.840 not just the fact that you get an injury, you 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:40.120 rehab it, but then want to come back after that. 0:15:40.160 --> 0:15:42.840 They're just they're cut from a different cloth. They're different 0:15:42.840 --> 0:15:45.000 types of dudes. And you know, I'll say it for 0:15:45.040 --> 0:15:48.280 the last time. I've been saying this all offseason about Woodson, 0:15:48.320 --> 0:15:51.760 but the amount of professionalism that he showed throughout his career, 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:54.760 this is a guy that if you're not going to practice, 0:15:55.400 --> 0:15:57.880 if you're gonna be hurt all week and rehabbing all week, 0:15:58.400 --> 0:16:00.400 do you know how much film stud do you have 0:16:00.440 --> 0:16:02.720 to do? How much preparation has to go in when 0:16:02.720 --> 0:16:05.280 you're not actually out there getting the physical reps? You 0:16:05.280 --> 0:16:08.680 know too, you know, Wednesday through Friday. Charles Woodson was 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:11.800 always always prepared. He's the only guy. He's the only 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:14.960 guy I've ever seen who could who could miss as 0:16:15.040 --> 0:16:17.320 much practice as he missed in order to try to 0:16:17.400 --> 0:16:20.440 keep his body healthy and then and go play at 0:16:20.440 --> 0:16:24.080 a Pro Bowl on Sundays every single week. It was. 0:16:24.680 --> 0:16:26.600 It was remarkable what he did and up until what 0:16:26.720 --> 0:16:28.800 two thousand nine times. I mean, the guy was on 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:30.960 an island a lot of times too. I mean it's 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:32.960 it's about as obvious as it gets in the National 0:16:33.000 --> 0:16:35.560 Football League if you're not up to par playing one 0:16:35.600 --> 0:16:37.280 on one against some of these guys, and Woodson did 0:16:37.280 --> 0:16:39.720 it better than anyone. Yeah. Well, that that segways to 0:16:39.760 --> 0:16:41.600 one other topic. I want to get to here before 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:44.920 we sign off, because I answered a question in Insider Inbox. 0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:48.280 There was a fan writing in and I apologize I 0:16:48.280 --> 0:16:50.120 don't remember his or her name at the moment, but 0:16:50.560 --> 0:16:53.120 just wondering, you know, what, what's the status of the 0:16:53.160 --> 0:16:56.240 Packers secondary right now? Kind of asking some questions about it, 0:16:56.320 --> 0:16:59.920 and and I actually you know, and partly Charles and 0:17:00.000 --> 0:17:01.880 al going into the Hall of Fame, you know, this 0:17:01.960 --> 0:17:04.320 is this is what triggered my memory. But in looking 0:17:04.359 --> 0:17:07.399 at the Packers, if you look at the top six 0:17:08.040 --> 0:17:10.439 defensive backs on this roster, and I'm talking about the 0:17:10.480 --> 0:17:15.000 four at corner, Alexander King, Stokes, and Sullivan, and then 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:20.320 you're two starting safeties Amoson Savage. I honestly think and 0:17:20.359 --> 0:17:21.919 you can you can correct me if you have a 0:17:21.960 --> 0:17:24.640 different perspective on this, but I think this is this 0:17:24.720 --> 0:17:29.159 is as strong a top six group in the secondary 0:17:29.720 --> 0:17:32.520 as the Packers have had since for for my money, 0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:35.920 going back to two thousand and nine, which is when 0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:40.359 the top four corners were Woodson, Harris, Tremont, Williams, Jarrett Bush, 0:17:40.400 --> 0:17:44.000 and you're starting safeties where Nick Collins and Atari Bigbie, 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:47.600 I couldn't find a top six. I couldn't find a 0:17:47.640 --> 0:17:50.800 top six that to me compared going into a season 0:17:50.880 --> 0:17:54.200 with the top six that the Packers have here four 0:17:54.240 --> 0:17:57.560 teens close just because you had Casey Hayward and Devon 0:17:57.640 --> 0:17:59.720 House kind of struggling. You can only get one of 0:17:59.760 --> 0:18:01.879 those eyes on the field, which Tremont playing in the slot. 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:06.200 But the safety position just wasn't as strong. Yeah, I mean, haha, 0:18:06.320 --> 0:18:09.000 came on late throughout the season you had Mica there, 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:11.119 but yeah, no, no question about it. I guess I 0:18:11.160 --> 0:18:13.840 was thinking more of micah As as a corner or 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:15.639 not not as much as he was playing bass, and 0:18:15.640 --> 0:18:17.200 then he was going back in the sub packages. But 0:18:17.520 --> 0:18:19.320 he was at the embasy of that position. Haha. It 0:18:19.400 --> 0:18:22.720 was a rookie to your actual point, though, it is 0:18:22.720 --> 0:18:26.879 an incredibly deep six and the amount of resources to 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:29.080 put into that position as well, right, I mean you 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:31.120 have a first round pick in Darnell Savage, two first 0:18:31.160 --> 0:18:34.880 round picks and Jire Alexander Eric Stokes. Uh, Kevin King 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:36.600 was as close as you can get to being a 0:18:36.640 --> 0:18:39.720 first round pick at number thirty three, and then Adrian 0:18:39.760 --> 0:18:42.280 Amos being you know, paid and rewarded the way he 0:18:42.320 --> 0:18:45.480 was in two thousand nineteen. It's a good group. The 0:18:45.720 --> 0:18:47.359 other guy to keep an eye on is gonna be 0:18:47.359 --> 0:18:49.720 Henry Black at this point in time. Looks like he'll 0:18:49.760 --> 0:18:53.000 be that dime guy. Uh if if Amos moves into 0:18:53.000 --> 0:18:56.000 the you know, into the box. But my eyes are 0:18:56.040 --> 0:18:58.679 on Eric Stokes this season, Mike, and he's gonna have 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:03.080 to be ready because JR. Alexander pitty me in professionalism. 0:19:03.160 --> 0:19:05.640 Kevin King, when he's healthy, he can get the job 0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:08.399 done outside. But we know how This goes with the 0:19:08.440 --> 0:19:11.040 cornerback position. At any given time, you might have to 0:19:11.080 --> 0:19:13.800 make an adjustment and Stokes has to be ready for it. 0:19:13.840 --> 0:19:15.720 And that's why Rogers tested him the way he did. 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:17.840 That's the reason why Davante Adams tested him the way 0:19:17.840 --> 0:19:21.080 he did. This is going to be an excellent opportunity 0:19:21.119 --> 0:19:23.359 for him to grow here these first few weeks, but 0:19:23.440 --> 0:19:25.159 at any given moment, that young man needs to be 0:19:25.240 --> 0:19:27.240 ready to contribute. Yeah, I think it's going to be 0:19:27.320 --> 0:19:31.000 interesting to see with Joe Berry's defense, because there's there's 0:19:31.040 --> 0:19:34.920 certainly plenty of of dime defense with six defensive backs 0:19:34.960 --> 0:19:37.679 that's played in the NFL these days, and when you 0:19:37.760 --> 0:19:42.600 have Henry Black Vernon Scott as as your reserve safeties, 0:19:42.600 --> 0:19:45.720