#393 Packers Unscripted: Offensive rundown

off coming up. Matt Lafleur has been filling out his coaching staff here for with the Packers, so we'll squeeze in a couple of shows here to talk about what's going on with these coaches as the vast majority are now in place, and we'll focus this show today on the offensive side of the ball. I'll give you the quick rundown here. The new names on the coaching staff.

Nathaniel Hackett offensive coordinator, wide receivers, Elvis Witted tight ends, just an out and offensive line Adam Stanovich assistant offensive lying Loot excuse me, Luke butt Kiss, and then a couple of familiar names, quarterback coach Luke Getsy, coming back to the Packers after a year away in the college ranks. He coached wide receivers here before and then Ben Sermons sticking around to coach running back. So as this group takes shape west, what are your initial impressions kind of

of the collective? Impressive, young, impressive. I think you're seeing a lot of guys in their thirties, but for the most part, each one of them individually has really impressive resumes. To speak of Nathaniel Hackett coming over from the Jacksonville Jaguar, spent a number of years there, obviously, the son of Paul Hackett, one of the big innovators of the NFL, A mentor to Mike McCarthy, and I'm really excited to

see how this this group shapes up. Before we get into all the new coaches, I just want to take a minute, though, to to talk about Ben Sermons coming back. Luke getsy return earning to Green Bay with Sermons, what he's done with that group over the last three years, what he's had to work with, uh, the I don't know if there's any position coach that's had to overcome

as much adversity as Sermons has had to. So when it was announced that he would be returning as running backs coach, I thought that was a big plus for this offense and with Luke Getzy, and we're gonna get a chance here in the coming weeks to talk to him his reasons for coming back to Green Bay after the year spent with Mississippi State as the offensive coordinator

slash receivers coach. I'll say this about Luke Getzi. I don't know in my time on the beat if there has been a young coach that's coming as a quality control coach that has looked more the part of a leader of a high level future head coach than Luke Getz has. Uh. He's diversified his resume. I don't want to put words in Aaron Rodgers mouth right now, but I from what I recall from a few years ago,

spoke really highly of him as a coach. So to get him back, regardless of its quarterbacks, whatever it is, I just think it's the same move last year is getting retaining Jerry Montgomery after there's a little flirtation with the college rinks. I just think this is a guy that's meant for the pros. I think he's meant to

coach at a high level. Yeah, and it's interesting too with regards to Getsy, we saw him as wide receivers coach here in Green Bay come up with a lot of I guess you'd call him innovative drills with his players. You know, they the wide receivers were catching bricks before they hit the ground, you know, both for the hand eye coordination, the reaction, and for the strength in the

hand and the fingers, all those things incorporated. They would juggle tennis balls and even do the juggling where they would throw the tennis balls off the wall and then have to catch them coming back. I don't know what he's got in store for Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, I'm really I'm really curious to see what what Luke comes up with now that he's that he's Aaron Rodgers position coach. But yes, you're right, Rogers spoke very highly of him

when he was working with those wide receivers. And plenty of veteran guys too, and you're talking Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson. These are the guys that that Luke gets he worked with on a regular basis. And just to throw out there too, I know some people are asking award of their credentials there. Well, one, he played quarterback, he's been there.

But the other thing I think is really underrated that not a lot of people have talked about that one season, that experimental season where Mike McCarthy had Alex Van Pelt coaching both the quarterbacks and the receivers. He had both of those rooms gets he was sort of his number two, uh in terms of assisting him there, and so he has some history already working with Rogers. Certainly there's the synergy between the receiver and quarterback positions. I'm sure he

did a whale of a job at Mississippi State. I'm sure he did a tremendous job, you know, with the success they had this past season. I just think, though, when I see him, when I look at him, when I see how he interacted with those players, despite being a younger coach, he just screams NFL coach to me. So it's good in that regard to see him back in what I feel to be his wheelhouse. Yeah. Well, starting at the top on the offensive side with Nathaniel Hackett.

He when you look at their coaches, no matter where they come from in the NFL, there's usually somebody that that has thought very highly of them along the way and brought them along. And when you look at Nathaniel Hackett. That guy would be Doug Moron. He has worked with Maron at Syracuse, worked with him with the Buffalo Bills, then again with the Jacksonville Jaguars. I know there was It's interesting because I think this is a really interesting

higher pairing Nathaniel Hackett. You mentioned the son of Paul Hackett and all that. With Matt Lafleur, another young offensive mind, there seemed to be I don't know what you thought. I I sensed a lot of skepticism in the fan reaction to this higher because there seemed to be uh with with Hackett what he did with Blake Bortles and Jacksonville. There was sort of the peak that he hit, and then everybody started wondering, well then why did it go south?

Like why didn't it work out? How come he couldn't sustain that with Blake Bortles. And to me, it's a pretty simple answer. It was Blake Bortles. I mean, this is it's not Aaron Rodgers, it's not Drew Brees, it's not you know, I mean so, and I don't mean to you know, I don't mean to degrade Blake Bortles, but you know, he is who he is and where he is in his career versus the guy that Nathaniel

Hackett is gonna be working with now. And to me, this combination, my point is this combination of Hackett and La Fleur offensively, their backgrounds, what they bring and what they're going to what they're gonna bring to this offense with Aaron Rodgers and stuff. I'm really excited to see it. Yeah,

I am too, Mike. And then one thing I want to point out with Hackett, when you know we've talked over the past a few years, you think back to maybe Jared Cook when he came to Green Bay and in saying what it's going to be like to play with Aaron Rodgers after not really having a quarterback like that. Um,

It's happened a number of times. Mercedes Lewis talked about some of the challenges that he felt there were in Jacksonville just with the structure you know of Again, I don't want to pile on Blake Bortles, but Blake Bortles isn't Aaron Rodgers. That's the point I'm trying to make exactly. That's the point I was so for Nathaniel Hackett now to get an opportunity to work with Rogers, to work

with this offense. I think you can look at his resume and it's an accomplished resume, but from the pro level, he hasn't had weapons like this to to work off of. There were challenges in Jacksonville, there were challenges with the Bills, and certainly when you go back to his time with

the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So for him to have Aaron Rodgers from Matt Lafleur um them having Luke Getzie, a guy that has experienced with Rodgers altogether in that room, I think it's gonna be a big benefit for them and seeing exactly what they can dial up with some young innovative offensive minds, you know, to to work with

one of the game's best. Well, Hackett's best offense in Jacksonville with Boardles obviously at quarterback, was when he had Leonard four Nette had that big rookie season for the Jaguars and really focused on the running games. So that makes you wonder, you know, just where, um where the emphasies so to speak, might be with this Packers offense

with Lafleur and Hackett. And we talked before about what Lafleur did in Tennessee when he was dealing with injuries at quarterback, and he really turned them into a power

running team. So all of those backgrounds, and like I said, I'm not going to try to predict exactly how they're going to structure this offense surround Aaron Rodgers based on their backgrounds and what they've what they bring, but what they do bring is a history of being able to adjust and make the most of of what they've got there.

And I know things with Hackett went a little bit south in Jacksonville when when Bordles wasn't able to sustain his level of play and they fell off after reaching the a f C Championship game and as some would say, they came one inadvertent whistle away from going to a super Bowl. But but it's an interesting mix. And then

you throw in Alvis Witted coming to coach the wide receivers. Now, this is a coach who's been in the college ranks for a number of years at Colorado State, but he also played in the NFL for nine seasons, So an experienced NFL wide receiver coached a couple of All Americans at wide receiver at at Colorado State for the Rams out there in the Rocky Mountains. So your impressions of Alvis Witted when you look at at his I don't want to make this into Okay, what's the best higher?

I don't like playing that game, but I have to say this is probably the higher I'm most excited about for the Packers. I was thinking about this, and this is no disrespect anyone who came before Witted in that receiver coach position. Certainly Edgar Bennett was very accomplished, but I I'm trying to think back. I think you probably have to go back to the Jimmy Robinson days for a guy that that played the position and is as

credential that the position he's coaching as Witted is. Uh. That's why I think for me, when I saw his name come up, it was one of the more exciting ones. Not just because of what he brings, not because of the NFL experience, not because of the three All Americans that he's had at Colorado State. It's the fact that he has a lot of young receivers to work with. Now, Uh, Davante Adams, you still want to keep him on the incline.

You still want to be able to, you know, work with your Jake Cumrose and your your gern Way Elson's. But let's face it, Mike, they drafted three young receivers last year. There stands to reason they could bring in another one this offseason, depending on how things shake out. You want to have a guy that has experience maximizing talent from guys in their early twenties. Winded has that. You look at it right now. Michael Gallup, third round

pick last year for Dallas. They're very excited about him. Richard Higgins, fifth round pick for Cleveland, has started to make his jump in Preston Williams. We're gonna see how all this works out with the NFL draft process here. But another guy that I think a lot of people are excited about. They call it receiver. You. I mean, they had a big I don't know if you saw it or not. They had a big package. Thanking him for his contributions at the school and now gets his

chance to try his hand coaching at the NFL level. Yeah, and if I'm not mistaken, Williams was a second team All American and then the other two draft picks you mentioned were first term to All American wide receivers. So there's a lot of a lot to talk about there before this gets away from me. Uh though, West, I can't forget the Green Bay Packers get ready for game day with the powerful noise canceling technology of Bo's Quiet.

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I guess thank you well on the offensive line. Here a couple of other um new names that will be coming to Green Bay. Adam Stenovitch interesting here he will be the offensive line coach. Luke Butkuss his assistant on the offensive line, and Stanovic, a Wisconsin native from Marshfield, originally a two time first team All Big Ten player at left tackle at the University of Michigan. Surprisingly, with

those credentials, did not get drafted. Um actually spent time in Green Bay as an undrafted young player in two thousand and six, which was Mike McCarthy's first season here, ended up going to NFL Europe, and Um eventually got into coaching. Now this is a promotion of sorts for him that he will be the offensive line coach. Has been the assistant offensive line coach for the San Francisco forty Niners under Kyle Shanahan. Um, they're fairly new head

coach out there. UM. This will be Uh, this will be interesting because, as we talked about on one of our previous shows, when James camp and departed, you talk about a a respected, accomplished, long time NFL head coach. Now you're talking about a new guy, a new young guy coming in there's gonna be a lot of veterans in that offensive line room, but this is this is a hungry coach who was getting a promotion. He's getting his chance to really show what he can do. And

he's got on a pro to work with. And David bak tr Uh you know, Pro Bowl alternate type and Corey Linsley, Brian Blaga, same type of level of player. So a lot of experience in that offensive line room and a young coach is going to be looking to prove himself. Yeah. What I really like about this situation here is, uh, you can talk about James Camping and what a run he had, I mean, you know, tied with Hog Hanner for the longest you know, tenure as

a concurrent assistant on the staff fifteen years. Really impressive. But there was a time where James Campon was a former high school football coach that was an assistant offensive line coach in Green Bay underneath Joe Philbin and he had to work his way up to That's what I like about the move with Stenovich. He has experience in Matt Lafleur's system, in the in the MIC and Kyle Shanahan system. So from that regard, there on a you know, an equal wavelength and in terms of what they're thinking

into it, it's giving a young guy an opportunity. And I think when you look at Stanovich where he came from, the fact that he's a lifelong offensive lineman, like camping, he had a cup of tea cup of cough be in the NFL camp and stent that lasted a little bit longer, but he's worked his way up and now

is you know, walking into this opportunity. So yes, young guy again as you mentioned, But I just think when you're talking about somebody at that position with the experiences that he has, uh, you want to give him a shot and you want to see what they have to offer.

And I think in that regard, without having a chance to talk to Senovic, he had about what his his outlook is on this opportunity and a lot of accomplished guys that he's going to be coaching there, you just have to feel like this is the type of move as they look to make that next step that that it makes sense for Matt Lafleur in this offense. Yeah, it's it's interesting to me just looking at his resume.

As I mentioned, a two time first team all big ten left tackle, but yet somehow doesn't get drafted with those types of credentials. And that's an interesting, an interesting thing to me from the standpoint of, you know, a training camp starts with you know what, fourteen maybe fifteen offensive lineman. There are always a handful of those guys, young guys who were in that room, who are who they have similar type of credentials, and they're sitting there going,

how come I didn't get drafted? You know, we we talked about a guy like Lane Taylor who just gets overlooked and eventually needs to make his way as as an undrafted That's weird because he was a guard. No, guards don't give respect. Tackles usually did. And but but Stanovich is a guy who's going to be in front of in front of those young hopefuls, knowing exactly what

they're thinking and exactly what they're going through. And I think from that standpoint, from that that whole developmental standpoint, I think he's going to have a way to connect with with some of those guys, much like James Camping, because because Camping came from, you know, the the humble beginnings. In terms of a professional career as well. And the thing about Campy two is that he could take himself

with being sort of an everyman. He could take his personality and he could tailor to Brian Blaga, you know, a guy that had all these credentials and all these accolades coming out of Iowa, first round draft pick, and get on a level with him. But at the same time, with the huge heart that he had, he could look at a guy like Justin mccraig who has been chewed up and spit out by the NFL and is trying to clause way back in the league. He could relate to that guy too and get the most out of him.

That that's what camp he did so well and and God bless him, That's that's what's led to his new opportunity and in Cleveland as an associate head coach. He knows how to get the most out of players. So yeah, that that's gonna be the thing that you know, Stenovich is gonna have to do. But you look at what he had to work with in San Francisco. You know, you have Joe Staley out there who's done it all, seen it all, played through all the games and conditions

and earned his respect. So yeah, certainly there's gonna be approving ground. But at the same time, I think you look in with that position, there's just a brotherhood there. So regardless of what your credentials say or what your resume says, if you know how to coach, the guys are gonna listen. And and for Matt Lafleur, he's been

impressed enough with Stanovitch to give him this opportunity. And his assistant will be Luke but Kiss And of course if you recognize that name, he is the nephew of the Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Chicago Bears great at linebacker Dick Buckis. And you're stopping there. The Hang Time actor, that's a big one, Michael. That just goes along with the resume. I mean we're talking about

coach Mike here. I mean that for me as a child, Michael, that was one of my formidable moments watching that show. But yeah, that the Hall of Fame thing linebacker, that's cool too. Did you ever watch Hang Time? It's a great show. Dude that didn't go back and watch. I learned a lot of lessons. But okay, you can continue. You know what I was gonna say is certainly followed in a lot of ways in his uncle's footsteps. Was a player at the University of Illinois, although he was

on the offensive side. He was a center, an All Big ten center for the line. I and then did uh play for the Chicago Bears. Also coached with the Chicago Bears. Um and he and most recently he was the offensive line coach at the University of Illinois under a couple of different head coaches, most recently Love E. Smith. Um. Interesting to Uh. I just wonder what it's going to feel like for him to put on a packer shirt

for the first time. That may be a question he gets the first time he faces the media, like, oh, what was it like to put that shirt on? Some people saying uncle Dick to seeing what his thoughts are gonna be on And I'm sure he's gonna understand that his nephew wants to go out and get a job and make him. Here's what I love about it, though we don't have the technology to like put up his picture, but take away the name, take away the titles. If you take Luke buck Kiss his photo and say what

position does he coach? I mean immediately you're gonna be like, oh offensive, he just looks like an offensive line coach. Um. And the thing I wrote about this an inbox last week when you were gone. I don't know if you caught it or not, but I just really like, kind of in a smaller way from Winted is this is a guy that for the most part, he's cut his teeth at the college ranks and had a number of different stints with Illinois and including the last few years

with Lovey Smith. But I just I really like him taking his game to the next level. He was you know, you're an offensive line coach and you need need to be able to maximize that. But it's just the game changes when you get to the NFL. So you know, there was a great rapport between James Camp and in Jeff blasco there. Now seeing how buck Kiss and Stenovitch come together, two younger guys both under forty, I'm excited

to see that. Yeah, and one guy we haven't talked a whole lot about yet at tight ends justin out and now I'll admit I don't know a whole lot about him, but this is a promotion for him as well. He's kind of getting a position group. He's been an offensive assistant in the NFL in the past, he's now getting a position group of his own for the first time.

And um, quite frankly, Wes, this is maybe the position group that is the most unsettled, you might say, heading into for the Packers on offense, because we just don't know what's going to happen. With Marcedes Lewis and Lance Kendricks both headed to free agency, Packers haven't drafted a tight end for a while, so maybe that's something that is on the docket for April. Jimmy Graham's under contract, having been the big free agent signing from a year ago.

Robert Ton and Tanya and a young guy who got some playing time towards the end of the year, made a couple of splash plays there. But a position group that right now you just don't even know how it's going to take shape. And uh and again another young

coach who will be looking to make his mark. Yeah, and and out and if you know anything about him, another guy again, not to keep bring up James Camping, but he was a former high school football coach gets an opportunity with Atlanta the last few years as an offensive assistant and being here you are coaching a position group in the NFL. You don't get that chance if he didn't impress Matt Lafleur, though through those channels there

wasn't that respect. But to your point, I mean, yeah, this is one of the more unproven guys in terms of just having the resume. But at the same time, I look at a position like tight end and I go back to Jerry Fontino. Jerry font who was a former NFL center, played for a number of years. They give him the tight ends and you're not really sure. Okay, well, what's the correlation there. I've always felt like he did a whale of a job during his time in Green Bay.

So I think it's very similar for ought in here out and here. Um, you don't know what that room is gonna look like, the veterans, the young players. But uh, certainly, again with that history of Matt Laflour and being on that same wavelength, you can't underestimate that as well. Yeah, all right, Well that's pretty much the rundown here, And because of where we're at with time, I think we will delay the discussion of defensive special teams coaches for

another show. Later this week, and we'll get that in before before you head off on your little absolutely we got two days. I think it's on Netflix. I want you to watch hang Time. I want you to learn from Coach Mike's lesson. I've been roped. I've been roped into it. Now I gotta go what was it? I gotta watch Fletch Right, I've still not done it. You have to go watch a few Hang Time episodes with Dick Buckus and it thought. Please okay for me? All right,

it'll be my conversation starter with his nephew. Alright, well we'll start, we'll we'll go with that. With that, we are going to sign off on this edition of Packers Unscripted. We'll see you back here again in a couple of days. He's for Wes and Mike on Twitter. He's at west Hot, I'm at Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. We will see you next time, ye