WEBVTT - #833 Packers Unscripted: More OTA chatter 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:12.719 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:12.800 --> 0:00:16.560 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spoffer, joined as always 0:00:16.600 --> 0:00:18.680 by my partner in crime, Wes Hodkowitz. We're coming to 0:00:18.720 --> 0:00:21.640 you hear from our studios at lambeau Field to continue 0:00:21.760 --> 0:00:25.120 us our discussion of Packers OTAs we did our show 0:00:25.200 --> 0:00:28.120 earlier this week, kind of looking back at last week. 0:00:28.560 --> 0:00:31.560 Since then, we have now had access to another practice, 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:37.000 another media availability, some different news and nuggets to talk about. 0:00:37.040 --> 0:00:41.559 But I think first and foremost, having heard from multiple 0:00:41.600 --> 0:00:48.080 defensive linemen who spoke to the media on Tuesday after practice, 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:51.680 it sounds like not only do these guys on the 0:00:51.720 --> 0:00:54.760 defensive line get together to catch some NBA playoffs and 0:00:54.800 --> 0:01:00.400 maybe watch or consume some pizza and wings, but it 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:04.760 sounds like they also bring their iPads. There's been some 0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:09.440 study sessions at Kenny Clark's house as part of kind 0:01:09.480 --> 0:01:11.959 of a little off season bonding and improvement. 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:14.840 It's so cool when you hear these type of stories too, 0:01:14.880 --> 0:01:18.040 because it's like, it seems like yesterday it was little 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:21.800 Kenny Clark with big personality, Mike Daniels leading that room, 0:01:22.600 --> 0:01:25.240 and Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews are the outside linebackers. 0:01:25.240 --> 0:01:28.280 And now here we are year ten. For Kenny, he's 0:01:28.319 --> 0:01:30.360 the one now pulling guys together. He's the one now 0:01:30.400 --> 0:01:32.959 trying to build that camaraderie among the defensive lines. So 0:01:32.959 --> 0:01:35.240 basically how the story goes is, you know him and 0:01:35.319 --> 0:01:37.119 Rashan Gary both have talked about this in the past. 0:01:37.120 --> 0:01:39.119 They've done a lot of stuff during the season. Thursday 0:01:39.160 --> 0:01:42.520 night football guys get together, they spend time. Kenny usually 0:01:42.520 --> 0:01:44.920 opens up his house to you know, the younger guys 0:01:44.920 --> 0:01:49.600 on the roster come over, hangout, talk whatever. Well, this offseason, 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:52.280 if you know how voluntary off season program works is 0:01:52.560 --> 0:01:56.120 whether here Monday through Thursday, Tuesday through Friday, depending on 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:59.200 how the week orientates itself, guys are free to go 0:01:59.520 --> 0:02:02.640 when that four day week is over, Yeah, then get 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:04.160 on a plane. These gift come back on money and 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:07.559 do whatever they want a lot of guys are choosing 0:02:07.560 --> 0:02:10.400 to stick around this year. And as Kenny said, and 0:02:10.919 --> 0:02:12.960 actually was Rashaun that mentioned, he's been here. This is 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:15.000 a seventh season now, he's not done anything like this 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:18.400 before where guys have been going over to Kenny and yeah, 0:02:18.440 --> 0:02:20.079 they still do the wings, they still do the pizza. 0:02:20.160 --> 0:02:23.360 But now it's been going through the individual periods of practice, 0:02:23.840 --> 0:02:27.440 watching their film, as Kenny said, trying to show the guys, 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:30.200 the younger guys on the roster, how to set up locks, 0:02:30.240 --> 0:02:32.880 what the formations look like this defense, understanding your role 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:36.079 in it. I think that's an important piece right now 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:38.720 for them because the defensive front is at an interesting 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:42.760 little crossroads here. What they did well last year, you know, 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:45.280 seventh ranked run defense, best performance against the run in 0:02:45.280 --> 0:02:48.120 the last fifteen years. Well, now you're losing TJ. Slayton, 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:50.120 who was a big, you know, run stuffer in the 0:02:50.120 --> 0:02:53.000 middle of that, and you're going to try to, you know, 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:56.720 maintain what you did. At the same time, one of 0:02:56.760 --> 0:02:58.919 the big points of contention that guys have been discussing 0:02:59.000 --> 0:03:01.799 is wanting to improve the PA rush, the four man pressures, 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:04.680 not have to rely so much on exotic looks, you know, 0:03:04.800 --> 0:03:08.160 blitz packages, simulated pressures, but to actually be able to 0:03:08.160 --> 0:03:12.280 get home with four And what Rashan was saying is 0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:14.799 he feels like that right now has them set up 0:03:15.400 --> 0:03:17.360 as with off to a fast start and believing that 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:18.880 that's me something that's going to propel them for now 0:03:18.880 --> 0:03:19.440 into the summer. 0:03:20.000 --> 0:03:24.639 A little interesting nugget that I took from that is 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:28.480 not just the you know kind of the eleven on 0:03:28.560 --> 0:03:32.120 eleven and whatnot. And sometimes even they're watching film of 0:03:32.160 --> 0:03:34.480 other pass rushers around the league and you know, sharing 0:03:34.520 --> 0:03:37.640 their thoughts as they examine, you know, other successful players, 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:42.240 but they're also watching the individual drills that they're doing 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:44.480 in practice. And I think what I took from that 0:03:44.680 --> 0:03:47.840 is that that speaks to me to some of the 0:03:47.920 --> 0:03:52.040 new methods and techniques they're being taught by DeMarcus Covington, 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:55.240 the new defensive line coach, that they want to watch 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:58.480 those individual drills and how those things are coming along 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:00.960 and get a chance to see, you know, how their 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:04.600 teammates are executing those techniques and how different guys are 0:04:04.600 --> 0:04:07.600 coming along. Because you and I have been there at practice, 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:09.320 we see, you know, the players line up for the 0:04:09.360 --> 0:04:11.880 certain drills and everybody kind of takes their turn. But 0:04:11.920 --> 0:04:14.040 when you're just standing there kind of waiting in line 0:04:14.080 --> 0:04:16.280 or catching your breath for the next rep or whatever, 0:04:16.480 --> 0:04:19.520 you're not necessarily watching the details of how your teammate 0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:23.440 is doing something. But if you watch the individual individual 0:04:23.560 --> 0:04:25.960 drills on film, you can you can look at every 0:04:26.000 --> 0:04:29.080 single guy and a leader leaders of the group like 0:04:29.360 --> 0:04:32.599 Kenny Clark and Rashaan Gary, they can take a look 0:04:32.640 --> 0:04:35.040 at how the younger guys are doing and and and 0:04:35.120 --> 0:04:37.720 maybe point some things out to help them out before 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:41.880 the next practice, so that so that they maybe don't 0:04:41.880 --> 0:04:43.640 necessarily have to hear it from the coaches or have 0:04:43.720 --> 0:04:45.800 the coaches in their ear about stuff all the time. 0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:50.960 So it's a it's an interesting it's an interesting process 0:04:51.040 --> 0:04:53.520 that that the group is going through in the off season. 0:04:53.960 --> 0:04:55.919 As you said, there's a lot of focus on improving 0:04:55.920 --> 0:04:58.600 the pass rush, but they stop the run pretty darn 0:04:58.640 --> 0:05:02.040 well last year. It's it's not and there has been 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:05.080 a change in position coaches, but it's not like you're 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:07.559 just throwing everything out and starting over. There's a lot 0:05:07.600 --> 0:05:11.240 to work with here with what the Packers defensive line 0:05:11.240 --> 0:05:15.440 accomplished in the offseason. But the bottom line, as Kenny 0:05:15.520 --> 0:05:17.799 Clark said when he answered one of the questions about 0:05:17.800 --> 0:05:20.720 the pass rush, is it wasn't good enough. It wasn't 0:05:20.720 --> 0:05:22.919 good enough to win a championship. And these guys know 0:05:23.560 --> 0:05:25.760 that they can do better, that they can produce more, 0:05:25.800 --> 0:05:26.599 and that's what they're. 0:05:26.440 --> 0:05:29.320 After for sure. Mike and also understanding where I know 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:31.080 you're probably talking about this in a second, but understand 0:05:31.120 --> 0:05:33.559 where these guys are at too. I mean, I'm happy 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:35.719 that Kenny finally sort of talked about what he was 0:05:35.760 --> 0:05:38.800 dealing with last season. Yeah, like he'd been We knew 0:05:38.800 --> 0:05:40.440 there was a tow injury and there was a foot 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:43.080 injury there that he'd been dealing with since Brazil, and 0:05:43.120 --> 0:05:45.000 he wasn't going to blame any turf. He wasn't going 0:05:45.080 --> 0:05:46.920 to go down that route when he was talking to us. 0:05:46.960 --> 0:05:52.160 But that's September, what was it, fourth, Yeah, and then the. 0:05:52.120 --> 0:05:53.480 Packers are ideay of September. 0:05:53.560 --> 0:05:58.400 Yeah, the Packers are playing into mid to late January. 0:05:58.880 --> 0:06:00.760 I mean, that is a long time for that thing 0:06:00.839 --> 0:06:02.240 not to get a lot of time to heal. And 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:04.200 he mentioned he had surgery right after the season. On it, 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:06.000 Lucas Vaness was dealing with some stuff. And it's not 0:06:06.040 --> 0:06:08.200 that injuries are excused. You're always gonna have injuries in 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:10.960 this game. But I think where is in the back 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:13.560 of the Packers' minds is Okay, if we can get 0:06:13.600 --> 0:06:15.440 some of the things to go our way on the 0:06:15.440 --> 0:06:17.919 health front, if you bank on this young talent we 0:06:17.960 --> 0:06:20.560 have on this roster, we're gonna get to where we 0:06:20.600 --> 0:06:23.480 want to go. And I think particularly on the defensive interior, 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:26.600 we talk so much about the receiving cores and how 0:06:26.640 --> 0:06:28.800 young they went there. Now, certainly having Kenny kind of 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:32.080 skews the numbers, but they did the same exact thing 0:06:32.080 --> 0:06:34.839 on the defensive line, and we saw it with you know, 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:37.960 DeVante Wyatt. Now going into year four, you have Carl Brooks, 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:41.200 Kolbe Wooden. This is a very young group still that 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:42.600 now also has a lot of experience. 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:45.120 Yeah, And I think I just want to say this 0:06:45.200 --> 0:06:48.320 because we've heard a lot of stuff this offseason being 0:06:48.320 --> 0:06:51.279 tossed around about Kenny Clark going into year ten. He 0:06:51.320 --> 0:06:53.720 didn't have a great year nine, And you know, is 0:06:54.160 --> 0:06:57.680 Kenny Clark at the end and Lucas van Ness not 0:06:58.320 --> 0:07:00.440 living up to his you know, billing as a first 0:07:00.520 --> 0:07:04.360 round draft pick to this point. And it's one of 0:07:04.440 --> 0:07:06.840 those things where sometimes you just have to you have 0:07:06.920 --> 0:07:09.680 to stop, you have to take a step back and 0:07:09.760 --> 0:07:13.840 wait until you really know all the facts. Because because 0:07:13.880 --> 0:07:18.320 Clark Clark injured that foot, the toe, whatever the major 0:07:18.400 --> 0:07:21.679 issue was, it happened in that in the opener in Brazil, 0:07:22.240 --> 0:07:25.480 he was on the injury report essentially for three months, 0:07:26.360 --> 0:07:29.280 but he never missed a game and Kenny Clark and 0:07:29.400 --> 0:07:32.480 Kenny Clark is interviewed as much, if not more than 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:35.480 anybody else in that Packers locker room, and not once 0:07:35.560 --> 0:07:38.680 last year did he say anything about his injury. He was, 0:07:38.840 --> 0:07:41.320 you know, and he knows he had one sack and 0:07:41.400 --> 0:07:44.760 five quarterback hits last year. That is like career lows 0:07:44.800 --> 0:07:48.240 for Kenny Clark. He knows statistically it was probably his 0:07:48.760 --> 0:07:51.360 worst season when you just look at the numbers. But 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:55.680 now that everybody knows more of the facts, hopefully it's like, hey, yeah, 0:07:55.760 --> 0:07:58.080 Kenny Clark is just going to turn thirty years old 0:07:58.080 --> 0:08:01.840 this year. He's not necessarily done. And when it comes 0:08:01.880 --> 0:08:04.400 to Lucas van Ness, he's trying to play with a 0:08:04.400 --> 0:08:07.840 broken thumb, you know, different raps and whatever else, and 0:08:08.160 --> 0:08:11.560 those things diminish over time as things get healthier. But 0:08:11.640 --> 0:08:13.640 he's a young player trying to find his way with 0:08:13.680 --> 0:08:15.520 a lot of pressure on him, and that comes with 0:08:15.600 --> 0:08:18.880 the territory. I get it. But when you're not fully 0:08:18.920 --> 0:08:21.560 healthy and you don't you don't have the full use 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:25.400 of all of your physical capabilities, you're not going to 0:08:25.440 --> 0:08:28.400 be able to maximize on what you've got, what you 0:08:28.440 --> 0:08:31.520 can show as a player. It's just so I just 0:08:31.680 --> 0:08:34.400 I always try to caution everybody, and I think what 0:08:34.960 --> 0:08:37.560 we heard about these two guys in particular in the 0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:40.400 off season, it's just you got to take a step 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:44.679 back and wait until you really understand everything that goes on. 0:08:45.559 --> 0:08:47.800 Because we're not going to hear it from the coaches, 0:08:47.840 --> 0:08:49.680 We're not going to hear it from the general manager. 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:51.880 They're not going to reveal all these details. But when 0:08:51.920 --> 0:08:55.160 the players are willing after the fact to talk about it, 0:08:55.400 --> 0:08:57.480 we start to learn more and things that happened to 0:08:57.520 --> 0:08:59.520 your ago start to make a little bit more sense. 0:08:59.320 --> 0:09:01.599 And its way into the story I wrote about the 0:09:01.600 --> 0:09:03.600 defensive line and some of these get togethers they've had. 0:09:03.600 --> 0:09:06.120 But one comment I really liked from Kenny too, as 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:09.360 he was asked by Jason Wilde about Hey, how long 0:09:09.400 --> 0:09:11.800 do you want to do this? Yeah, and so many times, 0:09:12.040 --> 0:09:13.840 and there's no right or wrong answer to this, but 0:09:13.920 --> 0:09:16.000 so many times you do get them. I'm gonna go 0:09:16.080 --> 0:09:17.880 until the wheels fall off. I'm gonna do this, or 0:09:17.880 --> 0:09:19.520 that I want to go fifteen years or whatever. I'm 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:22.920 gonna play into my forties and Kenny's like, until my 0:09:23.040 --> 0:09:25.959 film is regressing, Yeah, that's when I don't want to 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:27.920 do this anymore. When I can't go out there and 0:09:27.960 --> 0:09:30.600 give what I've given for the last ten years, nine years, 0:09:31.040 --> 0:09:32.480 I don't want to be here anymore. I think his 0:09:32.760 --> 0:09:34.800 line was they need to get rid of me, Yeah, 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:37.880 something like that, and that it shows you his maturity, 0:09:37.880 --> 0:09:39.800 It shows you his perspective, and it also shows you 0:09:39.800 --> 0:09:42.280 that Kenny Clark doesn't think he's anywhere near that point. 0:09:42.679 --> 0:09:44.280 He still thinks he has some good football in front 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:46.600 of him. And he doesn't turn thirty until October fourth. 0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:49.520 Yeah, isn't that crazy entering entering year ten in the 0:09:49.600 --> 0:09:53.080 NFL and he's he's still still at twenty nine right now. 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:55.440 Him and Randall Cobb, I think where I think Cob 0:09:55.520 --> 0:09:56.120 was the same way. 0:09:56.240 --> 0:09:59.800 Yeah. Yeah, some other things to get to with regard 0:09:59.840 --> 0:10:02.280 to Week two of OTAs, but I'll take care of 0:10:02.320 --> 0:10:05.719 some sponsor business. For a serious XMNFL Radio delivers hard 0:10:05.800 --> 0:10:08.520 hitting analysis and up to the minute NFL news that 0:10:08.600 --> 0:10:11.880 drew football fanatics need twenty four to seven, three sixty 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:14.440 five and at Cousin subs, we have something for everyone 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:17.200 like our Wisconsin cheese curds, mac and cheese, golden fries, 0:10:17.200 --> 0:10:19.440 and creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite sub or 0:10:19.480 --> 0:10:22.880 sub and a bowl cousin subs fifty plus years of 0:10:23.000 --> 0:10:26.559 better all right. A couple other guys that we heard 0:10:26.559 --> 0:10:30.400 from and I touched on some of these in a 0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:34.400 five Things Learned at OTA's story that was posted late 0:10:34.720 --> 0:10:39.600 in the day on Tuesday on Packers dot Com. Keishaan Nixon, 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:44.760 we sort of heard during the offseason from both general 0:10:44.800 --> 0:10:50.040 manager Brian Gudakunst and head coach Matt Lafleur that Nixon's 0:10:50.040 --> 0:10:52.520 comments right after the season was over about not wanting 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:55.679 to do kickoff returns anymore, that those might have been 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:58.120 just delivered out of frustration a little bit too much 0:10:58.160 --> 0:11:00.920 emotion as it related to the loss in the playoff 0:11:00.960 --> 0:11:06.000 game in Philadelphia. Well, Nixon essentially confirmed that that, yes, 0:11:06.080 --> 0:11:10.360 he admitted he was a little emotional that day after 0:11:10.400 --> 0:11:13.959 the playoff loss. Obviously, he had taken that nasty shot 0:11:14.000 --> 0:11:16.880 to the head on the opening kickoff, which wasn't called 0:11:16.920 --> 0:11:19.120 and it led to the fumble, and then the replay 0:11:19.160 --> 0:11:21.040 still didn't give the Packers the ball back. All that 0:11:21.160 --> 0:11:23.040 a big play, right, off the bat in the game 0:11:23.080 --> 0:11:25.280 and the Eagles end up taking a seven to nothing lead. 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:32.120 But Nixon is he is up for what the coaches 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:34.760 want him to do if they want him back there 0:11:34.760 --> 0:11:38.640 on kickoffs. With now that change in the rule that 0:11:38.720 --> 0:11:41.520 touchbacks will be at the thirty five instead of at 0:11:41.559 --> 0:11:44.640 the thirty Now Nixon isn't convinced that's going to give 0:11:44.720 --> 0:11:48.800 him more opportunities. But if it does give him more opportunities, 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:50.760 I think Nixon wants to be the guy with the ball. 0:11:50.600 --> 0:11:52.720 In his hands. I think so too, And it was 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:55.839 refreshing to hear him in his perspective on this because again, 0:11:56.200 --> 0:11:58.000 we finally are four months out from the end of 0:11:58.040 --> 0:12:00.880 the season. You actually can start to to let that 0:12:01.600 --> 0:12:04.000 be what it was and move forward. And I think 0:12:04.080 --> 0:12:06.760 Keishaan with a clear mind, obviously sees what his value is. 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:08.839 And let's be honest too, Mike. I mean, this is 0:12:08.840 --> 0:12:11.040 a guy that has done every single thing the Greemit 0:12:11.080 --> 0:12:12.520 Packers have wanted him to do since the day he 0:12:12.559 --> 0:12:15.040 came in. Kishaw Nixon didn't come in as a number 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:17.720 one corner or a perimeter starting cornerback. He came in 0:12:17.720 --> 0:12:20.080 as a guy that was kind of a dime and 0:12:20.120 --> 0:12:23.079 then contributing on special teams, and then if you remember 0:12:23.320 --> 0:12:26.280 he wasn't even the returner at the beginning, that kind 0:12:26.320 --> 0:12:29.880 of manifested itself midway through the twenty twenty one season 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:32.760 where it's like, okay, now he's in the cards for that, right, 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:36.040 So I should say twenty two season. But be that 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:38.840 as it may. Here we are going into another season. 0:12:38.880 --> 0:12:41.240 I think the Packers and watching these practices, they have 0:12:41.440 --> 0:12:44.160 a multitude of different options they can do, if with kickoffs, 0:12:44.160 --> 0:12:47.440 with punts. Mkole Hardman is in that conversation. Matthew Golden 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:50.160 is in that conversation. But like Kishawn said, he's like, 0:12:50.840 --> 0:12:52.280 at the end of the day, when the game's on 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:54.280 the line, I want the ball in my hand. So 0:12:54.600 --> 0:12:57.000 I think he will ultimately end up being a part 0:12:57.080 --> 0:13:00.440 of this kickoff consternation whatever you want to call it, 0:13:00.440 --> 0:13:03.040 that the Packers are working through. What I'm curious to 0:13:03.080 --> 0:13:06.200 see is with the role that he has now on defense, 0:13:07.080 --> 0:13:09.079 how much of that do you need to take off 0:13:09.080 --> 0:13:12.079 his plate? Maybe none. I mean, Jayden Reid's still returning 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:15.199 punts and is you know, the leading receiver for greing 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:17.040 to by the past two seasons, So maybe Kishan will 0:13:17.080 --> 0:13:20.080 take the full compliment. But whatever the case may be, 0:13:20.800 --> 0:13:22.160 this is a guy that's been an All Pro in 0:13:22.200 --> 0:13:24.880 this league returning kickoffs and he understands the value that 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:26.120 presents for his football team. 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:28.640 I think the difference when you're talking about, you know, 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:33.920 for example, the Keishaw Nixon versus Jaden Reid, when it 0:13:33.960 --> 0:13:38.319 comes to the return game, the return team is going 0:13:38.360 --> 0:13:41.160 out there, whether it's punt or kickoff, right after the 0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:43.640 defense has been on the fiece. So that makes it 0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:46.520 more difficult at times for somebody like Nixon. If the 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:49.960 defense just gives up a ten play, seventy five yard 0:13:50.080 --> 0:13:52.760 drive for a touchdown and then oh yeah, you were 0:13:52.760 --> 0:13:54.240 just out there on the field for all ten of 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:56.920 those plays. Now go return the kickoff. That might be 0:13:56.960 --> 0:13:58.719 a little bit too much, and that's where you can 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:02.960 get into issues with with potential fatigue, injuries and whatnot. 0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:05.920 But on the opening kickoff of the game, on the 0:14:05.960 --> 0:14:09.600 opening kickoff of the second half, when when a defensive 0:14:09.600 --> 0:14:13.040 player like Nixon is rested and ready to go, those 0:14:13.120 --> 0:14:16.079 may be the opportunities where where then he is the 0:14:16.200 --> 0:14:19.320 kickoff returner and maybe after a long defensive drive for 0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:22.120 a score, then somebody else goes back there. I'm just 0:14:22.360 --> 0:14:26.280 speculating here, you know, in in that regard, but but 0:14:26.360 --> 0:14:28.440 we'll have to see, We'll have to see how that 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:32.520 shakes out. Another player we heard from wide receiver Romeo Dobbs. 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:38.560 He assured everyone that that he's doing well off of 0:14:38.680 --> 0:14:41.840 the the two concussions that he had late in the season, 0:14:41.880 --> 0:14:44.400 the second one coming in the playoff game in Philadelphia, 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:47.680 that that sidelined him for the rest of that game. 0:14:48.000 --> 0:14:51.040 He didn't go into any details about his recovery. He 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:53.120 didn't want to, didn't want to share that. He did 0:14:53.120 --> 0:14:56.840 say it was a long process, but he's doing well now. 0:14:56.880 --> 0:15:00.640 He certainly looks great on the practice field. But I 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:05.000 think again in sort of these things like okay, let's 0:15:05.040 --> 0:15:07.360 just take a step back here, and I know there 0:15:07.360 --> 0:15:10.720 were issues with Dobbs and the suspension last year, and 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:14.240 it sounds like long ago everybody put that, put that 0:15:14.320 --> 0:15:19.520 in the rearview mirror. But just step back and let's 0:15:19.520 --> 0:15:22.800 give Romeo Dobbs his space to get where he wants 0:15:22.840 --> 0:15:25.760 to get health wise, and let's see what he does 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:26.760 in a contract year. 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:28.920 That's the only thing I care about with eighty seven 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:31.920 going into his fourth NFL season is just making sure 0:15:31.920 --> 0:15:33.960 what happened at the end of last season. The human 0:15:34.000 --> 0:15:36.520 being Romeo Dobbs a person is good. Yeah, and then 0:15:36.560 --> 0:15:39.880 we'll take the football player thing from there. Fortunately, as 0:15:39.920 --> 0:15:42.040 you mentioned, he's looked great in the off season program, 0:15:42.120 --> 0:15:44.760 which is a staple of Green Bay summers the last 0:15:44.800 --> 0:15:47.360 four years. I mean, Romeo Dobbs has always been a 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:49.680 top performer in OTA's and mini cams. Catches a ton 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:51.360 of passes. He was doing it again during the two 0:15:51.400 --> 0:15:55.200 minute drill in practice both last week and on Tuesday. 0:15:55.560 --> 0:15:57.880 So yeah, I think that part of it is cool. 0:15:58.040 --> 0:16:00.960 The other thing I really like too, He got talking 0:16:01.000 --> 0:16:03.400 about the young guys in that room, and as he mentioned, 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:05.520 you know, Matthew Golden a stud, but he also talked 0:16:05.560 --> 0:16:10.040 about kind of the responsibility he feels to help bring 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:13.600 those guys along. Yeah, he had some veterans, not a lot, 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:16.440 He had a few, you know, Sammy Watkins came in here, obviously, 0:16:16.480 --> 0:16:19.560 Alan Lazard, you know, a little taste there one season 0:16:19.600 --> 0:16:22.640 with Randall Cobb, but for the most part, you know, 0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:24.320 him and Christian Watson have kind of had to drive 0:16:24.360 --> 0:16:27.640 that bus here the last two years. And for guys 0:16:27.760 --> 0:16:30.520 like Savion Williams for Golden for even you know, you 0:16:30.520 --> 0:16:32.360 look at a Dontavian Wicks, who's still an up and 0:16:32.360 --> 0:16:34.080 coming guy. I mean, these guys that have come in 0:16:34.160 --> 0:16:37.800 behind them. I really appreciate what he said because he's like, 0:16:37.840 --> 0:16:40.200 I mean, they got drafted here. If they have questions, 0:16:40.240 --> 0:16:42.240 I'm going to help them. I'm going to do whatever 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:45.720 I can to bring them along. So, Yeah, Romeo Dobs 0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:47.560 has been a pros entire time here. It was unfortunate 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:49.960 what happened last season, but it's cool to hear his 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:52.520 perspective now on things, how he feels he improved from 0:16:52.520 --> 0:16:55.200 that whole experience and now hopefully being able to stay 0:16:55.200 --> 0:16:57.000 healthy er going into the twenty twenty five. 0:16:57.160 --> 0:17:03.160 Yeah, and another player we heard one we actually don't 0:17:03.200 --> 0:17:06.400 hear from a lot, just because he's not keen on 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:08.679 a lot of the media stuff in doing interviews, but 0:17:08.760 --> 0:17:11.520 he's certainly a big part of this of this Packers 0:17:11.560 --> 0:17:16.840 team is right tackle Zach Tom, And in a very 0:17:17.000 --> 0:17:23.439 engaging and extended conversation with reporters yesterday, it reminded me 0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:26.000 or I sort of realized how easy it was to 0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:30.400 forget that while Zach Tom was an absolute rock at 0:17:30.480 --> 0:17:32.720 right tackle, and at the end of the season he 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:36.680 ends up, I believe, getting the third most votes all 0:17:36.720 --> 0:17:40.600 Pro votes for the right tackle position. It becomes easy 0:17:40.640 --> 0:17:43.679 to forget that this guy had a torn pectoral muscle 0:17:43.720 --> 0:17:46.719 in the off season. He didn't participate at all in 0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:50.520 OTAs or mini camp, and he got back on the 0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:53.879 practice field for basically the last two weeks of training 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:56.959 camp to get himself ready to go week one and 0:17:57.000 --> 0:17:59.959 to be able to play in that opener in Brazil. 0:18:00.760 --> 0:18:05.359 And Zach tom Is is as h as quiet and 0:18:05.480 --> 0:18:09.119 humble as they come. But uh, but you could sense 0:18:10.280 --> 0:18:13.399 he he sort of revealed it a little bit that, uh, 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:17.240 that there was definitely some some pride that he took 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:19.760 in the fact that he got himself ready to play 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:21.719 week one and he was ready to go when the 0:18:21.720 --> 0:18:27.080 bell rang uh last September, and UH and certainly now 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:30.919 going through this offseason completely healthy, not having to focus 0:18:30.920 --> 0:18:33.760 on rehab, being able to focus on, you know, really 0:18:33.800 --> 0:18:38.000 honing the craft and improving his game, he's got uh, 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:41.160 he's got a lot of high hopes for himself and 0:18:41.280 --> 0:18:43.760 UH and for this team in general obviously. 0:18:43.320 --> 0:18:45.080 So first and foremost, there's a part of me that 0:18:45.119 --> 0:18:49.040 still can't quite comprehend what him and Tucker Craft were 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:49.520 able to do. 0:18:49.680 --> 0:18:51.320 Yeah, as well, Both. 0:18:51.160 --> 0:18:53.480 Of those guys suffered the torn packs early in the 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:57.960 off season program, don't participate in the off season program, 0:18:58.560 --> 0:19:01.680 and then like the on field stuff, and then both 0:19:01.760 --> 0:19:05.360 turn in career years and differing degrees, you know, statistically 0:19:05.440 --> 0:19:09.160 or just kind of you know, perception wise. And for Tom, 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:12.440 not that it's it's obviously huge for Tucker as well, 0:19:12.440 --> 0:19:17.719 but for playing that position, that is fascinating tearing your 0:19:17.760 --> 0:19:19.879 pack because it's not just about how it's going to 0:19:19.960 --> 0:19:22.920 respond when you're playing again, it's how you build strength 0:19:22.960 --> 0:19:27.679 to play that position. Yeah, looking at Zach Tom, I 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:29.240 don't think he's going to be a three hundred and 0:19:29.320 --> 0:19:31.840 ten pound man when his playing days are over. You know, 0:19:31.880 --> 0:19:34.800 he's you can sometimes see the structure and almost like, okay, yeah, 0:19:34.840 --> 0:19:38.120 this is Look at Corey Linsley right right, right, Corey 0:19:38.160 --> 0:19:41.760 Linsley took off like one hundred pounds quickly. You're putting 0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:44.120 that mass on your body. It's not just always naturally 0:19:44.160 --> 0:19:46.439 fitting like that. Yeah, for him to be able to 0:19:46.480 --> 0:19:48.480 find a strength program that worked for him to be 0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:51.240 able to maintain his size and his strength while not 0:19:51.280 --> 0:19:54.440 being able to probably even bench press for four months 0:19:54.520 --> 0:19:57.239 or whatever it ended up being. It was impressive. It 0:19:57.240 --> 0:19:58.879 was impressive to see him be able to come out 0:19:58.920 --> 0:20:02.040 play as well as you did. He's quiet, he's steadfast. 0:20:02.080 --> 0:20:04.320 He just does his job. But the one thing that 0:20:04.400 --> 0:20:06.199 you really think about, he's on the other side of 0:20:06.200 --> 0:20:08.359