WEBVTT - #594 Packers Unscripted: More OTA observations 0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:11.040 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:11.039 --> 0:00:14.600 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined as always 0:00:14.640 --> 0:00:17.799 by my partner in crime, Weston Hodkowits were coming to 0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:21.720 you hear from our studios at lambeau Field West. Yesterday 0:00:21.760 --> 0:00:25.600 we got our second look this spring at a Packers 0:00:25.760 --> 0:00:29.800 organized team activity also known as an O T A. 0:00:30.640 --> 0:00:33.640 And UH, I want to start with we have a 0:00:33.640 --> 0:00:37.440 lot of observations obviously from this uh this practice we 0:00:37.479 --> 0:00:39.560 got to witness, But I want to start with what 0:00:39.680 --> 0:00:43.199 you brought up in our three Things video that we 0:00:43.240 --> 0:00:46.640 did at the end of practice with Larry McCarron, because 0:00:46.640 --> 0:00:49.640 you talked about what you saw from first round draft 0:00:49.680 --> 0:00:52.879 pick Eric Stokes, and UM, I just want you to 0:00:52.880 --> 0:00:55.240 expand on that because he he was he was an 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:58.800 interesting guy to watch when they went to the eleven 0:00:58.800 --> 0:01:01.600 on eleven work there towards the tail end of the workout, 0:01:01.680 --> 0:01:04.000 and as we found out after practice, he actually also 0:01:04.040 --> 0:01:09.120 signed his first round pick contract. So I don't know 0:01:09.160 --> 0:01:12.240 if he had a little extra juice. You know, there 0:01:12.280 --> 0:01:14.600 was suddenly a bunch more money in his bank account. 0:01:14.640 --> 0:01:16.840 We know that, So I tend to show up a 0:01:16.840 --> 0:01:19.399 little bit better after bonus Day, right, at least I do, 0:01:20.040 --> 0:01:22.280 But no, I mean, here, here's what you look for 0:01:22.400 --> 0:01:27.120 during the off season program, right, because it's non contact, 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:30.680 it's it's usually big moments. But what stood out to 0:01:30.680 --> 0:01:33.240 me the most about Eric Stokes is he took a 0:01:33.280 --> 0:01:36.160 really good first open practice that we were able to 0:01:36.200 --> 0:01:38.280 be at, and I felt like he followed up on 0:01:38.319 --> 0:01:41.520 it in the second one, stringing those together. We don't 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:44.080 know what the other practices were liking to. We're not there. 0:01:44.120 --> 0:01:46.039 We're not there every day at this point. We can 0:01:46.080 --> 0:01:47.640 only see what's in front of us. And what I 0:01:47.680 --> 0:01:51.040 saw Mike is a guy that his body awareness and 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:56.440 positioning is exceptional for a rookie player. The forty time, 0:01:56.480 --> 0:01:59.920 as I said during Three Things Sub four three forty time, 0:02:00.120 --> 0:02:03.360 that's gonna obviously catch your attention. The breaking out with 0:02:03.400 --> 0:02:05.880 the interceptions last year at Georgia, that's going to catch 0:02:05.880 --> 0:02:08.720 your attention because that's something he lacked before his his 0:02:08.760 --> 0:02:12.200 final season there. But it was the fact that, you know, 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:14.000 there was a stat that stood out to me from 0:02:14.000 --> 0:02:16.560 Pro Football Focus about how he had like the lowest 0:02:17.440 --> 0:02:20.840 UH passer rating allowed in man coverage in college football 0:02:20.880 --> 0:02:22.840 last year, where I think at least a hundred snaps 0:02:23.760 --> 0:02:27.120 with the like eighteen point five. And when I watched 0:02:27.200 --> 0:02:29.560 him in practice and especially during the team periods that 0:02:29.560 --> 0:02:33.120 we were able to see, you see why this guy 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:36.440 is so hard to complete a pass against one. He's 0:02:36.440 --> 0:02:39.160 pretty long and lengthy for the position too. He has 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:41.320 great speed so that if he is out of position, 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:44.000 the recovery is going to be there, especially waiting for 0:02:44.000 --> 0:02:48.000 that ball to arrive. But three, it's how he positions 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:52.280 himself to narrow that window that catch radius for the receiver. 0:02:52.600 --> 0:02:55.280 There was one plan. Again, I understand Davante Adams isn't 0:02:55.320 --> 0:02:58.680 here right now, but he's going up against Reggie Bagelton, 0:02:59.280 --> 0:03:01.760 the practice squad receiver from last season that's coming back. 0:03:02.200 --> 0:03:04.760 And I thought Bagelton had a nice little route going 0:03:04.800 --> 0:03:06.840 for himself in the past, which I believe was from 0:03:06.880 --> 0:03:09.320 Jordan's love was pretty much in the vicinity of where 0:03:09.360 --> 0:03:12.680 it needed to be. But when a cornerback with his 0:03:12.760 --> 0:03:15.320 safety help over the top with Adrian Amos, when you 0:03:15.360 --> 0:03:18.400 see those things, those things married together, you know, in 0:03:18.440 --> 0:03:21.600 the way that they did on that specific play, even 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:23.440 though it wasn't a big pass breakup, even though it 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:26.000 wasn't an interception. It was the type of play that 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:30.320 stands out because you can see how it translates to games. Setting. Yeah. Absolutely, 0:03:30.320 --> 0:03:32.800 and we do have to qualify this. I mean, the 0:03:32.800 --> 0:03:36.480 Packers top five receivers essentially on the depth chart are 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:39.839 not at the voluntary O T A s. But what 0:03:39.880 --> 0:03:42.640 we're seeing from Eric Stokes actually has me even more 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:45.880 excited to see when he does line up across from 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:49.760 al Lazard or Marquis Valdes Scaling or Davante Adams when 0:03:49.800 --> 0:03:52.880 training camp rolls around. I go back to what I said, 0:03:52.920 --> 0:03:57.920 what I saw during the rookie mini camp where Stokes 0:03:58.040 --> 0:04:01.600 and defensive backs coach Jay Gray, We're having a conversation 0:04:01.640 --> 0:04:05.440 after certain play and Gray Gray was really harping on 0:04:05.520 --> 0:04:09.040 them about, okay, the receivers were the receivers were split 0:04:09.200 --> 0:04:11.360 this way, this, This was how they were lined up. 0:04:11.440 --> 0:04:14.280 Like he's only gonna run you know this route or 0:04:14.320 --> 0:04:17.120 this route. You need to be able to anticipate, you 0:04:17.160 --> 0:04:21.320 know the one or the other. And you know it's 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:24.000 to see to see a rookie in one of his 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:27.680 first practices in the NFL already getting that from the 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:31.680 defensive backs coach. That tells you, there are already so 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:34.320 many other tools that are in place here. When it 0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:37.080 when right away Jerry Gray is trying to say, hey, 0:04:37.120 --> 0:04:39.719 this isn't just about technique. It's not just about the 0:04:39.760 --> 0:04:42.920 physical skills. We want to get you to anticipate the 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:46.320 routes um and try to be a step ahead of 0:04:46.360 --> 0:04:48.440 the offense as much as you can. That's the kind 0:04:48.480 --> 0:04:51.599 of stuff that most of the time young players will 0:04:51.640 --> 0:04:54.560 get from a Charles Woodson or Truman Williams as they 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:56.960 get into the league for a year or two. And 0:04:57.279 --> 0:05:00.600 Eric Stokes is getting this, you know, push into him. 0:05:00.839 --> 0:05:02.760 I don't want to say pounded into him, but but 0:05:02.920 --> 0:05:05.880 pushed on him by Jerry Gray right from the get go, 0:05:05.960 --> 0:05:08.360 which I think tells you how much potential the Packers 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:10.720 feel this young man has. Yeah, And as you mentioned, Mike, 0:05:10.720 --> 0:05:13.120 when you Packers eventually do have their whole receiving corps 0:05:13.120 --> 0:05:15.920 back in training camp or mini camp, however, this shuffles out. 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:18.159 The reason I want to see that is the same 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:20.440 reason from back in two thousand and eight teen when 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:23.080 JayR Alexander got to Green Baby. Because it's not about Oh, 0:05:23.520 --> 0:05:24.880 Eric Stokes is just gonna go out there and he's 0:05:24.880 --> 0:05:26.800 just gonna dominate. They won't be able to complete a 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:30.240 pass on two Adams or Lazarre or nvs. It's not 0:05:30.320 --> 0:05:33.200 about that. It's about the individual reps and seeing that 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:36.560 level of competition, not only anticipating what the road is 0:05:36.560 --> 0:05:39.280 going to be, but how those guys pivot off those routes, 0:05:39.360 --> 0:05:42.200 especially in this type of offense. That's the that's the 0:05:42.200 --> 0:05:44.119 dimension that I can't wait to see now. And because 0:05:44.200 --> 0:05:47.640 Alexander isn't here right now, that's meant more reps in 0:05:47.720 --> 0:05:51.719 the bigger team defenses with Stokes, Josh Jackson has gotten 0:05:51.720 --> 0:05:55.440 some of those. Channon Sullivan, this is a big opportunity, Mike, 0:05:55.480 --> 0:05:57.360 because you know you have Kevin King, you know you're 0:05:57.360 --> 0:06:00.240 gonna have Alexander, and on the back end it's gonna 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:03.880 be Savage and Amos. That's four six, two thirds of 0:06:03.960 --> 0:06:06.200 the big secondary. When you look at the money down, 0:06:06.720 --> 0:06:09.600 it's those other two spots in understanding where guys are 0:06:09.600 --> 0:06:12.080 going to play in that position. That that's what's got 0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:14.120 to get shuffled out here. And I feel like Stokes 0:06:14.120 --> 0:06:15.880 has put his best foot forward here in his first 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:18.120 month in Green Bay. Yeah, I would agree. Sticking with 0:06:18.160 --> 0:06:21.880 the defensive side, of things. Another interesting development we saw 0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:27.040 yesterday you had written a story that was from kind 0:06:27.040 --> 0:06:28.640 of off of last week's O t A that we 0:06:28.720 --> 0:06:32.520 posted on Monday about, you know, the Packers inside linebacker room. 0:06:32.560 --> 0:06:36.120 There's obviously a lot of attention on Chris Barnes and 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:39.240 Kamal Martin being the two rookies from last year who 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:41.560 kind of made a name for themselves in different ways. 0:06:42.120 --> 0:06:46.400 But then we saw at practice yesterday suddenly Chris Barnes 0:06:46.480 --> 0:06:49.440 is lined up with Ty Summers with the number one defense, 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:52.560 and there were other pairings and other matchups with those 0:06:52.560 --> 0:06:56.560 inside linebackers as they went through the eleven on eleven reps. 0:06:57.080 --> 0:07:00.640 And it just as I said in the three Things video, 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:03.440 it just seems to me like the defensive coaches are 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:07.159 setting things up here for what's going to be a 0:07:07.240 --> 0:07:11.280 very wide open competition in training camp for those inside 0:07:11.280 --> 0:07:15.320 linebacker spots. Now, I do think Chris Barnes is, you know, 0:07:15.440 --> 0:07:17.640 the leader on the course, so to speak to to 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:21.560 steal a golf phrase right now, Um, I do think 0:07:21.600 --> 0:07:24.120 he's the number one guy right now. But when you 0:07:24.240 --> 0:07:26.600 talk about I mean, we don't know necessarily with Joe 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:29.200 Barry's defense, I mean you know, how does how does 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:30.920 he want to set up the pecking word or how 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:34.040 often does he want to play two inside linebackers? Does 0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:36.560 he want to train another guy to have a specific 0:07:36.720 --> 0:07:40.000 role in say the dime defense that maybe another guy 0:07:40.040 --> 0:07:42.480 wouldn't have. All those kinds of things. We have to 0:07:42.480 --> 0:07:46.080 see how it plays out. And when you're talking about Barnes, Summers, 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:49.760 Martin or In Burke's and then a rookie UH sixth 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:53.160 round draft pick Isaiah mcduffee from Boston College, Um, I 0:07:53.160 --> 0:07:55.160 think we're going to see a lot of rotation, a 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:57.480 lot of mixing, mixing and matching in terms of the 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:00.520 pairings as as we get into training camp and the 0:08:00.560 --> 0:08:02.760 coaches are going to be studying that film and seeing 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:05.600 and and really trying to see what they think what 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:08.760 they think the best possibilities are in the scheme of 0:08:08.840 --> 0:08:12.320 Joe Barry's Yeah, And that's the feeling out process of 0:08:12.480 --> 0:08:15.400 understanding what your personnel is, the player that you added 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:18.560 to that group in McDuffie, and trying to figure out, Okay, 0:08:18.640 --> 0:08:21.200 who's going to be the best position to step into 0:08:21.240 --> 0:08:23.600 those roles when we go into training camp and and 0:08:23.680 --> 0:08:26.680 potentially try to hold onto them. The one thing that 0:08:26.760 --> 0:08:30.080 stands out to me about last season is that, out 0:08:30.080 --> 0:08:31.920 of all my time on the beat, and there's a 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:35.599 lot of different maschinations of the inside linebacker combinations, you 0:08:35.640 --> 0:08:38.199 and I have covered all the way from Clay Matthews 0:08:38.240 --> 0:08:42.080 moving inside to Nate Palmer and Jamari Lattimore and Brian 0:08:42.200 --> 0:08:45.600 and Brad Jones moving from outside linebacker to inside linebacker. 0:08:45.880 --> 0:08:48.720 We've seen it all. But last year was unique in 0:08:48.800 --> 0:08:51.560 that I don't remember a scenario in which you saw 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:55.400 the communication helmet passed as much as it did um 0:08:55.440 --> 0:08:57.760 throughout the course of last season. Now, eventually it did 0:08:57.760 --> 0:09:00.920 sort of settle on Chris Barnes, but then when Barnes 0:09:01.000 --> 0:09:04.240 got hurt, you had Tye Summers, who wasn't in any 0:09:04.280 --> 0:09:06.880 of the defensive packages, well he was the next mike. 0:09:07.600 --> 0:09:11.400 Uh So, when I saw practice this week, you wonder 0:09:11.440 --> 0:09:14.520 how much of that is one making sure that Okay 0:09:14.640 --> 0:09:18.120 Summers is the mic behind Barnes at this time, but 0:09:18.200 --> 0:09:20.280 how much is it him also getting an opportunity to 0:09:20.280 --> 0:09:23.960 potentially be the will now that you don't have Christian 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:27.240 Kirksey's gone in the nickel, and then competing with Kamal 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:31.040 Martin for that role in the base. Tye Summers arguably 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:33.959 maybe has the most experience of anyone at the inside 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:36.439 linebacker position when you factor in the fact that or 0:09:36.520 --> 0:09:39.199 In Burke's ended up spending time with the outside linebackers. 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:41.960 So this is a wide open competition. I thought it 0:09:42.000 --> 0:09:45.719 was really telling that when myself and many other reporters 0:09:45.720 --> 0:09:49.640 were asking, you know, both Barry and and Kurt Olivia 0:09:49.720 --> 0:09:54.320 Datti about Barnes and Martin, they were very They made 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:57.560 it a point to talk about the entire group and 0:09:57.760 --> 0:09:59.320 that that is a position while you have the two 0:09:59.400 --> 0:10:02.000 rookies coming act from last season. That is a position 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:03.720 where the Packers are looking to put their best two 0:10:03.720 --> 0:10:05.959 on the field and they're gonna cast a really wide 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:07.959 net to do it. Yeah, well, I want to shift 0:10:08.000 --> 0:10:10.040 gears to the offensive side of the ball. But first 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:13.880 West Serious x M NFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:16.800 and up to the minute NFL news that true football 0:10:16.840 --> 0:10:21.360 fanatics need. Seven three sixty five. Alright, Well, one of 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:24.320 the players that we heard from in the post practice 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:28.480 zoom calls with the media yesterday was second year running 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:32.000 back A. J. Dylan, And I'll tell you what, he 0:10:32.800 --> 0:10:36.679 did not mince words at all and Yes, he talked 0:10:36.679 --> 0:10:39.199 a lot about his quads and all of that. Um, 0:10:39.520 --> 0:10:43.800 I the whole quad father Quadzilla. It's it's entertaining. I 0:10:43.840 --> 0:10:48.559 get it. He stole your moniker. Yeah, that was a 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:52.679 Spofford thing before A J. Dillon got drafted here. All right, 0:10:52.800 --> 0:10:56.200 that's a discussion for another day. But what he did 0:10:56.200 --> 0:11:00.680 say that that really caught my ear is at he 0:11:01.679 --> 0:11:04.959 did not hesitate whatsoever. He was asked about this pairing 0:11:05.040 --> 0:11:09.000 now of him with Aaron Jones, and he said, I 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:10.920 think we can be the best running back duo in 0:11:10.960 --> 0:11:14.680 the NFL. UM Now, obviously you'd like to hear that 0:11:15.520 --> 0:11:19.320 he this is a workhorse guy from Boston College who 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:22.240 carried the ball a ton who has already had to 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:25.800 adjust to, you know, not being the guy, right. He hasn't. 0:11:25.960 --> 0:11:28.520 He hasn't been the feature guy. He's not going to 0:11:28.559 --> 0:11:30.640 be the number one guy in this offense with when 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:33.640 Aaron Jones is healthy and available and on the field. 0:11:34.600 --> 0:11:38.440 But we've talked about it before, the possibilities, the possibilities 0:11:38.480 --> 0:11:42.600 here with your two eight pound Aaron Jones and your 0:11:42.600 --> 0:11:46.840 two seven pound A J. Dillon. It's really intriguing just 0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:50.280 where this might go in with the Packers ground game. 0:11:50.480 --> 0:11:53.800 Here's what I love about A G. Dillon, And first off, 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:56.640 I gotta mention this, Mike, because I always I think 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:59.680 that hodds take bar when we do final thoughts, Tyler 0:11:59.720 --> 0:12:03.120 guy skip super gets it in the lower third. This 0:12:03.160 --> 0:12:06.000 is kind of hodds take. You talked about being the 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:09.040 featured guy, not being the workhorse back. I'm gonna tell 0:12:09.040 --> 0:12:11.480 you something right now, to every young running back out there, 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:14.480 it's not the worst thing in the world. It worked 0:12:14.480 --> 0:12:16.959 out well for Aaron Jones, and hey, I know everybody 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:18.560 wants to come in and be a year one starting 0:12:18.600 --> 0:12:21.120 running back, but i'nna be honest with you. He ain't 0:12:21.160 --> 0:12:23.960 making the big money yet. I mean, I I feel 0:12:24.040 --> 0:12:25.880 like there's actually a lot to be said for not 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:29.440 introducing a running back into the league and just grinding 0:12:29.440 --> 0:12:31.280 them all the way down to the gas take is empty. 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:34.439 So that's a topic for another day. I'm letna throw 0:12:34.480 --> 0:12:38.079 this back at you. Though I've covered the team full 0:12:38.080 --> 0:12:40.800 time since two thousand twelve, a little bit in two 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:42.839 thousand eleven we're trying to figure some stuff out with 0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:44.360 the Green Bay Press because that staff. But since two 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:47.240 thousand twelve, at least during my time I can say 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:51.320 unequivocally I think A. J. Dillon is the most confident 0:12:51.480 --> 0:12:54.160 running back that has walked in the door in terms 0:12:54.200 --> 0:12:57.600 of being a draft pick to just putting his foot 0:12:57.600 --> 0:13:00.199 down and saying, yeah, I feel the way I speak, 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:02.880 the words I say, and the way the confidence I 0:13:02.920 --> 0:13:04.640 have in my ability, it jumps off the page to me. 0:13:04.679 --> 0:13:07.000 In terms of just what his or I'm trying to 0:13:07.040 --> 0:13:09.079 think if there's even another guy that even comes close 0:13:09.120 --> 0:13:12.000 to him during the last twenty five years. Yeah, I 0:13:12.000 --> 0:13:15.400 mean I think I will I will say this, you 0:13:15.480 --> 0:13:18.280 will say that. But in terms of his extroverted the 0:13:18.280 --> 0:13:20.960 way he speaks, I've not seen anything like it. Yeah, 0:13:21.000 --> 0:13:24.199 I mean, I think from from a personality standpoint, obviously 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:27.800 Eddie Lacey was was very different, but I think, uh 0:13:27.800 --> 0:13:31.800 he he was very different externally, but I think internally, 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:34.880 Eddie Lacy knew that he belonged in the end from 0:13:34.920 --> 0:13:36.720 you know, from from the get go. So I will 0:13:36.760 --> 0:13:38.920 say that, And those are the two guys that the 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:42.320 Packers have invested second round draft picks, you know, in 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:46.400 the running back position. But um, you know a lot 0:13:46.440 --> 0:13:49.360 of the fans are asking questions with with regard to Dylan, 0:13:49.760 --> 0:13:52.679 what about the past catching abilities and and and whatnot, 0:13:52.720 --> 0:13:56.040 because it's not something that was part of Boston College's offense. 0:13:56.120 --> 0:13:59.680 And you know, he had twenty one pass receptions out 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:02.280 of the back backfield the last two years at Boston 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:04.760 College didn't have any actually the first year that he 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:08.840 was the feature back there. So it's not that he 0:14:08.880 --> 0:14:11.120 doesn't have the ability to do it, it's that he 0:14:11.280 --> 0:14:14.079 was never really asked to do it. He knows. I mean, 0:14:14.160 --> 0:14:15.760 all you have to do is look at the stats. 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:18.600 The last two years, Aaron Jones has caught ninety six passes. 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:22.320 Jamal Williams. Jamal Williams caught seventy the last two years 0:14:22.320 --> 0:14:25.800 as the number two guy behind Aaron Jones. So A J. 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:29.920 Dillon knows that that's that's the one big part of 0:14:29.960 --> 0:14:32.360 his game that he has to work on in order 0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:35.480 to try to maximize his opportunities to to get on 0:14:35.520 --> 0:14:37.720 the field. And we've seen it already in the O 0:14:37.880 --> 0:14:40.680 T a s now when it's not necessarily full speed, 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:43.320 when it's not uh, you know, padded up and all 0:14:43.400 --> 0:14:45.560 that kind of stuff. You know, you you take everything 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:47.600 with a grain of salt, so to speak. But the 0:14:47.680 --> 0:14:50.840 more of those reps that he can get now in 0:14:50.880 --> 0:14:54.160 the springtime, then when it is eleven on eleven in 0:14:54.360 --> 0:14:58.200 August in full pads and he's got to run, he's 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:00.360 running that wheel. We're out out of the back field, 0:15:00.640 --> 0:15:02.480 and that ball is going to be coming his way 0:15:02.520 --> 0:15:05.560 with whether it be Chris Barnes or Adrian Amos or 0:15:05.600 --> 0:15:07.560 whoever might be, you know, closing in and try to 0:15:07.600 --> 0:15:10.640 break that pass up. The more reps that he gets 0:15:10.760 --> 0:15:13.480 right now in that situation, the more comfortable he's going 0:15:13.520 --> 0:15:16.320 to feel come come this summer. And I think that's 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:19.920 gonna be a big thing to watch through August here 0:15:19.960 --> 0:15:21.760 in training camp with this young man. And this is 0:15:21.800 --> 0:15:23.720 a big time for the running backs in that regard. 0:15:23.720 --> 0:15:26.560 I remember, even you go back to two thousand and fifteen, 0:15:26.640 --> 0:15:29.440 maybe I mean Mike McCarthy kind of even scaled back 0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:32.160 the amount of reps that they took handing off the 0:15:32.160 --> 0:15:35.000 ball to put more of an emphasis on guys catching 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:38.040 the ball, running backs catching the ball. Some would say 0:15:38.040 --> 0:15:40.480 maybe they skewed a little too far in that direction, 0:15:40.520 --> 0:15:43.000 but that showed you the emphasis that was there, and 0:15:43.080 --> 0:15:45.960 just kind of how the league was evolving. To tie 0:15:46.000 --> 0:15:48.040 back to my previous point about Dylan, as you said, 0:15:48.080 --> 0:15:49.560 there's a number of different ways you can go about 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:52.680 having confidence, but the swagger that Dylan carries himself with, 0:15:53.200 --> 0:15:56.040 there's certain expectations that kind of come with that, and 0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:59.239 the young man doesn't shy away from those he enjoys 0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:01.960 have that spotlight on him, and I feel like that's 0:16:01.960 --> 0:16:05.000 a really important characteristic and the running back profession in 0:16:05.040 --> 0:16:08.200 that game, because I'll tell you what, Mike, there's a 0:16:08.200 --> 0:16:09.760 lot of stuff they still need to work on. The 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:12.880 pass catching is one of them. Run blocking all right now, 0:16:12.880 --> 0:16:14.960 I should say pass blocking, We're gonna have to learn 0:16:14.960 --> 0:16:16.560 more about that. Can you be a third down and 0:16:16.640 --> 0:16:20.920 reliable third down back? But from a structural standpoint building 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:23.360 a running back up from the base. I mean, the 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:25.720 guy checks all the boxes. And I think when you 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:28.040 hear him say things like I feel like myself and 0:16:28.080 --> 0:16:29.800 Aaron Jones can be the best running back due on 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:32.760 the league, that's a really high goal to set for yourself. 0:16:32.960 --> 0:16:34.800 But you can tell with the way he says it. 0:16:34.960 --> 0:16:40.240 One it's not brigadoso or anything like that. The brigadocio. 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:42.600 It's not like he's trying to just say, well, I'm 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:44.600 the best. He's saying that's where we think we can 0:16:44.600 --> 0:16:47.240 take this thing. And that's why that message really resonated 0:16:47.280 --> 0:16:50.240 with me when he said it, because it wasn't just that, oh, yeah, 0:16:50.240 --> 0:16:52.120 sure I'm the best. It's no, I mean this is 0:16:52.240 --> 0:16:54.120 I saw what I could do in a really small 0:16:54.480 --> 0:16:56.640 sampling last year, and I feel like I can do 0:16:56.680 --> 0:17:00.600 it again. Yeah. He talked about, yes, that he understands 0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:02.920 the whole thunder and lightning, you know type of thing 0:17:03.000 --> 0:17:06.560 with with him and Aaron Jones, but he said, you know, 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:09.000 if Aaron Jones is the lightning, this is this is 0:17:09.040 --> 0:17:11.879 a pretty tough dude who can grind out some yards 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:13.879 when you need to. And he says, if I'm the 0:17:14.040 --> 0:17:16.440 if I'm the thunder, I got some speed and I 0:17:16.440 --> 0:17:18.600 can run away from guys, which we saw a third 0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:22.600 yard touchdown run when he had that that carry, you know, 0:17:23.040 --> 0:17:26.760 hundred yard to touchdown game against Tennessee, you know, which 0:17:26.960 --> 0:17:30.040 helped the Packers clinch the division titles. So you know 0:17:30.280 --> 0:17:35.159 you're talking about um as you said, small sample size, 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:39.760 but but we've seen you know, Aaron, Aaron Jones is 0:17:39.800 --> 0:17:42.639 not just a scat back and he's proven that and 0:17:42.840 --> 0:17:44.959 A J. Dillon is out to prove he's not just 0:17:45.080 --> 0:17:47.440 a power back that he's got more to his game, 0:17:47.480 --> 0:17:49.399 and I think he's going to get that opportunity this 0:17:49.480 --> 0:17:52.359 year and his when he hits that that fourth gear, 0:17:52.760 --> 0:17:54.600 I mean, it's it's getting out of the way. I mean, 0:17:54.640 --> 0:17:57.400 that was my takeaway from the Tennessee game because even 0:17:57.400 --> 0:17:59.120 you and I'm Mike, we didn't see a lot of 0:17:59.560 --> 0:18:02.119 a j Allen. I mean, when you had to get 0:18:02.160 --> 0:18:04.800 Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams ready for the season during 0:18:04.800 --> 0:18:06.960 a shortened training camp, that's where all those reps went. 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:09.280 He saw Dylan and some of the young guys periods. 0:18:09.440 --> 0:18:11.840 He only had a handful of reps before the COVID deal, 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:13.879 and then he came back, and that's what stood out 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:16.320 to me. When he breaks through that first front of 0:18:16.320 --> 0:18:18.359 the defense and he's able to hit that next gear, 0:18:18.920 --> 0:18:21.280 good luck stopping the tour and forty seven pound body 0:18:21.280 --> 0:18:23.960 because it's not coming down easily. Yeah, no question about it. Yeah. 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:26.040 And missing a month and a half or whatever it 0:18:26.160 --> 0:18:28.880 was like he did with the COVID situation last year 0:18:28.920 --> 0:18:31.800 was unfortunate for um, for him as a rookie, but 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:35.800 fortunately for the Packers they didn't necessarily need him because 0:18:35.840 --> 0:18:37.960 you had Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams, and then when 0:18:37.960 --> 0:18:40.520 they did need him in the big late December game 0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:43.000 against Tennessee, he came through with the young man delivered. 0:18:43.040 --> 0:18:46.000 So UM. One other topic to get to with regard 0:18:46.040 --> 0:18:48.520 to the offense before we go, we also did hear 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:52.000 from tight end Robert Tonyan, and uh, it was interesting. 0:18:52.000 --> 0:18:53.800 We didn't just hear from him, but we also heard 0:18:53.800 --> 0:18:58.080 from head coach Matt Lafleur, who made, you know, no 0:18:58.160 --> 0:19:00.800 bones about the fact that he feels, you know, even 0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:02.920 with Tony in coming off of what I believe was 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:06.919 almost six hundred yards receiving double digit touchdowns, um, you know, 0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:10.680 tying for the league lead and touchdown receptions among tight 0:19:10.760 --> 0:19:15.160 ends with All Pro Travis Kelsey, he thinks, even with 0:19:15.400 --> 0:19:18.080 as deep as this tight end group is with the Packers, 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:20.679 that there's more out there for Robert Touny in that 0:19:20.720 --> 0:19:24.080 there could be some more opportunities to feature him in 0:19:24.119 --> 0:19:26.399 this offense even more. I found that to be a 0:19:26.520 --> 0:19:30.480 very interesting comment. When you've got Marcedes Lewis, you've got 0:19:30.600 --> 0:19:34.239 Josiah Deguire coming back from the knee injury. Um, you know, 0:19:34.680 --> 0:19:37.240 j Sternberger has had some injury issues. His first couple 0:19:37.240 --> 0:19:39.040 of years was still trying to see where that goes. 0:19:39.320 --> 0:19:41.439 And then Dominique Daphne, he was a guy who stepped 0:19:41.480 --> 0:19:44.280 in late last season, caught a big touchdown passing in 0:19:44.480 --> 0:19:47.720 Chicago in Week seventeen and a big victory. So there's 0:19:47.720 --> 0:19:50.000 a lot here going on at the tight end position 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:52.960 for the Packers. But Robert Tonyan is going to be 0:19:53.480 --> 0:19:56.720 a featured player in this offense. Yeah, it really stands 0:19:56.720 --> 0:19:58.159 out to me because I remember for a number of 0:19:58.200 --> 0:20:00.320 years I'd sit at the locker with Robert and I 0:20:00.359 --> 0:20:02.439 basically would just keep asking the same question over and 0:20:02.480 --> 0:20:03.919 over again. Do you feel like a tight end? Do 0:20:03.960 --> 0:20:06.280