WEBVTT - #825 Packers Unscripted: That's a wrap 0:00:15.600 --> 0:00:16.360 Hi, everybody. 0:00:16.400 --> 0:00:20.120 Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.160 --> 0:00:23.799 I am Mike Spafford, joined as always by my trusted 0:00:23.800 --> 0:00:26.239 colleague Weston Hodkoitz. We're coming to you here from our 0:00:26.280 --> 0:00:30.200 studios at Lambeufield kind of a season wrap up show. 0:00:30.240 --> 0:00:32.120 I guess you would say this will be our last 0:00:32.159 --> 0:00:36.160 show for the time being. We will be back at 0:00:36.200 --> 0:00:39.600 some point before the draft, just not quite sure exactly 0:00:39.600 --> 0:00:41.839 when that'll be, but we will be taking a break 0:00:42.240 --> 0:00:47.279 on Packers Unscripted. We'll start this final show of the 0:00:47.320 --> 0:00:48.440 season West with this. 0:00:48.640 --> 0:00:50.080 Not long before. 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:52.599 We stepped into the studio here, we heard from Packers 0:00:52.640 --> 0:00:56.880 General manager Brian Gudukunst. He addressed the media for about 0:00:56.920 --> 0:01:02.040 thirty five minutes in his annual season wrap up news conference. 0:01:02.480 --> 0:01:05.800 And I'll just throw an open ended question out to you, 0:01:06.400 --> 0:01:09.680 what if anything stood out to you as your biggest 0:01:09.680 --> 0:01:11.759 takeaway from that media session. 0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:14.560 Yeah, Mike, there was plenty of takeaways from it. I 0:01:14.560 --> 0:01:16.880 think the one where my ears perked up the most, 0:01:16.959 --> 0:01:19.000 and obviously a lot of the media outlets have kind 0:01:19.000 --> 0:01:21.600 of grabbed onto it the idea that you know, now 0:01:21.680 --> 0:01:24.640 is the time to start competing for championships and that 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:27.160 not that Green Bay isn't always doing that, but they 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:31.960 understand how good these recent draft classes have been in 0:01:32.040 --> 0:01:34.240 twenty two to twenty three, and then obviously you've already 0:01:34.240 --> 0:01:36.920 seen some production from the twenty four class in how 0:01:36.959 --> 0:01:39.760 that translates to this team taking the next step. And 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:42.920 I think my biggest takeaway beyond that was just Brian 0:01:43.040 --> 0:01:46.680 talking about the financial flexibility of these guys. They can 0:01:46.720 --> 0:01:49.800 make any move they want. Obviously, every dollar that you 0:01:49.840 --> 0:01:52.240 spend in free agency is also would come out of 0:01:52.240 --> 0:01:54.840 the kiddy, so to speak, for the dollars that you 0:01:54.880 --> 0:01:57.600 can spend on extensions, which Green Bay now also is 0:01:57.640 --> 0:02:01.040 going to have coming up right. And I just think 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:03.840 when you talk about Brian Guda Kuntz as the general 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:06.640 manager and Russ Ball in this front office and how 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:09.480 it's been constructed over the last six seven years, they 0:02:09.639 --> 0:02:12.280 like having their options and I think at this point 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.080 in time they have a lot of those. They've worked 0:02:15.080 --> 0:02:19.239 theirselves back from kind of that kicking the can down 0:02:19.280 --> 0:02:22.799 the road, you know, bowering against the future to win 0:02:22.880 --> 0:02:25.560 now back in twenty one and somewhat in twenty two, 0:02:26.520 --> 0:02:29.320 they've gotten back into the black, so to speak in 0:02:29.400 --> 0:02:32.600 terms of the financial aspect of it, and Green Bay's 0:02:32.639 --> 0:02:35.640 ready to compete. So disappointing ending to the season, but 0:02:35.720 --> 0:02:39.560 Brian definitely painted a and optimistic picture of what this 0:02:39.639 --> 0:02:40.919 future looks like in Green Bay. 0:02:41.160 --> 0:02:43.760 Yeah, I heard much the same that you did in 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:46.079 terms of what's top of mind for me the salary 0:02:46.080 --> 0:02:49.080 cap situation. The Packers are in as good a shape 0:02:49.080 --> 0:02:52.120 as they've been really since the COVID seasons, when you know, 0:02:52.160 --> 0:02:54.200 there was the big shift in the cap and lots 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:56.560 of other decisions were made to try to stay at 0:02:56.600 --> 0:02:59.960 the forefront and compete for a championship. As Aaron Rodgers 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:04.560 career was in Green Bay was winding down, and what 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:07.600 you said about the it's time to compete for championships, 0:03:07.639 --> 0:03:10.280 I thought it was right at the very very end 0:03:10.320 --> 0:03:14.280 of the last answer, the way he talked about a 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:17.720 lot of the young players on this team, they've now 0:03:18.000 --> 0:03:21.120 proven they can play in the NFL. They've established themselves 0:03:21.160 --> 0:03:24.000 as NFL players, and he sort of threw this question 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:27.040 out there about, Okay, well, what's next in terms of 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:31.280 what you can bring to this team to push this team. 0:03:31.080 --> 0:03:31.679 Over the top. 0:03:32.120 --> 0:03:35.440 It's not every player that comes into this league yes, 0:03:35.480 --> 0:03:37.680 you need to be a team player, but you need 0:03:37.720 --> 0:03:41.080 to establish yourself. And you know that's first and foremost 0:03:41.120 --> 0:03:45.280 for these guys because they're here to have a career, 0:03:45.280 --> 0:03:47.200 they're here to make money, they're here to do the 0:03:47.200 --> 0:03:48.040 best that they can. 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:50.720 There's a bunch of young guys. 0:03:50.560 --> 0:03:55.760 Who have established themselves now, so now their personal attitude 0:03:55.920 --> 0:03:59.320 about success. And I'm not saying guys haven't been team players, 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:02.600 don't get me wrong, but your personal attitude, your personal 0:04:02.600 --> 0:04:07.360 approach to success now needs to branch out and embrace 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:11.640 the entire team. And what more can you do to 0:04:11.760 --> 0:04:14.120 help the team take the next step. That's sort of 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:14.600 what I heard. 0:04:14.760 --> 0:04:17.719 Yeah, ask not what your team can do for you, 0:04:18.000 --> 0:04:20.760 but what you can do for your team? Nice, very nice, 0:04:20.920 --> 0:04:27.800 Thank you. No, but listen, I love that message because 0:04:28.320 --> 0:04:32.039 you're talking beyond just guys being NFL players and being 0:04:32.080 --> 0:04:34.560 good NFL players. You're talking about can you make the 0:04:34.600 --> 0:04:36.279 next step to be a leader? Can you be the 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:38.919 next step to be a consistent playmaker, a star? 0:04:39.320 --> 0:04:42.240 That's I think exactly what he was getting at that. 0:04:42.520 --> 0:04:44.600 You're putting it better than I No. 0:04:44.600 --> 0:04:46.280 Not at all. I thought you made a fine point 0:04:46.279 --> 0:04:49.159 as well, But I agree with you, I think we 0:04:49.279 --> 0:04:52.400 have so many great players on this team, but who's 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:54.080 going to make that next jump? And by the way, 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:56.200 not to say that you're behind on that. It took 0:04:56.279 --> 0:04:59.680 Jordy Nelson two three years, honestly the end of the 0:04:59.720 --> 0:05:02.679 ten season before his star really start to shine. No doubt, 0:05:03.120 --> 0:05:06.280 it doesn't always happen overnight. But that being said, you 0:05:06.320 --> 0:05:08.760 have guys like Eddrian Cooper, and you know, you look 0:05:08.800 --> 0:05:11.240 at some of these offensive skill position players like you know, 0:05:11.320 --> 0:05:14.320 Tucker Kraft and the jump that he has made each 0:05:14.400 --> 0:05:16.760 year he's been in the league, and and those are 0:05:16.760 --> 0:05:19.320 the type of players that are also ultimately going to 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:21.880 be foundational pieces for you. And that was sort of 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:24.600 something that good it consoluded to as well as far 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:27.320 as needing to extend guys here in these next couple drafts. 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:29.240 The twenty two draft now is going to be eligible 0:05:29.240 --> 0:05:31.240 for extensions. You get through next year, the twenty three 0:05:31.360 --> 0:05:34.440 draft will be eligible for extensions. And one of the 0:05:34.480 --> 0:05:36.960 reasons when you when you look at the Xavier McKinney's 0:05:36.960 --> 0:05:38.920 and Josh Sjacobs, that's a lot of fun. We all 0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:41.960 really enjoy that. But as Brian said, there isn't always 0:05:41.960 --> 0:05:44.440 those players available, right, and you have to be very 0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:47.479 pragmatic with how you use your your finances and the 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:50.200 decisions that you make as you build your team up 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:53.960 for the future, and how that all ties together. The 0:05:53.960 --> 0:05:56.040 one thing that's been fun for me. You probably caught 0:05:56.040 --> 0:05:59.040 onto this earlier than I did, because one you're you're 0:05:59.120 --> 0:06:02.159 much smarter than I am. But two, you also have 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:04.720 covered this for quite a while now in the National 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:07.640 Football League. There was a time my first few years 0:06:07.720 --> 0:06:09.320 where I was doing this beat where it's like, okay, 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:10.920 well you need to have your cornerback one and your 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:14.280 cornerback two. These are your starting safeties, here's your offensive line, 0:06:14.640 --> 0:06:16.839 and then this is it. You built your team. Well, 0:06:17.040 --> 0:06:19.480 the longer you cover this league, even under the most 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:23.720 favorable situations, you're going to have injuries, You're going to 0:06:23.800 --> 0:06:26.400 have things that change. You're not going to have the 0:06:26.400 --> 0:06:29.880 same exact lineup the entire season. And that is honestly 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:32.600 the way that Brian builds his team. That's how he 0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:36.080 does it. It's about, yeah, you're preferred starters, but also 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:38.359 you're young guys that you're going to develop. He mentioned 0:06:38.440 --> 0:06:40.839 Jordan Morgan, He's going to be coming back off that 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:44.440 shoulder surgery. Where does he fit into the picture next year? 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:47.680 For these guys. The only guy it sounds like that 0:06:47.720 --> 0:06:49.479 won't be available at the beginning of the year based 0:06:49.480 --> 0:06:52.839 on pre existing injuries right now is Christian Watson. What's 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:56.599 the reaction to that this offseason. Whether it's a free 0:06:56.640 --> 0:06:59.720 agent or whether it's a draft pick, these are all 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:01.839 the decisions Brian Goodikuns has to make. But at the 0:07:01.920 --> 0:07:04.240 end of the day, Mike him and his personnel department, 0:07:04.240 --> 0:07:05.960 they're going to give themselves depth. They're going to give 0:07:06.040 --> 0:07:09.560 themselves options, so you're not just tied into one specific scenario. 0:07:09.680 --> 0:07:11.720 Yeah, and I think this is something to keep in 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:14.360 mind here as the Packers enter an off season with 0:07:14.400 --> 0:07:18.000 a lot of salary cut flexibility and the ability to 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:20.480 really do whatever it is that they want to do 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:25.680 in terms of augmenting and reshaping the roster. You mentioned 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:30.840 Xavier McKinney Josh Jacobs. Just because McKinney and Jacobs were 0:07:30.880 --> 0:07:33.040 guys the Packers were able to bring in last year, 0:07:33.320 --> 0:07:38.239 that doesn't mean, for example, that the top wide receiver 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:40.760 who will be available on the market, or the top 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:43.040 cornerback who will be available on the market, or the 0:07:43.080 --> 0:07:46.000 top pass Rusher will be available on the market. 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:48.960 Will be as good as those guys. 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:52.040 You know, there's going to be a top so and 0:07:52.120 --> 0:07:54.640 so available on the market. It doesn't mean it's the 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:58.160 next Xavier McKinney or the next Josh Jacobs. And that's 0:07:58.200 --> 0:08:00.800 something for fans to keep in mind. Because the Packers 0:08:00.840 --> 0:08:04.239 went out and got those top guys last year doesn't 0:08:04.280 --> 0:08:08.480 mean that though, that the top guys available this year 0:08:08.480 --> 0:08:11.440 are necessarily going to fit the Packers' vision and the culture, 0:08:11.480 --> 0:08:14.440 and they may not be as good a players as 0:08:14.480 --> 0:08:16.320 the guys. You know, Gota Kuntz has said it so 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:19.520 many times and you just reiterated it. Guys like Xavier 0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:22.040 McKinnon and Josh Jacobs are not available on the free 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:25.200 agent market every year. That's why Brian jumped in and 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:28.360 was as aggressive as he was last year because he 0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:31.960 saw those as rare opportunities. Just something to keep in 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:35.040 mind as a free agency eventually rolls around here in 0:08:35.040 --> 0:08:36.120 about six to eight weeks. 0:08:36.200 --> 0:08:38.800 Yeah, and that's a great point. One thing I've always 0:08:38.840 --> 0:08:42.920 personally loved too. How many people, including myself would have said, Hey, 0:08:42.960 --> 0:08:46.360 the Minnesota Vikings last year had an A plus free agency. 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:50.480 Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman were not household names, 0:08:50.760 --> 0:08:53.040 and they both ended up turning into two of their better. 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:53.640 Players an time. 0:08:54.040 --> 0:08:56.640 Zadarius Smith when the Packers signed him in twenty nineteen, 0:08:56.679 --> 0:09:00.760 it was a rotational rusher in Baltimore, not a household name. 0:09:01.320 --> 0:09:04.120 It's projecting sometimes where these guys are going to. It's 0:09:04.120 --> 0:09:06.080 not always going to be an All Pro running back 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:07.360 that was a rushing champion. 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:09.800 Yeah, they's gonna be exactly. 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:12.640 There's still some there's still some crystal ball business to 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:15.640 free agency, just as there is with the draft. It's 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:17.800 just you're at a different point in a player's career 0:09:17.800 --> 0:09:20.560 in terms of trying to look and to project. Well, 0:09:20.600 --> 0:09:23.200 some of the guys that you mentioned just a few 0:09:23.240 --> 0:09:25.120 minutes ago, I think are going to come up in 0:09:26.480 --> 0:09:28.800 the next conversation we're going to have, which is I'm 0:09:28.800 --> 0:09:31.840 going to throw out some awards, if you want to 0:09:31.880 --> 0:09:35.000 call it that, players that you would pick to fit 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:38.400 certain categories here. And I'm not going to say, you know, 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:41.360 this isn't going to be like Team MVP, because if 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:43.800 you say Josh Jacobs, then I'm gonna say Zaber McKinney 0:09:43.880 --> 0:09:46.199 or viceversa. I'm not even gonna go there. These are 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:48.880 going to be a little bit, a little bit deferstmid guard. 0:09:49.200 --> 0:09:51.880 And if you and I have not tied him up 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:55.080 for this, folks, if you end up picking a guy 0:09:55.080 --> 0:09:56.840 that I wanted to talk about, I will have to 0:09:56.880 --> 0:09:59.040 pivot on the fly and talk about somebody else. So 0:09:59.559 --> 0:10:03.600 my first one the unsung hero of the twenty twenty 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:04.720 four Green Bay Packers. 0:10:04.920 --> 0:10:09.000 Oh, what a great question, Mike, the unsung hero. There's 0:10:09.040 --> 0:10:11.240 so many levels to this. Yeah, how far do we 0:10:11.240 --> 0:10:11.880 want to talk about? 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:13.880 You can take that, You can take this any direction. 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:16.720 You can define unsung hero anyway. 0:10:16.440 --> 0:10:18.320 You Okay, So I'm gonna do I'm going to define 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:20.920 unsung hero as a guy that helped them get to 0:10:20.960 --> 0:10:22.280 where they got to at the end of the season. 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:25.959 So for my unsung hero, I'll pick Carrington Valentine as 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:28.440 a guy who started the year it looked like he 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:30.320 was going to be the odd man out because he 0:10:30.360 --> 0:10:33.000 misses the beginning of training camp with the hamstring injury. 0:10:33.280 --> 0:10:36.120 He he kind of has some setbacks with that and 0:10:36.160 --> 0:10:39.720 then it, you know, it appears like Jay Air, Eric Stokes, 0:10:40.320 --> 0:10:42.280 you have Keshawn Nixon the slot, you have a lot 0:10:42.320 --> 0:10:45.000 of depth at cornerback. It just seemed like, well, how 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:46.960 is Carrington going to get on the field after starting 0:10:47.000 --> 0:10:48.880 slow out of the gates, And then you can make 0:10:48.920 --> 0:10:50.920 a case that he might have been one of their 0:10:50.960 --> 0:10:54.000 most important defensive players during the final month of the season. 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:56.599 He ends up having his first two interceptions in a 0:10:56.640 --> 0:11:00.000 span of three games. He forces a fumble. In another context, 0:11:00.920 --> 0:11:04.240 Carrington is a guy that battles, and the more I 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:06.480 watch him play, the more I'm impressed by him and 0:11:06.800 --> 0:11:09.240 in what he brings to the table. And talking about 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:12.280 how things align for next season, you know, good to Consett. 0:11:12.280 --> 0:11:14.719 I mean he really thought, in kind of echoing your 0:11:14.720 --> 0:11:17.040 comments from a couple of weeks ago as well, when 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:19.920 they settled in on Valentine on one side and Nixon 0:11:19.960 --> 0:11:22.959 on the other, No, you're not getting Jay airback having 0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:25.360 Bullered in the slot that ended up being their optimal 0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:27.839 package there in the nickel, which is ultimately the one 0:11:27.880 --> 0:11:31.200 that most NFL teams end up running on a percentage basis. 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:35.120 Carrington is a happy, go lucky, gregarious guy, but he 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:38.200 is serious about football. And you asked me the unsung 0:11:38.240 --> 0:11:40.360 hero of this team, I think he's definitely in the 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:41.280 conversation there. 0:11:41.600 --> 0:11:43.640 Yeah, And this is a tough one for me to 0:11:43.720 --> 0:11:45.920 narrow it down because I think there's actually a pretty 0:11:45.960 --> 0:11:48.520 long list of guys on this team in that regard. 0:11:48.720 --> 0:11:50.760 I'm gonna mention too, and I won't talk too long 0:11:50.800 --> 0:11:52.439 about either one because I want to I want to 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:55.200 get into some of these other topics as well. I 0:11:55.240 --> 0:11:58.480 don't want this category to go by without mentioning Malik Willis, 0:11:58.520 --> 0:12:02.800 because I mean, it's not just that a backup quarterback 0:12:02.880 --> 0:12:05.280 came in and won two games as a starter and 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:08.880 won another game in relief and almost won a fourth 0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:12.160 game in relief at the end of the season. It's 0:12:12.200 --> 0:12:16.080 that when Malik Willis had to When Malik Willis was 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:18.920 called upon to start those two games, and even when 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:21.679 he was called on in relief in Jacksonville, he hadn't 0:12:21.720 --> 0:12:26.319 been here very long, and that could have gone really south, 0:12:26.720 --> 0:12:29.920 really fast for the Packers. And the fact that all 0:12:29.960 --> 0:12:33.319 three of those games, yes, they were all against AFC 0:12:33.400 --> 0:12:36.160 South teams, and that was a very poor division this year, 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:39.320 So the Packers were fortunate the timing and the schedule 0:12:39.360 --> 0:12:43.720 in that regard. But what Malik Willis did cannot be 0:12:43.840 --> 0:12:47.200 forgotten in terms of where the twenty twenty four Packers went. 0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:48.839 The other one I want to mention, I think we 0:12:49.000 --> 0:12:51.719 talked about him on previous shows. In this category of 0:12:51.800 --> 0:12:55.480 unsung hero is Eric Wilson, the veteran linebacker. Because when 0:12:56.559 --> 0:12:59.400 Edrin Cooper wasn't out there as much early in the 0:12:59.440 --> 0:13:03.160 season and kway Walker had to miss some games anytime 0:13:03.200 --> 0:13:07.839 the Packers needed some extra snaps and some and the 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:11.880 the communication and the leadership at the inside linebacker position, 0:13:12.520 --> 0:13:15.040 they turned to Eric Wilson. And and for a guy 0:13:15.080 --> 0:13:19.400 who's a little bit undersized, he's not an overly dynamic player. 0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:22.880 Not only did he hold the defense together, but he 0:13:22.960 --> 0:13:26.080 made some splash plays along the way too, whether it 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:28.880 be a TfL here there, or a sack or an 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:32.200 interception that he had against the Colts in that the 0:13:32.440 --> 0:13:37.040 Malik Willis's first games as the Packers starter. So that 0:13:37.080 --> 0:13:43.560 would be my guy there. Next category, emerging player, I. 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:47.000 Mean it's it's entering coop. Yeah, I mean that's the answer, right. 0:13:47.080 --> 0:13:48.720 I threw that one to you because now I have 0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:49.760 to come up with some Yeah. 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:53.319 So now I will pontificate and whatnot. 0:13:53.360 --> 0:13:55.960 O start, I'll be ready, I'll be ready. 0:13:56.160 --> 0:14:00.360 Listen I've said this so many times, but I wrote 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:03.240 this an insider inbox. I truly mean it. Going back 0:14:03.280 --> 0:14:05.520 to twenty twelve and so many people think about that 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:07.760 playoff loss to the forty nine ers, when people often 0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:10.040 forget about as they were a top ten, top eleven 0:14:10.120 --> 0:14:12.720 defense that year, and a big reason for that was 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:15.160 Casey Hayward coming in as a rookie second round pick, 0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:18.400 having six interceptions, finishing third in Defensive Rookie of the 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:21.360 Year voting that year. He was a huge part of 0:14:21.400 --> 0:14:23.520 what Green Bay did that season, and he did it 0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:25.680 right from the get go. Unfortunately, he had some hamstring 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:27.360 issues and some other stuff that popped up in the 0:14:27.400 --> 0:14:30.120 subsequent years, but that season was a huge critical piece 0:14:30.120 --> 0:14:33.040 for them, especially with Charles Woodson getting injured midway through 0:14:33.040 --> 0:14:35.680 the season. So all that being said, Edger and Cooper 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:37.960 kind of reminded me of that a little bit this season. 0:14:38.200 --> 0:14:40.440 It didn't matter about the position, it didn't matter about 0:14:40.440 --> 0:14:42.440 the inexperience, and I understand there's some things he had 0:14:42.440 --> 0:14:44.760 to learn on the fly, but he was a difference 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:47.080 maker and this defense was different when he was on 0:14:47.120 --> 0:14:48.880 the field. I would love to see the compare and 0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:51.560 contrast from the first half of the year to when 0:14:51.640 --> 0:14:54.480 Edgron really got going, especially after he came back from 0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:58.080 the hamstring injury. He catapulted this defense forward and was 0:14:58.120 --> 0:15:00.360 one of their best players. And I think of us, 0:15:00.400 --> 0:15:02.800 including myself, talked about when you're looking at an off 0:15:02.840 --> 0:15:05.320 ball linebacker. Some of the things he was doing was 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:07.920 so emblematic of what they did with Clay Matthews in 0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:10.600 the mid twenty tens, being able to rush him from 0:15:10.600 --> 0:15:13.200 different areas, him being able to have his coverage skills. 0:15:14.120 --> 0:15:17.600 He still has much to learn, but he definitely was 0:15:18.480 --> 0:15:20.520 the gem so far of this draft class. And I 0:15:20.520 --> 0:15:22.880 think when you're looking at the optimism and the hope 0:15:22.920 --> 0:15:25.480 and the potential of this defense the years to come 0:15:25.560 --> 0:15:29.200 under Jeff Haffley, it starts with Cooper because his speed, 0:15:29.680 --> 0:15:32.400 his quickness, and it's not just about him blitzing or 0:15:32.440 --> 0:15:35.120 being incorporated in the pass rush. He incorporates that into 0:15:35.120 --> 0:15:36.760 how he defends the run as well, and I thought 0:15:36.800 --> 0:15:38.720 had a big reason for why Green Bay ended up 0:15:38.960 --> 0:15:42.400 having their best performance against the run in fifteen years. 0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:44.880 Yeah, I'm going to give what probably will strike you 0:15:44.920 --> 0:15:46.920 as a little bit of a surprising answer to this quest. 0:15:46.960 --> 0:15:48.640 Wes Hodwaks Verrging player? What's that? 0:15:48.960 --> 0:15:49.000 Is? 0:15:49.040 --> 0:15:49.160 It? 0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:49.240 Me? 0:15:49.800 --> 0:15:51.800 Yeah? 0:15:51.960 --> 0:15:54.920 But I'm gonna say tight end Tucker Kraft. 0:15:55.040 --> 0:15:55.640 Yeah. 0:15:55.680 --> 0:16:01.000 And I say that because as big a jump as 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:03.840 he made from his rookie season to his second season 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:07.000 and becoming an all around tight end in terms of 0:16:07.160 --> 0:16:10.200 the blocking and the pass protection, the blocking in the 0:16:10.280 --> 0:16:13.880 run game, the pass protection, the receiving and the yards 0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:17.720 after the catch, and all of that evolution and growth 0:16:17.760 --> 0:16:22.400 in Tucker Craft's game that we saw, I think I 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:25.640 still label him as an emerging player on this team. 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:29.800 Because Matt Lafleur hinted the other day Tucker Craft very 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:33.720 well could go from that solid all around tight end 0:16:33.760 --> 0:16:37.880 that every team wants to being a major, major featured 0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:41.320 player in this offense in his third year. I think 0:16:41.360 --> 0:16:44.000 that might be what is coming down the road for 0:16:44.120 --> 0:16:47.240 number eighty five. And so that's why he's my answer 0:16:47.280 --> 0:16:50.840 to this one. And we were both there what he 0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:54.360 said at his locker on Monday on the final locker 0:16:54.400 --> 0:16:58.520 cleanout day. He's already starting to become a leader on 0:16:58.600 --> 0:17:04.320 this team, obviously, and he announced essentially to everybody not 0:17:04.359 --> 0:17:06.959 only with what he said but how he said it, 0:17:07.640 --> 0:17:11.840 that he's going to continue to take steps to be 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:15.840 a leader in that locker room. And I think the 0:17:15.880 --> 0:17:18.560 next step in that regard started on Monday. The way 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:21.880 he assessed this team and how he feels about it 0:17:21.960 --> 0:17:24.080 and where he feels it can and should go. 0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:26.280 I'm with you one hundred percent on that, and he 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:29.199 is when you're listening to Matt Lafleure talk as well. 0:17:29.240 --> 0:17:30.920 I mean, he is a focal point of what Green 0:17:30.960 --> 0:17:34.920 Bay wants to build this offense around moving forward. He's consistent, 0:17:35.000 --> 0:17:38.680 he's durable, he's tenacious, he prides himself just as much 0:17:38.680 --> 0:17:41.880 on his blocking as he does his pass catching. He's 0:17:41.920 --> 0:17:44.879 looking like a complete all around tight end and seeing 0:17:44.920 --> 0:17:47.720 him grow into that has been really encouraging. And then 0:17:47.960 --> 0:17:50.919 even more than that, too, the fact that the offense, 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:53.920 when you're talking about the consistency of it, when he's 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:56.400 a focal point, when he's going when things are right, 0:17:56.720 --> 0:17:58.520 that does seem to be one of the things that 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:01.240 does sort of, you know, shoot the fuel into the engine, 0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:04.480 so to speak. Yeah, big plays are huge, and certainly 0:18:04.560 --> 0:18:06.200 running the ball is huge, but when you can move 0:18:06.240 --> 0:18:08.560 the sticks with a tight end like him, sometimes he 0:18:08.600 --> 0:18:10.600 doesn't even have to run the route to the first down, 0:18:10.600 --> 0:18:12.880 he can break a tackle or two to get going. 0:18:13.080 --> 0:18:15.320 I did see a statistic I wish I could credit 0:18:15.359 --> 0:18:18.040 the right source. I think it's Pro Football Focus. If 0:18:18.080 --> 0:18:21.720 it's not, it's a next gen stats other than George Kittle. 0:18:21.720 --> 0:18:23.239 I think he was the best in the league as 0:18:23.240 --> 0:18:27.200 far as yards after contact and in his route depth. 0:18:27.440 --> 0:18:30.000 For the amnt of yards he ended up having this 0:18:30.080 --> 0:18:33.159 season relative to his route depth, I think Tucker Craft 0:18:33.240 --> 0:18:34.959 is a third round pick two years ago is going 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:36.119 to turn out to be one of the best that 0:18:36.160 --> 0:18:38.280 Brian Goodecons has made in terms of draft choices. 0:18:38.400 --> 0:18:41.560 Yeah, and I'm totally with you in this category. As 0:18:41.560 --> 0:18:43.280 far as Edger and Cooper, and I think even though 0:18:43.320 --> 0:18:45.719 they don't play the same position, what you said about 0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:50.159 Clay Matthews and how we saw Clay Matthews emerge, I 0:18:50.200 --> 0:18:53.560 think I think edgerin Cooper is without a doubt on 0:18:53.680 --> 0:18:54.280 that same track. 0:18:54.320 --> 0:18:55.400 It's very exciting. 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:58.199 Because it's about unpredictability, right, and why was Clay so 0:18:58.240 --> 0:18:59.920 effective there? You didn't know when they were going to 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:02.000 throw a match you. As far as the quarterback and 0:19:02.080 --> 0:19:05.359 some things, he adds a different dimension to that double 0:19:05.400 --> 0:19:08.360 a gap. Look where you're you're doing those simulated pressures, 0:19:08.400 --> 0:19:10.600 you're not sure where it's coming from. With his quickness, 0:19:10.880 --> 0:19:13.280 and the dude is listed at only two twenty eight, 0:19:14.000 --> 0:19:15.879 I have a hard time believe in that. Like he 0:19:16.040 --> 0:19:18.720 I've seen two hundred and twenty eight pound receivers and 0:19:19.040 --> 0:19:22.400 safeties and things like that. Edrin Cooper wears it well. Man. 0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:24.000 If I didn't know any better, I would say he 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:25.440 was two forty one, just like Kway. 0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:27.320 Yeah, he's it's a. 0:19:27.280 --> 0:19:28.960