June 15, 2023 • 23 mins
Mike and Wes discuss the conclusion of the offseason program, from their impressions of QB Jordan Love (:20) to the return of CBs Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas for minicamp (6:05), to their first look at rookie K Anders Carlson (9:44) to an update on LB Rashan Gary’s rehab (16:02).
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from
Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined by my
trusted colleague West and Hodkowitz. We're coming to you here
once again from different locations at lambeau Field and Wes.
The Packers twenty twenty three mini camp has concluded. The
off season program for twenty twenty three is also done.
(00:30):
As you and I are recording this episode, the players
are out at a paintball activity, firing away and having
some fun. I wanted to get your thoughts though, as
far as wrapping up this offseason program. This entire twenty
twenty three season is going to be all about the
transition to Jordan Love. So I will just throw it
(00:50):
out there to you as an open ended question. What
were your impressions of Jordan Love based on what we
got to see in this offseason world?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Good work, strong work, and I felt, like, you know,
one of the things he touched on when he had
his last media availability with us was two biggest points
of emphasis. The first one on the field was the
throwing on the run. That was something that him and
Tom Clements Connor Lewis that entire room talked about going
into this offseason program, they wanted to be able to
(01:20):
test him a little bit more there. They did a
ton of drills in that area of the field early
in the camp and then obviously that kind of naturally
translates to what you know, the team period and seven
on seven as well. That was one area of Jordan
Love's game he felt like he really needed to grow
in this offseason.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
They put the work into it. The other one is
more mental.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
It's more from a leadership perspective, and that is the
responsibility that comes with being QB one and Jordan Love
now is officially the face of the franchise. It's just
it goes hand in hand. And I thought he hit
that out of the park this offseason. I mean since
the beginning of the off season program. Might many times
since the time that that trade happened with Aaron Rodgers.
(02:02):
How many times did Jordan Love speak three? Four times?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Uh. He is a guy that has that He's quieter,
but it's a quiet confidence about him. And I feel
like that's really going to translate and kind of hit
down to all those different levels of the offense. In
the entire locker room, there are going to be you know,
good days and bad days. There were a few more
interceptions I think this offseason program than maybe we'd seen
(02:27):
when during the.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Aaron Rodgers era.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
But I think it's also understanding, you know, getting those
reps in and trying to learn from him. And that's
going to be the biggest key for Jordan Love in
twenty twenty three is what he learns from his first
year as a starting quarterback in the National Football League.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, And what stood out to me the most this spring,
in addition to what you just mentioned, and as actually
something that you also wrote about in the Insider Inbox column,
I saw a young quarterback who was willing to cut
it loose. Yeah, you know, I mean I did. It
didn't feel to me watching the practices we got to
watch when they were and when the offense was in
(03:01):
eleven on eleven, when they were doing seven on seven,
the truly competitive stuff, even though it was without any
pads on. He wasn't holding back. You know, this wasn't
This wasn't Jordan Love. You know now that now that
it's his offense to run and he's QB one, that
he's suddenly just going to become check down Charlie and
and uh, you know, and and be hesitant to uh,
(03:25):
you know, to take his shots down the field to
let it rip. Now, we'll see what happens in training
camp when when it's eleven on eleven, when all the
guys are there, when the pads go on, and the
competitiveness of practice, you know, kind of cranks up and
gets to another notch. But I thought that's what exactly
he did, what exactly what he had to do this
(03:46):
spring in terms of in terms of not be afraid
of anything, you know, take some chances and and uh
and challenge challenged himself as well as challenged the defense
down the field. I mean, yeah, there were some interceptions,
some things didn't go that well. That's what you look
at on the film. That's how you learn, that's how
you grow as a quarterback. And I thought the way
I thought the way he approached it, not saying with
(04:08):
a not saying with a careless attitude, but not being
too careful and just and just playing the game in
an aggressive manner. I liked what I saw on the
field in a spring.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, I said it from the beginning.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Micah, I feel like there is he there's more of
a gunslinger element to how he plays the game of football. Absolutely,
I think you're going to see that a little bit more,
probably with love than he did with Rogers.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
You have to curtail that.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
But of all the criticisms because the originally reason it
came up in inboxes, people saying, well, he's not one
to throw down field. Well, one, you don't know that
you've seen him, you've barely seen him play quarterback. I
know that for a fact. But two, he is more
than willing to put the ball downfield. That is not
a trepidation whatsoever. That play he had Mike in Tuesday's
(04:57):
practice where it's a seven on seven drill. You know
they're inside the Donal Hudson Center, so they're being careful.
Nobody who was wanting to get hurt here thirty nine
days away from the start of training camp. But that
throw he had to Christian Watson, his arm strength, the
trajectory of the ball, Christian Watson's speed, and his ability
to catch it and stride and go downfield. That was
(05:20):
one of the best pass and catches I've seen in
my time covering the Green Bay Packers in a in
an you know, offseason practice period, regardless of who the
quarterback is. The kid has all the intangibles of a
first round pick. It's going to be understanding the riggers
and the day to day and everything that's involved with it.
(05:40):
Because this isn't a boxing fight, you know, it isn't
It isn't going to be one of these things where
you got to go play once and then lkac again
in three months. Yeah, it's gonna have to do it
every single week starting in July. So hopefully it gets
a chance to reset here these next five six weeks,
come back fresh for training camp because Mike, when they
report back and the calendar starts to count down to
(06:02):
that first preseason game, you know, that's when things really
get real.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Yeah, I mean, Matt Lafleur even said it in his
his final address to the media before that second mini
can't practice that that when training camp rolls around, it's
it's go time. There's there's no there's no holding back,
I mean, and that's one of the things that's a
it's a big transition for the rookies where you know,
OTAs is kind of learning and and it's like, okay,
you know, you make a mistake. We'll talk about it.
(06:28):
Let's you know, let's work our way through it. In
training camp. You know, when they're eleven on eleven, they're
running play after play after play. It's it's a it's
it's a fast paced, competitive, get ready for the season, uh,
you know, type of environment. And uh you know, Jordan
Love has obviously been through that before, not as not
as QB one, and he did it, you know, at
(06:50):
least in this uh this mini camp setting. We did
see as we had talked about on our previous show,
Jay r Alexander Rasul Douglas who had not been it
participate aiding in the voluntary ot as they were here
as the starting cornerbacks in mini camp. It made for
some uh I guess you'd say some any anytime Ja
or Alexander, Jay or Alexander and Rasul Douglas are both
(07:11):
on the field, there's going to be energy and spirit
to a practice. You're going to hear a lot of
barking and chirping, and that's just the way they go
about it. And uh so it was you could definitely
feel their presence was back on the field. But that's
also that was also important stuff, particularly in the seven
on sevens for for Jordan Love to uh, to challenge himself,
to challenge the defense, to to challenge his receivers to
(07:34):
go to go make some plays against those guys before
U before training camp gets here, and uh and it
gets a lot more serious in terms of preparing for
the season.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I thought it was one of those, uh sort of
litmus tests, those barometers for where a young quarterback.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Needs to be. And I thought, you know, there was
going to be some battles there.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I thought you saw, you know, Ji Alexander as as
Love talked about, he kind of baited into one in
the two minute drill being able to get that pickoff
of him. But that big pass to Christian Watson that
that was over Alexander as.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Well, who says zone defense never works, right, that was
that was a that was a zone call and Job
baited him into the into the kind of that honey
hole throw down the sideline and then boom interception and
that that ends the two minute drill. And that's those
are the kind of plays that that guy's like number
twenty three can make.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
And I also like that going back to Tuesday's practice
inside the dun Hudson Center, you know that that red
zone period where the defense is winning that drill one
after another. Right, they're within the first you know what,
ten to fifteen yards of the end zone. But then
Love just throws an absolute dime on kind of a
corner fade to Romeo Dobbs. Dobbs makes a phenomenal catch
on the play that was over jyr Alexander's coverage too,
(08:50):
so ragged it dragged.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
His feet kept his feet in bounds on that one too,
right in the corner.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Yep, Yeah, I mean in that kind of look, Mike,
I mean credit to Corey Ballentine and and you know Schamar,
John Charles and all these young corners that have been
in here. Keishawn Nixon was here for a lot of
these practices too, But the game's different when it's a
two time All Pro out there. And I feel like
that's really strong work for Love to get now as
he prepares to see that type of look every single
(09:15):
day of August.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Yeah, no question about it. Well, a couple other topics
I want to get to here, But first a little
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(09:38):
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one item that we had talked about on our last
show in terms of previewing Mini Camp actually did come
to fruition, and that we got to see rookie sixth
round draft pick and kicker Anders Carlson in a couple
(10:00):
of field goal periods here during Mini camp. One was
inside the Hudson Center on Tuesday with all the rain outside.
Another was on Wednesday when the players are back out
on Nichkie Field. And the first thing I'll say about
Andres Carlson is leg strength is not a problem. Exactly
why he is a kicker who was drafted, not one,
(10:23):
not one who ended up going the undrafted route. The
young man has a big leg.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
You know. It was funny, Mike, because we talked all
off season program, when are we going to see Andrews Carlson?
When are we going to see Andres Carlson kick because
they've just been something. It's one thing I like actually
that Bisacci does is it's very procedural. Right. I've seen
them take take more reps at field goal kicks without
actually kicking the ball than any other time in my
(10:49):
ten years covering this team. I mean, he does it religiously,
making sure guys know they're blocking assignment, making sure you
see what the snap looks like, the hole looks like that,
everything else is there other than the kick, because ultimately,
you do want to keep these guys healthy and you
want to keep the you know, kicking and punting legs strong.
That being said, we got to see Anders Carlson kick
a lot of field goals on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
On Tuesday, he's booming these things, but.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
They're inside the Don Judson Center, so you're kind of like, okay,
you know what is it? This is perfect conditions, no issues. Well,
then he goes out to the practice field on Wednesday.
In Mike, there was one period where they're doing some
seven on seven work, but Carlson is practicing the operation
right in front of us, and he is kicking probably
seven eight feet in front of us. And I use
(11:36):
this as my insider inbox headline, I mean, the ball
just torpedoes off his foot. Yeah, you know again, I'm
not going to put this guy in the Packers Hall
of Fame. We got a long way to go. We
got to see what the field goal accuracy looks like.
But from a pure fundamental standpoint, after hearing Rich Basacci
and Brian Gudikuntzen all these guys talk about this young
man's leg strength, Holy moly, Anders Carlson has a foot
(12:01):
on him, and it would Lastly, I'll just quickly say
I was talking to Colby Wooden, his teammate at Auburn, who,
by the way, I didn't know this until he mentioned it.
They also were locker mats within one of each other
at Auburn, too, so very familiar feeling for both of
those guys being next to each other in Green Bay.
But he said, yeah, I mean, the thing you got
to understand about Durors he kept calling him Durres, is
that you know the amount of athletic ability that this
(12:24):
young man has mixed with his work ethic and how
much him and his brother really live, breathe and eat kicking.
It gives him a really solid chance now to be
able to follow in Daniel's footsteps in the NFL. And
B I think the type of you know, kicking prodigy
that a lot of people predicted him to be when
he succeeded him at Auburn.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah, And what really caught my eye and watching him
with the field goals and we saw him I believe
in the two practices. In terms of charting it, he
made eleven out of twelve from several distances from extra
point distance all the way to fifty plus on a
couple of those kicks. What really caught my eye was,
particularly on the long distance kicks, that it looks pretty
(13:08):
effortless with him. It's not it's not like it's not
like you're seeing this, uh you know this big wind
up and and like you know, maximum effort and you know,
a grunt when he kicks the ball or anything like that.
I mean, it's whether he's kicking, whether he's kicking a
thirty three yard extra pointer or a fifty three yard
field goal, it looks, uh, it looks pretty easy in
(13:30):
that that you know that that leg doesn't look like
there's a whole lot of effort going into it. And uh,
just from from the appearances it was. It was impressive
to watch, as you said, everything with regard to accuracy
and kicking in lambeau Field. When the winds start to
swirl in November and December and all that, he's gonna
have a lot of stuff to work through, just like
(13:51):
just like any young player making that transition. But but boy,
you can certainly see why the Packers were high on
him as a prospect despite you know, looking strictly statistically
at some of his numbers from Auburn that you know,
the the the percentages and whatnot didn't necessarily jump off
the page. And you know, there was some injury history there.
(14:12):
This was a prospect that the Packers really really like
and we got to see why they like it.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Well, that was one thing I talked with wood In
about too.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
It would be more of a concern, I think if
it was okay structurally, this kid's you know, he's kicking
his back out.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
He's kicking his leg. It's the freak injuries that happened there.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
I mean, trying to recover an onside kicked, hearing your
ACL that's just bad luck, right, and then spending your
senior year trying to kick while having a knee brace
on your plant leg. I mean, just things that kickers
are not necessarily used to or really natural to them.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
But as you said, Mike, and it.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Is it's worth bears repeating the fact that he does
it so effortlessly.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
What does that matter? Why is that such a big deal?
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Because the more you got a strain to kick that ball,
the more likely it is you're gonna mishit it. You're
gonna lose that accuracy piece. When you are able to
be free flowing, in natural with your kicking motion, that's
how you get it right down the pipe. That's one
thing I learned from Mason Crosby. When everything else lines up,
(15:15):
the distance and power takes care of itself. I mean,
obviously there's a Justin Tucker's in the world. I'm sure
can probably just kick it from anywhere on the field
and make it well.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
You see guys like Justin Tucker, they make that extra
effort when he's trying a sixty six yard or whatever.
But when it's you know, fifty five or fifty eight
yards and in anywhere in there, you know Justin Justin
Tucker doesn't look like he's trying all that hard either.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Yeah, And that's where this all comes together and we'll
have to see how this thing looks in training camp.
But I think it's really interesting that the rookies, you
know that the Packers drafted there. How funny is it
that here we are going into training camp now and
that's the only other spe that's the only specialist position
where the Packers don't have multiple guys at it's Anders
Carl and the Packers are going to be looking for
(16:01):
him to win that job this summer.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Yeah, Well, one last topic before we sign off for
the off season. We did get to hear after Wednesday's
practice from Rashawn Gary, the fifth year outside linebacker, first
comments to the media since injuring his knee the torn
acl at Detroit last November, and the story on the website.
(16:27):
I wrote a quick story after the interview on Wednesday
after that after the practice, he's not making any promises
in terms of a timeline. He was asked, you know, hey,
can you be back for week one? How about training camp?
You know where things at? And he just said multiple times,
I'll be ready when I'll be ready. But what I
(16:48):
took from that it was more of it was more
of how he said it and the attitude that he
was carrying and answering those questions. He sounded very upbeat
and positive. He likes the track that he he is on.
And if there's one thing we know about Rashon Gary,
it's that if there is anything he can do in
terms of his rehab, if there's anything the medical staff
(17:09):
is going to let him do to try to get
his work his way back any faster, he is going
to do it because he's an absolutely relentless worker. And
it sounds like, you know, things are pointing in a
positive direction in terms of his return at some point,
hopefully early in the twenty twenty three season.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
I don't know, Mike if I've ever seen someone who
seems to enjoy the grind more than Rashon Gary.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Now.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
I'm sure he doesn't want to be having to go
through a rehab right now, but when you talk about workouts,
when you talk about going the extra mile, when you
talk about practice, this young man gives it as all
Mike and I have been. There was a moment after
he got done with this presser. His scrum was on
one side, I was over at Jordan Love on the
other and I'm looking at him as he's walking back,
(17:58):
you know, getting all other things together. And I'm like, dude,
if I didn't know any better, I would think that
Rashaun Gary is perfectly fine and in the best shape
of his life. I mean, that's how he looks right now.
He doesn't look like a guy that's rehabbing an ACL.
He looks like a guy that's ready for week one.
Don't go running away with that. It's still going to
take time. You need to make sure that the ACL
is strong and everything. But the guys you can tell Mike,
(18:21):
he has not taken a day off. If there's something
that he's allowed to do, something that he's cleared and
greenlit to do, he is going to do those activities.
Oh and then, by the way, spent a lot of
time here this offseason was around all these young guys.
Kingsley and Igbari is learning from that, Lucas van Ess
is learning from that, every single young guy in there, Mike,
much like with Preston Smith, Rashawn Gary has been that
(18:44):
guiding light in that force. And if you have a teammate,
a star, a leader like him that is putting in
all that effort and we don't know when he's going
to be back to the field.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Well, how much does that motivate.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
You when you're the one they're going to be counting
on until Rashawn is back, until number fifty two is
running through that tunnel again. I just think it raises
the awareness and heightens the energy and urgency of everybody
on that defensive side of the ball because Mike, as
we've heard all these guys talk about Preston Smith, jyr Alexander,
Darnell Savage, Kenny Clark, everybody talked about all last season
(19:17):
didn't fully meet their expectations and where they.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Want to see this thing go.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Now in twenty twenty three, when Gary gets back, he
is going to be hell fire in Brimstone trying to
take down the opposing quarterback. And I think everybody else
that understands, Okay, this is the work that Rashawn's putting in.
While I'm healthy and I'm ready to go, I have
to make sure that I'm playing to that standard as well.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Yeah, no question about it. And oh also, in the
midst of all the rehab and everything else, he found
time to finish up his class work and get his
degree from the University of Michigan. He graduated in ann
Arbor at the end of April. So congratulations to Rashaun
gary on that that was a promise he had made
to his mother when he left school early, entered entered
the NFL draft with with some you know, time in
(20:02):
college still left to go. So congrats to him there.
This is we've talked about it Wes on this show.
You know, on an annual basis, we've seen the progression
from a Shaun Garry a couple of sacks as a rookie,
handful of sacks his second year, approaches double digits his
third year, and then he was going like gangbusters last year.
(20:22):
He had six sacks in the first eight games. And
it wasn't even just the sack numbers, but you know,
but just the pressures, the constant pressure on the quarterback,
the impact he was having on opposing quarterbacks. I think
he even had you know, there might have been at
least one one sack or something that was wiped out
by a penalty I think early in the season last year.
(20:45):
But he's on pace for double digits and who knows
what he would have had. But then the injury happens
in game number nine, halfway through the season in Detroit,
and suddenly it all comes to a screeching halt. But
you just get the you just get the sense that
at the end of the day, Rashaan Gary is gonna
make this, this ACL injury and the whole rehab and
(21:06):
recovery just a blip on the radar screen in terms
of in terms of where his career is going. And
and this Packers defense. I mean, Matt Lafleur even said,
you know, yeah, I'm sort of you know, looking out
of the corner of my eye every day at what's
going on with Rashaan Gary's rehab when he's off to
the side during practice. How's he looking, how's he doing?
I mean, everybody wants to see this guy back in
(21:28):
full force, and we'll just have to see what the
ultimately what the timeline is. But this Packer's defense, all
of his teammates are going to be excited to get
him back on the field at some point this coming season.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Yeah, and not that Rashan Gary needs any extra motivation,
because I think the kid has that naturally ingrained in
him that has already been uploaded into his you know,
memory bank. But the fact is he is also going
to you know, he's entering a contract year. He's playing
on that fifty year option right now. When you were
talking about what might have been had he not got hurt,
you don't know what extensions look like. You don't know
what those guaranteed contract look like. Whenever he is cleared,
(22:02):
whenever he's good to go, he's playing for that next
contract too. So I just think there's so many things
go in the right direction for him, and whatever happens,
you don't have to worry about Rashawn Gary. You don't
have to worry about what his motivation level is going
to be, like how he's going to approach things. The
kid is absolutely one hundred and ninety percent all ball
and for the Green Bay Packers, they need him back.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
They need that pass rush.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
I think if he's able to get back here at
some point, I don't know when, first half the season, whenever.
You know, you think about the possibilities with Lucas Vannas,
you think of the possibilities with all those guys. There's
so many different things that Green Bay Packers can do
and it's right there for them.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yeah, absolutely, it's it'll be something to watch when whenever
we do see Rashaun Gary get to get back on
the field. It's going to be a big story for
this team and a big lift for this twenty twenty
three Packers defense whenever that does happen. So with that,
we're going to call it a rap on this edition
of Packers Unscripted, which also puts a rap on the
(22:58):
twenty twenty three off season. We will be back at
some point just prior to training camp to to preview
what will be coming up when when things hit full
speed in training camp in late July, and hopefully, Wes,
hopefully we won't be talking to each other, you know,
through a computer screen. Maybe we'll be both back in
(23:20):
the studio kind of with our old setup. We're crossing
our fingers.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
I won't be here.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Crossing our fingers. That will be the case. We can
get back to the traditional way that that we produce
this show.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
So the way the Good Lord in exactly.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
So with that, for Wes, I am like, thank you
for tuning in everybody, and we will see you next time.
Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from
Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined by my
trusted colleague West and Hodkowitz. We're coming to you here
once again from different locations at lambeau Field and Wes.
The Packers twenty twenty three mini camp has concluded. The
off season program for twenty twenty three is also done.
(00:30):
As you and I are recording this episode, the players
are out at a paintball activity, firing away and having
some fun. I wanted to get your thoughts though, as
far as wrapping up this offseason program. This entire twenty
twenty three season is going to be all about the
transition to Jordan Love. So I will just throw it
(00:50):
out there to you as an open ended question. What
were your impressions of Jordan Love based on what we
got to see in this offseason world?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Good work, strong work, and I felt, like, you know,
one of the things he touched on when he had
his last media availability with us was two biggest points
of emphasis. The first one on the field was the
throwing on the run. That was something that him and
Tom Clements Connor Lewis that entire room talked about going
into this offseason program, they wanted to be able to
(01:20):
test him a little bit more there. They did a
ton of drills in that area of the field early
in the camp and then obviously that kind of naturally
translates to what you know, the team period and seven
on seven as well. That was one area of Jordan
Love's game he felt like he really needed to grow
in this offseason.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
They put the work into it. The other one is
more mental.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
It's more from a leadership perspective, and that is the
responsibility that comes with being QB one and Jordan Love
now is officially the face of the franchise. It's just
it goes hand in hand. And I thought he hit
that out of the park this offseason. I mean since
the beginning of the off season program. Might many times
since the time that that trade happened with Aaron Rodgers.
(02:02):
How many times did Jordan Love speak three? Four times?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Uh. He is a guy that has that He's quieter,
but it's a quiet confidence about him. And I feel
like that's really going to translate and kind of hit
down to all those different levels of the offense. In
the entire locker room, there are going to be you know,
good days and bad days. There were a few more
interceptions I think this offseason program than maybe we'd seen
(02:27):
when during the.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Aaron Rodgers era.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
But I think it's also understanding, you know, getting those
reps in and trying to learn from him. And that's
going to be the biggest key for Jordan Love in
twenty twenty three is what he learns from his first
year as a starting quarterback in the National Football League.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, And what stood out to me the most this spring,
in addition to what you just mentioned, and as actually
something that you also wrote about in the Insider Inbox column,
I saw a young quarterback who was willing to cut
it loose. Yeah, you know, I mean I did. It
didn't feel to me watching the practices we got to
watch when they were and when the offense was in
(03:01):
eleven on eleven, when they were doing seven on seven,
the truly competitive stuff, even though it was without any
pads on. He wasn't holding back. You know, this wasn't
This wasn't Jordan Love. You know now that now that
it's his offense to run and he's QB one, that
he's suddenly just going to become check down Charlie and
and uh, you know, and and be hesitant to uh,
(03:25):
you know, to take his shots down the field to
let it rip. Now, we'll see what happens in training
camp when when it's eleven on eleven, when all the
guys are there, when the pads go on, and the
competitiveness of practice, you know, kind of cranks up and
gets to another notch. But I thought that's what exactly
he did, what exactly what he had to do this
(03:46):
spring in terms of in terms of not be afraid
of anything, you know, take some chances and and uh
and challenge challenged himself as well as challenged the defense
down the field. I mean, yeah, there were some interceptions,
some things didn't go that well. That's what you look
at on the film. That's how you learn, that's how
you grow as a quarterback. And I thought the way
I thought the way he approached it, not saying with
(04:08):
a not saying with a careless attitude, but not being
too careful and just and just playing the game in
an aggressive manner. I liked what I saw on the
field in a spring.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Yeah, I said it from the beginning.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Micah, I feel like there is he there's more of
a gunslinger element to how he plays the game of football. Absolutely,
I think you're going to see that a little bit more,
probably with love than he did with Rogers.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
You have to curtail that.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
But of all the criticisms because the originally reason it
came up in inboxes, people saying, well, he's not one
to throw down field. Well, one, you don't know that
you've seen him, you've barely seen him play quarterback. I
know that for a fact. But two, he is more
than willing to put the ball downfield. That is not
a trepidation whatsoever. That play he had Mike in Tuesday's
(04:57):
practice where it's a seven on seven drill. You know
they're inside the Donal Hudson Center, so they're being careful.
Nobody who was wanting to get hurt here thirty nine
days away from the start of training camp. But that
throw he had to Christian Watson, his arm strength, the
trajectory of the ball, Christian Watson's speed, and his ability
to catch it and stride and go downfield. That was
(05:20):
one of the best pass and catches I've seen in
my time covering the Green Bay Packers in a in
an you know, offseason practice period, regardless of who the
quarterback is. The kid has all the intangibles of a
first round pick. It's going to be understanding the riggers
and the day to day and everything that's involved with it.
(05:40):
Because this isn't a boxing fight, you know, it isn't
It isn't going to be one of these things where
you got to go play once and then lkac again
in three months. Yeah, it's gonna have to do it
every single week starting in July. So hopefully it gets
a chance to reset here these next five six weeks,
come back fresh for training camp because Mike, when they
report back and the calendar starts to count down to
(06:02):
that first preseason game, you know, that's when things really
get real.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Yeah, I mean, Matt Lafleur even said it in his
his final address to the media before that second mini
can't practice that that when training camp rolls around, it's
it's go time. There's there's no there's no holding back,
I mean, and that's one of the things that's a
it's a big transition for the rookies where you know,
OTAs is kind of learning and and it's like, okay,
you know, you make a mistake. We'll talk about it.
(06:28):
Let's you know, let's work our way through it. In
training camp. You know, when they're eleven on eleven, they're
running play after play after play. It's it's a it's
it's a fast paced, competitive, get ready for the season, uh,
you know, type of environment. And uh you know, Jordan
Love has obviously been through that before, not as not
as QB one, and he did it, you know, at
(06:50):
least in this uh this mini camp setting. We did
see as we had talked about on our previous show,
Jay r Alexander Rasul Douglas who had not been it
participate aiding in the voluntary ot as they were here
as the starting cornerbacks in mini camp. It made for
some uh I guess you'd say some any anytime Ja
or Alexander, Jay or Alexander and Rasul Douglas are both
(07:11):
on the field, there's going to be energy and spirit
to a practice. You're going to hear a lot of
barking and chirping, and that's just the way they go
about it. And uh so it was you could definitely
feel their presence was back on the field. But that's
also that was also important stuff, particularly in the seven
on sevens for for Jordan Love to uh, to challenge himself,
to challenge the defense, to to challenge his receivers to
(07:34):
go to go make some plays against those guys before
U before training camp gets here, and uh and it
gets a lot more serious in terms of preparing for
the season.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
I thought it was one of those, uh sort of
litmus tests, those barometers for where a young quarterback.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Needs to be. And I thought, you know, there was
going to be some battles there.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I thought you saw, you know, Ji Alexander as as
Love talked about, he kind of baited into one in
the two minute drill being able to get that pickoff
of him. But that big pass to Christian Watson that
that was over Alexander as.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Well, who says zone defense never works, right, that was
that was a that was a zone call and Job
baited him into the into the kind of that honey
hole throw down the sideline and then boom interception and
that that ends the two minute drill. And that's those
are the kind of plays that that guy's like number
twenty three can make.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
And I also like that going back to Tuesday's practice
inside the dun Hudson Center, you know that that red
zone period where the defense is winning that drill one
after another. Right, they're within the first you know what,
ten to fifteen yards of the end zone. But then
Love just throws an absolute dime on kind of a
corner fade to Romeo Dobbs. Dobbs makes a phenomenal catch
on the play that was over jyr Alexander's coverage too,
(08:50):
so ragged it dragged.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
His feet kept his feet in bounds on that one too,
right in the corner.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Yep, Yeah, I mean in that kind of look, Mike,
I mean credit to Corey Ballentine and and you know Schamar,
John Charles and all these young corners that have been
in here. Keishawn Nixon was here for a lot of
these practices too, But the game's different when it's a
two time All Pro out there. And I feel like
that's really strong work for Love to get now as
he prepares to see that type of look every single
(09:15):
day of August.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Yeah, no question about it. Well, a couple other topics
I want to get to here, But first a little
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(09:38):
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in a bowl. Cousin Subs fifty years of better. All right, Well,
one item that we had talked about on our last
show in terms of previewing Mini Camp actually did come
to fruition, and that we got to see rookie sixth
round draft pick and kicker Anders Carlson in a couple
(10:00):
of field goal periods here during Mini camp. One was
inside the Hudson Center on Tuesday with all the rain outside.
Another was on Wednesday when the players are back out
on Nichkie Field. And the first thing I'll say about
Andres Carlson is leg strength is not a problem. Exactly
why he is a kicker who was drafted, not one,
(10:23):
not one who ended up going the undrafted route. The
young man has a big leg.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
You know. It was funny, Mike, because we talked all
off season program, when are we going to see Andrews Carlson?
When are we going to see Andres Carlson kick because
they've just been something. It's one thing I like actually
that Bisacci does is it's very procedural. Right. I've seen
them take take more reps at field goal kicks without
actually kicking the ball than any other time in my
(10:49):
ten years covering this team. I mean, he does it religiously,
making sure guys know they're blocking assignment, making sure you
see what the snap looks like, the hole looks like that,
everything else is there other than the kick, because ultimately,
you do want to keep these guys healthy and you
want to keep the you know, kicking and punting legs strong.
That being said, we got to see Anders Carlson kick
a lot of field goals on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
On Tuesday, he's booming these things, but.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
They're inside the Don Judson Center, so you're kind of like, okay,
you know what is it? This is perfect conditions, no issues. Well,
then he goes out to the practice field on Wednesday.
In Mike, there was one period where they're doing some
seven on seven work, but Carlson is practicing the operation
right in front of us, and he is kicking probably
seven eight feet in front of us. And I use
(11:36):
this as my insider inbox headline, I mean, the ball
just torpedoes off his foot. Yeah, you know again, I'm
not going to put this guy in the Packers Hall
of Fame. We got a long way to go. We
got to see what the field goal accuracy looks like.
But from a pure fundamental standpoint, after hearing Rich Basacci
and Brian Gudikuntzen all these guys talk about this young
man's leg strength, Holy moly, Anders Carlson has a foot
(12:01):
on him, and it would Lastly, I'll just quickly say
I was talking to Colby Wooden, his teammate at Auburn, who,
by the way, I didn't know this until he mentioned it.
They also were locker mats within one of each other
at Auburn, too, so very familiar feeling for both of
those guys being next to each other in Green Bay.
But he said, yeah, I mean, the thing you got
to understand about Durors he kept calling him Durres, is
that you know the amount of athletic ability that this
(12:24):
young man has mixed with his work ethic and how
much him and his brother really live, breathe and eat kicking.
It gives him a really solid chance now to be
able to follow in Daniel's footsteps in the NFL. And
B I think the type of you know, kicking prodigy
that a lot of people predicted him to be when
he succeeded him at Auburn.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah, And what really caught my eye and watching him
with the field goals and we saw him I believe
in the two practices. In terms of charting it, he
made eleven out of twelve from several distances from extra
point distance all the way to fifty plus on a
couple of those kicks. What really caught my eye was,
particularly on the long distance kicks, that it looks pretty
(13:08):
effortless with him. It's not it's not like it's not
like you're seeing this, uh you know this big wind
up and and like you know, maximum effort and you know,
a grunt when he kicks the ball or anything like that.
I mean, it's whether he's kicking, whether he's kicking a
thirty three yard extra pointer or a fifty three yard
field goal, it looks, uh, it looks pretty easy in
(13:30):
that that you know that that leg doesn't look like
there's a whole lot of effort going into it. And uh,
just from from the appearances it was. It was impressive
to watch, as you said, everything with regard to accuracy
and kicking in lambeau Field. When the winds start to
swirl in November and December and all that, he's gonna
have a lot of stuff to work through, just like
(13:51):
just like any young player making that transition. But but boy,
you can certainly see why the Packers were high on
him as a prospect despite you know, looking strictly statistically
at some of his numbers from Auburn that you know,
the the the percentages and whatnot didn't necessarily jump off
the page. And you know, there was some injury history there.
(14:12):
This was a prospect that the Packers really really like
and we got to see why they like it.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Well, that was one thing I talked with wood In
about too.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
It would be more of a concern, I think if
it was okay structurally, this kid's you know, he's kicking
his back out.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
He's kicking his leg. It's the freak injuries that happened there.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
I mean, trying to recover an onside kicked, hearing your
ACL that's just bad luck, right, and then spending your
senior year trying to kick while having a knee brace
on your plant leg. I mean, just things that kickers
are not necessarily used to or really natural to them.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
But as you said, Mike, and it.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Is it's worth bears repeating the fact that he does
it so effortlessly.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
What does that matter? Why is that such a big deal?
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Because the more you got a strain to kick that ball,
the more likely it is you're gonna mishit it. You're
gonna lose that accuracy piece. When you are able to
be free flowing, in natural with your kicking motion, that's
how you get it right down the pipe. That's one
thing I learned from Mason Crosby. When everything else lines up,
(15:15):
the distance and power takes care of itself. I mean,
obviously there's a Justin Tucker's in the world. I'm sure
can probably just kick it from anywhere on the field
and make it well.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
You see guys like Justin Tucker, they make that extra
effort when he's trying a sixty six yard or whatever.
But when it's you know, fifty five or fifty eight
yards and in anywhere in there, you know Justin Justin
Tucker doesn't look like he's trying all that hard either.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Yeah, And that's where this all comes together and we'll
have to see how this thing looks in training camp.
But I think it's really interesting that the rookies, you
know that the Packers drafted there. How funny is it
that here we are going into training camp now and
that's the only other spe that's the only specialist position
where the Packers don't have multiple guys at it's Anders
Carl and the Packers are going to be looking for
(16:01):
him to win that job this summer.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Yeah, Well, one last topic before we sign off for
the off season. We did get to hear after Wednesday's
practice from Rashawn Gary, the fifth year outside linebacker, first
comments to the media since injuring his knee the torn
acl at Detroit last November, and the story on the website.
(16:27):
I wrote a quick story after the interview on Wednesday
after that after the practice, he's not making any promises
in terms of a timeline. He was asked, you know, hey,
can you be back for week one? How about training camp?
You know where things at? And he just said multiple times,
I'll be ready when I'll be ready. But what I
(16:48):
took from that it was more of it was more
of how he said it and the attitude that he
was carrying and answering those questions. He sounded very upbeat
and positive. He likes the track that he he is on.
And if there's one thing we know about Rashon Gary,
it's that if there is anything he can do in
terms of his rehab, if there's anything the medical staff
(17:09):
is going to let him do to try to get
his work his way back any faster, he is going
to do it because he's an absolutely relentless worker. And
it sounds like, you know, things are pointing in a
positive direction in terms of his return at some point,
hopefully early in the twenty twenty three season.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
I don't know, Mike if I've ever seen someone who
seems to enjoy the grind more than Rashon Gary.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Now.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
I'm sure he doesn't want to be having to go
through a rehab right now, but when you talk about workouts,
when you talk about going the extra mile, when you
talk about practice, this young man gives it as all
Mike and I have been. There was a moment after
he got done with this presser. His scrum was on
one side, I was over at Jordan Love on the
other and I'm looking at him as he's walking back,
(17:58):
you know, getting all other things together. And I'm like, dude,
if I didn't know any better, I would think that
Rashaun Gary is perfectly fine and in the best shape
of his life. I mean, that's how he looks right now.
He doesn't look like a guy that's rehabbing an ACL.
He looks like a guy that's ready for week one.
Don't go running away with that. It's still going to
take time. You need to make sure that the ACL
is strong and everything. But the guys you can tell Mike,
(18:21):
he has not taken a day off. If there's something
that he's allowed to do, something that he's cleared and
greenlit to do, he is going to do those activities.
Oh and then, by the way, spent a lot of
time here this offseason was around all these young guys.
Kingsley and Igbari is learning from that, Lucas van Ess
is learning from that, every single young guy in there, Mike,
much like with Preston Smith, Rashawn Gary has been that
(18:44):
guiding light in that force. And if you have a teammate,
a star, a leader like him that is putting in
all that effort and we don't know when he's going
to be back to the field.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Well, how much does that motivate.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
You when you're the one they're going to be counting
on until Rashawn is back, until number fifty two is
running through that tunnel again. I just think it raises
the awareness and heightens the energy and urgency of everybody
on that defensive side of the ball because Mike, as
we've heard all these guys talk about Preston Smith, jyr Alexander,
Darnell Savage, Kenny Clark, everybody talked about all last season
(19:17):
didn't fully meet their expectations and where they.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Want to see this thing go.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Now in twenty twenty three, when Gary gets back, he
is going to be hell fire in Brimstone trying to
take down the opposing quarterback. And I think everybody else
that understands, Okay, this is the work that Rashawn's putting in.
While I'm healthy and I'm ready to go, I have
to make sure that I'm playing to that standard as well.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Yeah, no question about it. And oh also, in the
midst of all the rehab and everything else, he found
time to finish up his class work and get his
degree from the University of Michigan. He graduated in ann
Arbor at the end of April. So congratulations to Rashaun
gary on that that was a promise he had made
to his mother when he left school early, entered entered
the NFL draft with with some you know, time in
(20:02):
college still left to go. So congrats to him there.
This is we've talked about it Wes on this show.
You know, on an annual basis, we've seen the progression
from a Shaun Garry a couple of sacks as a rookie,
handful of sacks his second year, approaches double digits his
third year, and then he was going like gangbusters last year.
(20:22):
He had six sacks in the first eight games. And
it wasn't even just the sack numbers, but you know,
but just the pressures, the constant pressure on the quarterback,
the impact he was having on opposing quarterbacks. I think
he even had you know, there might have been at
least one one sack or something that was wiped out
by a penalty I think early in the season last year.
(20:45):
But he's on pace for double digits and who knows
what he would have had. But then the injury happens
in game number nine, halfway through the season in Detroit,
and suddenly it all comes to a screeching halt. But
you just get the you just get the sense that
at the end of the day, Rashaan Gary is gonna
make this, this ACL injury and the whole rehab and
(21:06):
recovery just a blip on the radar screen in terms
of in terms of where his career is going. And
and this Packers defense. I mean, Matt Lafleur even said,
you know, yeah, I'm sort of you know, looking out
of the corner of my eye every day at what's
going on with Rashaan Gary's rehab when he's off to
the side during practice. How's he looking, how's he doing?
I mean, everybody wants to see this guy back in
(21:28):
full force, and we'll just have to see what the
ultimately what the timeline is. But this Packer's defense, all
of his teammates are going to be excited to get
him back on the field at some point this coming season.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Yeah, and not that Rashan Gary needs any extra motivation,
because I think the kid has that naturally ingrained in
him that has already been uploaded into his you know,
memory bank. But the fact is he is also going
to you know, he's entering a contract year. He's playing
on that fifty year option right now. When you were
talking about what might have been had he not got hurt,
you don't know what extensions look like. You don't know
what those guaranteed contract look like. Whenever he is cleared,
(22:02):
whenever he's good to go, he's playing for that next
contract too. So I just think there's so many things
go in the right direction for him, and whatever happens,
you don't have to worry about Rashawn Gary. You don't
have to worry about what his motivation level is going
to be, like how he's going to approach things. The
kid is absolutely one hundred and ninety percent all ball
and for the Green Bay Packers, they need him back.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
They need that pass rush.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
I think if he's able to get back here at
some point, I don't know when, first half the season, whenever.
You know, you think about the possibilities with Lucas Vannas,
you think of the possibilities with all those guys. There's
so many different things that Green Bay Packers can do
and it's right there for them.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yeah, absolutely, it's it'll be something to watch when whenever
we do see Rashaun Gary get to get back on
the field. It's going to be a big story for
this team and a big lift for this twenty twenty
three Packers defense whenever that does happen. So with that,
we're going to call it a rap on this edition
of Packers Unscripted, which also puts a rap on the
(22:58):
twenty twenty three off season. We will be back at
some point just prior to training camp to to preview
what will be coming up when when things hit full
speed in training camp in late July, and hopefully, Wes,
hopefully we won't be talking to each other, you know,
through a computer screen. Maybe we'll be both back in
(23:20):
the studio kind of with our old setup. We're crossing
our fingers.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
I won't be here.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Crossing our fingers. That will be the case. We can
get back to the traditional way that that we produce
this show.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
So the way the Good Lord in exactly.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
So with that, for Wes, I am like, thank you
for tuning in everybody, and we will see you next time.
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