Episode 27 - Draft Needs, Wants and Dreams

Blue 58, powered by WTMJ Mobile, goes beyond the headlines to help you become a smarter fan of the Green Bay Packers. Hosted by former WTMJ newscaster Jon Meerdink and his friend Gary Zilavy, Blue 58 brings you a unique, upbeat perspective on your favorite NFL team, as long as that team is the Packers.

This week on Blue 58, we look back on the career of A.J. Hawk, discuss a player who helped the Packers without even playing a single down, and talk about our needs, wants, and dreams for the Packers draft. Plus, we’re joined by Brian Carriveau of the Railbird Central Podcast.

Here's the headlines we covered on this week's episode:

A.J. Hawk Retires with the Packers

Hawk was Green Bay's fifth overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and played 142 of a possible 144 games over nine years with the team. He may have never been a superstar, but was good enough to start for most of a decade.

Jon: Given that he may not have lived up to his status as the fifth overall pick, what do we make of A.J. Hawk?

Gary: One footnote to Hawk’s career is how his arrival was a vote of confidence in Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was entering his second season, and the results from his rookie campaign were up-and-down. 

He didn't play well in the preseason, and there was speculation that the Packers were going to pick either Matt Leinart or Vince Young with the fifth pick and trade Rodgers. 

Bob McGinn even went as far as speculating the Packers could fetch a high second round pick in exchange for Rodgers. Scouts raved about Leinart and Young, who had just matched up in a Rose Bowl for the ages. Instead, Thompson stuck with his guy and picked Hawk.

Lerentee McCray Helped the Packers Without Playing

Signed a year ago this week, linebacker Lerentee McCray was traded to the Bills for a 2018 conditional pick in August. That conditional pick was what brought Chiefs running back Knile Davis to the Packers, and the pick was ultimately returned after Davis didn’t last.

Jon: How neat is that?

Gary: It's pretty neat. Too bad Davis didn't end up sticking in Green Bay, or this would have been one of Thompson’s best moves.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is off to an incredible start

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has started his career by playing all 48 of the Packers games in his first three season, starting 42, and making a Pro Bowl. Only Hall of Fame defensive backs Willie Wood and Herb Adderley match those numbers.

Jon: Three years after the Packers drafted Clinton-Dix in the first round, how do you feel about what he’s done so far?

Gary: A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. He’s been quite an asset in the secondary, and together with Morgan Burnett have formed quite a pair. It’s too bad that too many lump our safeties in with the problems at cornerback, because the Packers have as fine of safeties as any other team in the league.

Interview with Brian Carriveau

We're excited to welcome Brian Carriveau (@BrianCarriveau) to Blue 58 this week. Carriveau's morning talk show, Railbird Central, is the longest tenured internet-exclusive podcast on the Packers.

A CheeseheadTV.com production, the show can be seen and heard live on both websites and on Roku via the Livestream platform on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:30 a.m. CT. It can also be downloaded on any number of podcast apps, including iTunes and Stitcher.

Outside of the sports realm, Carriveau is an aficionado of the jamband music scene and a craft beer enthusiast.

Draft Needs, Wants and Dreams

Jon and Gary answer these three questions about the upcoming NFL Draft:

1. What do the Packers need in the draft?
2. What do you want the Packers to do in the draft?
3. What would be your dream scenario for the Packers in the draft?

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