WEBVTT - #713 Packers Unscripted: Minicamp musings 0:00:07.480 --> 0:00:11.200 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:11.200 --> 0:00:14.160 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spafford, joined by my 0:00:14.280 --> 0:00:17.320 partner in crime, Weston Hodkowitz. We're coming to you here 0:00:17.800 --> 0:00:22.760 from different locations at lambeau Field, wes OTAs for twenty 0:00:22.840 --> 0:00:26.040 twenty three are officially over. There is one week left 0:00:26.239 --> 0:00:29.920 of the Packers' off season program and it is the 0:00:30.600 --> 0:00:33.519 mandatory mini camp coming up this week. We will have 0:00:33.640 --> 0:00:36.280 access to practice when the Packers are on the field, 0:00:36.560 --> 0:00:40.960 press conferences, locker room interviews, all of that stuff. So 0:00:41.080 --> 0:00:44.200 let's talk about maybe a couple of storylines to watch 0:00:44.240 --> 0:00:46.800 here heading into Mini caamp as the off season program 0:00:46.840 --> 0:00:48.720 wraps up in a few days. What's on your mind? 0:00:49.080 --> 0:00:51.440 Well, first and foremost, we'll get Jay R, Alexander and 0:00:51.520 --> 0:00:54.080 Russell Douglas back in the building, and that's going to 0:00:54.120 --> 0:00:57.600 be such a pivotal piece of this defense with you know, 0:00:58.080 --> 0:01:01.040 everything that the Packers accomplished late last season. Looking to 0:01:01.120 --> 0:01:03.760 kind of, you know, use that as a leap frog 0:01:03.800 --> 0:01:07.160 now into twenty twenty three, I thought, you know, for 0:01:07.200 --> 0:01:09.399 as difficult of a mid season stretch as Green Bay 0:01:09.440 --> 0:01:12.760 went through, they found some answers in the middle of 0:01:13.120 --> 0:01:15.240 towards the final stretch that season. One of them was 0:01:15.280 --> 0:01:18.039 in a now two time All Pro Jyry Alexander, and 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:21.080 the other was in Rasoul Douglas, who ended up getting 0:01:21.120 --> 0:01:23.720 I think three more interceptions to his total in the 0:01:23.720 --> 0:01:26.759 month of December. There was actually a statistic that I saw, Mike. 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:29.200 I believe it was from Pro Football Focus, want to 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:30.839 make sure, or maybe it was a thirty third team, 0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:35.880 but both Jaiere and Rasul the last two seasons leading 0:01:35.920 --> 0:01:38.920 the National Football League right now in the month of 0:01:38.920 --> 0:01:42.520 December interceptions, So it showed you I thought how far 0:01:42.560 --> 0:01:44.800 that secondary came during the final month of the season. 0:01:44.800 --> 0:01:47.640 And certainly having both of those two guys back here 0:01:47.640 --> 0:01:51.000 for the mandatory practices, I think will increase in heightened 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:53.480 sort of the sense of urgency there with the Packers defense. 0:01:53.920 --> 0:01:55.880 Yeah, and I think it'll provide a little bit more 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:58.640 of a challenge for Jordan Love as the Packers offense 0:01:58.760 --> 0:02:02.400 is continuing this trend position to a new starting quarterback 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:07.280 with the defense presumably at full strength. Although Vershan Gary 0:02:07.360 --> 0:02:09.880 is not expected to be back just yet. I don't 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:14.200 think Eric Stokes will be back on the fielder, certainly 0:02:14.240 --> 0:02:17.320 not in team drills if he. Matt Lafleurd indicated that 0:02:17.480 --> 0:02:20.360 maybe by the end of the offseason program Stokes might 0:02:20.400 --> 0:02:23.200 start doing some individual drills, but the eleven on eleven 0:02:23.240 --> 0:02:26.560 I'm sure is still quite a ways off for him. 0:02:27.040 --> 0:02:29.359 But that added challenge I think for Jordan Love will 0:02:29.400 --> 0:02:32.840 be interesting to watch in practice this week as well. 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:36.639 And on top of that, then Keyshawn Nixon settling in 0:02:37.160 --> 0:02:42.839 as that primary nickel corner with as you said, Alexander 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:46.200 and Douglas both on the outside, another thing I'm going 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:48.480 to keep an eye on, just because you know, in 0:02:48.520 --> 0:02:52.280 the three practices during OTAs the one per week that 0:02:52.320 --> 0:02:55.280 we were able to watch, we did not see any 0:02:55.639 --> 0:02:59.160 field goal kicking periods with the new rookie kicker Anders 0:02:59.200 --> 0:03:02.960 Carlson around pick out of Auburn. Now that we're going 0:03:03.000 --> 0:03:06.720 to get multiple practices within the same week, I will 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:08.840 be very curious if we do get to watch the 0:03:08.919 --> 0:03:12.480 rookie from Auburn potentially kick some field goals or maybe 0:03:12.560 --> 0:03:15.440 kick off in the special team's drill. Just you know, 0:03:15.480 --> 0:03:19.240 we haven't actually seen his legs so to speak, you know, 0:03:19.440 --> 0:03:21.920 just yet since he's put on a packer's uniform. So 0:03:22.400 --> 0:03:27.280 I think that's that's something to watch and as always, 0:03:27.360 --> 0:03:29.080 keep just keeping an eye on the depth chart with 0:03:29.120 --> 0:03:33.720 special teams as well, because with everybody that's presumably going 0:03:33.760 --> 0:03:36.400 to be here and on the field for the mini 0:03:36.440 --> 0:03:38.800 camp this week, it sort of sets things up in 0:03:38.880 --> 0:03:41.480 terms of how we can maybe expect to see the 0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:45.440 special team's depth chart starting at training camp when the 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:46.960 players come back at the end of July. 0:03:47.440 --> 0:03:49.400 Yeah, and it stands to reason that if you look 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:51.760 at the safety position or maybe some of these other posts, 0:03:51.840 --> 0:03:53.880 that you know, the rotation's just going to set up 0:03:53.880 --> 0:03:55.760 a certain way. And I could see the Packers coaching 0:03:55.800 --> 0:03:58.520 staff saying that, but it is telling when you go 0:03:58.600 --> 0:04:01.800 on that first practice field and Rasul Douglas, Jyry, Alexander, 0:04:02.280 --> 0:04:04.160 you know the starters are going to be back there. 0:04:04.480 --> 0:04:07.440 How do all the pieces fit? What is who is 0:04:07.480 --> 0:04:10.240 the sec the safety back there with Darnell Savage, What 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:14.120 offensive line configuration do they go with. Is David Baktiari 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:16.280 out there or is it going to be another situation 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:18.400 where maybe Caleb Jones gets some work there and they 0:04:18.400 --> 0:04:20.800 want to focus on Joash Niman being at right tackle. 0:04:21.279 --> 0:04:23.240 All those things are what we're going to have to 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:26.200 be monitoring. I think the most exciting part of the 0:04:26.240 --> 0:04:28.800 off season program, or the end of the off season 0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:30.960 program is, as you said, Mike, getting a feel of 0:04:31.000 --> 0:04:33.040 where this team is going to be at and what 0:04:33.120 --> 0:04:36.520 will amount to the final run through before we come 0:04:36.560 --> 0:04:39.320 back at the end of July. And I always go 0:04:39.440 --> 0:04:42.600 back to thinking about, you know, Eddie Lacy in the 0:04:42.640 --> 0:04:45.000 progress that he made during his first nine weeks in 0:04:45.080 --> 0:04:47.960 Green Bay. I think about, you know, guys like Micah 0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:51.640 Hyde and Romeo Dobbs, guys that came out and impressed 0:04:51.680 --> 0:04:54.000 right away as rookies, and then we're able to carry 0:04:54.000 --> 0:04:56.560 it over into the training camp. This is the starting 0:04:56.600 --> 0:04:59.919 point of everything. And in addition to that, guys on 0:05:00.120 --> 0:05:02.160 the offensive side of the ball, they've now had a 0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:06.039 full program with Jordan Love their starting quarterback for twenty 0:05:06.080 --> 0:05:06.839 twenty three. 0:05:07.040 --> 0:05:08.240 I think that's really exciting. 0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:11.200 And I think when you're building out the identity of 0:05:11.240 --> 0:05:13.560 your football team for a season and everybody knows how 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:16.400 young Green Bay is gonna skew, everybody is on the 0:05:16.400 --> 0:05:18.200 same page and pulling in the right direction. 0:05:18.360 --> 0:05:19.160 Now going into the. 0:05:19.120 --> 0:05:22.279 Month of July, Yeah, I think another thing to watch too, 0:05:22.360 --> 0:05:26.000 because it was with what we had witnessed last week 0:05:26.120 --> 0:05:31.920 in practice with regard to the two minute drill, Sean Clifford, 0:05:31.920 --> 0:05:34.000 the rookie fifth round pick out of Penn State, led 0:05:34.040 --> 0:05:38.120 a very impressive two minute drive some clutch catches, including 0:05:38.160 --> 0:05:41.279 the touchdown to win the drill for the offense by 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:45.440 young receiver Jeff Cotton. And so I'll be curious this 0:05:45.520 --> 0:05:49.000 week as we look at the reps. Obviously we're mostly watching, 0:05:49.520 --> 0:05:52.880 you know, the first units, but where exactly is the 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:56.279 backup quarterback situation? Is Sean Clifford, the number two? Is 0:05:56.400 --> 0:05:59.400 Danny Eetling the number two? Where are things going to go? 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:00.400 Uh? 0:06:00.720 --> 0:06:02.760 What are things going to be looking like when that 0:06:02.800 --> 0:06:05.280 first training camp practice rolls around? And we may get 0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:08.039 a hint this week in these last few days of 0:06:08.080 --> 0:06:09.040 the offseason work. 0:06:09.600 --> 0:06:11.600 Yeah, and I have to smirk a little bit, you know, 0:06:11.680 --> 0:06:15.240 as you mentioned the the part about Jeff Cotton being 0:06:15.240 --> 0:06:18.040 a young receiver, You're You're absolutely right, there's nothing get 0:06:18.120 --> 0:06:18.520 in their actorate. 0:06:18.760 --> 0:06:22.160 He's the oldest, the oldest receiver in Green Bay at 0:06:22.200 --> 0:06:24.520 A I think, absolutely right. But yes, he's still a 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:27.479 young RECEIVERI no, no, but I mean it's still like 0:06:27.520 --> 0:06:28.800 twenty five years old or whatever. 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:31.120 I mean just remarkable that that's where the Packers are 0:06:31.200 --> 0:06:33.279 right now. But but to get back to your point, 0:06:33.560 --> 0:06:36.280 Sean Clifford, man, now you've seen him more. I know 0:06:36.320 --> 0:06:38.520 people that have watched the Badgers have seen him more. 0:06:39.000 --> 0:06:41.360 I haven't seen a lot of Sean Clifford to this point. 0:06:41.520 --> 0:06:43.680 I was so impressed by that guy and how he 0:06:43.760 --> 0:06:46.560 handled the two minute period. I thought he showed a 0:06:46.600 --> 0:06:49.240 live arm and as Matt Lafleur said in his post 0:06:49.520 --> 0:06:55.479 practice press conference, say that five times fast or four uh. 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:58.800 The guy showed the ability to not only know where 0:06:58.800 --> 0:07:01.040 the sticks are make the right decisions, but then he 0:07:01.080 --> 0:07:03.200 even tried a couple passes I think in that deep 0:07:03.240 --> 0:07:06.360 corner for twenty four yards I believe was was that 0:07:06.400 --> 0:07:11.160 the one to Heath? Yeah? Yeah, e Malik Heath, Malik Keith, Yeah, 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:13.160 the guy going down the field. I think it was 0:07:13.840 --> 0:07:16.600 seven of nine on that series, and then being able 0:07:16.640 --> 0:07:19.000 to cap it with the eight yard touchdown to Cotton. 0:07:19.640 --> 0:07:22.280 That's what Sean Clifford has to do. You and I 0:07:22.320 --> 0:07:24.280 got a chance to meet him a little bit be 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:27.040 around him. I mean, he is a very confident young man. 0:07:27.120 --> 0:07:29.360 He's a guy that and I say confident, in every 0:07:29.360 --> 0:07:31.360 sense of the word correctly. A guy that has been 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:35.480 the face of a big ten Power five football conference 0:07:36.400 --> 0:07:40.240 team for three four years. So he is not going 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:43.480 to be, you know, one that's gonna like be a 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:45.960 He's not going to want to shy away from the 0:07:46.000 --> 0:07:48.320 bright lights, even though it's just the training camp practice. 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:49.600 He's going to be able to go out there and 0:07:49.640 --> 0:07:51.880 do it. And honestly, Mike, I thought Danny Etling made 0:07:51.920 --> 0:07:54.200 a couple of nice throws in this offseason program as well, 0:07:54.280 --> 0:07:57.680 So watching that competition because that's a big thing, man. 0:07:57.720 --> 0:07:59.920 I mean, I know there's going to be the emergent 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:02.640 see quarterback rule back this year. So it's not going 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:05.320 to be just okay, who's inactive, who's active, Yeah, but 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:08.040 it still matters who that number two is and who's 0:08:08.040 --> 0:08:09.760 the guy that's going to potentially be stepping up in 0:08:09.800 --> 0:08:12.640 case of emergency, And I think Sean Clifford. When you 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:16.440 look at guys like Matt Flynn and the number of 0:08:16.520 --> 0:08:19.320 rookies and young players that came into Green Bay, you 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:22.640 know Brett Humley being one of them as well, there 0:08:22.760 --> 0:08:24.720 is a role to be had there right off the bat. 0:08:24.720 --> 0:08:26.600 If you can prove that that you're worthy of it. 0:08:27.040 --> 0:08:29.760 Yeah, I'm really interested to watch Clifford moving forward here, 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:31.720 not only this week in mini camp, but then into 0:08:31.760 --> 0:08:34.360 training camp. For all the talk during the draft about 0:08:34.640 --> 0:08:37.000 you know, well, did the Packers draft him too early? 0:08:37.120 --> 0:08:39.199 Maybe they're you know, maybe they could have just gotten 0:08:39.240 --> 0:08:41.880 him as an undrafted free agent, and all that, you 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:45.320 set all that aside. Sean Clifford played in a happy 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:47.720 Valley in front of ninety five thousand people. He's played 0:08:47.720 --> 0:08:50.199 at the Horseshoe, He's played at Camp Randall. He's you know, 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:53.360 this is not a young man who's going to shy 0:08:53.440 --> 0:08:56.280 away from a challenge, and that the challenge put in 0:08:56.360 --> 0:08:59.319 front of him to nail down as best he can 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:03.360 the number two job behind Jordan Love and potentially beat 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:07.400 out Dannyettling, who's you know, who hasn't played regular season 0:09:07.400 --> 0:09:10.280 football yet but has certainly played his share in the 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:13.240 preseason and impressed the Packers last year, which is why 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:14.600 Dannyetling is still around. 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:17.360 Absolutely, you know, and again one of the older, more 0:09:17.480 --> 0:09:19.920 veteran players on this team. If that's the metric that 0:09:20.000 --> 0:09:22.400 you're trying to hit, I just want to close on 0:09:22.440 --> 0:09:25.480 this really quickly. If you're someone that actually is debating 0:09:25.520 --> 0:09:28.359 whether or not a fifth round pick was drafted too high. 0:09:28.480 --> 0:09:30.560 I think you need to find a new hobby, would 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:35.120 be my only suggestion. If we're going to critique day 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:38.560 three picks and where guys went or didn't go, you 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:40.880 can take I mean, outside of what maybe a long 0:09:40.880 --> 0:09:42.840 snapper in the fifth round. I don't know if there's 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:45.120 really a huge debate to be had there as far 0:09:45.160 --> 0:09:48.840 as from fifth to seventh exactly where guys go. Other 0:09:48.880 --> 0:09:51.680 than to have something to complain about, I guess yeah. 0:09:51.679 --> 0:09:53.600 And I can tell you who really doesn't care, and 0:09:53.640 --> 0:09:56.000 that's Sean Clifford because he's here to just play some 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:58.840 football and try to nail down a roster spot here 0:09:58.880 --> 0:10:02.080 with the Green Bay Packers as a rookie quarterback. So 0:10:02.320 --> 0:10:05.439 a little bit of sponsor business here. West Sirius XMNFL 0:10:05.520 --> 0:10:08.160 Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the minute 0:10:08.280 --> 0:10:12.199 NFL news that true football fanatics need twenty four to seven, 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:15.400 three sixty five and at Cousin Subs, we have something 0:10:15.440 --> 0:10:18.600 for everyone like our Wisconsin cheese curds, mac and cheese, 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:21.360 golden fries, and creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:25.760 sub or sub in a Bowl cousin subs fifty years 0:10:25.800 --> 0:10:31.319 of better. Another thing sort of topic of interest from 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:33.520 OTAs that we haven't had a chance to touch on yet, 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:36.559 although you have a story on our website for those 0:10:36.600 --> 0:10:39.280 who like to dive in and check out a few 0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:44.200 more details. But second year pro Tarique Carpenter drafted in 0:10:44.240 --> 0:10:47.480 the seventh round a year ago as a safety. The 0:10:47.559 --> 0:10:51.319 Packers have actually moved him to inside linebacker. He's now 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:56.079 part of the group of depth there behind starters Campbell 0:10:56.080 --> 0:11:01.320 and Walker with Isaiah McDuffie, Eric Wilson. Tarik Carpenter is 0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:05.520 now in that mix. He established himself last year as 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:09.000 a rookie as a special teams regular, and that you 0:11:09.040 --> 0:11:12.080 would expect is going to continue. But in terms of 0:11:12.080 --> 0:11:16.280 his opportunity to get potentially get snaps on defense, sounds 0:11:16.280 --> 0:11:18.160 like the Packers are going to see what he brings 0:11:18.200 --> 0:11:20.559 a little bit closer to the line of scrimmage than 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:22.640 where we saw him last year. Yeah. 0:11:22.720 --> 0:11:25.040 I remember back in ten years ago now when they 0:11:25.120 --> 0:11:29.480 got Sean Richardson as an undrafted free agent former teammate 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:34.199 of Casey Hayward at the Vanderbilt University. I remember thinking, man, 0:11:34.200 --> 0:11:37.360 this is a really big safety. Tarik Carpenter is like 0:11:37.920 --> 0:11:41.880 a bigger version of Sean Richardson. I remember there was 0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:43.319 a couple times. I think I even said it to 0:11:43.360 --> 0:11:45.640 you in the locker room, some of the availabilities last season. 0:11:45.640 --> 0:11:49.240 I'm like that guy that's not a safety. I mean, 0:11:50.120 --> 0:11:53.520 the rules have changed, certainly, there's more hybrids at that position, 0:11:53.559 --> 0:11:56.400 and in a box safety versus inside linebacker, what's really 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:59.840 the difference, right? But he just he looks like aligned 0:12:00.320 --> 0:12:01.960 in terms of just his frame. Maybe he has to 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:03.320 put some more weight on. I don't know what the 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:05.240 Packers are going to ask for him in that department, 0:12:05.679 --> 0:12:09.800 but the size is prototypical I think for an inside 0:12:09.800 --> 0:12:12.360 backer and you go buy listed weights, which isn't everything, 0:12:12.920 --> 0:12:15.400 but from a size and weight perspective, he's basically smaller 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:18.360 than Devondre Campbell and that's pretty much it in terms 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:20.480 of the inside linebackers. You know, he has three inches 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:23.440 on Isaiah McDuffie and also a couple pounds in the 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:26.200 listed category. And McDuffie, as we've seen, is a more 0:12:26.240 --> 0:12:28.960 than capable special teamer and then also been the MIC 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:31.760 in a few instances too, So I get what the 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:34.040 Packers we're getting at with this guy. The thing you 0:12:34.040 --> 0:12:36.160 have to understand with the Packers, And I was thinking 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:38.440 about this long and hard when I was writing the story. 0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:42.440 Whether it was Mike McCarthy or Matt Lafleur, I think 0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:46.040 it's probably maybe a little bit more symblematic of the. 0:12:45.920 --> 0:12:47.000 Front office as well. 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:49.800 When the Packers bringing a guy that could potentially be 0:12:49.840 --> 0:12:51.760 a tweener, they're going to play him at his college 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:53.920 position first. That's just been the way they've done it, 0:12:54.000 --> 0:12:55.560 and then if they feel like there needs to be 0:12:55.800 --> 0:12:59.440 an adjustment made, they'll do it after that and give 0:12:59.520 --> 0:13:02.480 him an oppertunity to get comfortable at a new spot. 0:13:02.720 --> 0:13:05.679 And for Touri Carpenter's standpoint, this has been a completely 0:13:05.720 --> 0:13:08.679 new language and education. He's in the same playbook, but 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:11.800 he's basically reading it differently and there have been some 0:13:11.880 --> 0:13:13.560 rough times that have come along with that. But he 0:13:13.600 --> 0:13:16.840 credited Devondre Campbell for being an excellent resource for him, 0:13:17.200 --> 0:13:19.320 somebody that he can go to, whether it's just trying 0:13:19.320 --> 0:13:20.839 to get advice, whether it's getting a little bit of 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:23.600 a confidence boost, feeling like, you know, this can be 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:26.760 his position. Because the other aspect of it is I 0:13:26.800 --> 0:13:31.320 think the Packers have a really elite prospect with special teams. 0:13:31.360 --> 0:13:34.800 His size is speed, everything you look for in a 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:38.240 coverage in a flexible body type that can help you 0:13:38.280 --> 0:13:42.920 in multiple phases, it's there With Touri Carpenter. It's mostly 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:45.360 about now figuring out, Okay, where can we rep him 0:13:45.360 --> 0:13:48.400 defensively and as we learned with him playing a little 0:13:48.440 --> 0:13:51.280 bit outside linebacker last year, some of the techniques that 0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:53.480 you teach him at those defensive positions and how that 0:13:53.520 --> 0:13:56.760 can potentially help you on special teams, case in point, 0:13:56.800 --> 0:14:00.000 outside linebacker, edge rush, also being a potential punt blocker. 0:14:00.320 --> 0:14:01.800 All that stuff is married together. 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:05.479 So he's taken it right on head on this offseason, 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:08.160 and if you look at it with them on of 0:14:08.200 --> 0:14:11.040 depth and experience, now that they have its safety in 0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:13.599 the fact in the inside linebacker room Chris Barnes was 0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:16.520 non tendered, the case can be made that the better 0:14:16.559 --> 0:14:19.640 opportunity with making this fifty three resides in that ILB room. 0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:23.520 Yeah, I think so, and we certainly expect to see 0:14:23.520 --> 0:14:27.760 Carpenter continue that special teams role. But it sounds like 0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:31.040 the young man is very excited about the positions which 0:14:31.080 --> 0:14:33.840 and the opportunity that maybe in front of him here 0:14:33.880 --> 0:14:37.440 in his second season with Green Bay. One other player 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:40.880 I want to touch on before we sign off and 0:14:40.960 --> 0:14:44.720 get ready to head out to cover practice for a 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:48.200 mini camp, a veteran player. We haven't talked about him 0:14:48.240 --> 0:14:51.640 much this offseason. He's been, you know, somewhat quiet, but 0:14:51.680 --> 0:14:54.840 he's always been a little bit quiet since he got here. 0:14:55.360 --> 0:14:59.520 But now he's he really has established himself. He's an 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:02.480 entrench defensive leader on this team. And we've talked about 0:15:02.480 --> 0:15:05.360 other guys in that regard, Kenny Clark j R. Alexander, 0:15:06.040 --> 0:15:09.680 but Preston Smith is a guy I tell you. He 0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:14.720 spoke to reporters after practice last week, the one that 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:20.000 we attended, and there's absolutely nothing about Preston Smith that 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:23.000 would indicate that a he will shy away at all 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:27.200 from the leadership responsibilities that are thrust upon him. But 0:15:27.320 --> 0:15:32.240 he also doesn't shy away from acknowledging that the defense 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:35.200 came up short last year. And while he's not going 0:15:35.280 --> 0:15:38.800 to go into you know what went wrong, chapter and verse, 0:15:38.840 --> 0:15:41.160 he's not interested in the details and talking about it. 0:15:41.200 --> 0:15:43.240 The players have all gone over it, they've gone over 0:15:43.280 --> 0:15:49.880 it with the coaches they know, and he's acknowledged the 0:15:49.920 --> 0:15:54.800 shortcomings on defense. But it's all about looking forward. It's 0:15:54.880 --> 0:15:57.680 not even it's not just putting last year in the 0:15:57.680 --> 0:16:00.480 review mirror. It's like the review mirror doesn't even exist. 0:16:01.280 --> 0:16:06.280 And I can appreciate that approach because because Preston's Preston 0:16:06.320 --> 0:16:09.280 Smith has has been there, done that in this league, 0:16:09.800 --> 0:16:13.440 right and he came in he you know, was sort 0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:16.560 of second fiddled as Darius Smith and all the Smith bros. 0:16:16.680 --> 0:16:18.560 Things for a couple of years, which was which was 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:21.160 great and all, but he's had to grow into a 0:16:21.200 --> 0:16:23.840 new role here in Green Bay and one that he 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:26.880 didn't really have in Washington in the four years that 0:16:27.000 --> 0:16:29.840 he was there. And uh, and I think the young 0:16:29.880 --> 0:16:33.120 players in that locker room, you know, appreciate where Preston 0:16:33.160 --> 0:16:36.160 Smith is coming from. And he even says that he 0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:40.320 appreciates guys, you know, whether it's Kings, LeAnn Igbari or 0:16:40.640 --> 0:16:42.920 Lucas van Ness, the new first round draft pick at 0:16:42.960 --> 0:16:45.920 his position coming to him and asking him questions, and 0:16:46.000 --> 0:16:48.400 he feels good about being able to help these guys 0:16:48.400 --> 0:16:50.360 out and not just send them back to the coach, 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:53.960 uh to get to to get their answers. We're seeing 0:16:54.000 --> 0:16:57.400 that the evolution of a of a of a veteran 0:16:57.440 --> 0:17:01.080 player who's embracing everything that the coaching staff and the 0:17:01.080 --> 0:17:05.080 front office is asking him to do. And it's been 0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:07.359 fun to watch and fun to get to know Preston Smith. 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:08.600 It really has Mike. 0:17:08.680 --> 0:17:11.359 And he's the guy too that he will be a captain, 0:17:11.440 --> 0:17:13.840 he'll be a leader, and he doesn't necessarily just need 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:15.600 to wear the sea on his chest. Who knows, maybe 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:17.760 he will this season, but I mean he's a guy 0:17:17.800 --> 0:17:20.600 that I think silently behind closed doors, without drawing much 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:23.280 attention to himself. He's been doing this since twenty nineteen. 0:17:23.560 --> 0:17:25.600 I think we just caught onto it a little bit later. 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:28.439 And now at this point in time, as you mentioned 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:30.800 with that interview with media, he recognizes he is the 0:17:30.840 --> 0:17:34.240 oldest player on defense and I think now what probably 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:37.440 the third longest tenured player on the defensive side of 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:40.720 the ball, behind Kenny Clark and jyr Alexander. So the 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:43.240 responsibilities that go with that, he does not shy away 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:45.440 from them. And also, you know, just seeing the way 0:17:45.440 --> 0:17:47.280 he interacts with the guys, you know, I'm working on 0:17:47.320 --> 0:17:48.800 a little bit of a story on him right now 0:17:48.800 --> 0:17:51.120 that I was waiting down the locker room to talk 0:17:51.160 --> 0:17:56.119 with him about four about four, yeah, whatever, before I 0:17:56.200 --> 0:17:59.200 came up here, and just seeing how he interacts with 0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:04.160 Darnell Savig and young players, veteran players. The guy really 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:07.919 can step into any conversation and hold his own and 0:18:08.080 --> 0:18:11.040 I think the relatability of him has been such a 0:18:11.040 --> 0:18:12.080 breath of fresh air for. 0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:12.760 This locker room. 0:18:13.200 --> 0:18:15.240 And when you talk about making a big transition both 0:18:15.240 --> 0:18:18.040 defensively and as a football team, Preston Smith's gonna be 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:20.119 a big part of that. The other thing I think 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:22.199 that needs to be talked about very quickly is he's 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:23.879 a guy that, when you look at the totality of 0:18:23.880 --> 0:18:26.840 his career, can be really hard to can be really easy, 0:18:26.880 --> 0:18:29.920 I should say, to overlook everything he's accomplished and achieved. 0:18:30.640 --> 0:18:33.879 When you talk about signing a free agent Mike, the 0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:36.280 investment you're making and a guy coming into the building 0:18:36.280 --> 0:18:39.000 and you don't really maybe know him, I don't know 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:41.480 if there's a better investment than Preston Smith. I mean 0:18:41.480 --> 0:18:45.520 a guy that has been in historically durable at a 0:18:45.560 --> 0:18:50.080 position in which durability isn't always doesn't always go hand 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:52.280 in hand. And he's missed one game I think, and 0:18:52.359 --> 0:18:54.239 during his time with the Packers to break up his 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:56.879 consecutive games played streak, which I think was around one 0:18:56.960 --> 0:18:58.000 hundred or hundred and two. 0:18:58.080 --> 0:19:00.440 So yeah, and that's the only game he missed in 0:19:00.480 --> 0:19:03.639 his entire career, including the four years and what and 0:19:03.680 --> 0:19:05.639 he didn't he didn't want to miss it either. It 0:19:06.320 --> 0:19:08.280 you know, it really hurt him to have to miss 0:19:08.280 --> 0:19:10.560 the game. Yeah, because he he takes he takes a 0:19:10.600 --> 0:19:12.920 heck of a lot of pride in in that durability 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:16.120 and showing up for his teammates and his coaches every Sunday. 0:19:16.160 --> 0:19:18.439 And he's he's done that. He's done that now for 0:19:18.480 --> 0:19:21.320 eight years with only missing one game along the way. 0:19:21.359 --> 0:19:24.400 It's pretty remarkable. And on top of that, I think 0:19:24.440 --> 0:19:27.679 including playoffs now he had I think he's up to 0:19:27.800 --> 0:19:30.280 sixty two sixty three sacks in his career if you 0:19:30.320 --> 0:19:34.560 include his postseason numbers. So he's, uh, he's put together 0:19:34.640 --> 0:19:37.360 quite a career. And and he's still going strong here 0:19:37.359 --> 0:19:38.359 in Green Bay by all. 0:19:38.280 --> 0:19:42.040 Accounts, and as steady as they go from a performing standpoint. 0:19:42.119 --> 0:19:45.160 So the Packers obviously last year they lost for Sean Gary. 0:19:45.200 --> 0:19:47.679 That was a big hit. Preston stepped his game up, 0:19:47.680 --> 0:19:50.080 he stepped his leadership up to get the young guys 0:19:50.160 --> 0:19:52.560 up to you know, to par being able to welcome 0:19:52.600 --> 0:19:54.840 in a guy like Justin Hollins and get him producing. 0:19:55.400 --> 0:19:57.800 And now this year you get Lucas Fanes in that room. 0:19:57.840 --> 0:19:59.360