failing to Rattle off the names of any Nicolas Cage movies.
Other than Conair, he was addressing the elephant in
the room, the departure of Davante Adams and the apparent
expectation
that his shoes will be filled by Allen Lazard. Here's Rogers
having a little fun
at the transition from atoms to Lazard.
Yeah, I mean, it's always tough.
Going from Hall of Fame at a Hall of Famer,
you know, from Devonte to Alan. It's going to be,
you know, a transition, but
he's capable of a lot.
And the way things have gone with the Reps and
the guys that we've had here in the targets that we've
we've
doled out, he hasn't had a ton of opportunities but he, you
know, he's
since his first day here. These turn heads. And so, it's not
surprising
and to go out and have a really consistent day today,
but he's been working hard. He has a lot to prove, I think to
himself and other people
maybe to the team
as well. So I like a hungry Allen Lazard,
you know, and it'll be an adjustment for us, but I'm
happy with day one
Lazard had a career year in 2021, 40 catches 513 yards.
And eight touchdowns. Those are not
eye-popping numbers
but he was playing second fiddle at best
to Davante Adams.
Now he's the one who potentially steps into
the number one role. We've talked so much about Christian Watson
coming through the doors a second round pick with
the expectation that he takes over. Yeah Lazard is the one who has
the opportunity and he held out rightfully. So he wasn't
son. He had a restricted free agency tender. I
at just a handful of millions when you've got guys.
Matching up against 30 million a year at the top of
the market. He signed his tender in June, on the last day before
the team could have done a hard ball move and reduced
the tender etcetera, etcetera. So he missed a
lot of the offseason program.
So like Aaron Rodgers, he wasn't there for a lot of
the stuff that they did, the work that they did in April May and
June. But now he's there, doing what he has to do
and he has his opportunity to be the number one guy and then
parlay that into free agency next year, unless he would be
franchise tag and there's already an expectation, Chris
You may have heard this,
he's landed in Denver next year. He and Nathaniel Hackett
are going to be together again. Come next year barring
something that would cause the Packers to keep him there and
if you want to keep him there Packers, you know what you
do? Yeah, you don't sit on your Financial offer
until February or March once he has his opening to leave and
then it doesn't matter how much you offer you do it. Now you do
it sooner rather than later, you make him an offer, he won't
refuse now because it gives him security
Beyond this year as he
Harry's injury risk and the risk that maybe he doesn't have
a great year. You want to keep him there, long term, you want
to listen to what Aaron Rodgers said yesterday, you do it now
because it's only going to be more expensive
after the season. If he has a good season obviously
and it's only going to be more likely, he makes a beeline for
Denver if you give him any opening like you did with
Davante Adams. Yeah I hear you you know again hey players are
always accustomed to kind of going with guys.
They know and it sounds like there must have been
a relationship there between Hackett and and Allen Lazard.
And but we'll see. There's a lot of things to play out first
to. We know there's a lot of good receivers in Denver
so there might not be a spot for him. And
you know Allen Lazard is a good football player. I think he's
somebody that they've kind of undervalued there in Green Bay
in my opinion. He's got very good size, you know, he's got
enough speed to scare you deep. He's a pretty good route
Runner. He's got good hands and all that, so
he can do just about everything on the football field. Is he
a superstar? No, but I could see this being a year where,
you know, he is No one of the main focuses at the wide
receiver position for the offense, he has a good year and
they do try to sign him and he ends up being you know in Green
Bay for an extended period of time under
a you know a pretty good contract and a pretty good
number. I could see that I think he's got that type of
talent. I don't think they have any choice
but to make him like we talked about a little yesterday. Mike
number one or two.
I mean, they don't have a choice there. I mean he's got to be
that guy and from everything Rogers just said right there,
you know, going from Hall of Famer to halt. Of Famer which
was his actual unbelievable, amazing timing comment there.
And I do think that shows that Rogers
that probably bother them. The Davante Adams said that when he
was like, wait I'm in like the Hall of Famer Hall of Fame.
This guy hasn't won a playoff game and you're saying we're
going Hall of Famer. Hall of Famer that was a bad comment by
Davante Adams. He tried to clarify.
But yeah, I don't think they got a choice Allen Lazard and
then Watson you mentioned. He had a little nice. See surgery
procedure. So he's certainly going to be the guy that's
going to be the focus of the offense here early on in Camp.
Absolutely. And the Packers need to replace the production
and the presence. The fear that Davante Adams strikes into
the opposing defense. It's it's easy to just say, well other
guys will step up but whether it's Davante, Adams are Tyree
Kill Ya. You take away a
guy who commands extra attention who keeps defensive
coordinators up later at night than they. Otherwise would be
coming up with ways to neutralize that player that
changes the rest of the defense. Because there's still
only 11 guys,
And if you've got to assigned to one,
you only got nine left for the other 10. Yeah. So now now
you've got defenses that can just say we're going to, we're
just going to play our package. We're not going to do anything
special. We're not going to
roll coverage one way or the other. We're just going to,
we're going to, we're going to play. We're going to try to get
after the quarterback and we're going to cover these guys
one-on-one until one of them proves that they can burn us on
a,
on a consistent basis like atoms. Could write, no, I
I don't disagree with anything you're saying there, you know?
There's no pressure there, there's no, you know guy,
that's so. Oh, wait, we got a double him. We got to do this.
Now, it's going to let defense has play plays more a little bit,
which can be scary. I'll wait on third downs. We know. They
like to do this or attack this area, so we could just play
that we don't care where, you know, star receiver is where
they usually make him the number one read, so they can
play that way. And I think, what's
double scary here is again we knew this was not the best
receiving Corps, you know, and the history of football.
Anyways,
it doesn't really
You know, it doesn't scare people
and even with Davante Adams is awesome, as he was, he's not
the kind of guy that you get scared of and go, oh my gosh,
he's gonna beat us over the top for 70 yard touchdowns all day.
It was about you know his unbelievable route running and
timing and Rhythm and
the boy they called plays within the offense.
I mean again last year
the second leading receiver on the football team. You're
seeing here is Allen Lazard with 513 yards but the real
second leading receiver on the football team with reception.
Is Aaron Jones.
I mean, so there is like
Big-time questions here
about who was gonna
you know, come to the top of the pack here
and be the guy. Our be
you know the two or three guys
that can really stress defenses and make some plays for
the offense, where Rogers doesn't always have to do it with
a great throw in a pinpoint accuracy, and an unbelievable
decision.
And that's what bothers me about Green Bay. They asked
Aaron Rodgers to do this a lot. And that's why I think he's, in
my opinion, a little underrated in the pantheon of
quarterbacks.
By the way, those of you who listen carefully to the program
and thank you for that may have noticed that yesterday. We said
we were going to have a draft of the best receiving cores in
the NFL and we ultimately didn't do it because there was
too much news to get to. We're doing it today.
And it is safe to say the Packers will not occupy
one of the positions and any of the three rounds of the draft.
But there are some pretty good receiving Corps out there is
Chris look there aren't enough spots for all these guys on
some of these teams. I know you could have
Team like the Packers swoop in with a
sixth-round pick.
In late, August to snatch one of these guys before they go to
waver and it seemed like the Packers so far down on
the pecking order than ever gonna have a shot at the guy. I hear
you well I'll believe it when I see it. I mean Green Bay's
always
well they're they're trying to trade for somebody. They tried
to sign somebody, they tried to get Stephon Gilmore. They
didn't have the mug enough money. They tried to get obj,
they tried to get in Tonio Brown.
They tried to get,
you know, who did.
I hear about yesterday
Julio Jones Julio job in its, they should just put they tried
and then dot dot, dot where the Green Bay Packers? I mean, it's
the Bart Simpson. The Bart Simpson cake gift, right? You
tried?
Yeah, he throws it into the garbage can
and I wonder how much of that. We're going to go a little
unscripted here. I wonder how much of that is just
that. I know lingering notion of draft and develop, drafted
developed, Ed Thompson. Well two things, yeah to Is coming
together,
the Ted Thompson
draft and develop mindset.
And the let's act like we're trying to go get these guys.
Let's act like. We tried to keep Davante Adams. So Aaron
Rodgers doesn't get pissed off at us. Let's act like we tried
to get Odell Beckham jr.
To placate, Aaron Rodgers and it worked last year.
Let's act like we tried to get Julio Jones.
Let's act like we want to keep Allen Lazard, even though we're
going to drag our feet all season long and then wait until
the Denver Broncos.
Those offer less money than we're willing to pay, but hey,
he just wants a play in Denver. Hey, there's nothing we can do
about it,
sorry, at least we tried, I mean, that's the attitude.
You're right. So it's an Institutional approach, coupled
with the ability
to outsmart Aaron Rodgers, and this gets back to something. He
said, back in June, I think I don't know. It's all one big
blur.
They have, I think just outsmarted him on this, they've
made him think they've done a Jedi mind trick on him that
they're actually trying to make the receiving Corps better when
they really aren't.
I don't disagree with you there. I mean, there's
something there. I mean again, yeah, I think you said it right
to a degree
Rogers. I think is reluctant to want to leave or pull
the trigger on that matter. I mean, I think there's that, I think
they know that
I think they know that he and probably enjoys being King of
the castle there and Green Bay, and And, and plight of that.
But yeah,
it to me, it's just frustrating
and that manner as we talk about all the time whether it's
any great quarterback, Joe burrow, Justin Herbert, what
they got going on right now.
You know, we've said it a course about
Mahomes and John,
I mean, you know, you got a guy it's time to go all-in. And,
and we've been saying that for 48 years with nine years for
Aaron Rodgers, and that's just to me what it says, a fan of
quarterbacks. And as a fan of Aaron Rodgers that, you know,
again, I'll say,
It when you take the six or seven eight, best years of
a quarterback ever, I'm going to take Aaron Rodgers. I don't
think I ever
saw anybody at their highest level play
to his level of football.
I know, Brady is the goat and all that
and that just as a fan of quarterbacks and all that,
it bothers me that he's never gotten the the Firepower, maybe
some of the other great quarterbacks have had
and it bothers him. It has to be so amazing about this. It
does last year introductory press conference, he downloaded
all of his complaints and grievances about About what
the Packers have failed to do,
to include him, to talk to him. See,
they have figured out how to handle him. That's been the big
difference between last year. And this year, last year, he
was pissed off.
And between last year. And this year,
they've kissed his ass enough
for him to think everything's fine.
But what are they actually doing?
They let his guy Davante, Adams, leave.
They didn't get obj
when obj is available in automatically, What did the As
do it wasn't money. They showed him the love. They acted like
they wanted him
Julio Jones, picks Tampa Bay over Green Bay. It's just one
after another but they're doing enough that Aaron Rodgers isn't
mad and
and you know shame on the Packers for not realizing years
earlier that you don't have to do what the guy is. Suggesting
you just have to listen to him,
you have to have an attitude. Other than
you just work. Here Aaron
go, throw the football
and the grown-ups will worry about who's going to be on
the team. He just wanted to be heard obviously. Yeah,
because he's not mad that they failed Time After Time
and occasion. After occasion
to go out there and find a veteran,
who's going to make that receiving Corps better. Yeah,
they used a second-round pick on Kristen Watson and he could
end up being great. I know he's one of your guys but
this is about proving Commodities were available
and they're not making the move to go get them. Now watch
they'll probably sign obj today. Yeah II. And
you said it right
and I understand him being bothered by
That, you know, again, we can go through the great
quarterbacks of all time and you can start to go through it
to go. Well, they had a lot of fire, they had some Firepower
like no matter where they went or whatever,
you know, so it hurts his overall perception.
People don't realize how good he is,
so that's got to bother him,
you know. He's he's been,
you know, with Mike McCarthy who everybody kind of makes fun
of to a degree. Now with, you know, game management and play
calling and he won a Super Bowl with them. And, you know, they
were expected to win the
Verbal every year
that that was one thing I tried to explain to people. It wasn't
that good of an offense, it was just Rogers making magic all
the time. So I understand that and then,
hey, I think even that that comment, he had their, you
know, go it's hard going from Hall of Famer to Hall of Famer.
Yeah. That might have been a shot that Davante Adams to.
I think it's a shot at his own team to
to go like, oh, yeah,
thanks, yeah. Thanks for letting me go from this guy
to unproven commodity Allen Lazard. So, I understand his
frustrations at times. I do. It's very
Often.
Yeah you know Green Bay is in my opinion has failed him to
a degree in that department and now you go to this year where
he's making fifty million dollars a year
and we know he's really good still, I got that but I don't
I don't think they're going to be able to just you know they're
going to have to play. I think someone a little different
style of football. I don't think they're going to be as
good as efficient and explosive on the offensive side
of the ball with Davante Adams. I don't I don't see that
happening. You know, I can see their defense being more of
a threat this year. They got a A lot of talent there. They might
play. Maybe run the football defense.
Hey Rogers. Its third and 7. Now, throw a laser for us.
I wouldn't be shocked to see them. Come play that style of
football. With the way, their roster looks
Before we continue on with more things regarding the Packers
and more from what Aaron Rodgers had to say,
I want to ask you a question. Yeah. And in our effort
yesterday to unpack every layer in level of the Julio Jones, to
Tampa Bay's story. There's one thing that I didn't think of,
yeah, and I've been reminded of it
as we've been talking for the past few minutes
question.
How differently would you have felt about the news of Julio
Jones joining the Buccaneers, If instead of Jones,
it had been Odell Beckham jr.
That would have excited me a little bit more. It would have.
Yeah. That would have excited me a little bit more not not in
the you know, not we know obj's coming off an injury but what
to me would be the end product a little bit like last year
like oh man,
you know if they can, you know, stay healthy at the receiver
position and let him just take his time here.
They could get to early November and obj is hundred percent go.
And that would be scary and I'd go, oh no, that would be really
scary for football teams. I mean, with godwyn ft. Evans and
obj.
Holy cow. Yeah. So that would make me feel a little bit
different for sure.
It finally dawned on me yesterday, when I was looking
at the things that Todd Bowles, the coach of the Buccaneers had
to say about why they signed Julio Jones. And one of
the things he said, is last year, we were ravaged by injuries.
So, this year, when it happens, if it happens,
we don't want to be just, we gotta grab this guy. We gotta
grab this guy, good players aren't available then so font
all the more reason to talk obj into your back pocket, if
that's your concern. If this isn't,
we're bringing in Julio Jones to make an immediate impact on
this depth chart and help us from week one. If this is This
is about having depth
and flexibility and the ability to Pivot from one guy to
the next. If guys get injured obj, he'll only get healthier as
the season goes on. So I that's when it finally flickered for
me
too little too late but I wanted to ask you about it
because I would have been more excited frankly about Odell
Beckham jr. And Tom Brady getting together after
a long-standing mutual admiration between the two guys,
I would have felt more excited about that for the Buccaneers
and Julio Jones. That doesn't mean Jones is going to be?
Yeah, right bossed for that. But I do think a healthy
healthy obj would have been a Difference Maker in. Maybe
the Packers, will wake up and snatch and we said this
before. Hiatus Chris, I no longer than
the Rams. Wait to sign Odell Beckham jr.
The greater the chance. Someone else is going to jump and grab
him before the Rams came. They're playing with fire, you
know, I think it's calculated though. I do
I think, you know, again,
as we talk about all the time, right? The Rams, they
communicate about his Anybody. And I think the lines of
communication are probably opened, the fact that obj
showed up at Sean mcveigh's wedding. You know, on announced
that tells you that there's a relationship there,
Aaron Donald talking about,
you know,
I want obj back, if I come back and all that type of stuff, so
he got a house out in La. So they have the inside track, but
I don't disagree with you, you're right? I mean, if it
starts like, hey, I'm getting close. I'm getting
a little healthier here.
And man, I mean,
if Aaron and Aaron,
Rogers and Green Bay or call it and Mahomes and Kansas City are
calling. And he's like, hey Rams, what's up? And they're
kind of give them the hey, can you wait a few more weeks all
that type of stuff? Yeah
I mean he at some point he's gonna have to make a decision
and it's going to be one of those type of teams that goes
and gets him and it's a he doesn't want to play for
anything else than that. So I hear you. It's going to be
interesting to see how this plays out.