#413 Packers Unscripted: More from OTAs Week 3

the border at like Niagara Falls. Sure, so I actually been to Canada more recently than you have. I was in there in two thousand and twelve, before I started my freshman year at Bayport High School. My parents were like, we're gonna go on a big family trip. So we did. We drove up, we of up, crossed over. I believe we're in Toronto briefly, but then the big part of the trip was in Niagara Falls. Got a chance to see that. That was seventeen years ago. Michael A lot

has changed. Excited to be going to Winnipeg for the first time. Yeah, Winnipeg Manitoba will be the site of the Packers Raiders preseason game August twenty two. It will be the third preseason game of the four in green based schedule. Now technically this is Oakland's home game, yeah, within their preseason schedule. I G field, I believe is that the name of it thirty three thousand, thirty three

thousand seat venue. It is the home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, And uh, I'll just be curious to see how the whole thing gets set up because the CFL has, you know, the larger field and everything compared to the NFL, so they have to kind of remark everything and reline it, have the goal posts in the right spot, you know, all that kind of thing.

So it'll be neat trip. I think from what I was looking at too, it looked like Winnipeg has like is it like a twenty one day roads, Like they're not going to be home for like one something. So that's what sort of lent itself to being able to do this. But that being said, I am going to be very interested to see what the setup is like. Aaron Rodgers said he was excited about it. He's never been to Winnipeg either, so that'll be a need for him to do that for the first time. He said.

He still hopes that doesn't mean they won't be able to go to London, though he would still like to do that. There are a lot of guys in the Packers locker room who would like to who would like to make that trip to London. Hopefully it happens at some point. But my bigger thing is is it's the preseason. You and I have been through this so many times. A lot of times we end up in Kansas City. A lot you and I are going out in Tennessee.

You get those same sort of core teams that you're traveling to usually in the midwest of the a f C. So have a chance to throw a little bit of a curveball in there and go check out Canada. I think it's gonna be a need experience, something totally different. But the big thing is it is going to be interesting to see how they are able to format at

CFL stadium to fit in NFL teams needs. Yeah, and just for the historians out there, the last time the Packers played a game in Canada preseason August of n played the Buffalo Bills in Toronto. It was yeah. Yeah, Actually, the as everyone knows, the second of the back to back Super Bowls in the five years, Packers played a preseason game in Toronto against the Buffalo Bills. That's the last time they crossed the border. Which year were they

in Asia? Tokyo? Yeah, Tokyo was I'd have to look that that was it was, it was in It was in the nineties. It was lying around there for a bit. I was not aware that the Toronto Argonauts, right, Yes, the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. Yes, but the Buffalo Bills hosted a preseason game, so that that would be twenty two years ago if my sports math is correct.

It was interesting this week and the announcement was made by Winnipeg that that they're going to be going out there for this the Raiders and Packers will be coming out for this game. It was interesting though, around the building this last week hearing some of the players talking about, you know, setting up their their passport, you know, going through and having to do that. I had to do it.

I haven't had I haven't been out of the country in fifteen years or ten, twelve years now, So it's like I had to go through the process too, so it's different. It's going to be a new experience. But hey, I mean, anytime you can get up to the the Great White North in August, you gotta take advantage of it. Yeah. Well, getting back to the business at hand right now, for the Green Bay Packers, it is week three of O

T As. We had an opportunity on Tuesday of this week to watch another practice practice that was open to the public, open to the media. We got to see head coach Matt Lafleur cruising around the practice field on his golf cart and all that. We don't need to

get into that whole thing too much. He's obviously going to hope that his recovery goes along as quickly as possible so that he can be in a walking boot and be able to get around in that fashion as opposed to um the golf cart scenario as a training camp unfolds later on. But uh, a big couple of big highlights now again, as we talk about it's O T A is there's no pads. We're only seeing one

practice a week. But if you had to point a one offensive highlight from that practice on Tuesday, A heck of a throw and catch Aaron Rodgers to Jimmy Graham over the middle of the field. Preston Smith, the outside linebacker. I thought he actually had pretty good coverage on the play and the ball just in the perfect spot and Jimmy Graham reaches out full extension and not only makes the catch in his fingertips but keeps his feet and you know, would have had a pretty monster gain. There

um interesting thoughts though. What I want to get to about this with Jimmy Graham because we don't hear from him much. He's not crazy about talking to the media, which I personally think is unfortunate because the times I have talked to him, I think he's a very engaging guy. It's a very interesting guy, has a lot of a lot of really intriguing things to say, and a good conversationalist.

But his choice. So we hear a lot about Jimmy Graham from other people, and we heard one of the things we heard from head coach Matt Lafleur after that Tuesday practice was that Jimmy Graham is kind of a perfectionist. He in learning this new offense and trying to do everything right on the practice field. He gets kind of down on himself when things don't go so well, and Matt Lafleur said he's been trying to work on him to say, hey, you know, you're a veteran leader on

this team. You know things are going to go wrong when we're learning. Everybody's learning this thing from scratch and learning it brand new. You just have to take it in stride. You have to be a leader. He really likes the energy and enthusiasm and everything that Jimmy Graham brings to practice, but he's trying to channel it maybe in a little bit different way, and I'll be interested to see. Aaron Rodgers certainly spoke of a lot of confidence that he's looking for a bounce back year from

Jimmy Graham. Yeah, Graham has made no bones about it. I mean he wants to have a more successful two thousand nineteen than two thousand and eighteen. He talked about at the end of last year, and then again he mentioned it at his Cornell tournament this past weekend talking with reporter that you know, he wants to be able to bounce back. He feels like he can still run the way he's always ran in certainly he's still six ft seven and two ur and sixty pounds or whatever

he is. And it was interesting listening to Rogers disgust Graham because he said, you know, one thing, and I mentioned this at the end of last year. Graham didn't talk to the media a lot, and he also didn't make many excuses. He had a knee injury that we saw happen. I think it was in a training camp practice pretty early on that he ended up being on

the injury report for the entire year. The thumb got a lot of interest late in the season because he had to wear the splint, but the knee was basically an issue for a while year long. Aaron Rodgers mentioned

he's back to being healthy again. It's one of the reasons why he believes he's gonna have a lot more successful two thousand nineteen in his second year with the Packers and getting back to that plane practice, it was It was interesting listening to Preston Smith talked about in the locker room because he was actually kind of proud of himself the way he originally handled the zone drop.

He thought he had help over the top, though, and as he found out, he most certainly did and when you're Jimmy Graham and you get that kind of mismatch, that's what happens. So for for Graham to be able to build on that, I think is going to be important. And the other thing is too, Mike. You listen to Robert Tonyan and you know some of these guys that talk about him, uh in how open he is with

being able to to be sort of an open book. Yes, he's incredibly hard on himself, wants to be a perfectionist, but he's always there too for for the young tight ends. I thought that was a really important thing last year for Tanya and being able to work with Lewis and also with Graham, and hearing Jay Sternberger talk a little bit this past week, he also said that, you know, he's been very similar in that capacity as well well.

A couple other things on Graham. I know Rogers downplayed it, but you have to believe that the injury, the knee injury you talked about with Graham, and obviously the knee injury Rogers was dealing with right from week one last season. There was a lot of missed practice time in there, so I have to believe that that had an effect, had an impact in some respect on what Jimmy Graham was able to do in his first year with the Packers.

But the other reason I brought up the point that Matt Lafleur made about kind of that perfectionist thing and and how he's working so hard to do everything just right the first time. It makes you wonder. At least it makes me wonder. And I don't want to get into a whole bunch of, you know, psychological analysis, but you look at it, Jimmy Graham's first year with Seattle when he left New Orleans was not all that good. His first year with Green Bay was not up to

his standards. You wonder if this whole thing, this whole thing about how he's been going about learning a new offense and putting a lot of pressure on himself to get everything right the first time and to be that veteran guy that everybody needs to look to immediately, you know, to to be the guy to follow. If that hasn't

worked his advantage, I guess, is what I'm saying. And maybe now if Matt Lafleur is able to to channel those things in in a little bit more positive direction, if we might end and with good health, we might see a little bit different dynamic between Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Graham and year two. I'm glad you brought that up, because I wrote that article at the end of last season.

It was actually right after Graham made the comments of that he wasn't happy with You know, the numbers are what they are, but he wasn't happy with the way he played. We tend to romanticize, and I'm guilty of it too. The fans, in myself romanticized Jared Cook's time his season in Green Bay. We think so much about Dallas and how well he played in the playoffs and down the stretch. You sometimes forget Jared Cook had like three yards receiving that year before he had that injury

that kept him out for six weeks. He really had sort of been a non factor through the first month of the season. He came on against Washington and down the stretch, but early on it was difficult so often, and for good reason. I was talking about Brian Goodkin's about this two weeks ago tight end position. It takes

time to learn as a rookie. It also takes time to learn as a veteran, and for guys that are moving into a new scheme in a new offense, and I think that plays in't exactly what you're talking about. Graham's second year in all those spots that you mentioned was always were impactful than the first. So I think being able to see what he can do now with getting those reps with Rogers and them knocking on what that he stays healthy, where that relationship goes in, what

kind of chemistry that generates on the field. Yeah, And as I say, as much as we don't necessarily hear from Graham directly in the media, we know he cares about it. He takes a lot of pride in what he does, and what little he has said about last season, he wasn't happy about it. So um, let's see what happens. I mean, being able to see exactly where all these

young guys go. I think, for me, Mike and all my time on the beat, this is the most exciting the tight end room has been because it really does seem to be a big emphasis on it based on what we're seeing with Matt. Yeah, I think and and and bringing in a third round draft pick as a rookie and Sternberger to join the group. All Right, what's the powerful noise canceling technology that helps NFL coaches block out eighty tho screaming fans can get you closer to

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classic chicken noodle soup. Just visit your local supermarket and asked for Campbell's Chunky Soup, Official soup partner of the Green Bay Packers. Okay, getting back to Tuesday's open practice and the highlights they're in. Defensively, an interception that probably goes for a pick six, I would think the way things looked on the practice field, Tim Boyle unfortunately got

picked off by linebacker James Crawford. Now the interesting thing here because when I mentioned Tim Boyle and James Crawford, obviously this is not a one's This was not a ones versus ones eleven on eleven situation. But it's not the first time in O T as we've seen James Crawford intercepted pass. This is a young g This is a young guy. Wes, second year out of the University of Illinois and undrafted rookie a year ago who walked

into Packers training camp essentially two weeks late. He was signed on August eight, the day before the first preseason game, managed to make the fifty three man roster as an undrafted rookie, became kind of a dynamo on special teams

for the Packers. Now, Blake Martinez and Oren Burks very clearly the one too at inside linebacker right now in Mike Patton's defense, but as far as the reinforcements behind, James Crawford looking like he's in line to potentially be the number three, to be the first guy called upon um to replace one of those two if something were to happen. He's uh that we hear the phrase a lot making the most of your opportunity, It applies to

James Crawford, Uh, up and down the line here. Absolutely, I want to talk about Crawford, but first off, I just want to talk about how much. I love Tim Boyle. We're in the media, myself and two other reporters were in the media scrum. They're talking to to Crawford after practice on on what would that be Wednesday? Tuesday, Isy, and Boyle sneaks up behind h He's like, guys, it was one interception. I mean, just it just one interception.

What's the big deal? And then he gave was making a joke and then gave Crawford a little bit of a high five on it. But I just I love Boil, I love his disposition about things. But as far as Crawford is concerned, what a jump? And again, you can't We're not handing out trophies. We're not gonna, you know, many camp wraps up here. We're not going to put on tuxedos and give away our awards for the off season program. But this is what you want to see from a young man like this. And I asked him

about that too. Last year at this time, he wasn't in Green Bay. He was ven close. He was still two months away from getting to Green Bay. So he said that, you know, he got here. I think it was I want to say it was August six or something like that was like a weeker and a week and a half in and he had to pick up. But the one thing he was able to go back to was the special teams. Yeah, all the playbooks are difficult.

You and I can't just go out there and play for a lot of reasons, but I mean we can't. You can't just get in a camp and just expect to be able to do everything right. But special teams are the ones you can rely a little bit more on instincts. I thought Crawford showed good instincts. I thought you saw his aggressiveness in that game against Kansas City is how he earned himself a roster spot. That being said, the rest of the year was sort of trial and

error with him. This is a guy who started at safety when he first got to Illinois, playing special teams and doing a little bit of safety, ended up moving to linebacker, finished his career at defensive end, and last year was rotating between the inside and outside linebacker rooms.

Kirk Oliver Datti mentioned that, Okay, he said a little bit more with the inside linebackers this year, and I think that cross training, I think that experience making him kind of fire all those waves in his head of what his responsibilities are have made him a better player, and he showed some playmaking ability. I didn't get any comments I should have. I forgot to ask if he's going to mention that to his uncle and see what

Charles Woodson would think of all those interceptions. But that being said, it was pretty impressive to see him doing

that well. He had a really funny comment and talking to you, because I listened to the audio of your your interview with him with those other reporters that he was kind of joking that last year when he was brought in couple of weeks into training camp, he was expected to know the playbook without ever having seen it, Like he just has to get out there and you know, and you know, on the third or fourth string defense or whatever in camp and try to make some plays.

So being here throughout the whole offseason and kirkol of a Dotty, the new inside linebackers coach, mentioned that putting him an inside linebacker is the best place to learn the defense because there are you don't It's not just about your responsibility. When you're an inside linebacker, you have to know a lot more about the defensive front. You have to know about what the outside linebackers are doing. You have to know what the safeties are doing behind you.

So he's absorbing all those xs and ohs right now and certainly making making the most of what he's able to do with the second string defense on the field here in O. T A. S. But the interesting thing when you look back at his rookie year, and I was just I looked up the stats. We know it wasn't a good year on special teams for the Green Bay Packers and tea. But if there was a bright spot, it was this guy. Thirteen coverage tackles, which was tops on the team. He also had a fumble recovery on

special teams. And the other thing I looked up west those twenty six special teams penalties the Packers had last year. Crawford only had one out of those twenty six. It was an illegal formation he lined up wrong on on a certain play. But all of the the holding, an illegal block in the back, and all those other penalties that piled up on the Packers special teams last year,

he wasn't flagged for any of that. This is a guy that I think Sean Menninger, the new special teams coordinator is really going to be relying on to be one of those bell cows on special teams. And then Kirk Oliver Dott, he's going to continue to work with him to learn the defense to be one of those next guys to step in at inside linebacker when they need somebody. Yeah, and I like his body type too.

I mean you can kind of see me. He's not a he's not a huge guy, but he sort of has that movable athletic frame that lends itself to be ineffective on special teams, but also if he gets called in a pinch on defense. One story I want to tell really quickly, going back to two thousand thirteen. It seems like it's always the season I go back to. But you're talking about how a guy comes in he's expected to know the playbook right away. Packers had an opening at safety. There was a guy who came in.

I don't even remember who what his name was. It was like the first or second day at camp. I think he was from Sacramento State. He was there for two practices and I remember Joe Witt kept getting on. It wasn't Joe Wyte, it was Joe Witt and Darren Perry with some of the ball handling drills they were doing. They kept getting on him. They mentioned his name a couple of times. That young man was gone in like a day or two. He was. If you either know it or you don't, you gotta put in your hours,

you gotta stay up at night watch it. The next guy to come in was Chris Banjo. Banjo wasn't even the next guy up. He was the guy after the next guy up. And for Banjo to come in did the same thing that Crawford did, was able to pick up what he needed to pick up, learn at the pace he needed to learn, and then go from there. The reason I bring up Banjo here is because I think the Packers one thing they need to do this offseason.

I don't know who it's going to be, but I think you need to have two or three, maybe even four if you can find him on the roster. Have those kind of spots for the Banjos, the Bushes, the Crawfords, where you don't know exactly what their impact is going to be on offense or defense, but guys that are going to play the core for special teams units and

give you that versatility, give you that dependability. I think a lot of times when these errors and these these miscuse and these penalties flare up, is when you start putting in new guys at new spots. If you have somebody that takes the lead of that room, you know, a leader, a charger, someone that's going to be able to play discipline and show guys the way it needs to be done. That's gonna make you better. The best special teams units of Packers have had during my time

here have had those players. I think Crawfords a step towards getting back to that. Yeah, And obviously it helps when the players on offense and defense stay healthy because then there isn't as much lineup shuffling, which then puts a lot of pressure on special teams with all the shifting around and and we've seen it when that happens, it's very hard to have any kind of consistent special teams play, and the Packers obviously looking to improve in

that area. But before we go here West, we started the show to talking about our upcoming trip to Canada. But there's a British invasion of lambeau Fai coming this weekend. Sir Paul McCartney coming in with are you going to the show? I'm not. I'm not either, but okay, well my parents are going there and they're very excited. Okay, Well, do they have a favorite Beatles song or a favorite Paul McCartney song. You know, that's a great question. I forgot to ask my mom. Hey, Jude was always played

in my house growing up. We joked about there are plenty, plenty of great ones. Blackbird, the Blackbird one is my favorite. That's you know. If if if I was in Green Bay, I would be there, but some stuff came up here that I will be out of town. But I I'm very much looking forward to I know there's a lot of people here excited about it. At some point here in these upcoming years, I got to get to a

lambou Field event. I still haven't been to one. Yeah, I went to the Billy Joel concert a couple of years ago, but I will not be going to UH to see Paul McCartney. Just for the record, I'm a Penny Lane fan. The Fireman rushes in from the pouring rain. It's very strange. I've always liked that's you that was playing on the Would that be? Would that be the like the disc spinner back there, to the turntable. Turntable

that was yeah, back in that day. Me showing my young age here and not being able to get that correct alright, Well, with that, we will call it a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscript. Would be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team on Packers dot com on Twitter. He's at west Hot I'm at Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody, See you next time.