Mike Spofford Joins Pack-A-Day Radio Show to Talk the Biggest Packers Storylines in Training Camp

Mike Spofford Joins Pack-A-Day Radio Show to Talk the Biggest Packers Storylines in Training Camp

Joining us now on the Fan Guest Hotline powered by Gruber Law is the one and only Mike Spaford who is live from 1265. Mike, uh, you of course can follow at Mike Spaford and over at Packers.com. It is great to be chatting with you. How you doing, my friend? I’m doing great, Andy. How about yourself? I am fantastic. Day one of Packers training camp. You’re down in the thick of things right now. We’re going to be talking to Goody in just a little under an hour. Of course, Matt, in about an hour and 20 minutes and then practice in uh just over two hours from now. What’s the vibe over there for day one of training camp? Hey, I think everybody’s just ready to get this thing rolling, right? I mean, I know there’s there’s always this big buildup to the first day of training camp, but then practice is really still just sort of like OTAAS because they’re not in pads yet and whatnot, but when you have the crowd out there at Nichki Field, when you have all the fans, you know, uh along the the chain link fences and the bike rides and uh and everything else, you know, all the kids getting involved in the activities, um it definitely uh creates an atmosphere unlike any other. This is the one month of the year uh from now until the end of training camp that uh that this place feels like this and it’s a lot of fun. It’s alive. There’s a vibe. There’s an energy. It’s a right of passage in summer. It’s just it’s an epic feeling. I can’t wait to get out there and obviously see you guys all here in just a little bit. Uh we have of course recently had a a big transaction right before the start of training camp similar to last year where Kenny Clark signed his extension. Uh this year we get Zack Tom signing his extension. right before the start of camp. A key piece for Green Bay, a great contract for the Packers. Your thoughts on Zack Tom signing right before the uh the start of camp here? Well, I’m sure both sides, both the team and the player are really happy to get this thing done uh before training camp starts. Uh I I don’t think anybody’s surprised, of course, that the Packers are extending Zack Tom and they want him in the fold long term. Gudy was uh uh you know was pretty open and honest about that throughout the off seasonason that this was a a priority for the organization and uh and to Zack Tom’s credit he you know he didn’t talk about it in the media. He didn’t try to do any kind of a you know a hold out during uh the voluntary offseason workouts or mini camp or anything like that. He just went about his business. Figured it would take care of itself and it did. And and I think the Packers um they they came out in a in a pretty good spot here when you look at the fact that Zack Tom, you know, he finished third in the Associated Press allp pro voting at right tackle last year. Um two of the highest paid right tackles in the game right now. Tristan Worfs and Pane Su. They both got $80 million of guaranteed money on their new deals. Now, they were longer deals, but they got they got $80 million of guaranteed money and uh the Packers essentially were able to get Zack Tom uh to this long-term ext sign to this long-term extension for about $30 million in guaranteed money. So, um that’s uh um it’s a good deal for Zack Tom. It’s a lot of money in his pocket right away with that big signing bonus, but it’s also a good deal for the Packers. In terms of the overall structure, I think from a structure standpoint, from a monetary, I think the Packers have to be thrilled with the overall uh structure of this contract. And like you said, uh it’s not like Zack Tom’s calling home and being like, you know, sorry guys, I only got 88 million. You know, I think that that phone call to his family was probably pretty excited uh for what he got on his side as well. So hopefully this is a win-win for both sides. But looking at it from a Packer standpoint, I think getting this deal done four-year extension, it’s going to take him through really the prime of his career through age 30. He’ll be a free agent at age 31 if this contract uh you know goes through fruition uh to the end of it. So again I think Green Bay and Brian Gudens Russ Ball have to be absolutely thrilled with how this contract came out. Not the only transactions again as we’re being joined by Mike Spaford. You can follow him over at Mike Spaford on social media and of course the wonderful work that he Wes and the team do over at Packers.com. Uh there was not uh that was not the only transaction. They made a couple other moves. New wide receiver, new kicker, Alex Hail is gone. They released a couple defensive tackles and of course we saw Ky Walker amongst others be put on the physically unable to perform list. Elton Jenkins on the non- football injury list. Uh anything stand out to you in general about these transactions or uh anything that uh you know you kind of will keep an extra eye on at the start of camp here? I don’t know if there’s anything too awfully surprising. I mean, it was certainly unexpected that uh apparently this injury happened with Alex Hail and uh so they needed to move on there and bring in another kicker because they don’t want their veteran and Brandon McManis to have to take all of the kicking reps throughout training camp. He’s a he’s a veteran who’s going to obviously get his work in, but uh um but he doesn’t uh he doesn’t need to work that leg maybe like he did when he was 24 25 years old. So, uh, so that was sort of a a move made out of necessity that wasn’t, uh, that wasn’t necessarily expected. But, you know, when you bring in another wide receiver into this mix, the, uh, um, the the signing from Colorado, uh, just, uh, you know, another guy to keep an eye on, right? I mean, the Packers have a pretty good track record at at bringing in wide receivers who can make some things happen out there on the practice field. And obviously there are only so many roster spots. There are only so many spots on the practice squad, but uh but anybody that’s uh anybody that’s out there, especially with these quarterbacks, Jordan Love, Malik Willis, uh those guys can make uh can certainly help make anybody um make a bid for the roster. So, uh definitely worth keeping an eye on. I was just talking about that wide receiver spot and even the practice squads uh spots are going to be interesting. You know, there’s going to be probably two of maybe Micole Hardman, Bo Melton, and Malik Keith who may not end up making the team who will be in the conversation for the practice squad. Then you’ve even got some really fun guys like Sam Brown Jr., Cornelius Johnson, Julian Hicks, and now Will Shepard as well. Um, that even just again trying to fight for a wide receiver practice squad is going to be very difficult. So, when Goody and Matt talk about competition and depth, well, you’ve you’ve got to fight tooth and nail just to try to make it the Packers practice squad here at wide receiver. as you get ready for for camp, Mike, um we all have kind of different players, uh maybe you know, different um you know, roster battles, uh different storylines that we’re kind of keeping an eye on as camp kicks off as you kind of go in and uh you know, are going to be keeping an extra eye on things. What are maybe a couple storylines, roster battles, or just players in general that you might be keeping an extra eye on? I think for me that the the the biggest thing as far as a position group that I’ll be watching and I know a lot of people are going to want to talk about wide receivers and they’ll certainly get their due with uh with as heated as that competition is going to be. But I’m going to be watching things really closely on the offensive line because for one there’s been the contract issue with Elton Jenkins and we’re going to hear from Brian Gutakus and Matt Laflur before practice. I’m sure they’re going to be asked about what the status is with Jenkins. was not uh participating during the offseason program. So, the move to center hasn’t sort of feels like it hasn’t really officially started yet and uh um and we’ll see we’ll see where things are with that. So, that’s a big one. But then also with Jordan Morgan, your first round draft pick from last year, we’ve been told he’s going to be competing with Rasheed Walker at left tackle. He’s going to be competing with Shawn Ryan at right guard. Can Jordan Morgan win a starting spot on this offensive line as a first round draft pick? who had his rookie season cut short due to a a recurring shoulder injury that that eventually needed surgery. That was unfortunate in that respect, but obviously he was drafted in the first round for a reason. Now, I think Walker at left tackle and Ryan at right guard, both of those guys are going to be pretty difficult to beat out. I mean, those those guys have have piled up a lot of experience now over the last couple years. They’ve certainly uh they’ve certainly shown what they’re worth um with this Packers offense and with the offensive line unit. So, it’s not going to be easy for Jordan Morgan to crack this starting lineup. But, I do think that’s a uh that’s a story to watch. And quite frankly, if he isn’t able to win one of those starting jobs going into the season with a first round draft pick being your number six guy, being your first guy off the bench potentially on the offensive line when you need somebody, that’s not exactly a bad spot to be in either. It’s not. I’ve seen people say like, “Oh, what a disappointment.” or stuff like if the other five guys are just better and he still is a really good lineman but you have him as your number six. We know Mike you’re going to need that sixth offensive lineman probably sooner rather than later like injuries are going to happen along the offensive line. You got five guys have got unbelievable versatility along that line and uh he’s going to have a huge value to Green Bay one way or the other. We’ve also seen Green Bay not afraid to do rotations on the offensive line. A lot of teams are not willing to do that. Green Bay said, you know, they they could easily, you know, have Jordan Morgan and Rasheed Walker do the left tackle swap like we’ve seen in the past with Yosh Nyman and Rasheed Walker. We could see it at right guard uh with Jordan Morgan and Shawn Ryan like we saw with Shawn Ryan and John Renan Jr. in the past as well. So, um those are also possibilities, but he he’s going to play at some point this year. I think he’s going to have a really sound season. I’m also interested and I’d be curious your thoughts on this as well. Um if the Elton, you know, injury situation does kind of continue. Uh we saw a lot of Jacob Monk at uh you know center in OTAAS and mini camps. I’ll be curious if that continues and if Monk continues to get that or if they do kick Shawn Ryan over get him some of those reps and the idea of best five guys out there and then just put Jordan Morgan at right guard and see if until Elton comes back like maybe they just kind of work it that way. So there’s a lot of moving pieces there but I’m very interested. I’m right there with you to see how that kind of plays out. Yeah, and I I think with regard to the the center spot, if there is a period here, um, you know, before Elton Jenkins is back, we may see both things happen. We may see Shawn Ryan taking reps. We may see Jacob Monk taking reps, and they’re going to work both guys. They’re they’re going to work multiple combinations and whatnot on the offensive line until it really comes down to decision time and and uh um and and then you have to kind of pick what you’re doing to move forward for the start of the regular season. So, there’s going to be a lot of news these first few days of training camp, but I think uh everybody has to keep in mind it’s just the first few days of training camp. There’s going to be family night. There’s going to be some joint practices and the preseason games. There’s a lot to sort out here over the next month or so, not just with regard to the 53, but then what is the lineup going to look like heading into uh into week one? And and this week is just the beginning. I disagree. I will be making all my sweeping over reactions just based off of today’s practice and everything will be determined at the end of this 90 minutes or so uh today. But no, you’re absolutely right. There’s a there’s a long way to go. This is just the beginning. But uh still fun to obviously see all these guys back on the field. Of course, the big question everyone wants to know. Mike Spaford, three things. Is it going to be back at the end of uh each practice? You know, you Larry Wes take give one big takeaway at the end. I love listening to you guys every single day. Are are we going to get three things at the end of practice today? Yeah, it is on the uh it is on the rundown. We will be doing it uh right at the edge of the practice field as soon as practice is over like we uh like we’ve done for I don’t know how many years that uh segment has been going on now. But yeah, we have a lot of fun with it. It is uh it has definitely become a staple of training camp for us and we will keep rolling. What’s the normal uh process for you of like when you know your three thing hits? Like when your thing hits of like has there been a moment where like the camera’s about to go on and you’re like, “All right, need a thing. Need a thing. Need a thing?” Or usually like middle of middle of the practice. Are you like, “All right, I got I got my thing and maybe a backup thing in case Weser, you know, uh, you know, Rock takes the other one.” Yeah, this is how it usually goes. So, practice ends. We’re walking over towards where the camera is set up. I will cross paths with Wes and I will say, “Okay, like what do you want?” “Okay, you got that. I got this.” We get in front of the camera and then they’re doing like the mic checks and Larry’s like, “Okay, what are you guys talking about?” And I’ll tell him what I got. Wes will tell him what he’s got. And then we have no idea what Larry’s going to talk about. But like but then uh with you know Larry Larry goes last and uh and we all sort of turn our heads and uh and be entertained by uh by the rock with whatever it is that he has uh observed uh during the past you know 90 to 120 minutes. So that’s literally the uh the extent of I guess what you’d call the pre-production meeting when it comes to three things. Love it. I absolutely love it. All right, a couple more before we get you out of here. I know I’m sure you want to get over and get uh prepped for for Goody and Matt here momentarily, but uh couple quick things. Uh one of the things I’ve been trying to ask people who have obviously been kind of in your position or covering this team for a while. Um there’s always these training camp memories that you have of covering the team. Um you’ve been doing this now. How many years have you been doing this now, Mike? It’s it’s been a hot second. Yeah, with Packers.com. This is actually my 20th training camp uh with uh the website. So yeah, thanks. Appreciate that. That’s awesome. So, so 20 years, it spans quite a quite a distance. What are maybe a couple things that have stood out to you that you’ve taken away? Could be a moment, could be a play, could be a player. I’ll let you go in any direction you want. Yeah, I mean there’s there’s there’s a lot obviously and after all these years, a lot of a lot of training camps run together, but I I I you know, this is kind of crazy to talk about because he’s probably a player that a lot of Packer fans don’t even really remember, but I will never forget the year that I believe it was it was either right before or right after family night. So, you’re talking a week and a half to two weeks into training camp. A guy named Chris Banjo showed up as a late training camp signing and he was thrown in there at safety. He’s thrown in there on special teams. Nobody really thought much of it at the time. And lo and behold, the guy ended up making the team um def despite the fact that he wasn’t here all spring and he missed the first couple weeks of training camp. he makes the team and becomes in effect a special teams captain during the course of his of his time with the Packers and then he went on to to uh to play a number of other years with with other squads as well. That’s just one of those things that a guy like Banjo who who I I I enjoyed him. He was always a great guy to talk to. I got a one-on-one interview with him one year for a Packers yearbook story. Um really enjoyed the time that that Chris was here. But I’ve always kept that in mind as one of those examples where if somebody gets signed after the start of training camp and walks out there on the practice field, don’t just write them off. I mean, yeah, the odds are long. It’s that the chances aren’t great that that guy is going to make the team or even make the practice squad, but don’t completely write him off because every once in a while there’ll be a Chris Banjo that walks out there on the practice field and then is suddenly going to be playing games in week one uh for the Green Bay Packers. There’s that linebacker a few years ago as well that made it also as a special teams guy, but the banjo story is so cool. He played a decade in the league, is now the Jets special teams coordinator. Just signed on to be their special teams coordinator this year. So yeah, he he made a name for himself uh just kind of out of nowhere and it was a really cool story. So that’s a that’s a great one and I I love just kind of bringing players like that up because they’re kind of the unsung heroes and kind of some of the cooler stories of training camp. All right, last but not least, Mike Spaford Packers.com before we get you out of here. You don’t get many opportunities to talk Milwaukee Brewers baseball, but I know you are a huge Brewers fan, so they have obviously been unbelievable as of late. Tough one- nothing loss this past night, but how are you feeling about your Brew crew? Well, hey, how can you not feel good about uh about where things are going? I mean, this has been been quite the run. They’ve uh they’ve not only closed the gap on the Cubs, but obviously have caught up to the to the Cubs at this point. And uh um it’s LA last night was you can’t get upset when an 11ame winning streak ends, right? You know, the streak is going to end at some point. Certainly frustrating to see one poorly placed high fast ball by Nick Mirs ends up costing you the uh the the winning streak there. But that being said, um it it’s fun to watch these guys. It’s a it’s a bunch of young guys that really believe in who they are and what they’re doing and the way they play the game. And they play the game differently than the Cubs. They play the game differently than the Mets and the Dodgers. and and they’ve shown that they can be competitive with all of those teams and uh and so it’s fun. There’s still a long way to go. Who knows what’s going to happen here, but uh um but they’re but they’re a fun bunch and uh and hopefully training camp doesn’t uh keep me away too much from uh from following the Brew Crew. I’m sure you’ll find some time in between. That’s for sure. And they’re certainly a team worth keeping an extra eye on. And I know for me, like even last night, I was trying to have the the game on and get some work done. And they’re just such a fun team to watch that whether they’re pitching or batting or on base or anything, it’s just you don’t want to take your eye off the game and do anything else. It’s just like that they’re on. They’re such an exciting team to watch. So, I’m right there with you. Uh I’m sure we’ll both be trying to catch as much Brewers as we possibly can in between, uh, you know, tweets and articles and podcasts and everything else about the Green Bay Packers. Mike, you do an unbelievable job. I cannot wait to read all of your work all throughout the course of training camp. Tell us all about where we can follow you and anything you want to plug on the way out. Yeah, we’ve got uh all the coverage of training camp on packers.com. We’re going to have five things articles every day. We’re going to have the three things videos that you talked about. Wes and I are doing Packers Unscripted. We just brought that show back uh yesterday and we’ll have uh two episodes a week of that. So uh so whether it’s written, whether it’s video, whether it’s podcast, um we’ve got you covered on onpackers.com. So, be sure to come and check us out. And uh and I’m at Mike Spaford on Twitter. I don’t tweet as much as you do at uh at practice Andy, but I don’t I’m not sure I’m not sure if anybody does. So, uh um but uh but no, we have a lot of fun out there and uh we’ll be keeping an eye on things as best we can. The carpal tunnel will catch up with me eventually from uh the Twitter fingers going a little bit too wild. I’m excited to see you out there, Mike. I appreciate you taking the time this morning and I’ll see you at Goodies Presser in just over half an hour. Yeah, sounds good. See you soon, Andy. Thanks for having me.

Mike Spofford of Packers.com joins PAD to talk with Andy Herman about what to expect from 2nd-year OG Jordan Morgan & why it may not be such a big deal if he doesn’t start this season for the Packers. Mike also talks what he’s most excited to see from the Packer sin Training Camp.

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