#603 Packers Unscripted: New team in town

preseason game. Your observations from the first joint practice here at at the lambeau Field area in two years a cleaner better, Uh, you know, at two thousand nineteen, I think everybody's feeling things out. Aaron Rodgers made a really salient point talking about how he felt like the relationship between Robert Salo and Matt Lafleur really helps. But the fact the matter is with the Houston's that they really

just didn't know each other very well. And if you're not comfortable with each other, I don't think there's gonna be as much room there to be creative with the practice. And it was somewhat disjointed there was a hit on Jay Sternberger. It just wasn't It wasn't watched how you wanted it to look this year, I thought that was an optimal practice. Now we'll have to see what this one here in a couple of hours looks like. But the you know, they were able to get the work

in that they did. You had the Jets over on Clark Hankle Field, you had the Packers over on Nichki Field. At the start of practice, the Jets come over and the team periods were competitive. They were able to run split squads with the Packers offense going up against the Jets offense or Jets defense that with the ones and then flipping the page over on the south side of the field doing the opposite. And I just you watched the offense, I watched a lot of the defense. I

just was really impressed by the work. And I agree with what Matt Lafleur said. I think when you're going up against a new opponent, not that everybody doesn't go hard in practice, but you know, guys have certain tendencies. You pick up on those tendencies. This is a different game, and it gives you an opportunity to face some of those guys that you know, Yes, Kirk ben Kertz gonna play a lot of these guys on Saturday Night, but

Aaron Rodgers isn't going to. So I mean, like those type of things I think can be really valuable here for Green Bay as they move forward. Yeah, and you certainly see the the the contrast in the two quarterbacks, the Packers obviously with the polished Aaron Rodgers, a three time m v P, the Jets getting their brand new first round draft picks Zack Wilson uh indoctrinated here into the NFL. So two teams that are obviously just at at at completely different points in terms of the development

of their roster, their offenses, the quarterback play all that. Interestingly, Rogers talked afterwards about how it was a little bit of a rough day for the new center, Josh Myers, in terms of, you know, the declarations, the communication and things like that. This is exactly the type of thing that the type of experience that a guy that a guy like Josh Meyers needs because you know, for all the snaps that he is going to take in the preseason games and we expect Josh Meyers to play some

more in the preseason. You're not going to see the exotic looks and the blitz is and all that, because because coaches don't want to put that stuff on film in the preseason, they'll do it in these joint practices because the information is not going to get out. This is the kind of work that a new rookie center

for Aaron Rodgers needs. He's getting it this week. You could tell Rogers really appreciated the approach that Solid took to and and uh, you know, being able to throw a little bit more at them, getting them the line blackers, blitz the linebackers, blitzing, getting the safety is moving up and blitzing a little bit more. That was cool to see because the challenge is not only Myers but also those guards. There's a big battle right now for both

of the guard jobs. And you know, getting those guys thinking a little bit more, making sure that it isn't just going through the motions that they really are you know, diagnosing what's happening at the line of scrimmage. And from Myer's case, this is such an invaluable time for him. Yes, the off season program was great. He got a chance to be the one you know, center with Jordan's love.

But now he's with Aaron Rodgers and there's gonna be so many things that are gonna happen in week one and week two that those two are going to be able to build together on. It's funny, my for seven years, you and I didn't know what it was like to look at a rookie center and and now we're back at that spot because that's just the way the National Football League goes. Corey Linsley is the best at his position and being is being paid as such by the Chargers.

So for for Myers now to be able to understand what Rogers is looking for and also just staying up on his blocking assignments a very very valuable time for him. Yeah, it was interesting. Rogers said that he needs to get the team, needs to get Josh Meyer's thinking as quickly as he does. Well, that's probably not gonna happen because I'm not sure if anybody thinks quite as quickly as as Aaron Rodgers out there in the heat of the battle. But it gives you a sense of of what they're

working on here. It's about it's about the speed of the game. It's the recognition, it's making the adjustments on the fly in order to make things work. Um, in the heat of the moment. There quickly though, before we move on to what we'll be looking for on Saturday, I gotta get your opinion the new throwback uniforms, then the classic nineteen fifties. Look, what do you think? Well?

I was slightly disappointed. I'm not really, yeah, because I got a preview of all the photos ahead of time and all the people that were going to be portrayed, and there were Mike Spofford photos in there. And when they announced the uniforms on Thursday morning, suddenly there was David bat there was Jr. Alexander, there was Aaron Jones, all these really wonderful athletes. But there was no Smike Spofford in the nineteen fifties. Reporter Garb, I was really

disappointed by that. I'm sorry. I just took forty five seconds of the show to say my own inside joke. But no, it's cool. Um. I actually thought about wearing my lap my acme packer like Polo for the last time, just to be able to get one more repetition. Yeah. Yeah, we don't get to wear the blue and gold because for so long basically in my whole adulthood, it's that's been the look. So for Green Bay to mix it up now it's a nineteen fifties inspired uniform. It's it

has you know, the green and yell. You can find it everywhere now. I love it, and I love the fact that it was able to incorporate the helmet more naturally. That was something one of the criticisms with the old actor thing is you had a very different type of helmet with the brown. This is a pretty easy fix, I think for Red Batty and his equipment staff to basically just get the g off there. But yet it's still blends really nicely with the uniform. A really cool look.

Some amazing photos by Evan siegelan packers dot com right now and also Tyler Gyski our video department doing a fantastic job with the hype video on it. It's a good look. Yeah, you gotta check out all. I think it's a really cool look to I. I love it.

I was hoping that it was going to be something of that, uh you know that green with the gold accent from the nineteen fifties and the Packers will be for those wondering the Packers will be wearing that uniform for the home game against Washington this year, which is also the game when the newly inducted Hall of Famer from the nineteen fifties, Bobby Dylan, will have his name added to the lambeau Field facade. So October, I believe

is the date of the Washington game. So uh wes see rious x M. NFL Radio delivers hard hitting analysis and up to the minute NFL news that true football fanatics need. Seven three and at Cousin Subs, we have something for everyone like our Wisconsin cheese curds, mac and chess, golden fries, and creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite sub or sub in a bowl. Cousin Subs, we believe in better. He just jumped over the golden fries, bro.

I mean, yes, we love the shakes and we love the cheese kurds, but you gotta give the proper respect to the golden the golden fries. We just said it. So it was like, and we got the golden frid. No, we got the golden fry. I'll work on that. Show me someplace in the Green Bay area where you can get a nice, delicious sub with fries, golden fries next to it. You tell me that spot, I'll work on that.

I'll work on that teachable moment. Boy, I'm really under some scrutiny here today, all right, preseason game number two Saturday afternoon, actually, which I have to keep reminding myself for I'm gonna show up late for work on PM. Kickoff on Saturday at lambeau Field. The Packers will be taking on the Jets following these two joint practices they are having this week. A lot of things to watch

for here West. What's top of the list for you? Well, first off, we gotta see what's going on with Jordan's love. Matt LaForce said earlier this week that he probably won't practice here against the Jets. I'm using my regular season mindset, which typically means that that guy is not going to play in the game. They're not going that far. They're not ruling them out quite yet at the time in

which we're taping this. But you gotta imagine whatever happens with Love, We're going to see a healthy dose of Kurt Ben Kurt. And the real reason I'm very intrigued about that is so often and you saw it last year with Jordan's Love the year before that with Tim Boyle, it's really difficult for that number three quarterback to get reps. But now in this age where Aaron Rodgers isn't playing in the preseason, those guys are able to basically get the most amount of work in the preseason games as

opposed the actual practices. It's a really interesting change that sort of happened, and ben Kurt I really liked a lot of things he did in that preseason game. He's he's got to kind of slow down the mechanism a little bit. You know. Obviously there was the fumbled exchange and there was the pick, but he plays tenaciously. And the fact of the matter is, Mike, if you're number three quarterback in this league, you've got to do something

to get attention. You're not going to be able to go out there and just dink and dunk in these preseason games and impress anybody. He had. He's shown his arm, he's shown his ability to stand tall in the pocket. He's not afraid to get hit. As just say. One thing we know about Kurt Benkert from what we've seen in him so far, is he is fearless. He played. He plays the game with no fear, and I think that's what we're gonna see on Saturday. So it starts

with Ben Kurt. But but let's be real, what's the number one storyline this preseason game. It is the guard situation because now this week we saw the shift John Runyon Jr. At left I left guard excuse me, and over at right guard. They're using now Ross, Royce Newman, the rookie fourth round pick, Lucas Patrick still right guard with the twos and Ben Braden was at left guard with the twos. But the thing was earlier this week they were flipping those guys. They were basically running like

two and two with the first team. In the practice we saw on Wednesday, it was just running and Newman. This is a major opportunity right now for Royce Newman to put his name in the hat for that starting gig. Yeah, the Packers are going to be looking at that guard situation very closely, and particularly with Newman now in that competition for a starting guard spot, and they want to

get that running game going. I know, mostly the preseason is about the individual evaluations and individual improvement, but with these twos and threes, the backup units. You also want to see some collective improvement. And the Packers want to be able to run the ball better. They want to be able to perform better on special teams. They also

like to see their run defense. You know, if if you know, a guy like t J. Slaton is going to play forty plus snaps again, they want to see the run defense have more longev than not just the first half, but be able to hold up through the second half as well. So all of those things um here in the mix. But um but I'm with you. It's it's it's seeing what happens at that guard spot.

And I think, honestly, in some respects how the running game looks is going to be um uh, certainly a significant piece of that evaluation as to how those interior guys are doing on the offensive line. The Packers want to get this running game going well. And then you saw what happened at the end of that game where Dexter Williams is able to break off four runs for

thirty two yards. And and I'm not going to be able to break everything down for you and explain all those holes happen, but Dexter Williams is a guy that I think a lot of people started kind of slipped off the memory a little bit because we're talking about Kylan Hill. Obviously everyone's looking at A. J. Dillon's squads, and then you know Patrick Taylor was coming back and is a really good story after an entire midseason due to the list Frank injury. But then there's Dexter, you know,

making plays. I mean that that competition going into this if you want to call it the third turn here, this race, it's down to the wire. I think all those guys are making a case for himselves. Kylan Hill made maybe the art argubably the biggest play in that game with the twenty two yard touched on off the screen pass, but only had negative two yards rushing because some of the issues early on. So seeing how those things fit together is gonna be important. And then also

I do want to throw this out there as well. Yes, it's about who's gonna be left guard, right guard, but at some point Elton Jenkins is going to be back at left guard, David Batr is gonna be back at left tackle that right guard spot, Mike. As much as we talk about the guards right now, you've got four maybe five guys all competing for that job. And you know, the also the versatility with you know, Dennis Kelly plays right tackle, b j excuse me, Billy Turner can move inside.

Just so many different variables here that the Packers are trying to work through. Yeah, Unfortunately, in the first joint practice with the Jets, we saw Dennis Kelly go down with an injury. Unfortunately, we don't really have an update there, and not the kind of thing that that you like to see, but most likely something that is going to hold him out of the preseason game on Saturday at a minimum. So we'll see what the Packers decided to

do at right tackle. And then also Devin Funcius at wide receiver had such a really strong preseason debut last week against Houston. He comes up kind of holding his hamstring after a play on um during Wednesday's practice and and again we'll have to we'll have to see what happens there. But but not what you want to see with with guys leaving with injuries. Another thing to mention too, though.

One of Matt Lafleur's comments after the previous game on Saturday night against Houston was wanting to see stickier coverage from the cornerbacks, from these guys who are competing for these spots behind JayR Alexander, Kevin King, and Eric Stokes, and and how that how that competition evolves. Well, one decision was made this week because the Packers decided to trade Josh Jackson to the New York Giants for Isaac Yeiedem. Hopefully I'm saying that correctly, two guys both drafted in

the two thousand and eighteen draft. Jackson in the second round, yea item in the third round, and kind of one of these change of scenery things that looks like for both players, and you hope it ends up being a win win for both teams and for both players. Will

have to see how it plays out. Because because Ike, as he told us, we're we're allowed to call Isaac Ike here when he met with the media for the first time here in Green Bay, he doesn't have a whole lot of time to to land a roster spot here. But you know, he's gonna give it everything he's got. He's been through this change of scenery thing before. Yes, I'm actually surprised the Ike think didn't take off more with the Giants. You know, there's pretty good ikes in

their history as well. But yeah, I'm gonna start with Josh Jackson really fast. You had to read about this in inbox when you're editing it. It's tough when you're a second round pick and you don't necessarily play up to that level and the expectations that go along with that. The thing I'll keep saying over and over again, and I know I took a lot of flak from our insider inbox readers for how I defended Josh over the years. Um, and I really did see the upside. I mean we

saw it in practice. I mean last year I started to have some doubts and then he comes out and I thought he had a really good couple of weeks of training camp when they started practicing, and that, ultimately, I think probably opened the door to him getting more defensive opportunities than he did in two thousand nineteen. But at the end of the day, you know, it just didn't work out for him. Here I keep saying this over and over again, I'll say it one more time.

Jackson is one of the guys I've really enjoyed getting to know the last few years, and unfortunately getting a chance to see enough of them the last you know, one and a half. But and just because something doesn't work out professionally, that's not a detriment to the person. And Josh Jackson, I hope Packer fans realized that that that guy gave everything he had and he earned every cent on his paycheck to play for this football team. I wish him well. I hope it works out for

him with the Giants. But moving on to the next chapter, the Packers needed to get more and they have to solidified starters I believe you could say, and in terms of established in the league and in jaire Alexander and Kevin King, Chandon's Sullivan has been the slot guy for a year and a half and the obviously the first round pick and Eric Stokes. But you need more from

a secondary. You need to build that out and you have to you have to believe and I know we're not gonna, you know, go pick in the roster anything like that, but you have to believe six, if not seven, cornerbacks are gonna be on thist three man roster when

when it's all said and done. So, even as we talk about Alexander King, Sullivan and Stokes, who are clearly the top four packers are looking for at least two or three more to be on the fifty three and then potentially even have another reserve or two on the expanded practice squad. Yeah, and again we're not cutting the roster. But you'd have to think Shamar John Charles is in that conversation round draft pick. They're going to give him a chance to develop. So then you have your deem.

You have Kaban Ento who had a fantastic game on Saturday night. You have Kadar Holman back from two years ago. Oh and then by the way, right back here on your back end, you've got like three late round undrafted safeties that are making strong bids. You know, Vernon Scott has looked good though he has a hamstring flare up now in his gains was a January signing that typically those guys get under the radar, you never hear about them again. And here he is, I thought, putting together

a really strong training campaign. Guys like that get signed in January. As you know, those those future signings. A lot of times those guys don't even make it to training camp. Like somewhere along the line during spring O t A S and the you know, the personnel department's churn in the bottom of the roster to get the ninety man set for training camp. Some of those future guys that are signed in January before the playoffs or

even over, they don't even make it this far. And in his gains is he's he's in the running for a spot on the fifty three here, no question. Yeah, because it's not just what he's doing on defense. I mean he's made some nice plays on special teams as well. So yes, you're right when you say you don't know how many guys are gonna keep at cornerback. I would imagine you know, you've seen them keep as many as

eleven or twelve defensive backs in this era. Now, between cornerback and safety, all those guys are competing with each other. And Adrian Names touched on it too when we were

asking about it after the game this week. Uh, after practice, there's there's competition there and there's a lot of guys vying for familiar roles and seeing who prevails in that I think is gonna have real huge repercussions for this defense here in two Yeah, well, there will be a lot of film to analyze after these two joint practices, followed by the preseason game and then one more preseason game the road trip to Buffalo next week. But for now, we're going to call it a wrap on this edition

of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of training camp and of Saturday's preseason game. We'll have it all for you on Packers dot com. For West, I'm Mike, thank you for tuning, and everybody, we will see you next time.