#704 Packers Unscripted: Draft debrief continued

extended Jordan Love's contract. Now, he was in a situation where he was in the final year of his rookie deal, but there was a deadline to exercise or not exercise the fifty year option, which is part of a first round draft picks contract. And a lot of times the business of football is something that can be acrimonious, it

can be kind of ugly at times. In this case, the business of football generated something that really makes a heck of a lot of sense for both sides as the Packers make this transition to Jordan Love and see what the future holds.

Some people might say, well, for Jordan Love, why do this. You're gonna get twenty million guaranteed if they pick it up. But the thing is you're gonna get that money next year. By doing it now, he gets the signing bonus, He's able to get a little bit more cash pushed into this season that benefits him rather than playing on the

fourth year of his rookie contract. In addition, it also avoids the awkwardness of the Packers saying, hey, we're not going to exercise you're our guy, but we're not going

to exercise a fifty year option. Because, as I was told yesterday by Packers' Hall of Fame curator Brent Henzel when I was working out down in the staff fitness area, I think there was only something like eleven or twelve of the thirty two teams actually exercise the fifty year option on their first round picks from twenty twenty.

year like you know, big cap hits. So it's about for the Packers, it's also about managing managing the cap in twenty twenty four, and then the contract is structured as such where quite frankly, Jordan Love can end up making more money than he would have on the fifth year option if he plays well and you know, and gets the playing time and hits various incentives and whatnot.

So there were incentives built in for Jordan Love to sign this because over twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four he has a chance to actually make more money than he would have just playing out his contract and then getting the option picked up. So like like, like I said, it's something that just makes a heck of

a lot of sense for both sides. A very unique situation obviously where the Packers had to make this decision on the fifth year option on the new quarterback when he hasn't been you know, QB one, He hasn't been the starting quarterback in Green Bay yet to where you you really have that full evaluation. So something that makes sense for both sides and also just kind of puts things at ease a little bit in terms of, Okay,

Jordan Loves under contract for two more years. This is how it's structured, and if he plays well, I'm sure they will start talking about an extension before this particular extension runs out at the end of twenty twenty four. And if things don't go well, which obviously nobody wants, but if things don't go well, the Packers have mitigated their financial risk a little bit and set things up, then you know, to move forward in another direction.

a fifth year contract. The other thing I just want to touch on quickly that I think was really smart from Green Bay's perspective is, with all due respect to Daniel Jones, he had a nice season last year, but you look at what happened with that purgatory that him and the Giants fell into where they declined his fifty year option. He actually makes some improvements, but probably doesn't reach like quite a Pro Bowl type level this year

with Brian Dobbel. Well, then they had to end up paying him four years, one hundred and sixty million dollars, and now you're hoping that he can carry that over for the Packers. Now again, it gives him two years to learn a lot about Jordan Love here and determine if this is going to be the guy for the future.

Cashed in big time off of that Super Bowl win, and you know, that was a tough spot for the Ravens to be and so the Packers trying to avoid that, trying to be fair to the player, and it makes sense for Jordan Love as we talked about in terms of the financial incentives for him and to get to get more money in his pocket. Now, So with regard to the draft class, I know we kind of rehashed a lot of it on our last show. I want to throw some different questions at you, and this show

truly is unscripted. Wes doesn't know what I'm going to ask him, but the advantage that he gets is he gets to answer the questions before I get to answer, and I don't get to repeat his answers. So thirteen player draft class obviously lots of guys that we talked about and their potential heading into twenty twenty three and the few cure. My first question for you, Wes, is which of the offensive draft picks do you believe will make the biggest impact on this team as a rookie.

of Western Michigan and Greg Jennings. Greg was an absolute natural talent in this league, So I don't want to

draw comparisons between Reed and Jennings. The one thing, though, that I think is indisputable is the fact that I think Jaden is going to get a similar opportunity that Greg got in two thousand and six when he came in here to play right now off the bat and show what his skill set is the Green Bay Packers, Mike, if you look at how these free agent why don'ts look right now now with Randall Cobbs signing with the New York Jets, there isn't a lot out there, to

be honest with you, and I think it really would behoove the Packers at this point, at least through the offseason program scene, if maybe somebody gets comes unattached later this summer, to just let these young guys play it out, Let them get these reps with Jordan Love, let them

get comfortable in this offense and see who shines. And I feel like Jayden Reid with his skill set, being able to do the Jets sweep stuff, being able to gain separation across the middle, being able to make contested catches. This young man, with how physical he plays the game, don't look just at the height and the weight with him, look at the overall football player. I think there is a golden opportunity for this kid as a second round pick to make a contribution his rookie year.

an impact as a rookie, but very different obstacles. From Musgrave's point of view, it's the fact that he only played two games his final year in college before getting injured. It's been a long time since he's really been in you know, full speed preparation playing football mode, so we don't really know how that's going to go with Tucker Craft. It's making that jump from the FCS all the way to the NFL. Having played at a smaller school, now played in a lot of big games, won a national

championship at South Dakota State and all that. But there is a big jump in the competition from FCS to the NFL, even more so than say most FBS programs. So so they each have that to overcome. But the reason I'm pointing to the type ends is just because of the opportunity that I think will be there when Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis are the tight ends who are coming back. Neither one of them established themselves as a featured tight end in this offense during their time here,

yet now that potentially could still happen. They have the experience they played in the NFL, they know this offense, and the Packers are going to be looking to them to be leaders. So I don't want to discount them entirely, but the opportunity at tight end is tremendous for these two young guys in Musgrave and Craft to come in. So that's where I lean in terms of the offensive impact as a rookie Yeah.

few seasons. There's always been this transition point, and right now, depending on what happens with Mercedes Lewis if he doesn't return, the Greeman Packers are very easily going to be rolling with these two guys as inline options right from day one.

that's going to stretch defenses vertically. Very exciting to see where those guys are going to take this thing because again, much like with Red, they are going to have an opportunity off the bat right out.

excitement and interest there. Same question for you on the defensive side of the ball, except you're not allowed to pick Kyle van Ness because, as we talked about on our last show, he very well could be starting Week one, first snap of the season on the opposite side from Preston Smith if for Sean Gary is not all the way back from from his knee injury yet, so Lucas van Ness would be too obvious a pick in terms

of defensive impact from a rookie. So aside from him, is there somebody that that you think the fans should have their eye on.

position just doesn't get enough respect. We've seen, as I mentioned Daniels, We've seen Aaron Donald, the Gino Adkins. I mean, the number of these guys that have been not just rotational third down rushers, but three down players has skyrocketed. Now Brooks is gonna make a big transition. Bowling Green played him off the edge quite a bit. He's gonna

have to show he can play inside. But based on the Senior Bowl, the Packers saw a lot of attributes they like, and Michael, I don't care who you're playing when you can consistently perform at the level that Brooks did from true freshman year to his senior year at Bowling Green, this young man put up incredible numbers his pressures.

one at that school. So just very excited to see what he could potentially add because I feel like since the Kingsley Kiky thing didn't really work out, since they lost Daniels, they haven't had that type of guy that can come in and take some of that interior rush away, some of those responsibilities away from from Kenny Clark. This could be the dude if he shows that he can have the type of skill set that translates to the pro game. Yeah, and I'm going to go a little

bit different direction on this one. I'm actually going to go with Carrington Valentine, the cornerback out of Kentucky, and the reason I pick him a couple of different reasons. With you look at the Packers' secondary right now. At cornerback, the Packers really like what they have. Obviously, you have veterans like Jay Or Alexander and Rasul Douglas. You're going to give Keshawn Nixon every opera ortunity to be that nickel corner. You have Eric Stokes coming back from the injury.

But I'll say this with regard to Valentine's you know, potential impact and opportunity, we don't necessarily know how things are gonna go with Keishawn Nixon at the nickel. He's not been a full time defensive player in a role like that yet in the NFL. The Packers have a ton of confidence in him. Everybody wants it to go well,

but you just never know. You also don't know with regard to stokes injury, pretty serious injury that he had last year's same game as Gary, the game in Detroit, and all signs, at least from what we've heard so far, things looking pretty good. But again, you just don't know when Eric Stokes will be back and at one hundred percent. And on top of that, even if you take out all those caveats and those are your top four cornerbacks, the Packers are gonna play plenty of dime defense. You know,

with four cornerbacks on the field. If any one of those four, you know, tweaks a hamstring, tweaks an ankle, whatever, Carrington Valentine might be the next guy. I'm not saying he will be. He might be the next guy up who's going to be playing snaps in the dime. It's entirely possible. Obviously, the Packers also sometimes use a third safety in the dime instead of another corner. There will

be other options there. But if he balls out in training camp and puts himself in that spot on the depth chart, then suddenly he's one snap away from being a key guy in the dime. So a lot of you know, if sands and butts in that type of answer, But I do think he's a young man to keep an eye on and then also a potential special teams impact player as well, just based on his position and his profile coming out of college. Yeah, I honestly don't think there's any way you can go wrong with Valentine

this year. If it ends up working out that he plays out of the gate, as you kind of outlined, that's a win. I mean, the young man getting those type of reps early on could be really beneficial for his long term prospects given what you know guys like Mel Kuiper have said about him. I also think with him being as young as he is, the fact that he was a junior entrant into this year's draft, if he sits the entire season, that also could be really

helpful for him down the line. He is, by the definition of his own word, a pressman corner, a guy that likes to play physical, guy that likes the challenge of lining up against somebody and trying to shut them down on an island outside.

man up. I just think that Valentine that's going to be an awesome opportunity for him coming in And also, seeing as you said, Mike, who emerges in the nickel, who emerges in the dime, What happens if you move guys around at safety, if somebody moves down into the box at times, then who's filling in in the back end. It's not just going to be Valentine competing with his position group in those corners. It's going to be competing

with Inness Gains. It's going to be competing, you know, with some of those returning start you know, trends from last year, like Rudy Ford and Dallan Lovett. So many different ways this thing can go. But for Green Bay, a team that is kind of in a transition right now with Adrian Amos not being re signed at the moment, that could very well mean one of these young guys that we don't necessarily are going to be talking a lot about this summer could end up being an entrenched

player on this defense come September. Yeah.

bowl cousin subs fifty years of better. All right, my next question for you. The Packers drafted four players in the seventh round of this draft, and over the last twenty five years here in Green Bay, we have seen seventh rounders like Donald Driver, Mark Touscher, Scott Wells, Sam Barrington, Brad Jones. Guys who have you know taken that seventh round selection and created a career careers of different degrees

for themselves. So my question to you is, with regard to the four seventh round picks, don't sleep on.

safety options. Certainly Brian Branch was there earlier the Penn State kid, but Johnson once he was on the board still in the seventh round. I thought this guy made a lot of sense for green Bay because he checks one of the major boxes for green Bay in that there is a lot of value, there's a lot of you know, potential with a guy that's making a transition from cornerback to safety, it's basically playing a new position.

Thought it was very mature of him to go back to Iowa State this past year working with Matt Campbell, understanding that hey, if I want to be a pro and my position is going to be safety, I need to learn that position at the college level as opposed to being an undrafted for AID and trying to make a transition in a tr NFL training camp. He put in those hours. I think the upside is there. But the fact of the matter is the kid played sixty two college games. Mike, he had fifty four starts at

Iowa State. Hearing him talk on the on the radio on the conference call again, I kept hearing Micah Hyde in my ear He is mature, he is posed, and he is really confident in what he can do on the field, not in an arrogant way just to nay, hey, I just need an opportunity and I'll show you kind of way of doing things. And the fact that he ended up being a second team All Big Twelve safety last year he finally got his first two college interceptions.

I think their packers are only scratching the surface with this kid, and even better, in his perspective, it's a position a need for Green Bay. We don't know who's going to be lining up next to Darnell Savage. Yet now you have a young guy that you can put into the system and see what you have.

a school that then essentially canceled its football program. During COVID, he's not even really sure, you know, where to go. He ends up at a program like Charlotte, and you know, having taken a chunk of time off from football, and he plays really really well and plays himself onto draft boards and and and get some notice. He's a he's a he's a wide receiver. You know. You throw around the term raw prospect, you know, and that gets tossed around a lot, but he really is kind of the

definition of that. Like nobody knows just how good he might be because quite frankly, he hasn't played a lot of high level football yet. But what he what he has done, and when he has played, he's produced. So there are a lot there's there's a lot of potential, there's a lot of upside. There a lot of unknown as to as to just how good he can be.

And he's coming into he's coming into a receiver room that is awfully young as well, as we've talked about on our previous shows, that a lot of these young guys are going to be taking their lumps and learning things together and all that, and you just never know if maybe a seventh round pick, you know, who is actually the last of the Packers thirteen selections, you know, ends up being a guy who starts to uh, who starts to rise up when when the pads go on

in training camp and with those preseason games. We'll just have to so very intriguing prospect for a guy that the Packers selected thirteenth out of their thirteen picks.

His junior season is a fifty six yard touchdown against Duke and for to have one hundred and twenty six catches in two seasons to put himself on.

Bowling Green is not right. And this is a young man who had would have had every op opportunity to go somewhere, you know, a higher profile school, to raise his own personal profile, potentially getting out of a program that that was really struggling, and yet he ends up staying there five years, you know, starting forty plus close to fifty games or or whatever. And you know, to me his story, it's like, why did you stay? Like

why did you stay at Bowling Green? How you know, how attractive might it have been to go somewhere else? Do you think you were taking a risk with your own future by staying there as opposed to trying to raise your profile like that kind of thing. So his his story to me is very interesting as well, and.

forward into training camp. Anybody on that list of the of the undrafted free agents that kind of that kind of caught your eye and that that you know, you want to want to get them on the fans radar right from the get go here.

that's for Green Bay ultimately decides to play him. But the other one, if I can just really quickly touch on it, Henry Pearson is the name. I have an eye on Mike because for the first time in four years, the Packers have a full back on their roster. That's just he's from app State. I believe he played with Shamar John Charles there.

Green Bay. But I remember Aaron Jones telling me there's just something about running behind a full back that is different, and it has become kind of a luxury position with fifty three man rosters but I'll tell you what, Mike, if Pearson comes in and shows that he can catch the football on block and do all those little on tangibles, I still think there's always going to be a plays for a full back in Green Bay if they show that they can play.

give a very short leash. He knows that he he has an opportunity to put all that stuff behind him, and and I'll be interested to see if he can, if he can seize that opportunity in a place like Green Bay. And I'll just throw out one other name just because again of the the opportunity at tight end in this offense. Cameron McDonald from Florida State is here as a as an undrafted rookie and he's he's got he's got the physical profile of of you know, a move tight end and a guy who can potentially get

down the field. And and you know this that that's the kind of undrafted rookie that I could see playing quite a bit in the preseason games in August and maybe getting a chance to getting a chance to do something with with Sean Clifford or Dannyetling throwing passes in August, when when those preseason games get into the second half, maybe has a chance to catch somebody's eye. So have

a couple other thoughts for you. One with Rookie Mini Camp this weekend, the players are actually arriving on Thursday, as as we're taping the show as many you might be watching or listening to it, they're arriving for the for the two days of Rookie Mini Camp on Friday and Saturday. What are you most interested in in terms of this this Rookie Mini Camp? What are you going to have your eye on the most?

first impressions, just kind of tracking them throughout the practice. Also, on Friday, we'll be chatting potentially with all thirteen guys from that rookie draft class, getting to know their personalities a little bit, getting to kind of everyone's on their best behavior, obviously, but it is fun sort of being able to kind of mix it up a little bit. I try not to draw too many conclusions from these

practices because I will never forget. I think it was in twenty thirteen or fourteen Mike McCarthy was asked for the MVP of the practice or the weekend, and it would ended up being a Kansas City, a Kansas state running back who did sign as a UFA but got exactly zero dollars and zero census a signing bonus, And I think I don't even know if he ended up

making it to training camp. So I don't know how much you can draw from these practices in terms of the actual like, hey, is this a good pick or not? But I am excited to see Vans in uniform for the first time, and honestly just seeing how Jaden Reid moves and potentially what these guys offer at their respective positions and hearing Rich Pisaci probably yelled at some rookies.

goal attempts. You know they're working on you know, the protection and and different things like that, but they kicked the ball for real, and it's always just interesting, how does the ball come off the guy's foot, what does

it sound like? What does it look like? And uh, because having watched Mason Crosby, having covered his entire career since he arrived in two thousand and seven, you know what it's supposed to look like and sound like for an NFL kicker, and and always that that first impression when a new when a new kicker comes in, you see him kicking in the Hudson Center. That's always something that that I make a mental note of. Last thing for you, West, it was a long weekend, as we

talked about Thursday, Friday, Saturday of the draft. The Packers took thirteen players, nine of them on Saturday. My last thing for you is we wrap up kind of our draft review. Is what was your most And this can be anything. I'll let you go wherever you want with this. What was your most memorable moment of covering the twenty twenty three NFL Draft of the Green Bay Packers.

this won't be so bad. And then I'm like, oh, wait, we got eight more of these guys to go through and then just the seventh round. I joked with you before the draft about how I don't retain my rhythm, my plans, my schedule for the draft.

But in relation to your describing the tornado of activity, especially on Saturday, where we're going crazy with trying to keep the website updated, getting information up on the picks as soon as the Packers make them, and all of that, and then we're absolutely exhausted at the end of Saturday, and the last person we're going to hear from at the podium is general manager Brian Gudukunt, and then he makes a comment after the Packers selected thirteen guys and we are completely wiped out.

either a second or a first rounder. And then he's already calculating the Packers potentially getting three compensatory draft picks based on the free agenc they lost led by Alan Lazard and that contract that he got from the New York Jets. So if you add the extra pick from Rogers, and if the Packers do get three compensatories, yeah, you're already at eleven picks for the twenty twenty four draft

before anything else happens here. And that sort of you know, I had to pause and sigh and go like, okay, but we can worry about that twelve months from now. But hats off to you, my friend. It was It was a great It was a great weekend to coverage. We were knocking it out on the website doing the best we could for the fans, and yeah, it wiped us out, but it was a heck of a lot of fun too.

the ether for you know, for nobody. There people who are actually consuming the content, and we definitely appreciate the fans' dedication to a long weekend as well.