00:00The Packers GM has alluded to the fact that they are preparing for a Josh Jacobs suspension,
00:07which is important for the Packers.
00:10Early season, at least, we know that Jacobs was arrested earlier in the offseason.
00:16Obviously, the charges are still pending with Josh Jacobs,
00:19and it really does impact the beginning portion of the season for the Packers,
00:23whether it's two games, three, four, that is all yet to be seen.
00:26But the Packers may turn to more of a pass-first offense in the early portion of the season
00:32if Josh Jacobs is, in fact, suspended.
00:34We know behind the Packers, they have behind Josh Jacobs on the Packers depth chart,
00:38that would be Marshawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks for a little bit of running support.
00:44Joe, does this change things dramatically for your outlook on the Packers overall,
00:50or is this just a bump in the road early season
00:53and they can kind of tread water until they're back at full health?
00:57I mean, call me crazy here, but did we think he wasn't going to face some sort of suspension here,
01:04Tom?
01:04I mean, whether, and again, we know the history here,
01:07whether he's proved guilty of anything in a court of law has absolutely nothing to do
01:11with the NFL's ability to be able to suspend.
01:15There was just too much behind it.
01:18You knew something was going to happen, and if I'm the Packers, I had to be expected.
01:24Now, is it going to be six games?
01:26Is it going to be half a season?
01:27To be determined here, but I would think if you went in betting the Packers early,
01:33thinking that they were going to have him, I don't know.
01:37You know, have you been paying attention to how the NFL operates over the last couple of decades?
01:42Because I didn't think we'd see him until October.
01:45The fact that we still don't have any idea about what's going on just tells me, Tom,
01:51they're probably deciding and negotiating behind the scenes right now what that suspension is going to be.
01:57But I would not expect him until October.
02:00I would not expect to see him in September.
02:03Right.
02:04I would say three or four games is really where I think is a – and again, to your point,
02:10this has nothing to do with the legal proceedings.
02:11This is about the NFL player conduct policy.
02:14So they could suspend him for those three or four games.
02:17And, you know, ultimately when you're looking at the Packers' depth chart
02:21and really what they're going to be dealing with, I think this is going to be a pass-first offense,
02:25at least early in the season with Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Jane Reed,
02:28and, of course, Tucker Craft on his way back from an ACL injury.
02:32So those four guys I think should be really steady in the passing game early season.
02:36The early season schedule for the Packers is going to be interesting.
02:41They get things going in week one.
02:45They'll be at home – no, excuse me.
02:48They'll be on the road in a divisional game against Minnesota.
02:51So important game right from the jump.
02:54Outside of the first few games, this I don't think changes too much for the Packers.
02:58Packers' overall season projection.
03:00If you are interested in the Packers' long term, I mean, Jacobs will be that much healthier
03:05come the end of the season.
03:06He's not going to get beat up over the first, you know, three or four games.
03:10No, and again, that schedule is very, very winnable.
03:14I mean, that is kind of ridiculous when you look at it.
03:17Some of those games that – I mean, Minnesota's a divisional game.
03:22We get it.
03:22But I'm not buying into Kyler Murray in any way, shape, or form.
03:27I think they're going to have some issues.
03:28But there are some winnable games.
03:30But we know that Green Bay, especially under LaFleur, they're just going to tread water
03:37in September, right, in October, Tom.
03:40It's when the weather starts to turn.
03:42It's when those games in November and December start to – that's when it starts to matter
03:47for Green Bay.
03:48And that is when they become usually a different team.
03:52So, the schedule lines up whether they have him or they don't.
03:56To me, the defense on the other side is when are you getting back Parsons, is my question.
04:02When is he going to be 100%, Tom?
04:04Because I think that affects them.
04:07Listen, you have Jordan Love.
04:08Jordan Love is supposed to be a top five, top six quarterback in the NFL.
04:13You've upgraded the receiver.
04:15So, whether Josh Jacobs is there or not should not alter it too much.
04:20It's the defense I'm going to be very interested in.
04:24I think it's a great way to put it.
04:26And, you know, when it comes to the division overall, you know, we're looking at three
04:31competent teams between the Packers, the Bears, and the Lions.
04:34And the expectations for the teams are all pretty high.
04:38You know, the Lions want to return to where they were a couple years ago.
04:41The Bears want to continue to grow from where they were last year.
04:45It's a bit of a toss-up division overall.
04:47The Vikings, I think, are clear as that bottom team in the division just with Kyler.
04:53And even if it wasn't Kyler, I don't think anyone's too excited about J.J. McCarthy.
04:57I think this is a division that could easily have at least two teams going into the playoffs.
05:01And the defense, to your point, Joe, is going to be the focal point for me.
05:06And it's really going to determine how far they go and if they actually can be a true
05:11contender in the NFC.
05:12Because they've been there, as you said, over the past few years under the floor.
05:15They've kind of just been a middling team or treading water.
05:18But are they going to push into being that top-tier team coming out of the NFC or at least
05:22challenging for that?
05:23That's still yet to be seen, in my opinion.
05:26Yeah.
05:26I mean, listen, they're going to need to run the ball, but they're going to need to run
05:30the ball when the weather turns.
05:32And that, to me, is the big thing.
05:33Other than that, listen, Jordan Love, to his credit, I think LaFleur's worst offensive season
05:40as a head coach was the last one with Aaron Rodgers, where they were, and I think even
05:45then, they finished 11th or 12th in the NFL in total offense.
05:50He averaged, they've averaged with Jordan Love under center, top five, top six every
05:55year that he has been under center.
05:57They'll do that again, even with Josh Jacobs not available early on.
06:02They have upgraded the wide receiving room there.
06:05I think they'll be just fine.
06:07You need a running game.
06:09You and I both notice when Lambeau and it's two below and it's December on a Sunday night
06:15time, you better be able to run the ball in Green Bay if we're going to take you serious.
06:20Because that is an edge that they have always had here.
