#708 Packers Unscripted: Coaches’ perspective

throughout this week, with OTAs beginning next week. And I want to start right away with the story that you wrote after the media availability on Tuesday of the Packers coordinators and specifically with regard to Joe Berry and the Packers defense, because we talked on a previous show when Kenny Clark had spoken to the media on the same

day that Aaron Jones and Jordan Love did. We talked about how Kenny Clark was not shying away from the expectations that there will be for this Packers defense with adding another first round pick to now there will be eight first round picks first round draft picks for the Packers on that side of the ball, and the fact that the defense did not live up to for the first half three quarters of the season last year, did not live up to the expectations that everyone had. Those

expectations are back in place. Kenny Clark was not backing down from them. Joe Barry was not backing down from them either.

going to have to rise to. The one thing that was interesting, we had this little bit of an I don't want to call it an awkward exchange, but you know, Mark Daniels wanted to play some some word play stuff, and I don't think Joe was quite on the same wavelength with them at the press conference, but it ended up eliciting a pretty good quote though from Joe Barry and talking about, you know, it doesn't matter if they have eight first round picks or the entire defense is

seventh rounders. The expectations are always going to be high in Green Bay and they understand that. So last year wasn't what the Packers wanted defensively. It took too long to get to where they wanted to be, and actually I think a lot of it ended up being out of necessity. The adjustments that they made. They lose Eric Stokes, they lose Rashan Gary. You have to start trailing and traveling jyr Alexander around the secondary. You have to push

Rasseul Douglas outside. And I think some of the concepts that they worked inside worked for them better down the stretch. That one stat I dug up Mike where the Packers were at giving up one hundred and fifty four rushing yards per game in the first twelve contests and then only one hundred the last month of the season in December, when you typically see more rushing offense become prevalent in the league. I think that told you where they went.

And also getting back DeAndre Campbell down the stretch I think helped as well. So coming out this year, it's all about getting off to a faster start. It's all about setting a quicker tempo, and the Packers need to be able to do that because now you don't have Aaron Rodgers, you don't have that experience on the offensive side of the ball. You're going to have a unit that you expect to be better at the end of

the season. But right out of the gate, the one known commodity for this football team is its defense and it needs to play to that level.

how That's not really what's important. What's important when you look back at last year is how much the defense went through this roller coaster, this peaks and valleys of some really good play and then things would really fall off and then they would rise back up again. And Joe Berry talked about finding a level of consistency. There's no such thing as, as you know, saying, Okay, every single game, the Packers are going to give up seventeen points and that's it. Like, that's not how it works.

That's not what's meant by consistency. But it's about smoothing out those peaks and valleys in the play, finding a level of play that that can be relied upon, that that can can be more consistent. Because the other two phases of this team, the offense and the special teams are gonna need something to rely on from the defense.

And I thought that was really the crux of Joe Berry's message, that you know, they went back looking at everything in terms of how the defense played last year and they are done now looking in the rearview mirror. It's about looking for but when they did study it earlier in the offseason, it was about, yeah, there were some stretches of really really good defensive play, but then

it wasn't sustainable. And then when things fell off, they fell off considerably, and and those those peaks and valleys need to be smoothed out. And that's what Joe Berry, all of his assistants, the leaders on the defense, the Kenny Clarks and the Preston Smiths and the Rashaun Garys when he's back jyr Alexander, that's what those guys have to figure out, is to smooth things out with this group so that everybody knows what they can count on well.

at quarterback. So probably the best example of defense I think in my mind is what Aaron Glenn did with Detroit last season. Detroit statistically was not a good unit, but if you watch them against the Packers both at Ford Field and then in that finale at lambeau Field, you wouldn't have known that they put together an effort to stop Aaron Rodgers in this offense. That's where the Packers'

defense needs to get to. The teams that you want to dominate, put together a strong performance, give you guys a chance. But when you play a team that maybe you're not supposed to show up well against, maybe a team like in Kansas City and December, how do you respond I felt down the stretch, the Packers responded a lot better to that, looking at that performance they had on Rismas Day against Miami. Obviously, the job they did

against Minnesota a week later. That's going to be the key for them, As you mentioned, getting things even and also understanding situationally. The Packers have to do a better job this year the red zone. They actually were pretty good on third downs last year, but four downs they were like thirty twenty third in the league. I think it was being able to win situationally. Stopping the run is going to be key, especially early on when you

have to replace Dean Lowry and also Jaron Reid. It's so many different things, Mike, It's all these different organisms coming into the same sort of body of a season that they have to get going in the right direction because consistently, that's probably what was the biggest piece that was missing for them in twenty twenty two.

a seventh round draft pick in Anthony Johnson Junior. You have a lot of guys that are gonna be in the mix for that starting spot at safety, and it seems like what they're looking for is a consistent, you know,

even even keel steady performer. Not coincidentally, they're looking to replace Adrian Amos, and that's exactly what he was right like, they they don't want to take a step back there, and obviously we know part of the reason that Adrian Amos isn't back is the Packers have some salary cap considerations and Adrian Amos's price is going to be higher than some of these other free agents that they've signed,

so they're they're up against it there. But they're looking to replace Adrian Amos with a very very similar player, a player that can be relied upon, who can make the calls, who's going to get people in the right position. And it's going to take all of OTA's, all of training camp, all the preseason to sort this out because when the question was asked, I believe it was asked of Greg Williams, the new defensive passing game coordinator, when do you need to know who the other starting safety is?

And he was like, well, when do we go to Chicago for Week one? I mean that's they just have to get it figured out by then. But they will use all the time necessary to get it figured out because that is really the one true starting spot that is open as this offseason continues.

next year, obviously, Mike Hyde transitioned back. They drafted Haja Clinton Dixon the first round. The difference here with what the Packers are doing is it's a very veteran Leyden Garup. I mean, Rudy Ford has started games in this league. Jonathan Owens played nine hundred and sixty snaps last year, started all seventeen games, one hundred and twenty five tackles for the Houston Texans last season. They have guys that they can, you know, potentially look towards ta various more.

the game. So this is this is a young player who still maybe hasn't quite necessarily reached his peak in the NFL either in athletically.

that is the fifth year veteran. Now he's the former first round pick Darnell Savage is going to be put in a place to really thrive this season. He's going to be the man on the back end. He's going to be one of the big communicators for them. I know last year there were some peaks and valleys to that. He was in the lineup, he was out of the lineup, he was in the slot, he was on the back end. This offseason, it's going to be the Darnell Savage show there.

And whoever it is that ends up lining up next to him, creating that team work together, creating that that camaraderie is going to be critical. I'm very interested to see what training camp looks like and obviously seeing how they take the approach to with the preseason. Yeah.

possibly center, competition developing there at those spots. So where the Packers ended last season with Josh Myers at center, John Runyon at right guard, Yosh Niemen at right tackle, that's not necessarily how things are going to look in Week one because there's a young fourth round draft pick from a year ago named Zach Tom out of Wake Forest. Who is who's going to challenge for starting spot on

this offensive line. We're just not sure yet exactly maybe which spot he's going to make the strongest push.

me of what J. C. Tredder did. Thinking back into twenty sixteen when they needed him to play left tackle. He hadn't been a left tackle since college, but yet he rose up to that and he played to that level. Zach. Tom proved a lot of things to me, and I think more than anything, what he showed was given a full offseason. We haven't seen Zach. We don't know what he looks like, we don't know how all the stuff

went for him. But given a full offseason to continue to grow, I just expect him to compete for a starting spots and honestly, when Week one comes around, I would not be surprised at all to see him in the lineup because I think he can compete at right guard. I think he can compete at right tackle. You know, Yash Naimen's back on the tender, but still I think that's going to be a healthy competition, and as Stenovich said, it could even be at center, you know, with Josh Myers.

I mean, they want to put together the best five possible. And at this time the only thing that is for certain is that you're going to have a five time All Pro left tackle and David Baktiari and a two time Pro Bowl left guard in Elton Jenkins, and then kind of the rest is to be determined. But I love the fact I said this time and time again, draft one in the first round if you feel like there's a big ten year starter there. If there's not, you got twelve guys coming back, Mike, give those guys

an opportunity to perform and see what they can do. Yeah.

But then you're also looking at You're looking at backup spots right on both sides as far as left tackle and right tackle. So there's gonna be a lot of competition across that offensive line. Go ahead.

all of all that kind of stuff. The other thing I thought that was interesting, and this is something that will be maybe a thread worth following through the course of this first season with Jordan Love as the starting quarterback. Is Is Stenovich made a really interesting comment with regard to two tight end sets, which is also called twelve personnel, the one two one being one running back, two tight ends,

so that it's called twelve personnel. When you have two tight ends on the field, that sometimes that can force defenses to essentially play their base defense because the offense has five offensive linemen and two tight ends out there. So you can't get quite as creative with you know, extra defensive backs or different you know, straight pass rush packages, you know, things like that. You have to stick with

the base defense and then you have to react. And when a defense has to stick with its with its base personnel, sometimes that can simplify the reads. That can that can because it can limit the options of what the defense might do in a given situation. That can that can break things down a little bit easier for a young quarterback. Now the Packers, they're going into this now with Josiah Deguara, Tyler Davis, and the two draft picks as the top four tight ends on the depth

chart right now. Not a whole lot of experience there. I mean, Josiah Deguara has has probably played more tight end in regular season games than any of them, and he hasn't necessarily been a you know, seven hundred and fifty nine hundred and fifty snap kind of guy. So there's a lot to there's a lot to sword out

there at tight end. But that comment about wanting, you know, to potentially get two tight ends on the field and then see how the defense reacts and put Jordan Love in that position, I found that very interesting and it will be, uh, it'll be worth following to see if the Packers can execute that the way they seem to want to for their young starting quarterback.

the stuff that they were disguising with him. Teams would take him for granted and they would be able to get some touchdown opportunities off of it, some big play opportunities, just for the fact that you know, he sometimes would leak out if you try to sell too quickly on the run. That's the beauty of it, if you know Luke Musgrave and also Tucker Craft can can master that. Aspect of the blocking game is that now everything when you think about run action and things of that nature,

it all is out there for them. Who's blocking, who's who's going out for pass routes, Where is Josiah Deguara in the alignments? If they do some three tight end work. There are so many different ways to build things. And when you talk about having a young receiving core, yeah, I mean the Packers hope that, you know, Jaden Reid is ready right off the bat. They hope that Samori two ray you know, makes a big jump. But it could be a situation too where they run more traditional

two receiver looks. Maybe you're not seeing as much of the four, you know, receiver spreads with Robert Tunyan out there, that's the that's sort of the wild card in this. I just feel like when you are young, when you don't know maybe what you do best, yet your best card to play is going to be being able to mix things up. And I look at this depth chart both at receiver and tight end and even to a certain extent the running backs with what you know AJ

Dillon and Aaron Jones can do as pass catchers. Is giving Matt Lafleur a full entree of what he could potentially attack a defense with this season.

Auburn the Packers drafted in the sixth round. The connection actually goes all the way back to the recruiting visit to the Carlson home when Daniel Carlson was looking to get a college scholarship and Rich Bisaccio he called it, he had a cup of coffee with Auburn. He wasn't working there very long, but he happened to be the guy to do the home visit to the Carlson household

and that's when he actually first met Anders Carlson. And we're not even sure if Anders necessarily remembers that he might have just been playing to follow that, Yeah, might have just been playing video games that night of the of the visit. But the reason I bring it up is I thought it was I thought it was a

pretty entertaining little story. But it also just illustrates sometimes how small a world this, this this world of highlight football, you know, Division one and into the NFL, How small a world it can be that here, however, many moons ago, that that Rich Bisacci was actually in Anders Carlson's house when Anders Carlson was you know, a teenager, you know,

a young teenager. And now that's the kicker that the Packers drafted in the sixth round and is a guy they're going to look at to potentially replace the franchisees all time leading scorer.

length and athleticism to them. That that's the interesting aspect of this when you get those long levered specialists, there's a lot of natural power there. And I think the other thing to look up too, and we've talked about it numerous times now, but when Daniel Carlson comes out of the gate, things don't necessarily go well for him in Minnesota. Obviously had a very very forgettable game here at Lambellfield that ultimately led to him landing getting cut

by the Vikings and landing with the Raiders. It was understanding the bumps that are going to come along with having a rookie, and Rich Bassacia is embracing that he understands it, and he's also said, I mean, it really is about helping walk those guys through that and helping them make the corrections too so many times. And I'm not saying this has necessarily been a big problem in Green Bay, but I know in the National Football League

it can be like this. You know, special teams coordinators are so much about the coverages and the return teams and you're thinking of the big eleven that sometimes they can leave the specialists on an island of their own. The one thing I've learned about Basachi and also Byron Storer is how hands on they are. Last year with Jack Coco, Byron Storer was there with Coco from the very beginning in until the very end, and they're going

to do the same thing now. Would be our hatcher here. Obviously, as we talked about before, Matt Orzick has been in the league now for a number of years. They are building this next specialist group together, and Andres Carlson and how he grows into that this season is gonna be a big part of it. Certainly have to tip your hat to to Parker White is also on this roster.

He's in that competition as well. But as the Packers look to take that next step here potentially without Mason Crosby, although as Bisachi said, you never know those doors stay open. You do want to give Anders an opportunity to make this position his own, show that he can do it at this level. And when you invest a sixth round pick into a guy, much like the Packers did with Mason in two thousand and seven, you want to be able to see his true potential reveal itself. Yeah.

story of how his coaching career actually got started. And it's quite a story, and I'll let you tell the cliffs notes version of it.

long long time ago. They actually had a like basically just to put out some flyers for coaches and trying to build up some youth programs, and he decided, hey, you know what might be a good opportunity for me. He absolutely fell in love with it, understood that this was probably the end of his athletic career individually, and started to look at the coaching aspect of things. He ended up taking advantage of that opportunity, and it was

sort of his foot into the door. I mean, obviously a lot of quality control jobs and things that led him eventually down the line. But the fact that he ended up this all started for him in Arizona when I believe he was with the Arizona Rattlers. The fact that he ended up then being the cornerbacks coach of the Arizona Cardinals, I think is the coolest aspect of

that story too. Starting off with a flyer looking for people to coach, I forgot what the age level was if it was like middle school, but looking.

He didn't have kids. He was he was a guy who was just, you know, figure trying to figure out what his next phase of life was going to be as playing football was wrapping up. So he decides, okay, I'll go coach a bunch of nine and ten year olds in basketball, and they made it to the championship game. He said, they ended up losing. They ended up losing the championship. But obviously, you know, right out of the gate, he had some he had some coaching prowess there, and

and you know it went from there. I absolutely love the story. I think it's I think it's it's tremendous and it'll be it'll be fun to get to know him here while he's coaching in Green Bay.

a chance to talk to him. And now is going to be the individual working with Jyry, Alexander Rasul, Douglass and the rest of that room now going into twenty twenty three.

of the team. It's continuing every day. We have content for you on packers dot com for Wes, I am Mike. Thank you for tuning in everybody. We will see you next time.