WEBVTT - #654 Packers Unscripted: Minicamp week 0:00:05.000 --> 0:00:11.360 Hi, everybody, Welcome back to Packers unscripted. I am Mike 0:00:11.360 --> 0:00:15.800 Spoffor joined alongside my trusted colleague Weston Hodkowitz. We're coming 0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:18.320 to you hear from our studios at lambeau Field. We've 0:00:18.360 --> 0:00:20.440 been away from these desks for a couple of weeks. 0:00:20.440 --> 0:00:23.520 West some different things going on. Our producer Marvin was gone, 0:00:23.520 --> 0:00:25.959 than I was gone. Now we are back. It's in 0:00:26.000 --> 0:00:29.040 the midst of O t A Season here for the 0:00:29.080 --> 0:00:32.640 Green Bay Packers, and actually this is Mini camp week, 0:00:32.680 --> 0:00:36.240 the mandatory mini camp. So we'll do another show later 0:00:36.280 --> 0:00:38.640 this week after a couple of the mini camp practices 0:00:38.800 --> 0:00:42.440 and give our impressions of what we see out there 0:00:42.440 --> 0:00:45.040 on the practice field. But to this point, two weeks 0:00:45.120 --> 0:00:48.040 of O t a s are in the books. What 0:00:48.159 --> 0:00:52.000 are your impressions of these spring practices to this point. Well, 0:00:52.040 --> 0:00:53.960 first and foremost, I love when you mentioned, you know, 0:00:54.120 --> 0:00:56.400 Marv was gone. He got to go to Jamaica. Yes, 0:00:56.600 --> 0:01:00.080 your time, your time off is coming, You're time go 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:03.360 to Florida. And then I've just been here the entire time, 0:01:03.560 --> 0:01:07.760 joined this wonderful spring we've been having in Wisconsin. Uh No, 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:10.840 but you know it was interesting. O t A s 0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:14.440 are always uh, you know, there's there's little narratives you 0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:17.560 can draw from, there's little nuggets of information that you 0:01:17.560 --> 0:01:19.959 can glean. But this year is a little bit different 0:01:19.959 --> 0:01:22.120 than maybe any o t I have ever covered, Mike 0:01:22.160 --> 0:01:25.000 because of the amount of veterans that weren't here during 0:01:25.040 --> 0:01:28.040 the first two that were open to the media. Historically, 0:01:28.080 --> 0:01:30.200 I think that's been something where a lot there was 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:32.600 a lot of veteran turnout. The workout bonuses obviously are 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:35.520 predicated on that. But we're kind of in that space 0:01:35.640 --> 0:01:38.119 right now after not after because I understand I don't 0:01:38.120 --> 0:01:40.800 want to get people upset, you know, the COVID pandemic 0:01:40.840 --> 0:01:43.160 all that still ongoing. But in terms of being able 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:46.479 to have a physical offseason program again, uh, there's certain 0:01:46.520 --> 0:01:48.520 guys that have just wanted to train on their own 0:01:48.680 --> 0:01:51.400 and will be in this town this week for mini camp. 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:54.600 So we've got to see a lot more younger players 0:01:54.600 --> 0:01:56.600 and I think we've seen in the past. We've got 0:01:56.680 --> 0:01:59.920 to see Jordan's love leading this offense once again and 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:04.320 really seeing how these rookies have been integrated a lot 0:02:04.480 --> 0:02:07.320 faster into some of the first teamwork than what we've 0:02:07.360 --> 0:02:09.840 seen in the past. So in that way, it's been 0:02:10.080 --> 0:02:12.400 very interesting to see a lot of those young players 0:02:12.440 --> 0:02:14.880 get opportunities that traditionally we might not have seen here 0:02:15.240 --> 0:02:17.880 during the offseason program. Yeah, the thing that stood out 0:02:17.919 --> 0:02:20.200 to me that that strikes me as a little bit 0:02:20.240 --> 0:02:24.040 different from I guess you'd call it the pre covid 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:26.360 O t A S that that we used to cover 0:02:27.040 --> 0:02:30.840 um in prior years. Is that so far, And we'll 0:02:30.880 --> 0:02:33.280 see if it changes this week during minicamp, But so 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:37.359 far we haven't seen really seen much eleven on eleven 0:02:38.080 --> 0:02:40.440 that is at full speed. Now, granted there are no 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:43.240 pads right now. Everybody is just in you know, shorts, 0:02:43.320 --> 0:02:45.520 jerseys and helmets. There is no pads, so there's no 0:02:45.639 --> 0:02:49.160 full contact. But they also aren't doing doing a whole 0:02:49.200 --> 0:02:51.800 lot of the eleven on eleven at full speed. And 0:02:51.919 --> 0:02:54.560 what I take away from that is is that Matt 0:02:54.600 --> 0:02:58.600 Lafleur and the coaching staff have decided that these these 0:02:58.639 --> 0:03:00.880 O t as this part of the off season has 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:04.399 been for learning, not so much about competing, but it's 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:08.919 about learning. It's it's it's learning the playbook, learning the offense, 0:03:09.040 --> 0:03:12.239 trying to learn some of the nuances and whatnot. At 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:15.560 a slower speed, so that when you do get potentially 0:03:15.600 --> 0:03:17.639 this week for a couple of days in mini camp, 0:03:17.720 --> 0:03:20.840 but then even more importantly in training camp starting in 0:03:20.919 --> 0:03:25.640 late July, when things are going full speed, the learning 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:28.560 the learning stages have gone at a little bit slower pace, 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:32.840 so that hopefully there's there's there's better retention, better understanding 0:03:32.840 --> 0:03:35.720 of things for when they really want to move forward. Yeah, 0:03:35.720 --> 0:03:39.040 it's a really sharp observation too, because I don't really 0:03:39.040 --> 0:03:41.400 recall in the past, it almost seemed like the seven 0:03:41.400 --> 0:03:45.000 on seven period was more competitive than the eleven on eleven. Uh. 0:03:45.000 --> 0:03:47.000 The seven on sevens is where we've probably seen the 0:03:47.040 --> 0:03:50.400 most uh the fastest, you know, play speed between the 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:53.560 receivers and the defensive backs, with the offensive lineman going 0:03:53.600 --> 0:03:56.120 off and doing drills on their own, where the eleven 0:03:56.200 --> 0:03:58.560 eleven eleven on eleven has been more and more of 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:04.040 a walk through type tempo or job tempo. So again, 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:06.080 Matt la Fleur will be the first one to say it. 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:07.960 I mean, there is only so much you can learn 0:04:08.000 --> 0:04:10.400 from in terms of the competitive nature of this thing 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:13.960 by you know, making guys go out there without pads 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:16.719 and and just going through some of those emotions. But 0:04:16.839 --> 0:04:20.160 that being said, it is about the retention of this 0:04:20.240 --> 0:04:22.440 playbook and the fleur last week when he was talking 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:24.680 with the media. The thing that was interesting about that 0:04:24.839 --> 0:04:26.840 second o t A is that was the first time 0:04:26.839 --> 0:04:28.680 they were putting in installs that these guys had never 0:04:28.720 --> 0:04:31.800 seen before the week before during that first o t 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:34.440 A open to the media. Well, that one was some 0:04:34.640 --> 0:04:36.880 that something that they had already run through for the 0:04:36.920 --> 0:04:40.080 majority of the rookies during the rookie minicamp, and then 0:04:40.120 --> 0:04:42.679 you're getting used to lining up in the formations and 0:04:42.680 --> 0:04:44.839 and really like the first chapter in any kind of 0:04:44.920 --> 0:04:46.960 history book or any type of textbook that you might 0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:50.120 have in school. So it'll be interesting when we talked 0:04:50.120 --> 0:04:52.200 to Matt Lafleur at the time in which we're taping 0:04:52.200 --> 0:04:55.840 this tomorrow, uh and and hearing what he's going to 0:04:55.839 --> 0:04:59.839 say exactly about how these guys took that information and 0:05:00.040 --> 0:05:02.400 they ran with it, because it is there's a lot 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:04.080 of young guys on this football team. There's a lot 0:05:04.120 --> 0:05:06.080 of new draft picks, there's a lot of you know, 0:05:06.200 --> 0:05:08.640 undrafted free agents trying to make their mark, and it's 0:05:08.720 --> 0:05:10.600 up to them to pick up that playbook as fast 0:05:10.600 --> 0:05:13.360 as they can develop their own process for absorbing all 0:05:13.360 --> 0:05:16.560 the information and putting it to practice. Yeah, it seems that, uh, 0:05:16.880 --> 0:05:20.320 from what we've been hearing from Matt Lafleura and from 0:05:20.360 --> 0:05:24.000 the coaches and whatnot, there's, uh, there's definitely an onus 0:05:24.040 --> 0:05:26.359 on the players at this time of year, especially the 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:30.279 young players that it's it's not just being there for 0:05:30.320 --> 0:05:32.600 the meeting and doing what you can on the practice field, 0:05:32.640 --> 0:05:35.000 but you do have to, you know, take that playbook home, 0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:37.240 do some homework, whether you're at the apartment or at 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:39.680 at the hotel or wherever some of these guys are staying. 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:42.440 You know, there there's some homework assignments that go to 0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:44.599 this if you want to if you want to keep 0:05:44.720 --> 0:05:47.479 up on things and not not have the head swimming 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:49.360 every day when you get into a new meeting, and 0:05:49.360 --> 0:05:52.320 then okay, here's a brand new offensive concept. All right, 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:53.960 you know, let's go. Well, if you don't have the 0:05:54.200 --> 0:05:56.120 if you don't have the other stuff down, or at 0:05:56.200 --> 0:05:58.919 least down to the to the point where where you 0:05:58.960 --> 0:06:01.159 don't have a whole bunch of questions floating around in 0:06:01.200 --> 0:06:04.080 your mind, then adding new stuff, um becomes all the 0:06:04.120 --> 0:06:06.960 more difficult. And and every every guy learns that his 0:06:07.160 --> 0:06:09.640 learns at his own pace, right, So so that's the 0:06:09.680 --> 0:06:11.400 coaches are trying to get a feel for these young 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:15.359 guys what they can handle. And eventually those are the 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:20.440 types of things observations that that decide, Okay, what are 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:22.720 the reps we're gonna give this guy in training camp, 0:06:22.760 --> 0:06:25.719 what packages? What personnel formations is he going to be 0:06:25.800 --> 0:06:28.720 in because of what he's absorbed in, what he understands. 0:06:29.000 --> 0:06:31.320 The incentive is there to try to absorb as much 0:06:31.360 --> 0:06:33.560 as you can because that's going to lead to the 0:06:33.600 --> 0:06:36.800 reps and the opportunities that you get later this summer. 0:06:37.040 --> 0:06:39.840 And what was really the biggest question that people wanted 0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:42.640 to ask during this offseason program, Well, Aaron Rodgers isn't 0:06:42.680 --> 0:06:44.920 here right now? How is that affecting the young players? 0:06:45.279 --> 0:06:47.640 And then obviously Jordan loved getting a chance to run 0:06:47.680 --> 0:06:50.480 this offense with the starters once again as he did 0:06:50.560 --> 0:06:54.600 last year. Rodgers wasn't present. So the one thing that 0:06:54.640 --> 0:06:56.599 you brought up and we've talked a lot about, is 0:06:56.960 --> 0:06:59.159 I personally, now that we've gotten a mini camp week, 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:01.800 now that Rogers is back in the building, uh, you know, 0:07:01.880 --> 0:07:05.880 absent just a couple appearances here there, I actually think 0:07:05.880 --> 0:07:07.760 this has been a great way for these young guys 0:07:07.800 --> 0:07:11.160 to go about absorbing this thing, and not just the rookies, Mike. 0:07:11.200 --> 0:07:13.120 I think that's one other thing people talked a lot about, 0:07:13.160 --> 0:07:15.840 is this okay getting the rookies understand the playbook. It's 0:07:15.880 --> 0:07:18.640 for a Marii Rodgers too. It's for you know, even 0:07:18.680 --> 0:07:21.240 an aj Dillon, guys that are still new to this 0:07:21.320 --> 0:07:24.040 thing in the grand scheme of things, being able to 0:07:24.080 --> 0:07:27.200 really pick up not only the core principle of this, 0:07:27.400 --> 0:07:29.880 you know, this academia that Matt Laflour is throwing at 0:07:29.920 --> 0:07:32.200 these players, but also the changes that are going to 0:07:32.240 --> 0:07:34.720 be implemented now that you don't have Vante Adams. Now 0:07:34.720 --> 0:07:36.320 that you are going to have it's a new season 0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:39.320 with new concepts and new take on things. That's why 0:07:39.320 --> 0:07:42.520 I'm really excited to see, you know, getting potentially Rogers 0:07:42.520 --> 0:07:44.800 back in the fold this week, seeing how he he 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:48.119 mingles now with this offense where you've had young guys 0:07:48.160 --> 0:07:50.000 now that I've had a month two months in this 0:07:50.040 --> 0:07:52.200 playbook to really absorb what they're what they're trying to 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:54.320 put out on the field. Yeah, well Mini camp is 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:57.240 this week, so uh, what are you what are your 0:07:57.280 --> 0:08:00.360 thoughts heading into this week. What are you gonna be 0:08:00.440 --> 0:08:04.480 looking for out in the field. Obviously Aaron Rodgers is here, 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:07.640 other some other veteran players. I think we're gonna see 0:08:07.800 --> 0:08:10.640 as far as what we've been able to see because 0:08:11.240 --> 0:08:13.800 because the media has not had access to all of 0:08:13.800 --> 0:08:15.680 the O t A practices, So I don't like to 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:19.040 declare who's been here and who hasn't because we don't 0:08:19.120 --> 0:08:21.800 exactly know that in terms of every day of the week. 0:08:22.480 --> 0:08:24.440 But I think we're going to get our first look 0:08:24.480 --> 0:08:29.120 at Sammy Watkins potentially um out on out on the 0:08:29.120 --> 0:08:32.080 practice field here in in the Packers unial reform, some 0:08:32.120 --> 0:08:34.800 other veterans perhaps that that we haven't seen to this 0:08:34.840 --> 0:08:39.480 point because this is the one mandatory week um of 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:42.200 of the off season. And uh and presumably we'll hear 0:08:42.240 --> 0:08:45.160 from Aaron Rodgers after practice as well and see what 0:08:45.200 --> 0:08:47.160 he has to and this is gonna be the funniest thing. Well, 0:08:47.240 --> 0:08:49.120 it will be great to hear what Rogers has to say. 0:08:49.120 --> 0:08:51.199 You know, we haven't actually sat down with him formally 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:54.120 and talk since anything has really happened this offseason, so 0:08:54.160 --> 0:08:55.760 it'll be good to get his thoughts on, you know, 0:08:55.840 --> 0:08:58.240 the the grand, big scheme of what the Packers are 0:08:58.240 --> 0:09:01.640 going through. But the real story here is the Sammy 0:09:01.679 --> 0:09:03.720 Watkins of the world that we haven't talked to yet, 0:09:03.800 --> 0:09:05.640 him coming in in year nine, trying to show that 0:09:05.679 --> 0:09:08.040 he still has a lot left to offer. A Packers 0:09:08.200 --> 0:09:12.280 offense in in perimeter receiving game that has really nobody 0:09:12.440 --> 0:09:14.520 set in a certain position. They could go a number 0:09:14.600 --> 0:09:16.719 of different ways with you know, the first guy in 0:09:16.760 --> 0:09:18.679 the depth charts for the eighth guy in the depth chart. 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:21.680 Then you look at the defense, Mike Gyro Alexander is 0:09:21.679 --> 0:09:25.079 going to be here, Where is he lining up with 0:09:25.120 --> 0:09:29.280 this group? How are they deploying that Nickel package? As 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:32.400 much as Rogers drives, you know, so many headlines and 0:09:32.520 --> 0:09:35.440 so much of the news around the Packers. We knew 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:37.360 Aaron Rodgers was going to be here this year. It 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:39.400 wasn't like last year where there's so many questions. So 0:09:39.480 --> 0:09:42.480 it's more about these veterans that we haven't seen before, 0:09:42.559 --> 0:09:45.120 these guys potentially stepping into a new role. What do 0:09:45.280 --> 0:09:47.200 they look like when you get out there for this 0:09:47.240 --> 0:09:50.280 mini camp, because realistically, this is the closest you're gonna 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:52.720 get to training camp and not necessarily the padded stuff. 0:09:52.760 --> 0:09:55.360 But in terms of getting into the playbook, being able 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:58.240 to get into the early installs, that that's personally what 0:09:58.240 --> 0:10:01.239 I'm gonna probably be looking at the most. You mentioned Alexander, 0:10:01.280 --> 0:10:02.560 and I want to get back to him in just 0:10:02.600 --> 0:10:04.880 a second, but I will take care of some sponsor 0:10:04.960 --> 0:10:08.440 business here. First West Serious x M NFL Radio delivers 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:11.240 hard hitting analysis and up to the minute NFL news 0:10:11.720 --> 0:10:16.000 that true football fanatics need seven three six and had 0:10:16.000 --> 0:10:18.840 cousin subs. We have something for everyone like our Wisconsin 0:10:18.880 --> 0:10:21.480 cheese kurds, mac and cheese, golden fries, and creamy shakes, 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:24.280 all paired with your favorite sub or sub in a bowl. 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:27.880 Cousin subs. We believe in better all right. The biggest 0:10:27.920 --> 0:10:32.360 piece of news coming out of this building since we 0:10:32.559 --> 0:10:37.080 signed off a few weeks ago, um from Unscripted for 0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:41.520 a brief hiatus, is that Jayar Alexander has a new contract. 0:10:41.559 --> 0:10:44.280 He will not be playing this season under the fifth 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:47.960 year option. He has a long term deal. He is 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:51.080 in the fold multiple years here for the Green Bay 0:10:51.080 --> 0:10:55.160 Packers and something that it's a great thing for Jayar 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:58.600 Alexander and his family. Um, we saw some photos and whatnot. 0:10:58.600 --> 0:11:03.120 He's certainly celebrated um with those closest to him. But also, 0:11:03.360 --> 0:11:07.520 you know, creates a little extra cap space foo for 0:11:07.720 --> 0:11:10.640 Green Bay because he his cap number now is not 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:13.640 that fifth year option number, but really about half of 0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:16.800 that with the way the new contract with structure. But 0:11:17.480 --> 0:11:20.840 and you mentioned it, how are the Packers going to 0:11:21.160 --> 0:11:24.120 line up these uh, these top three cornerbacks when you're 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:28.760 talking about Jr, Alexander Russell, Douglas, Eric Stokes, the big question, Okay, 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:30.960 you know who's going to play Who's going to play 0:11:31.000 --> 0:11:33.160 the slot? You know, we know the Packers are going 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:35.760 to have five defensive backs on the field quite a bit. 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:39.760 That's just life in the NFL these days. A couple 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:42.160 of weeks ago we heard from I guess is maybe 0:11:42.160 --> 0:11:44.880 almost a month ago now, we heard from Jerry Gray, 0:11:45.040 --> 0:11:48.360 the defensive backs coach, passing game coordinator on the defensive side, 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:50.280 and he was asked the whole question about who's going 0:11:50.320 --> 0:11:53.280 to play the slot out of these top three cornerbacks 0:11:53.280 --> 0:11:56.160 and whatnot. And he didn't say it in so many words, 0:11:56.160 --> 0:11:58.560 but the impression I got from the answer that he 0:11:58.640 --> 0:12:02.560 gave is the Packers are going to go about this 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:07.760 more with regard to matchups of which cover guy they 0:12:07.760 --> 0:12:11.240 want to match up against a certain receiver, not who's 0:12:11.320 --> 0:12:14.440 lining up where it's gonna be, like, hey, twenty three, 0:12:14.480 --> 0:12:18.560 you've got him, twenty one, you've got him, and don't 0:12:18.600 --> 0:12:21.240 worry about where they line up. Just worry about guarding 0:12:21.280 --> 0:12:25.000 your guy. That's that's what I took away from how 0:12:25.120 --> 0:12:27.680 Jerry Gray kind of danced around the whole question of 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:30.360 who's going to play the slot quote unquote, And you 0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:33.160 know why you're right about that because you look last 0:12:33.240 --> 0:12:36.280 year how the Packers utilized Kevin King. Kevin King had 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:40.040 never played the slot before in any like substantial snaps 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:42.319 during his time in Green Bay, he played both the 0:12:42.440 --> 0:12:44.760 nickel and the dime. By the end of the season, 0:12:44.800 --> 0:12:48.840 the inside positions. Uh. Jerry Gray even said it too. 0:12:49.080 --> 0:12:51.320 If a guy can learn the outside, he's confident that 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:53.959 same player can learn the inside. He doesn't make many 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:57.720 qualms about Okay, well as this guy's situation fit the best, 0:12:57.760 --> 0:13:01.120 that's not necessarily the case. Yes, Chandon Sullivan mostly played 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:03.439 that role the past few years, but I think when 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:06.160 you look at the makeup of and Alexander, of a Stokes, 0:13:06.400 --> 0:13:08.960 of a Russeul Douglas, I think all those guys have 0:13:09.200 --> 0:13:12.080 different attributes that lend themselves to play in that position. 0:13:12.480 --> 0:13:15.160 The most intriguing thing to me is the fact that 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:17.679 the first time there was the thing. For his first 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:21.479 four seasons in the National Football League, you've figured, Okay, 0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:25.080 Alexander's probably on the left side of this defense. That's 0:13:25.120 --> 0:13:27.839 the position that they they've typically wanted to shut down. 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:30.800 That's where they're going to keep him. The idea of 0:13:30.880 --> 0:13:33.760 job moving around more is the most intriguing thing. Will 0:13:33.800 --> 0:13:37.280 he spell or shadow the top receiver every single week? 0:13:37.320 --> 0:13:39.079 I don't know if that's even going to be the case, 0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:42.800 but the idea that you can't just kind of pigeonhole 0:13:42.880 --> 0:13:45.719 them to one spot, I think is going to make 0:13:45.760 --> 0:13:48.880 this defense really dynamic. You look at why I think 0:13:48.960 --> 0:13:51.880 Joe Barry was so successful in year one, whether it 0:13:51.920 --> 0:13:56.800 was the cornerbacks, defensive line, linebackers, anywhere. He was very 0:13:56.960 --> 0:13:59.640 multiple with how he used his players. He liked using 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:03.360 two inside backer formations with being able to play off 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:06.280 potential blitz packages. Off of that, He'd liked being able 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:08.680 to bring up a Kevin King and a dime package 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:10.160 late in the season and almost use him as a 0:14:10.160 --> 0:14:13.199 pseudo inside backer. He was very creative with how he 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:16.240 used the personality his fingertips and with how deep this 0:14:16.320 --> 0:14:19.440 group is this season. That to me is what is 0:14:19.480 --> 0:14:22.160 the most exciting part. They brought back a lot of pieces. Yes, 0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:24.240 they lost to Darius Smith. I'm not saying that that's 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:27.600 not a huge loss, but the amount of guys they 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:30.440 brought back, Mike, compared to where I thought things were 0:14:30.440 --> 0:14:32.640 going to be at back in February, I'm blown away 0:14:32.640 --> 0:14:36.240 by the possibilities of the secondary and really this entire defense. Yeah. Absolutely, 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:38.800 I mean we talked about this actually when the season, 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:42.320 when the season wrapped up last year, when we're talking 0:14:42.320 --> 0:14:45.320 about the possibilities you know of can you can you 0:14:45.400 --> 0:14:47.640 bring Rasul Douglas back? Like is he still going to 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:51.640 be around? And this essentially what will be the Packers 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:54.760 starting nickel secondary. Of the three corners were talking about 0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:57.280 Alexander Stokes and Douglas put him in whatever order you 0:14:57.280 --> 0:14:58.920 want to put him in, and then the two starting 0:14:58.960 --> 0:15:03.800 safeties Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage. That's a nickel secondary 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:06.880 that is a top five in that group that that 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:11.720 rivals what the Packers had when Dom Caper's first came 0:15:11.760 --> 0:15:14.520 in in two thousand nine and took over this defense 0:15:14.520 --> 0:15:18.920 when he had Charles Woodson, Al Harris, Tremont Williams, Nick Collins, 0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:22.600 and then you know the other safety it was supposed 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:24.600 to be Morgan Burnett, he got hurt as a rookie. 0:15:24.600 --> 0:15:26.320 But then there was Charlie Pepper. There was a Tarry 0:15:26.400 --> 0:15:29.160 big Bi in that mix. But that you you really 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:31.040 you have to go back that far in terms of 0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:33.680 in terms of that one through five of a Nickel 0:15:33.760 --> 0:15:37.960 secondary and the talent level, the depth of it UM 0:15:38.000 --> 0:15:41.120 now where the Packers go with the depth at corner 0:15:41.160 --> 0:15:44.160 and safety. Beyond that, there's some sorting out to do 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:49.280 their Keyshawn Nixon from the Raiders UM brought came over 0:15:49.400 --> 0:15:52.560 kind of you know, familiar with with Rich Pisacci and 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:56.720 what UM and what he's done on special teams and 0:15:56.720 --> 0:15:59.440 and he would appear to be potentially a big piece 0:15:59.440 --> 0:16:02.800 of the special teams here in Green Bay. But he's 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:04.880 going to be part of the cornerback depth mix. And 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:07.000 you're and then you're looking at your looking at these 0:16:07.040 --> 0:16:10.480 young safeties like like a Sean Davis or Trek Carpenter 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:13.600 who was who was just drafted. How the how the 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:17.280 depth beyond those top five gets sorted out, will definitely 0:16:17.320 --> 0:16:19.600 be something to watch as the summer goes along. But 0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:22.160 that group of five, that group of five is as 0:16:22.200 --> 0:16:25.240 good as talented, as deep as the Packers have had 0:16:25.280 --> 0:16:28.080 in a secondary in quite some time. You can't do 0:16:28.160 --> 0:16:31.200 this thing on paper. Matt Lafleur said that as much 0:16:31.280 --> 0:16:33.360 last week, but he did talk about on paper it 0:16:33.400 --> 0:16:36.560 does look really good, not just the secondary, at all 0:16:36.600 --> 0:16:39.240 three levels of this defense. You talk about, you know, 0:16:39.320 --> 0:16:41.320 this secondary being as deep as it's been since that 0:16:41.360 --> 0:16:45.400 oh nine teams. Same can be said for inside linebacker, 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:47.600 sam can be said for edge rush, or maybe even 0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:50.520 more so that it isn't just based on you know, 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:53.680 Clay Matthews, there's another potential guy there with Preston Smith 0:16:53.720 --> 0:16:56.480 and Rashawn Gary. The defensive front, like, this is the 0:16:56.520 --> 0:16:59.160 best defensive line on paper during my ten years covering 0:16:59.200 --> 0:17:01.480 this team, when you factor in that they finally added 0:17:01.520 --> 0:17:04.280 a first round pick and then also being able to 0:17:04.320 --> 0:17:07.200 get Jaron Reid in here too. Um, you have massive 0:17:07.240 --> 0:17:12.280 defensive linemen that that are athletic, I mean, so you 0:17:12.359 --> 0:17:14.399 have to play this thing out. I think really it 0:17:14.440 --> 0:17:16.560 just comes down to what you mentioned. It's this can 0:17:16.600 --> 0:17:19.200 you keep this unit healthy? And that was the problem 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:22.840 last year. Now, by the good graces of the football gods, 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:24.960 they were able to find Russell Douglas. If you don't 0:17:25.000 --> 0:17:28.359 have Russeul Douglas, maybe the season goes in a different direction. 0:17:28.400 --> 0:17:30.720 When you lose Jayre for literally the remainder of the 0:17:30.920 --> 0:17:33.040 regular season. Isn't that just crazy? Though? I mean, I 0:17:33.280 --> 0:17:35.080 don't mean to interrupt you, but no, we're when we're 0:17:35.119 --> 0:17:37.480 looking at the landscape of things here and we're talking 0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:40.879 about you know, this, this secondary and particularly this this 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:44.320 top three cornerback group of Alexander Douglas and and Stokes 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:47.240 and what the Packers are going to take in two 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:51.560 and you know, if Alexander doesn't get hurt, Russell Douglas 0:17:51.600 --> 0:17:54.000 never puts on a Green Bay Packers uniform. And not 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:57.280 only that, now Douglas has a long term contract of 0:17:57.280 --> 0:18:01.000 his zone to go with Alexander's new long term contract. 0:18:01.000 --> 0:18:03.920 Now these guys are potentially going to be playing together 0:18:04.760 --> 0:18:07.280 in that in the at that cornerback position for this 0:18:07.359 --> 0:18:11.520 Packers defense for multiple years. And uh and they never 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:17.000 set foot on a field together until the playoff. And 0:18:17.040 --> 0:18:19.880 it only happened. Yeah, and it was only the eight 0:18:19.880 --> 0:18:23.520 snaps that Alexander played. It's just the way things can go, 0:18:23.720 --> 0:18:26.240 the way things can change week to week, you know, 0:18:26.359 --> 0:18:28.680 month to month, a year to year. It it always, 0:18:28.760 --> 0:18:32.600 it always fascinates me because because last year, at this time, 0:18:32.760 --> 0:18:35.359 we were having a completely different conversation about where the 0:18:35.359 --> 0:18:38.840 Packers were with their cornerback position, who they had, and 0:18:38.840 --> 0:18:40.840 then bringing in a first round draft pick and Eric 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:42.840 Stokes and you didn't quite know how he was going 0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:45.679 to fit in. Now look where we are twelve months later. Well, 0:18:45.680 --> 0:18:47.200 and I want to bring this step up to before 0:18:47.200 --> 0:18:49.560 we move on when we talk about, you know, Brian 0:18:49.600 --> 0:18:51.840 Goodkins hitting on his draft picks, when you talk about 0:18:51.880 --> 0:18:54.160 him signing draft picks, I think one thing that's really 0:18:54.160 --> 0:18:58.359 gotten overlooked is the quality of free agents he's signed 0:18:58.480 --> 0:19:02.080 within those draft class is that aren't necessarily guys that 0:19:02.119 --> 0:19:03.840 were breaking the bank. In the case I'll make for you, 0:19:03.840 --> 0:19:07.359 as the two thousand sixteen draft, Deveandre Campbell, you add 0:19:07.480 --> 0:19:10.560 him now in with Kenny Clark, with Dean Lowry. You 0:19:10.600 --> 0:19:13.920 look at the seventeen draft for Seul Douglas now paired 0:19:14.000 --> 0:19:17.560 up with Aaron Jonesen, You're you're looking at your Robert 0:19:17.600 --> 0:19:19.639 Tonyans is a fifth year guy. Guy going into his 0:19:19.680 --> 0:19:22.199 fifth year now, Um, you know the year before that, 0:19:22.240 --> 0:19:25.160 Alan Lazard is a fourth year player now. Along with 0:19:25.200 --> 0:19:28.720 Gary and Savage, they've found ways to augment this roster 0:19:28.840 --> 0:19:33.720 with really talented players that haven't committed fortune. So that's 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:35.920 the key. As much as it's important to have Aaron 0:19:36.000 --> 0:19:38.399 Rodgers and and to have you know, Pro bowlers and 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:40.879 all pros and guys making plays all over the field, 0:19:41.280 --> 0:19:43.199 you have to be able to find diamonds in the 0:19:43.280 --> 0:19:45.800 rough to the roster's too big, there's too many players, 0:19:45.800 --> 0:19:48.440 there's too many injuries. And that's one thing since Brian 0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:51.439 Goodkin's took over in eighteen, he has been able to 0:19:51.520 --> 0:19:55.160