WEBVTT - #422 Packers Unscripted: Next game up 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:20.759 Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.800 --> 0:00:24.079 I am Mike Spofford, joined by my trusted colleague West 0:00:24.079 --> 0:00:27.160 Hodkuwits were coming to you here from our studios at 0:00:27.240 --> 0:00:30.600 lambeau Field and West. Preseason game number two is on 0:00:30.680 --> 0:00:35.280 the horizon. The Packers headed to Baltimore to face the Ravens. 0:00:35.479 --> 0:00:39.400 And when you look at the second preseason game, Matt Lafleur, 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:42.480 Packers head coach, already said that the starters, the number 0:00:42.479 --> 0:00:46.960 one units, are going to play about a quarter or so. Now. Offensively, 0:00:47.080 --> 0:00:50.800 that will still be without Aaron Jones. He will be sidelines, 0:00:50.840 --> 0:00:54.560 still being very precautionary with the tightness and his hamstring. 0:00:55.320 --> 0:00:59.320 But Matt Lafleur and his offense with Aaron Rodgers at 0:00:59.360 --> 0:01:02.040 the controls, the aginst An opponent will be the debut here. 0:01:02.120 --> 0:01:04.600 And what are you looking for? I'm looking for excitement, 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:08.240 I'm looking for enthusiasm. I'm looking for efficiency. I thought 0:01:08.280 --> 0:01:10.880 your story outlining some of the three things that that 0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:14.080 Aaron Rodgers was looking for in this game. He talked about, 0:01:14.080 --> 0:01:16.480 you know, the efficiency side of it, you know, getting 0:01:16.480 --> 0:01:18.800 out of this thing hopefully healthy, and then also just 0:01:18.880 --> 0:01:21.800 the natural competitiveness of being able to be back out 0:01:21.800 --> 0:01:24.520 there with these guys. Um that that's gonna be the 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:26.679 biggest thing. If you can get through healthy and be 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:30.880 efficient what you want to accomplish realistically, I think that's 0:01:30.920 --> 0:01:33.720 all you can hope for this year, are really in 0:01:33.760 --> 0:01:36.720 any preseason and be quite honest with you. The other 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:38.720 thing of it, too, is that this is the first 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:42.080 big matchup I felt like for the backup quarterbacks, and 0:01:42.120 --> 0:01:44.039 it was something that some of the guys have talked 0:01:44.040 --> 0:01:46.600 about in the locker room. Baltimore throws a lot of 0:01:46.600 --> 0:01:50.400 different blitz packages at you, a lot of different variation 0:01:50.520 --> 0:01:52.920 with that, so well, last week might have been sort 0:01:52.920 --> 0:01:55.680 of the beginner's course, kind of get yourself reacclimated things. 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:59.160 The Ravens, even in preseason settings, do historically turn it 0:01:59.200 --> 0:02:01.240 up a little bit. Was what was interesting to me 0:02:01.280 --> 0:02:03.400 and talking to some players in the locker room after 0:02:03.440 --> 0:02:08.639 Tuesday's practices. There not expecting the Ravens to play this 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:12.920 as you would normally expect a preseason game across the league. 0:02:12.919 --> 0:02:15.919 And I'm talking schematically in terms of you know, vanilla 0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:18.880 and keeping things pretty simple and just working on the basics. 0:02:19.280 --> 0:02:22.680 They're really expecting the Ravens to throw some unconventional looks 0:02:22.680 --> 0:02:24.840 at them, to work on some of their uh you know, 0:02:24.880 --> 0:02:27.720 more exotic packages and and see what those look like 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:30.160 in a game setting. And it sounds like the Packers 0:02:30.160 --> 0:02:32.480 are actually kind of looking forward to it, looking forward 0:02:32.480 --> 0:02:35.320 to the challenge. As you said, I think it becomes 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:39.040 a really interesting challenge for the Packers backup quarterbacks if 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:43.880 they indeed face uh those kinds of looks. Because I 0:02:43.919 --> 0:02:46.160 thought both the Shaun Kaiser and Tim Boyle got the 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:49.680 preseason off to a good start. Nothing spectacular for either one. 0:02:49.760 --> 0:02:52.880 Nobody's lighting it up, so to speak, but they both 0:02:52.919 --> 0:02:54.920 gave themselves something to build on. But now they're going 0:02:54.960 --> 0:02:57.720 to have to build on it against a better defensive unit, 0:02:57.800 --> 0:03:01.320 no doubt. Also, it's communication competitiveness. Sorry, I got my 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:03.680 seas mixed up there as far as what Rogers was 0:03:03.680 --> 0:03:06.639 looking for. But as it relates to the backup quarterbacks 0:03:06.880 --> 0:03:09.800 in this particular matchup last week, I remember talking with 0:03:09.840 --> 0:03:12.040 Tim Boyle a little bit after the game, and you know, 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:14.600 he said, you pretty much knew they were gonna throw four, 0:03:15.040 --> 0:03:17.880 maybe five rushers at you at the same time, and 0:03:17.919 --> 0:03:21.000 they felt confident about their five against our five, and 0:03:21.040 --> 0:03:23.960 it wasn't gonna be that big of a discrepancy with 0:03:24.000 --> 0:03:26.880 the Ravens. You're not sure. Maybe it could end up 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:29.840 being six. Maybe they could send an extra free blitzer. 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:32.880 And that's where it's gonna be. On the offensive line. 0:03:33.080 --> 0:03:35.560 It's gonna be on the quarterbacks to pick up those things. 0:03:35.760 --> 0:03:37.440 And it's also gonna be on a guy like Tommy 0:03:37.600 --> 0:03:40.360 Bohannan who just comes in now and now he potentially 0:03:40.360 --> 0:03:43.080 could be in the backfield, the fullback that played last 0:03:43.080 --> 0:03:46.920 season with Jacksonville. So the big thing for the Packers 0:03:46.920 --> 0:03:48.520 here is if you can get through this healthy, if 0:03:48.560 --> 0:03:50.720 you can feel good about where you're at right now 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:54.760 with this offense, whether it's the first, second, or third team, 0:03:54.800 --> 0:03:57.520 that's gonna be what really propels you forward. Because honestly, 0:03:57.800 --> 0:04:00.360 we'll see what happens in Canada. We know this starters 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:03.840 won't play against Kansas City. This second preseason game for 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:06.520 probably the last three or four years, has been sort 0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:09.560 of that big barometer for the offense in the starting unit, 0:04:09.600 --> 0:04:11.360 seeing what they can put out on the field. Yeah, 0:04:11.480 --> 0:04:14.880 but you mentioned the new fullback Tony Tommy excuse me, Bohannon, 0:04:15.200 --> 0:04:16.960 I want to talk about him for just a minute, 0:04:17.000 --> 0:04:20.040 because this is an interesting signing here for the Packers. 0:04:20.080 --> 0:04:22.520 You had both Danny Vitelli and Malcolm Johnson, the two 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:26.119 fullbacks on the roster our sideline with injuries at the moment, 0:04:27.040 --> 0:04:30.120 and the Packers found it wasn't just you know, some 0:04:30.240 --> 0:04:32.840 undrafted rookie who you know, was trying to find his way. 0:04:32.839 --> 0:04:35.599 They found a veteran guy who's been with a few 0:04:35.600 --> 0:04:38.119 different teams but also been in and out of the league, 0:04:38.160 --> 0:04:40.920 so to speak. Tell us Bohannon's. Yeah, so it's interesting. 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:43.720 Bohanon's actually in the six NFL season already. I mean 0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:48.320 to quote my old friend Pete Doherty. He's vested at 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:51.520 this point in the league, but he's had like two 0:04:51.720 --> 0:04:54.719 different halves to his career. Where he started, he was 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:56.760 a seventh round pick from the Jets in two thousand 0:04:56.800 --> 0:04:59.880 and thirteen, go way back then, played a few seasons 0:04:59.880 --> 0:05:03.000 for them, didn't make the final cut in two thousand sixteen, 0:05:03.279 --> 0:05:06.200 was out of the league entirely that year. Was pouring 0:05:06.279 --> 0:05:08.920 concrete for his family's business. He was training some kids 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:12.200 off to the side, and then they had that veteran combine, 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:14.400 the second one in Arizona and two thought March of 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:18.120 two thousand seventeen, Jacksonville saw him, they signed him, He 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:20.080 made the roster, and he played in thirty two straight 0:05:20.120 --> 0:05:25.159 games for them, playing for current Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. 0:05:25.240 --> 0:05:28.800 So a couple different layers to this one. Brian Goodkin said, 0:05:28.800 --> 0:05:31.400 it's not like there was this bevy of fullbacks available, 0:05:31.480 --> 0:05:33.599 especially ones that are veterans that they could come in 0:05:33.600 --> 0:05:36.159 and play right away. They had some young guys they liked, 0:05:36.240 --> 0:05:40.640 but not anyone quite like Bohannon. In Bohanon's perspective, he's 0:05:40.720 --> 0:05:42.520 kind of just been sitting on the shelf. You're waiting 0:05:42.520 --> 0:05:45.080 for that opportunity. But as he pointed out, with some 0:05:45.160 --> 0:05:47.400 of the things he had to do as a fullback previously, 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:50.440 you know his patience has already been tested. Yeah. Well, 0:05:50.720 --> 0:05:52.839 on the defensive side of the ball for the Packers 0:05:52.839 --> 0:05:57.000 here heading to Baltimore, the ones will get. As Matt 0:05:57.080 --> 0:05:59.799 Lafleur said about a quarter or so, an interesting challenge 0:05:59.800 --> 0:06:04.279 he in quarterback Lamar Jackson, not your conventional NFL drop 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:08.040 back quarterback. That being said, though, I just wonder how 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:11.720 much the Ravens are really gonna expose Jackson to taking 0:06:11.720 --> 0:06:14.280 any hits and whatnot. They may be telling him, they 0:06:14.320 --> 0:06:16.920 may be calling plays in this preseason game that he's 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:18.760 supposed to sit in the pocket and get rid of 0:06:18.760 --> 0:06:21.400 the ball because that's probably the part of his game 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:23.360 that they want to work on the most. Right, So 0:06:23.720 --> 0:06:27.480 we may not really see the Lamar Jackson of September, October, 0:06:27.520 --> 0:06:31.320 November here in August, but nonetheless it will be the 0:06:31.360 --> 0:06:34.240 first look at the full first unit for the Green 0:06:34.240 --> 0:06:37.320 Bay Packers. Defensively, for my money, Lamar Jackson the most 0:06:37.320 --> 0:06:40.280 exciting young quarterback in this league right now. I love 0:06:40.360 --> 0:06:44.120 watching the Baltimore Ravens play. It's unconventional. The receivers have 0:06:44.200 --> 0:06:46.520 to be somewhat unselfish because you're not going to get 0:06:47.080 --> 0:06:50.120 traditional seventy receptions over a year if you start. They're 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:52.560 trying to change the narrative there in terms of what 0:06:52.600 --> 0:06:54.680 it takes to get to the playoffs and what kind 0:06:54.680 --> 0:06:56.919 of quarterback you need because this guy is different and 0:06:56.960 --> 0:06:59.080 the offense they run is different. Well, and it's kind 0:06:59.080 --> 0:07:01.360 of like presidencies, right, not to get political, but when 0:07:01.400 --> 0:07:03.720 you when you have one president, typically the next one 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:07.240 is just completely different. Right. They had Joe Flacco, who 0:07:07.320 --> 0:07:11.280 was this pocket, big arm quarterback, and then they switch 0:07:11.360 --> 0:07:14.280 over to Jackson, which is not to question his arm strength, 0:07:14.320 --> 0:07:17.280 but his you know, there's questions where he's gonna play 0:07:17.320 --> 0:07:19.360 quarterback in the NFL. Right there are fundans outer that 0:07:19.560 --> 0:07:22.240 we're wondering about it. The Ravens never had any doubt, 0:07:22.640 --> 0:07:25.640 but it is a very run heavy offense. It gave 0:07:25.680 --> 0:07:28.200 they get their running backs involved, they get Jackson involved. 0:07:28.720 --> 0:07:30.520 It is going to be meshing that together in the 0:07:30.520 --> 0:07:33.600 regular season. That's gonna say how far the Ravens truly 0:07:33.600 --> 0:07:36.200 go in this setting, though I really don't know what 0:07:36.320 --> 0:07:38.640 to expect. I know, I'm not sure what they're gonna run. 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:41.160 I don't think he's gonna be running that much. I'm 0:07:41.160 --> 0:07:43.320 guessing they're gonna do some passing. But it's also not 0:07:43.400 --> 0:07:45.400 like he's gonna He's not a three step quarterback and 0:07:45.720 --> 0:07:48.040 you know, throw thirty yards downfield. So if I'm Mike 0:07:48.080 --> 0:07:51.120 Petton and I'm talking with Sadarius Smith, who has, you know, 0:07:51.160 --> 0:07:55.560 going back to Baltimore, Preston Smith, this defense, you know, 0:07:55.880 --> 0:07:58.400 my basic thing is tackle. You know, whether it is 0:07:58.480 --> 0:08:01.880 Jackson or whether it is the unning backs, this offensive 0:08:02.000 --> 0:08:04.160 unit is to make sure you're sure up the tackling, 0:08:04.160 --> 0:08:06.640 because that was the one thing that was missing from 0:08:06.680 --> 0:08:09.000 that game against the Texas. Yeah, Matt la Fleur had 0:08:09.000 --> 0:08:10.960 pointed out during the week when he went back through 0:08:11.000 --> 0:08:13.440 the film, he counted twenty four miss tackles on the 0:08:13.440 --> 0:08:15.520 part of the defense. Now, granted, a lot of the 0:08:15.600 --> 0:08:17.840 number one guys didn't play and a lot of the 0:08:17.880 --> 0:08:20.200 young guys, as we had talked about, they played an 0:08:20.240 --> 0:08:22.920 inordinate number of snaps when you think about it for 0:08:23.280 --> 0:08:26.680 a first preseason game in terms of getting into football 0:08:26.680 --> 0:08:29.040 shape and all of that kind of stuff. But yes, 0:08:29.120 --> 0:08:31.520 that is the biggest thing defensively the Packers want to 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:34.000 clean up here is the tackling. He cut down on 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:37.400 the miss tackles. Don't make this the narrative of Mike 0:08:37.440 --> 0:08:41.480 Patton's second year defense that suddenly tackling is an issue. 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:44.840 So we'll be watching to see if that gets shored up. 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:47.839 The other thing, certainly that that Matt Lafleur would like 0:08:47.880 --> 0:08:50.720 to see cleaned up as the penalties twelve penalties for 0:08:50.760 --> 0:08:53.600 a little over a hundred yards against the Houston Texans. 0:08:53.600 --> 0:08:55.920 And we saw some of those points of emphasis from 0:08:55.920 --> 0:08:58.040 the officials. We saw the holding calls, We saw a 0:08:58.120 --> 0:09:00.960 blindside block call. Those are the kinds of things that 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:04.520 they're gonna They're definitely gonna call it in the preseason 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:08.439 and try to get these guys accustomed to how it's 0:09:08.440 --> 0:09:10.520 going to be called in the regular season with these 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:12.880 points of emphasis. One of the points emphasis, though, that 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:15.400 surprised me from the first game that didn't get called 0:09:15.480 --> 0:09:17.720 much was the past interference. I actually thought we were 0:09:17.720 --> 0:09:19.880 going to see a lot of flags. I and I 0:09:19.920 --> 0:09:22.360 actually even though I think if you look by the 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:25.520 tried and true definition of the rule, it wasn't past 0:09:25.559 --> 0:09:27.880 interference on Al Lazard and that one in zone throw 0:09:27.960 --> 0:09:32.520 that Tim Boyle through. But I liked the rationale behind 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:34.600 why La Fleur wanted to challenge it. Yeah, I just 0:09:34.640 --> 0:09:36.080 thought we were going to get more of those. I 0:09:36.120 --> 0:09:38.640 thought the reps would be a little bit more um, 0:09:38.679 --> 0:09:40.800 you know, liberal with what they wanted to throw out there. 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:44.120 Maybe get some of those things, uh down Because a 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:45.959 lot of times you're right, Mike, the blindside black I 0:09:46.000 --> 0:09:48.520 think is here to stay in terms of the emphasis 0:09:48.520 --> 0:09:50.680 on it, I think that isn't gonna dwindle at all. 0:09:51.280 --> 0:09:54.920 But other times there are certain defensive holding and offensive 0:09:54.920 --> 0:09:57.080 past afference where it's like, Okay, we're gonna hammer this 0:09:57.120 --> 0:09:58.960 in the preseason, but once you get to week one, 0:09:59.280 --> 0:10:01.120 you know, we'll all make our hands go to different 0:10:01.160 --> 0:10:03.640 directions and everyone knows the real rules in which we're 0:10:03.640 --> 0:10:06.840 playing with. So that did surprise me, and I am 0:10:06.920 --> 0:10:09.480 very gonna gonna be very curious, especially Aaron Rodgers is 0:10:09.520 --> 0:10:12.240 testing the Ravens deep early in this game, is if 0:10:12.280 --> 0:10:13.880 we are going to see a little bit more laundry 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:16.760 out on the field, because I just think with the 0:10:16.840 --> 0:10:20.160 offensive past interference rules now being what they are, in 0:10:20.280 --> 0:10:24.240 adding the challenge element to this, that's gonna be a 0:10:24.280 --> 0:10:28.040 big sublot, you know, subtitle to this whole season. But 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:29.920 in terms of the other stuff, You're absolutely right, there's 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:31.800 no excuse for it. Matt Floor wants to clean it up, 0:10:32.280 --> 0:10:34.000 and we'll see how they respond to it. And I 0:10:34.040 --> 0:10:36.360 do think that there's a good chance maybe in at 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:39.200 least once in each of the four preseason games we 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:42.439 see the Packers challenge of past interference or a non passage. 0:10:42.480 --> 0:10:46.120 I would, yeah, exactly to work through some of the 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:48.559 mechanics of that and then see, Okay, what did they 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:52.079 see and and what is their decision based on? Uh, 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:54.240 you know, is it clear and obvious, which is how 0:10:54.280 --> 0:10:56.079 the rule is written, and is is that how they're 0:10:56.120 --> 0:10:57.880 going to call it. You want to try to get 0:10:57.880 --> 0:10:59.840 a feel for all that before the games are real. 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:02.520 And you know, there are some fine gentlemen out there 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:04.920 that help out the packers with they're officiating during the 0:11:04.960 --> 0:11:08.280 prese during training camp, but the NFL officials this is 0:11:08.320 --> 0:11:10.320 a learning process. And we even heard it from the 0:11:10.360 --> 0:11:13.080 gentleman that came in last week talking about how, yeah, 0:11:13.080 --> 0:11:14.840 it is some of the stuff that happens on the field, 0:11:14.840 --> 0:11:17.320 but it's also the conversations that they have in the 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:19.800 locker room with the team and making sure that you 0:11:19.880 --> 0:11:22.840 understand all that. You can preach points of emphasis until 0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:25.640 you're read in the face. But we saw with the 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:28.240 Clay Matthews sacks last year and the quarterback hits and 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:31.680 the unnecessary roughness, how quickly all that can go out 0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:33.480 the door if it's not officiated in the manner that 0:11:33.520 --> 0:11:35.760 everybody believes it's going to be. Yeah, for sure, and 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:40.120 the NFL absolutely does not want another controversy like the 0:11:40.320 --> 0:11:42.840 don't need to be roughing the passer stuff that was 0:11:42.880 --> 0:11:46.480 going on last September. Um quickly with some sponsored business 0:11:46.480 --> 0:11:50.679 select Cousin Subs locations are now offering delivery. Whether you're 0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:53.680 ordering catering or your favorite sub, they're delivering right to 0:11:53.720 --> 0:11:57.400 you when you order online at Cousin Subs dot com. 0:11:57.559 --> 0:12:01.360 Cousin Subs we believe in better. Okay. Another note on 0:12:01.400 --> 0:12:03.480 the defensive side of the ball here that will certainly 0:12:03.520 --> 0:12:07.800 be watching or in Burke's exited the first preseason game 0:12:07.840 --> 0:12:10.839 against Houston very early with a chest injury. Now General 0:12:10.880 --> 0:12:13.720 manager Brian Goodacunts gave a bit of an update the 0:12:13.800 --> 0:12:17.720 other day. The news is not doesn't sound like it's 0:12:17.720 --> 0:12:20.600 as bad on or in Burke's as maybe everybody feared 0:12:21.200 --> 0:12:24.720 that Gudacunst is hoping as they continue to gather more 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:29.040 information that this is not necessarily a long term injury 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:31.839 for Burks and that he could be back. He didn't 0:12:31.840 --> 0:12:35.040 give a timeline on that, however, So in the meantime, 0:12:35.040 --> 0:12:37.400 whether we're talking a few weeks or several weeks, or 0:12:37.440 --> 0:12:40.280 whatever the case might be, the Packers will be looking 0:12:40.360 --> 0:12:44.920 for that second inside linebacker to pair with Blake Martinez. 0:12:45.600 --> 0:12:47.959 And as we talked about on the last show, Curtis 0:12:47.960 --> 0:12:51.200 Bolton Tye Summers are probably the two leading candidates right now. 0:12:51.280 --> 0:12:55.600 James Crawford, Brady Sheldon also in that mix at inside linebacker. 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:58.160 But that's going to be a position to watch here, 0:12:58.240 --> 0:13:00.720 especially with the ones taking the field for the first 0:13:00.720 --> 0:13:04.440 time defensively and uh. And then for a guy like 0:13:04.480 --> 0:13:07.240 Ty Summers who had the ted tackles and a few 0:13:07.240 --> 0:13:10.400 miss tackles against Houston, can he build on what he 0:13:10.480 --> 0:13:13.839 did uh in his rookie first preseason game. Yeah, And 0:13:14.000 --> 0:13:16.040 this is gonna be the biggest change for the Packers 0:13:16.040 --> 0:13:18.400 this year. As we mentioned, I think on our previous 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:21.040 show on Monday, when there was a big injury there 0:13:21.040 --> 0:13:24.840 with the shoulder too, Burke's last year, they went out 0:13:24.880 --> 0:13:28.880 and got Antonio Morrison pretty much right away. They have 0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:31.480 not done that at this juncture. So one, you hope 0:13:31.480 --> 0:13:33.520 that that bodes well for Burke's in his long term 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:36.240 future here. Certainly he looked like, you know, it really 0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:39.480 made some nice strides prior to this chest injury. But 0:13:39.600 --> 0:13:41.320 on the other side of it, I think it also 0:13:41.440 --> 0:13:44.000 speaks to what they feel like the confidence level is 0:13:44.040 --> 0:13:46.640 like with those inside linebackers and also with some of 0:13:46.640 --> 0:13:49.079 those safeties that could potentially be filling that box roll 0:13:49.120 --> 0:13:51.600 next to Blake Martinez as well. One of the things 0:13:51.600 --> 0:13:55.160 I outlined an insider in box was it is very 0:13:55.160 --> 0:13:57.720 important to step up in this time, whether it's Curtis Bolton, 0:13:57.760 --> 0:14:00.760 whether it's James Crawford, or whether it's Ties Summers. But 0:14:00.840 --> 0:14:03.079 I still really like the reps that Summers is getting 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:05.600 with the twos right now as the lead communicator, because 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:08.120 here's the thing. Packers have been blessed and fortunate that 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:10.719 Blake Martinez has been healthy as an OX here the 0:14:10.800 --> 0:14:12.840 last two Season's been able to stay on the field. 0:14:13.200 --> 0:14:16.120 He is a key cog for this defense, and as 0:14:16.160 --> 0:14:18.280 long as Burke's is out, that is one less guy 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:21.080 that they have behind Martinez. As it relates to those 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:23.560 dime packages, were Martinez is the only guy in the 0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:27.920 field in the interim. The main thing that Bolton, Summers, 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:31.320 Crawford and also throw Brady Shelton in there. They're trying 0:14:31.360 --> 0:14:34.600 to buy for that first down, second down roll against 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:37.880 the run, putting your head down, being able to stand 0:14:37.920 --> 0:14:40.800 up to contact, and being able to tackle guys in 0:14:41.160 --> 0:14:44.600 the open field. I thought, again early on, Summers did 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:48.120 that really well against Houston. Whatever happened in the second 0:14:48.120 --> 0:14:50.120 half happened, But I think you saw when he has 0:14:50.160 --> 0:14:52.960 a full gas tank, what this young man is capable of, 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:55.760 especially being the seventh round pick. Bolton is the guy 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:57.440 that just has kind of come out of nowhere for 0:14:57.480 --> 0:15:00.680 me because I didn't know much about him coming at Oklahoma. 0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:02.600 I learned a lot from him from your story and 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:05.160 what he's dealt with to get to this point. Just 0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:09.040 a one year starter, a fifth year senior starter at 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:13.200 Oklahoma and had been a essentially a backup, a special 0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:15.400 teams guy, and then a dealt with an injury prior 0:15:15.440 --> 0:15:17.080 to that, and now here he is in the NFL 0:15:17.120 --> 0:15:19.200 with a chance to become a starter for the Green 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:20.960 Bay Packer. And this is the main reason why I 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:23.360 wanted to point to that, because sometimes it isn't about 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:25.560 the guy who played five years at these big power 0:15:25.640 --> 0:15:29.080 five conference schools. Sometimes it's the Curtis Boltons of the 0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:31.440 world that's people start to just let fly under the 0:15:31.560 --> 0:15:34.120 radar because either there was an injury or he wasn't starting, 0:15:34.480 --> 0:15:37.680 and then suddenly, boom, here he is. This is just 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:39.760 gonna be such an important stretch here for that young 0:15:39.800 --> 0:15:42.000 man as he's trying to not only make this team 0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:44.720 but also show that okay, if it works out this 0:15:44.760 --> 0:15:47.160 way in week one, you need somebody next to Blake Martinez, 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:50.080 I'm your guy. Yeah, alright, Well, as we as we 0:15:50.120 --> 0:15:54.040 wrap up today's show here previewing this Baltimore preseason game West, 0:15:54.120 --> 0:15:57.240 anybody else that comes to mind that we haven't mentioned 0:15:57.320 --> 0:16:00.240 yet that is a particular player you might have your 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:02.760 eye on from the press box in Baltimore. The number 0:16:02.760 --> 0:16:05.520 one guy that And I couldn't write it again this 0:16:05.560 --> 0:16:07.560 week because I already wrote it last week, But I 0:16:07.600 --> 0:16:09.480 actually feel like the number one guy we've seen in 0:16:09.520 --> 0:16:11.960 this year's training camp. And I'm putting this above Jake Kumero. 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:13.440 By the way, a lot of people might have thought 0:16:13.440 --> 0:16:16.640 it was gonna say, Jay Kumarro is Robert Tayan. If 0:16:16.680 --> 0:16:19.880 you watch these practices, Robert Tayan is going to be 0:16:19.920 --> 0:16:22.680 a part of this offense in two thousand nineteen. Last year, 0:16:23.000 --> 0:16:25.560 he was behind those three veterans. He didn't get a 0:16:25.560 --> 0:16:27.600 whole lot of playing time. They started to mix them 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:30.600 in a little bit, but realistically his biggest contribution was 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:35.120 the special teams. Every single practice, he is making a play, 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:37.400 he is being where he needs to be, and Aaron 0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:40.120 Rodgers has developed a confidence in this young man We 0:16:40.160 --> 0:16:42.280 also saw Jimmy Graham come and get a thirty two 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:45.400 yard touchdown near the end of practice actually the second 0:16:45.440 --> 0:16:47.280 to last team period, I believe in practice at a 0:16:47.320 --> 0:16:49.920 two minute drill, looking really good over the top of 0:16:49.960 --> 0:16:53.320 the defense. We've talked so much about the receiver position, 0:16:53.600 --> 0:16:56.200 and rightfully so. There's a lot of jobs at stakes 0:16:56.200 --> 0:16:58.960 and they're starting jobs at stake, but tight end is 0:16:58.960 --> 0:17:00.720 going to be the position, and I feel like with 0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:03.320 Matt Lafleur's scheme is going to get the biggest shine 0:17:03.320 --> 0:17:05.959 put on it in Robert Tanian with what he's been 0:17:05.960 --> 0:17:08.320 able to learn from Marcedes Lewis and what he's learned 0:17:08.320 --> 0:17:10.600 from Jimmy Graham, mixed in with the fact that this 0:17:10.680 --> 0:17:12.720 is a hungry guy that wants to prove he belongs 0:17:12.720 --> 0:17:14.919 in this league. He's going to be the number one 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:16.399 guy have my eye on because I think there's a 0:17:16.440 --> 0:17:18.520 legitimate chance he actually does get some reps with Aaron 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:20.480 Rodgers on Thursday night. Yeah, I don't know if you 0:17:20.600 --> 0:17:24.879 listen to Aaron Rodgers interview with Sirius XM Radio that 0:17:24.920 --> 0:17:28.200 he did. I believe it was yesterday on Tuesday. We're 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:31.560 taping this on Wednesday. Um, about a fifteen minute interview, 0:17:31.600 --> 0:17:33.159 and there was a segment in there where he was 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:36.000 talking about Robert Tanya and he certainly said plenty of 0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:38.840 positive things that his locker talking to the vocal media 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:41.360 on a regular basis. What he said on that Sirius 0:17:41.520 --> 0:17:45.280 XM radio show about Robert Tannian absolutely convinces me that 0:17:45.320 --> 0:17:46.600 this guy is going to be a part of the 0:17:46.640 --> 0:17:49.480 offense in nine. There's just no doubt about it. The 0:17:49.520 --> 0:17:52.600 confidence that Aaron Rodgers has in this young man at 0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:55.920 that position, it definitely is is starting to show. Here's 0:17:55.920 --> 0:17:57.879 the thing though about Tany that I like the most. 0:17:58.000 --> 0:18:00.720 We hear so much time, so much about just trusting 0:18:00.720 --> 0:18:04.480 a guy confidence. It gets the point where where it 0:18:04.520 --> 0:18:08.600 seems like we're overstating it. Robert Twian has confidence in 0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:11.960 himself and that might seem like a small thing, but 0:18:12.000 --> 0:18:13.639 you gotta understand, this is a guy who played at 0:18:13.680 --> 0:18:16.040 Indiana State. I think they had one guy in the 0:18:16.119 --> 0:18:18.280 last fifteen years that has played in the league out 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:20.640 of Indiana State. And he wasn't playing tight end there. 0:18:20.720 --> 0:18:23.000 And he wasn't playing tight end. He was a quarterback. 0:18:23.160 --> 0:18:25.680 He was a receiver. If you know anything about Robert 0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:29.360 Tannian story. Most of his football career has been told, Yeah, 0:18:29.400 --> 0:18:32.080 this isn't the position for you. You're not quite good enough. 0:18:32.320 --> 0:18:36.159 Tight End is this guy's position, Michael, And much like 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:38.960 Jake Kumero, I will bring it all back together against 0:18:39.119 --> 0:18:42.800 get it into a nice degree circle. Much like Kumarro, 0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:46.639 both of these guys a year ago they were playing 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:50.280 their butts off trying to make a roster. This year 0:18:51.000 --> 0:18:53.160 they're trying to be in this rotation, and I think 0:18:53.160 --> 0:18:54.719 there's a real good chance that both of them are 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:57.200 going to do it. Yeah, well quickly, I'm gonna rattle 0:18:57.240 --> 0:18:59.080 off a couple other guys that I'm gonna have my 0:18:59.119 --> 0:19:01.320 eye on number one. I think the Packers still have 0:19:01.840 --> 0:19:04.920 a lot they're trying to sort out at backup offensive tackles. Sure, 0:19:04.960 --> 0:19:06.880 we're going to be the backups to David back tr 0:19:07.000 --> 0:19:10.840 and Brian Blaga. You've got Alex Light, You've got Yosh 0:19:10.960 --> 0:19:14.720 Naiman and um Chart. You're hard to bear. I was 0:19:14.920 --> 0:19:18.000 forgetting the third one in that mix. Watch those guys, 0:19:18.040 --> 0:19:21.080 watch those offensive tackles after the starters leave the game 0:19:21.400 --> 0:19:24.760 on Thursday night. Because the Packers have some pecking order 0:19:25.280 --> 0:19:27.360 with their offensive line to figure out. The other thing 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:29.320