Studying the Green Bay Packers schedule, storylines to watch, Jordan Love’s contract as OTAs begin

Packers reporter Ryan Wood and host JR Radcliffe discuss the dawn of organized team activities and the story lines to watch in Green Bay, from Jordan Love’s extension to a new-look secondary to how Jordan Morgan figures into the offensive line picture.

Plus, they look at Green Bay’s schedule, a tale of two half-seasons.

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Hello everybody welcome to another edition of the green9 podcast some Green Bay Packers chatter from Packers news.com I am joined by Ryan wood of the Green Bay Press Gazette he is here I am J.R Radcliffe and we’re chatting about a couple things the Packer schedule as everyone knows by now has been out now for almost a week and uh and we know we know kind of how the 2024 season lays out otaa organized team activities are just about to get going in Green Bay we’ve got some questions interesting things that that I’m sure everybody will be following uh along with Ryan wood our colleagues Tom Silverstein Pete DH will be there but uh but we got we got to talk about it Ryan and I want to start with the schedule because on paper which of course is is always a delicate way of looking at things on paper the Packers were supposedly going to be facing one of the toughest schedules if not the toughest schedule in the NFC based on winning percentage of the teams from the year before but after all laid out on Wednesday night well let’s be honest piece by piece throughout the day Wednesday uh it it became pretty clear that the Packers have kind of an okay schedule they they don’t face anybody coming off of a buy they’ve got uh they’ve got a nicely situated week 10 by week and you know it’s it’s it kind of lays out like you you’d expect them to be able to make maybe go on a run early in the season and then uh and then youve got to run a Prime Time games later on it seems like okay it seems like the Packers are maybe one of the winners of the schedule release as as several National Outlets opined give me your top of- mind thoughts as you look at where things lay in 24 it depends on how you look at it do you look at it based on structure or do you look at it what’s actually important that’s who they play because who they play they’re not getting a lot of favors there this is a brutal schedule when it comes to opponents at least on paper right and it it reminds me of when Matt lefur was after the season at the very onset this offseason saying to his young guys speaking through the media to directly to his young players and saying what you went through in 2023 is not at all like what’s going going to go through in 2024 and he was talking about expectations for a team that Rose precipitously just absolutely Ascension uh in 2023 but he could have been talking about the gauntlet of the schedule too because only two teams only two opponents on this schedule had fewer than seven wins last year the Titans and the Cardinals only you know there there were six teams with double digit win six playoff teams there would have been seven but the Seattle Seahawks who they play on the road in prime time in the toughest venue to play on the road in prime time in all the league the the Seattle Seahawks only didn’t make the the the playoffs because they lost the strength of Victory tiebreaker to the Packers which yeah it’s kind of startling to remember that that’s how the Packers got into the postseason last year was a strength of Victory win so the who they play is brutal the structure is very favorable they they don’t have they got a lot of breaks in the structure maybe a it’s almost like a a kudos to okay you’re going to play some some real dogs on the schedule right so it depends on how you look at it I think it’s very similar to a year ago when you saw on paper well they better get their wins early because late is really really hard obviously the difference is that a year ago it didn’t turn out that way at all you you look a year ago at you know the the trips to Las Vegas and Denver like oh those are wins you got to win those games they lost those games you look late in the season okay they’ve got Justin Herbert the Lions on the road in Thanksgiving Patrick Mahomes back to back to back they they they ain’t winning those games and they end up winning those games so it’s all on paper who knows what’s going to happen but on paper you look okay they have a chance to go on a run early in the season and then there’s a gauntlet 49ers the Miami Dolphins at Thanksgiving at home in four straight days the very next week on the road in Detroit that’s going to be real good there’s a gauntlet late in the season that’s how it is on paper we’ll see how it actually shakes out on the field yeah if we’re looking at it uh as two halves of the Season you look at the first half and it is exactly what you described there’s some games in there that you would think well the Packers should win those games and maybe it goes that way and maybe it doesn’t there are two games that jump out at me first of all we’ we’ve talked a great length about the game in Brazil against the Philadelphia Eagles they do get a mini buy out of that which you’d expect you know they play the the subsequent Sunday at Lambo field that is a home game against the Indianapolis Colts perhaps Ryan perhaps Tyrese halberton Wisconsin native I’ve heard of the Indiana Pacers will be there in attendance I don’t know I’m just throwing something out there could be you never know um I know the Pacers are near and dear to your heart and then oh I’m over the moon Jr I know you are don’t even get me started legendary stuff from Tyrese Halbert and game seven at the Garden absolutely and then uh and then Minnesota a team that I think is super interesting because you just wonder how they’re going to be with JJ McCarthy that’s the first divisional opponent you face in week four and then uh Houston a couple weeks after that Houston is a noon game they have a lot of Prime Time games on this schedule uh four in a row in fact later in the season games that I think you’d expect to be on the prime time schedule Houston CJ stra Jordan love I mean and somebody else made this point Jordan love is gonna get to match up with some of the best quarterbacks in football Caleb Williams of course among them Jared gof if you put him in that in that category and you probably do but the CJ strad Jaylen Herz to start the season CJ shoud a pretty good one too and that game actually being at noon kind of surprises me that would that would seem to be one of the more high-profile you know sort of young team matchups in the NFL that season you got to kind of look at what else going on on the schedule I believe that’s a Chiefs 49ers week so that’s a pretty big game that’s GNA get some of that like later afternoon or prime time love but I was surprised that was going to be a noon game there’s actually a pretty you know for people who miss those noon games who feel like that the prime time schedule has ramped up to the point that there aren’t as many noon games you know they got they got six noon games out of seven weeks once they come back from Brazil that’s that’s kind of cool I guess if if you were to that old school thing first of all I love it but who who would if if if you’re saying that CJ stra and Jordan love should not be a noon game which I’m not disagreeing with you there who because they still hit their Max allotment right there’s still five Prime Time games who would you take off well I I guess probably versus the Saints that Monday night game although that’s that you know Monday night is its own is its own thing the Packers don’t want to touch that game because that is night late in season late December Lambo against New Orleans on the Frozen thundra that’s set up very well for the Packers the Packers are very thrilled with that yeah I guess the only other one would be the one in against Miami but that’s on Thanksgiving So that’s its own thing that’s not going anywhere you know the game that for me is going to be look start with the opener that’s a tough game for me to pick and I you know we I don’t have to pick it now we’re in middle of may we have a long time before going down to Brazil but I I just I don’t know I don’t know what to think of that game I don’t know what to expect barring any unforeseen injuries in Camp because you want to talk about two teams that ended last season on total opposite trajectories one going straight North the other going straight South that and I still think the Eagles are good like I you know two years ago this was the class of the NFC two years ago say what you want about Jaylen herdz last season it’s deserve two years ago he was in the Super Bowl putting on an absolute show like he’s shown it he he’s put it on film in this League uh and a lot of that you obviously he he can throw the ball but a lot of that’s athleticism that at this age this stage of his career is not going to Wayne like he he is he’s a bear to deal with at the quarterback position uh you know that the Eagles are going to be very motivated and they’re GNA frankly come into this open they ticked off about the end of last season they had a sit in that all offseason they’re going to want nothing more than to show that that wasn’t them that they are better than what they put on film down the stretch last year from Nick serion on down and what better way to do that from a motivation standpoint than to go against that team that is head that was heading straight North that star was absolutely rising from Jordan love on down that that’s a great opportunity for them to put last season behind them with that said the Packers absolutely are catching a break as far as Brazil is to not be playing that game in Philly they’d absolutely rather have that any anywhere on a neutral field Brazil Neptune doesn’t matter they want that game on a neutral field rather than Philly so that’s going to be a really a really interesting game and I you know I I I think it kind of sets a tone for both teams entering the season with that said the schedule does soften up for the Packers after that opener it there is a chance there win or lose to go on a run through September early October they have to do it because we thought the same last year we thought 2023 there’s an early season opportunity here and they were three and six so they have to do it but there is that opportunity you’re absolutely right I I and I think till you were mentioning how for Philly that is a that is a a home game but we know Packers fans are going to travel to Brazil so at best that’s a neutral sight game throwing the fact that Jacksonville is one of the road games in the first half of the season come on we know that’s gonna be a neutral sight game too so now we’re talking about just a ton of basically neutral to home field opportunities in the first half of the Season which further softens things up and really I think just accelerates interest in the second half of the Season you get that by- week in week 10 you haven’t faced the Bears yet you’re going to face them right away out of the buy two games against Chicago and Caleb Williams including one to close the season that was the case last year with the playoffs on the line that was thrilling but you go at Chicago versus San Francisco 49ers of course playoff rematch that’s going to be a huge game that’s right into Thanksgiving the night game first time since 2015 and the only other time since 2015 that they will have played the night game on thanks giving not against Detroit or Dallas but against Miami at home Miami a playoff team last year then they go to Detroit Thursday night back-to-back Thursday night games that of course will be high-profile possibly for the north title then it’s at Seattle that’s three Prime Time games in a row versus New Orleans at Minnesota versus Chicago to close it down that is a wild second half to the season and outside of that I guess maybe the Minnesota game would be the one that might be the the the easiest get as it looks on paper right now I know Miami lost a lot of guys but I still wouldn’t rule them out as a playoff Contender again this year Chicago you know may not be a high caliber team but New Orleans at home new orle I mean you never know there so wild wild second half of the Season no that five game stretch out of the bye to me is the season not in terms of whether or not this team’s going to go to the playoffs I I think that it would be a real surprise if they missed the playoffs I’m not saying that but in terms of maybe in the hunt for one seed opposed to Wild Card right in a very competitive division and it starts with that Bears game because look this is not this is not yester year’s Bears like this is not only a team that drafted a very talented quarterback a known very talented quarterback but did a hell of a job aligning everything around Caleb Williams I mean there there’s a lot of talent in much the same way that Brian gakin did with Jordan love a year ago putting a lot of talent around this first time starting quarterback the the Bears have done the same thing this offseason they already had DJ Moore but then you go out and you get Keenan Allen you draft Roman dun I there’s a lot of talent for for Caleb Williams to have a an ideal Runway to lift off his career I think it’s going to be fascinating and I think one of the story lines of the Season certainly underrated story lines because everyone knows a renewal or a birth maybe of a of a rivalry in the NFC North with the Packers and Lions I mean everyone knows that but maybe the renewal of this Packers bear r i i I think that’ll be very interesting to track for sure I think it’s 15 of the last 20 games between the two teams Packers have won I don’t even know I don’t even know what the winning streak is up to is it nine in a row 10 in a row I Matt’s never lost to them right he’s been a coach since 2019 that’s pry yeah that’s wild the Bears uh yes the Bears I know are itching to uh to renew that rivalry and more than that but uh but this is going to be a really interesting season I mean like I said coming after the draft Jordan love is the third most interesting quarterback in the NFC North now he’s not not the third best he’s probably you know you could probably still say maybe the best maybe second depending on how you feel about golf War Williams but he’s definitely the third most Jord loves the guy Jord loves the guy in the NFC North based on what he did last year until he proves otherwise and he’s got to still prove more to be considered the Top Dog in in the NFC and certainly the NFL he’s not he’s not you know there’s some there’s some rocket arms in the AFC yeah but as far as the NFC North look Jordan love is going to get paid more than $53 million a year that’s that’s the new floor the Detroit Lions set that as the new floor when they gave Jared GF that because contracts are paid off of potential off of projection and if you’re projecting potential between Jordan love and Jared gof it’s not particularly close Jared gof has been has found the ideal relaunching spot for his career in Detroit he personifies that comeback story that comeback Spirit of the city great great match there he’s a quarterback they can clearly win with he’s also a quarterback that at the end of the NFC championship game when you need a touchdown from the one yard line and you have multiple plays and enough timeouts and not have to kick an onside kick and you don’t put the ball on the ground they actually call the running play in that situation and then they give that guy $53 million a year contract so you know Detroit on some level is always going to Detroit a little bit but Jordan Jordan love he he’s he’s a different guy in the division we’ll see Caleb Williams I mean he’s potential his ceiling’s very high too we’ll have to actually see him on on a field before we can start to gauge where that is but Jordan Love’s GNA get north of 53 well thanks to Detroit for uh for messing with the with the with the floor a little bit uh in in signing Jared G to that contract because as we enter OTAs this is one of the big storylines is J is Jordan loves contract situation i’ I’ve kind of always been believing that it would be after June 1st no reason to think that’s changed now but there’s a little bit of of whispering from the national guys who by the way have close relationships with agents so it makes sense that they might say something put something in The Ether like oh if a deal gets done and oh the two sides are far apart a little bit of theater if you ask me but it is worth asking if you we have operated under the assumption that this would be a done deal at some point that Jordan love will of course sign this extension but that’s really from the point of view the Packers the Packers are going to want him to sign the extension what does Jordan love want you know maybe uh I don’t know maybe maybe there is some reason for him to wait or to I don’t know ask for more I I don’t know how how do you see this playing out look business deals especially in a market that’s changing and the quarterback Market is changing right now we saw that with Jared G business deals don’t get done quickly not if not if you have any business Savage there’s no rush here right no uh certainly not from Jordan love side there’s no rush because there’s another quarterback Tua in Miami who’s also going to get paid and so whoever’s who whoever gets that contract first is not going to get the highest contract that’s not how this works so it’s a steering contest yeah it’s essentially what it is I mean look at what happened with the receiver Market this this offseason a lot of receivers got paid who was who who who who has been last now who who who’s still it’s Justin Jefferson’s the best one you know the you know that if you’re last you’re more so this is going to not be overnight this is going to take some time how long will it take I think is interesting the the longer look you know if they report to camp and the deal is not done you start to wonder and maybe not right away it’s not a huge distraction week one but if you get to actual week one of the Season not week one of Camp yeah you know I would imagine that a deal has to be done by the by the opener you know um I would think that that if there’s a deadline that’s what it is but it’s not going to be a Sprint to that deadline this you know Jordan love I can’t imagine that he’s in a a a mood to not take less than what he feels he deserves after doing being being the good soldier for three years Bei behind Aaron roggers after proving his worth last year the highest quarterback passer rating in the NFL down the final two months after getting this team to the divisional Playoff round and and within a whisker of the NFC Championship Game showing what he can what what he is now what he what his potential is I don’t think he’s going to be taken less than what he feels he deserves so it’s going to take some time yeah we’ll be interesting to see if he’s there how much he’s there you know and and obviously mini camp is not that far away either that’s in I think the second week of June so you know this is there’s going to be opportunities to to see how if he’s there how he interacts things things of that nature I know there’s questions about whether Tua will will be reporting right away to Miami as well uh this is the song and dance that happens every year what let me add one thing here’s what we know about Jordan love though there’s no there’s no this is not an an animosity situation there there’s no Rift here between him and the team I think it’s important to point out do you know how we know that because he was front and center in the Packer schedule release video like he was he was all SM like there there there this is not a bad situation this is just business as it is and everyone knows that I mean this this is far away far away from being any type of animus but yeah it’s just GNA take some time Jordan Love by the way nice comic timing uh I think I think was one of the stars of the schedule releasee video because Ryan I’m going to be honest with you I didn’t love the Packers schedule release video I feel like teams have been talked into doing one of these by the success that some teams have had and now everybody has to do one man I didn’t think the Packers one was very good I feel bad they put so much work into it we know people who were in it I didn’t get it I didn’t get why there was like there there was just like this big long thing and then oh at the very end here’s the schedule you know there was no tie in I don’t know how you feel about Ryan I I have so many thoughts there I I don’t want to be mean because I I like a lot of those people but it was it was a big Grimace face for me I don’t have a lot of thoughts I watched it uh I thought that they made more of an effort than last year I can’t even remember what last year was so I give you know credit there I think David bter got on them for not having anything more prepared last year last year was the soft launch of the schedule release concept I didn’t really have any thoughts beyond that if I’m being honest like I’m I’m not this isn’t throwing shade I good effort I don’t I didn’t I don’t really care about schedule release videos no it’s a brand new thing to care about we we had no this was not a thing two years ago so right right you know I was I was disappointed that the Titans couldn’t recapture the magic of 20123 in their they tried tried going back to the well which didn’t didn’t seem to work I don’t think but no you know and I understand why because the the the 2023 video like that had me laughing for months I mean just it never got old yeah it might have gotten old you know they just they could have recaptured the magic from that video but other than that I I did I don’t think I had any thoughts on schedule release videos Around The League that was just the the one thought I had was the Titans one yeah Chargers I think won this year’s schedule release if we’re keeping score but uh man that Titans video last year I was just belly laughing I you know I cried I was crying cry laughing like like like not subtly like I was SOB cry laughing it was unbelievably f you can’t you can’t recapture that especially now when it’s like okay well every team’s got to do one you gotta outdo the other we got to come up with something I mean it’s it’s a very difficult spot to be in so uh all respect to the Packers social team they they they tried a lot effort is good effort is good effort is good and Jordan Love Good comic timing I I really I really think he’s got a future there um Jordan love has been out there this year like he’s been in s of games like he’s living living the life now Ryan it’s good I thought that too like you know I think the best example of this that we’ve that I’ve ever seen in my 10 now going on 11 years on on the Packers beat the best example of this is David bakari his first couple years this guy who we know now has a massive personality I mean massive bigger personality than than even his his body like he’s a huge left tackle bigger personality the first couple years he he didn’t say a whole lot and he was on this veteran offensive line with Ryan balaga TJ Lang Josh s he didn’t say a whole lot and uh you kind of wondered if there was much personality in there but once he became the guy and David barari obviously became the guy you saw the personality come out and all of a sudden he’s chugging beers at Milwaukee Bucks playoff games right and it’s like oh okay nope the personality question is Jack Jordan love people ask me how Jordan love was to deal with from a media stand point last year and my my answer was he was refreshingly boring like it was yeah like he was he he was pretty boring right from personality he didn’t give you a lot in the answers but like you didn’t have to check the Pat McAfee show every Tuesday to figure out oh god what the quarterback say now that was nice I did I I did not miss the drama that preceded him right refreshingly boring but I also kind of want like look he is in his first year as a starter replacing an absolute Legend a Hall of Famer and Aaron he is going to come in and put his head down as a lot of young players do he’s going to focus on his work he’s going to focus on proving it and after he does that if he does that and he did what happens after that well I think we’re starting to see the personality come out and I think it’s going to be you know last year A lot of it was what kind of leader is Jordan love going to be as a first-time starting quarterback now it’s what kind of personality he going to have now now that he is the leader now that he he is the face of the franchise I think that’ll be fun under wash yeah I completely agree with you uh okay so what else from OTAs sticks out I got a few things that I know I’m personally interested in knowing but but as you head into this part of the season are there questions you think that can be answered this week at at the Don Hudson center yeah it’s it’s all this time of year is all about reps who’s taking the Reps and where it’s not about the football it’s not about the football until the pads get strapped a couple days into Camp that’s when it becomes about okay real football but this is the first time that we’re seeing another bloated rookie class that Brian gakin drafted in with 11 players with the full roster how does that shake out who are getting the Reps and where talking obviously offensive line uh I think from now until through Camp backup quarterbacks going to be something we watch I mean we’re going to obviously be watching Jordan love but there’s a lot known about Jordan Love Now compared to a year ago Sean Clifford Michael Pratt that’s going to be worth watching uh Marshon Lloyd a J Dylan that’s going to be worth watching backup running back for sure the the young receiving Corp all right uh there are a lot of talented guys there we know that but how do they how do they continue as they develop to kind of sift through the pecking order there that’s going to be worth watching you say the same with Luke Musgrave and Tucker craft the difference being that you can actually use those two together much more frequently and kind of the creativity John Dunn the Packers tight ends coach said it’s endless opportunities to be creative in this in this uh scheme with Matt lefur with those two tight ends well do we start to see some of that uh the defensive side obviously what does a 4-3 defense look like in Green Bay obviously look it’s going to be a nickel defense it’s GNA be 425 uh I think it’ll be very interesting where Javon Bard gets the Reps I think I’m expecting it to be safety to start off but Javon Bard to me kind of profiles long term is that classic star defensive back I mean he can play a lot in the nickel in the slot uh how long does it take for him to start getting cross trained there or they really focused on him taking that starting safety position opposite of Xavier McKenna from from the gate H H how do how do you get the ref so you know the third linebacker who’s the Sam I don’t know I there are a lot of linebackers that have you know from Quay Walker Edan Cooper that have that athletic body type little undersized great length sideline to sideline can move all over the field not your your prototypical thump that you get at s so who who is the Sam I don’t know there’s a lot of questions that are going to be answered when it comes to who are getting the Reps and where yeah I think the secondary for me is so interest has has just a lot of stories you mentioned Javon Bullard I mean Evan Williams we won’t seen we won’t see oladapo right away with as he’s coming back from injury but a lot of new kayin king lot of lot of newbies back there the the coaching staff has been so effusive in their Praise of Savior McKenna like they they cannot stop talking about how much they love him so I’m curious to see him you know on the field and kind of what element he brings and and then there’s the quarterbacks like Eric Stokes I feel like we’ve talked about is kind of coming up it’s it’s do or die for Eric Stokes I mean some of that’s a health question but can can he contribute he’s he’s got so much promise and you know hasn’t been able to stay on the field and is are those injuries gonna sap that speed and take that asset away from him you know how can he contribute on this team I feel like the secondary is it’s not that they’re lacking for weapons it’s just I don’t know how it ultimately shakes out you mentioned like where’s where does Bullard play is a big a big part of that equation um so yeah that’s that’s the part I’m so interested in and you mentioned linebackers like Isaiah McDuffy I I know people he’s going to be really important for this team this year so that’s another guy that I’m watching kind of closely and uh you know I don’t I I don’t know there’s there’s just a there’s a lot to look forward to I I think it is exciting to see that I think maybe the defense really can take a step forward this year and uh and you know it’s it’ll be interesting to see how that takes shape we do end up kind of learning a little bit at otaa is like oh that doesn’t look like it’s working yet and sometimes that stuff does bear there there are some early Impressions that do matter I feel like and here’s a question at linebacker I want to get back to secondary but here’s a question at linebacker who wears the Green Dot I mean Quay Walker probably would be the most likely on you know theoretically because he’s going to be on the field more than Isaiah McDuffy Isaiah McDuffy is not GNA be on the field nickel so Quay Walker knows the defense he’s not the rookie Edan Cooper is that would seem to make the most sense if it’s going to be a linebacker but you want a free Quay Walker just go run and hit you know like you don’t the less thinking the better react and you wear the Green Dot there’s a lot of thinking involved in that could this be a situation where it’s Xavier McKenna where they moveed to safety he’s in charge of the communication obviously they’ve got a uh a defensive coordinator that comes from a secondary track so how does that influence who wears the Green Dot I think that that’s going to be very interesting to watch getting back to the secondary though safety and Corner are in such different situ situations safety is completely remade right other than Anthony Johnson Jr there isn’t a safety on this roster that factored on defense last year everyone else is new uh how does that shake out like the learning process the you know obviously it’s said first year defense coordinator for this team so that that kind they they they kind everyone’s learning together but learning each other they’re all strangers right they’re they’re all newly acquainted they’re getting to know each other now not the same way at corner that that’s the opposite of a remade position the only significant addition that Brian gin’s made at corner is kayin King a seventh round rookie but you want to talk about a position that is hinging on so many wha ifs right from Gyer Alexander what if he regains recaptures that form as an elite coverman that we know he can be that we saw him be in Dallas last year late last season if he’s refocused remotiv he drops the shenanigans that led to the suspension last year if he’s healthy and he’s a TR he’s Jer Alexander again well that on its own changes the the the potential the sealing of this quarterback position dramatically from last year but it goes on to Carrington Valentine what if he builds on being a really a revelation as a seventh round rookie last year kesan Nixon what if this is the coaching staff that gets the best out of kesan Nixon because the best out of keesan Nixon last year was a really good Corner the problem is there was no consistency in the other half of the time he’s blowing coverages missing tackles in really bad moments you know there needs to be consistency there what if this is the coaching staff to bring that out of him what if Eric Stokes can finally stay on the field it’s been a year and a half at this point since he’s consistently been on the field and it looked like that when he did come back and played a few reps last se he looked like a corner who hadn’t been on the field much he he hadn’t played much football and that’s that’s that can be a devastating thing for a young player this early in their career but we also know ke that Eric Stokes as a rookie in 2021 he showed himself to be a first round pick he he proved that he could play in this league so what if he can stay on the field if if the Packers get all those wh ifs to hit right they’re kind of at the casino when it comes to the quarterback position if they get all all of them to hit this quarterback position’s really good Ryan gakin is right but there’s a lot of risk and gamble involved there because if they don’t get all those to hit it gets thin real quick so that that’s going to be something to track throughout the off season and and even early into next season I’ll flip quickly back to the other side of the ball you mentioned you know the receivers and the and the tight ends and running backs especially are pretty interesting backup quarterback offensive line is pretty interesting Jordan Morgan their first round draft pick it it we don’t know for sure where he’s going to line up if if he is in that starting five where he’s going to line up exactly a lot of options there a lot of options throughout that line I don’t know this is more of a question about like the OTA process do when you see five guys at ota’s lineup is that typically where they end up like is that a really good indicator of what’s to come or does it just begin the experimentation process and we we won’t know for a while what what’s starting to look like their best five I would say it’s somewhere in the middle I I would say it’s it’s it’s not something that changes a whole lot but it’s not completely static either right it what we know about Jordan Morgan that they’re going to fail him from left tackle they’re going to give him the first shot at left tackle if he fails from there they’ll move him around but they want him to be their left tackle he’s going to have to compete with Rasheed Walker played a very good left tackle last season but Rasheed Walker from everything I saw last year the guy he’s a good enough run blocker the guy can play right tackle too right it’s not like left tackle or bust for Rasheed Walker in a way that it might have been for Yosh nyman I know that they tried him at right tackle but Yosh nyman did not fare well at right tackle he was a much better left tackle Rasheed Walker he he he can play we got he’s got to go we got to see him do it but he he looks like a guy that with his run blocking his toughness he can play the right side that’s you know if Jordan Morgan’s the left tackle rashed Walker versus Zack Tom and if there’s one question I want to ask to one player on in this locker room it’s Zack Tom how much do you not want to move to Center yeah because like look yeah he can be a Hall of Fame Center that that’s great hall of fame centers don’t get paid like quality right tackles that’s not the same thing that’s not what the Market is if you’re a quality right tackle why on Earth would you want to do anything but be paid like a quality right tackle it’s just you know you can think all you want about Zack Tom being better I I’ve been saying it since the middle of last year look I think Zack Tom guard or Center he he I think he’d be an all pro there he he’d be better inside doesn’t mean that you get paid better so I think that’s going to be very interesting to hear from Zack Tom and you know because there is there’s a starting Right Guard battle position open that if if Jordan Morgan wins left tackle if Rasheed Walker wins right tackle Josh Meers is going to be the center in 2024 long term we don’t know he’s going to be the center in 2024 Josh Myers has never gotten a legitimate threat for his starting job at Center since he’s been here it’s not going to change now but there is a starting right guard position against Shawn Ryan potentially open it you know it’s I think it’s a one of the more fascinating aspects of this entire roster is is the offensive line but especially Zack Tom’s a really good right tackle why would you want to be paid like anything but a really good right tackle yeah speaking of Hall of Fame centers Jim utto uh passing away on Monday as we record this he’s from Wasa uh 1980 Hall of Fame Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee longtime Raiders uh Raiders star I think he’s like 11 time all pro or something ridiculous so just speaking of Hall of Fame centers made me think of that he was 88 years old but uh but one of the greats one of the great Wisconsin football players of all time um okay before we let I let you go we got while we’re here now that we’re at OTAs we can start talking about special teams again uh the kicker situation is going to be up in the air the long Stamper situation is going to be up in the air um again I I kind of go back to that question I just asked like if you learn anything in OTAs about special team reps I don’t sometimes I feel like you don’t learn anything about special team reps at any point it’s all about what happens in games because guys can drill shot after shot in practice and then it just doesn’t translate I kind of feel like Anders Carlson was somewhat in that boat I don’t know but give me a give me your take on what uh how that’s going to transpire Fierce competition from now and it’s started at the beginning of the offseason but from now to the end of training camp they badly want Anders Carlson to be the guy because when you use a Draft pick on a specialist you don’t want it to burn out right second season that is bad for all the great drafting that Brian gin has done lately that would be really really bad that’s wasteful uh they badly want him to win it but they also know that they’re not the team they were last year at least the team they thought they might be last year a year ago they didn’t know who they were going to be they certainly did not expect to contend as dramatically and quickly as they did last year they didn’t see this the season ending in the NFC divisional Playoff round in San Francisco with a very real chance to not only get to the NFC championship game but win that game and get to the Super Bowl they didn’t see that coming now they do now they know their contenders and they are bound and turn regard no matter what to not have the disaster of a kicking situation from last year repeat itself because as bad as it would be to miss on Andre Carlson there is something worse and that’s the kicking situation last year now that you’re a contender that is far worse so it’s going to be a we’re talk about competition it’s going to be as Fierce a competition you see on this roster RIS bace is not gonna leave us stone unturned to make sure that he gets the right guy in that position because this is a team now that is expecting late season big games that hinge on potentially big kicks yeah I think if they if they could have gone back and known what they know now they would have they would have probably moved on for Mason Crosby a year earlier work in a new kicker figure out if you know for That season that didn’t end in the way they wanted it to and then uh maybe that guy is a little bit better better suited to be in a playoff run uh as was as was the case here in in the 2023 season anything else Ryan before I uh before I send you away well you mentioned you dropped that Jim Auto I did yes which is not surprising because because J.R as we know you are the expert on on Wisconsin athletes I do keep track of the Wisconsin athletes of the world yes my wife thinks it’s annoying she’s like you only care about him because he’s from Wisconsin and I’m like guilty that’s right that’s true sorry you you are a a walking textbook on Wisconsin athletes so I I thought I’d ask the textbook do do do we have to wait to Crown Tyrese halberton the greatest basketball player ever from the state of Wisconsin or or you know is is that fair to do so now so we have to wait because needs a little bit of longevity first you uh Latrell spr well is is a guy that we’d probably have to throw out they multiple time Allstar but time halberton as a two-time Allstar that’s better than I think every other Wisconsin guy that’s come before him now our our our boss Robert zizo threw out a couple names those are those are quality guys Fred Brown was one of the names Terry Porter who had a really nice career with the Blazers you know went to uh went to some finals they were one time Allstars like that that’s a big deal in the NBA when only a small subset of guys become star Tyrese has two already and he’s 24 whatever 25 um Terry Porter had two himself by the way he had a long career which is you know to your point yes there’s longevity there that matters but two I Chang him if he had two I thought he only had one but but yes like Tyrese is on track for sure to being uh the ashash north product to being the the greatest Wisconsin basketball player you know Deon Harris played forever one time Allstar but like had a really nice career there there are guys that you probably have to rank ahead of him now but I mean especially if Indiana wins beats Boston it’s going to get harder and harder he’s going to be he’s going to be the guy oh it’s happening Jr it might be you’re already here first Pacers into the into the NBA finals for the first first time since 2000 second time ever yes I’m a big Pacers fan lifeb from Indiana uh I I just I’m just relishing how many Bucks fans were uh filling my Twitter mentions two weeks ago about how the Pacers were GNA win a game against the Knicks and now it’s like oh no it’s not that impressive you know they were all injured and everything well wait a second weeks ago it’s like oh the Pacers gonna get swept they’re going to lose all four games no it you gota the Pacers play the Brandon ball that the NBA is built on now from depth to Pace to scoring Oodles of points there’s not much defens in league so when you’re team that doesn’t play much defense you kind of get away with just filling it up that’s gonna be fun but T tyres halberton he’s the truth man I I I’ll take Latrell spro right now this moment in time five All-Star games he’s been the best player on teams that went full but I don’t think it’s much more I I don’t think it’s many more years until Tyrese Albert is going to be that guy yeah I think that’s uh that’s fair I tell you what when the Knicks went up to nothing I thought they were gonna they were gonna sweep the Pacers too I thought okay this is B curtains I did not I did not think Indiana would get back into that series but G little faith no I no look I think a lot of people know that I’m I’m a fairly big Mets fan right from Indiana like I I haven’t kept that a secret people don’t know the pat thing with me because they haven’t won a playoff series since 2014 that’s first round I’ve been here since 2014 and they’ve done nothing so Jr I was with you I had zero expectation of them winning this series uh and I don’t think they’re going to win against Boston either but you know what sometimes you just got to spark a little faith gotta believe in what you don’t see an eighth seed went to the you know NBA finals last year out of the East so an e seed went to the NBA finals in 1999 against the Indiana Patriot too was the New York Knicks I remember with who was on that team well and I hated that team not a fan oh we got it full circle lot of lot of football little bit of basketball he is Ryan wood of packersnews.com find everything he has there on this team he’ll be at OTAs this week lots lots of interesting updates follow him on Twitter as well by Ryan wood and you can get get some some realtime updates there as well Ryan thank you for joining me we’ll chat with you again very soon take care