WEBVTT - #518 Packers Unscripted: Off to Indy 0:00:00.760 --> 0:00:14.800 Hi, everyone. Welcome to Packers Unscripted, or should I say 0:00:14.800 --> 0:00:17.600 welcome back to Packers Unscripted. We are back. I am 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:21.200 Mike Spofford from Packers dot Com. He is my partner 0:00:21.239 --> 0:00:24.840 in crime, Wes Hodkowits, and we're back west because we 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:29.400 are headed to the NFL Scouting Combine, the annual gala 0:00:29.560 --> 0:00:34.680 in Indianapolis, Indiana. By the time folks are watching slash 0:00:34.840 --> 0:00:37.600 listening to this, we will be on our way to Indie. 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:42.440 We recorded this just before we hit the road. So, um, 0:00:42.479 --> 0:00:45.680 are you ready for this? It's it's another week in Indie. Man, 0:00:45.800 --> 0:00:47.320 here we go. Yeah, I'm ready for it. I was 0:00:47.360 --> 0:00:49.800 actually hoping you're gonna say, no, we're live from Indie 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:53.320 right now. We we moved. We moved the whole set, 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:56.240 the whole studio. We took it to Indie Mart and 0:00:56.280 --> 0:00:58.680 grabbed a U haul in a Mayflower truck and here 0:00:58.720 --> 0:01:02.400 we are in Indianapolis. No, I'm excited for it. There's 0:01:02.480 --> 0:01:07.480 no week quite like the NFL Scouting Combine. Uh. You 0:01:07.560 --> 0:01:10.560 see everybody in the National Football League and they all 0:01:10.600 --> 0:01:13.720 descend upon not only just a city basically about a 0:01:13.760 --> 0:01:16.720 four or five six block radius. They're all in one 0:01:16.880 --> 0:01:20.800 one position, and uh, seeing getting a chance to talk 0:01:20.840 --> 0:01:23.360 with Brian goodacunst already as you and I will discuss 0:01:23.480 --> 0:01:25.360 right now, and then hearing what Matt Lafleur has to 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:28.120 say down there. This is the thing where it always 0:01:28.120 --> 0:01:30.840 sets the temperature a little bit of the water. When 0:01:30.880 --> 0:01:34.200 you go into a new season, everything restarts. This is 0:01:34.200 --> 0:01:36.600 always kind of like the first quarter. It feels like 0:01:37.040 --> 0:01:38.959 as you get ready for the next season, it's kind 0:01:38.959 --> 0:01:41.760 of when the page is officially turned to the next season. 0:01:41.800 --> 0:01:45.560 It's not about the nineteen season, the twenty nineteen playoffs 0:01:45.560 --> 0:01:49.000 in January. It's not about that anymore. It's now everything 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:52.640 is looking ahead to the scouting combine is kind of 0:01:52.640 --> 0:01:56.360 that moment where all eyes and all minds start going forward. Yeah. 0:01:56.360 --> 0:01:58.880 And in addition to all these NFL teams, every agent 0:01:59.320 --> 0:02:01.400 for the most part, the National Football League is also 0:02:01.440 --> 0:02:04.840 in Indianapolis as they begin to go through their meetings 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:07.520 and obviously the free agency only a few weeks away. 0:02:07.920 --> 0:02:10.720 It's just it's incredible because it's that reset button that 0:02:10.840 --> 0:02:14.399 you press that everything that happened in two thousand nineteen 0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:16.800 for the Green Bay Packers, as cool as that was, 0:02:17.240 --> 0:02:19.560 Brian Goodacun set it himself. I mean, this is a 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:22.400 new season, a new year, a new opportunity, and the 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:26.360 Packers are looking to you know, continue upon this path 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:28.680 that they put themselves on this past year. Well, this 0:02:28.800 --> 0:02:32.160 time of year, as you mentioned, is really the first 0:02:32.200 --> 0:02:35.360 opportunity media wise for us to get a chance to 0:02:35.440 --> 0:02:39.639 talk to head coach Matt Lafleur general manager Brian goodacunst 0:02:39.840 --> 0:02:44.320 as in terms of the pre draft process here and 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:47.920 normally we hear from them strictly in Indianapolis. It turns 0:02:47.919 --> 0:02:51.800 out this year Brian goodacoun has decided to do sort 0:02:51.800 --> 0:02:54.480 of an off to the side session with writers. You 0:02:54.520 --> 0:02:56.560 and I were included in that session, as well as 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:59.240 several other beat writers that cover the team on a 0:02:59.320 --> 0:03:02.480 regular base. This that was held on Friday at the 0:03:02.840 --> 0:03:07.280 h at lambeau Field, and some interesting thoughts coming out 0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:10.560 of there because Packers, you know, this isn't just about 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:12.880 the draft. The Packers have a lot of decisions to 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:16.480 make in terms of pending free agents, other veteran contracts, 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:19.200 all these things. Now, Brian Goodaquin's didn't give us too 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:23.560 much of an insight into where those decisions necessarily are headed, 0:03:23.880 --> 0:03:26.880 but he did say that really when everybody gets back 0:03:26.919 --> 0:03:28.960 from the combine and then you have kind of about 0:03:28.960 --> 0:03:31.880 a two week window there before free agency starts to 0:03:31.960 --> 0:03:34.440 kick off. That's when a lot of the decisions and 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:38.360 the planning and and the uh, the path so to speak, 0:03:38.400 --> 0:03:41.560 starts to take shape for where this offseason is going 0:03:41.600 --> 0:03:44.320 for green Bay. And that's sort of what he expressed 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:46.040 to us in that meeting. Yeah, and this will be 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:47.880 to where a lot of agents will sit down with 0:03:47.920 --> 0:03:50.920 the teams that hold their their players contracts uh and 0:03:50.960 --> 0:03:53.280 start to have some of those really discussions and you know, 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:54.880 maybe have a chance to get that face to face 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:57.920 encounter green Bay. It's such an interesting spot that they're 0:03:57.920 --> 0:04:01.240 in right now because, as Brian said, last year, they 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:04.000 made a a you know, a ton of moves. You know, 0:04:04.000 --> 0:04:06.440 they not only signed those four free agents, they brought 0:04:06.480 --> 0:04:09.560 back Mercedes Louis. They they did some things that they 0:04:09.600 --> 0:04:11.800 felt we're going to set them up to have the 0:04:11.840 --> 0:04:13.760 type of year that they did a real big bounce 0:04:13.840 --> 0:04:17.400 back season. Now, you probably don't have as many available 0:04:17.400 --> 0:04:19.960 resources as you did when you made all those big signings, 0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:22.960 certainly a lot tighter against the cap, and that's really 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:25.120 what it comes down to there. There's no team in 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:27.920 the league that's going to have the salary cap space 0:04:28.000 --> 0:04:30.440 to sign four guys on the first day of free 0:04:30.480 --> 0:04:32.520 agency two years in a row. Like that's just not 0:04:32.560 --> 0:04:34.480 gonna happen. So, I mean, it'll be interesting to see 0:04:34.520 --> 0:04:38.159 exactly how that shuffles out. Yeah, Well, as we as 0:04:38.160 --> 0:04:42.240 we look ahead here, Brian Goodkunts gave us a bit 0:04:42.279 --> 0:04:45.640 of a preview of how things are going to go 0:04:45.800 --> 0:04:48.440 at the Combine now, just to give fans a sense 0:04:48.480 --> 0:04:50.920 of of what goes on here. Obviously, what the media 0:04:51.080 --> 0:04:54.080 is doing or are doing at the Combine, it's very 0:04:54.120 --> 0:04:57.240 different from what the coaches and the scouts and and 0:04:57.320 --> 0:05:00.359 the gms and everybody else are doing there the play years. 0:05:00.760 --> 0:05:04.400 The players are there too. They get medical checks, they 0:05:04.440 --> 0:05:07.560 get they have interviews both formal and informal. They do 0:05:07.600 --> 0:05:09.440 all the workouts, which are going to be in prime 0:05:09.480 --> 0:05:12.480 time on TV this year. That's been a big change 0:05:12.560 --> 0:05:17.000 up to the schedule. From a media standpoint, we get 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:19.719 to hear from some coaches and gms. We also have 0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:24.839 access to the players. They take the podiums at the 0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:28.800 Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. Reporters from all across the 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:32.359 country that cover the league. Uh, get a chance to 0:05:32.400 --> 0:05:35.520 be there at two really our first chance to meet 0:05:35.600 --> 0:05:37.800 a lot of these guys because they've obviously only been 0:05:37.800 --> 0:05:40.640 playing in college. So that's always an interesting part of it. 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:43.640 But a lot of stuff here packed into really what's 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:45.960 going to come down to four days like Tuesday through 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:49.240 Friday in Indianapolis. Yeah, it's a whirlwind. And you know, 0:05:49.320 --> 0:05:51.680 you start off that. It's always interesting how those podiums 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:54.400 at the very beginning, it's the GMS, it's the coaches, 0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:57.520 occasionally it's a it's a president of football operations. They'll 0:05:57.560 --> 0:05:59.239 go up there and they kind of set the table 0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:01.560 for everything. And after that, then the quarterbacks come in 0:06:01.560 --> 0:06:04.640 and the running backs and the receivers in position by position, 0:06:04.680 --> 0:06:07.080 the eight different podiums and then all the different you 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:09.480 know tables that are around there. Guys get a chance 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:11.760 to state their case and you know, make some good impressions. 0:06:12.240 --> 0:06:15.240 The one thing that actually leads to some interesting moments. 0:06:15.279 --> 0:06:18.200 As you know, I still remember being at some of 0:06:18.200 --> 0:06:20.440 these players the Packers ended up drafting, you know, ha 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:22.480 Clinton Dicks. I remember being at his podium back in 0:06:22.560 --> 0:06:27.960 two thousand fourteen. Uh, you know, Josh Jackson Jr. Alexander Um. 0:06:28.000 --> 0:06:29.920 You know, I don't think I was at Darnell Savages 0:06:30.000 --> 0:06:33.320 last year, but like it's always been something when you 0:06:33.360 --> 0:06:35.640 see a guy at that podium and then two months 0:06:35.720 --> 0:06:38.240 later you end up seeing him in the Packers locker room, 0:06:38.320 --> 0:06:40.560 and those are the decisions they have to make. As 0:06:40.600 --> 0:06:43.360 Brian good Coin said, they have ten draft picks right now, 0:06:43.360 --> 0:06:45.599 and they got a six rounder for Reggie Gilbert, they 0:06:45.680 --> 0:06:48.320 got a six rounder for Trevor Davis. They also have 0:06:48.400 --> 0:06:50.800 their own sixth and two sevenths, So I mean there's 0:06:50.839 --> 0:06:53.200 a lot of flexibility, especially in that third day that 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:54.800 that they're gonna be able to move around and you know, 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:58.000 utilize those parts, and that is, you know, what it's 0:06:58.000 --> 0:07:01.840 gonna take to really ake that next step. As we 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:04.039 were talking about earlier with the free agency side of 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:09.720 this thing, Brian Bulaga, Mason Crosby, Tremont Williams, Blake Martinez, Kyler, Facral, 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:12.320 they have a lot of unrestricted free agents they're gonna 0:07:12.320 --> 0:07:14.600 have to make a decision on. And by the time 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:18.480 that you know, all these measurables and interviews and and 0:07:18.560 --> 0:07:21.679 everything gets brought together to make these picks, the Packers 0:07:21.680 --> 0:07:24.760 will have some resolution to how those free agents played out. 0:07:25.440 --> 0:07:28.080 So it's like kind of like doing your homework for 0:07:28.120 --> 0:07:30.720 a test. But there's that quiz in the middle, right. 0:07:30.800 --> 0:07:32.520 You got to see how that quiz goes and then 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:34.840 start to figure out, Okay, where are you going to 0:07:34.920 --> 0:07:38.119 emphasize where could the potential strengths be at this draft? 0:07:38.120 --> 0:07:39.520 You and I will get a chance to get into 0:07:39.560 --> 0:07:42.120 that next week a little bit more. But there's just 0:07:43.520 --> 0:07:46.880 that whole week with the convention center of the events 0:07:46.920 --> 0:07:50.480 over at Lucas Oil Stadium. Um, you know the guys downtown. 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:52.160 I mean, you just get to see these guys in 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:55.560 so many different ways. Um, if you're an NFL scout 0:07:55.640 --> 0:07:58.560 to start making that decision on not only their medicals 0:07:58.560 --> 0:08:01.520 but character wise personality, could they be a fit for 0:08:01.520 --> 0:08:04.720 your locker room? Yeah? That the interview process. I always 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:08.760 think it's interesting because you talk to any GM, any 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:12.720 scout about the combine and they will always say, inevitably, 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:15.960 the two most important things that happened at the scouting 0:08:16.000 --> 0:08:19.520 combine are the medical checks and the interviews. The chance 0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:21.320 to sit down and talk to these guys and really 0:08:21.360 --> 0:08:23.600 kind of test their football knowledge and all that kind 0:08:23.600 --> 0:08:25.840 of stuff. Those are the two things that get no 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:28.400 media coverage because there aren't any cameras, there are und 0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:31.800 any interviews allowed during that part of the process. So 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:34.080 all the media coverage is on a lot of the 0:08:34.120 --> 0:08:36.760 other stuff, the workouts and this and that, and and 0:08:36.800 --> 0:08:38.640 that's just part of it. That's that's just kind of 0:08:38.640 --> 0:08:40.880 part of the setup. But if you got rid of 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:43.839 all of the workouts and all that stuff that's on television, 0:08:44.160 --> 0:08:47.439 the combine would still be really important for the because 0:08:47.480 --> 0:08:49.600 of the medicals and the interviews. That's the point I'm trying. 0:08:49.640 --> 0:08:51.520 And that's why it all started, right, I mean, that 0:08:51.600 --> 0:08:54.120 was the thing. It all started because of getting all 0:08:54.160 --> 0:08:57.360 the players together to have medical checks, essentially, like guys 0:08:57.400 --> 0:09:00.360 who have injuries in college, to get an our eye 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:02.880 on a knee or a CT scan on some injury, 0:09:02.920 --> 0:09:05.680 a shoulder, whatever it might be. That's how the whole 0:09:05.720 --> 0:09:09.080 thing started, so that these players, these draft prospects, weren't 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:12.480 basically being flown around to twenty or twenty five NFL 0:09:12.559 --> 0:09:15.240 cities to get a medical check in every single city. 0:09:15.320 --> 0:09:19.560 So they combined their efforts and uh, and then here 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:21.800 we are now with what is what has now become 0:09:21.840 --> 0:09:26.000 a week long extravaganza with prime time television coverage and 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:27.839 the whole deal. That part of it I thought was 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:30.319 a little bit quizzical in my mind, because I still 0:09:30.360 --> 0:09:32.280 think you could end up taping the workouts in the 0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:34.200 morning and run them at night and nobody would be 0:09:34.200 --> 0:09:37.600 any worse for wear. But they except except for the 0:09:37.640 --> 0:09:41.440 results getting out that. But I mean, if you're watching 0:09:41.440 --> 0:09:44.800 the thing in prime time, I'm guessing Don Hodkoitz isn't 0:09:44.840 --> 0:09:47.400 like sitting there reading this thing online being like, man, 0:09:47.440 --> 0:09:49.160 I really gotta watch this now at night. Oh, I'm 0:09:49.160 --> 0:09:52.880 not interested anymore. But that's the NFL. Everything is a spectacle. 0:09:52.920 --> 0:09:55.160 It's the reason why it's really difficult to take a 0:09:55.240 --> 0:09:58.400 vacation when you work in this league. But that's a 0:09:58.480 --> 0:10:01.040 discussion for another day. But but that's it's a it's 0:10:01.040 --> 0:10:03.840 a three sixty five day news cycle, goes twelve months 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:05.920 of the year, fifty two weeks out of the year. 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:08.360 And the other thing too that was interesting, getting back 0:10:08.400 --> 0:10:10.600 to our conversation with Brian Gudkins, was the fact that 0:10:10.640 --> 0:10:14.000 this is an adjustment in how the coaches, how the 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:17.280 the scouts have to approach us as well. They cut 0:10:17.320 --> 0:10:20.080 down on the number of formal interviews. But you know, 0:10:20.520 --> 0:10:23.160 Goodkins kind of pointing out the silver lining to that 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:25.320 is they get a couple more minutes now with each 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:28.319 of these prospects, whereas before I think it was fifteen. 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:31.240 Maybe now it's like eighteen. You don't get your sixty anymore, 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:34.280 but you still get forty five formals. Those are important. 0:10:34.360 --> 0:10:37.080 Taking what you learned at the Senior Bowl, you're gonna 0:10:37.120 --> 0:10:39.480 have your thirty pre draft visits that you'll also have 0:10:39.559 --> 0:10:43.439 with prospects between you know, March and April to kind 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:46.160 of sift through as well. So to a lot of 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:49.040 people outside looking in, it was a big challenge. I 0:10:49.040 --> 0:10:50.560 think there were some people that were even kind of 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:53.720 you know, complaining about it. But Brian had a pretty 0:10:53.720 --> 0:10:56.439 optimistic outlook on it. What he thinks this is gonna 0:10:56.480 --> 0:11:00.280 mean and and basically with his overlying assumption being they're 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:02.480 still gonna be able to get the job done and 0:11:02.520 --> 0:11:04.560 in some cases maybe they'll even learn a thing or 0:11:04.559 --> 0:11:07.400 two more than they would have under the previous set up. Yeah, 0:11:07.400 --> 0:11:10.120 and it sounds like there's there's been another set of 0:11:10.160 --> 0:11:13.679 what they call the informal interviews that are added where 0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:16.920 where players from a specific position will be gathered in 0:11:16.960 --> 0:11:21.280 a group, and then the corresponding position coaches from around 0:11:21.320 --> 0:11:24.560 the league will be able to get together specifically with 0:11:24.600 --> 0:11:27.920 those players, just in an informal interview setting, but maybe 0:11:27.920 --> 0:11:32.160 not quite as chaotic as the old school one, which 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:36.679 involved players and scouts and coaches and everybody, uh, kind 0:11:36.720 --> 0:11:39.480 of all together at at what they called the train 0:11:39.559 --> 0:11:43.679 Depot in in Indianapolis. So they're breaking things down a 0:11:43.760 --> 0:11:46.839 little bit more too, and Goodakoon said he thinks that 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:50.520 will be be beneficial to have some of these extra 0:11:50.600 --> 0:11:53.360 opportunities going forward to point this out too. And maybe 0:11:53.400 --> 0:11:55.720 you're going to mention this, but the Packers actually they 0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:58.479 will be sending their whole coaching staff and their scouting departments. 0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:00.920 That's been kind of a point in can tension this 0:12:00.960 --> 0:12:02.920 offseason with the reports that the Rams are going to 0:12:03.040 --> 0:12:05.240 keep home their assistant coaches. I believe it was Denver 0:12:05.320 --> 0:12:08.000 as well with vic Fers another team we're gonna keep 0:12:08.040 --> 0:12:10.439 their coaches at home. Brian said he feels like that 0:12:10.520 --> 0:12:12.200 still has a lot of value for his guys to 0:12:12.240 --> 0:12:14.760 be down there. Now a position coach doesn't have to 0:12:14.800 --> 0:12:17.360 be there the whole week. An offensive line coach can 0:12:17.400 --> 0:12:18.880 go down there during the couple of days that the 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:21.040 offensive linemen are available and get the job done that 0:12:21.080 --> 0:12:22.840 they need and get back up to Green Bay. But 0:12:23.640 --> 0:12:25.560 you know, for some people, they're trying to you know, 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:27.600 maybe get a little cute, I think some would say, 0:12:27.679 --> 0:12:31.199 or trying to reallocate the resources in different ways. Goodacuns 0:12:31.200 --> 0:12:33.200 to his staff, Matt Lafore is still like, feel like 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:36.120 there's a lot of values still having those guys in Indianapolis. Yeah, well, 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:38.480 I do want to get back to the conversation we 0:12:38.559 --> 0:12:42.320 had with the other Beat writers and with general manager 0:12:42.320 --> 0:12:45.640 Brian Goodacoons, because you mentioned the Packers have decisions to 0:12:45.720 --> 0:12:49.280 make on pending free agents like Brian Bulaga, Blake Martinez. 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:51.880 Those decisions are going to be made at some point. 0:12:52.200 --> 0:12:55.080 He did give. If he gave us insight into anything, 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:59.040 it's that it really sounds like he wants kicker Mason 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:01.600 Crosby to be back. Now that's another pending free agent. 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:04.840 Crosby coming off of maybe probably the best season of 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:07.360 his career, twenty two out of twenty four on field goals, 0:13:07.600 --> 0:13:11.480 he only missed one extra point, he said, a personal 0:13:11.559 --> 0:13:16.520 best for touchback percentage on kickoffs, and Gouda Kun said 0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:18.840 I think he I think he used I forget exactly 0:13:18.880 --> 0:13:21.080 the phrase he used. I think he said the right ending. 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:24.920 He he wants Mason Crosby back on this team. In 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:28.320 obviously there are no guarantees. This is a business. There 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:30.640 are all kinds of business decisions that have made on 0:13:30.679 --> 0:13:33.480 both sides, the team side and the player's side. But 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:36.120 it sounds like he wants his veteran kicker still here 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:38.280 in Green Bay. Yeah. And and Mason has signed two 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:40.760 contracts already with Green Bay. So that's one of the 0:13:40.800 --> 0:13:42.800 reasons why I've always kind of had that faith in 0:13:42.800 --> 0:13:44.120 it that you can you know, when you come to 0:13:44.160 --> 0:13:48.160 an agreement once, okay, you come to another agreement, all right, 0:13:48.840 --> 0:13:50.719 then he starts to get down the line here, ten 0:13:50.800 --> 0:13:54.480 twelve years into a career, if there's no obvious signs 0:13:54.480 --> 0:13:56.880 of deterioration or drop off, in which I don't feel 0:13:56.880 --> 0:13:59.320 there's been any with Mason Crosby. You've pointed it out too. 0:13:59.360 --> 0:14:01.400 I mean, his touch back percentages as high as it's 0:14:01.400 --> 0:14:04.160 ever been in his career. Uh. And and here's the 0:14:04.200 --> 0:14:06.599 other caveat to this too. And I don't mean to 0:14:06.679 --> 0:14:08.480 keep bringing this up because I did talk about it 0:14:08.520 --> 0:14:11.400 a lot during this past season of unscripted. But if 0:14:11.400 --> 0:14:14.000 you ever need a reminder of how important a kicker is, 0:14:14.360 --> 0:14:16.520 look at what happened in Chicago after they moved down 0:14:16.559 --> 0:14:19.280 from Robbie Gold. They're still not settled there and we're 0:14:19.320 --> 0:14:22.160 now three three and a half years since they've released 0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:25.280 him at the beginning of the season back and there 0:14:25.320 --> 0:14:28.440 one playoff appearance in a decade ended because of a 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:31.440 missed fundle. So you got to see all the thing. 0:14:31.800 --> 0:14:34.360 You know, he Mason Crosby is gonna have a market. 0:14:34.440 --> 0:14:37.240 There's a dearth of really competent, capable kickers out there. 0:14:38.040 --> 0:14:40.520 But I think history has shown that those two sides 0:14:40.520 --> 0:14:42.800 have always found a way to make these things work out. 0:14:42.880 --> 0:14:44.760 I would think that they're going to put those efforts 0:14:44.800 --> 0:14:47.960 again here together. Crosby still only, I believe, thirty five 0:14:48.040 --> 0:14:50.640 years old for a kicker. Still a lot of tread 0:14:50.680 --> 0:14:52.520 on the tire. Yeah, one of the things I think 0:14:52.600 --> 0:14:56.240 that's interesting here with the Packers, and as we will 0:14:56.280 --> 0:14:59.840 be doing a couple of unscripted episodes from Indianapolis, we 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:05.040 you know, our annual on location UM episodes, and we'll 0:15:05.080 --> 0:15:07.200 get into, you know, some of the name dropping of 0:15:07.240 --> 0:15:09.760 guys that some different positions that we hear from, and 0:15:09.880 --> 0:15:12.480 you know, those positions that people are talking about as 0:15:12.520 --> 0:15:16.240 as needs for the Packers and and whatnot. So we'll 0:15:16.280 --> 0:15:18.360 get into a lot of those names and who's saying 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:22.840 what next week. But one thing I think is interesting 0:15:22.880 --> 0:15:25.920 here is that when you talk about these free agent decisions, 0:15:25.960 --> 0:15:29.240 specifically with Brian Bolaga and with Blake Martinez at offensive 0:15:29.280 --> 0:15:33.560 tackle and inside linebackers specifically, I get the feeling west 0:15:33.600 --> 0:15:37.120 that whether or not you bring back Brian Bulaga, whether 0:15:37.240 --> 0:15:39.720 or not you bring back Blake Martinez, I think those 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:41.800 are two positions the Packers are still going to be 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:45.080 looking at pretty strongly in this draft. Now, the the 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:49.840 acuteness of the need, the immediacy of the need, will 0:15:49.960 --> 0:15:53.720 would depend on those decisions on those veteran players. But 0:15:53.840 --> 0:15:56.080 I think in terms of in terms of, you know, 0:15:56.280 --> 0:15:58.760 building the roster the way Brian Goodkins would like to 0:15:58.760 --> 0:16:01.320 build the roster, the are going to be positions of 0:16:01.440 --> 0:16:04.680 need here going into this draft regardless. Yeah, and I 0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:07.520 have so much respect for Bolaga because I think, you know, 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:09.680 there was a lot of doubters when he signed that 0:16:09.720 --> 0:16:12.360 five year deal, you know, back in two thousand sixteen, 0:16:12.440 --> 0:16:14.680 or whenever that was. It was two fifteen, it was 0:16:14.720 --> 0:16:16.680 after the fourteens. There were some people saying, Oh, there's 0:16:16.680 --> 0:16:17.920 no way he's going to see the end of that, 0:16:18.000 --> 0:16:20.360 And here he is. He fought through injuries, he played 0:16:20.360 --> 0:16:23.200 at an exemplary level. I mean, he's in my mind 0:16:23.240 --> 0:16:25.040 he's a Packers Hall of Famer right now. I think 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:26.640 he's had that type of career and he's had that 0:16:26.680 --> 0:16:30.200 type of longevity, but you never know. And the thing 0:16:30.240 --> 0:16:32.320 I keep going back to was, and this is why 0:16:32.360 --> 0:16:33.880 I feel like it could be important for them to 0:16:33.920 --> 0:16:35.680 bring him back again. I'm not the ones you know, 0:16:35.720 --> 0:16:39.560 signing checks and and picking up the phone, but two 0:16:39.560 --> 0:16:41.720 thousand and ten is such an important year when you 0:16:41.760 --> 0:16:44.600 look at what they did going into the Super Bowl 0:16:44.600 --> 0:16:47.720 season and the ability to bring back Chad Clifton, and 0:16:48.680 --> 0:16:50.960 I think Brian probably has a little bit more left 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:53.880 than what Chad did at that point, but having Clifton 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:56.120 as the left tackle that season was imperative for a 0:16:56.120 --> 0:16:59.360 Super Bowl run, and I see a lot of things 0:16:59.360 --> 0:17:01.440 with Bolaga could be very similar. This is a guy 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:03.720 that has played good football for you. He's still one 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:05.960 of the best right tackles in the game, and I'm 0:17:05.960 --> 0:17:07.520 sure Brian wants to get paid like one of the 0:17:07.520 --> 0:17:09.320 best right tackles in the game, so that's gonna be 0:17:09.359 --> 0:17:12.040 something to monitor. All that being said, I think it's 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:14.520 been one draft in the last maybe fifteen years where 0:17:14.520 --> 0:17:17.880 the Packers haven't taken an offensive lineman. Otherwise they've kept 0:17:17.880 --> 0:17:19.760 going down to that well because you need them, you 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:21.400 need the backups, you need to be able to keep 0:17:21.440 --> 0:17:24.760 guys in the pipeline. Packers have to taken some swings 0:17:24.800 --> 0:17:27.440 at tackle over the last few years. They haven't all 0:17:27.440 --> 0:17:29.879 worked out. So I think that's one reason why, regardless 0:17:29.920 --> 0:17:32.680 of what happens with Bolaga, you maybe think about having 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:35.119 that guy there that you can develop behind those guys 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:37.439 or jump in right away if you need them to. 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:41.960 As far as middle linebacks is concerned, this is really 0:17:41.960 --> 0:17:43.520 going to be a question, I think more for Matt 0:17:43.600 --> 0:17:45.960 Lafleur and seeing what the direction at defense is going 0:17:46.000 --> 0:17:48.560 to be. They played a lot of sub package safety 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:51.760 this year in the box with Ibraheim Campbell and Raven Green. 0:17:52.320 --> 0:17:54.959 I'm curious if that is really by design or if 0:17:55.000 --> 0:17:58.400 that was mostly by necessity. Um and we're gonna find 0:17:58.400 --> 0:18:01.240 out in twenty But depending what happens with Blake Martinez. 0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:03.439 That's one spot, maybe two spots that you're gonna need 0:18:03.440 --> 0:18:06.920 to address. Yeah, well, and we and we will hear 0:18:06.960 --> 0:18:10.760 from Matt Lafleur on Tuesday in Indianapolis, So when we 0:18:10.840 --> 0:18:13.600 do a couple of shows from India, will certainly be 0:18:13.640 --> 0:18:17.320 talking about a lot of his comments from the podium 0:18:17.320 --> 0:18:21.159 at the convention Center. Goudakunts also had he shared some 0:18:21.240 --> 0:18:25.399 thoughts with regard to the youth on this roster and 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:28.680 as any GM I mean, and I don't care whether 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:31.520 you're talking about Ron Wolf or Ted Thompson or Brian Goodakuns. 0:18:32.080 --> 0:18:35.080 Mike McCarthy would would say it as well, the biggest 0:18:35.119 --> 0:18:38.919 improvement for this team when when you get to this 0:18:39.040 --> 0:18:42.280 stage the Packers made all their the big free agent 0:18:42.359 --> 0:18:44.880 signings a year ago, you end up making a run 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:48.920 to the NFC Championship Game. Your biggest improvement is most 0:18:48.960 --> 0:18:51.600 likely going to come from within. It's going to come 0:18:51.640 --> 0:18:54.600 from the young guys who are taking that next step. 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:57.680 Now you could be talking about you know, Jairo, Alexander, 0:18:57.800 --> 0:19:01.639 Elton Jenkins, you know, guys like that. But Gudakunst also 0:19:01.800 --> 0:19:05.240 is you know, looking at guys that wide receiver and 0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:07.800 tight end and whatnot and and what are they going 0:19:07.840 --> 0:19:09.840 to do? Those are positions I think the Packers will 0:19:09.840 --> 0:19:12.239 be looking at in the draft as well. So some 0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:15.920 interesting thoughts there in terms of just how exactly this 0:19:16.440 --> 0:19:21.360 puzzle is going to fit together when Brian goudacunst arrives 0:19:21.400 --> 0:19:23.800 at the ninety man roster that he's going to take 0:19:23.800 --> 0:19:26.440 into training camp in late July. Yeah, first and foremost, 0:19:26.520 --> 0:19:28.639 and again we'll discuss this next week. But tight end 0:19:28.680 --> 0:19:30.720 isn't nearly as deep as it was last year in 0:19:30.760 --> 0:19:33.240 this draft. Oh yeah, they're there there. I mean you 0:19:33.520 --> 0:19:35.639 look at some of the projections. Now, last year we 0:19:35.640 --> 0:19:38.840 were talking about two tight ends almost certainly going in 0:19:38.880 --> 0:19:40.760