WEBVTT - #301 Packers Unscripted: Changing focus 0:00:00.600 --> 0:00:20.360 Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.360 --> 0:00:23.800 I am Mike Spofford. He is Wes Hodkowits. We're coming 0:00:23.840 --> 0:00:26.880 to you here from our studios at lambeau Field and West. 0:00:27.000 --> 0:00:30.320 The final week of the Packers offseason program is upon us, 0:00:30.360 --> 0:00:34.320 and that means the mandatory three day mini camp, although 0:00:34.920 --> 0:00:37.800 as we just found out on Tuesday, it's not so 0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:42.960 mandatory for certain players. Mike McCarthy has excused sixteen veteran 0:00:43.040 --> 0:00:47.800 players with the idea that these three practices this week Tuesday, Wednesday, 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:51.240 Thursday are focused on getting the young players on the 0:00:51.360 --> 0:00:55.080 roster as many reps as possible as they review installations 0:00:55.080 --> 0:00:56.600 and the other things that we're going on in O 0:00:56.760 --> 0:00:59.320 t A s to try to give them the best 0:00:59.400 --> 0:01:02.760 possible foundation come training camp. Yeah, and it's one of 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:05.319 those things, Mike, who doesn't love a nice day off. 0:01:06.120 --> 0:01:08.559 I wish Craig Shieldbauer and Duke Bober would have made 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:12.160 mini camps, you know, not so mandatory for their veterans, 0:01:12.240 --> 0:01:14.720 but maybe had some intern step up and right might 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:17.520 have even been better. Who knows, But be that as 0:01:17.520 --> 0:01:19.720 it may, this has been a practice now for three 0:01:19.800 --> 0:01:22.160 years that Mike McCarthy has done. They actually is it 0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:24.080 used to work out is they would take one day 0:01:24.080 --> 0:01:26.440 where they would excuse the veterans and then that would 0:01:26.440 --> 0:01:29.280 be the area of concentration for the younger players on 0:01:29.319 --> 0:01:31.800 the roster. Three years ago they made the decision to 0:01:31.840 --> 0:01:34.240 take that team building exercise, move that into O, T 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:36.800 A S, and then use those three days to just 0:01:36.920 --> 0:01:40.880 focus solely on players usually five years or younger on 0:01:40.920 --> 0:01:44.240 the roster, so to me in my experience, and it 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:46.520 really does. And the in the with the confines of 0:01:46.520 --> 0:01:48.960 the c b A, the amount of snaps that you 0:01:49.040 --> 0:01:51.720 have and or the lack thereof during the offseason, a 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:53.560 chance for those young guys on the roster to get 0:01:53.600 --> 0:01:56.120 one final tune up before you get into training camp 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:59.320 when you know everything's really flying out there. Yeah, and 0:01:59.360 --> 0:02:01.040 this makes a lot of sense when you look at 0:02:01.080 --> 0:02:05.400 it from an overall structural perspective of how things are done. Here. 0:02:06.040 --> 0:02:10.360 You have the bulk of the off season program several weeks. 0:02:10.800 --> 0:02:13.280 It's voluntary. Players don't need to be here, but the 0:02:13.320 --> 0:02:17.960 Packers often structure contracts with workout bonuses you participate in. 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:21.359 Usually it's like eight something like that of the off 0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:25.320 season program, the veteran players get a workout bonus. This 0:02:25.400 --> 0:02:27.960 is all geared towards the fact that the Packers would 0:02:28.120 --> 0:02:31.400 rather have the players here for the longer stretch of 0:02:31.440 --> 0:02:35.000 the voluntary stuff and not worry so much about the 0:02:35.040 --> 0:02:37.360 three day mandatory mini camp. If the players are going 0:02:37.440 --> 0:02:39.720 to show up for something, they don't want them to 0:02:39.800 --> 0:02:42.040 skip all of O, t a s and then just 0:02:42.040 --> 0:02:44.720 show up for the mandatory mini camp because that's not 0:02:44.840 --> 0:02:48.160 as conducive to how they want to prepare for training camp. 0:02:48.240 --> 0:02:50.079 So there's kind of a lot of things that are 0:02:50.080 --> 0:02:52.600 built into the structure and how it's done here. Mike 0:02:52.680 --> 0:02:55.320 McCarthy is very confident that this is how it works, 0:02:55.320 --> 0:02:58.360 and it gives those younger players a chance in the classroom, 0:02:58.400 --> 0:03:00.720 on the field these last three days of the offseason 0:03:00.760 --> 0:03:03.799 program to really have everything focused on them. Absolutely, And 0:03:04.120 --> 0:03:06.680 you look at how the off season is structured and 0:03:06.680 --> 0:03:08.480 there's a method to all the madness. I mean, the 0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:11.400 Packers they put a big premium on their workout bonuses 0:03:11.720 --> 0:03:14.280 making sure they get their veteran players into the off 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:18.040 season program participating in it. And it's on both sides 0:03:18.080 --> 0:03:19.720 of the ball. This year, in particular, a lot of 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:22.480 changes to get used to, and you've got new players 0:03:22.520 --> 0:03:24.600 like Mohammed Wilkerson coming in that you want to get 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:28.240 acclimated everybody around you. If you check all those boxes 0:03:28.280 --> 0:03:30.160 for eight weeks, it only makes sense that you want 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:32.160 to take that last week not only concentrate on your 0:03:32.200 --> 0:03:34.680 younger players, but also make sure that there's you know, 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:36.880 no injuries or whatever have you might pop up with 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:39.960 your older players and you're returning veterans as well. The 0:03:40.040 --> 0:03:41.840 thing I keep going back to, and it was such 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:43.880 an off the it had nothing to do with this, 0:03:43.920 --> 0:03:46.000 But when I was talking with Lance Kendricks last week 0:03:46.280 --> 0:03:48.440 at that team building exercise that they did on the 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:50.560 second day of O T A S that week, him 0:03:50.600 --> 0:03:53.200 and Mason Crosby both talked about how you know that 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:55.080 last week is a grind for a lot of vets 0:03:55.160 --> 0:03:57.160 because now you've been going at it week after week 0:03:57.200 --> 0:04:01.640 after week, four days for practices. Um, you're feeling pretty 0:04:01.640 --> 0:04:03.600 good at that point about where you are mentally in 0:04:03.600 --> 0:04:05.920 the playbook after going through the installs as much as 0:04:05.920 --> 0:04:08.080 you have. So for a lot of them, it's not 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:10.040 to say there's no value in many camps. I'm sure 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:12.200 there still is, But for a lot of them. I 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:15.120 think it's already been reinforced. It's already you know what 0:04:15.160 --> 0:04:17.360 the direction is going to become training camp. This is 0:04:17.400 --> 0:04:19.280 a chance now for them to step away and give 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:21.039 those young guys who have not really been through this 0:04:21.120 --> 0:04:23.400 process that often one more chance to take a look 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:26.560 at everything. Yeah, and it's reinforced as well. That not 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:30.799 to say that competition isn't always ongoing, but this particular time, 0:04:31.200 --> 0:04:34.240 it's not focused on competition for roster spots. It's focused 0:04:34.279 --> 0:04:36.800 on teaching. It's focused on getting guys up to speed 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:40.640 to give them the best opportunity to compete for roster spots. 0:04:40.680 --> 0:04:44.320 Mike McCarthy reiterated on Tuesday morning that when training camp 0:04:44.400 --> 0:04:48.320 rolls around, hey, it's go time. It's the teaching phase 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:50.320 of things, you know, really starts to you know, go 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:52.760 into the background because now it's like, okay, we're gonna 0:04:52.760 --> 0:04:55.440 rep everything and it's gonna be about competing. It's about 0:04:55.680 --> 0:04:58.719 beating not only the guy across from you offense versus defense, 0:04:58.760 --> 0:05:01.640 but then you know, supping forward in front of some 0:05:01.680 --> 0:05:04.320 of those other guys that your position to get playing time, 0:05:04.360 --> 0:05:06.479 to get a roster spot. All those things are what 0:05:06.560 --> 0:05:08.760 training camp in the preseason are about It's such a 0:05:08.760 --> 0:05:11.080 great excellent point you make there, Mike, because you've seen 0:05:11.160 --> 0:05:13.680 sort of parts of that throughout the three public O 0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:17.200 t A practices, the receiver situation, you know what, Davante 0:05:17.240 --> 0:05:20.200 Adams missing some time with the hamstring, with Randall Cobb 0:05:20.240 --> 0:05:22.600 being gone during one of those practices. It's given a 0:05:22.640 --> 0:05:24.400 lot of those young guys a chance to really step 0:05:24.480 --> 0:05:27.960 up and play. But contrastly, you look at maybe the 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:30.680 defensive line where you had Wilkerson and Mike Daniels and 0:05:30.880 --> 0:05:32.839 in some of these positions where you had the veterans 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:35.120 there day in and day out, where those young guys 0:05:35.160 --> 0:05:37.880 don't get as many opportunities. So it's a it's a 0:05:38.279 --> 0:05:39.719 you know, kind of a push and pull a little 0:05:39.760 --> 0:05:43.160 bit and towards the towards and towards getting those opportunities 0:05:43.440 --> 0:05:45.200 and trying to see exactly who's going to be able 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:46.880 to make the most of them this time of the 0:05:46.960 --> 0:05:49.880 year so critical at the end of this stage. Yeah, definitely. 0:05:49.920 --> 0:05:51.440 With that, we're gonna go to a break back with 0:05:51.520 --> 0:06:10.400 more and Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back to 0:06:10.480 --> 0:06:13.640 Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford in this chair. West Hodkin wits 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:15.880 in that one. So okay, West. It's the final week 0:06:15.920 --> 0:06:18.000 of the offseason program before the players are going to 0:06:18.120 --> 0:06:22.279 take an extended break prior to when training camp begins 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:24.520 at the end of July. But I want to maybe 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:28.520 throw out a few training camp preview ideas here and 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:32.520 offensive side of the ball? First, what do you think 0:06:32.560 --> 0:06:36.200 when training camp begins July first practice? What do you 0:06:36.240 --> 0:06:39.200 think is going to be the biggest storyline for the 0:06:39.200 --> 0:06:41.480 Packers on the offensive side of the ball. It's kind 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:45.600 of a question that's spoffed the cuff. Oh boy, yeah, 0:06:45.720 --> 0:06:47.279 too bad. We don't have a laugh track over the 0:06:47.279 --> 0:06:50.200 top of that. But no, my my thought really is 0:06:50.240 --> 0:06:53.600 going to be looking at in my opinion, you take 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:56.040 it for what it's worth really seeing. We have all 0:06:56.080 --> 0:06:59.360 these pieces now in the backfield. Uh, Tie Montgomery, we've 0:06:59.400 --> 0:07:02.280 seen what he can do, Aaron Jones, Jamal Williams, all 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:04.080 those guys are healthy and they've been able to stay 0:07:04.080 --> 0:07:07.760 healthy throughout the offseason program. Now, what do you how 0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:11.120 does this get sorted out? I think for my money, Michael, 0:07:11.240 --> 0:07:12.920 this is your seven. I think for me now on 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:15.920 the Packers beat, this is the most competition I can 0:07:15.920 --> 0:07:19.000 remember at a position, not necessarily in terms of just 0:07:19.040 --> 0:07:20.840 the quality of or anything like that, but just that 0:07:21.160 --> 0:07:23.680 the stakes, in my opinion, are pretty high because the 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:25.680 Packers do like to ride the hot hand and they 0:07:25.720 --> 0:07:27.720 want to find a guy that all three downs is 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:30.000 gonna be able to play that position. But they have 0:07:30.200 --> 0:07:32.400 three guys in four if you want to include Davante 0:07:32.480 --> 0:07:35.280 May's five, if you want to include Aaron Ripkowski, who 0:07:35.320 --> 0:07:38.120 all brings something different to the table. None of those 0:07:38.120 --> 0:07:40.880 two guys are different. All of them have different strengths. 0:07:41.240 --> 0:07:44.800 So how does that play out? I think Time Montgomery's 0:07:44.800 --> 0:07:46.360 a guy you want to get on the field. I 0:07:46.360 --> 0:07:48.120 think he's a guy that could be a matchup nightmare 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:50.400 for teams. I love the idea of having him and 0:07:50.480 --> 0:07:53.280 Randall Cobb and Jimmy Graham all potentially on the field 0:07:53.320 --> 0:07:55.960 at the same time and seeing how defenses react to it. 0:07:56.320 --> 0:07:58.520 But then you've seen the expulsivity, if even that it's 0:07:58.560 --> 0:08:01.880 even a word, explusiveness, explosiveness. I kind of like explosivity 0:08:01.880 --> 0:08:04.080 that I actually kind of like it, to be honest 0:08:04.120 --> 0:08:07.720 with you, Aaron Jones, what he can do um somewhat 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:09.280 in a vacuum, you know it was only about a 0:08:09.280 --> 0:08:11.320 month and a half stretch, but just how explosive he 0:08:11.400 --> 0:08:14.560 is as an athlete, Jamal Williams, how consistent he was, 0:08:14.600 --> 0:08:17.480 how much he really took that third down running back 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:19.120 job and really ran with it near the end of 0:08:19.120 --> 0:08:22.920 the season. No pun intended, No exactly, but whatever the 0:08:22.960 --> 0:08:26.480 case may be, it's different looks, it's different skill sets, 0:08:26.680 --> 0:08:29.880 and it's all those guys competing for ultimately a chance 0:08:29.920 --> 0:08:32.120 to be on the field with Aaron Rodgers. I just 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:34.000 think that the stakes at that position are really high, 0:08:34.000 --> 0:08:36.080 and I'm exting I'm excited to see what that brings 0:08:36.080 --> 0:08:37.800 out of each of those guys. Yeah, I agree with 0:08:37.840 --> 0:08:39.800 you there. I do think that's going to be interesting, 0:08:39.840 --> 0:08:42.400 and it is for exactly the reason you said that 0:08:42.840 --> 0:08:45.360 you don't look at any of these running backs as 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:48.520 sort of a carbon copy of the other guy. They 0:08:48.559 --> 0:08:50.960 all they all do bring something different. I love the 0:08:51.000 --> 0:08:56.120 explosiveness or explosivity of Aaron Jones, but like you, I 0:08:56.160 --> 0:08:59.320 also like the versatility of a Time Montgomery and the 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:01.920 matchup problems that you can create where you line them 0:09:01.960 --> 0:09:04.160 up in the backfield, but then you know, you motion 0:09:04.240 --> 0:09:05.800 them out and then he lines up in the slot 0:09:05.840 --> 0:09:08.320 and then Aaron Rodgers is looking around at Okay, how's 0:09:08.320 --> 0:09:11.360 the defense reacting? What matchup are they giving us in 0:09:11.360 --> 0:09:14.400 this situation? That situation? So I do think how that 0:09:14.520 --> 0:09:16.560 running back depth chart shakes out is going to be 0:09:16.640 --> 0:09:19.880 very interesting. The thing I will say on the offensive side, 0:09:19.880 --> 0:09:23.319 as far as when training camp starts, is just where 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:25.559 are the Packers going to be on the right side 0:09:25.559 --> 0:09:28.120 of the offensive line. What's the update on Brian Blog? 0:09:28.360 --> 0:09:31.040 Will he be ready for training camp? Is the word 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:34.040 going to be maybe he'll be ready sometime during training 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:36.160 camp to have a chance to be ready for week one? 0:09:36.800 --> 0:09:40.480 Or is the entire training camp in preseason going to 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:43.160 be about who will start at right tackle in week one? 0:09:43.200 --> 0:09:45.920 If Blog is not ready. You brought in Byron Bell 0:09:45.960 --> 0:09:48.520 as a veteran. You have Jason Spriggs and Kyle Murphy 0:09:48.760 --> 0:09:52.520 both entering year three draft pick investments, but also both 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:55.720 coming off of injuries. We've talked a lot about Justin McCray. 0:09:55.800 --> 0:09:59.079 Kind of looks like maybe right guard is his position 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:01.280 to lose at this point. You would expect him to 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:03.560 hold that down, but if an injury happens, you know, 0:10:03.640 --> 0:10:06.040 Lucas Patrick, the opportunity would be there. For him or 0:10:06.080 --> 0:10:09.760 for Cole Madison, the fifth round draft pick from Washington State. 0:10:09.840 --> 0:10:12.840 So to me, it's, you know, just what is going 0:10:12.920 --> 0:10:15.360 to be determined on the right side of the offensive 0:10:15.400 --> 0:10:17.679 line when training camp rolls around. Yeah. And it's a 0:10:17.679 --> 0:10:19.720 great point by you too, Mike, because again, when you 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:21.880 look at how that is sort of settled right there 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:24.200 in terms of who's out there right now competing for it, 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:29.120 I mean Jason Spriggs physically visually, uh, just coming back 0:10:29.160 --> 0:10:32.200 looking like a different player. I agree, he he looks different, 0:10:32.280 --> 0:10:35.160 and to me, it almost reminded me of thirteen to fourteen, 0:10:35.640 --> 0:10:39.040 those seasons with David Baktier in terms of the weight 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:40.760 he put on. It appears to be good weight. We 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:42.240 haven't had a chance to talk to him at the 0:10:42.280 --> 0:10:45.600 time in which we're taping this yet, but he's put 0:10:45.600 --> 0:10:47.920 on significant pounds and it looks like it's the kind 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:50.000 of weight that can really help you anchor out there 0:10:50.000 --> 0:10:52.920 and really take that next step. Kyle Murphy with the 0:10:52.920 --> 0:10:54.959 foot injury, trying to come back from that now, and 0:10:55.000 --> 0:10:57.760 we've seen him practicing on a limited basis. I was 0:10:57.800 --> 0:10:59.840 talking to Corey Linsley last week for a story and 0:10:59.840 --> 0:11:02.320 he mentioned Brian Bulaga and saying that if you didn't 0:11:02.320 --> 0:11:04.560 know any better, you wouldn't even think that Blaga was injured, 0:11:04.880 --> 0:11:07.240 that he's come back from that. The way he looks 0:11:07.280 --> 0:11:10.079 and and just seeing him walk around, obviously that's different 0:11:10.120 --> 0:11:12.960 than being on the field, but just really looks like 0:11:13.040 --> 0:11:16.240 he's he is the player he's always been so. Um. Yeah, 0:11:16.280 --> 0:11:18.679 to your point, I think justin mccraie right guard, that 0:11:18.720 --> 0:11:21.080 looks like a really solid home for him. Depending on 0:11:21.120 --> 0:11:23.120 what happens with Bulaga, who's that next guy to step 0:11:23.200 --> 0:11:24.959 up to be that number six kind of guy on 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:27.080 the offensive line, that'll be a big question mark. Yeah. Well, 0:11:27.080 --> 0:11:29.199 I want to talk about some issues on the defensive 0:11:29.240 --> 0:11:30.760 side of the ball as well. We'll get to those 0:11:30.800 --> 0:11:33.600 after the breakback with Moron Packers Unscripted. Right after this 0:11:50.440 --> 0:11:53.680 Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford Here, West Hodko, 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:56.560 it's over there, okay, West training camp a handful of 0:11:56.600 --> 0:11:58.880 weeks away. Here. We just talked about some things on 0:11:58.920 --> 0:12:01.160 the offensive side of the ball. What do you see 0:12:01.640 --> 0:12:05.160 as the biggest storyline at the start of training camp 0:12:05.280 --> 0:12:08.240 on the defensive side for Green Bay cornerback and it's 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:10.959 it's by far the uh it's I think that's the 0:12:11.040 --> 0:12:13.800 unanimous decision in terms of the position with the most 0:12:13.840 --> 0:12:16.640 intrigue going into camp. The reason I say that is 0:12:16.679 --> 0:12:19.520 because to me, you were there for this. It reminds 0:12:19.559 --> 0:12:21.200 me a lot of the two thousand and twelve season. 0:12:21.679 --> 0:12:23.960 The Packers have made the announcement, at least going into 0:12:24.040 --> 0:12:27.120 camp that okay, Charles Whitson's moving to safety. There were 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:30.360 a ton of jobs open in terms of the secondary, 0:12:30.520 --> 0:12:33.240 the cornerback position. You knew you had Tremon Williams, but 0:12:33.280 --> 0:12:35.080 even then he was coming back from a nerve injury 0:12:35.080 --> 0:12:37.520 in his shoulder. Was it gonna be Sam Shields? Was 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:40.200 it gonna be Devon house Casey Heyward had just gotten drafted. 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:43.200 This situation reminds me a lot of that. I think 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:45.760 at this point in time, there is one certainty as 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:48.040 far as that Week one lineup, if everyone stays healthy, 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:50.439 and that's how Clinton Dicks will be starting at safety. 0:12:50.600 --> 0:12:54.040 The rest of it, who's starting where, What positions are 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:55.840 they going to be looking at. It's all up in 0:12:55.840 --> 0:12:58.079 the air right now. Kevin King's coming back from the 0:12:58.080 --> 0:13:00.880 shoulder injury, feeling good, looking good. Everybody knows what he's 0:13:00.920 --> 0:13:02.440 capable of if he can get on the line and 0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:05.640 really power against people. I think Alexander's had a really 0:13:05.720 --> 0:13:08.640 nice offseason program. I think Josh Jackson has made some 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:11.960 plays as well. Devon House is back, Tremon Williams is back. 0:13:12.559 --> 0:13:15.520 There's all these different pieces for Joe Witt, the new 0:13:15.679 --> 0:13:19.480 you know, defensive passing game coordinator, to utilize. How do 0:13:19.520 --> 0:13:22.640 you utilize them? Who starts now opposite of Haha, Clinton 0:13:22.640 --> 0:13:24.920 Dick's at safety, Josh Jones is in their Kenstrol Bryce 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:27.199 is in there. They have a lot of experience coming back, 0:13:27.200 --> 0:13:28.560 and they have a lot of young players that have 0:13:28.559 --> 0:13:32.200 been added this offseason through the draft. I'm really I'm 0:13:32.240 --> 0:13:35.560 eager to see who emerges, who grabs those spots because 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:37.760 the opportunities there. Yeah, I agree with you, and I 0:13:37.800 --> 0:13:40.880 do think corner is a very intriguing spot because in 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:43.439 addition to everybody that you mentioned, and now we know 0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:46.360 there's not room for everybody, So the competition is going 0:13:46.400 --> 0:13:49.360 to be there for roster spots. But guys like Lenzy 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:53.200 Pipkins and Josh Hawkins, they've played some, they're not they're 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:56.360 not complete novices at the NFL level. They've been on 0:13:56.400 --> 0:13:58.760 the active roster they've played in some games, so where 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:01.960 are they in their stages of development. Then you have 0:14:02.000 --> 0:14:05.079 a guy like Herb Waters, who has been converted from 0:14:05.480 --> 0:14:08.480 wide receiver to cornerback. We've heard a lot of positive 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:10.120 things about him, a lot of things that they like, 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:13.560 but the injury from last year, you know, really set 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:16.600 back his opportunity to try to, you know, grab a 0:14:16.640 --> 0:14:19.240 hold of something and and make the make the progress 0:14:19.280 --> 0:14:21.720 at a new position. So this is going to be 0:14:21.880 --> 0:14:24.520 that chance for him. We're gonna be watching a lot 0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:27.720 of these guys every every single practice. Just who's out there. 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:31.000 I mean, I'm really looking forward to those, especially when 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:34.000 they put the pads on those one on one wide 0:14:34.000 --> 0:14:37.560 receiver cornerback you know where there's there's really no pass rush, 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:40.160 there's nobody else out there, and and it's it's those 0:14:40.200 --> 0:14:43.360 corners jammed, jamming guys at the line and go on 0:14:43.360 --> 0:14:45.200 one on one with a wide receiver and trying to 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:47.840 break up the play. Yeah, Quentin Rollins is back to 0:14:48.080 --> 0:14:51.000 coming off the you know, the Achilles injury. Absolutely. Dmitri 0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:53.920 Goodson is still a part of this equation. What he 0:14:54.040 --> 0:14:56.320 offers not only on defense, but also the fact that 0:14:56.320 --> 0:14:58.560 when he's been healthy, he's a stalwart on special teams, 0:14:58.560 --> 0:15:01.400 and he's really probably their top gunner right now when 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:03.560 he's healthy. And those are guys on defense who have 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:06.640 played even more than those other young guys I mentioned 0:15:06.680 --> 0:15:09.800 in terms of having experienced. Rollins and Goodson are another 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:12.080 step above just in terms of the number of games 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:14.040 they've played at this level. And I think I mentioned 0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:16.920 this in a previous episodes, but there's fourteen defensive backs 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:19.000 on this roster that have played in an NFL regular 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:21.640 season game now and that's on again, that's not counting 0:15:21.680 --> 0:15:23.720 the two rookies that came in through the draft. So 0:15:24.080 --> 0:15:26.400 I think that competition is hot. I think it's heavy, 0:15:26.400 --> 0:15:28.240 and I think it's probably gonna give the Packers their 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:32.160 best chance, their best look at and having the secondary 0:15:32.200 --> 0:15:34.280 that they ultimately desire. Yeah, the other thing I was 0:15:34.320 --> 0:15:37.560 going to say that will be worth watching in training camp, 0:15:37.600 --> 0:15:39.920 but I'm almost going to qualify it a little bit 0:15:39.960 --> 0:15:42.480 because I'm almost wondering how much we're really going to 0:15:42.600 --> 0:15:44.760 find out during training camp in the preseason. And what 0:15:44.800 --> 0:15:48.440 I'm talking about is with the defensive front, just where 0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:50.720 are these guys gonna line up and who's going to 0:15:50.840 --> 0:15:53.920 be playing what role and what packages? I mean, are 0:15:53.920 --> 0:15:56.720 there going to be times when Kenny Clark, Mike Daniels, 0:15:56.720 --> 0:15:59.640 and Mohammed Wilkerson are all on the field together. Now, 0:15:59.640 --> 0:16:02.480 what I say qualifies that is how much does Mike 0:16:02.520 --> 0:16:05.600 Petton and how much do Mike Petton and Mike McCarthy 0:16:05.840 --> 0:16:08.200 want to give away during the preseason. How much are 0:16:08.240 --> 0:16:10.760 they going to keep under wraps in terms of these 0:16:10.800 --> 0:16:14.200 different packages. There are portions of training camp, there are 0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:16.480 practices that are not open to the public, not open 0:16:16.480 --> 0:16:18.640 to the media. You know, they're working on things for 0:16:18.720 --> 0:16:23.040 specific opponents. Then, so while I'm very curious as to 0:16:23.120 --> 0:16:25.520 how that's going to shake out, I honestly don't know 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:28.560 how much we're going to find out in the month 0:16:28.600 --> 0:16:30.680 of August. It may we may have to wait all 0:16:30.720 --> 0:16:33.040 the way up until Week one against the Chicago Bears 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:36.200 to find out just how Petton is going to use 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:39.280 the different chess pieces so to speak. In my opinion 0:16:39.360 --> 0:16:41.520 my experience all the years I've covered this team, now, 0:16:41.680 --> 0:16:44.600 I don't think there's been more intrigue in terms of 0:16:44.600 --> 0:16:46.280 what a defense is going to look like, probably going 0:16:46.280 --> 0:16:48.520 back to two thousand nine when Don Capers came in, 0:16:48.560 --> 0:16:51.760 But just we have an idea of where the emphasis 0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:54.560 is gonna lie how they've built that defensive line, but 0:16:54.640 --> 0:16:56.680 you really can't be too sure. Yeah, I agree with 0:16:56.720 --> 0:16:58.600 you with that. We're gonna go to another break back 0:16:58.600 --> 0:17:00.720 with more on Packers on screw did right after this 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:23.000 Welcome back to Packers unscripted Mike Spofford alongside West hodkowits 0:17:23.000 --> 0:17:26.320 West before we go. A topic that I think it's 0:17:26.359 --> 0:17:28.439 worth touching on here because it's a question you and 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:32.640 I have been getting fairly frequently in our insider inbox 0:17:32.720 --> 0:17:35.600 from the fans, and that's in reference to the new 0:17:35.720 --> 0:17:40.160 kickoff rules in the NFL. How they're eliminating the high 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:42.800 speed collisions because players are going to be running more 0:17:42.880 --> 0:17:45.679 side by side as far as offense versus defense, so 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:49.360 to speak, running side by side down the field, um 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:53.440 and the kicking team players not getting the running start 0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:55.080 that they used to get. They can only be one 0:17:55.160 --> 0:17:58.679 yard off the ball, all of those things. Fans wondering, Okay, 0:17:58.680 --> 0:18:00.480 so if the kickoff is going to be such a 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:06.320 different play, now, will that impact final roster decisions in 0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:10.040 terms of what coaches, personnel people think are the players 0:18:10.040 --> 0:18:12.840 that can help them the most. On special teams. What's 0:18:12.880 --> 0:18:15.879 your take here, Well, first off, I think my initial 0:18:15.960 --> 0:18:17.639 reaction when I saw this, and again we have to 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:20.120 see it play out in real time, we'll just speculating 0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:23.320 at this point. I think the value the kick returner 0:18:23.400 --> 0:18:25.320 just went back up and then had kind of been 0:18:25.359 --> 0:18:27.200 eliminated for a couple of years where I was like, okay, 0:18:27.200 --> 0:18:29.040 if you have a guy that can return kickoffs and punts, 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:32.679 you're okay. But then the Quardrel Patterson's of the world 0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:36.320 that are mainly kickoff you know, artists, what what is 0:18:36.359 --> 0:18:40.119 their value now if they're only returning them. So I 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:42.560 think with these changes, I can definitely see got you know, 0:18:42.720 --> 0:18:45.800 kickers putting the ball in play more. Um As far 0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:48.639 as the value of coverage players and all that, I 0:18:48.680 --> 0:18:52.080 don't really know how much that's going to change. Maybe 0:18:52.960 --> 0:18:55.600 you might see teams now not looking for as many 0:18:55.600 --> 0:18:59.240 stalwarts and guys that are specialists when it comes to 0:18:59.359 --> 0:19:01.240 their play on special teams. Maybe you want to try 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:03.040 to get more of those guys with upside that you 0:19:03.040 --> 0:19:04.960 think can help you on offense or defense, and then 0:19:05.240 --> 0:19:06.680 you know kind of hope that they get you through 0:19:06.720 --> 0:19:09.960 what you need to get through on kickoffs. And whatnot. Um, 0:19:10.000 --> 0:19:12.439 So again, I'm very interested in how this plays out. 0:19:12.480 --> 0:19:14.960 It I remember talking whatever it was now four years 0:19:14.960 --> 0:19:18.359 ago with Mason Crosby on a golf outing about what 0:19:18.400 --> 0:19:20.640 it was like when they're pushing back the field goals 0:19:20.680 --> 0:19:24.040 the extra points and and he had such a great 0:19:24.080 --> 0:19:26.440 comment on it, and that you can think about it, 0:19:26.520 --> 0:19:28.919 you can process it and what it's gonna be like, 0:19:29.000 --> 0:19:30.879 but until you're actually out there, you don't know how 0:19:30.960 --> 0:19:33.359 much it's gonna change anything, if at all. I like 0:19:33.440 --> 0:19:35.639 where the heart is at with the league trying to 0:19:35.680 --> 0:19:39.399