#276 Packers Unscripted: Combine chatter

they call free agency. And we heard earlier this week from head coach Mike McCarthy and new general manager Brian gudacun Stabault wanting to maybe be a little bit more aggressive in free agency. Here. What form do you see this taking on for the Packers. Well, I think it starts with research and development, Mike. And here's the thing. It's not to say we don't know what this market's

gonna look like on March fourteen. Uh, this price of these players that the thing you have to understand is when you have this small of a market of guys that are available, the guys that actually leak out that teams don't resign, that increases the price, and I think that's half the reason why you look at Ted Thompson, the approach they took of why the Packers weren't always the most active in that regard. But the Packers want to be better prepared, and that's something that Brian Goodkins

said since his very first news conference. They want to make sure that any scenario that plays out, they're ready to react to it. The challenge for him in this first year as the GM is the fact that it is a little bit tighter as far as the salary caps are concerned after the extensions with Davante Adams and Corey Linsley, so they may have to get somewhat creative

in that regard. But in terms of the guys that do actually get out into the free agent market, the Packers want to be more involved to potentially react if one of those guys can make sense and make this team better. Yeah, that preparation part of it you mentioned is interesting because you can try to predict all the different scenarios. Players who may get cut for salary cap reasons, or players who become able because they don't get franchise

tagged for instance, something like that. But there are always things that happened in this league, Larry, that surprised people. You things that you don't see coming. And it sounds to me like the Packers new general manager wants to be ready in case something surprises them and they can maybe pounce on a player. Well, I think the preparation you guys are talked about so far, you do everything you can to avoid WHOA what happened right there? We we were caught with you know what. We weren't just

we weren't just ready for that. And I think something that I think Brian told me, and I think it was off camera, that I might lend to the party here is that they have treated they've tweaked the preparation process a little bit, and they've treated it a little bit like the draft, where they go through the possibilities and of course we're talking about individual names and things like that, but they go through the possibilities and everybody

gets seer say it's not like, okay, this guy's available. Now. Now everybody has had their say, they've looked at it, they kind of judged it, They've gone through it much like the draft process. And like I said, I think

that's a little tweak from what they've done in the past. Yeah, And I think one thing that definitely is not going to change in terms of the approach to free agency is players that they may go out and sign are going to have to be the right fit for Green Bay, for the locker room, and for the culture we saw. I guess what you could chalk up as a mistake last year with Martelli Spennett when things didn't work, when things didn't work out with Jared Cook, the Packers went

to Plan B and it didn't work out. But that that's going to happen once in a while. But I think the Packers are going to take the same approach. What I'm also interested in is, uh are they going to be able to keep things as quiet in some ways as they have in the past. I remember when Julius Peppers was saying, nobody knew that that was happening, Nobody saw it coming. I remember, actually I was in Florida on vacation with my family when I heard the

news that Julius Peppers was a green Bay Packer. I don't know when the Packers are talking about wanting to be more aggressive in free agency, if they'll be able to keep that many things close to the vest. What do you think, Well, that's such a unique situation because Carl Carey his agent, that's his one client. So I mean, if Julius Peppers didn't want that getting out there, it

wasn't going to get out there. But to your original point, you're right, Julius Peppers was out of Green Bay by the time anyone had even known that the the ink was dry on the contract. It's tough to do that

in this day and age. There's so many different variables from that regard, but interest is there, and you look at how these markets shape and now that they have the legal tampering period basically what they call it, that forty eight hour window where teams are able to start negotiating and start hammering out contracts before they can actually

sign them. The packers have actually used that to their benefit the past few years and being able to work deals with the likes of Brian balag On, Randall Cobb. But you know, potentially, what does Brian Goodquins think about getting into those other phrase with players that are outside of Green Bay and outside of that realm. A lot to figure out from that regard, But sometimes I think fans get this idea that you know, free agency, it's just such a given, it's such a guarantee. You're gonna

sign this guy, and this is the production. You're gonna get. A lot of the risk and a lot of reward that goes along with the draft carries over to free agency as well. And that's the same risk, you know, cost benefit analysis that they run in that regard that they're gonna have to run in free agency as well. And Brian Gudcoon is very upfront about that, honest. Yeah. And that's where the fit in the locker room and the fit in the culture and Green Bay comes into play,

doesn't it. Larry Sure does. But I gotta tell you guys about that day they signed Julius. There was a Saturday when there was brook. It was a Saturday. So, like all good Catholics who want to get church out of the way, I was going to four st Agnes and okay, you know what the start? Are you guys Catholic?

By the way, I know a lot of you are Catholic, But anyway, okay, right before the start of the Mass, when the priest and the altar boys and the elector and the dance and girls, you're all lined it up in the back, you know, and they're and they're starting to march out. And I'm standing in the back of church, just in the back. That's where I usually hang out during assen I'm standing back there and okay, the procession for mass has started. Suddenly, Father Patrick breaks ranks, rakes

ras and hustles over to me. You Starmy in the corner over there, hustles over. He walks up to me, goes Peppers. Yeah, and then he runs back and joins the procession on the mask. Win. But that's how big the signing of Julius Peppers was in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Yeah. Well, we'll see if we've got another one like that coming up. But with that, we'll go to a break back with more on Packers Unscripted from the NFL Scouting Combine right after this. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted Larry, Mike and

West in downtown Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine. And what's one of the prospects. One of the first prospects we heard from yesterday here in in Ish an offensive lineman from Texas l Passo, who was one of the key blockers that helped make Packers running back Aaron Jones college career awfully productive. And Jones was a fifth rone pick last year for the Packers, as we know. But Will Hernandez, this offensive lineman from UTEP, is being talked

about a little bit higher in the draft order. Yeah. The thing you gotta remember to Aaron Jones last year when the Packers picked him in the fifth round, that was the first time in nine years that a player from UTEP had been drafted. It was a big deal for them. Will Hernandez very easily could be a second rounder, if not a first rounder, in this draft class. His thirty seven bench reps on Thursday, I think are really helping solidify his case. To put that in context, I

think Larry had pointed it out. Quentin Nelson had thirty five. It's the most bench reps that anyone's had, i think going back to two thousand four team with Russell bow Dyne who now is a center for the Cincinnati Bengals. So really put some in, you know, really elite category. But the thing that was interesting talking to him about is just the relationship that him and Aaron Jones have.

And I had tweeted out a comment right after Hernandez got off the podium just him mentioned thinking how much Jones really had been coaching him through this whole week at the Combine, and Jones immediately, i think within it was like five or six seconds, retweeted it already. I mean he was sitting there on his phone watching the news conference, paying attention everything. That guys are very close. They played together for three years. Hernandez forty nine starts

with you tap. Just an amazing run that he had there, and it was very complimentary the season that Aaron Jones had with the Packers. Yeah, and that rookie season for Aaron Jones was awfully productive and awfully exciting, was interrupted by injuries here and there. But Larry, I'm interested in your perspective calling those games on the radio. A couple of breakaway runs in some big moments for Aaron Jones

as a rookie. What do you think of what he did in there was an explosive nature to his game. You look at big plays out of the backfield. For the amount of attempts he had, he had an ordinate a number of big plays and he can break it. He can break it, and uh, it was interesting between him and Jamal Williams seeing those young fellows that as they got repetitions, as they got playing experience or icely not just experience, but playing time opportunity, shall we say,

is that there were real deal running backs. They could find it and they could get after it. And and I look at a number of situations where, in particular Jones he cracked that line of scrimmage. He was going, he was picking up some yards. Good to see. The Packers certainly have options coming up this season with what they do in the backfield. When you got Jamal, you

got air and of course you got time Montgomery. As they figure out as they retool the playbook from page one, as Mike mccaffy said, as they do those things, how they're going to incorporate all those guys because, as the coaches and Brian Gudaksa said, you can't have enough good players and it's up to the coaches to figure out ways to employ them. Yeah, And I think if there's one play from Aaron Jones rookie year that stands out in my mind more than any other, it was that

overtime touched on run against the Tampa Big Yeah. It was his one carry the day and not only because it won the game, but because it was a make something out of nothing kind of play. I mean, where the play was designed to go, it wasn't really there. He very quickly bounces it to the other direction, takes off and uh and he's gone for the touchdown and

the Packers have a victory. It's amazing. And I mean, you look at the season that he put together five point five yards per carry, that was the most in terms of a yard average in the NFL other than Alvin Kamara, the offensive Rookie of the Year, kind of

tells you the company that he was in. And really the thing I kept going back to on Thursday when we were here and bouncing around the eight podiums or prospects are at last year, I was like a b just one to another trying to figure out, Okay, who could potentially be a fit for the Packers in the bright field. That wasn't a conversation this year. That's not to say that they won't go and find one. Brian Goodcouins has been very open that they're keeping all their

options on the table. But the fact that the backfield isn't an issue like it was going into the combine last year is a test in it to both him and Jamal Williams really stepping up last season. Yeah, it's a different, different feel in that respect for the Packers going into the draft this year. But Larry, when it comes to that, you making something out of nothing kind of thing, we've seen. We've seen Time Montgomery do it. We've seen Aaron Jones do it. What What is it?

What is it that that allows guys to make plays like that? If I knew, I wouldn't be seen here, I probably be over on ESPN's thing or something like that. But you talk about making something out of nothing, and that play you refer to to win the Tampa Bay game and overtime, that was a power play called off the right side and he ends up breaking it off the left side, I mean breaks the perimeter on the left side, and he did that kind of bouncing off

the garbage in the middle. It was an amazing, amazing run. And I forget what your question was, Mike, what was it was just a whole making something out of nothing? Like what I was going to get at is that you know, you're talking about the lineman here and stuff like that, And we'll talk about them more as the week progressive. But this may surprise you considering my bad background, But I would think, and I always thought, and I still do, a back will do more for a line

than a line will do for a bet. That's just the way it is. I mean, you can block them all to death, but that I was that little special something something. He's the guy that's going to make the

running game first and foremost. Yeah, And I want to mention that too, because Will Hernandez talked about that, the fact that when he left, when Aaron Jones went to the NFL last year, that changed the game for him and to change their scheme and the running you know, the running patterns, and he said, I mean it probably made him a better guard in the long run what he was asked to do on the left side there for you tep, but you know, the holes had to be a little bit wider. He had to hold onto

his blox just a little bit longer. With Aaron Jones, with how explosive he was, that made the ultimate difference for them, and it's the reason why he ended his career there as the French the school's all time leading rusher. Y Lineman certainly know when they have a special back running behind him. With that, we'll go to a break

back with more and Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted on location from the NFL Scouting Combine in downtown Indianapolis, West and Mike and Larry with you and guys. Yesterday we heard from the first round of prospects meeting with the media, and two of the guys that were available are guys who are both in the conversation for top five status overall in this NFL draft. I want to start with running back se Kwon Barkley

from Penn State. We talked about the Packers rookie running backs. We've seen young running backs in the NFL the last few years making a huge splash, not just in Green Bay, but you talk about Ezekiel Elliott. You mentioned Alvin Kamar for the New Orleans Saints last year. This whole idea from a few years ago of don't take a running back too high in the draft, that's kind of gone by the wayside now and sa Kwon Barkley is a guy who will benefit from that. Yeah, it's really funny.

The game changed in some ways in that regard. I really thought, going back about four or five years ago, I was wondering when we'd see if if it would even happen again after Trent richardson a running back being taken in the top ten, just because of how the game is spread out. You need passers, you need catchers. But I think this past year has really proven that that the running game is still alive and well. And I know there are a number of different backs that

we're talking about that Zeke Elliott effect. I mean, even this passionate with Leonard for Nette. The number of guys that are coming to league and making an immediate impact and really showing teams what a Marquee three down, you know, two and fifty touch running back can do for an offense.

So that's what they're banking on. It's interesting with Barkley two because I was standing up on the podium or the one area over here next to Mike Vanderschniker photographer, and there was just a massive media is probably the biggest one I've seen so far, the amount of buzz surrounding this guy, uh and exactly where he's gonna fall. A lot of people believe this is a guy that will make a difference in every level of the game, and you can now see that that buzz really forming

for him. Yeah. An interesting comment that I heard from lyon As general manager Bob Quinn the other day. He was talking about rookie running backs making an impact in the league because the Lions are, you know, looking at maybe drafting a running back fairly high and retooling their backfield. Is that one of the benefits of the spread offenses in colleges that running backs are coming into the NFL with more experience and pass protection picking up those blitzers

and stuff than maybe they did in years past. Do you think that's a factor, Larry, I would think so to some extent, although the people will be picking up on the blitzers in the NFL are are quite a bit stouter, quicker, and all that good stuff. But I

think a couple of things are at work here. Football is a cycle, Okay, as everybody heads, as you guys were documenting heads towards the passing games, spread things out and so forth, and then people start defending and start drafting and start building their defensive teams to stop that. And as the cycle unfolds, suddenly the running back position and a strong running game that combats some of that

spread out, some of that defend the past stuff. And one other mention when you talk about players like Berkeley, he may be the most talented player in this draft, now really go number one. Probably not because it is a running back and not a quarterback, but he may be the most talented. And the thing about the running back position, you can contribute a lot right away if you've got the right stuff, because it's an instinctive position. I mean, all you can really say to him, Okay,

we're going to hand you the ball. You're aiming point is there, and after that it's up to the guy. It's up to the coach, you know, Like coach can't be out there, Okay, now cut back. You know, it just doesn't work that way. So you've got a situation where the cycle is kind of running its course. And yeah, the running game not a bad idea against defenses that are set up to defend the past. And then also

these young fellows, they can't have an instant impact. And with Barkley, you look at his numbers from Penn State, over five thousand total yards from scrimmage in three seasons. When you combine thirty hundred rushing yards and almost twelve hundred receiving yards fifty Yeah, Oh my gosh. Yeah, the guy, I mean, the thing about is two in a quarter to quarter for a running bad look nothing maybe one? Yeah,

And it was interesting. He talked also, you know, about going to a team, because he very well will be drafted high, going to a team that's been struggling, and he's like, hey, yeah, I want to be part of something bigger than myself. I want to leave a legacy. He's left a legacy at Penn State helping to pull that program back and get to a Rose Bowl after everything that had happened a handful of years ago. So this, uh,

this kid seems to have the right at it. And do you know another guy that went to a team that was struggling, Leonard for Net. I mean, that's just how quickly this thing can change when you go from the fourth overall pick to becoming the type of type of playmaker he was for them. That offense was different when he was going. It's set up the passing game

for Blake Bortles. Now Barkley going to the next level is going to try to do the same thing and something Barkley whoever takes them, suddenly their offensive line got better. No matter what they got, suddenly their offensive line got better. Yeah, no question about it. Well, there's another top five guy that we want to talk about, but we'll do that after the breakback with more on Packers Unscripted right after this Welcome back to Packers Unscripted from the NFL scouting

combine in Indianapolis, Larry Mike and West. And another top five guy that we heard from yesterday Fellas was Notre Dame guard Quintin Nelson. Now, guards don't always get talked about, not very often with this sort of lofty draft status, but Nelson's being talked about as a guy you can plug in from day one and he can play for ten or twelve years in this league. Really impressive guy. Be interesting to see just how high he goes well, and it's obviously been a chess match there when you're

looking at drafting guards over the years. I think two thousand third team was a big year. That was the Jonathan Cooper chance Warmack year, and I think if both of those teams could have that back, they would have liked to have David back tr three rounds later. It's just the way that sometimes this things goes. It's a guessing game. But really the best prospect I can think of, I think was also out of Notre Dame in Zach Martin.

He was moving from tackle, but everybody kind of acknowledged he was looking like a guard in the NFL, And now you see what he's done with the Dallas Cowboys over the years, might be the best one in the game. It's a It's a really interesting thing to see what exactly is going to happen with Nelson because he's so strong,

thirty five reps on the bench, his his pedigree. You know, he's even listening to one of his teammates, Mike McGlinchey yesterday talking about him and exactly what he brings to the table and weekend and week out, how consistent he was for that line. Now, where does that translate? How does that translate the NFL? We have to wait and see, but he certainly has the intangibles you look for. Yeah, Nelson really stri me Larry as your kind of guy, because when he was talking to the media, he said,

I like to dominate. I like to take away my opponent's will to play each play, and I consider myself a nasty player that that that's your kind of guy, not only a go for the throw player, but a go for the throat player with ability. Like it's one thing, all those things you mentioned. It's one thing to want to do those things. It's quite another to be able to do them at the next level. And Nelson can

do that. And I gotta tell you this, So, could you imagine the collective side of disappointment If Brian good came down after the Packers make their first back and say we selected an offensive guard. People will go, I mean everybody they want to start up pass rush or or a kid have been intercept passes right line. But could you imagine the collective breath of the support. Yeah. Well, and and if if Quentin Nelson is there at number fourteen,

I think that would be a shock. And I would actually be surprised if the Packers would pass on him, But I'd be even more surprised if he's even there for the opportunity. And you look at the history of his Larry points out, I mean Lane Taylor one of the best in the business right now. At left guard was as written about numerous times. I believe it was the forty one offensive there was forty one of them taken into those A thirteen and he wasn't even one

of those. And sometimes you just find guys that just fit in in. From Taylor's perspective back then, I think one of the concerns was the athleticism side of it, but also the fact that most of your top offensive lineman in college are playing a tackle position. You look at t J. Lang when he was at Eastern Michigan, Josh Sitton, guys that ended up making that switch, so you don't always look for the prototype in terms of

that guard position. Yeah. Well, with that, we've got to call it a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted from the NFL Scouting Combine. We will have one more on location episode for you, so be sure to stay tuned for that. For Larry and Mike and West. Thanks for tuning in everybody. We'll see you next time. H m hm