WEBVTT - #898 Packers Unscripted: Strong showings

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<v Speaker 1>Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from

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<v Speaker 1>Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spoffor, joined as always

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<v Speaker 1>by my trusted colleague West Hodkwitz. We're coming to you

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<v Speaker 1>here from the Pottawatami Sportsbook Studio inside the walls of

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<v Speaker 1>Lambeau Field, and we've got a lot to cover on

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<v Speaker 1>this show because Sunday's full pads practice that we saw

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<v Speaker 1>at Nichgie Field was a big one with a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of stuff happening. But before we get to that, we

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<v Speaker 1>need to talk about that preseason opener in Pittsburgh last

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<v Speaker 1>Thursday night, where I think you and I both agree

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<v Speaker 1>the headliner at the top of the list was rookie

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<v Speaker 1>kicker Trace Smack.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I was a quintessential performance there by Smack. When

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<v Speaker 2>we spend all this time talking about these practices, all

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<v Speaker 2>these times, talking about OTAs and mini camp and training

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<v Speaker 2>camp in the Hudson Center and Raynichkie Field, at the

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<v Speaker 2>end of the day, this game of kicking comes down

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<v Speaker 2>to when the lights are on, you're out there on

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<v Speaker 2>the field, can you make the kicks? And it just

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<v Speaker 2>so happens that Tray Smack made to the longest ones

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<v Speaker 2>in Packers' history. In that game against Pittsburgen, and that's

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<v Speaker 2>what this was all advertised as. Right when they drafted him,

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<v Speaker 2>everybody talked about the leg strength and the leg power.

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<v Speaker 2>Ten made field goals from beyond fifty yards and you

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<v Speaker 2>see it. It's a natural kicking motion. He is not

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<v Speaker 2>wailing at it. He is not just trying to put everything.

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<v Speaker 2>The guy is just a natural kicker. And for him

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<v Speaker 2>to go out there and make all three of his

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<v Speaker 2>field goals, unfortunately that first fifty eight yard got waved

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<v Speaker 2>off because of a penalty. On for end of the show,

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<v Speaker 2>former Packers' defensive lineman Dean Lowry roughing the snapper, moved

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<v Speaker 2>the Packers fifteen yards ahead. He ends up still making

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<v Speaker 2>Smack that is, ends up making a thirty seven yard

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<v Speaker 2>field goal, and then right before halftime goes out there

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<v Speaker 2>and makes a fifty eight yarder. It was the biggest

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<v Speaker 2>bright spot and for the Packers making that investment in

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<v Speaker 2>us talking both some of the ebbs and flows that

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<v Speaker 2>Smack has been through here early on. I think it

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<v Speaker 2>was an encouraging performance for everybody involved.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and I thought it was really interesting. Couple interesting things.

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<v Speaker 1>One is that as I believe we talked about or

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<v Speaker 1>if we didn't talk about it on the show. I

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<v Speaker 1>know I mentioned it in some of the writing from

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<v Speaker 1>last week that Akrascher Stadium formerly known as Hinz Field

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<v Speaker 1>in Pittsburgh is not normally kind to kickers. And I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know for sure what officially the longest field goal

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<v Speaker 1>made in that stadium is. I know that nobody has

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<v Speaker 1>made a fifty eight yard or in the regular season there. Obviously,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, August in Pittsburgh is a lot different than

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<v Speaker 1>you know, November and December and Pittsburgh, and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>there are no such thing as official preseason records and whatnot.

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<v Speaker 1>But the fact that, the fact that Smack did that,

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<v Speaker 1>and at the time on that opening drive, the word

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<v Speaker 1>from Matt Lafleur was that special team's coordinator Cam Acord

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<v Speaker 1>was saying, no, we're not gonna We're not gonna try

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<v Speaker 1>a fifty eight yarder, and Lafleur's like, yes, we are,

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<v Speaker 1>and he sent the rookie kicker out, I mean, his

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<v Speaker 1>first kick in as a rookie in an NFL preseason

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<v Speaker 1>game fifty eight yards in a tough venue, and he

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<v Speaker 1>drilled it. Obviously that you know, just put that much

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<v Speaker 1>more confidence in him when he was called on for

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<v Speaker 1>another fifty eight yarder as you mentioned, right at the

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<v Speaker 1>end of the first half. So it was it was

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<v Speaker 1>a special night for Smack and maybe the best thing

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<v Speaker 1>on the mental side of things, aside from the confidence boost,

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<v Speaker 1>is then you were talking to him after the game

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<v Speaker 1>in the locker room and he was even saying, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I've already moved on to Denver. You know, he's already

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<v Speaker 1>thinking about the next game, the next challenge. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>the altitude, the different stadium, everything that's going to be

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<v Speaker 1>facing him this week. As he needs to go out

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<v Speaker 1>now and begin to as they say, stack the success.

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<v Speaker 1>That's the next challenge for Trace Mack.

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<v Speaker 2>He we got him in the locker room. Larry mccahron

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<v Speaker 2>asked a very fair question of him, you know, basically

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<v Speaker 2>boiling down for you, what'd you think about your day?

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<v Speaker 2>And Smack just said, matter of factly, I hit the

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<v Speaker 2>ball pretty well, and that was it. This is the

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<v Speaker 2>way the guy's going to approach it. And certainly when

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<v Speaker 2>you look at the kicking position, there is an element

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<v Speaker 2>what ties all these guys together, whether it's Chris Boswell

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<v Speaker 2>in the other locker room, whether it was Mason Crosby

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<v Speaker 2>who did it for here for so many years, or

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<v Speaker 2>Ryan Longwell, who we found out was at practice last

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<v Speaker 2>week for a couple days and was having some conversations

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<v Speaker 2>with Trey Smack. What binds all these guys together, It's

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<v Speaker 2>the idea that whatever you did today, you got to

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<v Speaker 2>go and try to be consistent about it and repeat

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<v Speaker 2>it again tomorrow. It's not always going to happen that way,

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<v Speaker 2>but then when there is a miskick, it's how do

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<v Speaker 2>you bounce back from it. I think Smack has that

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<v Speaker 2>right approach and understanding that this is a very long game.

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<v Speaker 2>And he actually was very thankful to the coaching staff

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<v Speaker 2>and Matt Lafleur for how they've handled things too, because

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<v Speaker 2>there was a couple of days where he went out

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<v Speaker 2>there at Nichki and the kicks didn't go in, whether

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<v Speaker 2>it be the win or just a couple of mishits

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<v Speaker 2>on his part. Cam A Cord, Matt Lafleur, they've been

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<v Speaker 2>very adamant and consistent about the messaging as it pertains

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<v Speaker 2>to Smack and the idea that we understood what we

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<v Speaker 2>were doing. When Brian Goodkuin's moved up to take him

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<v Speaker 2>in the sixth round. When you tie yourself to a

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<v Speaker 2>rookie kicker, there's going to be some rough patches. The

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<v Speaker 2>Packers went through that with Mason Crosby. They went through

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<v Speaker 2>that Mason Crosby six years into his NFL career, right,

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<v Speaker 2>But by staying the course with him, that ultimately is

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<v Speaker 2>what sort of led the way to them being able

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<v Speaker 2>to solve that kicking equation for fifteen years. So the

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<v Speaker 2>hope of me is that Smack can be that guy.

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<v Speaker 2>And this was one small victory in what is ultimately

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<v Speaker 2>going to be a much bigger battle.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, there's a process here to this, right, and that

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<v Speaker 1>process is just getting going because really the process will

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<v Speaker 1>be his entire rookie season. It's not just training camp

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<v Speaker 1>leading up to Week one. It's everything that happens between

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<v Speaker 1>now in January. As far as the starters in the

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<v Speaker 1>game in Pittsburgh, they got the work that they needed.

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<v Speaker 1>The offense got the one third down conversion which set

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<v Speaker 1>up the long field goal. Then the possession gets extended

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<v Speaker 1>as you mentioned by the penalty on the first kick,

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<v Speaker 1>but then unable to convert that drive into a touchdown.

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<v Speaker 1>So they settle inn for the shorter field goal. The

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<v Speaker 1>number one defense goes out there and gets a three

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<v Speaker 1>and out right away. Aaron Rodgers was not playing. The

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<v Speaker 1>Steelers had their starters out there with Mason Rudolph, and

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<v Speaker 1>not even all their starters. There were other offensive guys gathering. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it was. It was a hodgepodge of kind of ones

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<v Speaker 1>and twos for the Steelers in both instances. But I thought,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought, as far as the ones go, the Packers

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<v Speaker 1>got what they wanted, what they needed out of it.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll see what Matt Lafleur says and decides to do,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, with Regard Denver this week in that regard.

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<v Speaker 1>But then the other headline really for green Bay in

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<v Speaker 1>this game became number three quarterback Kyle McCord, the former

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<v Speaker 1>sixth round pick of the Philadelphia Goals out of Syracuse.

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<v Speaker 1>He comes to Green Bay late last season and he'd

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<v Speaker 1>been battling with the undrafted rookie Chiron Drones from Virginia

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<v Speaker 1>Tech for the number three job, and he won it

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<v Speaker 1>already because the Packers have now released drones. McCord very

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<v Speaker 1>impressive performance in a number of different respects, not only

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<v Speaker 1>the I mean he call it a two minute drive,

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<v Speaker 1>but it was really a thirty eight second drive at

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<v Speaker 1>the end of the first half to get the long

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<v Speaker 1>kick from Smack. But also just some of the things

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<v Speaker 1>that he responded to in terms of when he had

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<v Speaker 1>a guy in his face and when he had to,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, deliver a ball, you know, maybe a little

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<v Speaker 1>bit off schedule or not in the traditional fashion, and

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<v Speaker 1>he was out there making plays and moving the chains

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<v Speaker 1>and it was I thought it was a really impressive

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<v Speaker 1>outing from McCord, and I think everybody's now looking to

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<v Speaker 1>see what he's going to do in his next preseason

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<v Speaker 1>opportunity come Friday night in Denver.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Kal McCord did what Tim Boyle did in the past,

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<v Speaker 2>what Taysom Hill had done. These guys that were undrafted

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<v Speaker 2>free agents or in his case, a late round pick,

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<v Speaker 2>that are that are trying to make a bid for

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<v Speaker 2>the fifty three man roster, you have to go out

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<v Speaker 2>there and make plays. Nobody is. Everybody understands what this is.

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<v Speaker 2>They understand what the offensive line is going to look like.

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<v Speaker 2>They understand sometimes you're gonna be going up against two,

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<v Speaker 2>sometimes threes, maybe even sometimes once. Right, So Graham Harold

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<v Speaker 2>did to make the roster back in twenty twelve. You

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<v Speaker 2>sometimes are going to have to go through challenging circumstances.

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<v Speaker 2>And what I was most impressed with of everything that

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<v Speaker 2>mccorr did, it was setting up that field goal for Smack.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, the guy has I think, what did we

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<v Speaker 2>end up going on? It was thirty five seconds we

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<v Speaker 2>were going back to it was.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I thought it was thirty seven because that's what

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<v Speaker 1>I had in my notebook, But then the official play

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<v Speaker 1>by play from the NFL said the first down play

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<v Speaker 1>after the kickoff was run at thirty eight seconds, so

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<v Speaker 1>it was essentially a thirty seven second drive because he

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<v Speaker 1>did the spike them with one tick left on the

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<v Speaker 1>clock for the kicker.

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<v Speaker 2>And as Matt Lafleur said, the threes have not had

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of those opportunities to run a two minute

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<v Speaker 2>situation and for him to navigate that find all these

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<v Speaker 2>receivers think he makes four completions. And then also, I

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<v Speaker 2>mean credit to the offense for being able to set

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<v Speaker 2>they had twelve seconds left, being able to get the

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<v Speaker 2>quick throw and they're able to clock it with one

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<v Speaker 2>second left. I mean, that's about as good of a

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<v Speaker 2>job as you can ask for from a number three

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<v Speaker 2>quarterback or a guy that has projected to be in

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<v Speaker 2>that spot. So absolutely McCord started camp. I thought kind

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<v Speaker 2>of slow, started the offseason program, kind of slow. It

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<v Speaker 2>would look like it was a pretty tight battle there

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<v Speaker 2>for a minute between him and Drones.

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<v Speaker 1>I thought so too.

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<v Speaker 2>Practice after practice, throw after throw. It was eighteen that

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<v Speaker 2>kept showing up a little bit more and a little

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<v Speaker 2>bit more. And Mike, you and I have covered these teams,

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<v Speaker 2>whether it was Mike McCarthy or it's been in the

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<v Speaker 2>Matt Leafloor era. When you get to mid August, if

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<v Speaker 2>injuries are not an issue, there's going to be fewer

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<v Speaker 2>opportunities for that fourth quarterback to get snaps. The Packers

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<v Speaker 2>decide to cut bait. Now they're going to presumably see

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of Tyrod Taylor, a lot of Kyle McCord

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<v Speaker 2>the rest of this preseason. We'll see what else happens

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<v Speaker 2>with Jordan Love. And they feel confident about that. So

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<v Speaker 2>d face the first part of this thing. He beat

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<v Speaker 2>out Drones. Now he has two more weeks here to

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<v Speaker 2>show that he's the right guy to be QB three.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and to be sure as well, it wasn't a

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<v Speaker 1>perfect showing by Kyle McCord. I mean, he's going to

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<v Speaker 1>look at the film. The coaches are going to look

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<v Speaker 1>at the film. One of the sacks that he took.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it's one of those that is kind of

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<v Speaker 1>on the quarterback because the protection was there, but he's

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<v Speaker 1>trying to make a play, held the ball too long,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, didn't get out when he had an opportunity,

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<v Speaker 1>or didn't get rid of the ball when he had

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<v Speaker 1>an opportunity. So those are the moments even within a really,

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<v Speaker 1>really good performance. Kyle McCord is going back to the

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<v Speaker 1>practice field this week and he's going to be heading

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<v Speaker 1>into Denver knowing that, Okay, that's the kind of play

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<v Speaker 1>that I can't let that happen again. Right, So, still

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<v Speaker 1>plenty to work on there, But as you mentioned, he's

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<v Speaker 1>going to get a lot more practice reps now because

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<v Speaker 1>they aren't splitting the threes between two different quarterbacks. He's

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<v Speaker 1>the guy who gets to take all of those and

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<v Speaker 1>it should only benefit him. So that said, the Packers

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<v Speaker 1>were then back on the practice field. Actually they were

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<v Speaker 1>back on the practice field on Saturday, but that was

0:11:08.240 --> 0:11:13.200
<v Speaker 1>a closed practice, no media, no fans. Then Sunday was

0:11:13.800 --> 0:11:17.800
<v Speaker 1>the traditional open training camp practice, and the big news,

0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:21.800
<v Speaker 1>of course was tight end Tucker Craft was back in

0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:24.840
<v Speaker 1>the eleven on eleven. Now, I wonder if he was

0:11:24.840 --> 0:11:27.720
<v Speaker 1>in the eleven on eleven in the close practice on Saturday,

0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:31.520
<v Speaker 1>and we just did We just didn't know. But whatever

0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:34.959
<v Speaker 1>the case, as I said in our three things video,

0:11:35.040 --> 0:11:37.920
<v Speaker 1>you wrote about it in the five Things from practice

0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:42.200
<v Speaker 1>that's posted on the website, you would not know based

0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:45.840
<v Speaker 1>on how the eleven on eleven went in Sunday's practice

0:11:45.880 --> 0:11:48.160
<v Speaker 1>that that was the first time anybody had seen Tucker

0:11:48.240 --> 0:11:52.400
<v Speaker 1>Craft do eleven on eleven of any type since early November.

0:11:52.520 --> 0:11:55.800
<v Speaker 1>I mean, he looked, he really did look like he

0:11:55.840 --> 0:11:56.559
<v Speaker 1>had never left.

0:11:56.720 --> 0:12:01.360
<v Speaker 2>He said three things, no pun intending trade mark, registered

0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:05.040
<v Speaker 2>trademarker in effect. He said three things in his press

0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:08.280
<v Speaker 2>conferences media scrum afterwards. In all three of them really

0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:11.480
<v Speaker 2>hit home for me. The first one is how different

0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:13.680
<v Speaker 2>this Packers offense is when he's on the field. He

0:12:13.679 --> 0:12:17.160
<v Speaker 2>says that humbly, but it's true. The Packers' offense, it

0:12:17.240 --> 0:12:19.680
<v Speaker 2>operates at a different level when number eighty five is

0:12:19.679 --> 0:12:22.440
<v Speaker 2>out there. I thought you saw it. I love what

0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:24.240
<v Speaker 2>I saw in the two minute periods. I love the

0:12:24.240 --> 0:12:27.120
<v Speaker 2>fact that there were five targets, there were some competitive

0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:30.880
<v Speaker 2>plays out there. Kraft made every single play, in my goodness,

0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:33.640
<v Speaker 2>when he got to the end zone. Ryan Wood even

0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:35.679
<v Speaker 2>made the comment in the media scrum, I mean the

0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:39.240
<v Speaker 2>force that he spiked that ball with when he scored

0:12:39.280 --> 0:12:42.800
<v Speaker 2>on that twelve yard slant, there was you could feel

0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:45.360
<v Speaker 2>like nine months, nine and a half months of just

0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:47.320
<v Speaker 2>there was an aggression built up.

0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:51.000
<v Speaker 1>There was a Catharsis to that spike in the end zone.

0:12:51.040 --> 0:12:51.400
<v Speaker 1>For sure.

0:12:51.480 --> 0:12:53.600
<v Speaker 2>You don't see those typically in the practice, even a

0:12:53.640 --> 0:12:56.200
<v Speaker 2>padded practice at that. And then seeing the way the

0:12:56.240 --> 0:12:58.439
<v Speaker 2>guys embraced him, and I put that in the notes

0:12:58.480 --> 0:13:00.600
<v Speaker 2>package we had, I mean the star fish, as he

0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:03.320
<v Speaker 2>calls it, the chest pumps. I mean, like every single

0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:05.520
<v Speaker 2>guy that was in a vicinity of him, and some

0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:07.000
<v Speaker 2>of them that were even on the sideline, We're going

0:13:07.000 --> 0:13:09.360
<v Speaker 2>out there to celebrate with Tucker Kraft. That's how you

0:13:09.440 --> 0:13:11.760
<v Speaker 2>end up as a captain in year three, right, That's

0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:14.760
<v Speaker 2>what he means to this football team. And the other

0:13:14.840 --> 0:13:17.720
<v Speaker 2>thing he said that I really I loved it. It

0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:21.319
<v Speaker 2>was such an interesting thing. He doesn't follow the trends

0:13:21.360 --> 0:13:24.040
<v Speaker 2>of social media. He doesn't watch television. He reiterates that,

0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:26.480
<v Speaker 2>but he understands that some of the criticisms of his

0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:30.199
<v Speaker 2>game and you know how he is against man and yeah,

0:13:30.240 --> 0:13:31.720
<v Speaker 2>it was. This guy's just you know, kind of a

0:13:31.800 --> 0:13:34.160
<v Speaker 2>zone merchant and being able to break tackles, which, by

0:13:34.160 --> 0:13:35.960
<v Speaker 2>the way, heck of a way to make a career

0:13:36.160 --> 0:13:39.440
<v Speaker 2>if you can do that. He is so motivated to

0:13:39.480 --> 0:13:42.000
<v Speaker 2>become a complete tight end, and that it goes into

0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:43.960
<v Speaker 2>the last point I want to make from his media scrum,

0:13:44.000 --> 0:13:47.200
<v Speaker 2>which is his whole thing. It's a very similar mentality

0:13:47.200 --> 0:13:49.760
<v Speaker 2>to what Micah Parsons has had. It's not about coming

0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:51.720
<v Speaker 2>back the same player that he was, it's about coming

0:13:51.760 --> 0:13:53.400
<v Speaker 2>back even better. He felt like he was in the

0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:55.640
<v Speaker 2>conversation for the best tight end of the league last year.

0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:58.160
<v Speaker 2>Now he wants to make sure that there's no doubts

0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:00.720
<v Speaker 2>about it. So he said, he watched all the film

0:14:00.760 --> 0:14:03.160
<v Speaker 2>three times over of all the Packer games. He went

0:14:03.200 --> 0:14:05.199
<v Speaker 2>back and he was watching San Francisco film to see

0:14:05.200 --> 0:14:08.959
<v Speaker 2>how George Kittle operates in a very comparable offense with

0:14:09.000 --> 0:14:13.160
<v Speaker 2>what Kyle Shanahan runs in San Francisco. This guy left

0:14:13.200 --> 0:14:16.120
<v Speaker 2>no stone unturned. So in so many ways, everything that

0:14:16.120 --> 0:14:18.520
<v Speaker 2>we saw in the practice field on Sunday. Probably shouldn't

0:14:18.520 --> 0:14:19.200
<v Speaker 2>come as a surprise.

0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:22.880
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, absolutely, And he expressed continue to express his confidence

0:14:22.920 --> 0:14:25.200
<v Speaker 1>that this new contract is going to get done, and

0:14:25.320 --> 0:14:26.920
<v Speaker 1>you know, yeah, the goal is to get it done

0:14:26.960 --> 0:14:30.600
<v Speaker 1>by week one. But it's the way he talked about it.

0:14:30.600 --> 0:14:33.320
<v Speaker 1>It's not something that he seems overly concerned about. He's

0:14:33.320 --> 0:14:35.760
<v Speaker 1>focused on. You know, he's getting ready to play a

0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:38.000
<v Speaker 1>full season here for the Green Bay Packers, knowing what

0:14:38.040 --> 0:14:39.920
<v Speaker 1>he means to the team, knowing what he means to

0:14:39.960 --> 0:14:44.280
<v Speaker 1>all those guys in the locker room, and it absolutely

0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:45.160
<v Speaker 1>should something.

0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:47.800
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you've covered this team a long time. When was

0:14:47.840 --> 0:14:50.920
<v Speaker 2>the last time, truly, I know there was ended up

0:14:50.920 --> 0:14:53.480
<v Speaker 2>being a second deal with Jramichael Finley, but when was

0:14:53.520 --> 0:14:55.560
<v Speaker 2>the last time the Packers had a tight end on

0:14:55.600 --> 0:14:58.760
<v Speaker 2>this roster where you're like, my goodness, this thing has

0:14:58.840 --> 0:15:02.560
<v Speaker 2>to get done. Yeah, respectfully, Like when I think about

0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:04.720
<v Speaker 2>Tucker Craft, because people always say this, like and they

0:15:04.760 --> 0:15:06.960
<v Speaker 2>always want to worry about it. Whatever guy's contract is

0:15:07.000 --> 0:15:08.960
<v Speaker 2>coming up, they want to worry about it. Hey, when

0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:10.640
<v Speaker 2>are we going to take care of Jaden Reied? When

0:15:10.640 --> 0:15:12.200
<v Speaker 2>are we going to take care of Christian Watson? When

0:15:12.240 --> 0:15:13.720
<v Speaker 2>is the Jordan Love deal going to be done? Jordan

0:15:13.800 --> 0:15:15.400
<v Speaker 2>Love's not practicing this week, when are they going to

0:15:15.480 --> 0:15:19.000
<v Speaker 2>get it done? I don't know. In all my time,

0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:22.720
<v Speaker 2>which is again several years fewer than your tenure here,

0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:24.560
<v Speaker 2>I don't know if there's ever been a deal where

0:15:24.560 --> 0:15:27.320
<v Speaker 2>I've just said I have no concern about it. I

0:15:27.320 --> 0:15:28.960
<v Speaker 2>think the Packers are going to do right by him,

0:15:29.320 --> 0:15:32.840
<v Speaker 2>and I think Tucker Craft was cut out of rock,

0:15:32.920 --> 0:15:35.400
<v Speaker 2>cut out of Marble to be a Green Bay Packer,

0:15:35.960 --> 0:15:37.960
<v Speaker 2>and so again we'll see how it all shapes up.

0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:41.400
<v Speaker 2>But this it makes sense from a personal standpoint, but

0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:42.880
<v Speaker 2>also from the same point, the Packers haven't had a

0:15:42.880 --> 0:15:45.480
<v Speaker 2>tight end like this, at least during my time covering

0:15:45.480 --> 0:15:45.840
<v Speaker 2>the team.

0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:49.440
<v Speaker 1>And I'll make a couple of points here. One the

0:15:49.480 --> 0:15:53.240
<v Speaker 1>reason I'm also not worried about it is because of

0:15:53.720 --> 0:15:58.160
<v Speaker 1>what the Packers did with Christian Watson over the course

0:15:58.200 --> 0:15:59.960
<v Speaker 1>of the last couple of years and how they treat

0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:04.360
<v Speaker 1>did everything with regard to his ACL injury. Obviously, the

0:16:04.400 --> 0:16:09.240
<v Speaker 1>injury history of the two players is very different. But

0:16:09.240 --> 0:16:13.200
<v Speaker 1>but I think what went on with Christian Watson is

0:16:13.200 --> 0:16:15.920
<v Speaker 1>is certainly a sign that this thing with Tucker Craft

0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:17.400
<v Speaker 1>is going to get done. The other thing, I'll say

0:16:17.440 --> 0:16:21.760
<v Speaker 1>a little bit more to your point, the last when

0:16:21.840 --> 0:16:25.240
<v Speaker 1>when Tucker Craft went down last November and then we

0:16:25.320 --> 0:16:29.040
<v Speaker 1>found out the next day whatever it was, that that

0:16:29.120 --> 0:16:31.800
<v Speaker 1>it was a season ending injury and he was done.

0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:37.280
<v Speaker 1>The last time that I can remember being legitimately concerned

0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:40.720
<v Speaker 1>about what was going to happen with the offense missing

0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:44.920
<v Speaker 1>a tight end of that caliber was when Jermichael Finley

0:16:44.960 --> 0:16:47.840
<v Speaker 1>went down in twenty ten, because he was such a

0:16:47.840 --> 0:16:50.000
<v Speaker 1>big part of things. And now Finley's injury was even

0:16:50.040 --> 0:16:52.720
<v Speaker 1>earlier in that season, which in a lot of ways

0:16:52.960 --> 0:16:55.440
<v Speaker 1>benefited the team because they had that much more time

0:16:55.480 --> 0:16:57.880
<v Speaker 1>to adjust and by the end of the season, you

0:16:57.960 --> 0:17:00.880
<v Speaker 1>had almost like forgotten that Jermichael fle was even part

0:17:00.920 --> 0:17:02.360
<v Speaker 1>of the team. And I don't mean that in any

0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:05.639
<v Speaker 1>just disrespect to him, but injuries in November compared to

0:17:05.680 --> 0:17:08.680
<v Speaker 1>injuries in September early October are very different in terms

0:17:08.720 --> 0:17:11.840
<v Speaker 1>of how they affect a football team. So that's that's

0:17:11.920 --> 0:17:15.920
<v Speaker 1>what sticks in my mind about Craft, because because that's

0:17:15.960 --> 0:17:18.679
<v Speaker 1>the last time that I felt that way about the

0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:22.440
<v Speaker 1>Packers losing a tight end. This wasn't just oh, somebody

0:17:22.440 --> 0:17:24.280
<v Speaker 1>else can step in and do what he does or

0:17:24.359 --> 0:17:27.800
<v Speaker 1>come close like no, that that's that's not the case

0:17:28.320 --> 0:17:31.720
<v Speaker 1>and U And yeah, I mean, more power to him.

0:17:31.760 --> 0:17:34.240
<v Speaker 1>I I agree with you that that I don't think

0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:36.879
<v Speaker 1>there should be major concerns about this contract. It's just

0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:38.879
<v Speaker 1>the kind of thing that it's just the kind of

0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:43.200
<v Speaker 1>thing that takes time because they're they're complicated and there's

0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:47.040
<v Speaker 1>a lot of things to consider from both sides and

0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:48.480
<v Speaker 1>U and so they're gonna take their time and get

0:17:48.480 --> 0:17:48.800
<v Speaker 1>it done.

0:17:48.840 --> 0:17:50.960
<v Speaker 2>You just you just don't see tight ends get to market.

0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:53.440
<v Speaker 2>They just don't. They always get done. I mean, it's

0:17:53.480 --> 0:17:55.320
<v Speaker 2>I'm trying to think the last time I'm talking about it.

0:17:55.440 --> 0:17:58.159
<v Speaker 2>I'm not talking about Evan Ingram like randomly anding up

0:17:58.160 --> 0:18:00.399
<v Speaker 2>in Jackson. I'm talking about the last time like a

0:18:00.440 --> 0:18:03.600
<v Speaker 2>premiere tight end reach the market. It just doesn't happen.

0:18:03.720 --> 0:18:04.000
<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

0:18:04.080 --> 0:18:06.240
<v Speaker 2>So uh And the other thing is too, that I

0:18:06.240 --> 0:18:09.760
<v Speaker 2>think is really exciting. Tucker Craft is not worried about it. Yeah,

0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:12.160
<v Speaker 2>you know, I mean if there's if he wasn't being

0:18:12.200 --> 0:18:15.040
<v Speaker 2>asked the question, Tucker Craft wouldn't be talking.

0:18:14.800 --> 0:18:17.240
<v Speaker 1>He wouldn't even be talking about it. Yeah, he's exactly.

0:18:17.280 --> 0:18:21.280
<v Speaker 1>He's answering the questions because he's being asked. But honestly,

0:18:21.320 --> 0:18:24.560
<v Speaker 1>it feels to me like his his focus is uh,

0:18:24.720 --> 0:18:26.359
<v Speaker 1>as he likes to say, and as a lot of

0:18:26.359 --> 0:18:28.120
<v Speaker 1>guys like to say, his focus is on the things

0:18:28.119 --> 0:18:30.280
<v Speaker 1>that he can control, and he's not in control of

0:18:30.320 --> 0:18:33.000
<v Speaker 1>the contract situation. So he's going to let the people

0:18:33.000 --> 0:18:34.760
<v Speaker 1>he hired and let the packers figure it out.

0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:36.760
<v Speaker 2>And what was the juice like in that practice too?

0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:38.320
<v Speaker 2>And maybe you're going to talk about after the break?

0:18:38.400 --> 0:18:40.240
<v Speaker 2>I mean we had we had a scuffle out there.

0:18:40.520 --> 0:18:43.879
<v Speaker 2>You know, it's hire Franklin mixing it up with Chris Brooks,

0:18:43.920 --> 0:18:47.719
<v Speaker 2>I mean, Franklin and Tucker Again. It just the vibes

0:18:47.720 --> 0:18:49.520
<v Speaker 2>were high on the field, like it just it just

0:18:49.560 --> 0:18:53.879
<v Speaker 2>seemed like it everything went to just another gear on Sunday.

0:18:53.880 --> 0:18:55.679
<v Speaker 2>Now maybe that was a two hour and ten minute practice,

0:18:55.720 --> 0:18:59.760
<v Speaker 2>I don't know, but it felt like football. Sunday felt

0:18:59.760 --> 0:19:01.239
<v Speaker 2>like a football, Yeah, it really did.

0:19:01.320 --> 0:19:03.520
<v Speaker 1>I want to talk some more about that, but we

0:19:03.640 --> 0:19:05.560
<v Speaker 1>do have to pay some bills here, So let's hear

0:19:05.600 --> 0:19:09.439
<v Speaker 1>a quick word from our sponsors. Serious XM NFL Radio

0:19:09.520 --> 0:19:12.520
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0:19:12.600 --> 0:19:15.720
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0:19:15.880 --> 0:19:20.119
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0:19:20.119 --> 0:19:23.520
<v Speaker 1>few more Wisconsin memories from Devils Lake State Park to

0:19:23.520 --> 0:19:27.159
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0:19:27.200 --> 0:19:31.399
<v Speaker 1>at travel Wisconsin dot com slash Wonders. Welcome back to

0:19:31.440 --> 0:19:35.760
<v Speaker 1>Packers unscripted. You said it wes that practice on Sunday,

0:19:36.960 --> 0:19:41.439
<v Speaker 1>it was at a different level it And yes, I

0:19:41.480 --> 0:19:44.119
<v Speaker 1>don't know if if if it was just a combination

0:19:44.280 --> 0:19:46.960
<v Speaker 1>of all of Tucker craft being in the eleven on

0:19:47.040 --> 0:19:50.479
<v Speaker 1>eleven of being back in front of you know, a

0:19:50.520 --> 0:19:53.199
<v Speaker 1>good crowd of fans at Nichegi, you know, for the

0:19:53.200 --> 0:19:57.040
<v Speaker 1>first time since you know, prior to going to Pittsburgh.

0:19:57.400 --> 0:19:59.879
<v Speaker 1>You know, it was you know, I won't say hot,

0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:02.560
<v Speaker 1>but it was muggy and a little uncomfortable. You know.

0:20:02.720 --> 0:20:06.920
<v Speaker 1>The humidity out there was a factor. Guys were sweating,

0:20:06.960 --> 0:20:11.080
<v Speaker 1>and it was it was long. There were a lot

0:20:11.119 --> 0:20:16.840
<v Speaker 1>of eleven on eleven reps for one practice and Matt

0:20:16.920 --> 0:20:20.159
<v Speaker 1>Lafleur had actually said in when he spoke with the

0:20:20.240 --> 0:20:24.359
<v Speaker 1>media before practice, he said basically said, yeah, they're gonna

0:20:24.359 --> 0:20:28.639
<v Speaker 1>go hard because then Monday is just like a walkthrough.

0:20:28.680 --> 0:20:30.520
<v Speaker 1>And then they'll be back to more of like the

0:20:30.560 --> 0:20:34.439
<v Speaker 1>normal practice on Tuesday and Wednesday. So yeah, there was

0:20:34.480 --> 0:20:37.240
<v Speaker 1>something about There was something about that Sunday afternoon at

0:20:37.320 --> 0:20:41.159
<v Speaker 1>Nichiki Field that was different than what we've seen and

0:20:41.200 --> 0:20:45.280
<v Speaker 1>felt throughout training camp so far. And I guess from there,

0:20:45.320 --> 0:20:46.600
<v Speaker 1>we'll see how the rest of the week goes.

0:20:46.680 --> 0:20:49.200
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and just for the average fan, making sure we

0:20:49.359 --> 0:20:51.399
<v Speaker 2>lay it out so people understand. The reason you do

0:20:51.480 --> 0:20:54.440
<v Speaker 2>that is because most of the starters didn't play very long,

0:20:54.640 --> 0:20:57.600
<v Speaker 2>right The offense had one series, the defense had three plays,

0:20:58.200 --> 0:20:59.880
<v Speaker 2>So you want to be able to get guys more work,

0:21:00.040 --> 0:21:01.240
<v Speaker 2>want to be able to go down the field with

0:21:01.320 --> 0:21:03.360
<v Speaker 2>Jordan Love and get him into rhythm, and also try

0:21:03.400 --> 0:21:05.720
<v Speaker 2>to sort through this offensive line situation right now, which

0:21:05.760 --> 0:21:09.000
<v Speaker 2>got we gained a little bit more perspective on this

0:21:09.040 --> 0:21:13.320
<v Speaker 2>past week. But overall, I don't remember, and maybe you

0:21:13.320 --> 0:21:14.920
<v Speaker 2>can correct me, because your memory is better than mine.

0:21:14.960 --> 0:21:17.000
<v Speaker 2>I don't recall a time in which we had three

0:21:17.080 --> 0:21:20.159
<v Speaker 2>straight team periods this camp. I don't even remember how

0:21:20.200 --> 0:21:23.600
<v Speaker 2>many times that happened last year at all. But through

0:21:23.680 --> 0:21:25.640
<v Speaker 2>that I thought there was an important lesson to be learned,

0:21:25.640 --> 0:21:27.800
<v Speaker 2>because that's where the attrition comes into it right, And

0:21:28.280 --> 0:21:30.719
<v Speaker 2>I think that's also what turns up my attention when

0:21:30.720 --> 0:21:32.159
<v Speaker 2>you see guys make plays. I mean, you look at

0:21:32.200 --> 0:21:35.480
<v Speaker 2>katano Aladappo, who's learning how to play this nickel spot

0:21:35.480 --> 0:21:38.600
<v Speaker 2>with Javon Bullard, his you know, twenty twenty four classmate,

0:21:39.560 --> 0:21:43.280
<v Speaker 2>him coming through and stepping up and making a nice

0:21:43.320 --> 0:21:45.920
<v Speaker 2>interception there on a play out to the flat and

0:21:46.480 --> 0:21:49.720
<v Speaker 2>stepping in front of one days after he's chasing down

0:21:50.000 --> 0:21:53.120
<v Speaker 2>you know, Will Howard for a sack in Pittsburgh. Those

0:21:53.119 --> 0:21:55.080
<v Speaker 2>are the plays that you need to make as the

0:21:55.080 --> 0:21:57.000
<v Speaker 2>Packers try to sort through not only what the fifty

0:21:57.000 --> 0:21:58.480
<v Speaker 2>three is going to be like, but who's the next

0:21:58.480 --> 0:22:01.160
<v Speaker 2>man up if there is something happens during the season.

0:22:01.200 --> 0:22:04.520
<v Speaker 2>I thought, you know, Jalen Simpson moving back to perimeter.

0:22:04.240 --> 0:22:06.119
<v Speaker 1>Cornerback, that was the next guy I was going to

0:22:06.160 --> 0:22:06.600
<v Speaker 1>talk about it.

0:22:06.720 --> 0:22:09.199
<v Speaker 2>We're learning something about him and it's very interesting that

0:22:09.240 --> 0:22:12.159
<v Speaker 2>he has a safety nickel background, but my goodness, to me,

0:22:12.240 --> 0:22:14.680
<v Speaker 2>it looks like his most natural position is cornerback. And

0:22:14.720 --> 0:22:16.480
<v Speaker 2>I say that with no disrespect and no Jalen was

0:22:16.480 --> 0:22:18.480
<v Speaker 2>talking to us in the locker room on Sunday. He

0:22:18.520 --> 0:22:20.880
<v Speaker 2>said he doesn't quantify himself as anything. He thinks he's

0:22:20.880 --> 0:22:23.160
<v Speaker 2>a defensive back. He can play anywhere. But he did

0:22:23.200 --> 0:22:25.320
<v Speaker 2>mention there were some moments that were very difficult in

0:22:25.320 --> 0:22:27.600
<v Speaker 2>that game against Pittsburgh. But he's playing the nickel, a

0:22:27.760 --> 0:22:30.840
<v Speaker 2>spot that he's played historically, but not really concentrated much

0:22:30.880 --> 0:22:33.240
<v Speaker 2>on this offseason just because of numbers, because of what

0:22:33.280 --> 0:22:35.760
<v Speaker 2>the second team in thirteen units look like. In the

0:22:35.800 --> 0:22:38.200
<v Speaker 2>second half, well, then he goes back out to the perimeter,

0:22:38.280 --> 0:22:40.920
<v Speaker 2>and my goodness, I mean that was as nice of

0:22:41.000 --> 0:22:43.639
<v Speaker 2>a reception as you've seen in training camp, let alone

0:22:43.720 --> 0:22:47.919
<v Speaker 2>an interception. Yeah, he's going up against Prather down the

0:22:47.960 --> 0:22:52.480
<v Speaker 2>sideline and Tyrod Taylor's trying to work that thing in there.

0:22:52.960 --> 0:22:55.879
<v Speaker 2>He keeps inside leverage, he keeps Prather out to the

0:22:55.920 --> 0:22:59.200
<v Speaker 2>sideline and makes a wonderful over the shoulder catch and

0:22:59.359 --> 0:23:01.560
<v Speaker 2>nearly had another one. As he said, that doesn't count.

0:23:01.600 --> 0:23:03.679
<v Speaker 2>You got to catch him. Yeah, Yeah, he read an

0:23:03.720 --> 0:23:05.840
<v Speaker 2>outrow perfectly. He had been off for a pick six.

0:23:05.960 --> 0:23:08.640
<v Speaker 2>So as we sort of chart out what this depth

0:23:08.680 --> 0:23:10.000
<v Speaker 2>chart is going to look like, and guys that are

0:23:10.000 --> 0:23:13.360
<v Speaker 2>making a bid for the fifty three, Jalen Simpson continually

0:23:13.400 --> 0:23:14.520
<v Speaker 2>finding ways to get noticed.

0:23:14.600 --> 0:23:17.440
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I thought it was a great bounce back practice

0:23:17.720 --> 0:23:20.200
<v Speaker 1>for Simpson. And again we don't necessarily, we don't really

0:23:20.200 --> 0:23:22.600
<v Speaker 1>know what happened on the practice field Saturday when they

0:23:22.640 --> 0:23:25.439
<v Speaker 1>got back out there, But Sunday was a great bounce

0:23:25.520 --> 0:23:28.399
<v Speaker 1>back for a young player who had been doing a

0:23:28.400 --> 0:23:30.239
<v Speaker 1>lot of really good things. And we talked about him

0:23:30.280 --> 0:23:33.760
<v Speaker 1>on the show last week leading into the Pittsburgh game.

0:23:34.600 --> 0:23:37.359
<v Speaker 1>And but then he had some rough moments in Pittsburgh

0:23:37.359 --> 0:23:39.119
<v Speaker 1>with you know, falling down and coverage and he got

0:23:39.160 --> 0:23:43.600
<v Speaker 1>flagged for past interference and so he needed a rebound

0:23:43.600 --> 0:23:45.520
<v Speaker 1>moment and he got it and now he's you know,

0:23:45.600 --> 0:23:48.560
<v Speaker 1>he'd been looking for another one. In the second preseason game,

0:23:48.640 --> 0:23:52.120
<v Speaker 1>you talked about next man up, so not a long

0:23:52.200 --> 0:23:55.560
<v Speaker 1>term injury, but Lucas Vanes is currently sidelined with a

0:23:56.000 --> 0:23:59.199
<v Speaker 1>shoulder injury. He spoke to reporters and said it's not

0:23:59.320 --> 0:24:03.560
<v Speaker 1>something that you know, is really a big deal, you know,

0:24:03.680 --> 0:24:06.680
<v Speaker 1>being very cautious about it right now. But the next

0:24:06.760 --> 0:24:09.720
<v Speaker 1>guy up was Brenton Cox junior. Well, Breton Cox Junior

0:24:09.760 --> 0:24:14.080
<v Speaker 1>got a sack in Pittsburgh when the second team defense

0:24:14.200 --> 0:24:16.560
<v Speaker 1>was out there on the field, and again that's a

0:24:16.600 --> 0:24:21.480
<v Speaker 1>player he's not a rookie by any stretch, but he's

0:24:21.480 --> 0:24:24.800
<v Speaker 1>still a young player because of the time that he's

0:24:24.840 --> 0:24:28.160
<v Speaker 1>missed due to injury and you know, the sort of

0:24:29.160 --> 0:24:32.159
<v Speaker 1>inconsistent playing time that he's had over the course of

0:24:32.160 --> 0:24:35.639
<v Speaker 1>his career. But Breenton Cox Junior is a player to

0:24:35.680 --> 0:24:38.760
<v Speaker 1>watch on this team as the Packers are going to

0:24:38.840 --> 0:24:42.200
<v Speaker 1>work their way through this stretch on defense until Michael

0:24:42.240 --> 0:24:45.920
<v Speaker 1>Parsons comes back Number fifty seven. I've always felt I mean,

0:24:46.240 --> 0:24:48.199
<v Speaker 1>you know, I think we probably talked about it on

0:24:48.240 --> 0:24:52.400
<v Speaker 1>this show. When he first arrived as an undrafted guy.

0:24:52.560 --> 0:24:57.200
<v Speaker 1>You could see immediately the pass rush ability that he has.

0:24:57.560 --> 0:25:00.040
<v Speaker 1>Everything to me with Breenton Cox Junior has been and

0:25:00.680 --> 0:25:03.960
<v Speaker 1>can he round out his game to be to also

0:25:04.040 --> 0:25:07.760
<v Speaker 1>be a stout edge setter against the run to them

0:25:07.800 --> 0:25:10.680
<v Speaker 1>where the coaches can trust me. He doesn't need to

0:25:10.720 --> 0:25:13.800
<v Speaker 1>be a specialized player for a certain package or a

0:25:13.840 --> 0:25:16.640
<v Speaker 1>certain down and distance. He can be an every down

0:25:16.720 --> 0:25:20.159
<v Speaker 1>guy because the well rounded game is there. It was

0:25:20.280 --> 0:25:22.960
<v Speaker 1>probably going to come sooner for him if not for

0:25:23.200 --> 0:25:26.600
<v Speaker 1>the injury last year that wiped out such a big

0:25:26.640 --> 0:25:29.000
<v Speaker 1>portion of the season. But it feels like it's coming

0:25:29.000 --> 0:25:30.200
<v Speaker 1>for Brenton Cox Junior now.

0:25:30.240 --> 0:25:32.960
<v Speaker 2>Man, It's just he has it all. He has all

0:25:33.040 --> 0:25:35.160
<v Speaker 2>the tools that you want to see in a pass rusher,

0:25:35.160 --> 0:25:36.880
<v Speaker 2>and I think he has improved as an edge setter

0:25:36.960 --> 0:25:39.760
<v Speaker 2>too against the run. And I feel like this transition

0:25:39.840 --> 0:25:42.119
<v Speaker 2>now with Jonathan Gannon's defense getting back to more of

0:25:42.119 --> 0:25:43.720
<v Speaker 2>a three to four, I think that's also going to

0:25:43.760 --> 0:25:46.359
<v Speaker 2>benefit him. You're seeing these edge rushers stand up a

0:25:46.400 --> 0:25:49.120
<v Speaker 2>little bit more. Lucas Vaness was doing that as well.

0:25:49.440 --> 0:25:51.359
<v Speaker 2>The way I don't know who you're gonna give the

0:25:51.359 --> 0:25:54.200
<v Speaker 2>sack to, but the one that him Nxire Franklin both

0:25:54.240 --> 0:25:56.919
<v Speaker 2>contributed to, and Franklin came on the a gap blitz

0:25:56.920 --> 0:25:59.720
<v Speaker 2>in Pittsburgh that came from a two point stance in

0:25:59.800 --> 0:26:01.520
<v Speaker 2>him rushing off to the side. It just seems like

0:26:01.560 --> 0:26:04.520
<v Speaker 2>everybody's so comfortable in their own skin right now. But

0:26:04.600 --> 0:26:07.920
<v Speaker 2>with Cox, it's fascinating because I don't think I've covered

0:26:07.960 --> 0:26:10.120
<v Speaker 2>a guy like him in Green Bay so far. Mic

0:26:10.160 --> 0:26:14.320
<v Speaker 2>in which basically red shirts two seasons and honestly a

0:26:14.400 --> 0:26:18.800
<v Speaker 2>bulk of his third season, and unfortunately for Brenton, special

0:26:18.840 --> 0:26:22.000
<v Speaker 2>teams have never been part of his real big job

0:26:22.040 --> 0:26:24.720
<v Speaker 2>description and something he's worked hard at. But whether it

0:26:24.760 --> 0:26:27.159
<v Speaker 2>was because of Kings Leannigbari and then Baron Surrell and

0:26:27.200 --> 0:26:29.800
<v Speaker 2>obviously Lucas Vaness has played in that phase for three years.

0:26:30.080 --> 0:26:31.440
<v Speaker 2>It was hard for him to get on the game

0:26:31.520 --> 0:26:33.920
<v Speaker 2>day roster, so it was sort of like, Okay, either

0:26:34.000 --> 0:26:36.440
<v Speaker 2>he's pass rushing or he's going to be down. They

0:26:36.520 --> 0:26:39.320
<v Speaker 2>trade Preston Smith last year or two years ago. Excuse me.

0:26:39.359 --> 0:26:43.240
<v Speaker 2>Now he comes out of the gates. He's flying four

0:26:43.400 --> 0:26:46.760
<v Speaker 2>sacks in seven games, seven quarterback hits, and I think

0:26:46.760 --> 0:26:48.719
<v Speaker 2>we all expected him to be able to pick up

0:26:48.760 --> 0:26:50.800
<v Speaker 2>right where he left off, and in some regards he did,

0:26:50.840 --> 0:26:54.840
<v Speaker 2>but unfortunately he gets that core injury just derails year

0:26:54.920 --> 0:26:57.399
<v Speaker 2>three for him. But the Packers bring him back, and

0:26:57.440 --> 0:26:59.680
<v Speaker 2>I think Mike when they did that and they worked

0:26:59.680 --> 0:27:01.919
<v Speaker 2>through all those restricted free agents, if you put together

0:27:01.960 --> 0:27:03.760
<v Speaker 2>that list, it was like, man, if they could find

0:27:03.760 --> 0:27:05.280
<v Speaker 2>a way to keep him in the fold and just

0:27:05.359 --> 0:27:08.440
<v Speaker 2>see year four, what does he have? Yeah, I think

0:27:08.480 --> 0:27:10.720
<v Speaker 2>we're so close to figuring that out. I mean that

0:27:10.840 --> 0:27:13.600
<v Speaker 2>bull rush that he had, I mean the way that

0:27:13.640 --> 0:27:15.600
<v Speaker 2>this guy is put together and the strength that is

0:27:15.600 --> 0:27:19.359
<v Speaker 2>in his body, it's special. So for him to be

0:27:19.440 --> 0:27:22.119
<v Speaker 2>able to have that performance. And I chatted with him

0:27:22.119 --> 0:27:24.520
<v Speaker 2>about it afterwards. You know, he mentioned he just saw

0:27:24.520 --> 0:27:26.440
<v Speaker 2>what Lucas did, what the defense did, he had to

0:27:26.520 --> 0:27:30.440
<v Speaker 2>keep that going. There's just so many guys in that

0:27:30.560 --> 0:27:32.800
<v Speaker 2>edge rushing competition right now that it's not just about

0:27:32.800 --> 0:27:34.520
<v Speaker 2>who makes the fifty three. It's about who is going

0:27:34.560 --> 0:27:37.080
<v Speaker 2>to be contributing in the month of September when Micah

0:27:37.119 --> 0:27:39.919
<v Speaker 2>Parsons isn't out there and for LVN not being on

0:27:39.920 --> 0:27:41.680
<v Speaker 2>the field right now, I think this is a great

0:27:41.760 --> 0:27:43.520
<v Speaker 2>chance for BC to show what he's all about.

0:27:43.640 --> 0:27:46.000
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, no doubt about it. As far as the competitions go.

0:27:46.080 --> 0:27:49.960
<v Speaker 1>I mean, we're the cornerback competition is continuing, Brandon CSA,

0:27:50.119 --> 0:27:54.600
<v Speaker 1>Keishawn Nixon, Benjamin Saint Jus. In Sunday's practice, it was

0:27:54.640 --> 0:27:58.359
<v Speaker 1>pretty much CISA and Nixon with the ones for the

0:27:58.359 --> 0:28:00.560
<v Speaker 1>bulk of practice. So we'll see what happen happens as

0:28:00.600 --> 0:28:03.200
<v Speaker 1>the rest of the week goes. Carrington Valentine's still currently

0:28:03.280 --> 0:28:07.159
<v Speaker 1>sidelined with the hamstring injury, but that remains a competition

0:28:07.240 --> 0:28:09.399
<v Speaker 1>to watch. And then on the offensive line at guard,

0:28:09.640 --> 0:28:12.200
<v Speaker 1>we've talked about Jacob Monk. He's been playing right guard.

0:28:12.359 --> 0:28:15.400
<v Speaker 1>Jagger Burton is playing left guard because Aaron Banks has

0:28:15.440 --> 0:28:18.120
<v Speaker 1>still not taken any eleven on eleven. He's dealing with

0:28:18.680 --> 0:28:21.240
<v Speaker 1>an issue with his knee. But you know, the longer

0:28:21.280 --> 0:28:23.919
<v Speaker 1>this goes on, then you wonder, okay, like how is

0:28:23.960 --> 0:28:28.040
<v Speaker 1>this going to sort itself out on the offensive line.

0:28:28.080 --> 0:28:32.040
<v Speaker 1>So those are competitions we continue to watch, and as

0:28:32.040 --> 0:28:36.159
<v Speaker 1>you said, the edge rusher one is definitely at the

0:28:36.160 --> 0:28:36.720
<v Speaker 1>top of the list.

0:28:36.800 --> 0:28:39.600
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and Baron Surrell, I mean what he's done with

0:28:39.640 --> 0:28:42.720
<v Speaker 2>that opportunity to And I said it, Mike, I don't

0:28:42.720 --> 0:28:44.400
<v Speaker 2>know if you caught my tweet about this during the game.

0:28:44.440 --> 0:28:46.880
<v Speaker 2>Obviously you're working on the live chat. But you know,

0:28:46.960 --> 0:28:49.400
<v Speaker 2>I picked Baron as my player to watch, and I

0:28:49.440 --> 0:28:51.120
<v Speaker 2>did that because I thought he was a player to watch,

0:28:51.120 --> 0:28:52.680
<v Speaker 2>but also because I thought he would play into the

0:28:52.680 --> 0:28:54.720
<v Speaker 2>first quarter. I thought he'd be kind of like Warren

0:28:54.720 --> 0:28:56.440
<v Speaker 2>Brentson and some of these other guys, they would stay

0:28:56.440 --> 0:28:59.640
<v Speaker 2>in the game. They took him out after that first series.

0:29:00.120 --> 0:29:02.760
<v Speaker 2>That speaks volumes about what they think about this kid,

0:29:02.760 --> 0:29:05.000
<v Speaker 2>what he's put on tape already, and how important he

0:29:05.080 --> 0:29:07.080
<v Speaker 2>is to the defense. It could have easily rotated him

0:29:07.120 --> 0:29:10.440
<v Speaker 2>and without denying Dennis Sutton. They needed ed rushers in

0:29:10.440 --> 0:29:12.280
<v Speaker 2>this game, but they felt that good about what they've

0:29:12.280 --> 0:29:14.400
<v Speaker 2>seen from Sorell and wanted to protect him there that

0:29:14.520 --> 0:29:17.480
<v Speaker 2>his night was over after that first series. So in

0:29:17.600 --> 0:29:19.640
<v Speaker 2>terms of the offensive line, there's so much to learn

0:29:19.640 --> 0:29:22.680
<v Speaker 2>there still. And you know, you have Anthony Belton, who

0:29:22.720 --> 0:29:24.760
<v Speaker 2>I thought took a step forward at right tackle in

0:29:24.800 --> 0:29:27.400
<v Speaker 2>that game. The more I watch him, it just it

0:29:27.440 --> 0:29:29.600
<v Speaker 2>does seem like that is the spot he's most comfortable with.

0:29:29.680 --> 0:29:32.719
<v Speaker 2>He talked very openly about how learning right guard has

0:29:32.760 --> 0:29:35.560
<v Speaker 2>been a new thing for him. Whereas you see guys

0:29:35.600 --> 0:29:37.480
<v Speaker 2>like Jacob Munk, who played there a lot at Duke,

0:29:37.520 --> 0:29:39.440
<v Speaker 2>you see a guy like jag Or Burton who played

0:29:39.560 --> 0:29:43.960
<v Speaker 2>everywhere on the interior line at Kentucky. That's traits that

0:29:44.000 --> 0:29:46.560
<v Speaker 2>you develop and you learn, and it doesn't just happen

0:29:46.600 --> 0:29:49.360
<v Speaker 2>overnight for you. I mean, there is a workload in

0:29:49.400 --> 0:29:52.720
<v Speaker 2>a background that I think sometimes shows itself up. But

0:29:53.520 --> 0:29:56.000
<v Speaker 2>for both of those guys getting those shots and for

0:29:56.120 --> 0:29:57.800
<v Speaker 2>Aaron Banks not being out there right now, I think

0:29:57.800 --> 0:30:01.040
<v Speaker 2>they've done the most with it, and Burton to be

0:30:01.080 --> 0:30:03.680
<v Speaker 2>able to, you know, Matt Lafleur said, he's like, you know,

0:30:05.000 --> 0:30:07.000
<v Speaker 2>the way he's played, he's given the packers a lot

0:30:07.000 --> 0:30:09.240
<v Speaker 2>to consider, and I think that's a credit to him

0:30:09.240 --> 0:30:11.360
<v Speaker 2>and the mentality that he came in with four year

0:30:11.440 --> 0:30:14.760
<v Speaker 2>starter in the SEC you cannot just come in and

0:30:14.800 --> 0:30:17.680
<v Speaker 2>be a guy like. There's a reason why you were

0:30:17.720 --> 0:30:19.880
<v Speaker 2>able to do that, and it's because he's accountable and

0:30:19.920 --> 0:30:21.120
<v Speaker 2>it's because he has a skill set.

0:30:21.200 --> 0:30:23.720
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and one other competition we certainly need to talk about.

0:30:23.760 --> 0:30:25.440
<v Speaker 1>This will be the last one here before we go,

0:30:26.320 --> 0:30:29.200
<v Speaker 1>but you and I have seen it. We talk about

0:30:29.200 --> 0:30:31.160
<v Speaker 1>it on the sideline. We talked about it. You know

0:30:31.280 --> 0:30:34.320
<v Speaker 1>here at our desks, when you look at what's going

0:30:34.320 --> 0:30:37.480
<v Speaker 1>on at defensive tackle here, we know that when everybody's

0:30:37.520 --> 0:30:40.360
<v Speaker 1>healthy and things are good to go, that the main

0:30:40.440 --> 0:30:45.560
<v Speaker 1>two guys are DeVante Wyatt and Javon Hargrave. But it

0:30:45.680 --> 0:30:49.000
<v Speaker 1>seems like when we're watching practice, like every other minute,

0:30:49.000 --> 0:30:50.960
<v Speaker 1>when we look up from our phones or look up

0:30:51.000 --> 0:30:53.880
<v Speaker 1>from our notebooks and you know the notes that we're taking,

0:30:54.080 --> 0:31:00.000
<v Speaker 1>whatever we're seeing Carl Brooks or Chris mccollin or Nasstackhouse

0:31:00.240 --> 0:31:04.920
<v Speaker 1>or Warren Brinson making a play, and I'm probably leaving

0:31:04.920 --> 0:31:08.320
<v Speaker 1>out a guy here too. Anthony Campbell is Yeah, is another.

0:31:08.360 --> 0:31:12.640
<v Speaker 1>I mean the now it's It's not perfect for any

0:31:12.680 --> 0:31:17.600
<v Speaker 1>of those guys either, but it's interesting to me to

0:31:17.720 --> 0:31:23.520
<v Speaker 1>see how many different guys at that position seem to

0:31:23.760 --> 0:31:26.680
<v Speaker 1>just show up here and there on the practice field

0:31:26.680 --> 0:31:30.120
<v Speaker 1>where you know, you can't just ignore it, especially when

0:31:30.480 --> 0:31:33.680
<v Speaker 1>the practices are in full pads. I mean, we'll see

0:31:33.720 --> 0:31:36.320
<v Speaker 1>what the rest of the practices this week have in store,

0:31:36.480 --> 0:31:39.240
<v Speaker 1>and and when we get to the second preseason game

0:31:39.280 --> 0:31:41.440
<v Speaker 1>in Denver, there isn't room for all these guys on

0:31:41.480 --> 0:31:43.880
<v Speaker 1>the roster. There isn't. There are going to be some

0:31:43.920 --> 0:31:46.720
<v Speaker 1>tough decisions made, and maybe the decisions made at defensive

0:31:46.720 --> 0:31:49.520
<v Speaker 1>tackle might be the toughest ones that Goody and company

0:31:49.560 --> 0:31:52.360
<v Speaker 1>are going to have to make. And we're a long

0:31:52.400 --> 0:31:54.880
<v Speaker 1>way from that. You know, there's still maybe some of

0:31:54.920 --> 0:31:57.640
<v Speaker 1>these guys will start to separate themselves, but collectively as

0:31:57.680 --> 0:32:00.959
<v Speaker 1>a group, you can't point to any one guy and

0:32:01.040 --> 0:32:03.320
<v Speaker 1>say like, oh, where's he been. It's like, no, we're

0:32:03.360 --> 0:32:05.960
<v Speaker 1>seeing these guys are showing up on a daily basis

0:32:06.000 --> 0:32:08.400
<v Speaker 1>on the practice field in a pretty large group and

0:32:08.440 --> 0:32:11.840
<v Speaker 1>a large competition, and it's definitely something to follow.

0:32:12.040 --> 0:32:14.840
<v Speaker 2>I mean, the more I watch McClellan, I've been jokingly

0:32:14.880 --> 0:32:17.800
<v Speaker 2>calling him Chris mcpad level. I mean, it's just the

0:32:17.840 --> 0:32:20.000
<v Speaker 2>low man wins in the sport, and you can see

0:32:20.040 --> 0:32:21.600
<v Speaker 2>how he won as much as he did. And it

0:32:21.640 --> 0:32:24.560
<v Speaker 2>was a conversation I have with Warren Brinson too about

0:32:24.560 --> 0:32:25.920
<v Speaker 2>a week and a half ago, when he said, you know,

0:32:25.920 --> 0:32:29.200
<v Speaker 2>when you lead the sec in sacks as an interior

0:32:29.240 --> 0:32:32.120
<v Speaker 2>defensive tackle at that position, leading them in that position,

0:32:32.960 --> 0:32:35.520
<v Speaker 2>that speaks volumes about what you're doing against these other

0:32:35.560 --> 0:32:37.720
<v Speaker 2>offensive lines and how disruptive you've been. And I think

0:32:37.720 --> 0:32:40.360
<v Speaker 2>you see those traits. It's not gonna happen overnight for him,

0:32:40.360 --> 0:32:42.440
<v Speaker 2>but the fact that you're seeing some of those flashes already,

0:32:42.440 --> 0:32:45.680
<v Speaker 2>I think are very important that the player though. The

0:32:45.960 --> 0:32:48.560
<v Speaker 2>other one to throw into that conversation, and I'm glad

0:32:48.560 --> 0:32:50.400
<v Speaker 2>that Larry mccaerron did in the Three Things video is

0:32:50.440 --> 0:32:52.360
<v Speaker 2>Jonathan Ford because from.

0:32:52.240 --> 0:32:54.640
<v Speaker 1>That's that's the other guy I was forgetting as well,

0:32:54.640 --> 0:32:57.000
<v Speaker 1>which is hard to forget a guy who's three hundred

0:32:57.000 --> 0:32:58.920
<v Speaker 1>and thirty eight pounds, but yes, go ahead.

0:32:59.080 --> 0:33:02.520
<v Speaker 2>Honestly, Michael is when you look at these varying skill

0:33:02.560 --> 0:33:04.280
<v Speaker 2>sets and these guys that have all made place, I

0:33:04.320 --> 0:33:08.120
<v Speaker 2>don't think there's anybody during the time in which Whyatt

0:33:08.200 --> 0:33:12.480
<v Speaker 2>wasn't in team and Hargrave was still on pup. I

0:33:12.480 --> 0:33:14.360
<v Speaker 2>don't know if there's anybody that I don't think showed

0:33:14.400 --> 0:33:17.920
<v Speaker 2>out at some point. Yeah, And what's so intriguing in

0:33:17.960 --> 0:33:19.920
<v Speaker 2>the decision the Packers are going to have to ultimately

0:33:19.920 --> 0:33:22.640
<v Speaker 2>make is they got all these different dudes with different

0:33:22.680 --> 0:33:25.480
<v Speaker 2>skill sets. What do you want behind that starting three?

0:33:25.960 --> 0:33:29.760
<v Speaker 2>You know, who do you want behind Brooks, Wyatt and Hargrave.

0:33:29.840 --> 0:33:31.760
<v Speaker 2>Obviously McClellan is going to be a part of that,

0:33:31.840 --> 0:33:34.680
<v Speaker 2>but you know in Azer Stackhouse came back bigger. He's

0:33:34.680 --> 0:33:37.200
<v Speaker 2>defending the run well. I think he's looked more explosive.

0:33:37.960 --> 0:33:40.840
<v Speaker 2>When you look at Warren Brinson, he's a knifing type

0:33:40.840 --> 0:33:43.280
<v Speaker 2>of defensive tackle, a do it all kind of guy

0:33:43.360 --> 0:33:47.760
<v Speaker 2>that there's an explosiveness there that maybe isn't common at

0:33:47.760 --> 0:33:51.000
<v Speaker 2>his position. But then Jonathan ford Man, there are only

0:33:51.040 --> 0:33:53.200
<v Speaker 2>so many human beings that the Good Lord made six

0:33:53.280 --> 0:33:55.120
<v Speaker 2>foot five and three hundred and thirty five pounds in

0:33:55.240 --> 0:33:57.760
<v Speaker 2>rock solid. I mean, this kid is not carrying bad weight.

0:33:58.160 --> 0:34:00.160
<v Speaker 2>He's just a massive dude. It's what the Packers liked

0:34:00.160 --> 0:34:02.240
<v Speaker 2>about him when they draft him four years ago out

0:34:02.240 --> 0:34:05.400
<v Speaker 2>of Miami, and I think he has shown progress, and

0:34:05.720 --> 0:34:07.760
<v Speaker 2>I think some of the most fun reps I've watched

0:34:07.800 --> 0:34:11.400
<v Speaker 2>throughout the fall, throughout the spring, and into the summer,

0:34:11.440 --> 0:34:14.560
<v Speaker 2>we're seeing him and Anthony Campbell lined up together in

0:34:14.600 --> 0:34:17.280
<v Speaker 2>the three unit because both of those guys were reckon

0:34:17.360 --> 0:34:19.759
<v Speaker 2>shop at times. Now you've got to be able to

0:34:19.760 --> 0:34:21.120
<v Speaker 2>do against the twos, you got to do it against

0:34:21.120 --> 0:34:24.080
<v Speaker 2>the ones. But Ford is a guy that takes this

0:34:24.320 --> 0:34:27.520
<v Speaker 2>job very seriously and understands what is required to Finally,

0:34:27.560 --> 0:34:29.439
<v Speaker 2>he had to wait a very long time to get

0:34:29.440 --> 0:34:31.920
<v Speaker 2>his shot in the NFL. It was brief with Chicago,

0:34:31.960 --> 0:34:34.919
<v Speaker 2>but now he's back in Green Bay and to show

0:34:34.960 --> 0:34:39.320
<v Speaker 2>that progress. There are traits inside that young man's body

0:34:39.480 --> 0:34:42.680
<v Speaker 2>that are not common with most NFL football players, and

0:34:42.800 --> 0:34:45.000
<v Speaker 2>the Packers in these last two preseason games and these

0:34:45.040 --> 0:34:47.520
<v Speaker 2>practices that are be included in that they're going to

0:34:47.560 --> 0:34:49.200
<v Speaker 2>be looking for number sixty four to show them.

0:34:49.280 --> 0:34:52.680
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, there's a lot of evaluation still left to go.

0:34:52.880 --> 0:34:57.840
<v Speaker 1>And as I always say, if the decisions are difficult,

0:34:57.920 --> 0:35:00.479
<v Speaker 1>that's a good problem to have because it's way better

0:35:00.480 --> 0:35:03.240
<v Speaker 1>than the alternative. If the personnel department is sitting down

0:35:03.520 --> 0:35:06.120
<v Speaker 1>and looking at the board and this is easy, like

0:35:06.160 --> 0:35:08.160
<v Speaker 1>bing bing bing bing. You know, move on from those

0:35:08.400 --> 0:35:11.759
<v Speaker 1>like if it's easy, then that's not a good sign

0:35:11.840 --> 0:35:13.000
<v Speaker 1>for your football team, Michael.

0:35:13.040 --> 0:35:15.040
<v Speaker 2>Last year and now, some of this was you know,

0:35:15.160 --> 0:35:17.400
<v Speaker 2>the Packers owned doing because they did trade Kenny Clark

0:35:17.440 --> 0:35:20.480
<v Speaker 2>to acquire a generational player in Micah Parsons. But there

0:35:20.520 --> 0:35:22.080
<v Speaker 2>was a stretch in the final half of that season

0:35:22.120 --> 0:35:24.480
<v Speaker 2>the Packers were picking guys up off of waivers, They

0:35:24.520 --> 0:35:26.520
<v Speaker 2>were signing guys from practice squads, and they were playing

0:35:26.520 --> 0:35:29.640
<v Speaker 2>them the follow the following Sunday at nose Tackle. Yeah.

0:35:29.680 --> 0:35:31.680
<v Speaker 2>So to be in a position where we're talking about

0:35:31.680 --> 0:35:34.520
<v Speaker 2>this many different guys that are potentially contributing, that is

0:35:34.560 --> 0:35:36.600
<v Speaker 2>a very good sign for all this thing's going to

0:35:36.640 --> 0:35:38.759
<v Speaker 2>shape up. And honestly, it makes it really fun to

0:35:38.800 --> 0:35:41.600
<v Speaker 2>head to Denver on Friday to have that joint practice

0:35:41.640 --> 0:35:44.400
<v Speaker 2>against Arizona the following week to see, Okay, some of

0:35:44.400 --> 0:35:45.959
<v Speaker 2>you guys have flashed, some of you guys have shown

0:35:46.000 --> 0:35:48.359
<v Speaker 2>some stuff. Who's going to finish it out here? Yeah,

0:35:48.360 --> 0:35:49.600
<v Speaker 2>who's gonna be the one that takes it all the

0:35:49.640 --> 0:35:50.480
<v Speaker 2>way to the finish line?

0:35:50.520 --> 0:35:53.719
<v Speaker 1>Yeah? Absolutely, Well, we've gone a little long today, but

0:35:53.800 --> 0:35:56.440
<v Speaker 1>that's okay. It's training camp. The practice was long the

0:35:56.480 --> 0:35:59.080
<v Speaker 1>other day, so we'll go along as well, but with

0:35:59.160 --> 0:36:01.359
<v Speaker 1>a lot cooler and here, but with that we will

0:36:01.480 --> 0:36:06.000
<v Speaker 1>call it? Who will call it? A final? On the episode.

0:36:06.000 --> 0:36:08.000
<v Speaker 1>On this episode of Packers on Script, be sure to

0:36:08.040 --> 0:36:10.360
<v Speaker 1>follow all of our coverage of the team and training

0:36:10.400 --> 0:36:13.279
<v Speaker 1>camp on packers dot com. For West, I might thank

0:36:13.320 --> 0:36:15.440
<v Speaker 1>you for tuning in se