#835 Packers Unscripted: Wrapping up

read catch up on the details. A really interesting piece of news on Tuesday, when the players are going through the individual drills, they're separated into all the different position groups, and suddenly Number eighty in a white jersey is working with all of the cornerbacks in their green jerseys during individual drills, and we are all on the sidelines going, what in the world is going on? Well, bou Melton.

They're experimenting a little bit here with bou Melton, the wide receiver and maybe maybe also a cornerback.

a specific type of route stem against the corners. And then next thing you know, it's like, oh, no, Bo Melton's in a back pedal right now, I dude, every I said this in three things, but it seems like almost every year there's something that catches your eye. Right, Yeah, Alex Magoo going from quarterback to wide receiver. You go back twelve years ago, Mike Neil showing up for training

camp thirty pounds later than he ended the previous season. Yeah, mini camp from the previous season, and James Looney moving from defensive line to tight end, and the Packers have done some Herb Waters going from receiver to cornerback. A lot of different things that have happened over the time here, but this one's a little bit different because, as Bo said, he is a receiver, he is a wide receiver. This whole experiment they're doing was made with the idea that

he is still going to be a wide out. Now that being said, if it works, it works to use Bo's own language, So some interesting backstory to this. Obviously, his younger brother, Max, was a second round pick pick plays cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals. They saw each other last year in that Week six matchup between the two teams.

Bo mentioned he played two ways like a lot of high school kids do, you know, back in his early football days, but you know, kind of flirted with cornerback a little bit when he got on campus at Rutgers, but ultimately they kept him at receiver and that's where he's played in the NFL up and at this point he's been in Green Bay now for two and a

half years. So we'll see where it all goes. But certainly, when you're looking for different storylines to follow during a mini camp in June, there's not a whole heck of a lot else going on. Bull Melton was a very popular man in the Packers interview room on Wednesday.

in what they're doing. Now, if we get to training camp and they're putting on pads in training camp and Bull Melton is taking eleven on eleven reps at cornerback, or if he gets into a preseason game at cornerback and he's out there guarding somebody at wide receiver in the third or fourth quarter of a preseason game in August, now we're having a different discussion about exactly what his path potentially to a roster spot is. So very much wait and see to to see where this ends up going.

But certainly an interesting story. Another one we've talked about him a little bit on the show. Mkole Hardman, the free agent wide receiver who was signed by the Packers. It was about a week to ten days or so into free agency, like right in that range and he has made I guess I would say probably the two biggest highlight reel plays of the first two practices of

Mini Camp. As the time we're recording this, we haven't gotten out to the practice field for the final Mini Camp practice yet, but the two minute drill at the end of each practice has been really the only eleven on eleven that's been full speed and competitive, not at the three quarter jog through type of speed. And at the end of those two minute drills, Mikole Hardman has made a couple of amazing plays with Sean Clifford at quarterback, kind of a desperation fourth down or or last play

with the clock running out kind of thing. He's amidst all these bodies in the middle of the end zone and jumps up and hauls in Clifford's pass one hand for a touchdown. And then on Tuesday, he's in the two minute drill with the number one offense in Jordan Love, and Love gets off an incredible throw against the blitz and Hardman with his speed has beaten the defense deep and you know, runs under a perfectly thrown ball right over the shoulder, takes to the house, ends up, you know,

right around a seventy five yard touchdown. And you know, with what's going on in this receiver room, we've talked about it so much, with the guys coming back. You sign a guy like Hardman, you spend two of your first three draft picks at wide receiver, it's gonna be unbelievably competitive through training camp in the preseason to see

how this roster shakes out. But man, McCole Hardman, you can't make a better impression in June than a veteran guy coming into a brand new team and what he's showing out there on the field right now.

But it almost in some ways, even though Hardman has a lot of pelts on the walls, a three time Super Bowl champion, in some ways it almost reminds me of you know, back in twenty eighteen, Packers drafted three wide receivers, but yet Jake Kumero still made himself undeniable and ends up making the roster right at the end of that camp. I mean, the Packers have shown time and time again that if you make the plays, they

will make room for you. And mcole Hardman when it comes to making positive first impression was very visible out on the field on both Tuesday and Wednesday. What impressed me the most about that second catch when it was ultimately a seventy three yard touchdown pass, which, like you mentioned, the Sean Clifford play was at the end of a two minute It was the last play they barely got the snap off fourth down in nineteen or eleven whatever.

It was well play that they were able to pull off with Jordan Love was also with the offense up against it way back in their own territory after a sack.

pulling that ball in and keeping his stride. It could not have worked out any better when it comes to plays. As far as covering mini camp in the heart of the offseason program, it's about as pretty as you're gonna find.

in those first few days of free agents. They end up getting him sort of in Week two of free agency, but then they invest two of these top draft picks, two of the high draft picks at wide receiver. But what does Hardman do. He actually texts both of those guys, Matthew Goldman Saveon Williams, like, you know, and Hardman hasn't even been in Green Bay, but he texted them like, hey, congratulations on getting drafted, you know, welcome to Green Bay. Like let you know, hey, let's go, let's do this.

I mean, you can't you can't be more professional than that to reach out to these guys that you're going to be competing with and guys that you didn't even know you were going to be competing with, and extending sort of like that you know, that veteran hand to say to say, hey, let's you know, let's go, let's do this together. The other thing I'll say from that Monday practice, he makes the great one handed catch in traffic in the end zone on a throw from Sean

Clifford McCole. Hardman's a seven year veteran who's got three Super Bowl rings and scored an overtime touchdown in the Super Bowl to win one one of the most historic touchdowns in NFL history. But he's not out there saying what am I doing out here with the number three quarterback? In a two minute drill? What does he do? He goes out there, makes a play. You know, that's the

professionalism of a player like McCole Hardman. And while I don't think there's any guarantee because of how crowded things are and you never know how these things are going to sort themselves out with the roster, there's certainly no guarantee that Mikole Hardman makes the fifty three. At the end of training camp. It will be a fight, it will be a battle, But you can't deny how professional this guy is and what he has brought since he arrived in Green and.

can still do this thing at the highest level. And also it comes as no surprise to me whatsoever. I was talking to Kelsey Joan Tihan, our former social media intern here who's now the social media manager of the Kansas City Chiefs. Congratulations on that, Kelsey. Actually, Morgan Wallen even wrote a song about her at one point as well. Really, okay, be that as it may. Kelsey had told me the moment the day, within hours of the Packers signing Hardman,

She's like, you are absolutely gonna love this guy. Now, we unfortunate we haven't been in the locker room because of the renovations of the construction, so we haven't been around these players as much as we usually have in the spring and summer. Yeah, but that type of reference point, and then hearing him speak and address the media on Wednesday, how comfortable he is in his own shoes. You can tell that this is going to be a very popular

influence and a guy. I think that's going to be a good addition to this locker room.

All right. As I mentioned before, aside from the two minute drills at the end of practice, when they have been doing the eleven on eleven what are called the team periods, they haven't been going full speed. It hasn't been fully competitive. It's been more of the jog through the three quarter speed teaching speed whatever you want to whatever you want to call it. So there isn't a

lot in terms of evaluation. But what we do as reporters is we're sort of we're watching personnel because it gives you at least a little bit of an idea of where things are with the depth chart and when certain guys are injured and not practicing you're watching who's stepping you know who's stepping up and filling in so one depth chart item. I just want to point out, and I don't want to make too big a deal of it because it is only June and and training

camp will will certainly decide things. But with Aaron Banks, the free agent left guard, not practicing in mini camp, the guy who has been playing left guard with the number one offensive line this week has been Donovan Jennings, and I find that interesting. It's one of those things you make you make a note of it because because last year, when Elton Jenkins went down with the shoulder stinger or whatever you want to call it in the playoff game, it wasn't Donovan Jennings that the Packers turned

to in that moment. They turn turned to some other guys. And the fact that that's the spot he's in right now in mid June, I think it's something that's worth watching.

We still haven't had a chance to really get to know him very well, but from everything that I've gathered, and he comes with serious credentials at that guard position. And when we talk so much about the Day three picks and the Packers finding guys in seventh round that could potentially become NFL players, we often overlook their history

at the undrafted route as well. I mean, when you think back to the Lane Taylors of the world, a really productive, hyper competitive guy out of Oklahoma State that just didn't quite have all the measurables that NFL scouts wanted to see, but then ends up playing eight nine years in the NFL because he's just a football player. So Jennings getting this shot, and you remember, there's there's still a lot of depth there even without Aaron Banks on the field. You know, you have Kadem Telford last

year was on the roster all season. They didn't turn to him at that spot. They didn't look at some of these other guys. They said, hey, we're going to take an extended look here at Jennings and certainly any of those reps you can get, even if they is the non contact, you know, shell practices of the offseason, right, those are still a chance to make an impression and show the coaches how far you've how far you've come.

And you've talked about in some of your content with Javon Buller being that nickel type cornerback option as well, depending on where Nate Hobbs is playing, and in this case, Hobbs wasn't on the practice field on Wednesday when we were out there, so that afforded Bullard some spot, some snaps in the slot. You have Keishawn Nixon that can play inside or outside. So while people I understand that, you know, they're a little bit nervous, a little bit

concerned about what's all going to happen there. We were talking with Evan Williams in the interview room on Wednesday and he said he has no concerns whatsoever with this cornerback room based on what the proven guys have shown in the versatility of all those individuals. The packers can move around a lot of pieces there if that's what they want to do. And if I may close on this, you mentioned mchole Hardman earning opportunities. You know, doesn't matter

if he's with the threes or the twos. What happens a lot of times he makes a big play in a twos threes period and in the two minute what happened the next day, Mike, he was working with the.

That's where get the family night. That'shere you get to that first preseason game against the Jets where now, okay, you start to see the pieces really start falling into place and who's really separating himself from the pack.

no doubt about it. But watching watching the rotation, uh with the edge rushers, Yes, but you said that any camp, yep, this week because most of the time when it's when it's the first unit, the two edge guys are Rashaan Gary and lukecaus Faness. But we have seen, we have seen some reps where kings Leannigbari is across from Hershawn Gary or Brenton Cox Junior is across from Lucas van Ness. I saw one yesterday where Baron Surrell, the rookie fourth

round draft pick, was across from Hershawn Gary. So the Packers are going to want, in need a rotation of those edge rushers. They want to have a lot of depth there. But what exactly is the pecking order going to be at the end of training camp and as the Packers head into week one. I think that's a story that's worth watching because we're seeing a lot of mixing and matching going on here in the spring.

that is going to be very interesting. In addition to the fact with Quay Walker not practicing right now, with some injuries things going on, You've seen Tyron Hopper calling the defense. You've seen Edgrin Cooper calling the defense. We're seeing a lot of Isaiah Simmons in the number one periods. The Packers know Isaiah McDuffie can handle those responsibilities, but they're now giving some of those younger guys an opportunity to show that they can, you know, wear that headset as well.

to before before we go. You and I have talked about you and I have talked about this on the sideline, and I saw you made You've made some comments on social media that very much echoed some things that were going through my head. No, no, not exactly on the football field.

Willis as the backup quarterback for this football team. Now, I mean, this is a guy who you know, he won two games as a starter last year, a third game in relief and almost won a fourth game in relief at the end of the season. But from our perspective as reporters, like he got here so late that we didn't see Malik Willis in any eleven on eleven in practice because once the regular season starts, reporters don't

get to watch the eleven on eleven in practice. So this offseason ots in mini camp is the first time we've seen Malik Willis take snap after snap in practice and do his thing out there. And I could not be more impressed with just how the ball comes out of his hand with just his command and poise and everything. And this is a guy who he's you know, he's been able to use this offseason to obviously get to a different place in the Packers offense than where he

was when he first derive. But my goodness, the for the Packers, for the Packers' personnel department, I mean, I don't know exactly who it was, and maybe I'll get a chance to ask Gooty sometime, and maybe it was Gooty himself, But whoever was watching what was going on last summer, and they they sensed and they knew that Malik Willis was falling out of favor in Tennessee and was not going to make that team, and they pounced

and offered a seventh round draft pick. Rather because the Packers weren't high enough in the waiverclaim order to wait for him to be released and try to claim him. A quarterback like that, it's going to get clean before the Packers would have a shot. They pounced on the opportunity.

They jumped on it. They offered a seventh round pick and brought this guy in here, and man, oh man, I'm telling you, like what we've seen, what we've seen from him on the practice field, getting to getting to see him more of in a day after day type of type of thing, I couldn't be I couldn't be more impressed with that acquisition by the Green Bay Packer.

back the guy. I said this in Twitter yesterday. The more I watch him, the less I understand why the Titans were so hot about getting him out of Nashville.

training camp, he was clearly the number three. They'd really zeroed in on Mac and Rudolph being the backup. I don't know what the circumstances were there. I don't Every situation is different. I think the Packers have a really good process here for developing and training quarterbacks with Matt Lafleur. But for them to ship him out and then end up with the number one overall pick and then draft a quarterback again, it just it's mind boggling to me

from Green Bay standpoint, it was a godsend. And here's the other aspect of it too, Mike, we know how quarterbacks are going the NFL. If Malik Willis puts together a decent training camp, puts together a decent preseason, good, doesn't even have to play the way he did last year, but solid, he's going to get a contract next year. It's just the way that position goes, and those contracts for quarterbacks are going up. Daniel Jones got fourteen million

dollars this past year from Indianapolis. Do you know why that matters? For the compensatory formula that could put you right up to the top of the list for a potential third round. So when people were asking all off season about well they trade Malik Willis, why this is the perfect insurance policy. In addition to the fact that now he gets to be here, he has a good working relationship with Jordan Love. You don't have to fast forward through every great moment. Sometimes take a second to

enjoy them. Yeah, this is a really good position for green Bay to be in, and Malik Willis calming. We talked so much about Brandon McManus settling down the kicking job. What Malik Willis did behind Jordan Love last year does not get talked about nearly enough.

found found and had success. Yes, right away, When Malik Willis gets his next fresh start, that's going to be worth watching. There's no doubt in my mind about.

in the social media department. We've had some amazing interns in my time here, but Mike dollar for dollar, pound for pound. This past year in digital and social we had probably my favorite crew of all time with Olivia, with Anna Murphy Pochask who now works for Discover Osh Gosh, also Hailey Treina and that goes out throughout the building. But Live did a fantastic job here with us. Anna did a fantastic job. Hailey dealt with all of our

bogus stuff withans it. As I get older, you've been in the seat a little bit longer than me, the more I appreciate what you know, those kiddos give us for that year that they're with us and UH and then seeing them go on and spread their wings elsewhere. That's how kel ct Hans started, right, That's right, well, social media intern.