#296 Packers Unscripted: Springtime thoughts

nitchky Field. A lot of different topics that we can toss around here over the next couple of episodes, but we might as well start with QB one because for all the things that have been circulating out there this offseason, there's been this a little bit of an undercurrent of you know, will Aaron Rodgers, after two broken collar bones in the last four to five years, is he going to maybe start to play the game a little differently or you know, be concerned himself with extending his career

and whatnot in terms of the exposure to injury. Aaron Rodgers is having none of it. He's not changing how he's going to play the game. Nope. That was his one word answer when he was asked about it earlier this week. And here's my perspective on this, Michael, all Right, whatever you want to say about the two injuries two

thousand and two thousand seventeen. I know one of the questions been been posed to both Rodgers and his coaches this week was, you know he was outside the pocket when these things happened, and and you know, if he needs to consider changing that. If if Aaron Rodgers was running around like Michael Vick, if he's downfield taking those kind of hits, or even like Andrew Luck did for a number of years, where people are kind of criticizing how many, how much you know, contact he was taking,

I think I would feel differently. But Rogers isn't out there acting like a crash test dummy. He's very methodical in his approach in the pocket and when he's moving out when he's not, there's no wasteed motion in that at all. There everything has a reason behind it. So yeah, I know there's always gonna be inherent danger, inherent risk as it relates to him, But that can be said for every position, you know. I remember there was a couple of years there, I think where it was Eddie Lacy.

You know, should Eddie Lacy be taking as many hits? Should he be trying to get out to the sideline more. Uh, do the Packers need to consider working on the rep count. There's always a question if Aaron Rodgers would change his whole mentality and stay in the pocket, then the narrative would become, well, why isn't Aaron Rodgers outside the pocket anymore? Everything has a cause and effect. We're now at a point we're a decade into his career as a starter money,

Aaron Rodgers is what he is as a quarterback. He still finds ways to improve his game and to kind of add things to his repertoire, but he's become a two time m v P A Super Bowl champion getting to this level the way he's played. I understand he's thirty four years old, but the time might eventually come if he does want to play into his forties, where he's gonna have to make an adjustment. I thought he did that in two thousand fourteen when he had the

calf injury staying inside the pocket. But right now I think that's one of the things that makes him great. Yeah, I totally agree with you. And this is my take, and this is admittedly simplistic, but for all the contact, the collisions, everything that happened in NFL games. Broken bones are fluke, because otherwise they'd happen a heck of a lot more than they do. They're a fluke and it's happened twice to Aaron Rodgers. And they are the only injuries since he has been a starter that have kept

him on the sidelines for any extended period of time. Yes, he's had a concussion here there, calf injury stuff that he's tried to play through. But the broken bones, the broken collar bones, is what you know has kept him out. Their fluke plays. He could just as easily break bones by staying in the pocket and taking a hit. That that's just the way. That's what happened to Brian Hoyer two years ago. Remember that when Clay Matthews had the hit and Hoyer broke his arm, right he was inside

the pot, Yeah, he was inside. I mean Aaron Rodgers, could you know, cock his arm in the pocket and his and his arm could hit some guy on the helmet or in the face mask or whatever. He could crack his forearm and be out for the season again or something. I mean it to me, this whole inside and outside the pocket and change the way you play the game. It's just it's not a narrative that that that I buy into it all, and clearly Rogers doesn't either. And if you're going to excel at this level, you

can't play with a fearful mindset. You can't play with restrictions. You have to play the way that you play the game. If Aaron Rodgers is curtailing certain aspects based on the and you know, potential risk, then he's not being Aaron Rodgers. So yeah, there's a bunch of different probabilities when you step on the field. Everyone gets that, players get that, but that's all based on probability and unlikeliness. You have

to play the game for what it is. The hypoth you know, the hypothetical is what I'm trying to say. Aaron Rodgers has to play with what's in front of him, and it's what's got into the points. Yeah. A couple other comments that Rogers made that I thought were really intriguing. Um. He talked about Jimmy Graham, very impressed with what he's seen so far from the new tight end in this offense, And one particular line in his comment about Graham that

interested me. He made reference to Graham being able to read coverages very quickly. Um, that says a lot for Jimmy Graham, But what I think it says for the two thousand eighteen Green Bay Packers. Something that we talked about on a previous show is Aaron Rodgers noticing that and feeling that way about Jimmy Graham tells me this whole process of those two getting on the same page is not going to take very long. He's got a lot of confidence in what this guy brings to the table.

He does, he absolutely does. And I think Graham's also guy that's going to fit in well with this locker room. It's only been a couple of days that we've seen him, you know, around the team, and that from with our eyeballs, but he just his personality just seems a really mess. He does remind me more of that Jared Cook sort of just un assuming kind of guy has out of this world athleticism, out of this world ability, but he

doesn't openly advertise that. He just as he said from the day at the beginning of the Office program, he wants to do his job, he wants to win that Super Bowl ring and he feels like this is the best conduit to making that happening. Yeah. Absolutely, With that, we're gonna go to a break back with more on Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted.

Mike Spofford here, Wes Hodko, WIT's over there West, continuing our discussion here on the offensive side of the ball, we talked about Rogers Jimmy Graham, life after Jordy Nelson begins. Now for the Green Bay Packers as we get into O. T, A. S and uh, pretty clear cut who the new leaders

are in the Packers wide receiver room. And I shouldn't necessarily say leaders because Randall Cobb has been one for a while, but now also Davante Adams becomes the pairing with Randall Cobb as far as the veteran leaders at that position group, a position group that has a lot of young guys who are going to be competing but

also trying to find their way in this league. And I thought one of the interesting things I wrote a story about this this week, Mike two under in nine regular season games played right now, among those eleven receivers in the Packers in that room right now, hundred and fifty five of them belonged to Randall Cobb in DeVante Adams, twenty six apiece for Geronimo Allison and Trevor Davison, two from Michael Clark, along with three rookie draft picks coming

in in a litany of other players trying to make the squad. Here's the thing, Randall Cobb has been in this role before. He was in it in two thousand fifteen as well. He was thrust in it when Jordy Nelson goes down to the a c L injury in Pittsburgh. He's not He's He's been a leader at a young age. For him, as he said this week with reporters, it's nothing new even though Jordy Nelson isn't in that room.

The most telling thing I thought was Davante Adams and listen to him speak for almost twenty minutes in locker room on on Tuesday, he mentioned this. I thought it was such an interesting point, is that he's always had that confidence to be a leader. He likes being a guy that people go to, and he understood when he signed that contract extension back in December, this is what

is going to be required of him. But being that he was a twenty two year old rookie four years ago, being that he had Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb at a time, James Jones in that room a year later, he wasn't gonna voice his opinion. He wasn't gonna be that outspoken because he wanted to give that respect. He didn't want to step on any feet. But don't get it twisted. He feels very comfortable being a guy that that players can go to and be in the face of an

offense UH and a receiver group. And I think even I saw Marquez Valdes Scantling the rookie fifth round pick out of usf retweeting the story that I had written for Packers dot Com and even said, couldn't asked for two better role models and how to be a professional, how to be a packer. Those two guys are the ones that are responsible for setting the standard now for them. And you know, I think it's something that both Cobb

and Adams fully embrace. Yeah, I think what I see with the Packers because we've seen we've seen the leadership mantle UH change hands several times over even just within Aaron Rodgers decade as a starting quarterback, you had your your Donald Drivers and you're Greg Jennings, and you're James Jones and Jordy Nelson, and now it's Davante Adams and

Randall Cobb. I don't know if it's something about the position group or just about those individuals, the type of guys who who are brought in to Green Bay and and you know, become those playmakers. All these guys are so comfortable in their own skin. They are completely at ease with who they are, and when leadership is thrust upon them, Davantae Adams is not going out there saying, Okay, I need to lead like Jordy Nelson, or I need to lead like James Jones or Donald Driver. He's gonna

be Davante Adams. And Randall Cobb has been that waste since he walked in as a as a very young twenty one year old in two thousand eleven, you know, very mature beyond his years, and now he is the elder statesman in the Packers locker room. But it doesn't feel like it's anything all that, you know, all that burdensome, I guess, is what I'm trying to say. Because these guys are very comfortable with who they are and here's the thing, like getting back to what Aaron Rodgers earlier.

Another topic he was asked about was the whole Dez Bryant fiasco. In that narrative, that's alter that the Packers would they be interested in does Bryant? Thanks Jason Witten, Yeah, right exactly. And you know, Roger said, I mean, why why would we sign Dez Bryant? You know, when when you let go of Jordy Nelson, when you have all these young receivers. And I said this during the pre draft. I'm sure remember it when we're going out of the combine and looking at some of the stuff going into

the draft, by and large, not even close. The position the Packers have done the best job of drafting and developing is receiver. They've done it with all the guys that you mentioned, So why at that point do why was even before Briant? I know there's questions about Sammy Atkins and other people putting all this stuff out there. The Packers have done such a pure job of developing those guys and finding playmakers. I think there has to be a lot of trust there that it's going to

happen again. And that's why, you know, Adams and Cobb. They're a product of that tree, and I think they understand exactly what their role is now is they try

to cultivate, you know, that that new generation of Packers receivers. Yeah, and I think when you look at when you look at this young group, Aaron Rodgers made the comment when it comes to the rookie wide receivers, he didn't really have an assessment necessarily of how they're doing because he hasn't thrown very many passes to them at all in the eleven on eleven drills at O T as yet

because of where they are on the depth chart. Guys like Davante Adams and Randall Cobb can tell these young receivers. You know, Adams in particular can say, hey, look where I was on the depth chart in when I was rookie, and it was what maybe the New England game and November of his rookie season before he really sort of had his coming out party, so to speak, of like, oh, here's this rookie receiver and look what he can do.

Randall Cobb the same thing, although you know he had that big kickoff return in his very first gaming Saints, but offensively in this offense with Aaron Rodgers Randall Cobb. It it took some time to become an impact player because of where he was on the depth chart when he walked in. Those are great examples for these young guys, for you know, Jamon Moore and for eq st Brown,

these guys. When you're used to be in the star being the man in a big time offense in college, you don't just step into that role in the NFL, but you can get there. And these two guys, Adams and Cobb, are perfect examples of how you get there. And Adams said too, there's another side of that ballgame as well, what he went through in two thousand and fifteen. He said, no matter what you've gone through, and this

isn't being you know, he's not. This is a humble brake, but he's like, I've been through a million times worse because of the pressure that got put on him after Jordy Nelson was gone and the injury that happened, right and that was just in his second season. He had to pick himself up and then end up having the breakthrough season in two thousand and sixteen. That's just sometimes

the way it goes. And I think that's as he said, adds a lot of credit ality to that argument when they have those conversations with young players, no question about it. With that, we'll go to a break back with more on Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford in this chair, West Hodko wits in that one,

West shifting to the defensive side of the ball. I know there's a lot of anticipation and whatnot as to just what the Packers secondary is going to look like with the top two draft picks coming in at cornerback Jaire Alexander Josh Jackson. Kevin King spoke at his locker the other day and um, I guess probably the best news of of everything that we've heard is that his shoulder surgery, the shoulder injury that cut short his rookie season,

everything everything went well. He's not absolutely fully medically cleared to participate in everything right now. I think the Packers are holding out until until training camp for for that stage. But Kevin King is very confident in his health right now and he's excited for what lies ahead. And there's levels to this thing. Mike, you can be back for the off season program and be able to participate in this stuff. And you know, have some restrictions before training camp,

you also cannot be doing anything too. So the fact that he is out there, I think points to that progress. And he said, you know, he had one of the best in the business. Dr James Andrew is probably one of the most famous sports surgeons in the country. Work on that shoulder feels like he took care of him. He's gonna go. He's gonna be able to get his hands on guys this season pressing at the line of scrimmage. Feels really good about that right now and where he's sitting.

And then he also mentioned too, I mean the fact that they've brought in two more cornerbacks into this competition with JayR Alexander and Josh Jackson. Truman Williams coming in a guy that he's expecting to learn from as well with the wealth of experience that Traumont has had over

the last eleven years in this league. I've been saying at all offseason, the Packers have built a lot of depth at the cornerback position, and for for King to be back and participating in this and the plans that the Packers have for him, in the bright spots that he showed during his rookie season despite that shoulder injury. I think that bodes well for what he's gonna have in store now for his sophomore campaign. Yeah, let's not

let's not forget this. Uh, this is one tough cookie here from the University of Washington, because this is this is a shoulder injury that you know, he he played through it a good stretch in in his rookie season before he was shut down, but he had to battle this in college at times as well, with the shoulder popping out of place because of the problems and whatnot, and uh, you know, he just he just kept after it.

And I sensed I sensed not not only some relief, but some excitement on his part that he feels like, for the first time in a while, the shoulder is not something that has to be on his mind, that that that that he has to think about. And when you combine perhaps that, uh, that that mind at ease type of position with the talent and the ability that we haven't seen frankly yet on the field because he really only played about half a season, it'll be really

intriguing what what develops. I think of it a lot like a car. You know, where you're driving a car and let's say you got a dang or you got an a Fender vendor uh and and you keep driving it. Yeah, when you're not driving it, it's gonna feel like everything's okay. But when you have to get back in it, you're not making anything better. You do have to get it repaired. And I go back to that game, I think it was against Pittsburgh, where you could just see him battling

through it and and just pushing himself through it. He'd miss practices, he'd miss a game, he'd come back. There was just that understanding that, Okay, we gotta get this thing better for the long run as opposed to just the short term. Something else that was very interesting, Mike, and I pointed this out when you and I were standing at practice, the fact that, yeah, we could talk about Kevin King until we're blowing the face. But Quentin Rollins was back on the field after having that nasty

achilles injury last season. Herb water Is, who had the solar surgery last training camp. Packers were high on him making a conversion from receiver. He was back on the field. Kentroll Bryce back from the ankle injury. So the Packers finally are getting healthy in that secondary, which I know it's it's may you're anticipating that that's what's going to happen.

But the fact that those guys are back on the field, to me, once you know, July rolls around, that is the position between cornerback and safety and who ends up playing in nickel and dimes situations. It's the biggest battle. It's the biggest competition. There are so many players with

experience going to be in that that battle. To see these guys being able to get back on the field and potentially in a position for that first training camp practice and start competing, I think that's something that Joe Wit and that entire defense has to feel good about. Yeah, that's what I was gonna say, is that with some of these injuries, I was certainly anticipating, you know, more guys being held out, you know where maybe you're waiting

for the first practice of training camp. But when with the work that they're able to get Now, as you said, the competition is going to be intense, It's going to be sharp. These guys are are going to be going at it because not only for the pecking order and whatnot in terms of playing time, but just flat out making the roster because of because of the all those young guys from you know, the year one to year three, four guys that are in that mix. There's not gonna

be room for all of them. That's just the bottom line exactly. And kudos the Herb Waters. He told me in January he'd be cleared for O t A s and he was lived up to his word. All right. With that, we will go to a break back with more on Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford alongside West Hodko. It's West quickly

before we go. Worth mentioning here that, especially for those fans locally who are coming out to the open O t A practices, some familiar faces not in their jerseys but on the side headlines for Green Bay this spring as coaching interns. Coincidentally, all of them on the Super Bowl forty five roster from two thousand ten. Talking about

jareded Bush, Brandon Jackson, and Nick Barnett. Now, Brandon Jackson was here last year in the same sort of coaching intern capacity and then He's worked at a couple of small colleges um with with his uh you know, trying to break into coaching, and now Jared Bush and Nick Barnett trying to do the same thing, get into the coaching business after they're playing days. Just interesting to see some of those familiar faces out there as they as

they try to take that next step in their careers. Yeah, and it's not even just the familiar faces out there. It was in the stadium. I ran into Jared Bush walking around on Wednesday, and uh, just like he did when he was a player. I don't know if you remember this, Jared Bush was very very rarely available in the locker room, Like he just wasn't in there. If you wanted to get him, you could get him. He just wasn't sitting at his locker on his iPhone the

entire time. What he used to do all the time is he put on a weight pack, run into the bowl, and he'd run the stairs. He didn't have the weight pack. The guy went and did that again. I mean, like he looks phenomenal right now. And I've even said this to one of the r PR communications assistant, Nate like Cassio. I mean he even looks like he got taller. To be honest with you, I forgot how tall Jared Bush was.

And I'll tell you what. He's a great guy to have in here, just starting with him first and foremost, because yes, he knew with the everything ins and outs of Dom Caper's defense, but he also made himself valuable on special teams. For any young guy that's trying to make this fifty three, Jared Bush should be your idol.

You should have a picture of him up on your mantle in terms of an undrafted free agent out of Utah State that came in and did everything that was asked of him and made himself valuable for nine years in the NFL. Nick Barnett a vet veteran's veteran, you know, as long as he was around. And then obviously Brandon Jackson having the experience he did last year with Ben sermons to a good group to learn from here during

the offseason program. Yeah, when you talk about Jared Bush being um, you know, being a poster boy so to speak for last lack of a better phrase, for some of these young guys. Let's not forget his even first

attempt into the NFL failed. He get he gets released by Carolina, the Packers end up claim claiming him on waivers, and then for the better part of a decade he becomes a special team standout and then the occasional fill in uh in the defensive backfield, both at corner or safety when something was needed, and the guy gets an interception in the Super Bowl against Ben Roethlisberger. Absolutely, just an incredible career he had. I remember Don Caper Santa too.

He could play basically every position that wasn't defensive line, could play the linebacker spots, he could play dime linebacker. He could do whatever you needed him to do, and he's a good guy to learn from. Yeah, it's good to see these guys back. It's always nice to reconnect with familiar faces. But with that, we will sign off on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team on Packers dot Com on Twitter. He is at west Hot I'm at

Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. We'll see you next time.