#405 Packers Unscripted: Intriguing questions

with former Packers general manager Ted Thompson. After a fantastic weekend his wonderful induction into the Packers Hall of Fame, he went public this week with a statement about a disorder and autonomic disorder of his nervous system that he is dealing with, and it did lead to him stepping away from the general manager role obviously after the season.

I just want to say we hope and pray that he can get the treatment and UH and the management of the disease that he needs to to continue to UH to lead a fruitful life, because he certainly had a great one. Yeah. Absolutely, As I wrote an insider inbox for what was Thursday's edition, UH, Ted Thompson is not the kind of guy that's going to seek sympathy.

He certainly doesn't want attention. That's never been his primory you know, objective in life, but it is something that he felt was important to come out and talk about. UM and you know it is. It's life, right, and we deal with certain things. There's certain obstacles we have to overcome. You can check out the whole statement on packers dot com for a more thorough um, you know, explanation for his thoughts and in the process that he's

going through right now. You were there though on Saturday. Uh, it's just an emotional, uh, celebratory night. And I know over the past few years, and I go back to a story that from the NFL Combine in eighteen uh talking to John Snyder and one of the questions I asked him this was shortly after Ted stepped down from the GM post and John, you know, immediately got very emotional about it. You can tell how much he means to so many people, the Wolf family, you know, Snyder,

John Dorsey, Reggie McKenzie was Intendance. Scott McLuhan not only from a business perspective, not only from a scout perspective, but personally one of the more humble human beings you're ever going to come across. And as you said, Michael, we obviously wish him the best. Yeah, it was. It really was a neat ceremony on Saturday night. I'll say

that not only looking at who always in attendance. You mentioned Reggie Mackenzie, John Dorsey, there were video messages from John Schneider, from Charles Woodson, from Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson was there. Other Packers players current and former were there. I actually got kind of got a kick out of the brief media session that we had with Mike Reinfeldt,

who was his presenter um for induction. Reinfeldt being a Houston Oilers teammate going way back in the day when when Ted was a football player, an NFL player, and and a pretty darn good one for ten years. Quite frankly, he'll never admit to and he'll never write he'll never admit to that. But for some pretty good Houston Oilers teams that came, you know, a razor thin margin from getting to a super bowler two back in the Pittsburgh Steelers heydays there in the a f C in the seventies.

But just getting Rhin Felt's perspective on the type of the type of teammate Ted Thompson was as a player, and then as their relationship evolved and their friendship got even closer, I think as they were both executives with the Green Bay Packers, then went their separate ways with different franchises. I just found Mike rhin felt to be a very interesting, engaging guy, and and the story that I wrote Saturday night on our website from the ceremony

included a lot of comments from him. I just you know, I was really entertained as well as informed about a lot of things about Ted Thompson and what makes the man based on what rhin Feldt said. Yeah, it was really interesting too, because I mean there were certain things I did know when but in terms of like actually remembering, I mean we always look at Ted Thompson from the run Wolf Tree. Rhinfeld was the one that helped facilitate that.

He was the one that sort of helped him get his foot in the door from after he was doing whatever it was sales or whatever the professional he went

into shortly thereafter. He's sort of an offshoot to this whole tree in terms of Ted Thompson his development, certainly two very good friends and for him to be back, you could tell, you know, even watching the videos with Ted just what that meant for him to to have Rhinfeld being the one to present him for induction, and certainly a very very emotional but a very blessed night as well. Yeah, it was a neat night with uh,

and I counted it up. He's Ted Thompson is only the seventh individual to ever be inducted into the Pettlers Hall of Fame as a class of one. And I'm gonna see if I can do this if I can remember the other six. Two of them were players, Brett Farvan, Reggie White, Reggie White being posthumously unfortunately, um, but then the others Mike Holmgren, Bob Harlan, Ron Wolf, and William Brault who was a Packers executive and the founder of

the Packers Hall of Fame. So that's the class that Ted Thompson is in in terms of being an induction class of one. I think, I just I think that's a really interesting list and uh and I'm glad for Ted Thompson that he was able to have that night, you know, very much focused on him absolutely, and then obviously the focus was on him in the ceremony and everything that went into that. I do have to give a quick shout out to Cliff Crystal as well. Yes,

getting the Barton Cherry Stars. I should not, I should not ignore that, but you're right, he was the only Hall of Fame induction. But it was neat to see Cliff get that honor as well. Uh, Packers historian honestly a mentor to me, a mentor to so many on this beat, just a tremendous a guy that is fully devoted to making sure that Packers history is remembered accurately. Getting those stories correct has sort of been his charge

here in pseudo retirement. Yes, getting everything recorded factually, and he's been a big part of a lot of a lot of what's been going on here over the hundred Seasons celebration, you know, and and all of that with regards to getting history recorded. I do have to say it was somewhat funny to see he's getting the bart and Cherry Star award. You know, if you know the history there with Cliff, he covered bart when he was

the head coach as well. Cliff is as much of an intrepid bulldog reporter as it can be, um, you know, and obviously a guy that over the years, I mean, players, coaches, knew who he was and it was fitting though also to see that put onto it in in terms of his service and in what he did over the last

fifty years to make sure that Packers history is remembered accurately. Yeah. Well, Cliff has been a treasure to have here in this building as Packers history, and we have one of the kind regular postings on our website with with historical biographies and and other perspectives on Packer's history. Just a real treasure. I learned something every time I read something that that Cliff Crystal. Right. So with that West, I want to

shift years momentarily to Um. I'm just going to toss out a question here for you with regards to the Packers draft class. We've talked about a lot already. Eight players in the class, two first rounders, all of that, I want to ask you, and I'll give you my answer as well. Is there one of these eight draft

picks that is the most intriguing to you? In terms of what I mean by intriguing is following that player's progress through his rookie season, kind of the guy that you're maybe going to have a little bit of an extra I on just because of what you know about him and maybe what you think could be down the road for him. Is there one of those guys that stands out to you in that regard. During our pre production meeting, you threw this at me, so you gave me a chance to kind of think, and I gave

you a slight form my thoughts in mind. I'm just hoping you don't pick the guy that I'm going to pick because we didn't discuss, and I might end up doing it because the first the two first round picks are too easy. Savage is going to play a lot. We're going to see a lot of him, and obviously Gary coming in with the expectations at number twelve. My is Kingsley Kiki. Did I do it? Did I pick it? No? You didn't. I have a different one, so go ahead.

Keiki is interesting for me because they're just there are so many questions of what his position is going to be in the NFL, how he's going to be utilized. His weight fluctuated in college, they played him at a number of different spots, at a number of different weights. Uh, seeing him get a chance to settle in now, you don't do that in the NFL. He's not going to be asked to play at three thirty and then be down to two eight five or something like that, whatever

weight the training staff figures him to be at. That's where his long term plan is going to be. So seeing him get to settle into that, I think is gonna be really intriguing. This is a guy too, I know the Packers really thought very highly of and would not be surprised at all. They had higher than a fifth round grade on him just based on his So I mean for him now to come into the NFL defensive line is a tough position. It's a tough position to get your feet in the dirt on day one

and make an impact. But I really like adding him to the rotation. I just think it's been twenty three consecutive years where the Packers have drafted a defensive linemen Kingsley Kiki. I didn't know a lot about him in the pre draft process, but the more we read about him, the more film I watch of him in what he did in college, I just think that he's the type of guy that has a lot of potential and found ways to get after the quarterback in a conference where

that's not always easy to do. Yeah, it definitely isn't easy to do. And my guy coincidentally is Kingsley, Kiki's teammate, And I'm gonna go with j Sternberger, the third round draft pick and tight end out of Texas A and M just like Kiki and I say this, he's he's my most intriguing guy. For this reason. You and I have talked about how tight end it's a tough spot to come in and make an impact right away in

the NFL. There is a developmental process to becoming a fully formed, well rounded, however you want to say it, tight end in this league. But what really intrigues me about Sternberger is this is a guy who went from junior college where when he got to that junior college and he wasn't even number one on the debt chart,

he was like two or three. He works his way up at junior college, then from there he jumps into the SEC and in one season of SEC football at Texas A and my averages seventeen yards of catch and ten gets ten touchdowns. I'm not going to discount the developmental process that a guy like this needs coming into the NFL. Certainly, by all accounts, the blocking and those responsibilities that he's going to need to learn as a

tight end. That's going to take some time. But a guy who can go from junior college to the SEC in one year and do what he did, it makes me really really curious just what he might be able to do in a rookie year with the Packers when he's at a position that he's not jumping in as the number one guy. Jimmy Graham is going to be the number one receiving target tight end in this offense.

There's absolutely no question about that. So he doesn't have all of this pressure being thrown on him to be the guy at the position, even though the Packers clearly invested a very high draft pick in him. So for those reasons, he's kind of my most intriguing pick. As far as watching that rookie year progress, you raise a lot of great points there, namely the first one being I think he is a guy that gets it. You

don't just go into the SEC. You don't go into that program with Jimbo Fisher and just hit the ground running like that. If there isn't a pretty light, you know, bright bulb in the in the light, he he has that and it will be interesting to see how quickly he can pick up this game now moving on to the next level. The other thing that I really enjoy about him and listening to his story and where he comes from, is the fact that there just seems to

be a lot of untapped potential. Even with the success he had last year in the SEC and A, Texas A and M, this is a guy that I still think has his best football ahead of him in terms of just what his ceiling can be. I think that that was just scratching the surface last year, and that's certainly one of the reasons why the Packers made the move that they did to take him where they did. And lastly, you brought up the best point of all. He has a chance to learn at his own pace.

That's something the tight ends here in Green Bay haven't had in quite some time. Richard Rodgers had to play a lot as a rookie. Jamichael Finley basically got shoved in there right with Donald Lee and it didn't take him too much long to sort of become that next guy. And certainly, you know, Bubba Franks when he came in as well, was looked at as the day one starter.

I really like this set up for Sternberger and listening last year Robert Tony and talk about how helpful it was to work with Graham and Marcedes Lewis, how open they were with their mind and their knowledge. I just think that's gonna be the perfect compliment to set him up for success. Yeah, all right, Well with that West,

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It's meedy goodness fuels the greatness of Packers fans everywhere. I try the delicious classic chicken noodle soup. Just visit your local supermarket and ask for Campbell's Chunky Sup Official sup partner of the Green Bay Packers. Okay, I'm gonna throw another question at you. I did the great on the first one. I'm excited to build some momentum and don't take my answer on this one either. Try not help it even though you don't know what my answer is going to be. All right, what what I'm gonna

throw at you here? We're gonna between now and the end of July and even through July and August. This is a type of topic We're going to talk about a lot, But I'm just gonna throw it out there today as a as a one off, so to speak. What position battle position competition? As the Packers ninety man roster stands right now, are you most looking forward to seeing unfold when training camp rolls around, the pads go on, the preseason games start, all of that. Absolutely, I think

I know what this answer is. I think I know what you're thinking. In my my initial pick would be a receiver, just be because it's it's so right great, So I'm gonna run with it thing because otherwise I

was going to pivot it's wide receiver. I just think I was trying to think about this a couple days ago and someone asked an insider in box, you know, with the undrafted rookies coming into the opportunity in front of them without their being drafted players ahead of them as in this rookie class, and I was trying to think of another year where it's been this wide open. We we did talk about it last year, Okay, beyond you know, Davante Adams and beyond Randall Cobb, what was

else there? This year? It's beyond Davante Adams. That number two jobs up for grabs, the number three jobs up for grabs, and those are every down positions, particularly in Matt Lafleur's offense, No doubt so, Geronimo Allison, I think he's set up for success. I think this is the best undrafted receiver the Packers have ever had in this

Ted Thompson, Brian Goodicuin's era. I just think that there's so many different things he offers, and I just I see his skill set as something that could really be complimented by the scheme that Lafleur wants to run. But you also have the three rookies coming back from last year. Marquis veld Is Scantling finished what was a third or fourth in yards per catch amongst you know, qualifying receivers last year. I thought Equinimius st. Brown did some good things.

Jamon Moore's the former fourth round pick Jake Kumero, despite all of the obstacles, all the hurdles, the uphill climb last year, still makes the fifty three and then ends up back there after the stint on i R last year. Trevor Davis is coming back off the hamstring injury. You have Alan Lazard, you have Matthew Eat. They have so many different guys that are competing for jobs. It's about what they can do as returners. It's about what they

can do in the slot, in the perimeter. You have to put together a full performance in camp to not only earn a job, but to earn a role that's there in this offense. And I'm excited to see that battle play out. Yeah. I think we went into last year feeling that with Adams and Cob that the number three wide receiver spot was sort of Geronimo Allison's to lose, and he didn't. He didn't lose it. He absolutely he grabbed hold of it right from the beginning, and nobody

really seriously challenged him for that. I think in a lot of ways, I feel the same way about the number two spot heading into this season, that it's Allison's to lose, but that's not to say that somebody else couldn't potentially rise up and grab it. And what intrigues me about about this receiver competition coming up is, especially when you're talking about those three draft picks from a year ago, MVS and e Q and Jamon Moore, that they were all kind of at different stages in a

way as their rookie years ended. But now they're all going to be learning a new offense. There's a little bit of a clean slate in some respects for all of them in terms in terms of where do you go from here? And uh and that that I think adds a little bit of intrigue to this. And and Ken one of them, or Ken Jake Kumero you know, seriously challenged Geronimo Allison for that for that number two spot.

I think the coaching staff would love to see that challenge developed because maybe that pushes Geronimo Willison even even more to to uh to you know, rise above and and produce at a level that maybe he hasn't quite reached yet. And uh So, all of that I think is very exciting and intriguing when it comes to the wide receiver. Yeah, I think what it's all said and done, assuming everything turns out okay with the core injury and he gets the training camp, uh, you know, feeling all right?

I mean, Alison, I believe will be a starter in this offense. The question is whether or not it's the slot of the perimeter. They left the door open that they feel like he could handle the slot if it comes to that. Whereas Jake cumro I thought one of the more interesting comments of the offseason, Matt Lafore says he sees him as a perimeter receiver. That's his spot. So, um, yeah, how that competition weighs out is going to be fun to watch. But that wasn't your pick. I'm interested to

see what it was. It wasn't my pick is actually and I'm staying on the offensive side of the ball, but I'm gonna say running back. And and the reason I say that is because and I could be completely all wrong here, and we're really not going to know how things are gonna shake out at running back until you get to the preseason games and the carries are real and the guys actually start getting tackled and the

pads are on. There are so many things that happen in the live action that don't happen in a training can't practice in terms of how a running back competition is going to shake out. But I really feel that Aaron Jones, based on his skill set and what he would bring to a Matt Lafleur type offense, is going to be the clear cut number one running back in

this offense. But the idea of Jamal Williams, Dexter Williams, the sixth round pick from Notre Dame, who was drafted for his specific skill set with regards to the outside z own scheme, and then a guy like Capri Bibbs, who has some experience in the NFL. He's he's not a rookie, He's not just a new kid on the block kind of thing. Those three guys, you know the way I see you right now? I think it could be a really really interesting competition for who's going to

be the number two. But even if I say this right, not even so much necessarily who's going to be the number two? But what role is each guy going to have? Like where does each of the If Aaron Jones is the number one, then where do the rest of these running backs fit? And how are they going to be used in an offense that we haven't seen on the field yet. To me, that's a really uh that's a really intriguing development that we're going to be following comes summertime.

I'm glad you raised that point because the other thing that's really intriguing about it is will the Packers carry a fullback and how does that factor? Absolutely Free Bibs and Dexter Williams trying to make a bit of a roster spot. Danny vitally was on the roster at the end of last season. They also have Malcolm Johnson, who is more of a traditional fullback, even though they list them as a running back. Those guys are going to com be competing in trait Carson who actually was on

this roster at one point last year as well. A lot of depth, a lot of versatility in it. The great thing is you're gonna be able to see it in training camp and you'll see it in the preseason. That's when those guys really get a chance to show what they can really what they can do. I really have an opportunity to shine. And uh, yeah, I agree with you. I think it's it's Aaron Jones. It's Jamal Williams and trying to figure out the rest of the

depth chart after that's gonna be fun to watch. Yeah, alright, Well, with that, West, I think we're gonna call it a wrap on this edition of Packer's Own Scripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team on packers dot com, subscribe to our podcast, and like us on iTunes and other podcast services. If you're so inclined on Twitter, you can follow him 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.