WEBVTT - #299 Packers Unscripted: Early impressions 0:00:00.760 --> 0:00:20.400 Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.440 --> 0:00:24.520 I am Mike Spofford, sitting alongside my trusted colleague West Hodkowitz. 0:00:24.520 --> 0:00:27.320 We're coming to you here from our studios at lambeau 0:00:27.360 --> 0:00:29.680 Field and West. Final week of o t A s 0:00:29.720 --> 0:00:33.440 here for the Packers with the mandatory mini camp next 0:00:33.479 --> 0:00:36.839 week wrapping up the off season program. We heard from 0:00:36.840 --> 0:00:40.640 Aaron Rodgers at his locker on Monday, and it's most 0:00:40.680 --> 0:00:42.959 likely the last time we're going to hear from Rogers 0:00:43.040 --> 0:00:47.720 in in a media setting until training camp begins. One 0:00:47.800 --> 0:00:50.120 thing that that really stood out to me from that 0:00:50.200 --> 0:00:54.880 conversation with Rogers with reporters is, uh, he seems very 0:00:55.000 --> 0:00:57.440 very excited and we've talked a little bit about this before, 0:00:57.520 --> 0:01:00.520 but very very excited about what is rowing at the 0:01:00.560 --> 0:01:04.360 tight end position here with the experience that Jimmy Graham 0:01:04.360 --> 0:01:07.640 and Marcedes Lewis and Lance Kendricks bring at the top 0:01:07.680 --> 0:01:10.040 of the depth chart at that position. Yeah, Mike, And 0:01:10.080 --> 0:01:11.680 the thing is, and you've been around this to the 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:13.720 last couple of weeks, being around the team, being in 0:01:13.760 --> 0:01:16.560 the locker room at some of these events, if you 0:01:16.680 --> 0:01:22.280 really can't appreciate how big. Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis 0:01:22.360 --> 0:01:24.920 are until you stand in their presence. I was interviewing 0:01:24.959 --> 0:01:27.759 Louis last week after he got signed, and I mean 0:01:27.760 --> 0:01:30.560 there is a full foot and a half. It seems 0:01:30.600 --> 0:01:33.080 like between him and I am being somewhat facetious, but 0:01:33.120 --> 0:01:35.960 I mean it is just looking directly up and and 0:01:36.040 --> 0:01:38.800 Jimmy Graham is very similar. Six ft six six, six 0:01:38.800 --> 0:01:43.040 ft seven in Graham's case, that's just amazing catch, Radiers. 0:01:43.040 --> 0:01:45.080 It's a huge catch, Radis. You can see why A. 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:47.400 Lewis was a first round pick back in two thousand 0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:50.240 and six, and b why even though he was taken 0:01:50.320 --> 0:01:53.080 in the middle rounds, Jimmy Graham was such an intriguing 0:01:53.120 --> 0:01:57.720 prospect after converting from basketball at the University of Miami, Florida. 0:01:58.240 --> 0:02:02.520 So this one to combo along with Lance Kendricks being 0:02:02.560 --> 0:02:05.960 back after a year in the system. If by no means, 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:07.960 I mean this is the most experienced the Packers have 0:02:08.040 --> 0:02:10.919 had in this group since Mike McCarthy has been the 0:02:10.960 --> 0:02:12.880 head coach, and probably going back to late nineties, as 0:02:12.880 --> 0:02:15.560 I said in a previous episode, So for Aaron Rodgers 0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:17.720 now to have those kind of targets you can see 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:20.560 why a quarterback really appreciates that and exactly what that 0:02:20.639 --> 0:02:23.720 does not only for him, but this entire offense now, 0:02:23.720 --> 0:02:26.440 whether it's the running game, the receivers opens up a 0:02:26.440 --> 0:02:28.720 lot of different options. Yeah, and it really stood out 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:31.440 at Monday's practice as well. Which as far as the 0:02:31.480 --> 0:02:34.760 eleven on eleven work. In Monday's open practice, which was 0:02:34.800 --> 0:02:38.640 the last open o t A prior to the minicamp 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:42.000 next week, they were doing red red zone goal line 0:02:42.040 --> 0:02:44.639 work and when they first kind of blew the horn 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:47.160 for that eleven on eleven to start, they put the 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:49.160 ball at the twenty yard line, you know, right there 0:02:49.200 --> 0:02:51.640 at the edge of the red zone. Very first play 0:02:51.760 --> 0:02:55.440 Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Graham touchdowns. I mean it looked like, 0:02:55.800 --> 0:02:57.680 you know, it looked like these guys have been have 0:02:57.800 --> 0:03:00.680 been playing together for three or four or five years 0:03:00.720 --> 0:03:04.000 or something like that. And Rogers made the comment when 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:06.720 you bring in veteran players like a Graham and like 0:03:06.800 --> 0:03:10.240 a Lewis, yes there's an adjustment period, but boy, that 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:13.960 adjustment period is so much shorter than it is for 0:03:14.080 --> 0:03:17.880 a veteran quarterback like Rogers. With receivers who are just 0:03:18.040 --> 0:03:20.240 getting into the league. And just getting their feet wet. 0:03:20.480 --> 0:03:22.800 It seems the Packers that you know, really there's a 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:25.320 lot of young talent at receiver that Rogers is gonna 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:27.360 have to work with to get up to speed. That's 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:30.200 not as much the case at tight end. Mike McCarthy 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:32.400 said the same exact thing when they signed Lewis, when 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:34.840 they signed Byron Bell, when it asked about what is 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:37.240 the process of getting them caught up? Out of all 0:03:37.280 --> 0:03:40.000 the transitions for anybody, it's the easiest bringing in a 0:03:40.080 --> 0:03:42.200 veteran that has experienced in the NFL, knows how a 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:44.760 system is run, what is expected out of them, even 0:03:44.760 --> 0:03:47.360 if he is a minor transition to a new scheme. 0:03:47.920 --> 0:03:49.360 But the other thing that stands out to me too, 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:51.760 when you go back and think about it, is that play. 0:03:51.800 --> 0:03:54.320 Now you've heard us say in the past with different players, 0:03:54.360 --> 0:03:56.880 Jared Cook among them, you know that first practice you 0:03:56.920 --> 0:03:58.720 really could see him make an impact. You could see 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:01.400 him make the throws, and that's all well and good. 0:04:01.960 --> 0:04:04.760 What was intriguing about that past to Graham though, is 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:09.040 it was almost an undefendable play where Rogers put the ball, 0:04:09.480 --> 0:04:11.680 getting it over the top of the shoulder, almost on 0:04:11.880 --> 0:04:14.200 and actually it ended up happening very similar to to 0:04:14.320 --> 0:04:16.760 Lewis from a pass from to Shaun Kaiser later in practice. 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:19.359 There's not a whole lot of defensive back can do 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:22.240 if there's no help over the top. Now, again it's 0:04:22.279 --> 0:04:25.360 one practice, one day, and it's organized team activities. They're 0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:28.279 basically you know, running around with without pads on. But 0:04:28.400 --> 0:04:31.320 it does show you the element that Jimmy Graham brings. 0:04:31.520 --> 0:04:35.200 And again getting back to that catch radius, it allows Rogers, 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:39.440 who's so pinpoint precise and accurate, to really get creative 0:04:39.440 --> 0:04:40.880 with how he wants to be able to build those 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:43.039 connections with those tight ends. Yeah, and getting back to 0:04:43.080 --> 0:04:46.120 what you said initially just about the sheer size of 0:04:46.160 --> 0:04:50.320 these guys. You know, there are things that that you 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:53.440 talk about when coaches sit down to try to game 0:04:53.480 --> 0:04:55.280 plan on one side of the ball or the other. 0:04:55.320 --> 0:04:57.599 There are things that make them nervous. There are things 0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:01.320 that scare them. If there's one thing, aside from a 0:05:01.400 --> 0:05:04.600 quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, but if there's one thing schematically 0:05:05.200 --> 0:05:09.120 that can really scare a defensive coordinator, it's really big 0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:12.880 targets with speed running down the middle of the field. Now, 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:15.360 Marcedes Lewis doesn't have the speed that he used to have. 0:05:15.440 --> 0:05:18.240 He's a little bit older. Um, he's more accomplished as 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:20.640 a blocker and all that. But Jimmy Graham is a 0:05:20.680 --> 0:05:23.240 guy who's going to make teams have to figure out 0:05:23.320 --> 0:05:25.720 a different way to defend Aaron Rodgers. And I think 0:05:25.800 --> 0:05:28.360 that's the most exciting thing about this as we head 0:05:28.360 --> 0:05:30.880 into Yeah and then the thing is too is Lewis 0:05:30.920 --> 0:05:33.680 said he had an interesting little quip about how, yeah, 0:05:33.720 --> 0:05:35.880 you know, I might not be the as fast as 0:05:35.880 --> 0:05:38.279 I used to be. But he's also says don't sleep 0:05:38.320 --> 0:05:41.160 on him either, because if you want perfect film, As 0:05:41.160 --> 0:05:43.520 it was brought up in his first introductory news conference 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:45.200 with the Green Bay media, go back and look at 0:05:45.240 --> 0:05:48.040 that London game last year against the Ravens. He had 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:51.560 three touchdown passes in that game. Uh, just the remarkable 0:05:51.600 --> 0:05:54.120 performance because he was sneaking behind linebackers and they had 0:05:54.160 --> 0:05:57.320 no way to defend him. So that's the chess match 0:05:57.360 --> 0:05:59.080 there is. Now. Defense is trying to figure out how 0:05:59.120 --> 0:06:01.040 they're going to defend that, and the Packers trying to 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:03.040 figure out how they can use all those different pieces 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:05.080 to best exploit it. Something I think we're gonna be 0:06:05.080 --> 0:06:08.200 talking about a lot as unfolds. But with that, we're 0:06:08.200 --> 0:06:10.039 going to go to a breakback with more on Packers 0:06:10.080 --> 0:06:31.280 unscripted right after this Welcome back to Packers unscripted. Mike 0:06:31.320 --> 0:06:33.760 Spofford in this chair, Wes Hodkowitz in that one, and 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:36.520 West continuing our discussion of what we heard from Aaron 0:06:36.640 --> 0:06:40.200 Rodgers at his locker after Monday's practice. Made a few 0:06:40.240 --> 0:06:42.440 comments with regards to the defensive side of the ball, 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:46.719 and one of them that was very interesting is unprompted. Essentially, 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:50.000 not nobody asked him about this particular player, but he said, 0:06:50.680 --> 0:06:52.680 the guy that he sees right now as the best 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:54.960 player on the defensive side of the ball when he's 0:06:55.040 --> 0:06:57.400 been going through these these O t A sessions in 0:06:57.440 --> 0:07:00.680 practice is number thirty eight. It's the veterans, Herron Williams 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:04.600 that the Packers have brought back. Aaron Rodgers certainly sees him, 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:06.719 and the coaches have talked about it in the same way. 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:10.320 He's an invaluable piece here to what the Packers are 0:07:10.320 --> 0:07:12.880 trying to accomplish on defense. Not only the connection to 0:07:12.920 --> 0:07:17.280 Mike Petton his veteran experience, all the young cornerbacks that 0:07:17.600 --> 0:07:20.600 have somebody who is a model pro to look up to. 0:07:20.720 --> 0:07:23.880 All of that is embodied in Tremont Williams. He's a 0:07:23.880 --> 0:07:26.320 big part of this team, for he is Mike and 0:07:26.360 --> 0:07:27.920 we are now in this day and age. I mean, 0:07:27.960 --> 0:07:30.440 obviously there was the Darryl Greens of the world, but 0:07:30.560 --> 0:07:32.440 it is a young man's game and it's a young 0:07:32.480 --> 0:07:34.960 man's position. But you've seen a few guys, you know, 0:07:35.080 --> 0:07:37.400 Terence Newman being one of them, with the Minnesota Vikings 0:07:37.440 --> 0:07:39.960 now at forty years old, coming back once again, although 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:42.640 he has said this will be his last year. I 0:07:42.680 --> 0:07:44.720 see Tremon Williams is one of those guys. Yeah. I 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:46.360 think a lot of people look at the age, look 0:07:46.400 --> 0:07:48.760 at thirty five and think, you know, it's a cornerback 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:50.600 near the tail end of his career. As I wrote 0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:53.360 about an insider Inbox on Tuesday, if there's one player 0:07:53.400 --> 0:07:55.320 that you can see making a jump in year twelve 0:07:56.040 --> 0:07:58.560 is Tremont Williams. And there's two things that go behind 0:07:58.600 --> 0:08:00.160 that one. And I've talked about it before or in 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:02.400 the show. Is the fact that there is a certain 0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:05.320 number of people that they take care of their body 0:08:05.360 --> 0:08:08.040 and they do the right things to keep themselves springy, 0:08:08.080 --> 0:08:11.400 to keep themselves athletic to keep themselves limber, and Tremont 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:13.920 has checked all those boxes throughout his career. He's been 0:08:13.920 --> 0:08:16.440 doing that for five, six, seven years now. And then 0:08:16.440 --> 0:08:19.920 the other one too is the experience factor. Um cornerback. 0:08:20.000 --> 0:08:22.760 We only half of it is athleticism. The other half 0:08:22.840 --> 0:08:24.800 is knowing what you're doing out there and the best 0:08:24.800 --> 0:08:27.120 way to be able to defeat the receiver or defeat 0:08:27.160 --> 0:08:28.840 whatever your you know your assignment is going to be. 0:08:29.440 --> 0:08:31.440 Williams has done that. And the thing I like the 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:34.440 most about Traumont is last year the league tried to 0:08:34.440 --> 0:08:37.000 push him out, they tried to get rid of him. 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:39.079 He got cut by Cleveland, he was out of work 0:08:39.120 --> 0:08:41.600 for a few months. The Arizona Cardinals, looking for help, 0:08:42.360 --> 0:08:43.959 sign him on the fringe of you know, the right 0:08:43.960 --> 0:08:47.880 before the eve of training camp, and then in really 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:50.200 two months, two and a half months, he ends up 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:51.880 being a starting cornerback for them and played at a 0:08:51.920 --> 0:08:55.080 really high level opposite Patrick Peterson Truman. Williams still has 0:08:55.080 --> 0:08:57.840 a lot left in the tank. Yeah, he absolutely does. 0:08:57.960 --> 0:09:00.440 And it's amazing when you look at it watching him 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:02.840 in these O t A practices. He's still back there, 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:06.120 returning punts and stuff like that. Now, I don't think 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:08.240 the Packers are gonna necessarily have him as the punt 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:11.720 returner in teen, but you know, he's a guy. He 0:09:11.760 --> 0:09:14.680 talked about this too. He's never going to forget where 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:16.560 he came from and what what do you mean by that? 0:09:16.679 --> 0:09:20.360 Not only you know his his upbringing and the fact 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:22.520 that he went to a small school, Louisiana Tech and 0:09:22.600 --> 0:09:25.360 was and was undrafted and all that, but he got 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:28.200 his break in the NFL as a punt returner starting 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:30.480 as a special teams guy. Asked him about, you know, 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:33.800 the basically the first big play he ever made in 0:09:33.840 --> 0:09:37.000 an NFL game in two thousand and seven, the Carolina 0:09:37.040 --> 0:09:39.160 Panthers are lining up for a long field goal. They 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:41.559 decided to snap it directly to the kicker. He pooch 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:45.120 punts it down inside the ten yard line. Truman Williams 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:47.080 runs back there, picks up the ball inside the ten 0:09:47.160 --> 0:09:49.800 and goes ninety four yards for a touchdown as part 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:52.280 of a thirteen and three Packers season. You know Brett 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:54.840 Farves last year in two thousand and seven, that's the 0:09:54.840 --> 0:09:56.480 play that put the guy on the map. It was 0:09:56.520 --> 0:09:58.920 a punt return and then everything has gone on from there. 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:02.880 Obviously the big play in playoff run to the Super Bowl, 0:10:02.880 --> 0:10:06.719 all of that. He uh um, He's never going to 0:10:06.800 --> 0:10:09.840 forget where he came from. And that's a message that 0:10:10.000 --> 0:10:12.560 you know can resonate, whether it's with the first round 0:10:12.600 --> 0:10:16.440 draft pick in Jairo Alexander or the Donna Tello Browns 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:18.480 on the roster who you know have been on the 0:10:18.480 --> 0:10:21.160 practice squad and they're trying to fight for a spot 0:10:21.160 --> 0:10:23.400 on the active roster. This is a guy that everybody's 0:10:23.440 --> 0:10:25.679 looking up to there. In my opinion, Mike, there are 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:29.280 three different types of undrafted free agents. One is the 0:10:29.320 --> 0:10:31.559 guys that performed at a high level, but either because 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:33.240 of the level of which they played or just the 0:10:33.240 --> 0:10:35.840 fact they didn't get enough respect, they didn't get drafted. 0:10:35.920 --> 0:10:38.200 Lane Taylor is one of them, for your starter at 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:41.360 Oklahoma State. There's also a certain amount of undrafted freegents 0:10:41.400 --> 0:10:44.000 that go undrafted because of something that happened off the field. 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:47.560 But the third type is the guys that just were 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:50.280 kind of raw prospects, the Sam Shields of the world, 0:10:50.320 --> 0:10:52.079 the guys that maybe make a late transition, or in 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:54.800 Tremont Williams case, a guy that was a wasn't even 0:10:54.800 --> 0:10:57.880 really intending to play football right away, ends up being 0:10:57.880 --> 0:11:00.560 a walk on and then gradually work his way up 0:11:00.559 --> 0:11:05.080 and impresses. He is the quintessential story of an undrafted 0:11:05.200 --> 0:11:08.240 success story. Yeah, and he brings that experience back, and 0:11:08.240 --> 0:11:12.120 he also brings experience in Mike Petton's system, and the 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:14.760 fact that he continues to play this at this level 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:17.160 at this stage of his career tells you how badly 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:19.320 he still wants it and how much he's still chasing 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:21.760 another super Bowl ring. Yeah. In a really interesting comment 0:11:21.840 --> 0:11:24.120 he made as well, getting back to your earlier point 0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:27.480 about the smarts and the savvy that now he has 0:11:27.559 --> 0:11:30.040 after a dozen years in the league to go along 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:33.200 with keeping that body limber and staying athletic. He was 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:35.760 talking about the Packers young cornerbacks and he's like, Yeah, 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:38.000 it's great to see them making plays out there. And 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:40.439 they're making plays out there right now in practice because 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:43.080 they have the athletic ability to do it. They're not 0:11:43.160 --> 0:11:46.000 making plays because they really know what's going on. He says, 0:11:46.400 --> 0:11:48.520 I'm at the point where I kind of know what's 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:50.720 going on, and that makes things easier. I don't have 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:54.480 to be quite as athletic as a Jayra Alexander, you know, 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:56.960 a rookie first round draft pick coming in to be 0:11:57.000 --> 0:11:58.920 able to do my job and to do it well. 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:03.840 And that's the the problem in a sense, for lack 0:12:03.880 --> 0:12:06.520 of a better term, is that most guys don't get 0:12:06.559 --> 0:12:10.560 smart enough in this league until the athleticism has left them, 0:12:10.559 --> 0:12:12.640 and then they have to retire guys who were thirty 0:12:12.679 --> 0:12:15.200 five years old. They know everything about the game, but 0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:17.600 physically they can't keep up and play it anymore. Truman 0:12:17.720 --> 0:12:21.920 Williams long ago got those smarts and now he's he's 0:12:22.000 --> 0:12:24.000 keeping it going. Heck, you see that. Guys that are 0:12:24.080 --> 0:12:26.880 thirty one, you know, ninety awesome wa like those type 0:12:26.880 --> 0:12:29.200 of players that were the best of their ability, when 0:12:29.200 --> 0:12:31.360 things start to go down, they can't keep up. Truman 0:12:31.480 --> 0:12:34.160 Williams at every stage of his career, he's made sure 0:12:34.160 --> 0:12:36.880 he's doing the right things to keep himself physically, mentally, 0:12:36.920 --> 0:12:40.319 emotionally in this game and obviously invested towards winning a 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:42.440 championship no doubt. With that, we're going to go to 0:12:42.440 --> 0:12:45.320 another break back with more on Packers Unscripted right after this. 0:13:02.400 --> 0:13:05.920 Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford here, Wes hodkoits 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:08.160 over there. West. We spent a lot of time talking 0:13:08.240 --> 0:13:11.040 about the Packers offensive line and everything it went through 0:13:11.040 --> 0:13:14.800 Inen Justin McCrae as the super sub filling in wherever 0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:18.439 was needed. David Baktiar he earns another All Pro nod 0:13:18.760 --> 0:13:21.360 at left tackle, Lane Taylor really coming into his own 0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:23.880 as an undrafted guy and now a multi year starter 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:28.520 at left guard. One guy in that group played every 0:13:28.520 --> 0:13:31.800 offensive snap for the Packers in seen for all the 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:34.880 injuries the offensive line was dealing with, and that center 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:39.360 Corey Linsley he heading into is in a very different 0:13:39.400 --> 0:13:41.440 position than where he was a year ago. He was 0:13:41.520 --> 0:13:43.200 and you know why it was so important he played 0:13:43.240 --> 0:13:46.120 every single offensive snap for the Packers last year because 0:13:46.120 --> 0:13:48.680 his backup was playing right tackle for most of the 0:13:48.720 --> 0:13:51.280 second half of last year, and then Lucas Patrick, who 0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:53.679 was the other backup at center, ended up finishing the 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:56.480 year with a club. So it was pretty important that 0:13:56.559 --> 0:13:59.920 Corey Linsley played all one thousand whatever snapps. But as 0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:02.520 you said, Mike, going back to last year, he was 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:05.720 entering a contract year, he was coming off an ankle surgery, 0:14:06.200 --> 0:14:08.280 and he said throughout the offseason program which he was 0:14:08.320 --> 0:14:12.880 not able to participate in mentally. As much as it 0:14:13.040 --> 0:14:15.480 it really stunk not to be able to be out there, 0:14:16.080 --> 0:14:18.080 he felt like he was in a better place because 0:14:18.200 --> 0:14:20.200 he finally had answers. The year before he had that 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:23.160 hamstring injury that he couldn't really get a grip on. Well, 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:25.120 it was all kind of stemming from this ankle injury. 0:14:25.200 --> 0:14:27.800 He finally got that cleaned up, and he was really 0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:30.000 putting a lot into being back for training camp and 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:32.280 being able to go wire to wire. Now he didn't, 0:14:32.320 --> 0:14:34.640 he says he doesn't. He didn't have it on his board. 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:37.200 You know, I want to play every single snap. But 0:14:37.320 --> 0:14:39.800 the fact that he did and then in the last 0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:42.840 week of the season got that big contract extension, I 0:14:42.880 --> 0:14:45.480 think showed him that he was still the player he 0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:48.040 always thought he was and he just needed to get 0:14:48.080 --> 0:14:51.280 that ankle fixed to be able to play at that 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:53.400 level again. Because you go back to two thousand and fourteen, 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:56.000 there were a lot of mirrors between those two seasons 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:58.320 as far as what his role was. He had to 0:14:58.320 --> 0:15:00.240 be the guy because J. C. Truter was out in 0:15:00.280 --> 0:15:02.360 two thousand and fourteen, he got thrown in there. He 0:15:02.440 --> 0:15:05.440 end up making all those starts very similar situation last 0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:07.720 year and he stepped up to the plate. Yeah. Absolutely, 0:15:07.760 --> 0:15:10.400 And Lindsley has always struck me as a very interesting 0:15:10.440 --> 0:15:12.680 guy because you look at you know, he's been with 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:15.760 the Packers now since fifth round draft pick out of 0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:18.400 Ohio State. He's seen a lot of transition on the 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:21.160 offensive line. He was kind of brought up, so to speak, 0:15:21.240 --> 0:15:23.640 by the t. J. Langs and the Josh Sittons of 0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:27.000 the world. Now, David baktr Brian Bulaga very much leaders 0:15:27.440 --> 0:15:30.600 in that offensive line room. Those are a lot of 0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:35.200 pretty distinct personalities. And Corey Lindsley is a very reserved 0:15:35.240 --> 0:15:37.760 and quiet guy, but yet he's always kind of got 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:40.640 a smile on his face. He's always always willing to 0:15:40.640 --> 0:15:42.520 tell a little bit of a story about what's going 0:15:42.600 --> 0:15:46.240 on behind the scenes. And um, no matter what, the 0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:50.920 personality is a very very respected member of that offensive line. Yeah, 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:53.120 and in a dry, you know, dry sense of humor too. 0:15:53.160 --> 0:15:56.120 That shall sometimes see pop up when he's retweeting, retweeting 0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:59.680 onion articles. But here's here's the thing. I go back to, Mike, 0:15:59.720 --> 0:16:01.400 You've been covering this team for a long time and 0:16:01.440 --> 0:16:03.720 I've been doing it now for five, six seven years. 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:06.040 I remember sitting down with Aaron Rodgers. It was a 0:16:06.080 --> 0:16:10.000 two thousand thirteen and the topic of conversation was the 0:16:10.000 --> 0:16:12.320 center position and the fact that he was then at 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:14.640 that point on to his fourth different starting center in 0:16:14.680 --> 0:16:17.800 four years. He had Scott Wells, he had Jason Spitz, 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:20.240 he had Jeff Saturday, and then it eventually became Evans Smith. 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:22.960 And he said repeatedly in the two thousand twelve and 0:16:23.000 --> 0:16:24.920 two thousand and thirteen season, he wanted to be able 0:16:24.920 --> 0:16:26.640 to get on a run with a guy. Now, everybody 0:16:26.680 --> 0:16:28.960 thought that guy was gonna be J. C. Treader, but 0:16:29.040 --> 0:16:31.400 the injuries ended up popping up. When you talk about 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:33.920 him being a respective member of the offensive line, in 0:16:33.960 --> 0:16:36.440 a respective member of that roster, the fact that he 0:16:36.600 --> 0:16:39.000 ended up becoming that guy to get on a run 0:16:39.040 --> 0:16:41.240 with Rogers and now is you know, in place here 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:43.800 the next few seasons to stay there. That tells you 0:16:43.880 --> 0:16:45.600 not only how much Rogers thinks of him, but how 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:47.840 much the organization thinks of the job he did. Because 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:51.040 as a fifth rown pick, he was very specialized. Mike, 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:55.080 you always talk about reserves being versatile. Corey Linsley is 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:57.640 a center through and through that's the position he played. 0:16:57.680 --> 0:16:59.920 That's not to say he couldn't play elsewhere pure bread, 0:17:00.200 --> 0:17:02.480 but he's a pure Bread And the fact that he 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:04.880 ended up getting that call in two thousand and fourteen 0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:07.200 and playing the way he did shows you how much 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:09.480 of an expert, how much he's mastered that position, and 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:11.600 you've just seen him grow now over the last five years. 0:17:11.600 --> 0:17:13.320 I just had this thought occurred to me as you 0:17:13.359 --> 0:17:16.200 were talking about Lindsley. What is it about the number 0:17:16.280 --> 0:17:20.800 sixty three in this franchise? Larry McCarron, if I'm not mistaken, 0:17:21.160 --> 0:17:26.639 James Camping, Scott Wells, now Corey Linsley. A lot of 0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:29.680 really really good centers that have played played for this team, 0:17:29.680 --> 0:17:31.480 and a lot of them have warned that same number. 0:17:31.520 --> 0:17:34.080 And if I know CAMPI he would probably say that 0:17:34.119 --> 0:17:38.000 it's Larry, Scott Wells, Corey Linsley and then James Camping 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:39.760 down there. But he was pretty good, darn good in 0:17:39.800 --> 0:17:41.600 his own right as well. Yeah, he was with that. 0:17:41.640 --> 0:17:44.440 We're going to go to another breakback with moreen Packers unscripted. 0:17:44.480 --> 0:18:05.320 Right after this Welcome Back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford 0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:07.639 sitting next to West Hodko. It's West before we go, 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:10.560 we definitely have to touch on what was a scary 0:18:10.640 --> 0:18:13.560 moment over this past weekend, but hopefully one that that 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:15.840 everybody can kind of chuckle about when it's all said 0:18:15.880 --> 0:18:18.440 and done. And talking about that line drive in the 0:18:18.520 --> 0:18:22.240 charity softball game that Clay Matthews took right in the face, 0:18:22.359 --> 0:18:26.119 broke his nose. Sounds like he's having surgery sometime this 0:18:26.160 --> 0:18:29.840 week to get that squared away. UM, certainly glad that 0:18:30.119 --> 0:18:32.359 that Clay Matthews is okay. But one of those things 0:18:32.359 --> 0:18:34.520 that just falls under the category if you never know 0:18:34.560 --> 0:18:36.600 what the heck is going to happen. Sometimes no, and 0:18:37.000 --> 0:18:39.359 it's gonna happen in any walk of life, and and 0:18:39.400 --> 0:18:41.000 it's just one of those deals. And this could have 0:18:41.040 --> 0:18:45.040 easily been a you know, Packers dot Com Digital Department 0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:48.399 softball game and and something like that could always happen. 0:18:48.400 --> 0:18:51.240 And yeah, it's unfortunate, but I think Mike McCarthy had 0:18:51.280 --> 0:18:53.200 really good perspective on it. You go back to what 0:18:53.240 --> 0:18:55.640 they were doing. Um, you know, it's in the name 0:18:55.680 --> 0:18:58.000 of a good cause, a charitable cause, and and Clay 0:18:58.080 --> 0:19:00.600 this year, along with Davante Adams, were actually the headliners 0:19:00.600 --> 0:19:03.000 of this event. For the first time with with Jordie 0:19:03.040 --> 0:19:06.040 Nelson now in Oakland, and you could tell this was 0:19:06.080 --> 0:19:08.600 something that Nelson took a lot of I'm sorry, Matthews 0:19:08.600 --> 0:19:10.240 took a lot of pride and the other thing to 0:19:10.320 --> 0:19:12.560 keep in mind into I guess it's just a lot 0:19:12.560 --> 0:19:14.600 of averages. They've been doing this for twenty five years. 0:19:14.680 --> 0:19:16.600 If you've covered any or if you've been to any 0:19:16.640 --> 0:19:19.240 of these softball games the last few years, Clay Matthews 0:19:19.280 --> 0:19:22.080 always pitches. He constantly does it. I think you know 0:19:22.080 --> 0:19:23.960 it's been doing it is probably since his rookie year. Yeah, 0:19:23.960 --> 0:19:25.960 he's been the guy for a long time. So it 0:19:26.080 --> 0:19:28.280 just happened to be that. You know, it was an incident, 0:19:28.320 --> 0:19:31.000 an incident, but the fact that well one is in 0:19:31.119 --> 0:19:33.480 toughness is off the charts. That's what I was That's 0:19:33.520 --> 0:19:34.840 what I was going to say. How do you take 0:19:34.880 --> 0:19:37.320 a shot like that to the face? And I don't 0:19:37.320 --> 0:19:39.240