#827 Packers Unscripted: Key offseason questions

shape for the twenty twenty five Packers. I want to continue to review the twenty twenty five off season to this point, but in a little bit different way in that I'm going to throw a question at you, okay, and then I'll let you answer it, and then I will also answer it. And as usual, I didn't prep you with the questions in advance. You're perhaps going to steal one of my answers and I will just have to react.

pack and field goal accuracy after how things started. In no disrespect to Brandon Narvisen, but you had a rookie kicker coming in that gets claimed at the end of kay and has to come in and he's in a new spot, and I felt like McManus was the one

that started the turnaround for green Bay special teams. It felt like, yes, it was the field goal unit and all of that, but it also just felt like everything sort of synked up a little bit more in You and I on Tuesday's show, we were discussing these different positions and potential battles. Michael, when was the last time the Packers on this day, you know, in May of twenty twenty five, third week of the offseason program, have had one kicker, one punter in one long snapper in

addition to obviously Alex Hale the international player exemption. But right now, it's about his stables. It's been in years as far as being able to maintain and keep Brandon McManus in the fold and for him to have the season that he had with only two miss field goals

the entire way. Certainly one of them was obviously in the game against Philadelphia, but this was such a massive sing for Green Bay in the middle of the season, and to be able to extend him and keep him around, I think is going to have a huge impact on those we fence and the special teams units going forward.

gonna go. At the time that the Packers made the signing of Hobbs, there there wasn't any certainty as to as to how things were gonna unfold with Alexander, So so it's significant from that standpoint. I think it's also significant, as we talked about on our last show, how the Packers are investing in another defensive back who they feel

they can line up in different places. You know, it's another key Sewn Nixon, who whom they feel can line up and defend on the boundary but also line up and and play in the slot, and giving Jeff Haffley and this defense that many you know, yet another movable part among many movable parts in his secondary And then

the other reason I would say it was significant. And this is a little bit sort of revisionist history in a weird sort of way if you follow if you follow along here, But I think but it became significant because the I would have I would have almost bet my house that the Packers were going to draft a cornerback within the first four rounds of this draft, not saying it was had to be the first round pick, but I thought just within the first one hundred and

fifty picks of this draft, the Packers were going to take a cornerback and the board just didn't fall that way for them. I think if the board falls a certain way, they probably do, but the board didn't fall that way, and they end up actually not getting a cornerback until the seventh round with Micah Robinson and then as I mentioned, also bringing in a highly touted, undrafted player in Jonathan Baldwin who many people thought would be drafted.

But the reason that it makes the Hobbs signing that much more significant, not only because of just what you did for the cornerback room and bringing in a veteran, but with the board not falling the way you were hoping or maybe thinking it would fall during the draft, they didn't have to just go out and reach for a cornerback and oh, we got to make sure we

get one of these guys before they're gone. The signing of Hobbs, like even with the cornerback board didn't fall quite right in the draft, but Brian Gudacunz could still just sit back and say, hey, it's okay, We're all right, you know we you know, the Alexander thing is still up in the air. But we brought in Hobbs, we have Nixon, There's Carrington Valentine, you know there. So I think the I think the Hobbs signing was was really

significant for a lot of reasons. There question number two, which off season move of everything that has happened to this point, are you most curious to see.

me the most? Which will move I'm most excited to see it's saveon Williams because it's just because when you have a guy that is utilized the way he was utilized at TCU, and I think you and I would both agree just based on the depth of the received position, he's not going to have that many opportunities, you would think. I mean, it was like they were building the whole offense around him. Uh. At Texas Christian so what aspects

of him his game. Does Matt Lafleur, Adam Stenovich, Jason Rabel do they look to extract and utilize right out of the gate, because I think he can help them, But I couldn't tell you, based on his workload and the multitude of ways that he was utilized in college, exactly what he's going to do in Green Bay. Okay, Be that as it may. The Isaiah Simmons one is really interesting to me with the Packers signing him, and it was the last move they've made in the free

agency window here. But this guy is five years removed from being the eighth overall pick in the NFL Draft and he's never missed a game because of injury. Incredibly durable, played a lot of football for the Arizona Cardinals the first two and a half years, and it's just sort of been trying to find his spot, you know, ever since that Cliff Kingsbury era ended in Arizona. So is

he going to be on special teams? You know? Is he going to be a guy that you could potentially sprinkle into the defense, will even up earning a role on the defense, We don't know. But when you're talking

about low risk, high reward signings. I think Isaiah Simmons might take the cake because the more I was listening to Matt Lafleur discussed, you know, the conversations with him, they brought him in for a visit, they signed him two weeks later after the draft, when they didn't really add any other inside linebackers, natural inside linebackers, right, So it almost in a way sort of felt like the Devandre Campbell's signing to me in twenty twenty one, where

it's this guy that's sort of sitting out there trying to find the right opportunity and ultimately he settles on green back.

in that move as well. The most curious one for me that I am I am interested to see what results from it is the change at defensive line coach. Yeah, sure, DeMarcus Covington being brought in to take over running the Packers defensive line with with Jason Rebovich being being let go. The reason this one stands out to me so much is because for all of the discussion outside the building about what are the Packers going to do about their pass rush?

the last show. The progression is from guys like Lucas van Ness the a little little more consistency and reliability is expected from Rashaun Garry, the you know, the veteran guy, and also from the interior guys Kenny Clark, DeVante Wyatt, the guys who have been who have been there, done that to this point, you know, need to need to

step up their games as well. But hearing all of that throughout the off season about how Brian Gudokum's felt about the Packers pass rush tells me they really feel that Covington can make a difference with this unit, can take the guys that the Packers have and get more out of them and uh and try to push that group forward in the way that in the way that's been envisioned. So that's the one that has that has

my curiosity. And I think it's also and this was pointed out a month or so ago by an insider inbox reader, and I apologize for forgetting exactly who it was, but it's also a very shrewd move on Matt Lafleur's part to bring in a guy like Covington. He had

just risen over the last handful of years. He'd risen from the bottom of the totem poll on Bill Belichick's coaching staff in New England all the way up to defensive coordinator for Jared Mayo in the first year after Belichick is gone from the Patriots, and now New England decided to clean house with the Mayo coaching staff, and so this guy becomes available. But he's considered still a

rising star in the coaching ranks. He has a year of experience as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, and we all know that all it took was one year for Jeff Hafley to be here, and he was getting some overtures for possible head coach vacancy. So in that larger picture of things, I think a very shrewd and also intriguing and curious higher by Mattliffe.

Jacksonville Jaguars. Like That's the sort of trajectory Covington was on, and obviously, unfortunately New England kind of had to restart this year, and certainly I think there was that I don't want to call an infatuation, but definitely that flirtation with Mike Rabel going back there and you know, taking that over and sort of continuing that even though he didn't coach for him, that Bill Belichickian sort of mantra

that they've developed there. So Coventin's available, and I think it's a great example of a guy coming in here now where this is a big undertaking for the Packers, and he also I think took on the run game coordinator role as well, where you're trying to maintain what you did against the run last year, as you've pointed out, while improving upon the natural pass rush and getting more

out of those edge rushers. It's a big undertaking, but he has a ton of weapons and a ton of depth to be able to try doing.

this logjam of cornerbacks. They couldn't get Devon House on the field because he didn't play inside, but they had a lot of options outside with Tremont Williams and I believe at that time Sam Shields and what was his Pro Bowl season after he resigned, So they had guys they felt like could play, but they just couldn't get

him on the field. Now you're seeing this Nate Hobbs, Keyshawn Nixon type of cornerback that depending on where you need them, what the scheme is, what the game is, what the matchups are and also what the injury situation is where you can move these guys around. And I think you're seeing that type of versatility and the value in that versatility league wide. And as you and I discussed with Hobbs and his signing, there's a lot of projection there, but there's some proven ability to play both

inside and outside based on his time with the Raiders. Now, all that being said, another analogy I threw out there, another argument that I made in inbox was we always look at these starting fives of offensive lines in the versatility, I think you almost need maintain the same type of approach with a secondary because in a lot of cases, much like an offensive line, those guys are going to be out there. Four of them certainly are likely going to be out there at all times. Yeah, maybe five,

depending on what the matchup is. If you have that many players that you're counting on to be on the field, you have to have not only depth, but versatility to replace that depth if injuries occur. I think Hobbs is gonna be a big part of that for Jeff Hafley's defense. And also the exciting thing is too last year it was Halfley trying to figure out a lot of these pieces that Green Bay already had in fitting them into

his defense. Now he's having the opportunity to look at a guy like Nate Abbs and say, you know what, I can do something with that guy.

When Christian Watson is on the field, with the speed that he brings and that and that fear that he strikes of the big play, it just it dictates defensive alignments, It dictates the way teams scheme up against you. And when Watson has not been available, that's been that's made

things a lot harder on the Packers offense. So until you get Christian Watson back sometime later in the fall, second half of the season, whatever it's going to be, even though he's golden, is a completely different player in terms of body type and a different type of receiver. You have replaced Christian Watson speed. Now you are putting a guy on the field with that speed element that

defenses are going to have to account for now. So that's why that would be my other answer to paying the most immediate dividends, last one for you before I'll take care of some sponsor business. Most surprising offensive off season excuse me move for you?

at Meadowbrook Park in Howard, Wisconsin. I got back to my car, I'm winded out of shape, sweating, and I'm just leaning against my car and I pull out my phone and says the Packers have signed Aaron Banks. And immediately I'm like, okay, the guard from San Francisco. And I'm thinking to myself, like, did he play center at Notre Dame, Like as I just remembered him being the guy, yeah, that replaced Quintin Nelson and then got drafted and basically

started a bulk of four years for San Francisco. And it's like, no, he didn't. So once you step back from it, it's a very logical move. I would take Elton Jenkins at center over any of these guys that were available on the market. I don't know a lot about the draft class. But in terms of the unrestricted free agents, we saw Atlanta, I should say from Atlanta. The Bears sign was at Chris Dolman. I'm trying remember what his name was, the new center that they got there.

I take Elton over that guy, like, I mean, it's just it's just the way that this thing goes, so uh, it surprised me. But that being said, uh, once you step back a little bit, you start to understand the method of the madness, so to speak.

with uh with the pass rush? Where are they gonna spend the money? And then and then you know, boom, the first the first one we find out about Oh, it's an offensive lineman and they're gonna take their two time Pro Bowl guard and kick them over to center. So I agree with you on that one being surprising. The other one I'll throw out there because it it kind of goes along with with what you were talking

about with Isaiah Simmons. But it's a it's bringing in Mkole Hardman at at wide receiver because he wasn't a guy at the top of free agent market or anything like that at at wide receiver. And when it didn't surprise me that Gudakuns didn't go there at receiver, I did feel that he was going to go into this draft and I said it many times an insider inbox, that he was going to try to look for the next Christian Watson in this draft or the or you know,

the next potential guy like that. And he did draft the fastest, the fastest receiver of all the guys at

the combine. But once uh, you know, once free agency had sort of been going for a while I and the draft is still hanging out there, I didn't I just didn't expect him to bring in any receiver to a room that is already you know, kind of crowded when you've got when you've got a you know, wide receiver five six types like Malie Keith and bow Melton who had played and done some things and contributed in games and and still trying to establish themselves in the league.

That you know, bringing in a veteran like Hardman, you know, kind of later in free agency into that room. Now they're gonna look at him as a returner. He's got some he's got some other abilities as far as different ways to get him the ball kind of thing like Lake Sabean Williams. But just that, you know, that move kind of surprised me because at that at that point in free agency I just didn't necessarily think the Packers are going to be looking at wide receivers there.

pensatory process. Brian has been willing to take a look, and sometimes it doesn't work out, but then sometimes you do find somebody. And that's one thing I think the Packers have definitely benefited from over the last five six years.

the Green Bay Packers. And we know he is retiring later this summer. So my last question to you for this show is, aside from bringing the Draft to Green Bay, what do you feel will be the biggest part of Mark Murphy's legacy when he officially retires.

I mean, you listen to this and you see it now at the nfl PA rankings every year, the amount of investment this team makes in its football facilities you're seeing on the east side of the stadium the development of Title Town and a place that my son will go and ice skate at and play in the playground at. In Mike Frankly, the position that I'm in right now, the Green Bay Packers, the way that this organization has grown.

From a staffing perspective. You can go talk to some of the people who have been here since the nineteen nineties and you can look at the old media guides and there's thirty five employees and there were over three hundred, and that just shows you the vision and being able to keep up in this race with billion dollar teams in some of the richest people in the world that own some of these ball clubs, that are the majority

owners of these ball clubs. I just you want to win a Super Bowl, and the Packers did that as well underneath Mark Murphy's tenure. You want to go to the playoffs. They did that thirteen times more than any other team over the last seventeen years during Mark Murphy's tenure. But at the end of the day, it's taking this little light on the hill and making sure that that

light doesn't stop shining. And Murphy definitely did that, so we got another couple months here to enjoy Mark before the transition to ED policy, who I think is going to do a fantastic job. But I tell people this all the time, and I wrote about it an inbox again today. If I did anything here, if you did anything here, I just hope it's that we really told people who Mark was, who he is, and just the

type of leader, CEO president. It didn't matter if it was the Green Bay Pawkers or a local tire shop. I mean, the guy knows people, and he knows employees, and he knows how to lead, and he knows how to get people behind him. And I think the draft coming here is a good example that as well.

the Packers are competing for championships. We know that they are close, and you know been to with the current regime. Brian Gudokuntz, Matt Lafleur been to a couple of NSC championship games, almost got there, didn't quite work out. But if this if this regime as currently constructed with Brian Gudokunz running the football operations and Matt Lafuur being the head coach, if they are able to win a Super Bowl, you can't forget that. Mark Murphy hired both of those guys.

So part of I think there is potentially potentially a big piece of his legacy that maybe hasn't been written yet.