WEBVTT - #296 Packers Unscripted: Springtime thoughts 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:20.439 Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.480 --> 0:00:23.119 I am Mike Spofford, sitting next to the one and 0:00:23.200 --> 0:00:26.080 only Wes Hodkowits were coming to you here from our 0:00:26.120 --> 0:00:28.960 studios at lambeau Field and West. Earlier this week, we 0:00:29.080 --> 0:00:32.920 got our first media access to the players, to the 0:00:32.960 --> 0:00:36.680 locker room, to the o t a practice at ray 0:00:36.760 --> 0:00:40.160 nitchky Field. A lot of different topics that we can 0:00:40.240 --> 0:00:42.680 toss around here over the next couple of episodes, but 0:00:42.800 --> 0:00:45.600 we might as well start with QB one because for 0:00:45.680 --> 0:00:48.840 all the things that have been circulating out there this offseason, 0:00:48.880 --> 0:00:51.600 there's been this a little bit of an undercurrent of 0:00:51.720 --> 0:00:55.760 you know, will Aaron Rodgers, after two broken collar bones 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:58.760 in the last four to five years, is he going 0:00:58.800 --> 0:01:01.080 to maybe start to play the game a little differently 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:05.440 or you know, be concerned himself with extending his career 0:01:05.959 --> 0:01:09.679 and whatnot in terms of the exposure to injury. Aaron 0:01:09.760 --> 0:01:11.840 Rodgers is having none of it. He's not changing how 0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:14.480 he's going to play the game. Nope. That was his 0:01:14.520 --> 0:01:17.560 one word answer when he was asked about it earlier 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:21.400 this week. And here's my perspective on this, Michael, all Right, 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:24.480 whatever you want to say about the two injuries two 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:26.720 thousand and two thousand seventeen. I know one of the 0:01:26.800 --> 0:01:29.319 questions been been posed to both Rodgers and his coaches 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:31.840 this week was, you know he was outside the pocket 0:01:31.959 --> 0:01:34.480 when these things happened, and and you know, if he 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:38.280 needs to consider changing that. If if Aaron Rodgers was 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:41.840 running around like Michael Vick, if he's downfield taking those 0:01:41.920 --> 0:01:43.800 kind of hits, or even like Andrew Luck did for 0:01:43.800 --> 0:01:45.800 a number of years, where people are kind of criticizing 0:01:45.800 --> 0:01:48.680 how many, how much you know, contact he was taking, 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:52.240 I think I would feel differently. But Rogers isn't out 0:01:52.240 --> 0:01:56.000 there acting like a crash test dummy. He's very methodical 0:01:56.240 --> 0:01:58.960 in his approach in the pocket and when he's moving 0:01:58.960 --> 0:02:01.800 out when he's not, there's no wasteed motion in that 0:02:01.920 --> 0:02:06.000 at all. There everything has a reason behind it. So yeah, 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:08.960 I know there's always gonna be inherent danger, inherent risk 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:11.639 as it relates to him, But that can be said 0:02:11.680 --> 0:02:14.160 for every position, you know. I remember there was a 0:02:14.160 --> 0:02:15.919 couple of years there, I think where it was Eddie Lacy. 0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:18.079 You know, should Eddie Lacy be taking as many hits? 0:02:18.320 --> 0:02:21.079 Should he be trying to get out to the sideline more. Uh, 0:02:21.240 --> 0:02:23.400 do the Packers need to consider working on the rep count. 0:02:23.720 --> 0:02:27.320 There's always a question if Aaron Rodgers would change his 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:30.160 whole mentality and stay in the pocket, then the narrative 0:02:30.200 --> 0:02:33.720 would become, well, why isn't Aaron Rodgers outside the pocket anymore? 0:02:34.160 --> 0:02:37.000 Everything has a cause and effect. We're now at a 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:39.720 point we're a decade into his career as a starter money, 0:02:40.480 --> 0:02:42.720 Aaron Rodgers is what he is as a quarterback. He 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:45.600 still finds ways to improve his game and to kind 0:02:45.600 --> 0:02:48.640 of add things to his repertoire, but he's become a 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:50.959 two time m v P A Super Bowl champion getting 0:02:51.080 --> 0:02:54.639 to this level the way he's played. I understand he's 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:57.760 thirty four years old, but the time might eventually come 0:02:57.800 --> 0:02:59.359 if he does want to play into his forties, where 0:02:59.360 --> 0:03:01.040 he's gonna have to make an adjustment. I thought he 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:02.760 did that in two thousand fourteen when he had the 0:03:02.760 --> 0:03:05.639 calf injury staying inside the pocket. But right now I 0:03:05.680 --> 0:03:07.680 think that's one of the things that makes him great. Yeah, 0:03:07.800 --> 0:03:10.280 I totally agree with you. And this is my take, 0:03:10.320 --> 0:03:14.640 and this is admittedly simplistic, but for all the contact, 0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:20.239 the collisions, everything that happened in NFL games. Broken bones 0:03:20.240 --> 0:03:23.400 are fluke, because otherwise they'd happen a heck of a 0:03:23.440 --> 0:03:27.160 lot more than they do. They're a fluke and it's 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:30.240 happened twice to Aaron Rodgers. And they are the only 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:33.239 injuries since he has been a starter that have kept 0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:36.000 him on the sidelines for any extended period of time. Yes, 0:03:36.000 --> 0:03:39.440 he's had a concussion here there, calf injury stuff that 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:42.440 he's tried to play through. But the broken bones, the 0:03:42.480 --> 0:03:45.080 broken collar bones, is what you know has kept him out. 0:03:46.040 --> 0:03:48.800 Their fluke plays. He could just as easily break bones 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:51.720 by staying in the pocket and taking a hit. That 0:03:51.720 --> 0:03:53.520 that's just the way. That's what happened to Brian Hoyer 0:03:53.560 --> 0:03:55.880 two years ago. Remember that when Clay Matthews had the 0:03:55.960 --> 0:03:58.200 hit and Hoyer broke his arm, right he was inside 0:03:58.240 --> 0:04:00.880 the pot, Yeah, he was inside. I mean Aaron Rodgers, 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:03.040 could you know, cock his arm in the pocket and 0:04:03.160 --> 0:04:05.040 his and his arm could hit some guy on the 0:04:05.040 --> 0:04:07.400 helmet or in the face mask or whatever. He could 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:09.760 crack his forearm and be out for the season again 0:04:09.840 --> 0:04:12.360 or something. I mean it to me, this whole inside 0:04:12.360 --> 0:04:14.440 and outside the pocket and change the way you play 0:04:14.480 --> 0:04:16.880 the game. It's just it's not a narrative that that 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:19.920 that I buy into it all, and clearly Rogers doesn't either. 0:04:19.960 --> 0:04:22.560 And if you're going to excel at this level, you 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:27.480 can't play with a fearful mindset. You can't play with restrictions. 0:04:27.520 --> 0:04:30.000 You have to play the way that you play the game. 0:04:30.520 --> 0:04:35.840 If Aaron Rodgers is curtailing certain aspects based on the 0:04:35.960 --> 0:04:41.200 and you know, potential risk, then he's not being Aaron Rodgers. 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:44.080 So yeah, there's a bunch of different probabilities when you 0:04:44.080 --> 0:04:46.440 step on the field. Everyone gets that, players get that, 0:04:47.839 --> 0:04:52.479 but that's all based on probability and unlikeliness. You have 0:04:52.560 --> 0:04:54.240 to play the game for what it is. The hypoth 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:56.800 you know, the hypothetical is what I'm trying to say. 0:04:57.279 --> 0:04:59.120 Aaron Rodgers has to play with what's in front of him, 0:04:59.160 --> 0:05:01.000 and it's what's got into the points. Yeah. A couple 0:05:01.040 --> 0:05:05.000 other comments that Rogers made that I thought were really intriguing. Um. 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:08.279 He talked about Jimmy Graham, very impressed with what he's 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:11.359 seen so far from the new tight end in this offense, 0:05:11.400 --> 0:05:15.760 And one particular line in his comment about Graham that 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:18.880 interested me. He made reference to Graham being able to 0:05:18.920 --> 0:05:22.839 read coverages very quickly. Um, that says a lot for 0:05:22.920 --> 0:05:24.920 Jimmy Graham, But what I think it says for the 0:05:24.960 --> 0:05:27.640 two thousand eighteen Green Bay Packers. Something that we talked 0:05:27.640 --> 0:05:31.760 about on a previous show is Aaron Rodgers noticing that 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:34.280 and feeling that way about Jimmy Graham tells me this 0:05:34.320 --> 0:05:37.039 whole process of those two getting on the same page 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:39.320 is not going to take very long. He's got a 0:05:39.360 --> 0:05:41.599 lot of confidence in what this guy brings to the table. 0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:44.120 He does, he absolutely does. And I think Graham's also 0:05:44.160 --> 0:05:45.920 guy that's going to fit in well with this locker room. 0:05:46.120 --> 0:05:48.200 It's only been a couple of days that we've seen him, 0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:51.440 you know, around the team, and that from with our eyeballs, 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:54.640 but he just his personality just seems a really mess. 0:05:54.720 --> 0:05:57.479 He does remind me more of that Jared Cook sort 0:05:57.520 --> 0:05:59.800 of just un assuming kind of guy has out of 0:05:59.839 --> 0:06:03.359 this world athleticism, out of this world ability, but he 0:06:03.400 --> 0:06:06.040 doesn't openly advertise that. He just as he said from 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:07.599 the day at the beginning of the Office program, he 0:06:07.600 --> 0:06:09.520 wants to do his job, he wants to win that 0:06:09.560 --> 0:06:11.839 Super Bowl ring and he feels like this is the 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:14.720 best conduit to making that happening. Yeah. Absolutely, With that, 0:06:14.760 --> 0:06:16.280 we're gonna go to a break back with more on 0:06:16.360 --> 0:06:36.880 Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:39.960 Mike Spofford here, Wes Hodko, WIT's over there West, continuing 0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:42.120 our discussion here on the offensive side of the ball, 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:46.839 we talked about Rogers Jimmy Graham, life after Jordy Nelson begins. 0:06:46.880 --> 0:06:51.080 Now for the Green Bay Packers as we get into O. T, A. 0:06:51.240 --> 0:06:55.480 S and uh, pretty clear cut who the new leaders 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:59.200 are in the Packers wide receiver room. And I shouldn't 0:06:59.240 --> 0:07:02.200 necessarily say leaders because Randall Cobb has been one for 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:08.120 a while, but now also Davante Adams becomes the pairing 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:11.240 with Randall Cobb as far as the veteran leaders at 0:07:11.240 --> 0:07:14.280 that position group, a position group that has a lot 0:07:14.360 --> 0:07:17.080 of young guys who are going to be competing but 0:07:17.160 --> 0:07:19.320 also trying to find their way in this league. And 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:20.840 I thought one of the interesting things I wrote a 0:07:20.880 --> 0:07:24.000 story about this this week, Mike two under in nine 0:07:24.080 --> 0:07:27.960 regular season games played right now, among those eleven receivers 0:07:28.000 --> 0:07:31.120 in the Packers in that room right now, hundred and 0:07:31.120 --> 0:07:34.000 fifty five of them belonged to Randall Cobb in DeVante Adams, 0:07:34.200 --> 0:07:37.320 twenty six apiece for Geronimo Allison and Trevor Davison, two 0:07:37.840 --> 0:07:41.080 from Michael Clark, along with three rookie draft picks coming 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:43.160 in in a litany of other players trying to make 0:07:43.160 --> 0:07:46.280 the squad. Here's the thing, Randall Cobb has been in 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:48.080 this role before. He was in it in two thousand 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:50.720 fifteen as well. He was thrust in it when Jordy 0:07:50.800 --> 0:07:53.120 Nelson goes down to the a c L injury in Pittsburgh. 0:07:53.640 --> 0:07:56.720 He's not He's He's been a leader at a young age. 0:07:57.080 --> 0:07:59.920 For him, as he said this week with reporters, it's 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:02.880 nothing new even though Jordy Nelson isn't in that room. 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:05.600 The most telling thing I thought was Davante Adams and 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:07.800 listen to him speak for almost twenty minutes in locker 0:08:07.880 --> 0:08:11.720 room on on Tuesday, he mentioned this. I thought it 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:13.760 was such an interesting point, is that he's always had 0:08:13.760 --> 0:08:15.760 that confidence to be a leader. He likes being a 0:08:15.760 --> 0:08:18.120 guy that people go to, and he understood when he 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:21.240 signed that contract extension back in December, this is what 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:24.400 is going to be required of him. But being that 0:08:24.440 --> 0:08:26.560 he was a twenty two year old rookie four years ago, 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:30.640 being that he had Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb at a time, 0:08:30.920 --> 0:08:35.240 James Jones in that room a year later, he wasn't 0:08:35.800 --> 0:08:38.679 gonna voice his opinion. He wasn't gonna be that outspoken 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:40.320 because he wanted to give that respect. He didn't want 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:42.680 to step on any feet. But don't get it twisted. 0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:46.319 He feels very comfortable being a guy that that players 0:08:46.320 --> 0:08:47.520 can go to and be in the face of an 0:08:47.559 --> 0:08:50.600 offense UH and a receiver group. And I think even 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:54.240 I saw Marquez Valdes Scantling the rookie fifth round pick 0:08:54.280 --> 0:08:57.439 out of usf retweeting the story that I had written 0:08:57.480 --> 0:08:59.320 for Packers dot Com and even said, couldn't asked for 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:01.040 two better role models and how to be a professional, 0:09:01.080 --> 0:09:03.120 how to be a packer. Those two guys are the 0:09:03.120 --> 0:09:05.720 ones that are responsible for setting the standard now for them. 0:09:05.800 --> 0:09:07.720 And you know, I think it's something that both Cobb 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:11.200 and Adams fully embrace. Yeah, I think what I see 0:09:11.240 --> 0:09:14.400 with the Packers because we've seen we've seen the leadership 0:09:14.440 --> 0:09:18.720 mantle UH change hands several times over even just within 0:09:18.760 --> 0:09:22.160 Aaron Rodgers decade as a starting quarterback, you had your 0:09:22.480 --> 0:09:25.440 your Donald Drivers and you're Greg Jennings, and you're James 0:09:25.480 --> 0:09:28.160 Jones and Jordy Nelson, and now it's Davante Adams and 0:09:28.240 --> 0:09:30.720 Randall Cobb. I don't know if it's something about the 0:09:30.760 --> 0:09:33.600 position group or just about those individuals, the type of 0:09:33.600 --> 0:09:37.480 guys who who are brought in to Green Bay and 0:09:37.480 --> 0:09:40.559 and you know, become those playmakers. All these guys are 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:44.480 so comfortable in their own skin. They are completely at 0:09:44.520 --> 0:09:49.000 ease with who they are, and when leadership is thrust 0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:51.880 upon them, Davantae Adams is not going out there saying, Okay, 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:54.120 I need to lead like Jordy Nelson, or I need 0:09:54.160 --> 0:09:57.120 to lead like James Jones or Donald Driver. He's gonna 0:09:57.120 --> 0:09:59.800 be Davante Adams. And Randall Cobb has been that waste 0:09:59.800 --> 0:10:02.240 since he walked in as a as a very young 0:10:02.320 --> 0:10:05.320 twenty one year old in two thousand eleven, you know, 0:10:05.600 --> 0:10:08.200 very mature beyond his years, and now he is the 0:10:08.280 --> 0:10:11.200 elder statesman in the Packers locker room. But it doesn't 0:10:11.240 --> 0:10:14.800 feel like it's anything all that, you know, all that burdensome, 0:10:14.840 --> 0:10:16.520 I guess, is what I'm trying to say. Because these 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:18.520 guys are very comfortable with who they are and here's 0:10:18.559 --> 0:10:20.760 the thing, like getting back to what Aaron Rodgers earlier. 0:10:20.760 --> 0:10:22.760 Another topic he was asked about was the whole Dez 0:10:22.880 --> 0:10:25.880 Bryant fiasco. In that narrative, that's alter that the Packers 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:29.080 would they be interested in does Bryant? Thanks Jason Witten, Yeah, 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:31.760 right exactly. And you know, Roger said, I mean, why 0:10:31.840 --> 0:10:34.480 why would we sign Dez Bryant? You know, when when 0:10:34.480 --> 0:10:36.520 you let go of Jordy Nelson, when you have all 0:10:36.520 --> 0:10:39.280 these young receivers. And I said this during the pre draft. 0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:40.760 I'm sure remember it when we're going out of the 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:42.719 combine and looking at some of the stuff going into 0:10:42.760 --> 0:10:47.680 the draft, by and large, not even close. The position 0:10:47.720 --> 0:10:50.040 the Packers have done the best job of drafting and 0:10:50.080 --> 0:10:53.520 developing is receiver. They've done it with all the guys 0:10:53.559 --> 0:10:57.640 that you mentioned, So why at that point do why 0:10:57.720 --> 0:11:00.000 was even before Briant? I know there's questions about Sammy 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:01.920 Atkins and other people putting all this stuff out there. 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:04.600 The Packers have done such a pure job of developing 0:11:04.600 --> 0:11:07.760 those guys and finding playmakers. I think there has to 0:11:07.760 --> 0:11:09.079 be a lot of trust there that it's going to 0:11:09.160 --> 0:11:11.800 happen again. And that's why, you know, Adams and Cobb. 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:14.319 They're a product of that tree, and I think they 0:11:14.400 --> 0:11:17.480 understand exactly what their role is now is they try 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:22.200 to cultivate, you know, that that new generation of Packers receivers. Yeah, 0:11:22.200 --> 0:11:24.120 and I think when you look at when you look 0:11:24.160 --> 0:11:26.559 at this young group, Aaron Rodgers made the comment when 0:11:26.559 --> 0:11:29.160 it comes to the rookie wide receivers, he didn't really 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:32.280 have an assessment necessarily of how they're doing because he 0:11:32.360 --> 0:11:35.400 hasn't thrown very many passes to them at all in 0:11:35.440 --> 0:11:38.040 the eleven on eleven drills at O T as yet 0:11:38.080 --> 0:11:40.920 because of where they are on the depth chart. Guys 0:11:41.000 --> 0:11:44.680 like Davante Adams and Randall Cobb can tell these young receivers. 0:11:45.280 --> 0:11:47.880 You know, Adams in particular can say, hey, look where 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:50.760 I was on the depth chart in when I was rookie, 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:53.000 and it was what maybe the New England game and 0:11:53.040 --> 0:11:56.080 November of his rookie season before he really sort of 0:11:56.080 --> 0:11:58.199 had his coming out party, so to speak, of like, oh, 0:11:58.280 --> 0:12:00.520 here's this rookie receiver and look what he can do. 0:12:00.960 --> 0:12:03.319 Randall Cobb the same thing, although you know he had 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:06.680 that big kickoff return in his very first gaming Saints, 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:10.320 but offensively in this offense with Aaron Rodgers Randall Cobb. 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:13.080 It it took some time to become an impact player 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:15.640 because of where he was on the depth chart when 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:18.760 he walked in. Those are great examples for these young guys, 0:12:18.840 --> 0:12:21.559 for you know, Jamon Moore and for eq st Brown, 0:12:21.920 --> 0:12:23.880 these guys. When you're used to be in the star 0:12:24.120 --> 0:12:27.400 being the man in a big time offense in college, 0:12:27.840 --> 0:12:30.120 you don't just step into that role in the NFL, 0:12:30.280 --> 0:12:33.400 but you can get there. And these two guys, Adams 0:12:33.400 --> 0:12:35.760 and Cobb, are perfect examples of how you get there. 0:12:35.800 --> 0:12:38.200 And Adams said too, there's another side of that ballgame 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:40.320 as well, what he went through in two thousand and fifteen. 0:12:40.320 --> 0:12:42.800 He said, no matter what you've gone through, and this 0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:44.760 isn't being you know, he's not. This is a humble brake, 0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:46.440 but he's like, I've been through a million times worse 0:12:46.559 --> 0:12:48.440 because of the pressure that got put on him after 0:12:48.480 --> 0:12:50.600 Jordy Nelson was gone and the injury that happened, right 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:52.360 and that was just in his second season. He had 0:12:52.400 --> 0:12:54.360 to pick himself up and then end up having the 0:12:54.360 --> 0:12:57.040 breakthrough season in two thousand and sixteen. That's just sometimes 0:12:57.040 --> 0:12:59.120 the way it goes. And I think that's as he said, 0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:01.040 adds a lot of credit ality to that argument when 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:03.600 they have those conversations with young players, no question about it. 0:13:03.640 --> 0:13:05.199 With that, we'll go to a break back with more 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:26.200 on Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:29.160 Mike Spofford in this chair, West Hodko wits in that one, 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:31.920 West shifting to the defensive side of the ball. I 0:13:31.960 --> 0:13:35.280 know there's a lot of anticipation and whatnot as to 0:13:35.400 --> 0:13:38.360 just what the Packers secondary is going to look like 0:13:40.200 --> 0:13:43.240 with the top two draft picks coming in at cornerback 0:13:43.320 --> 0:13:47.560 Jaire Alexander Josh Jackson. Kevin King spoke at his locker 0:13:47.800 --> 0:13:50.520 the other day and um, I guess probably the best 0:13:50.520 --> 0:13:53.720 news of of everything that we've heard is that his 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:58.040 shoulder surgery, the shoulder injury that cut short his rookie season, 0:13:58.559 --> 0:14:03.400 everything everything went well. He's not absolutely fully medically cleared 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:05.960 to participate in everything right now. I think the Packers 0:14:05.960 --> 0:14:10.360 are holding out until until training camp for for that stage. 0:14:10.600 --> 0:14:14.400 But Kevin King is very confident in his health right 0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:16.960 now and he's excited for what lies ahead. And there's 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:20.120 levels to this thing. Mike, you can be back for 0:14:20.200 --> 0:14:22.680 the off season program and be able to participate in 0:14:22.680 --> 0:14:25.480 this stuff. And you know, have some restrictions before training camp, 0:14:25.720 --> 0:14:28.480 you also cannot be doing anything too. So the fact 0:14:28.520 --> 0:14:31.240 that he is out there, I think points to that progress. 0:14:31.480 --> 0:14:32.840 And he said, you know, he had one of the 0:14:32.840 --> 0:14:35.240 best in the business. Dr James Andrew is probably one 0:14:35.280 --> 0:14:38.160 of the most famous sports surgeons in the country. Work 0:14:38.200 --> 0:14:40.160 on that shoulder feels like he took care of him. 0:14:40.200 --> 0:14:42.040 He's gonna go. He's gonna be able to get his 0:14:42.080 --> 0:14:44.560 hands on guys this season pressing at the line of scrimmage. 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:47.280 Feels really good about that right now and where he's sitting. 0:14:47.640 --> 0:14:49.320 And then he also mentioned too, I mean the fact 0:14:49.320 --> 0:14:51.920 that they've brought in two more cornerbacks into this competition 0:14:52.120 --> 0:14:55.280 with JayR Alexander and Josh Jackson. Truman Williams coming in 0:14:55.480 --> 0:14:57.760 a guy that he's expecting to learn from as well 0:14:58.000 --> 0:15:00.480 with the wealth of experience that Traumont has had over 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:03.360 the last eleven years in this league. I've been saying 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:05.240 at all offseason, the Packers have built a lot of 0:15:05.280 --> 0:15:08.320 depth at the cornerback position, and for for King to 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:10.640 be back and participating in this and the plans that 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:12.560 the Packers have for him, in the bright spots that 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:16.680 he showed during his rookie season despite that shoulder injury. 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:18.600 I think that bodes well for what he's gonna have 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:20.880 in store now for his sophomore campaign. Yeah, let's not 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:24.440 let's not forget this. Uh, this is one tough cookie 0:15:24.520 --> 0:15:27.680 here from the University of Washington, because this is this 0:15:27.760 --> 0:15:30.200 is a shoulder injury that you know, he he played 0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:32.720 through it a good stretch in in his rookie season 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:35.200 before he was shut down, but he had to battle 0:15:35.200 --> 0:15:37.880 this in college at times as well, with the shoulder 0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:41.160 popping out of place because of the problems and whatnot, 0:15:41.240 --> 0:15:44.440 and uh, you know, he just he just kept after it. 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:48.440 And I sensed I sensed not not only some relief, 0:15:48.520 --> 0:15:51.240 but some excitement on his part that he feels like, 0:15:51.560 --> 0:15:54.200 for the first time in a while, the shoulder is 0:15:54.240 --> 0:15:55.920 not something that has to be on his mind, that 0:15:56.040 --> 0:15:58.480 that that that he has to think about. And when 0:15:58.480 --> 0:16:03.200 you combine perhaps that, uh, that that mind at ease 0:16:03.800 --> 0:16:07.640 type of position with the talent and the ability that 0:16:07.880 --> 0:16:10.360 we haven't seen frankly yet on the field because he 0:16:10.440 --> 0:16:13.200 really only played about half a season, it'll be really 0:16:13.240 --> 0:16:15.680 intriguing what what develops. I think of it a lot 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:18.120 like a car. You know, where you're driving a car 0:16:18.160 --> 0:16:19.880 and let's say you got a dang or you got 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:23.160 an a Fender vendor uh and and you keep driving it. Yeah, 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:26.040 when you're not driving it, it's gonna feel like everything's okay. 0:16:26.080 --> 0:16:27.960 But when you have to get back in it, you're 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:30.760 not making anything better. You do have to get it repaired. 0:16:31.160 --> 0:16:32.760 And I go back to that game, I think it 0:16:32.800 --> 0:16:35.640 was against Pittsburgh, where you could just see him battling 0:16:35.680 --> 0:16:38.520 through it and and just pushing himself through it. He'd 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:41.400 miss practices, he'd miss a game, he'd come back. There 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:43.480 was just that understanding that, Okay, we gotta get this 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:45.800 thing better for the long run as opposed to just 0:16:45.880 --> 0:16:48.480 the short term. Something else that was very interesting, Mike, 0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:50.160 and I pointed this out when you and I were 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:52.400 standing at practice, the fact that, yeah, we could talk 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:54.960 about Kevin King until we're blowing the face. But Quentin 0:16:55.040 --> 0:16:57.560 Rollins was back on the field after having that nasty 0:16:57.600 --> 0:17:00.480 achilles injury last season. Herb water Is, who had the 0:17:00.520 --> 0:17:03.600 solar surgery last training camp. Packers were high on him 0:17:03.600 --> 0:17:06.600 making a conversion from receiver. He was back on the field. 0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:10.040 Kentroll Bryce back from the ankle injury. So the Packers 0:17:10.119 --> 0:17:12.399 finally are getting healthy in that secondary, which I know 0:17:12.520 --> 0:17:15.320 it's it's may you're anticipating that that's what's going to happen. 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:17.840 But the fact that those guys are back on the field, 0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:21.720 to me, once you know, July rolls around, that is 0:17:21.760 --> 0:17:24.479 the position between cornerback and safety and who ends up 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:28.000 playing in nickel and dimes situations. It's the biggest battle. 0:17:28.000 --> 0:17:30.240 It's the biggest competition. There are so many players with 0:17:30.320 --> 0:17:33.280 experience going to be in that that battle. To see 0:17:33.280 --> 0:17:34.800 these guys being able to get back on the field 0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:37.320 and potentially in a position for that first training camp 0:17:37.359 --> 0:17:39.960 practice and start competing, I think that's something that Joe 0:17:39.960 --> 0:17:42.280 Wit and that entire defense has to feel good about. Yeah, 0:17:42.280 --> 0:17:44.240 that's what I was gonna say, is that with some 0:17:44.320 --> 0:17:47.240 of these injuries, I was certainly anticipating, you know, more 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:49.760 guys being held out, you know where maybe you're waiting 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:52.880 for the first practice of training camp. But when with 0:17:52.920 --> 0:17:55.040 the work that they're able to get Now, as you said, 0:17:55.040 --> 0:17:57.080 the competition is going to be intense, It's going to 0:17:57.200 --> 0:17:59.800 be sharp. These guys are are going to be going 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:02.600 at it because not only for the pecking order and 0:18:02.640 --> 0:18:04.680 whatnot in terms of playing time, but just flat out 0:18:04.760 --> 0:18:08.040 making the roster because of because of the all those 0:18:08.080 --> 0:18:10.560 young guys from you know, the year one to year three, 0:18:10.640 --> 0:18:12.880 four guys that are in that mix. There's not gonna 0:18:12.920 --> 0:18:14.399 be room for all of them. That's just the bottom 0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:16.720 line exactly. And kudos the Herb Waters. He told me 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:18.639 in January he'd be cleared for O t A s 0:18:18.680 --> 0:18:22.080 and he was lived up to his word. All right. 0:18:22.160 --> 0:18:23.800 With that, we will go to a break back with 0:18:23.880 --> 0:18:44.480 more on Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back to 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:48.160 Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford alongside West Hodko. It's West quickly 0:18:48.200 --> 0:18:51.400 before we go. Worth mentioning here that, especially for those 0:18:51.440 --> 0:18:54.600 fans locally who are coming out to the open O 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:59.199 t A practices, some familiar faces not in their jerseys 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:01.760 but on the side headlines for Green Bay this spring 0:19:01.800 --> 0:19:05.320 as coaching interns. Coincidentally, all of them on the Super 0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:08.400 Bowl forty five roster from two thousand ten. Talking about 0:19:08.480 --> 0:19:12.479 jareded Bush, Brandon Jackson, and Nick Barnett. Now, Brandon Jackson 0:19:12.560 --> 0:19:16.600 was here last year in the same sort of coaching 0:19:16.640 --> 0:19:19.119 intern capacity and then He's worked at a couple of 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:23.280 small colleges um with with his uh you know, trying 0:19:23.320 --> 0:19:25.360 to break into coaching, and now Jared Bush and Nick 0:19:25.400 --> 0:19:28.119 Barnett trying to do the same thing, get into the 0:19:28.200 --> 0:19:31.400 coaching business after they're playing days. Just interesting to see 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:34.440 some of those familiar faces out there as they as 0:19:34.480 --> 0:19:37.440 they try to take that next step in their careers. Yeah, 0:19:37.480 --> 0:19:39.560 and it's not even just the familiar faces out there. 0:19:39.600 --> 0:19:42.359 It was in the stadium. I ran into Jared Bush 0:19:42.400 --> 0:19:46.120 walking around on Wednesday, and uh, just like he did 0:19:46.119 --> 0:19:47.159 when he was a player. I don't know if you 0:19:47.200 --> 0:19:50.240 remember this, Jared Bush was very very rarely available in 0:19:50.280 --> 0:19:51.919 the locker room, Like he just wasn't in there. If 0:19:51.920 --> 0:19:53.560 you wanted to get him, you could get him. He 0:19:53.640 --> 0:19:55.399 just wasn't sitting at his locker on his iPhone the 0:19:55.520 --> 0:19:57.760 entire time. What he used to do all the time 0:19:57.800 --> 0:19:59.879 is he put on a weight pack, run into the bowl, 0:20:00.240 --> 0:20:02.680 and he'd run the stairs. He didn't have the weight pack. 0:20:02.760 --> 0:20:05.320 The guy went and did that again. I mean, like 0:20:05.080 --> 0:20:10.119 he looks phenomenal right now. And I've even said this 0:20:10.160 --> 0:20:14.600 to one of the r PR communications assistant, Nate like Cassio. 0:20:15.320 --> 0:20:17.399 I mean he even looks like he got taller. To 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:19.760