WEBVTT - #535 Packers Unscripted: Packers getting started 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:16.319 Hi, everybody. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:16.440 --> 0:00:19.560 I am Mike Spofford, joined as always by my trusted 0:00:19.640 --> 0:00:23.000 colleague West Hodkowitz. We are coming to you once again 0:00:23.560 --> 0:00:28.000 social distancing style. I'm actually in the Vince Lombardi boardroom 0:00:28.040 --> 0:00:31.480 at lambeau Field, as you can see, Sir Vince behind me. West, 0:00:31.960 --> 0:00:34.199 You're still on the bonus room above the garage. But 0:00:34.600 --> 0:00:36.800 we will roll with it like this for a little 0:00:36.800 --> 0:00:39.960 while as training camp is underway, and then see where 0:00:40.600 --> 0:00:43.440 this season takes us. But what I just said is 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:47.600 really the key phrase. Training camp is underway. Training camp 0:00:47.640 --> 0:00:50.120 finally is underway, Mike, And what does that mean? That 0:00:50.159 --> 0:00:52.320 means we have football to talk about again, and that's 0:00:52.320 --> 0:00:55.160 a positive thing. It was a heck of an offseason. 0:00:55.480 --> 0:00:57.640 I've said this time and time again. I know inbox 0:00:57.680 --> 0:00:59.920 readers got tired of me saying it. That was about 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:03.200 is challenging of an offseason as I've covered, uh not 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:05.080 not just as a Packers beat writer, but just in 0:01:05.120 --> 0:01:07.960 general of doing this as a profession. I mean so 0:01:08.000 --> 0:01:10.679 many of us. The line you have to walk there 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:14.080 is you don't want to beat the dead horse. You 0:01:14.160 --> 0:01:17.000 also want to provide people with a service and let 0:01:17.040 --> 0:01:19.759 people know what is going on and where things are at. 0:01:20.080 --> 0:01:22.839 It just moved at such a snail's pace this offseason 0:01:23.160 --> 0:01:26.240 until we finally got to this point. The positive thing 0:01:26.360 --> 0:01:30.479 is you're healthy. I'm healthy healthy. Larry McCarron is healthy. 0:01:30.800 --> 0:01:34.319 We've got to August now, agreement packers have put their 0:01:34.360 --> 0:01:38.680 protocols in place, and now everybody in a cautiously optimistic way, 0:01:38.880 --> 0:01:41.920 hoping we can have football here within the next month. Yeah, 0:01:41.920 --> 0:01:43.840 and we certainly hope you and yours, all of you 0:01:43.840 --> 0:01:46.760 watching listening to the return of our show here that 0:01:46.840 --> 0:01:50.320 you are safe and healthy as well. The start of 0:01:50.320 --> 0:01:53.800 training camp obviously very different from other years. The main 0:01:53.840 --> 0:01:55.840 thing that has been going on thus far over the 0:01:55.880 --> 0:01:59.400 last several days is the COVID testing. All the players 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:02.720 are getting listed on a daily basis, and as far 0:02:02.800 --> 0:02:06.800 as the work of training camp goes, it's been meetings 0:02:06.840 --> 0:02:11.320 and it's been some playbook walkthrough type of exercises. There's 0:02:11.360 --> 0:02:14.480 going to be a slow ramp up here to the 0:02:14.600 --> 0:02:19.560 full contact, padded practices that are the tradition of training camp. 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:22.160 Those are going to start somewhere around the middle of August. 0:02:22.160 --> 0:02:23.960 So we have a little while yet before we get 0:02:24.000 --> 0:02:26.760 to that point. But then once those start, it's going 0:02:26.800 --> 0:02:29.240 to be a few weeks of those padded practices to 0:02:29.280 --> 0:02:31.960 get ready for week one, because West, there are no 0:02:32.080 --> 0:02:35.560 preseason games this summer. There are not, Mike, And to 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:37.480 be perfectly honest with you, I was really a huge 0:02:37.480 --> 0:02:40.200 fan of the ramp up period idea. These guys didn't 0:02:40.240 --> 0:02:43.440 have an offseason, a physical offseason program. Certainly Matt Lafleur 0:02:43.560 --> 0:02:45.919 felt like there was a great value and then being 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:48.720 able to to stay home, stay in their playbooks and 0:02:48.720 --> 0:02:50.880 get to know the system. But you and I both 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:53.359 know the game changes once you hit the practice field, 0:02:53.639 --> 0:02:56.360 and these guys need an acclamation period. This is how 0:02:56.400 --> 0:02:58.480 I feel personally to be able to get back into 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:00.639 the groove here in a day to that it will 0:03:00.680 --> 0:03:03.520 also allows them the early window there to test guys, 0:03:03.600 --> 0:03:05.480 to get a barometer of what they're looking at in 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:09.400 terms of COVID cases coming in and hopefully keeping them 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:12.680 out once practices do begin. Now, all that being said, 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:15.680 Aaron Rodgers in his conference call with reporters on Monday, 0:03:15.840 --> 0:03:17.880 he brought up a real salient point and that this 0:03:17.960 --> 0:03:20.520 is going to be a big challenge you basically have 0:03:20.639 --> 0:03:23.120 three three and a half weeks now before you you know, 0:03:23.200 --> 0:03:25.679 start going out there with with real you know, football 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:28.519 going on, so trying to get the scheme in. Certainly 0:03:28.600 --> 0:03:32.600 they've done the installs mentally and virtually, but doing that 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:34.880 on a practice field is going to be important. Matt 0:03:34.960 --> 0:03:37.600 Lafleur already said, even though there won't be preseason games, 0:03:37.760 --> 0:03:40.400 they are trying to find ways to simulate that competition. 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:44.480 They're gonna potentially have live scrimmage periods. They're going to practice, 0:03:44.640 --> 0:03:47.800 likely inside lambeau Field more than just the traditional family 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:51.120 and I practice to give guys an idea of what 0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:53.920 it's like to be in a stadium like that. Certainly, 0:03:53.960 --> 0:03:56.080 it's it's gonna be different. This whole process is going 0:03:56.120 --> 0:03:59.240 to be strange. But the first and foremost it's the 0:03:59.240 --> 0:04:02.000 health and and well being of the players and their families, 0:04:02.200 --> 0:04:04.520 and then beyond that, trying to you know, potentially play 0:04:04.560 --> 0:04:07.000 some football and win some football games. So the Packers 0:04:07.000 --> 0:04:09.440 have their priorities straight. The testing is in place, and 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:11.480 now it's just kind of a fingers crossed approach that 0:04:11.520 --> 0:04:13.280 they can get to the start line here of the 0:04:13.320 --> 0:04:17.760 regular season. Yeah, yeah, and everyone we've heard from so 0:04:17.800 --> 0:04:19.760 far at the time we're taping this, we've heard from 0:04:19.760 --> 0:04:23.359 Brian Goodacuts, Matt Lafleur, Aaron Rodgers, and Kenny Clark, and 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:27.280 all of them in one uh former fashion, have emphasized 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:30.160 how much the success of this season, not only for 0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:32.960 the Green Bay Packers, but for the NFL in general, 0:04:33.000 --> 0:04:36.719 to try to play a sixteen game regular season through 0:04:36.760 --> 0:04:40.799 a pandemic, it's going to come down to personal accountability, 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:44.640 personal responsibility. The Packers doing everything they can within the 0:04:44.680 --> 0:04:49.200 facility to keep players safe to last around lock there's 0:04:49.240 --> 0:04:52.640 you know, meetings are are virtual, more spread out, different locations, 0:04:52.960 --> 0:04:55.559 all of those kinds of things. Obviously, the practice field 0:04:55.600 --> 0:04:58.360 is going to be the practice field, but the Packers 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:01.040 are trying to mitigate the risks every where else. It's 0:05:01.080 --> 0:05:03.520 on the players everybody. I mean even you and me 0:05:03.600 --> 0:05:06.359 West to a certain extent, because we will be you know, 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:09.839 watching practice and things like that. But the players, the coaches, 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:13.679 all the support staff that's in contact with the players 0:05:13.720 --> 0:05:17.120 every day, they have to take the personal accountability and 0:05:17.160 --> 0:05:20.640 responsibility to do the right things away from the facility 0:05:20.760 --> 0:05:24.200 so that that virus does not come into twelve sixty 0:05:24.279 --> 0:05:27.640 five and create an outbreak or create a problem that 0:05:27.720 --> 0:05:29.520 the team has to deal with. Now, will there be 0:05:29.600 --> 0:05:32.800 positive tests? Yeah, most likely. And there can be positive 0:05:32.839 --> 0:05:36.160 tests because somebody, not because somebody does something wrong. Somebody 0:05:36.160 --> 0:05:38.640 can do everything right and you can still get this virus. 0:05:39.160 --> 0:05:43.159 So that's why the onus is on, uh, what you 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:46.200 do away from the facility, the things that you can control. 0:05:46.960 --> 0:05:49.240 That's what the message has been from the GM, the 0:05:49.279 --> 0:05:52.200 head coach, the quarterback, everybody all the way down. It's 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:56.039 on everybody to do their part here over the long haul. Yeah, 0:05:56.040 --> 0:05:57.680 and I don't remember who said this, it was one 0:05:57.680 --> 0:05:59.159 of the coaches in the NFL. If I had have 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:01.320 done my research, proud really beforehand, I could have gotten 0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:04.480 you a name. But they mentioned that this isn't even 0:06:04.520 --> 0:06:07.200 just about player A tow player B. This isn't about 0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:10.320 your teammates. It's about that teammates family. It's about making 0:06:10.360 --> 0:06:12.839 sure that you keep that circle small and making sure 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:15.880 that you keep those people healthy. Kenny Clarke touched on 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:18.520 it yesterday too. He's in a great position where he's not, 0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:20.800 you know, married, he doesn't have a child right now. 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:23.200 His focus is mainly on football. And then he also 0:06:23.240 --> 0:06:25.479 has his family. There's guys that have small children that 0:06:25.480 --> 0:06:27.159 are gonna be playing in the league this season. There's 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:29.240 guys that are gonna have family members that are gonna 0:06:29.279 --> 0:06:32.200 be with them. They're going to be able to, uh, 0:06:32.279 --> 0:06:34.160 They're gonna want to be able to keep them as 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:37.320 healthy as possible throughout this process. So having that accountability. 0:06:37.360 --> 0:06:39.800 It's one thing for Wes Hotkowitz to walk in the 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:42.400 building and want to make sure that Mike Spofford stays healthy, 0:06:42.400 --> 0:06:44.120 But it's another thing to make sure that Mike Spofford's 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:47.200 wife does that, Mike Spofford's children, that Larry McCarron's wife. 0:06:47.279 --> 0:06:49.400 Those are the things that are paramount. That's the things 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:51.560 on my mind as well. It's that, yeah, there is 0:06:51.560 --> 0:06:54.039 a there's a certain commitment and accountability to each other, 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:56.400 but it's also that commitment that goes on to someone's 0:06:56.400 --> 0:06:59.080 family as well. And I think one thing that Brian 0:06:59.120 --> 0:07:03.039 Goodacuin's Matt Floor have done an exemptionary, exceptional job about 0:07:03.279 --> 0:07:05.120 exemplary job the boat. I was trying to say both 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:08.279 of those words, uh this offseason was was reiterating that 0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:10.200 to the players and telling them that this isn't just 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:12.560 about football. It's about making sure that you know you 0:07:12.640 --> 0:07:15.280 guys are teammates, your brothers, your family, and making sure 0:07:15.320 --> 0:07:17.440 that you take care of each other. And that includes 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:20.400 being disciplined because there's going to be instances when things 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:23.120 just happen. It's the way the world is right now. 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:26.800 But are you making smart choices to minimize those risks? Yeah? 0:07:26.960 --> 0:07:29.560 And we did have one Packers player thus far who 0:07:29.600 --> 0:07:34.800 has opted out of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic, 0:07:34.800 --> 0:07:37.880 and that was free agent wide receiver Devin Functious. He 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:41.600 decided not to play this season and West We talked 0:07:41.640 --> 0:07:44.200 a lot during the off season, before the draft, after 0:07:44.240 --> 0:07:46.280 the draft. It's still going to be a topic obviously, 0:07:46.280 --> 0:07:50.040 all the way through training camp the Packers wide receiver position. 0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:53.920 Devin Funcious was the primary addition to that group. The 0:07:53.920 --> 0:07:56.360 Packers did not spend a draft pick on a wide receiver. 0:07:56.640 --> 0:07:59.720 They did add Reggie Begelton if I'm saying that correctly 0:07:59.760 --> 0:08:02.679 from TfL and an under after rookie and Darryl Stewart 0:08:02.920 --> 0:08:06.040 from Michigan State are Producer Marv's alma mater, by the way, 0:08:06.080 --> 0:08:09.160 so um throw that and there for you, Mark anyhow, 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:13.440 But with Funcious no longer in the mix. The packers 0:08:13.520 --> 0:08:17.120 knew these receivers you're talking about, Alan Wazard, Marquis Valdis, 0:08:17.120 --> 0:08:20.200 Scandling e Q st Brown, j Kumero, these guys, they 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:22.480 knew there was going to be a huge opportunity for 0:08:22.520 --> 0:08:27.160 them in twenty that opportunity just got bigger in an 0:08:27.200 --> 0:08:30.960 exponential sort of way with Devin Funcious opting out and 0:08:31.080 --> 0:08:34.600 essentially the number two receiver spot in this offense behind 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:38.360 Davante Adams is completely wide open. It is yeah, and 0:08:38.360 --> 0:08:40.640 that's gonna make this competition fun to watch once guys 0:08:40.679 --> 0:08:43.840 do get on the grass because more so than any position, Mike, 0:08:44.400 --> 0:08:46.120 I'm sure you could talk to Larry and and he 0:08:46.160 --> 0:08:47.960 can break down all the stuff of guard play and 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:49.880 what he likes to see from guys in training camp. 0:08:50.280 --> 0:08:52.360 But to the novices, to the naked eye, the one 0:08:52.400 --> 0:08:54.440 position that has the best chance and usually of standing 0:08:54.440 --> 0:08:57.280 out in training camp practices is the receiver spot. That's 0:08:57.280 --> 0:08:59.520 how last year we knew that Alan Lazard was really 0:08:59.559 --> 0:09:01.880 the real eel. It's also how you know you look 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:04.040 at Darius Shepherd in the way that he separated himself 0:09:04.040 --> 0:09:06.000 to earn a roster spot. It was through how he 0:09:06.040 --> 0:09:09.600 performed in those those training camp settings. So the funcious thing, 0:09:09.640 --> 0:09:12.200 I have so much respect for him. You know, I've 0:09:12.240 --> 0:09:14.880 been touched well, one, I have family members now that 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:18.560 I've had COVID into not immediate, but I know people 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:21.080 and and too. You know there's certain people in my 0:09:21.160 --> 0:09:23.160 family that that have health risks as well. So I 0:09:23.200 --> 0:09:26.880 understand the wholeheartedly. One, how this this virus, in this 0:09:27.000 --> 0:09:30.640 disease has touched him, and to the the amount of 0:09:30.640 --> 0:09:33.959 discipline and really how much he must have thought about 0:09:34.000 --> 0:09:35.640 this decision. You gotta remember this the guy that played 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:38.719 one game last year before his season ending injury. I 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:40.720 have to imagine he was champing at the bit to 0:09:40.760 --> 0:09:42.640 get back out there this year. But he made the 0:09:42.640 --> 0:09:45.240 best decision for himself and his family. Aaron Rodgers mentioning 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:48.400 how much he respected that. All that being said, it 0:09:48.480 --> 0:09:51.120 goes back to Alan Lazard being the player that he 0:09:51.200 --> 0:09:53.000 was at the end of last season. The Packers need 0:09:53.080 --> 0:09:55.640 him to be a number two caliber type receiver and 0:09:55.640 --> 0:09:58.640 not just a really good story And based on his disposition, 0:09:58.679 --> 0:10:00.360 if he can stay healthy, I think was Art has 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:02.280 all the tools to do that. And then it also 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:05.800 Mike goes back to marc Quisbaldo Scandling and Equinemia st Brown, 0:10:05.840 --> 0:10:08.960 the two draft picks that they had in two thousand eighteen. 0:10:09.240 --> 0:10:11.480 Can those guys be the real deal? Can MBS get 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:14.360 back to his eighteen form? And can eq show some 0:10:14.440 --> 0:10:16.440 of the bright spots that he showed at the end 0:10:16.440 --> 0:10:19.600 of that rookie season. Yeah, e Q st Brown obviously 0:10:19.600 --> 0:10:22.800 coming back from an injury that cost him his entire 0:10:23.200 --> 0:10:25.680 second season in the NFL, so he hasn't played since 0:10:25.679 --> 0:10:28.040 the tail end of his rookie year, but that was 0:10:28.080 --> 0:10:30.320 when he was really starting to show some promise and 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:34.200 quite frankly, was probably the leader of the Packers rookie 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:37.960 receivers at that point. Um Marcuis Avelde Scandling got off 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:41.439 to a really strong start last year. Things faded statistically 0:10:41.520 --> 0:10:44.640 production wise down the stretch for him. He was dealing 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:47.320 with some injuries as well, so he's looking to to 0:10:47.400 --> 0:10:50.480 bounce back in that respect in addition to the receiver position. 0:10:50.480 --> 0:10:52.880 And we'll talk about more of these topics in depth, 0:10:52.920 --> 0:10:55.400 I think as any camp goes along, but in terms 0:10:55.400 --> 0:10:57.640 of hitting the highlights of what the offense is looking at. 0:10:58.320 --> 0:11:01.920 Transitioning to Rick Wagner, right tackle Um as he takes 0:11:01.920 --> 0:11:05.160 over for Brian Bulaga who left in free agency. You 0:11:05.240 --> 0:11:08.760 have Um replacing Jimmy Graham at tight end, Jay Sternberger 0:11:08.800 --> 0:11:11.600 as the guy stepping up. Josiah Deguara was drafted in 0:11:11.640 --> 0:11:14.720 the third round. Marcedes Lewis back as the veteran guy 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:17.520 in that group at the running back position. A j 0:11:17.679 --> 0:11:19.880 Dill in a second round pick, how quickly does he 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:22.320 get worked into that mix with Aaron Jones and Jamal 0:11:22.400 --> 0:11:25.480 Williams and you know, will Matt Lafleur truly create a 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:28.960 three headed backfield here? And then obviously a quarterback. Jordan 0:11:29.080 --> 0:11:31.440 loved the first round draft pick. He'll be competing with 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:34.480 Tim Boyle for the backup spot behind Aaron Rodgers. Really 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:36.720 puts a rookie draft pick in a tough spot to 0:11:36.800 --> 0:11:41.599 earn that number two quarterback job when there wasn't any offseason, 0:11:41.640 --> 0:11:45.360 there won't be any preseason games. Uh, the It's a 0:11:45.400 --> 0:11:47.840 difficult spot for Jordan's love to be in. But the 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:49.720 nice spot that the Packers are in is they don't 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:53.520 necessarily need him to be the number two because they 0:11:53.520 --> 0:11:55.280 have Tim Boyle, who's been here for a couple of 0:11:55.320 --> 0:11:58.520 years and performed well in the preseason in the past. Yeah, 0:11:58.520 --> 0:12:00.840 and Mike, you've been editing enough in my insider inbox. 0:12:00.920 --> 0:12:03.120 Is one of the drums I've been beating all offseason 0:12:03.200 --> 0:12:05.120 is the fact that if you're an NFL team, this 0:12:05.160 --> 0:12:07.600 is how I feel personally. Maybe GMS would feel differently. 0:12:07.960 --> 0:12:09.880 I feel like you have to have three quarterbacks this year. 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:11.640 You have to have three quarterbacks on your active roster. 0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:14.640 If a team goes with two, I think you're you're playing, 0:12:14.920 --> 0:12:17.000 you know, with fire a little bit. And the Packers 0:12:17.000 --> 0:12:19.520 are fortunate now Boyle has had two full seasons. Not 0:12:19.520 --> 0:12:21.720 not obviously, you know everyone always brings up playing time 0:12:21.760 --> 0:12:23.600 that that is important. You need to be out there, 0:12:23.640 --> 0:12:25.880 you need to get the reps. But also just being 0:12:25.880 --> 0:12:28.680 around Aaron Rodgers, understanding what he needs on game days, 0:12:28.760 --> 0:12:31.960 understanding what the preparation process is like. That's gonna be 0:12:32.040 --> 0:12:34.480 very valuable, not only to have that experience, but also 0:12:34.520 --> 0:12:36.640 to kind of show Jordan's loved the way and what's 0:12:36.640 --> 0:12:38.760 gonna be asked of him here in his rookie season. 0:12:39.320 --> 0:12:43.240 Very important components. It's I'm it's unfortunate we the preseason 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:44.760 is not gonna happen because I would have loved have 0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:47.320 seen all these running backs too. With a j billing, 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:49.080 you imagine he would have gotten a lot of reps. 0:12:49.280 --> 0:12:52.760 Dexter Williams is still in that equation. Those are reps 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:54.040 that they're not going to be able to get back. 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:55.680 They'll do their best to do them in training camp, 0:12:55.720 --> 0:12:58.200 but you know those are usually the stars of those 0:12:58.200 --> 0:13:00.800 preseason settings. And then also, if I can just quickly 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:03.600 touch on offensive line, if there was one position offensively 0:13:03.600 --> 0:13:05.439 that I think I feel the strongest about right now 0:13:05.480 --> 0:13:07.880 for the Packers, it is their offensive line that is 0:13:07.880 --> 0:13:10.400 a huge hole that they have to fill at right tackle. 0:13:11.040 --> 0:13:13.679 Not not undermining that at all with what they lose 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:16.400 and not being able to bring back Brian Bulaga, but 0:13:16.960 --> 0:13:20.119 Lane Taylor's back. He has experienced at three different positions. 0:13:20.200 --> 0:13:23.000 Lucas Patrick has been a backup center now for Corey 0:13:23.040 --> 0:13:25.480 Lindsley and has been an in game settings. You have 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:29.040 arguably the best left tackle in football right now in 0:13:29.080 --> 0:13:32.720 a really darn good prospect next to him and Elton Jenkins. Certainly, 0:13:32.720 --> 0:13:34.880 if Rick Wagner can pick up where he left off 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:36.839 before some of these injuries had come up on him. 0:13:37.320 --> 0:13:39.800 That he's been a veteran presence as well. So I 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:41.959 think they're deep at the positions they need to be 0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:44.360 deep at, and that some of those young skill positions 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:46.160 they're gonna need guys to step up. But with them 0:13:46.200 --> 0:13:48.200 being on the younger side of this thing now, I 0:13:48.200 --> 0:13:50.280 think there's plenty of ceiling there for these guys to 0:13:50.320 --> 0:13:53.000 be able to reach. Yeah, And just to touch on 0:13:53.080 --> 0:13:56.360 some of the defensive story lines will obviously be following 0:13:56.720 --> 0:13:59.280 throughout training camp. The ones that come to mind for 0:13:59.320 --> 0:14:02.160 me first us obviously the run defense. What are the 0:14:02.160 --> 0:14:05.240 Packers going to do? Are they going to change some looks? 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:07.520 How are how are things going to change as far 0:14:07.600 --> 0:14:10.319 as defending the run after the way last season ended. Now, 0:14:10.320 --> 0:14:12.400 we're not really going to get any answers to that 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:16.080 until the Packers face Dalvin Cook in the Minnesota Vikings 0:14:16.160 --> 0:14:18.360 in Week one, but that is certainly going to be 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:22.520 an ongoing storyline. You have Christian Kirksey stepping in for 0:14:22.800 --> 0:14:25.720 Blake Martinez. He'll be the new signal signal caller on 0:14:25.760 --> 0:14:27.680 the defense, the one in the midst of it, and 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:30.360 he will obviously be a big part of the run 0:14:30.360 --> 0:14:33.160 defense as well. And then when you look at some 0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:36.360 of the young guys, Rashaan Gary. The expectation is last 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:38.160 year's first round pick is going to take on a 0:14:38.240 --> 0:14:41.600 much larger role in this defense in his second year. 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:44.120 And then I will also go with h mentioned the 0:14:44.160 --> 0:14:47.400 other first round pick from last year, Darnell Savage, who 0:14:47.520 --> 0:14:50.080 has a full season under his belt, started just about 0:14:50.080 --> 0:14:53.400 every game other than missing a couple with an injury 0:14:53.520 --> 0:14:56.320 as a rookie. But this is a guy who the 0:14:56.360 --> 0:14:59.280 Packers know that Darnell Savage is not a finished product, 0:14:59.320 --> 0:15:01.720 just like Sean Gary is no work close to being 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:04.680 a finished product. Those are the guys, and they were obviously, 0:15:04.920 --> 0:15:07.360 you know, first round draft picks for a reason. Those 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:09.720 are the guys who potentially have a chance to take 0:15:10.080 --> 0:15:14.720 this defense to another level because of sort of the 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:18.320 the untapped potential, untapped ability to this point in their 0:15:18.360 --> 0:15:21.400 young career. Yeah, without question, to start off on your 0:15:21.400 --> 0:15:23.680 first point with the run defense, it was a very 0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:26.640 surprising move. The Packers did not draft a defensive lineman. 0:15:26.640 --> 0:15:28.720 You and I talked about this numerous times. Twenty four 0:15:28.800 --> 0:15:31.200 years since the last time they have not drafted what 0:15:31.240 --> 0:15:35.200 you would consider to be a prototypical, you know, defensive tackle. Uh. 0:15:35.240 --> 0:15:37.120 In the other side of this equation too, is the 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:39.720 fact that Christian Kirksy comes in now at inside linebacker. 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:42.760 Kirks He's only played in nine games the last two seasons, 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:44.960 but before that was one of the real big up 0:15:44.960 --> 0:15:47.760 and comers in this league at that position. Where what 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:50.160 can he do picking up where he left off, you 0:15:50.160 --> 0:15:52.520 know in two thousand, fifteen and sixteen with Mike Petton, 0:15:52.840 --> 0:15:54.760 to to be able to maybe reclaim some of that 0:15:54.800 --> 0:15:57.000 glory again and maybe be one of the answers for 0:15:57.040 --> 0:16:00.720 the Packers in that run defense, because certainly, judging by 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:03.080 the moves Mike, we know how these things go, Brian 0:16:03.120 --> 0:16:06.200 Goodkin's Mike Petton. They felt confident enough with the makeup 0:16:06.200 --> 0:16:08.680 of that defensive line to keep it basically the same, 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:10.880 with the exception of bringing in Trevin Hester into that 0:16:10.920 --> 0:16:13.360 equation as well. So, uh, this is a lot of 0:16:13.400 --> 0:16:16.160 it's gonna be on Kirksey. The number one question I have, 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:18.040 and we're not gonna get any of these answers in 0:16:18.040 --> 0:16:20.800 the next month, is what is Mike Petton thinking? As 0:16:20.840 --> 0:16:22.800 far as the nickel though, are we gonna see a 0:16:22.920 --> 0:16:25.720 tried and true inside linebacker in that spot? In or 0:16:25.800 --> 0:16:27.880 in Burke's a tie summers or are we going to 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:31.320 continue to go down that road with the hybrid safety 0:16:31.400 --> 0:16:33.360 potentially you know a number of different guys that could 0:16:33.360 --> 0:16:35.680 fit into that. Raven Green is obviously back as well. 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:38.440 So that's gonna be the question mark because it's been 0:16:38.560 --> 0:16:41.120 said time and time again, the Packers ran more dime defense, 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:43.800 more six defensive back defense than any team in the 0:16:43.920 --> 0:16:46.360 NFL last year. Do they feel like they can go 0:16:46.440 --> 0:16:48.920 that direction again or do they need to fortify that 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:53.280 defensive front a little bit with perhaps an extra inside linebacker. Yeah, 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:55.720 I think there's some depth chart questions as far as 0:16:55.760 --> 0:16:58.120 the defense goes. We will be looking at you mentioned 0:16:58.160 --> 0:17:00.720 on the defensive line. We all know about Clarks, He's 0:17:00.720 --> 0:17:03.400 the guy who's front and center. The Packers want to 0:17:03.840 --> 0:17:06.960 reduce his snap count a little bit so that you know, 0:17:07.080 --> 0:17:10.199 he can really be full strength for the bulk of 0:17:10.200 --> 0:17:12.880 the season and late into the year. So how does 0:17:12.920 --> 0:17:16.879 that rotation work out between Dean Lowry, Tyler Lancaster you 0:17:16.920 --> 0:17:20.720 mentioned Hester, the new edition, Kingsley, Kiki, the draft pick 0:17:21.040 --> 0:17:22.800 from a year ago. All those guys are going to 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:24.840 be worked into the mix and then the same thing 0:17:24.880 --> 0:17:27.200 from a depth chart perspective as you were just alluding 0:17:27.200 --> 0:17:30.080 to at inside linebacker, who's going to line up next 0:17:30.119 --> 0:17:32.879 to Christian Kirksey on a regular basis? Will it be 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:34.919 or and Burke's Will it be Ty Summers? Will it 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:38.160 be Curtis Bolton? Will the fifth round rookie draft pick 0:17:38.160 --> 0:17:41.040 from Minnesota, Kamal Martin make a make a push for 0:17:41.280 --> 0:17:43.359 playing time on defense? The guy that I think is 0:17:43.400 --> 0:17:46.520 going to step right in potentially on special teams for 0:17:46.680 --> 0:17:49.240 the Packers here as a rookie. So some of those 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:53.840 depth chart alignment type of questions will get answered maybe 0:17:53.880 --> 0:17:55.680 as we go along. But again, I think a lot 0:17:55.720 --> 0:17:59.480 of these things, especially without having any preseason games, were 0:17:59.520 --> 0:18:01.359 not really going to know a whole heck of a 0:18:01.400 --> 0:18:03.920 lot until that ball is snapped for the first time 0:18:03.920 --> 0:18:07.320 in Minnesota on September. Yeah, if Don was still around, 0:18:07.400 --> 0:18:09.080 this has been the perfect year to try busting the 0:18:09.160 --> 0:18:14.120 quad out. Yeah, nobody, nobody's gonna see it, nobody's gonna 0:18:14.160 --> 0:18:16.359 know anything about it until you will roll it out 0:18:16.359 --> 0:18:18.040 in the game and give it a shot. Yeah, that's 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:20.480 not gonna get disseminated any other scouts around the league 0:18:20.480 --> 0:18:23.520 with this situation. But um to close on this defensive point, 0:18:23.560 --> 0:18:25.120 that the lynch pin for all of this is gonna 0:18:25.160 --> 0:18:27.840 be the Smiths, It's gonna be Rashan Gary and seeing 0:18:27.880 --> 0:18:30.639 what Mike Petton can do with those pieces. Uh, certainly, 0:18:30.680 --> 0:18:32.480 you're gonna need your defensive linemen, You're gonna need your 0:18:32.520 --> 0:18:36.160 inside linebackers. But how are those players utilized? You've heard 0:18:36.160 --> 0:18:37.560 pett And say it. I think I was even the 0:18:37.600 --> 0:18:40.280 one to ask him the question about Gary and his 0:18:40.359 --> 0:18:43.439 upside earlier this offseason. He sees a lot of the 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:47.640 same traits developmentally in Gary that he sees right now 0:18:47.680 --> 0:18:51.280 with with Zadarius Smith. Both Smith's him and in Preston 0:18:51.280 --> 0:18:52.840 played a ton of snaps. I think they both played 0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:55.920 over the defensive snaps last year. Can the Packers take 0:18:56.000 --> 0:18:58.880 some of that off of those guys? And how can Gary, 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:01.520 you know, pretend should be the release pin for that 0:19:01.560 --> 0:19:04.080 and being able to to give them maybe some snaps off, 0:19:04.119 --> 0:19:07.440 particularly inside in the Dine package. That's something to follow 0:19:07.480 --> 0:19:09.200