WEBVTT - #514 Packers Unscripted: Deserved honors 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:14.160 Hi, everyone, Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:14.240 --> 0:00:17.040 I and Mike Spofford, sitting next to the one and 0:00:17.120 --> 0:00:19.640 only Wes Hodkowits, were coming to you here from our 0:00:19.720 --> 0:00:22.880 studios at lambeau Field and West. Will begin the show 0:00:22.880 --> 0:00:26.640 today with a little bit of news regarding the Pro Bowl. 0:00:27.400 --> 0:00:30.960 Because the Packers initially had two Pro Bowl selections, quarterback 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:35.320 Aaron Rodgers and left tackled David box tr most surprised 0:00:35.320 --> 0:00:38.239 that Rogers has decided not to participate. He's sort of 0:00:38.280 --> 0:00:42.040 done that for the last several selections. He's bypassed and 0:00:42.120 --> 0:00:45.280 let someone else go in his place. But along those 0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:49.040 same lines, the Packers have now had three alternates who 0:00:49.080 --> 0:00:54.880 have been chosen for the Pro Bowl to replace some 0:00:54.920 --> 0:00:58.720 other players, and that would be wide receiver Davante Adams, 0:00:59.040 --> 0:01:03.960 defensive lineman Nny Clark, and outside linebacker za Darius Smith. 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:08.720 And uh, certainly a neat moment for Clark and Smith 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:12.000 because this is the first Pro Bowl for either player. Yeah, 0:01:12.040 --> 0:01:15.679 and incredibly well deserving for both of them. One Zadarius 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:17.680 Smith had one of the finest seasons of any player 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:20.240 in the National Football League this year. The way he 0:01:20.280 --> 0:01:23.000 was utilized, the number of positions that he played in 0:01:23.000 --> 0:01:26.440 just his overall effectiveness at all these different spots. Kenny 0:01:26.440 --> 0:01:29.520 Clark kind of reminds me of a player that a 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:32.600 lot of times with these defensive line and offensive line positions, 0:01:33.080 --> 0:01:36.080 unless you're Aaron don you know, Donald, it takes you 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:37.800 a little bit of time to build up your name 0:01:37.880 --> 0:01:40.039 to get a Pro Bowl nomination, to get it, to 0:01:40.080 --> 0:01:43.319 get an addition and alternate, and then finally actually making 0:01:43.319 --> 0:01:45.440 the team. This is a big step for him. I 0:01:45.480 --> 0:01:47.360 thought the way that he came on the second half 0:01:47.360 --> 0:01:50.440 of the season, particularly in the month of December, he 0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:54.160 deserves that recognition in that nod. But let's talk about 0:01:54.200 --> 0:01:56.800 Davante Adams for a section, because the first thing that 0:01:56.880 --> 0:01:58.680 jumped out to me when I saw that he got 0:01:58.720 --> 0:02:02.080 it one it's very rare that any player is able 0:02:02.080 --> 0:02:05.200 to make three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances, but for Davante, 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:07.440 it's the first time in twenty six years that it's 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:10.400 happened as a Packers receiver, with Sterling Sharpe in the 0:02:10.520 --> 0:02:14.080 last to accomplish that feat. For Sharp, it was his 0:02:14.200 --> 0:02:19.560 last three seasons nine before he ended up prematurely retiring. 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:21.919 So yeah, so I mean, just a tremendous honor for 0:02:21.960 --> 0:02:23.800 Davante And and the thing that stood out to me, 0:02:24.360 --> 0:02:25.880 you know, I pulled up his stats, and he had 0:02:25.919 --> 0:02:31.560 a remarkable postseason mike a hundred catches, one thousand two yards, 0:02:31.600 --> 0:02:34.280 seven touchdowns if you count his four teen games with 0:02:34.360 --> 0:02:37.160 the postseason. I think what we're seeing here. You know, 0:02:37.360 --> 0:02:40.880 Aaron Rodgers has had some phenomenal receivers. I'm not going 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:43.080 to get in a thing here where we start ranking them, sure, 0:02:43.280 --> 0:02:47.440 but Davante Adams has a real opportunity here to become 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:51.200 something special in this franchise history and in this league. 0:02:51.480 --> 0:02:54.720 I think he's in the shorthand right now five six 0:02:54.760 --> 0:02:56.880 guys that I think are the pre eminent receivers in 0:02:56.880 --> 0:02:59.640 the National Football League. And he does it with everything. 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:04.200 His athleticism, his skill, his footwork, his tenacity. He is 0:03:04.240 --> 0:03:06.920 a complete football player. So to see him despite the 0:03:06.960 --> 0:03:09.519 turf toe that wiped him out for October, to see 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:12.280 him get this accolade very well deserved. Well. When you 0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:16.320 look at Adam's stats, you subtract the four games he 0:03:16.360 --> 0:03:18.919 missed in the regular season, he played two postseason games. 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:22.360 If you look at that as his season fourteen games, 0:03:22.760 --> 0:03:25.399 which is still not quite a full season, but fourteen 0:03:25.480 --> 0:03:28.079 games that he played he had was that a hundred 0:03:28.080 --> 0:03:32.040 catches catches, I mean, that's that's pretty impressive on the 0:03:32.040 --> 0:03:34.040 face of it. And when you talk about the postseason 0:03:34.040 --> 0:03:36.640 two this is interesting because Adams went over a hundred 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:39.680 yards and both of the Packers playoff games this year. 0:03:39.960 --> 0:03:43.440 He now has four one yard receiving games in the 0:03:43.480 --> 0:03:48.520 playoffs in just eight career postseason games. The four one 0:03:49.000 --> 0:03:52.240 yard games, that's already the most of any Packers player 0:03:52.360 --> 0:03:55.080 in postseason history to top a hundred yards four times. 0:03:55.080 --> 0:03:58.080 And when you think about all of these receivers through 0:03:58.120 --> 0:04:01.720 the far Van Rogers era and Oneal Freeman, Robert Brooks, 0:04:02.080 --> 0:04:06.680 Javon Walker, Sterling Sharp, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cop, Greg Jennings, 0:04:06.800 --> 0:04:10.000 James Jones, I mean, all of these guys in just 0:04:10.120 --> 0:04:14.120 eight postseason games, Davante Adams already has more yard games 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:16.840 in the playoffs than any of those guys. That's that's 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:20.680 really something. And and um, as you said, the three 0:04:20.720 --> 0:04:25.640 straight Pro Bowls certainly deserving of it. And uh, you 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:29.240 just you wonder if not for those missed four games 0:04:29.240 --> 0:04:31.719 in the middle of the season, maybe what his regular 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:34.520 season stats would have been. He ended up just the 0:04:34.520 --> 0:04:37.240 three yard shy of a thousand yards season again for 0:04:37.279 --> 0:04:41.160 the second time in in his career. But he's getting 0:04:41.680 --> 0:04:44.480 the recognition he deserves, and certainly the way teams are 0:04:44.520 --> 0:04:48.800 defending him, the way teams are game planning for him. Um, 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:52.000 he's uh, he's not going unnoticed out there in the NFL. No. 0:04:52.160 --> 0:04:54.760 And and just that he's doing this against the top cornerbacks, 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:57.200 and he's doing it against double coverage and everything else 0:04:57.240 --> 0:04:59.880 that coordinators are throwing at him. The thing I wanted 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:02.680 see this offseason. Uh. And I hope people don't take 0:05:02.680 --> 0:05:05.080 this the wrong way. I'm sure some will. Is. Man, 0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:07.800 it'd be great if the Packers draft a young receiver here. 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:10.400 I don't care what round it is, but man, you're 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:12.400 able to get as many young guys as you can 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:14.960 into that room right now with Davante Adams to see 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:17.520 how that guy works. I was talking with Alan Lazard 0:05:17.560 --> 0:05:19.960 about this during clean out. I mean just the the 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:22.800 improvements that he feels he's made just by being in 0:05:22.960 --> 0:05:26.320 Adam's presence, being able to ask him questions, Uh, seeing 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:29.920 the way that he approaches the game mentally. Uh, this 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:33.000 I think Davanta Adams is a sum of all the parts. One, 0:05:33.200 --> 0:05:35.960 he's a phenomenally talented player and he has a great 0:05:36.000 --> 0:05:38.640 head on his shoulders. But being able to share that 0:05:38.640 --> 0:05:41.200 that room with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, and having 0:05:41.240 --> 0:05:43.960 the relationship that he did with James Jones, all of 0:05:44.000 --> 0:05:46.440 that has manifested into what I feel is like the 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:49.599 ultimate Packers receiver at this point. And the man, the 0:05:49.640 --> 0:05:51.720 more young guys that you can get in there with them, 0:05:52.000 --> 0:05:53.960 that'd be really that'd be really special. That I was 0:05:54.000 --> 0:05:56.039 going to say, you have to start, you have to 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:58.800 continue the pipeline here, right. That goes back to say 0:05:58.920 --> 0:06:02.400 Donald Driver, who is Donald Driver and Greg Jennings were 0:06:02.400 --> 0:06:05.919 really the two receivers who sort of made the transition 0:06:05.960 --> 0:06:08.279 from far Over to Rogers. You know, they played and 0:06:08.360 --> 0:06:10.720 James Jones as well, although Jones was only here for 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:14.280 um for far as last season before Rogers took over 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:17.080 as a starter. But you had those guys, and you know, 0:06:17.160 --> 0:06:19.560 they were the ones who brought along, you know, the 0:06:19.640 --> 0:06:22.640 Jordy Nelson's and the Randall Cobbs and then and then 0:06:22.720 --> 0:06:26.120 Nelson and Cobb at different times rose into those leadership 0:06:26.240 --> 0:06:28.680 roles now it's Davante Adams. You have to keep that 0:06:28.760 --> 0:06:31.200 pipeline going, right, I mean it's about it's about that 0:06:31.360 --> 0:06:36.440 leader setting the example for the other guys. And um, yeah, 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:40.760 you'd certainly you'd certainly like to see the who who's 0:06:40.800 --> 0:06:44.320 the next Davante Adams. You know, who's the next Randall Cobb? 0:06:44.360 --> 0:06:47.800 Who's the next Jordy Nelson? That that Aaron Rodgers is 0:06:47.800 --> 0:06:49.960 going to be throwing too here at the at the 0:06:50.440 --> 0:06:52.200 tail end of his career, and we'll just have to 0:06:52.200 --> 0:06:54.159 wait and see. Yeah, it's it's just you go back 0:06:54.160 --> 0:06:57.200 to two thousand fourteen, right when they drafted Davantae, they 0:06:57.200 --> 0:07:00.280 didn't really need a receiver quote unno, well they need 0:07:00.360 --> 0:07:02.720 Jordy Nelson when they drafted him in two thousand and 0:07:02.760 --> 0:07:05.040 eight either with all the with all the u the 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:07.440 weapons that they had. But look how that draft book 0:07:07.480 --> 0:07:09.600 turned out. When you have a house like that and 0:07:09.640 --> 0:07:11.560 you're able to bring that kind of talent in there, 0:07:11.560 --> 0:07:13.640 it's just neat to see that all messed together. Honestly, 0:07:14.000 --> 0:07:17.360 when the press release got announced on Tuesday morning and 0:07:17.360 --> 0:07:20.680 they sent it out that it was DeVante Clark in Zadarius, 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:23.840 I know there are certain things within contracts and how 0:07:23.840 --> 0:07:25.960 it's different from making the Pro Bowl as an alternate 0:07:25.960 --> 0:07:27.880 as as far as first back, right, yeah, all those 0:07:27.920 --> 0:07:30.400 incentives and things like that, but just being able to 0:07:30.440 --> 0:07:32.840 get that on their resumes. To say that Kenny Clark 0:07:32.960 --> 0:07:35.640 is a Pro Bowl defensive tackles, Zadarius Smith is a 0:07:35.680 --> 0:07:37.400 Pro Bowl linebacker. I think it would have been an 0:07:37.440 --> 0:07:40.080 ultimate travesty if we would have gotten through this whole 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:43.640 gamut here Mike and Zadarius Smith. He just had a 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:47.920 normal season, no huge accolades. I mean that it's good 0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:50.080 to at least being able to the silver line and 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:52.840 the consolation whatever description you want to throw on it, 0:07:53.240 --> 0:07:55.520 that that guy gets to be able to have that 0:07:55.560 --> 0:07:58.160 type of recognition and now he doesn't get to wear 0:07:58.200 --> 0:08:03.000 the snubbed shirt anymore. Sort of just a little edit 0:08:03.160 --> 0:08:06.360 editing job on the on the Okay, all right, well 0:08:06.400 --> 0:08:08.840 we'll go We'll go with that. Well, the other thing 0:08:08.880 --> 0:08:12.840 we definitely need to talk about today is Monday. Yesterday 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:17.840 was locker clean out day, which is always It happens 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:20.280 every year, right, I mean, the season ends, at some point, 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:23.800 the players are cleaning out their lockers, saying their goodbyes. 0:08:24.120 --> 0:08:27.320 It's our last chance to interview some players for some 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:30.840 stories and whatnot before they all disperse and head into 0:08:30.880 --> 0:08:36.720 their offseason vacations. And it was there was an interesting 0:08:36.880 --> 0:08:39.080 I don't know if interesting is the right word. There was. 0:08:39.679 --> 0:08:43.320 There was a whole mixture in terms of the vibe 0:08:43.320 --> 0:08:45.600 in the room because a lot of guys were talking 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:49.240 about just the camaraderie of that locker room and how 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:52.880 close it was and everything like that. But at the 0:08:52.920 --> 0:08:55.480 same time, they're processing the fact that you know, the 0:08:55.520 --> 0:08:58.160 season's over and they came so close to a Super 0:08:58.160 --> 0:09:02.720 Bowl and don't always know who's going to be back there. 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:06.199 There is inevitable change year to year in the NFL 0:09:06.280 --> 0:09:08.480 in terms of the roster, in terms of the makeup 0:09:08.520 --> 0:09:11.720 of the locker room, So all of those things were 0:09:11.760 --> 0:09:15.640 kind of swirling around, uh during these interviews, and it's 0:09:15.760 --> 0:09:17.520 it's kind of a difficult day in a way for 0:09:17.559 --> 0:09:21.319 the players to to process, but it's interesting to to 0:09:21.360 --> 0:09:24.280 get their insights in it when you know they themselves 0:09:24.280 --> 0:09:26.600 are are are kind of going through it when everything 0:09:26.679 --> 0:09:29.400 ends so abruptly as it always does in the postseason. Yeah, 0:09:29.440 --> 0:09:31.520 it was it was, you know, when I was walked 0:09:31.520 --> 0:09:33.840 in there, I wasn't really sure what to expect. Yeah, 0:09:34.320 --> 0:09:36.040 you know, these locker rooms, they can go a lot 0:09:36.040 --> 0:09:40.200 of different ways. The the overall theme that I took 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:41.720 from it, I don't know if you'd agree with me 0:09:41.760 --> 0:09:45.120 or not, was uplifted. It just seemed like guys were 0:09:45.320 --> 0:09:48.560 pretty upbeat for the most part, compared to what I 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:51.800 felt to be a pretty emotional and not downtrodden but 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:56.440 just exhausted locker room the night before. Yeah, you know, 0:09:56.559 --> 0:10:00.960 just talking to Mercedes Lewis a little bit and first 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:03.200 and foremost, he said he fully intends to play next 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.840 year would be his fifteenth NFL season if he does. 0:10:07.600 --> 0:10:09.720 But this is a guy that a year ago, and 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:12.319 I wrote about the some Packers dot Com is that 0:10:12.360 --> 0:10:15.160 he stepped back and he took two months basically to 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:17.000 decide whether or not he still wanted to do this. 0:10:17.480 --> 0:10:20.400 He needed that after what was a really turbulent year 0:10:20.440 --> 0:10:23.320 in which he only played seventeen percent of the offensive snaps. 0:10:23.320 --> 0:10:25.400 He didn't know if this is what he wanted to 0:10:25.440 --> 0:10:29.439 do anymore, and with everything that happened this season for 0:10:29.520 --> 0:10:33.320 him individually and most specifically as a team. Within twenty 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:35.880 four hours of that game ending against San Francisco. He's like, yeah, 0:10:35.880 --> 0:10:38.680 I'm back. I want to be back. And regardless, he 0:10:38.720 --> 0:10:40.880 says he sees a lot of bright, you know, bright 0:10:40.920 --> 0:10:42.679 future here for this team in this locker room, in 0:10:42.679 --> 0:10:45.800 the direction they're headed. But there was a statement that 0:10:45.840 --> 0:10:47.760 I thought stood out to me more than any other 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:49.920 in this locker room, and it actually came from Jared 0:10:50.000 --> 0:10:53.680 vel Deer, and it was over to our friend Bill 0:10:53.760 --> 0:10:56.800 Huber with s I and he said, this is one 0:10:56.840 --> 0:10:59.920 of the most fun years he's ever had. Jared veld 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:02.320 years been here for about a month and he's played 0:11:02.320 --> 0:11:06.360 ten NFL seasons. Yeah, for him to come into this 0:11:06.440 --> 0:11:11.319 locker room and feel that energy and to have that 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:13.439 as his lasting impression. Guy who didn't know if he 0:11:13.480 --> 0:11:15.360 wanted to play this game anymore when he retired in 0:11:15.400 --> 0:11:18.520 may to say something like that, and he probably and 0:11:18.679 --> 0:11:20.840 I'd have to double check on his background, but he 0:11:20.960 --> 0:11:23.560 might not have known a soul in that locker room 0:11:23.600 --> 0:11:27.440 before he arrived. Billy Turner was Turner, and Turner was 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:29.880 the only I mean, he didn't know anybody else. There 0:11:29.920 --> 0:11:32.480 was almost there was no familiarity there at all, but 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:35.280 go ahead. He caught Turner for one I think one season, 0:11:35.320 --> 0:11:38.000 two seasons and no. One season in Denver, and then 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:40.520 he played half a season with Tremont in Arizona. That 0:11:40.600 --> 0:11:44.439 was But you're right, this guy didn't know these offensive lineman. 0:11:44.480 --> 0:11:46.160 I think he had a little bit of a background 0:11:46.160 --> 0:11:48.400 with Brian Bulaga because they came out in the draft 0:11:48.440 --> 0:11:50.400 the same year, and you you kind of, you know, 0:11:50.559 --> 0:11:54.040 notice other players at your positions. But here he is 0:11:54.240 --> 0:11:56.560 getting welcome in that locker room and then being able 0:11:56.600 --> 0:11:58.680 to have the success that he did. I mean jumping 0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:02.040 in twenty minutes for the Seattle game, starting at right 0:12:02.080 --> 0:12:06.120 tackle in a pivotal playoff game, finishing that game against Detroit, 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:08.800 when when Balaga left with the knee injury or with 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:12.920 the concussion, excuse me, It's just this was a special team. 0:12:12.960 --> 0:12:15.040 It was a special year, and no matter what piece 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:18.160 they brought into it, it just fit perfectly. So on 0:12:18.160 --> 0:12:20.640 one side, that's the thing that hurts, because you had 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:22.880 a locker room that probably was as tight as it's 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:26.600 gonna be. Yeah, I that seem almost utopian the way 0:12:26.640 --> 0:12:29.200 it ended up working out. But on the other side 0:12:29.240 --> 0:12:32.320 of it, it's a young core, there's motivated players, and 0:12:32.320 --> 0:12:34.080 you're going into the second year now is with the 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:38.199 head coach in place, there's optimism and appreciation I think 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:41.400 for what happened in Yeah, there definitely is and uh 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:43.720 and as tough as it is to to see the 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:47.160 season end, and you know, these guys that they're realist 0:12:47.200 --> 0:12:50.680 to West, they know they are absolutely no guarantees that 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:53.640 they'll ever get that close again. You don't know if 0:12:53.640 --> 0:12:56.400 you're going to get that shot again. Obviously, as you said, 0:12:56.679 --> 0:12:59.560 there's there's optimism that the Packers can get back there. 0:13:00.120 --> 0:13:02.400 But just because you think so, just because you have 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:05.080 the talent to do it, um, even if you put 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:07.680 together the regular season to do it, the playoffs are 0:13:07.679 --> 0:13:10.280 the playoffs, and you just don't know if you'll ever 0:13:10.320 --> 0:13:13.080 get back to that point. But you mentioned Marcedes Lewis. 0:13:14.200 --> 0:13:17.280 He's one of thirteen, I believe is the number of 0:13:17.360 --> 0:13:21.720 pending unrestricted free agents that the Packers will be making 0:13:22.200 --> 0:13:25.199 contract decisions on over the next couple of months, with 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:29.000 free agency officially starting in I believe it's the second 0:13:29.040 --> 0:13:33.560 week of March um. But just to rattle off a 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:38.720 few of the bigger names on that pending pending free 0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:42.120 agency list as far as the unrestricted guys, Marcedes Lewis 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:48.440 Brian Balaga, Blake Martinez, Tremont Williams, Kyler Fackrel, who else 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:52.840 Mason Crosby, Yes, absolutely, and then you got your Ibraheim Campbell's, 0:13:52.840 --> 0:13:55.360 your Tyler Urban's. Yeah, some of those guys who haven't 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:57.960 been here as long, but they are also a vested 0:13:58.040 --> 0:14:01.080 veterans and and at the to their contracts and they 0:14:01.080 --> 0:14:04.280 will be unrestricted as well. So thirteen of them all together, 0:14:04.360 --> 0:14:06.960 and you know how this works West, There's absolutely no 0:14:07.080 --> 0:14:10.320 way there is enough money under the salary cap. As 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:12.320 much as the packers would love to keep this whole 0:14:12.360 --> 0:14:14.880 group together and say, hey, let's make another run at it, 0:14:15.160 --> 0:14:17.600 that's not realistic. That's not how this is going to work. 0:14:17.640 --> 0:14:19.920 We don't know who's going to be back and who 0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:23.320 won't be out of those thirteen players. If we did, 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:25.320 we wouldn't be doing this show, right, Yeah, If if 0:14:25.360 --> 0:14:28.480 we did, we'd be spending our time doing some other things. 0:14:28.640 --> 0:14:33.920 But um, the locker room cohesion, the chemistry, the camaraderie. 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:36.280 I think that's an interesting thing because that it'll be 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:40.520 it'll be a challenge next year, um for you know, 0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:43.600 to repeat that, and I I I just hope for 0:14:43.640 --> 0:14:47.960 the player's sake that as much as everything this year 0:14:48.000 --> 0:14:50.240 with that, locker rooms seem to just seem to just 0:14:50.320 --> 0:14:54.840 happen organically and naturally based on the personalities of the 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:57.680 guys who were leaders at certain position groups, whether you're 0:14:57.720 --> 0:15:01.000 talking the Smiths or whether you're talking the Bolaghas and 0:15:01.040 --> 0:15:04.320 bok Trs, you know, on the offensive line and Davante 0:15:04.320 --> 0:15:08.800 Adams at wide receiver. All of that you can't you 0:15:08.840 --> 0:15:13.280 can't force it, you know. So whatever the personnel changes 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:15.720 are and whatever new faces come into the locker room, 0:15:15.760 --> 0:15:19.280 and certain guys who maybe leave and and play, you know, 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:22.360 played big roles, but maybe they won't be back, you 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:24.680 just have to kind of let it happen again and 0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:27.120 and and see where it goes. And I don't think 0:15:27.120 --> 0:15:29.560 they're going to be able to repeat what they had 0:15:29.640 --> 0:15:32.760 in terms of the locker room cohesion moving forward in 0:15:33.560 --> 0:15:36.560 But that's not to say that you can't still have 0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:40.680 a locker room that works and and get what you need, 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:44.040 get what you need out of that in terms of 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:46.160 of the closeness of the team. And that's always the 0:15:46.200 --> 0:15:48.840 special thing about professional football, and honestly, to be fair 0:15:48.840 --> 0:15:51.480 to other sports, many other professional sports and college sports 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:54.480 as well, is that you can you can you can draft, 0:15:54.840 --> 0:15:56.680 you can sign, you can recruit, you can do all 0:15:56.680 --> 0:15:58.640 these things. You can go on these intangibles, you can 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:00.720 ask all the questions, but until those players are in 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:02.600 the locker room, you don't always know what you're gonna get. 0:16:03.200 --> 0:16:05.480 And it goes both ways. It can be positive and 0:16:05.480 --> 0:16:07.760 it can be negative. But I think the thing and 0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:09.480 one of the reasons why Aaron Rodgers, when he was 0:16:09.520 --> 0:16:12.040 at the podium on Sunday said, you know he's encouraged 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:14.720 by this group because of the leadership, is every piece. 0:16:14.800 --> 0:16:16.600 Is every single piece going to be back? No, is 0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:19.320 this fifty three man roster that eggs of the field 0:16:19.560 --> 0:16:21.440 at Levi Stadium could be the same one that comes 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:25.600 out on the field beginning of two thousand. But if 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:28.120 you have that core in place, you know there's a 0:16:28.160 --> 0:16:31.280 reason to believe that it can be similar. And you know, 0:16:31.360 --> 0:16:33.520 let's be honest too, And I'm really excited to talk 0:16:33.520 --> 0:16:35.680 to Brian Goodakuts. At some point, I guess it will 0:16:35.680 --> 0:16:39.560 probably end up in the NFL scouting combine what this 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:42.880 group of scouts saw in these free agents. They added 0:16:42.960 --> 0:16:45.880 not just the four big ones that we always talked about, 0:16:45.880 --> 0:16:49.120 but you know, Jared Valder and reading the stories about 0:16:49.160 --> 0:16:53.160 how you know, teams were all reluctant to to potentially, 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:56.000 you know, claim him. You know, they wanted to work 0:16:56.040 --> 0:16:58.120 them out, they wanted to talk to him. Packers just 0:16:58.200 --> 0:17:00.760 claimed him and they accepted the contract that came with that. 0:17:01.520 --> 0:17:02.840 And then you look at, you know, a guy like 0:17:02.920 --> 0:17:05.280 Tyler Irvin that gets brought in and you know, some 0:17:05.359 --> 0:17:07.720 of the conversations I was hearing about how the scouts 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:10.080 they knew and Rogers said it too, that the scouts 0:17:10.160 --> 0:17:11.920 knew that they liked him and they were following him. 0:17:11.920 --> 0:17:15.560 And then he just comes free in December and they 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:17.600 bring him in and you know that could potentially be 0:17:17.640 --> 0:17:19.840 the kickoff and punt returner next year for Green Bay. 0:17:19.840 --> 0:17:22.400 We have to wait and see. Yeah, timing is everything right, 0:17:22.440 --> 0:17:25.639 I mean it's it's because I'm sure there were you know, 0:17:25.880 --> 0:17:28.360 it wasn't the first time Tyler Irvin had been released, 0:17:28.400 --> 0:17:30.719 but at other times earlier in his career. When he 0:17:30.800 --> 0:17:33.840 is released and if the packers have their eye on him, 0:17:33.920 --> 0:17:36.320 it's all what is your roster situation at the time, 0:17:36.359 --> 0:17:38.399 what are your needs? Do you have an opening or 0:17:38.520 --> 0:17:40.280 you know, are you are you thinking that you know, 0:17:40.359 --> 0:17:42.440 so and so is headed to injured reserves, so then 0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:45.320 you have a roster spot available. All of those things 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:48.120 factor into it, and sometimes sometimes it's just the timing 0:17:48.200 --> 0:17:50.840 is right, you know. For the Packers, the roster spot 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:53.960 was there, or at least they were planning on creating one, 0:17:54.400 --> 0:17:56.880 and they clearly had a need to try to upgrade 0:17:56.960 --> 0:17:59.840 the special teams with the return and he comes, he 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:02.359 comes in and you know, takes the bull by the horns, 0:18:02.400 --> 0:18:04.720 so to speak, and makes an impression right away when 0:18:04.720 --> 0:18:07.600 he steps in there. And then all of a sudden, so, yeah, 0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:10.160 now here we are talking about it like, well, if 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:12.919 they bring back Tyler Irvin, you know, then do we 0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:16.359 go into training camp next summer already knowing who the 0:18:16.400 --> 0:18:18.679 punt returner kick returner is going to be. Maybe that 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:21.080 maybe that ends up being the case, but we'll see. Yeah. 0:18:21.119 --> 0:18:22.840 And the thing I love about it too, is that 0:18:22.880 --> 0:18:24.800 it's not like Tyler Irvan was just doing all the 0:18:24.920 --> 0:18:27.679 same stuff in Jacksonville. Tyler Urban was averaging like a 0:18:27.760 --> 0:18:30.560 buck and a half on punt returns during those six 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:33.280 weeks in Jacksonville. Just the job that the scouts due 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:36.919 to find guys character athleticism, all those different measurables is 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:40.119 just remarkable. But you know this is this is why 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:42.240 they have to make big decisions though this offseason. Getting 0:18:42.240 --> 0:18:44.879 back to your original question, because well, don't you resign 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:48.119 because beyond that you have Kenny Clark coming up on 0:18:48.160 --> 0:18:50.520 the end of his rookie deal. Aaron Jones is eligible 0:18:50.560 --> 0:18:52.439 for an extension this offseason. If you want to go 0:18:52.520 --> 0:18:55.000 that route, David baktr is going to be coming down 0:18:55.000 --> 0:18:58.560 the pipeline here in that. That's the that's the difficult 0:18:58.640 --> 0:19:02.160 job that a general manager has away who stays, who goes? 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:04.719 How do you allocate those funds. It's just like if 0:19:04.760 --> 0:19:07.000 you're in your house and you're trying to figure out 0:19:07.000 --> 0:19:09.119 what you're gonna do with your monthly paychecks. You know, 0:19:09.200 --> 0:19:11.879 you obviously have to pay your mortgage, in your car payment, 0:19:12.080 --> 0:19:14.960 in Netflix and all that fun stuff, But how many 0:19:15.040 --> 0:19:16.800 bells and whistles do you get to add into this? 0:19:17.440 --> 0:19:19.920 That's what makes the lead great. And that's why I said, 0:19:20.119 --> 0:19:22.240 and I mentioned on yesterday show, I wrote it an inbox, 0:19:22.560 --> 0:19:26.080 very pragmatic offseason is needed for Green Bay to decide 0:19:26.280 --> 0:19:29.920 we have an excellent opportunity, how do we maximize it. Yeah, exactly, 0:19:29.920 --> 0:19:31.760 it's how how do you how do you go about 0:19:32.400 --> 0:19:35.280 building another roster that's going to give you the best shot. 0:19:35.359 --> 0:19:37.760 And what's interesting here with the Packers when you're talking 0:19:37.760 --> 0:19:42.159 about some of these pending free agents Mason Crosby, Marcedes Lewis, 0:19:42.200 --> 0:19:46.359 Brian Bulaga, these aren't These aren't the guys who you know, 0:19:46.440 --> 0:19:49.440 like a Kenny Clark who's just getting to his second contract. 0:19:49.480 --> 0:19:52.000 These are guys who they've already gotten their second and 0:19:52.040 --> 0:19:55.320 a lot of times even third contracts, and and uh, 0:19:55.400 --> 0:19:58.600 you know, they're obviously at the tail end of their careers, 0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:02.040 but they aid really really big roles on a really 0:20:02.080 --> 0:20:05.399 really good team. So those those can be tough decisions. 0:20:05.440 --> 0:20:08.359 And from their perspective, you know, they're like, well, this 0:20:08.560 --> 0:20:11.320 might be the last contract I ever signed. So they're 0:20:11.359 --> 0:20:14.760 trying to maximize on it for themselves, and the Packers 0:20:14.760 --> 0:20:17.400 are trying to decide, Okay, what is the value of 0:20:17.440 --> 0:20:21.639