#544 Packers Unscripted: Week 1 has arrived

practice squad is mostly set. Now it shifts to game week Wednesdays, we're gonna have the same in season type practices. Aaron Rodgers is going to address the media, albeit it'll be on zoom uh, and we're gonna just start having those domino effects. You and I are gonna start gett

into our routine with our videos and stories. So in that way, it does feel like a lot of normalcy in a return to it, and very welcomed at that um In the disappointing side of it, though, it also kind of feels like to me, like where did the last six months ago? You know it just it's just been one of these wild rides that yeah, we're here, we're healthy, and I'm happy about it. But I I don't think as NFL season has ever really snuck up

on me as much as it has this year. Yeah, this has been one that it's been hard to prepare for whatever is around the next corner. But just to alert the fans and lay out the schedule for the time being, West and I are going to continue to do Packers Unscripted two days a week Tuesdays and Thursdays for the most part. If the schedule is normal, will be the days that new shows are posted and available on Packers dot com and also as podcasts in all

those places where you find your podcast. So, West, We've got a lot to talk about with regard to the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers Week one opponent. But first quickly a look back to the weekend. The roster decisions were made, the fifty three man roster, the initial fifty three man roster, because we know it's not staying the same. That has been said, the practice squad for the most part has

been filled up. Just any quick takeaways initial thoughts on how that all shook out over the weekend, Well, they always say it's the initial fifty three because it already has changed Comal Martin, Comal Martin and Kaban into put On I R that allows them to return at some point this season. They also signed Perry Nickerson, a former really solid cornerback from two lane that had a little bit of time with the Jacksonville Jaguars in New York Jets.

But here's the thing, Mike, what I love about the way that these cutdowns work is you always get these sort of cinderella stories, guys that when you would have started training camp, you probably would have given a zero percent chance of making this roster. And then they impressed the coaches, they impressed the scouts in low and behold here they are. And in this year that guy was Malik Taylor. I think you got to tip your cap

to this young man. It's the guy that was a second, you know, Division two athlete at Farris State, had a nice productive career there that but then got hurt his senior year. He didn't really know what was gonna happen if any NFL teams were going to give him a look. He did get signed as a uf A UH and getting that opportunity with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for three days,

and then he gets cut. He's out of work again for two months, and then the Packers pick him up right before training camp last year, ends up on the practice squad, comes back this year. Despite all the other names we were talking about, I don't know how often you and I talked about Bleak Taylor during these shows. But this young man six ft two, two twenty pounds, he carries himself as a nice build, can help on

special teams, and he made his dream come true. And those are the types of stories that you know, the NFL is all about the Aaron Rodgers, and it's all about the Davantae Adams and the superstars and the guys that really, you know, you can put on the banners and the marquees, but it's those Malik Taylors of the world that really, you know, drive this league and and give us stories that can kind of capture the imagination

a little bit. Yeah, we wondered all offseason, all training camp how that wide receiver position was going to settle itself. And Malik Taylor is the fifth of the five active wide receivers. Davante Adams, al Lazard Marquis about this Scantling and Equinimius st Brown being the others. Jake Kumarro has released Darius Shepard is on the practice squad for the Packers, and a couple of other former undrafted guys worth mentioning here that did make their first fifty three coming out

of training camp. I'm talking about outside linebacker Randy Ramsey and offensive tackle yash Naiman, So a couple of other young guys that that the Packers are are looking to their upside and to see what they can they can bring to UH to this screen Bay team down the road. As we head into week one, here a couple of injury questions for the Packers that need to be sorted out. You mentioned Kamal Martin at inside linebacker, the rookie fifth round pick from Minnesota. He goes on injury reserve with

the knee injury. The Packers are hoping to get him back sometime later this year, but that leaves open in sort of the base defense. Who will line up next to Christian Kirksey. Will it be Oren Burke's, will it be Ty Summers? Just where what direction are the Packers going to go there? And then still some certainty on the offensive line. It certainly looks like Lane Taylor has nailed down a starting job for the Packers at right guard, but Billy Turner was looking to potentially be the starting

right tackle in Week one. He is injured and as of Monday, was not practicing. We will see what his availability is or if the Packers make a move, have to make a move with that starting lineup at right tackle, whether it's Rick Wagner, whether it's shuffling some guys around, um Matt Lafleur, not revealing at all what the Packers plans are going to be there on at the right tackle spot for Week one. Yeah, and this is where it actually gets kind of fun too, because so many times,

you know, you talk about Lane Taylor there. Lane had a phenomenal camp, maybe the best he's ever had, to be quite honest with you, he was great and the one on one drills he showed no real hesitation or reluctance coming back from that biceps injury. Was really strong. But we didn't see any of these guys play games that That's the bizarre thing about this. I mean, when you go into this game against the Vikings on on Sunday, Uh, special teams. Those will be the first real lives special

team's reps. We've seen ones on one's full collision, that that type of stuff. Uh, seeing who steps up that you know, can Rashawn Gary carry over? How well he performed? Where is Mark Quisvelde scantling in this offense? Can he take a step? Al Nazar? Does he pick up where he left off last season? All these running backs, the

right tackle position. There's so many different things right now that I'm not saying we would have had the answers a year ago, but because of this cloak of darkness that the league was thrown into this last month during training camp, both sides and this matchup and all around the league with the you know, the sixteen games are gonna be played, everybody has question marks and seeing how teams adjust here, I think we're gonna learn so much

about them. We're gonna learn so much about their preparation these next three weeks and seeing exactly who rises to the challenge of a very unique offense or off season and training camp structure. Yeah. Well, you mentioned every team in the league has question marks, and when you look at the Minnesota Vikings, what everyone is wondering about with Mike Zimmer and his defense. The word out of Minnesota's Mike Zimmer never coaches a bad defense. He certainly has

the track record over the course of his career. But the Vikings are going to be relying on a lot of youth at cornerback with both Xavier Rhodes and Trey Wayne's moving on in the off season. Their cornerback depth chart right now, when you look at the four guys, they have two cornerbacks that joined them in eighteen, Mike Hughes, a first round pick and Holton Hill, who was an undrafted free agent, And then two rookie draft picks that

joined them this year. Jeff Gladney from TCU was a first round pick and Cameron Danceler a third round pick from Mississippi State. Those are the Vikings four cornerbacks. So two of those four have never played in an NFL game and one of them was an undrafted guy just a couple of years ago. So that's the big question mark for the Minnesota Vikings defense. How do they adjust?

What will they look like in the secondary. They have Harrison Smith, Anthony Harris, Pro Bowl to Pro Bowl safeties and very very experienced guys in the back end, but that cornerback spot is the one everybody's wondering about in Minnesota. Yeah, and it's funny too because Jerry Gray, who's now the Packers defensive backs coach, he knows this group as well as anybody, and it's you know, credit to him that they were able to develop, you know, Anthony Harris and

obviously Hill coming in as a college free agent as well. Uh. The real interesting paradox right now with the Vikings is that the what happened last year with their cornerbacks, I didn't see that happening. Uh, Xavier Rhodes and we'll see if he can get his career back on track now elsewhere. But you know, he had kind of a regression there that I wasn't expecting, especially I think, you know, he's still only what twenty nine maybe, I mean he was a young seemed like a youngerish guy yet, but took

a step back. They wanted to reset there. Wayne's always was back and forth a little bit, so they want to change up how they're doing at cornerback. What you don't typically see in this league, though, is a team that will overhaul its cornerbacks but yet they have such a solid base at safety. Typically it ends up being one or the other. Um you're you're gonna refresh everything

or you're just gonna stick with what you have. In this case, you know, Harrison Smith has played a lot of incredible football for the Minnesota Vikings, but his leadership skills this year is going to be put to the ultimate test. Can Anthony Harris proved that, Yeah, he's had some incredible performances, has become a real ball hawk on this league, came out of relative obscurity to become one

of its top safeties. Can those two continue to be that rock for this secondary because so much of what they do is based on having that synergy between the back end in their pass rush. Pass rush is looking a little bit different this year too. As you said, Mike Zimmer doesn't coach bad defenses, but there really are the most question marks he's had in his time in Minnesota going into this two thousand twenty season. Yeah. Well, the the linebacking corps is the one area that hasn't

really changed that much for Minnesota. You've got Eric Kendricks, You've got Anthony Barr. Those guys are are the main stays they are still there. You mentioned the changes with the pass rush Danil Hunter on one end, he is certainly the guy, but Everson Griffin no longer in Minnesota. They the Viking has made a trade during training camp, a very uh you know, big headline type of trade getting Jacksonville's unique and gok way if I am saying

that you got it directly your job. He was franchise tagged by the Jaguars and really just wanted out of Jacksonville. When it was all said and done, the Vikings end up making the trade. So he's now the other book end on the on the side opposite Daniel Hunter. With that Vikings pastor us. So that's another new wrinkle thrown into this mix here. For Mike Zimmer's defense, well, it really is to Mike. And the thing was, I thought

they made the best signing of the off season. I think even when you and I were doing these during you know, from our houses, I think I even said, you know, with with Michael Pierce, that was a guy I was really high on. I thought that was a very savvy signing. They need to make a change. They went away from Everson Griffin. This would be a guy that helped them. Well, then he hops out because of the whole covid epidemic or a pandemic that's going on. So what was the next move? I mean, going in

getting unique. I mean that is just a it's a it's a superstar move by that. I don't think a lot of people saw it. And his willingness to to you know, restructure some of the salary stuff just basically to relocate himself get himself onto a contender with the Minnesota Vikings. It's gonna be a big game changer. But the one thing I've cautioned, and you've read my insider in boxes over the last month, when people bring this stuff up, yea, the Packers have dealt with Khalil Mack

getting randomly added to this division before. When you have Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback, when you've been as successful as the Packers have been, you have to anticipate that the defenses around you are going to want to get better and they're gonna want to put some pass rushers around them that are going to be able to get after the quarterback. So this, yes, it's a it's a huge move by them. It's certainly a really potent one

to punch that they have. But the idea that the Packers haven't seen this before, they very much have, and it's been happening for basically the ten twelve years now that Aaron Rodgers has been an established starter well, and a couple of other things that add to the intrigue here.

Daniel Hunter was injured during training camp, that injury not really being revealed by the Vikings and Mike Simmer, Mike Zimmer being very coy about just what where Hunter is in his in his health status and whether he'll be available for week one. And then obviously, as I mentioned before, the Packers have the uncertainty at right tackle and exactly who's going to be blocking one of those edge rushers

for the Vikings. So that's something to to follow the news here as we go through the week and see what unfolds and both teams, you know West, they're gonna play it really close to the vest and not reveal any of their plans and and just let everybody find out when the ball is kicked off on Sunday. With regard to the Vikings offense, Dalvin Cook, Kirk Cousins, those guys are there, Adam Thealen, Kyle Rudolph. Those mainstays are

certainly there. The big change is that Stefon Diggs, who has certainly had his share of big games against the Greenway Packers, he is no longer in Minnesota. The Vikings traded him away and what they got in return from the Buffalo Bills they used that first round draft pick on Justin Jefferson from LS. You again, like we were talking about with the cornerbacks, here's a rookie who drafted high. He's gonna be expected to step in and play right away.

One of those question marks that you just don't really know what level of play, what level of impact a young guy like that is going to make. But the Vikings are certainly going to be counting on Jefferson to fill Stefon digs shoes. Yeah, and Packer fans won't like me saying this, but I love that pick for the Minnesota Vikings. He was a guy that I thought, if for whatever reason he would fall into those later twenties, could have made a lot of sense for the Packers

just because he's a home run threat. Uh, he's versatile, He's played in the biggest stage of college football, and and obviously extremely explosive. That's gonna be a trade Mike for a lot of years that I'm gonna be following because I'm always gonna wonder, like, Okay, you know, Stefon

Diggs is the real deal. He's he's a good ball player, but man, and just there's a part of me that wonders like the Buffalo Bills, like if Justin Jefferson becomes a player, Like and you kind of think about the fact that you made that move and then that's what it turned into. But be that as it may. Yeah, the offensively, this thing is still gonna run through Delvin Cook. Certainly.

I think when you look at Kirk Cousins, they are at their best when he can be I don't want to call him a game manager, that that's such a negative connotation, but when he can comfortably manage the game, does that make more sense? Would that be something that doesn't sound as negative? Uh? He can just be able to to work towards the sticks to to be efficient, uh in his passes. That's when this offense is at its best, and certainly Cook is a big part of that.

But getting Adam feeling going again is going to be huge for them that you know, there was such a start and Sputter with him last season, wasn't really able to ever find his groove. Uh, seeing where these other potential players could could kind of shape up, and then ultimately Mike the number one question I think you and I always have every single year we talked about the vikings and when we do these, you know, these unscripted episodes,

where is their offensive line? And can their offensive line be stable and sturdy enough throughout the course of the season to give Cousins and cook in that offense what it needs to be able to push the all downfield. That's where I'm at right now. That's kind of where my indicators flashing going into this two thousand twenty season. Yeah, I agree with you. We're always wondering about Minnesota's offensive line.

Now I don't have their depth chart in front of me, but if I'm not mistaken, they're starting five on the offensive line is essentially coming back intact with what they had in the playoffs last season, and this might be the first time in several years that we're not talking about any new starters on the offensive line heading into a year for Minnesota, So that could be a factor and when you talk about Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Gary

Kubiak is the new offensive coordinator in Minnesota. Obviously, he was the guy who hired Matt Lafleur for his first NFL job with the Houston Texans. These guys like to establish the run and get the passing game going off of play action. We've been talking about it all off season with the Packers. That's what Matt Lafleur wants to do. He really wants the passing game to be married to the run game. And that's exactly when Kirk Cousins is

at his best for Minnesota as well. If they get Dalvin Cook going and then the passing game the play action comes off of that. Obviously, the the Week six team game last year on the Monday night in Minnesota, the Vikings were without Dalvin Cook, they were without Alexander Madison, their number two running back. They really never got any kind of a ground game established, and frankly za Darius

Smith just wrecked their offense. And you know this is going to be a completely different story if Dalvin Cook is healthy. They have Madison behind him. As I said, you know, the questions are the offensive line they're coming back Intech, they have a new rookie receiver. But with with Kubiak's influence, I think the Vikings are going to continue to build as most as best they can build that offense around Dalvin Cook. Yeah, and I love that

higher for the Vikings when they brought in Kubiak. I mean, this is a guy that, you know, despite some health issues he's had, I mean, he very well could still be a head coach in this league and you know, kind of trying to work his way back into this thing and and find a comfortable pace for himself. This

is a great setup. And the thing that's impressed me the most about him is he's you know, he comes from at Mike Shanahan Tree, uh, you know, obviously an offensive genius and he's made I'm not saying the Vikings this is probably one of the better offenses he's had

in terms of the pieces he's had. But when you look at Denver when they won the Super Bowl, when you looked back to some of those Houston Texans teams, they weren't the most offensively explosive passing teams, but they were able to complement their run with what they needed to do. Defensively to win football games. That is the same exact blueprint for what Mike Zimmer wants to do

in Minnesota and when they've been successful, has achieved. UH. Now, there's been a lot of consternation over the years about that offensive coordinator position and you know where that all fits with Zimmer. There's been a lot of guys that

have been in that seat. But that being said, Kubiak is a pros pro and this is a guy that has done it at a high level in multiple different eras of offensive football, and it's it's it's it's someone that I think when you when you look at this season and why the Vikings are favored by a lot of folks, He's one of the reasons that plays into that. Yeah,

no question about it. Well, as we get further into the week, when we come back in a couple of days, as we will talk about keys to Victory and what it's going to take for the Packers to go into US Bank Stadium for a second straight season to UH to knock off Minnesota after not experiencing a whole lot of success the first couple of years that that building was open. But for now, we'll call it a wrap

on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of Week one leading up to the season opener in Minnesota on Packers dot com for wes I Am Mike. Thank you for tuning in, everybody. We'll see you next time.