#416 Packers Unscripted: Back from the break

of season four of Packers Unscripted. Can you believe that, like all great shows, Michael back for a fourth season, renewed by Craig Shieldbau or the man above and hitting it back in this action and the Packers dot Com in this studio incredible? How time fast, the time flies. Happy to be back, no doubt about it. And we are back because right around the corner we are just

a matter of hours away. I guess we could say from the opening training camp practice of for the Green Bay Packers for Matt Lafleur in his first year as Green Bay's head coach, as well as a handful of other coaches who are on his staff and in Green Bay for the first time. We'll call this our training

camp preview episode. We'll try to cover all the bases here For those who like to read, I just want to refer you to our Countdown to Camp series on Packers dot Com because West and I put together position by position, we go through every spot on the roster, laying out who all is there, the battles for starting positions, for playing time for roster spots, all of that. You can catch the whole series on Packers dot Com as

it wraps up this week. But offensive side of the ball, West, I'm just gonna throw it at you, what do you see in that phase of the game on the offensive side for the Packers As the number one issue heading into training camp. I think the number one issue is really finding more established playmakers. You know, you have Davante Adams, You've seen in spurts, what Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams can both do. Certainly the track records there with you,

Mey Graham. But when you lose a playmaker like Randall Cobb a year after using a playmaker like Jordy Nelson, Packers need new talent to emerge. The exciting thing for them is I think there's a lot of really good candidates at the receiver position. We saw some hints of it last year. Mark Quez Valdes, Scantling Geronoo Allison is healthy again after the core muscle injury. But it's one thing to have that potential, it's another thing to turn

it into production. And I think as they go into this year's training camp, this year's preseason, seeing which one of those guys kind of grabs the brass ring and establishes themselves in this offense. The quarterbacks there, the scheme is there with Matt Laflour, They just need that young talent to emerge. They feel good about it, but again, it has to be accomplished on the field. Yeah, I think when you look at the skill positions on offense,

that's really where the attention is. And I don't mean to discount what's going on in the offensive line when you have Billy Turner stepping in as a new starter, Lane Taylor coming back being healthy in an off season for the first time in a couple of years, and an All Pro at left tackle, and David bakt In a future Pro bowler. I think in Corey Lindsley, Brian Bulaga, all those guys. But when I look at the skill

positions West you mentioned Jimmy Graham. He made no bones about the fact that he his first season in Green Bay did not go the way he wanted. You look at running back, I think Aaron Jones is a potential star in the making in this league and in this offense. Jamal Williams is a proven guy after a couple of years. And then where does Dexter Williams fit into the mix as a sixth round pick out of Notre Dame with

a lot of potential. And then at wide receiver, it's Davante Adams and right now a whole bunch of other guys right mvs. Geroni, Moyallison, e q st Brown, Jamond Moore, Jakumero, Trevor Davis coming back after a year sort of lost to injury. You might say, there's a lot to pay

attention to here. You got any I guess early inclinations at wide receiver as to maybe how you see this shaking out the guys that really impressed me in this offseason program or obviously gern wo Allison and Marquis about this scantling Allison just because of the shape he returns in um he he looked like he was built for a big role this year. You can tell he put the time in. He got back from that core muscle injury, and it looked like a guy that could potentially play

in the slot. He's certainly proven himself outside. I think he brings that multifaceted sort of skill set that Matt Lafour once out of the receivers from MVSS perspective, this is a guy that averaged what over fifteen yards per catch last season. He had thirty eight catches for six yards or whatever it was. I mean, he's a big play target and I think he has a field stretching scheme that's really going to help him in that regard. The guy that flew under the radar though, was Trevor Davis.

I thought Trevor Davis had a really strong offseason program during the practices that were open to the media. We all know what he can do as a returner. He established himself in two thousand seventeen is one of the top returners in the league. But he also was making some plays on the offensive side of the ball. People sometimes forget when you think of Gjeroni Wilson going in his fourth year, so is Trevor Davis. I mean, this isn't a guy that just showed up out of nowhere.

I mean he was a fifth round pick and now in his fourth NFL season. He has experience, he has speed, needs to put it together. Now. Yeah, the tight end position, I think is is one to watch as well. With regard to you have Jimmy Graham, you have another veteran in Marcedes Lewis, but the Packers made an investment in the draft in j Sternberger at at tight end. We've gotten a lot of questions and Insider Inbox about him. You and I both have talked about the the timeline

the development of tight ends in this league. It's not overnight. The transition from being a college tight end to an NFL one is significant. And I pointed this out in our Insider Inbox column earlier this week in that you look at Jamichael Finley in two thousand and eight, he was a third round draft pick, a young guy without a lot of college experience because he had red shirted, played two years at Texas declared for the draft. Sternberger was a junior college guy one year in the SEC

declares for the draft. I'm not saying Sternburger is going to be the next jere Michael Finley, but you're Michael Finley for as productive and dynamic of players. He became his first twenty two games in the NFL West, two touchdowns and one game with more than fifty six yards receiving. It doesn't happen overnight at the position. But a guy like Ja Sternberger, He's got Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis

in front of him. He couldn't ask to be in a better position room to get his NFL career start, and he has Robert Twyan pushing him for playing time to I like the competition that's brewing in that room. From Sternberger's perspective, That's exactly what I've said since day one,

since the moment they draft him. I'm sure you could roll back the film of our of our conversations, is that it's going to be a patience thing with him understanding what he did and how as impressive as it was in one year of Texas and A and Texas A and M it was one year, you have to be able to build on that. You have to become a complete and full tight end. That going to be

the learning process for him. The nice thing for the Packers perspective, what I really liked about the approach that Brian Goodkin's took here is he's given Jimmy Graham another shot. They brought back Marcedes Lewis. And I really think Robert Tonyan's a find. I think he has a skill set, especially on special teams that lends himself to that number three tight end position that I think he can contribute. But the one thing I just want to point out,

and I don't disagree with Jimmy Graham. I know he feels like there was yards left out, their touchdowns left out there. But we tend to romanticize Jared Cook's two thousand and sixteen seasons so much. And I understand that Jimmy Graham played in all sixteen regular season games, but Graham had twice as many yards as Cooked it he had twice as many touchdowns even though it's only two.

Then Cook did I think there's this idea that Jimmy Graham was going to come up and come in and put up thirteen yards and twelve touchdowns like he did in two thousand eleven. That isn't always how it works. I mean, that is a fleeting a couple of times a year type thing at the tight end position. The big thing for him is getting healthy, understanding how he fits in Matt Lafleur's offense, and b that go to

target that Aaron Rodgers feels he can become. There's a reason why he's back, there's a reason why he's still here, and there's a reason why the Packers feel that this guy could be a different difference maker in this offense. Yeah. Well, when it comes to the offensive line, I do want to touch on this in that I think there's a lot of competition for the backup spots. It looks like the starting five based on what we saw in the offseason program during O t S and minicamp. Left right,

you're gonna have Box, tr Taylor, Lindsley, Turner, Bologa. That seems to be the number one unit if everybody stays healthy and all of that. But the Packers have a number of guys and I'm not even sure West if there's going to be room for all of them on the fifty three man roster. But the Packers have a number of backup offensive linemen who have game experience, who

have fifty three man roster experience. I'm talking about Justin McCray, Lucas, Patrick, Alex Light, Jason Spriggs, all of these, all of these guys who are going to be the reserves on the offensive line. That competition and how it shakes out, and how many offensive linemen end up being kept in the versatility maybe guys you know, being able to fill in at some different positions. All that is going to factor

in to some interesting competition at that spot. It's the deepest group of offensive lineman the Packers have had during my time on the beat. I don't know if you can speak to that as well as long as you've been here. But the fact that you have a starting five, as I wrote in the Countdown the Camp series, that has three five starts in the NFL. Billy Turner can play right tackle if you need him to. He's made

starts on the left side as well. And then you look at those reserves, I think you got right now. You have Lucas Patrick, Justin mccraie, and Cole Madison who returned to the team. They're all going to be competing

for those interior offensive line spots. I think you're gonna see Adam Panky and and Nowlex Light trying to push Jason Spriggs for the outside tackle position in that reserve you know area, there is going to be a lot of talent out there, and I think when you see the second team third team offensive line during the preseason, it's gonna be as competitive a group as you seen at least during you know, the last ten years. I just I see so much talent. I see a lot

of young guys. And I'm not even talking about Elton Jenkins, who was the second round pick, who by the way, started two years at the center. Looks like he's gonna be focusing more at the guard position right now, but he gives you that flexibility to if you're not a starter, you have to be able to do more than one thing. And I think when you look at this array of talent the Packers have at that reserve spot, there are

guys that can plug in different spots. The big question is going to be it's when we can't answer for five weeks, but how many spots do you ultimately go with depending on how that roster looks at the end of August. Yeah. Absolutely. And one last thing before we move on to the defensive side of the ball, the backup quarterback Battle West. I don't know what you think. I think it's wide open. Uh, Deshaun Kaiser, Tim Boyle, Manny Wilkins, the undrafted rookie from Arizona State, would be

the dark horse in the race obviously. But I've been asked this an insider in box numerous times and I've kept giving the same answer. I don't know who it's going to be, and I don't even know. I'm not even comfortable enough to say which guy. If there is a guy who's a favorite right now heading into training camp, I think it's wide open, and these guys are gonna play a lot to Mike. I think even Manny Wilkins is going to get a lot of opportunities this preseason.

Because you know, this is a conversation for another day. I don't know how much Aaron Rodgers is going to play in this preseason. The third game, where traditionally has been your big game for the offense, the first team offense is going to be played in Canada. How does that affect things. I think you're gonna see Tim Boyle get a lot of opportunities under center. Deshaun Kaiser, as the presumptive number two, is going to get those opportunities as well. But each of those practices is going to

be important. It's gonna be important to show, as I wrote an insider in box this past week, the Packers that they made the right decision not going out and finding a veteran quarterback to bring in a backup, somebody that that would be off the market, that probably would cost a couple million dollars, that has a wrecked track record in that regard. Brian Goodak instant go that way. He stood by Kaiser, who they made a trade for

last year, still only twenty three years old. All the potential in the world has an NFL build, has an NFL arm just trying to hone in some of those small characteristics, the accuracy and whatnot. And then Boyle, who I saw one article that said he's put on even more arm strength this offseason. I made a joke about how he's gonna break the sound barrier with that. I just think that the training camper ups are gonna be important. But these preseason games, man, they are going to be

imperative to show that those guys can be the number two. Yeah, and you're right, and that those young guys it's up to them to show to reward the faith that Brian Gouda Kunts in the front office has shown in them by giving them this opportunity here in on the defensive side of the ball. To me, the biggest story is simply how do all the new pieces fit together for Mike Petton. You've got two brand new outside linebackers in Preston Smith and Zadarius Smith. You drafted an outside linebacker

in the first round, and Rashawn Gary at safety. You got Adrian Amos the free agent acquisition, and another first round pick in Darnell Savage. The new pieces and how this all comes together with Mike Petton. It's been quite an off season on outside of the ball in Green Bay, and uh, it's time to get it started. So when was the last time you picked up a controller and played the Madden video game? What year was in? At least ten years okay, at least ten years ago. This

reminds me. I don't know if they had franchise mode back there, but it almost reminds me of like you get that first off season when you start playing the game and you start to fiddle with the roster a little bit. You sign guys, you draft guys. That's as close to I think the Packers actual roster looking like, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. To that strategy. I mean, they just it was wholesale changes across the board, and I think that's exciting. I've written about it so

many times. My fingernails are coming off the hinges here during the off season about how this group is going to come together, because there is all the talent in the world. They got two of the top pass rushers on the market this offseason, they got one of the top safeties on the market this offseason. And then, by the way, those two first round picks that we talked this past year about, they were both used on the defensive side of the ball. Now, Gary looked explosive, he

looked great, I thought during the offseason. But this has to be the Smith Show in two thousand nineteen. That's why President is it Arius are here. Seeing how they adapt to Mike Petton scheme is going to be exciting. And seeing how Darnell Savage matches up with Adrian Amos and and how those two potential pieces fit together. The veteran, the youngster that's the first round pick. There's a lot

of dynamic play there. And that's not even talking about the cornerback position with JayR Alexander coming back after what he did a year ago. Yeah, well, let's talk about that cornerback position because you and I have talked about it before this defense last year. In my opinion, this defense had its best stretches when Kevin King and JayR Alexander were on the field together as the one and two cornerbacks whatever order you want to put them in.

The problem was that with injuries to King and a couple of minor injuries to Alexander, they weren't on the field very much together at all. So to me, that's a huge element of this Mike Petton defense taking the leap for it in year two and being able to play at its best for an extended stretch is for those two guys. And then you're developing guys like Josh Jackson and maybe a Tony Brown behind them, and you have the veteran and Tremont Williams at corner in that

top four or five mix as well. But it's it's that those one two guys. It hinges on that to me, so that Mike Patton isn't trying to play this mix and match and scramble game to figure out, Okay, how am I going to do this because one of my top corners is sitting out all the time. There are three keys that I established when I kept going back

and looking over this defense throughout the off season. Three keys, specifically in the secondary, I think will be tied to the Packers having the kind of season they want to have on defense, particularly against the passing game. One, Kevin King being healthy. If Kevin King can play in fifteen or sixteen games this year, the secondary is going to

be singing. Secondly, Jr. Alexander taking a year to jump after everything he brought to the table in year one, when and everything, But even more so than that, if Rush Jackson can learn from what he did as a rookie and put that towards being a consistent contributor in his second year, it's gonna be really valuable for this defense. Josh Jackson played a lot mike if you look back on it as a rookie, saw action in all sixteen games,

believe he started ten of them. There were the highs, there were the lows, but working through that and becoming that eight interception guy that he was at Iowa. If you get those three pieces going together and can keep them on the field together, along with your Truman Williams and your Tony Brown's and you know Kadar Holman having a really strong offseason. You get that group filled out,

you get that versatility together. Jai Alexander said it. They have the pass rush now to get home, to be able to force quarterbacks into bad situations, and a lot of young ballhawks that can go and really capitalize on those opportunities. Yeah, when you look up front on the defensive side, I think if I were to pick one position across the board for the Packers, where all else being equal as far as injuries not necessarily making decisions for people, if there's one position, I think the Packers

might have a really tough cut coming. As far as a guy they really don't want to let go, but they're going to be forced to just based on the numbers. I think it might be the defensive lines because you've got Kenny Clark and Mike Daniels. They had some injuries last year. They are back. You don't have Mohammed Wilkerson as far as that big three we were all talking about last year, but with those injuries up front, Dean Lowry got a lot more playing time, and he really

came on strong at the end of the year. Tyler Lancaster came on strong at the end of the year, so did Montravius Adams. Then you add a draft pick in Kingsley Kiki to the mix, another young guy like

Fidel Brown who flashed here and there. I don't know if the Packers are going to have room for everybody that they really believe belongs on an NFL roster on the defensive line, because they've put together a really nice up and coming young group behind a veteran like Mike Daniels who's going to be ending a contract here himself. It's really interesting to Mike. There were years, especially to going back to my days at the Press, because that they had asked us to cut the roster. You know,

during the offseason. He has to cut the roster before the start of the regular season. And there would be years, I'm not kidding you where I would look at the defensive front and I'd kind of be like, Okay, I gotta find five guys here. And that's not a disrespect to some of those defenses, but there just wasn't that depth. There was a reason why they went and drafted, you know, Kenny Clark. There's a reason why they tried to get Dayton Jones in two thousand thirteen. They needed to really

deepen that preserve. In talking with Mike Daniels earlyer this offseason, they've kind of done that. Now you have Daniels coming back off the foot. I think it's his expectation to be back here early on. We'll see exactly how that situation plays out. But Kenny Clark's a guy that played the snaps last year when he was healthy and wasn't complaining about He actually looked even better. Things you can

get away with when you're twenty three years old. But Dean Lowrie quietly had the best year of his career. I thought you saw Tyler Lancaster come out of relative nowhere if you look at it from an undrafted perspect maybe even though the Packers felt pretty good about him. He came up from the practice squad when Kenny Clark was down. He was there starting nose tackle for three weeks, and by the way, they actually defended the run pretty

well during those three weeks. You have montrevious Adams needs to really show that he can be the player of the Packers felt he was three years ago, and then Kiki, I think is such a great prospect for them because as he settles into his body and they figure out an exact role for him, I think the one drawback to how he was used in colleges he never really got to be one guy. He had to be a

number of different guys. And then, not to mention, on third downs, you're gonna see guys like you know, Zadarius Smith move inside. So I'm just it's gonna be a really difficult decision on the defensive lines sometimes, you know, out of hand causes, you know, change the game a

little bit. Not wishing for any injuries whatsoever, but seeing how those roles get filled, and then also how much playing time trickles down past you know the Clarks and Lowry's and and obviously the Mike Daniels is gonna be really interesting to watch. Yeah, well, one guy we didn't talk about yet on the defensive side, but he's a nice transition into the special team's discussion, and that's Orn

Burke's at inside linebacker. He's a guy who looks like he's ready and prepared to seize that other inside linebacker spot. On defense next to Blake Martinez, and then it's Burke's and another inside linebacker and James Crawford, who maybe two of the guys who are looked to, as you know the quote unquote Bell Cows the real leaders on special teams.

As the Packers under a new coordinator looking to really revamp their special teams and get away from all the penalties and all the problems with the field position and everything that you really hindered the team on both sides of the ball. Frankly in teens, so um special teams to me, when I I look back to Crawford and Burkes, they were solid special teams players for the Packers last year, and those guys had one penalty apiece out of all

those penalties that were on special teams. So these are the guys that can lead the way and get everybody else, get everybody else to follow and lean up that that aspect of the game. Just to close up and put the book end on the defensive conversation, oren Bergs, A lot of people have asked, is he going to be the guy next to Blake Martinez? Obviously looks like that in early down situations. His competition, though, is not going

to be Crawford. It's not gonna be Tie Summers. It's going to be showing that he can be on the field on third downs and stay ahead of some of those defensive backs there that also have gotten those opportunities on special teams. The thing Seanmaninga talked about from the

day he got hired was aggression and discipline. Burke's and Crawford are both two guys that epitomized that if you could have eleven James Crawford's on the field, you're gonna have one of the better special teams units in the league because of how he's able to tow that line and be able to play within himself without drawing those unnecessary penalty negative yardage. That being said, this is going

to be a big change for the Packers. They said they need to be able to establish some veteran leaders on that group, and then Crawford's one of them. I think Burke's can be one of them, depending on how much he's utilized on defense. But being able to establish those guys and also keep some guys healthy so you don't have to keep cycling people through that's going to be the challenge here. In addition to just being able

to play fundamentally, so that would certainly help. Well, we are about out of time, so we're going to call it a wrap on this edition of Training Camp preview of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team on Packers dot com as training camp gets underway, and we'll be with you regularly now for shows throughout training camp, and then we'll crank up to our five days a week during the regular season.

You're ready for that, I hope, So, I hope my wife sticks around, but yeah, I think I think I should be okay. All right with that? We will sign off on Twitter. He is at west hot I am at Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. We'll see you next time.