WEBVTT - #302 Packers Unscripted: Wrapping up 0:00:00.720 --> 0:00:20.119 Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.160 --> 0:00:24.520 I am Mike Spofford, sitting alongside my trusted colleague Wes Hodkowitz. 0:00:24.560 --> 0:00:27.200 Were coming to you here from our studios at lambeau 0:00:27.240 --> 0:00:29.680 Field and West as the Packers wrap up their off 0:00:29.720 --> 0:00:34.639 season program. Thursday is the final mini camp practice. If 0:00:34.640 --> 0:00:38.440 there's maybe been one theme you could tag to these 0:00:38.520 --> 0:00:40.519 O t A s and the mini camp, it's been 0:00:40.840 --> 0:00:42.800 a little bit of a boost in the eleven on 0:00:42.880 --> 0:00:46.680 eleven the team reps, as they say, that's certainly by 0:00:46.720 --> 0:00:49.559 design for Mike McCarthy wanted to focus on the passing 0:00:49.600 --> 0:00:52.880 game a lot during the off season program because it's 0:00:52.920 --> 0:00:54.720 really hard to get a lot of work done in 0:00:54.720 --> 0:00:56.680 the running game, you know, when the players aren't in 0:00:56.760 --> 0:00:59.680 pads and you can't go full context, so to speak. 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:03.560 But it also makes sense to do a lot of 0:01:03.560 --> 0:01:06.360 this eleven on eleven work in the spring here when 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:09.360 two of the position groups where you have a lot 0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:11.760 of young players you're trying to get ready are wide 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:14.960 receiver and cornerback. Because not to say pads don't matter, 0:01:15.480 --> 0:01:18.000 but they matter maybe a little bit less at those 0:01:18.040 --> 0:01:21.440 positions than those interior guys and hopefully the development is 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:23.399 going to pay off. And you've been covering this team 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:25.480 mich a lot longer than I have, but in all 0:01:25.520 --> 0:01:27.920 of my years, this to me feels like the most 0:01:27.920 --> 0:01:31.040 competitive team periods that the Packers have had during an 0:01:31.040 --> 0:01:33.440 offseason program. And I say that because even the pass 0:01:33.520 --> 0:01:36.360 under pressure eleven on nine periods, they've done a lot 0:01:36.360 --> 0:01:38.640 of those two and those have been amplified. It seems 0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:40.640 like they're doing a lot of red zone stuff with that. 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:44.119 And then you know the eleven on eleven this week 0:01:44.160 --> 0:01:46.560 in particular, I think that's so important because you've seen 0:01:46.600 --> 0:01:49.000 what Aaron Rodgers does and how he can lead the offense, 0:01:49.040 --> 0:01:51.640 and eleven on eleven period you haven't seen that yet 0:01:51.640 --> 0:01:54.320 with Deshaun Kaiser, Tim Boyle, this is your first time 0:01:54.360 --> 0:01:57.720 seeing it. Brett Hunley all of his experience this offseason, 0:01:57.800 --> 0:02:00.720 you know, two or three months of classroom war, putting 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:02.920 that out there now on the field. I think that's 0:02:02.960 --> 0:02:04.960 really important to see what these guys have to offer 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:07.920 and give those young receivers a chance to make some plays. 0:02:08.160 --> 0:02:10.600 Joe Philbin was asked about this this week during the 0:02:10.639 --> 0:02:13.880 offensive assistant coaching availability, and you know, He's basically the 0:02:13.919 --> 0:02:16.600 premise of the question was can you really draw that 0:02:16.720 --> 0:02:19.799 much from these practices with these guys running around in shorts? 0:02:19.800 --> 0:02:22.040 And I thought he had an interesting answer, and he's like, well, 0:02:22.120 --> 0:02:24.040 if a guy doesn't look good running around in shorts, 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:27.120 there's something to draw from that too. So you you 0:02:27.160 --> 0:02:29.440 want to see these guys perform. Yes, it's a different 0:02:29.440 --> 0:02:31.919 game once the pads go on, But this is really 0:02:31.960 --> 0:02:35.040 the chance for you know, Jamon Moore, e q st Brown, 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:38.720 Marquez Valdez, Scantling to go out there and show everything 0:02:38.720 --> 0:02:40.800 that they put on film in the pre draft process 0:02:41.040 --> 0:02:42.800 and show that those traits can carry over to the 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:45.760 next level. Yeah, and that carry over then goes into 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:47.799 training camp. The first couple of days of training camp 0:02:47.840 --> 0:02:50.160 will still be without pads before the pads go on, 0:02:50.200 --> 0:02:52.520 So there's there's a little bit of that acclamation period. 0:02:52.520 --> 0:02:55.520 But when you talk about the competitiveness of it, you know, 0:02:56.480 --> 0:02:59.880 this is my thirteen season covering the Packers from this 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:04.119 type of position, and the the I guess I'd say 0:03:04.120 --> 0:03:07.520 the boisterousness of some of the coaches, the competitiveness of 0:03:07.560 --> 0:03:10.160 the players arguing when a flag comes out whether it 0:03:10.240 --> 0:03:12.840 should be off sides or a false start. You see 0:03:12.840 --> 0:03:14.560 that a lot in training camp. I don't know if 0:03:14.560 --> 0:03:16.919 I've seen as much of it, you know, in past 0:03:16.960 --> 0:03:19.160 years as we have in O T A s. The 0:03:19.440 --> 0:03:22.040 competitiveness was definitely cranked up a little bit. And I 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:25.160 don't know if that's because of the pending competition for 0:03:25.240 --> 0:03:27.040 roster spots the fact that there's a lot of new 0:03:27.080 --> 0:03:29.239 blood on the coaching staff, but it's just one of 0:03:29.280 --> 0:03:32.000 those things that that you notice when it's a little 0:03:32.000 --> 0:03:34.239 different than in past. And Mike Petton when he was 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:36.880 addressing the media this past week saying that you know, 0:03:36.880 --> 0:03:38.960 they don't want to sweep anything under the rug. They 0:03:39.000 --> 0:03:41.360 want to be able to have an open dialogue about 0:03:41.400 --> 0:03:43.160 what they're seeing and where they can improve. And that 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:45.680 doesn't matter if it's the off season program or training camp. 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:48.520 He's he's not afraid to speak up. Patrick Graham, the 0:03:48.600 --> 0:03:52.000 running game coordinator and inside linebackers coach, obviously not afraid 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:54.080 to speak up. And if they feel like there's a 0:03:54.080 --> 0:03:55.920 place where the energy isn't where it needs to be, 0:03:56.080 --> 0:03:57.760 or the the emotion isn't where it needs to be, 0:03:58.360 --> 0:04:01.400 there's gonna be. You know, it's going to be made known. Yeah, 0:04:01.480 --> 0:04:04.000 it's it's a time where rookies are gonna make mistakes 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:05.880 and and you're gonna want to make sure you correct 0:04:05.920 --> 0:04:08.360 those things. But the one thing that everybody controls on 0:04:08.360 --> 0:04:10.600 the field is your energy level this time of the year. 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:12.840 And it just seems to me Mike McCarthy one of 0:04:12.920 --> 0:04:16.039 his big mantras this whole offseason has been wanting to 0:04:16.040 --> 0:04:18.680 to really increase the energy with the coaches, with the 0:04:18.720 --> 0:04:21.800 players everywhere across the board. And I think when you 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:24.279 look at these young guys coming and trying to impress, 0:04:24.520 --> 0:04:27.000 whether it's the running backs, the receivers, or even the 0:04:27.080 --> 0:04:29.400 defensive backs, where there's so many guys competing for jobs, 0:04:29.520 --> 0:04:32.000 it just seems like there's a higher sense of urgency. Yeah, 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:33.680 I think so too. A lot of that. I think 0:04:33.760 --> 0:04:36.599 we've seen it this week, certainly in the mini camp 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:40.200 with all the veterans being excused, the young players know, Okay, 0:04:40.240 --> 0:04:42.400 this is my time that now I'm gonna take some 0:04:42.440 --> 0:04:44.560 reps with the ones. Where I was always on the 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:46.680 twos and threes before the guys who have always been 0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:48.400 on the threes, they get to move up and take 0:04:48.400 --> 0:04:50.800 some reps with the twos, They get a little bit 0:04:50.839 --> 0:04:53.120 bigger stage. It's their chance to put a few more 0:04:53.120 --> 0:04:56.400 snaps on film. This is important stuff. I mean now, granted, 0:04:56.560 --> 0:04:59.800 I I personally don't believe the competition for roster spots 0:04:59.800 --> 0:05:02.680 and all that and for playing time really begins until 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:05.040 the pads go on in training camp. But at the 0:05:05.080 --> 0:05:08.360 same time, it's all about making an impression and and 0:05:08.600 --> 0:05:12.280 making that impression so that the coaches when you come 0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:14.520 back for training camp they maybe already got their eye 0:05:14.560 --> 0:05:16.160 on you a little bit. Absolutely. You and I were 0:05:16.200 --> 0:05:18.520 both prep reporters way back when at Three Bay Press 0:05:18.520 --> 0:05:22.120 Becazette non concurrently. But you know, when all the beat 0:05:22.160 --> 0:05:24.400 reporters will go away. You know what happened. It was 0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:27.240 west Hodkowitz got the got the playbook. I'm the one 0:05:27.279 --> 0:05:29.320 that got the list of agents in case anything happened 0:05:29.400 --> 0:05:32.040 dur An extension went down. That's the experience you get 0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:34.520 when the veterans are away. And yeah, it isn't going 0:05:34.560 --> 0:05:38.080 to ultimately dictate anything today, but in two months from now, 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:39.919 when jobs are on the line, it's those kind of 0:05:39.920 --> 0:05:42.440 experiences you can harken back to, you know, and trying 0:05:42.440 --> 0:05:44.200 to claim one of those fifty three spots on the 0:05:44.240 --> 0:05:46.479 active roster. Absolutely. With that, we're gonna go to a 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:49.000 break back with more on Packers Unscripted right after this. 0:06:07.360 --> 0:06:10.279 Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford in this chair, 0:06:10.400 --> 0:06:12.800 Wes Hodkinwitz in that one West. We talk a lot 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:16.240 about how certain players they look different when the pads 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:19.919 go on later in the summertime. There's a player, and 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:22.760 we touched on this in an earlier episode, who looks 0:06:22.800 --> 0:06:25.839 a lot different this year without the pads on. And 0:06:25.839 --> 0:06:29.960 I'm talking about third year offensive lineman Jason Spriggs. He's 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:33.160 just flat out bigger and stronger than we've seen him 0:06:33.160 --> 0:06:35.320 through his first two years in the NFL. He first 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:37.280 came to the Packers as a second round pick from 0:06:37.320 --> 0:06:41.480 the University of Indiana back in You got a little 0:06:41.520 --> 0:06:45.640 insight into his meal plan. I guess we would say 0:06:45.760 --> 0:06:49.240 in terms of how he's remade his body a little bit, 0:06:49.240 --> 0:06:51.039 what did you find out? Yeah, and to me, Mike, 0:06:51.160 --> 0:06:53.919 just again looking just the eye test um, this is 0:06:53.960 --> 0:06:57.280 the most drastic body composition change I've seen, I honestly 0:06:57.320 --> 0:07:00.000 believe in since Mike Neil going back to two thousands 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:02.279 their team. But that was Neil dropping say that was 0:07:02.360 --> 0:07:04.279 that was the opposite, But you're right in terms in 0:07:04.360 --> 0:07:07.039 terms of the difference coming back from the end of 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:09.680 one season to the start of the next offseason, it 0:07:09.800 --> 0:07:12.080 is definitely different. At the beginning of the locker room 0:07:12.120 --> 0:07:14.440 interview with Jason Spriggs, I got a chance to talk 0:07:14.480 --> 0:07:16.800 to him by myself, but Larry McCarron had mentioned to him, 0:07:16.800 --> 0:07:18.520 and you know, it almost looks like Jason Spriggs and 0:07:18.560 --> 0:07:21.200 a half with rad he's put on He added about 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:23.640 twenty between twenty and thirty pounds. He said he's actually 0:07:23.680 --> 0:07:25.840 now in the covering in the three twenties, so he 0:07:25.920 --> 0:07:28.680 was really light at tackle and he said that goes 0:07:28.680 --> 0:07:31.520 back to his high school days. He's a phenomenal athlete. 0:07:31.560 --> 0:07:33.520 Four point nine four time in the forty was the 0:07:33.520 --> 0:07:36.280 fastest among offensive lineman back at the two thousand thirteen 0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:39.760 NFL scouting combines. Still did thirty one reps of of 0:07:40.080 --> 0:07:42.920 two pounds on the bench press. But it's just never 0:07:42.960 --> 0:07:45.320 has been natural for him to put on weight. Uh. 0:07:45.360 --> 0:07:47.520 And if you remember him coming in here, he was 0:07:47.560 --> 0:07:50.760 a physical specimen. I mean he was legit lean. I 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:53.040 mean there was not really announced a fat on him. 0:07:53.040 --> 0:07:55.520 But we talked about how he had the frame, and 0:07:56.040 --> 0:07:57.760 the first the first day we saw him, it's like 0:07:57.800 --> 0:07:59.440 you look at that frame and you're like, that is 0:07:59.440 --> 0:08:02.280 an offense of tackles frame, and he looks like he 0:08:02.320 --> 0:08:05.000 can carry more weight. Now he now he is carrying 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:06.720 I said this from day one with him. He has 0:08:06.760 --> 0:08:09.240 big pause. You can see how that frame can fill out. 0:08:09.280 --> 0:08:11.400 We saw it with David bak tr and you're starting 0:08:11.400 --> 0:08:13.720 to see it now with Spriggs. But to your original question, 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:16.160 how did he go about doing that? This isn't Wes 0:08:16.200 --> 0:08:18.280 hog Kowitz after his freshman year at w g B. 0:08:18.360 --> 0:08:20.960 I mean, you wanted to put on clean, healthy weight. 0:08:21.360 --> 0:08:24.040 You don't want, you know, fatty tissue and stuff like that. 0:08:24.080 --> 0:08:26.320 It's one thing to gain twenty or thirty pounds, it's 0:08:26.360 --> 0:08:28.200 one thing to be able to be able to function 0:08:28.240 --> 0:08:30.680 with that weight. So him and the perform director of 0:08:30.680 --> 0:08:33.960 Performance Nutrition, with the packers, Adam Corzon, the strength and 0:08:33.960 --> 0:08:36.840 conditioning staff, they all sat down mapped up a plan 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:40.000 for him. Spriggs ended up spending his entire offseason in 0:08:40.040 --> 0:08:42.080 Green Bay. Originally that was just because of the knee 0:08:42.080 --> 0:08:44.599 injury rehabbing that, but then once he was cleared, he 0:08:44.720 --> 0:08:46.360 still decided to know what I'm going to see this 0:08:46.440 --> 0:08:50.240 thing through. What the situation called for was basically him 0:08:50.280 --> 0:08:53.160 waking up, eating a mini breakfasts, as he calls it, 0:08:53.400 --> 0:08:56.800 going back to sleep, coming into lambeau Field, eating breakfast 0:08:56.800 --> 0:09:01.240 at lambeau Field, the facilities here, lifting, working out, eating lunch, 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:05.480 going home, having a snack, having a pre dinner, a dinner, 0:09:05.559 --> 0:09:11.240 and then another snack before dinner before bed. Um, And 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:13.800 he said he was asked the question by one of 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:16.000 the other Beat reporters about you know, how many calories 0:09:16.000 --> 0:09:17.240 do you think you're taking in a day. He's like, 0:09:17.240 --> 0:09:19.520 I couldn't even tell you. I just measured it by meals. 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:22.520 But the end justifies the means that. And Jason Spriggs 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:25.480 looks like a much more fuller tackle and he knew 0:09:25.559 --> 0:09:27.040 he knew he needed to do that to be better 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:30.000 against the run and also the hold up better against bulrushes. Yeah, 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:32.640 and what we've seen so far, uh in the mini 0:09:32.640 --> 0:09:35.240 camp at least this week is Jason Spriggs and Kyle 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:39.160 Murphy with with Brian Blag is still rehabbing David Baktari, 0:09:39.240 --> 0:09:41.240 one of the excuse veterans, and Bilag would be an 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:44.640 excused veteran as well. Um they've been switching back and 0:09:44.679 --> 0:09:47.800 forth right tackle and left tackle with the number one 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:50.720 offensive line, and we've talked about, you know, depending on 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:55.360 Bolaga situation, that starting right tackle spot might be open 0:09:55.600 --> 0:09:58.360 for Week one, and Byron Bell was brought in as 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:00.679 a veteran, but Jason Spriggs and Kyle Murphy or two 0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:03.560 guys who are going to compete for that, and Spriggs 0:10:03.559 --> 0:10:06.640 is doing everything he can from the physical side of 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:09.240 things to put himself in the best position to compete. 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:12.360 Absolutely and by all accounts right now, justin mccraze looking 0:10:12.400 --> 0:10:15.480 at that right guard position potentially starting there. So not 0:10:15.559 --> 0:10:17.720 to say you still couldn't mix up some things there, 0:10:17.720 --> 0:10:21.040 but that's his primary motivation right now. The Packers drafted 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:23.400 two tackles back in two thousand and sixteen with Murphy 0:10:23.400 --> 0:10:25.880 and Spriggs, not necessarily because you know they need to 0:10:25.920 --> 0:10:28.360 replace anybody, but you wanted to have those guys developing 0:10:28.360 --> 0:10:30.640 and in your system if anything happened like it did 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:33.200 last year to Bolaga or David Baker when he missed 0:10:33.200 --> 0:10:35.560 four or five weeks with the hamstring injury. Right So, 0:10:35.640 --> 0:10:38.000 now that these guys are there, they're filling out, they're 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:39.880 healthy again, I know you talked to Kyle Murphy a 0:10:39.920 --> 0:10:42.760 little bit and his road back from the foot injury. Uh, 0:10:42.800 --> 0:10:45.480 the Packers, Both of those guys I thought really had 0:10:45.480 --> 0:10:48.800 really shined in their limited opportunities last year. They just 0:10:48.840 --> 0:10:50.640 had the injuries creep back up to kind of take 0:10:50.640 --> 0:10:53.199 that opportunity away. Yeah, I'm really interested to see, as 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:55.640 we talked about on our last show, just how things 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:57.760 are going to shake out on the right side of 0:10:57.840 --> 0:10:59.760 that offensive line in what we find out at the 0:10:59.760 --> 0:11:03.439 start to training camp with regards to Bolaga and his status, 0:11:03.440 --> 0:11:06.439 whether he's going to be ready to practice or if 0:11:06.440 --> 0:11:09.360 he's on track to get back sometime during training camp 0:11:09.400 --> 0:11:11.319 to have a shot at week one. A lot of 0:11:11.400 --> 0:11:14.280 question marks there. But as we talked about the guys 0:11:14.320 --> 0:11:17.200 who are competing for these spots and and for the 0:11:17.240 --> 0:11:19.400 pecking order on the depth chart, it's a lot of 0:11:19.400 --> 0:11:21.880 guys who, at least now they have some experience under 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:24.199 their belts. And I like the cross training philosophy with 0:11:24.360 --> 0:11:27.559 switching up Murphy and Spriggs a little bit because, honestly, Mike, 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:29.880 that's what happens. You don't know where someone's gonna go down. 0:11:29.920 --> 0:11:31.240 You don't know where they're gonna have to fill in. 0:11:31.280 --> 0:11:33.040 You have to be able to be trained on both sides. 0:11:33.080 --> 0:11:35.280 Spriggs was a specialist. He was a left tackle his 0:11:35.440 --> 0:11:38.880 entire time at Indiana. Developing that technique on the right 0:11:38.920 --> 0:11:40.839 side is equally important at this level. Yeah, and if 0:11:40.880 --> 0:11:43.440 Justin McCrae is going to be the starting right guard, 0:11:43.520 --> 0:11:46.360 you don't have your Mr versatile super sub who can 0:11:46.400 --> 0:11:48.600 just jump in anywhere. You've got to have these tackles 0:11:48.640 --> 0:11:51.280 ready to play right side or left side. So with that, 0:11:51.320 --> 0:11:53.720 we'll go to a breakback with more and Packers Unscripted 0:11:53.800 --> 0:12:15.880 right after this, Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford Here, West, Hodko, 0:12:16.000 --> 0:12:18.600 it's over there, West, shifting gears to the defensive side 0:12:18.640 --> 0:12:20.840 of the ball. We talked about guys coming back from 0:12:20.840 --> 0:12:24.800 injury and whatnot. Boy, what a difference a year makes 0:12:24.880 --> 0:12:27.960 for a guy like Vince Bagel last year at this 0:12:28.040 --> 0:12:31.960 time essentially not doing anything but trying to recover from 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:34.439 foot surgery. He had arrived in Green Bay as a 0:12:34.480 --> 0:12:37.400 fourth round draft pick out of the University of Wisconsin, 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:41.280 participated in the rookie orientation right away, then had to 0:12:41.320 --> 0:12:43.880 go have surgery on the foot. Was then on pup 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:46.960 missed all of training camp, didn't really get back into 0:12:47.000 --> 0:12:51.120 practicing at all until late October, about midway through the season. 0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:54.120 But now here he is year two or maybe year 0:12:54.200 --> 0:12:57.600 one and a half in a sense. But he's been 0:12:58.000 --> 0:13:00.880 on the field all the way along. Um, been here 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:04.640 through the entirety of the off season program, and uh, yeah, 0:13:04.640 --> 0:13:06.400 this is a guy who has some things to prove 0:13:06.440 --> 0:13:09.000 on the field, but he's putting himself in the right 0:13:09.040 --> 0:13:11.800 position to do it because he's been healthy. Yeah, absolutely, Mike, 0:13:11.840 --> 0:13:13.520 And I know that was such a tough thing from 0:13:13.600 --> 0:13:15.840 last year, having surgery on your feet like that. Uh, 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:18.160 you know, at the same time and going through that process, 0:13:18.200 --> 0:13:20.600 it's not easy. And you know he has he's able 0:13:20.600 --> 0:13:21.960 to be in the meetings and be in there with 0:13:21.960 --> 0:13:25.760 Clay Matthews and develop those relationships. But you can't simulate 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:28.200 that on the field stuff. And even when you get 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:30.400 back in there. We've seen this with j C. Treader. Um, 0:13:30.440 --> 0:13:32.480 you know, a guy that's a bona fide starting center 0:13:32.480 --> 0:13:34.240 in this league. Just how difficult that is when you 0:13:34.240 --> 0:13:36.560 start the year on pup and try to catch up 0:13:36.559 --> 0:13:38.839 as a young player. I think the older you are, 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:40.679 the longer you've been in this league, the easier it is, 0:13:40.880 --> 0:13:42.720 but as a young guy, it's not an easy task. 0:13:42.760 --> 0:13:45.040 In your first you know, two or three seasons. That 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:47.240 was where you know, Beagle admits he was playing catch 0:13:47.320 --> 0:13:49.640 up and it's not easy to catch up on you know, 0:13:49.760 --> 0:13:52.319 NFL players that have had months and months of preparation 0:13:52.400 --> 0:13:55.079 on field, uh to to get ready for those moments. 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:58.079 That being said, he ended last year healthy. He was 0:13:58.120 --> 0:14:00.920 able to do everything he wanted in his raining. This offseason. 0:14:00.920 --> 0:14:03.440 He spent some time down in San Diego in February. 0:14:03.480 --> 0:14:05.880 In March, went to Los Angeles and trained with Clay 0:14:05.960 --> 0:14:09.560 Matthews and David Bakari, Kenny Clark, Aaron Rodgers, the list 0:14:09.559 --> 0:14:11.320 goes on and on of other teammates that he was 0:14:11.400 --> 0:14:14.320 working with. All to get back here in April and 0:14:14.400 --> 0:14:18.000 start competing for a spot in that rotation. The opportunities there, Mike, 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:20.400 I mean, we've seen what's happened. You know, Clay Matthews 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:22.880 has missed most of the offseason program. Nick Perry has 0:14:22.920 --> 0:14:25.280 been out this offseason. They've given a lot of those 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:27.960 reps to those young guys. So everything that Vince Bigle 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:30.480 really missed out on last year, he's been able to 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:32.800 almost get a double dose here in year two. Yeah, 0:14:32.800 --> 0:14:35.120 and for all the talk obviously about the Packers not 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:38.320 taking an outside linebacker and edge rusher until the seventh 0:14:38.440 --> 0:14:40.760 round of this year's draft, really when you look at 0:14:40.760 --> 0:14:42.880 how things have shaken out with Beagle, it's as though 0:14:43.160 --> 0:14:46.120 the Packers are getting a fourth round pick at outside 0:14:46.120 --> 0:14:49.160 linebacker this year. Because his rookie season in many ways 0:14:49.240 --> 0:14:51.520 was was a watch. When he did get into ball games, 0:14:51.960 --> 0:14:54.240 you know, it was I'm sure with a very limited 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:56.320 sliver of the playbook that it was like, Okay, this 0:14:56.400 --> 0:14:58.040 is a role that he can play. He can spell 0:14:58.080 --> 0:14:59.920 a guy for a few snaps. This is going to 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:02.880 be a completely different situation. He's looking at wanting to 0:15:02.920 --> 0:15:07.200 be maybe that next guy that goes in at outside linebacker. Um, 0:15:07.240 --> 0:15:09.400 you know, to spell a Matthews or a Perry, and 0:15:09.440 --> 0:15:11.520 maybe it's for an entire series, maybe it's for an 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:15.440 entire drive some like that, not just a player two. 0:15:15.480 --> 0:15:19.280 So um certainly looks in shape and um, you know, 0:15:19.440 --> 0:15:21.520 he's a guy who's who's going to be fired up 0:15:21.520 --> 0:15:23.720 to put those pads on get out there in those 0:15:23.760 --> 0:15:26.840 preseason games. Another thing that he didn't get last year. 0:15:26.840 --> 0:15:29.720 He's going to have these preseason games in August to uh, 0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:33.000 to get ready. UM really interested to see exactly what 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:35.440 he's going to bring to the table in Mike Petton's defense. Yeah, 0:15:35.480 --> 0:15:37.720 he said, since the beginning, I mean, this has all 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:40.120 been a maturation process for him. And yeah, you have 0:15:40.200 --> 0:15:42.560 the in state ties. He was at, you know, Wisconsin 0:15:42.640 --> 0:15:45.560 Rapids High School. He went to Wisconsin. He played under 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:48.480 Jim Leonard there when he was a defensive backs coach. Uh. 0:15:48.520 --> 0:15:51.040 And you know, Leonard has a has a really long 0:15:51.160 --> 0:15:54.320 history of Mike Petton and they've had those conversations amongst themselves. 0:15:54.560 --> 0:15:56.360 And the fact that he played in a three four 0:15:56.600 --> 0:15:59.720 with the Badgers and Dave Randa's system. Uh, those all 0:16:00.000 --> 0:16:02.240 helped him in terms of making that transition. But as 0:16:02.240 --> 0:16:03.800 you and I both know, and I know our producer 0:16:03.840 --> 0:16:06.280 Marvin knows, it's almost like the first day of high 0:16:06.320 --> 0:16:08.720 school again, right. I mean you might have your pens, 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:11.000 your books and all that fun stuff going into the 0:16:11.040 --> 0:16:13.440 west and way back we are we're dialing it back to. 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:16.080 But for real, think about it and the fact that 0:16:16.120 --> 0:16:17.680 you you can be as prepared as you want to be, 0:16:17.720 --> 0:16:19.760 but until you start going through those classes, until you 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:21.920 start getting a feel for what this is like. It's 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:24.400 an entirely different world. And I think that's the one 0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:26.840 thing Vince Biegel has experienced, and the fact that he's 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:28.720 been willing to go out to California in these different 0:16:28.720 --> 0:16:31.840 places to improve himself as a football player. He's really 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:34.200 just been absorbing all that knowledge from Clay Matthews and 0:16:34.240 --> 0:16:36.360 company in that room, because, as you said, and you 0:16:36.400 --> 0:16:39.360 laid out perfectly, there is opportunity in that rotation. There's 0:16:39.360 --> 0:16:41.520 snaps to be had behind Matthews and Perry, and he 0:16:41.560 --> 0:16:42.760 wants to be one of the guys that gets in 0:16:42.800 --> 0:16:45.160 on that. Yeah. Absolutely. With that, we'll go to another 0:16:45.160 --> 0:17:06.080 break back with moren Packers Unscripted right after this Welcome 0:17:06.080 --> 0:17:09.400 back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford next to Wes Hodkowitz 0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:12.440 and West. We're about to take a summer break here 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:15.720 from the show as the players and coaches also take 0:17:15.800 --> 0:17:18.119 their summer break. Um, we don't get to leave the 0:17:18.160 --> 0:17:20.879 office for five weeks. That we don't quite have that 0:17:20.960 --> 0:17:23.960 kind of cred around here. But uh um. But that 0:17:24.040 --> 0:17:26.080 being said, before we go on a little bit of 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:28.520 a hiatus, there's one other thing I want to touch 0:17:28.560 --> 0:17:31.879 on because, um it's gone a little bit maybe unnoticed, 0:17:31.880 --> 0:17:34.880 you might say, in that players. The Packers ended last 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:37.640 season with a lot of players on injured reserve, and 0:17:38.600 --> 0:17:41.119 a really good sign this spring is that most of 0:17:41.119 --> 0:17:43.520 those guys were able to get back and beyond the 0:17:43.520 --> 0:17:46.160 field and be in a lot of eleven on eleven 0:17:46.200 --> 0:17:50.440 work um during this offseason program. We talked already about 0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:53.480 Jason Spriggs and Kyle Murphy. There is a question obviously 0:17:53.480 --> 0:17:56.680 with Brian Bulaga. We did not see him um during 0:17:56.720 --> 0:17:58.639 O t S and will wait for an update in 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:02.720 training camp on him. But you talk about guys like kentroll, Bryce, 0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:07.440 Quentin Rollins, Time Montgomery, Herb Waters, who's trying to make, 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:10.199 you know, fight for a roster spot here. These are 0:18:10.200 --> 0:18:13.000 guys who dealt with some pretty serious injuries last year. 0:18:13.200 --> 0:18:15.040 They were able to you know, kind of get their 0:18:15.080 --> 0:18:17.880 feedback under him here during the spring and and it's 0:18:17.920 --> 0:18:19.840 a good sign for them moving forward that they can 0:18:19.840 --> 0:18:22.200 try to, uh try to fight for roster spots and 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:24.600 playing time with as deep as the I R list 0:18:24.720 --> 0:18:26.080 was at the end of last season, I think it 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:28.080 was like thirteen or fourteen players by the time it 0:18:28.119 --> 0:18:31.400 was all said and done. I was blown away during 0:18:31.440 --> 0:18:34.040 that first o t A practice by seeing as many 0:18:34.040 --> 0:18:36.880 guys being back on the field. Quentin Rollins coming back 0:18:36.880 --> 0:18:39.399 off the Achilles injury. We saw Kentroll, Bryce with the 0:18:39.440 --> 0:18:41.560 ankle surgery, you know, being around on the scooter for 0:18:41.600 --> 0:18:43.639 most of the second half of last season in locker 0:18:43.720 --> 0:18:46.240 room and he's able to make it back. Kyle Murphy 0:18:46.480 --> 0:18:49.880 getting integrated back into things after having his own foot surgery. 0:18:50.359 --> 0:18:52.120 So I have to imagine if I was Mike McCarthy 0:18:52.160 --> 0:18:54.880 and these coaches, that's something you want to see because yeah, 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:56.480 I mean, you know, you look at where bolog is 0:18:56.480 --> 0:18:58.800 at right now. He's an experienced veteran, He's come back 0:18:58.800 --> 0:19:00.800 from this kind of stuff before. But you know, a 0:19:00.800 --> 0:19:02.879 lot of these young guys, in some ways, this is 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:06.040