Breaking News - Packers Trade for Zaire Franklin!!!

0:00What is up Green Bay Packers fans welcome back to another edition of the pack of the Sarge's Mutant Myself of the Packet Day podcast. We had some breaking news today mid-day, Saturday. I don't know if this is going to be on Saturday or Sunday when you guys are seeing this but kind of a little appetizer if you will for the you know upcoming free agency friends who that's going to be going on on Monday. I don't know how involved the Packers are going to be on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday. That remains to be seen but you do get some news. You do get some new players coming to Green Bay. Obviously if you don't know by now the Packers traded Colby Wooden for

1:02Indianapolis's linebackers that are Franklin. So I thought who else better to bring on the podcast to talk to us about an Indianapolis Colt then then Zach Hicks who we got here for the host of locked on locked on Colts and writes for SI and Indianapolis are already the horseshoe huddle the horseshoe huddle. And so Zach is very familiar with with Zaire and what he's going to bring to the table. I know a lot of the questions that people have been asking and kind of bringing up immediately is we all scamper to our PFF grades right and we and we judge way too much based off of that. Zaire Franklin was their least lowest graded linebacker in the National Football League last year. So Zach I want to start with that and talk to us a little bit about that grade why you think that might be the case with him and if that's basically what we should be expecting in Green Bay

2:04the worst linebacker in the NFL. Yeah you know pro football focus I think to do a great job of quantifying a lot of things and I'll never be one of those people who says like all PFF grades are you can't believe them you know and stuff like that I do think that they have their strengths and their weaknesses and overall I think they paint a decent picture like I'm not going to sit here and say Zaire Franklin was some star linebacker last year some hidden gem linebacker he he definitely had his struggles but worst linebacker and football might be pushing it a little bit I think at times they do over grade four things like Miss Tackles or for not creating turnovers a little bit because whenever you create a turnover all of a sudden you had some elite football game according to their metrics and because he didn't have the turnover luck last year we saw his grade really plummet but they've generally not been a fan of his game his entire time with the Colts I can't remember the last time you had positive PFF grades I think even his all pro season he was like a bottom half of the league linebacker according to a lot of their

3:05metrics and that was with him forcing like eight turnovers that season so they've generally not been very high on him and I think a lot of it has to do with the Miss Tackle Rate has come up the last two years and overall his his coverage is very hit or miss especially in zone coverage I just don't think he has the greatest feel there in zone and especially like feeling routes behind him and in front of him and then when you get like a Miss Tackle on top of that PFF really dings you for it so yeah again they I think they paint a good picture of where he generally has been but I don't think it's it's like as egregious as where they've had him like last year like what you said he was like the worst or second worst graded linebacker something like that yeah in football I don't think it's that bad but certainly was his worst season with the Colts and part of why they are making this move to move off his money this all season right and I'm completely there with you with PFF like it's it's kind of like it's it's a road map you know it's not the exact coordinates but and that's in kind of the case with Quay Walker as well always in

4:05Green Bay like they painted a picture of him that probably wasn't completely accurate you know I think Zaire and Quay might have been the worst graded linebackers in their system last year I could be wrong on that but they were they both were down there and Quay Walker is not the worst linebacker in the NFL he's about to make pretty good money from someone and same same with Zaire I think with him just looking at him a little bit and kind of comparing him to Quay Walker you talk about the turnovers and the turnovers are such a hard thing we we're talking about this in the chat like last week there it's just a hard thing to quantify and we're talking about it in regards to like Jacob Rodriguez Jacob Rodriguez the guy that just always is doing it and Zaire's kind of had some of that to his game I know that it wasn't really there last year you kind of spoke on that and then it's kind of the boomer bus type situation where it's you know it's kind of the trade the trade on digs type thing too like yeah he was an all pro and he had nine picks

5:07but he gave up a lot of yards but those picks are valuable the turnovers win games so I almost think you know it or wonder and if I could talk to the coaching staff and Goody it would be like are you kind of trying to add guys that are going to take the ball the way more or potentially take the ball the way more and I think the answer to that would be yes because quite frankly that they should be and everyone always should be but kind of talk to us about that because I mean he was an all pro in the last three years he was been a pro bowl or 2024 I mean he's played some high level football in recent memory he's going to be 30 this year we do know that some of the times these guys fall off a cliff but just from you watching these guys and I know you watch every snap what in your opinion like why why what's the why here why did he go from all pro level linebacker to a guy that now Indianapolis is looking to move off his contract and you know he's making real money he's not making a ton of money but it's it's real money and you know if

6:09you're playing good football certainly a contract that you want you know it's not anything that you're going to scoff at but why why would Indianapolis be willing then to move off of him now yeah there's a couple of reasons with it one I think just a lot of things have gone stale with Indianapolis Colts I mean since Franklin's I think been a team captain almost since 2020 I think at this point since when he took over a big role with special teams and then when he became a starter on defense he kind of resumed that cap and see but on that side of the football and in that span for the Colts they've made the playoffs one time they've had three historic late season collapses in that time including last year also right in yeah right in all right go back to 2021 as well so I think the Colts were one just trying to shake up some of the leadership voice in in this locker room for a team that has been so stale for so long and I think Franklin was part of that I think some of the off-field podcasting played into it as well the Colts just

7:10generally weren't a huge fan of that most teams aren't as you were telling me about Michael Parsons when he came to town last year like a lot of teams aren't fans of their players doing the podcast thing but if you are going to do it do it be like some superstar player you can't have your worst season and being on a podcast as well and I think that does rub some people the wrong way Chris Ballad actually talked about it at the combine last week about how they had some tough conversations with Zaire about that and had some back and forth with that and then when it comes to his play on the field you know I think there's a lot of factors one that the change in defense of system was so massive right so in Franklin's entirety of his career in the NFL he played in a Tampa two or a Seattle cover three style defense right with Maddie Rufluse and Gus Bradley which is very spot drop you know we're just going to get to our spot get our zone eyes come down hill and make a tackle short of the sticks get off the field right Louis on a rumour comes in here and he's the mad scientist right we're going to have thousands of different calls and checks for

8:11different formations we're going to run a lot more man coverage we're going to do these diverse blitz packages and it can be a lot for a guy who just hasn't been in that system before it like if Gus Bradley and Matt E. Rufluse are simplicity is key Louis and rumour is complexity is the key to my style of defense and that can be a lot for a green dot linebacker to all the sudden you're not only making sure you're in the right spot you're making sure everybody's in the right spot at all times and that can be a lot on your plate you're thinking too much instead of just reacting to what's going on on the field and as a result your turnovers drop because you're not playing fast and playing loose out there and I think we saw that to a degree with him last year so yeah the turnovers dropping off were really the big thing for me because he's always been a fairly volatile player right there's going to be missed tackles there's going to be him taking chances there's going to be ups and downs and past coverage but if you're getting me like five six seven whatever it is turnovers a season I can live with that right like that's what we kind of had

9:11that with Derrius Leonard here to a lesser degree like Leonard was a very inconsistent linebacker but he was forcing like eight turnovers a season and that was consistent with him so with that it was like cool you can be as volatile as you want keep giving me all these turnovers with Franklin in 2024 that's kind of how I thought with him where it's like you're giving me eight turnovers force in that season including I think Packers fans remember this I think that the Malik Willis game I think in like week two right where you guys are running like the wing T against us and running us into the ground he punches out a ball from from Josh Jacobs on the one yard line and you know help the Colts get a possession back in that game so if he's doing stuff like that he is a pro bowl level linebacker because turnovers are so valuable but he has to be playing fast he has to be playing loose he has to be in a in a space where he can be playing like that and I think it'll be okay and I just don't know if the fit in the complexity of Louis and Ramos defense was great for him so if you can get him in a defense and and I haven't studied Jonathan again style of defense too often so you could probably clarify this for me if you can be a little bit more static and more simplistic

10:17like more simplicity on that side of the ball I think he can thrive as this like read and react run and chase type linebacker it's just if you have him doing too much I think it can lead to just him pressing too much and leading to more mistackles more coverage gaps in less turnover forcing so in short just have him more in that attack mode and I think he can be a good mind backer for you we'll be right back yeah and like two things that you said that really suck out he's the gang in stuff you know I don't think it's gonna matter who the DC is I think we've kind of found out now with Matt the floor it's kind of him saying hey this is what I want you to run and a lot of that is you talked about like hey the zone drop get your spot rally and tackle like that is that's what they did under halfly that's what they did under Joe Berry obviously they were a lot more successful under halfly but like that's what they want them to do and so if you can get Zaire in that type

11:21of system again I think that is where he at least has his a chance to be most successful I think I think they really were looking for someone to pair with Edger and Cooper with all of his athleticism being able to send him being able to drop him and doing things differently with him I think they were looking for a true mic linebacker and I'm not sure if that was quick I'm not sure quite ever really was that guy that they wanted him to be in the middle of the field so I think they look at Zaire and think like hey here's a guy that you know for relatively cheap we can we can get on I think it's the last year of his deal I mean so we'll see I don't think this for the Packers I don't think this changes anything as far as like draft they still very well could take a linebacker with their first pick in the second round that wouldn't shock me at all but then the other thing that you mentioned that I think a lot of Packers fans are curious about and it has been a topic of discussion for this team is that veteran presence

12:22on the not just defensive side of the ball but anywhere they they have always been a very young football team they have you know they got called the S-word last year which is like the worst thing you want to be called in the NFL and that's soft for those of you that don't know what I'm talking about so you bring in a guy like him who did wear the the C on his chest in Indianapolis and it's it's kind of like coaching like that's what that reminded me of when you were talking about it you know you can have a coach that's really good for a long time but your message just get stale and then maybe you go somewhere else and that message is heard again and I'm sure that's what they're hoping for with Zaire but speak to that a little bit just is he a veteran guy I know he was well-liked in that locker room is what everyone's kind of talking about with you know they're losing a favorites in that locker room with the players and stuff so kind of speak to that and what he's going to offer not only on the field but from you know Monday to Saturday.

13:27Yeah one thing I will preface this is by saying that we have had our fair share of soft talks here in Indy even with guys like Zaire Franklin and DeForest Buckner as well like it seems like every single season we're due for one or two games no matter how good our defense is or opposing offense is absolutely unstoppable against us and they're just eating the crap out of us whether it's Drew Locke with a perfect pass rating in 2024 whether it's Brock Purdy looking like the greatest quarterback ever on that prime time game this past season there's always a game like that so I can't speak to like Franklin coming in here and all of a sudden your guys aren't soft anymore like I hope that's what happens but what I can speak to about with Zaire Franklin is I mean he has been at the forefront of this locker room since day one whether it was as a seventh round pick guy that was grinding his way up whether it was a special teamer and then as a starter and a leader on defense I mean he has been a well respected well loved player in that room for as long as I can remember I've been covering this team since 2018 so we both came into this market

14:30at the same time and he's always been highly thought of across that locker room a guy that players turned to I remember back in 2019 2020 2021 the Colts were doing a lot of social justice stuff like social work stuff from kicking the stigma or kicking kicking the stigma and other works that they do with the Colts and they had him doing a lot of the speeches with that like being at the forefront of a lot of that the face of that and this is when he was like a special teamer and a lot of these times too but that's just because they trusted him as a speaker trust him as a leader and the guys really revolved around him he does have this like arrogant edge to him I'm not going to sit here and say that he's just this calm and humble and and workman type guy he's got this edge to him as well as the seventh rounder who's worked for everything but guys really really mesh with that and they've always he's always had a great relationship with all the guys in the locker room and been one of those forefront leaders so I can I can speak to that for sure that he will be a guy

15:31from day one a vocal leader in that locker room a guy who hyped up players and team in teammates before games player that guys can go to and then even for my personal relationship with Frank and talking to him on and off shows and on the field and training camp very respectful guy very nice dude that I can definitely speak highly to so I think that the Packers are getting a really good guy here who I think it meshes really well with NFL players and NFL locker rooms and also it's kind of the number one hype man before games as well so if that's what you were looking for and I think that's honestly the biggest win of this trade for the Packers it's just getting like a grown man leader I guess in that locker room right a guy who's more than seen and yeah it might have gone stale here in Indy just because the success hasn't been there but I don't think that speaks to him as a captain like I don't think that's just on his plate right the everything come is his fault for it I think it was just part of a bigger problem here and maybe going to another room in with new younger players who have tasted a little bit more success than what we have in Indy I think

16:34can be a really good change for all those guys and I think he can be someone that a lot of these young guys especially Cooper as well and other linebacker can really turn to and build a relationship with yeah and that's you know whatever you want to say about Quay Walker that's one thing that he wasn't was you want to talk about playing with an edge it just was you know kind of the guy that you drop drop you know like this is what you want your inside linebacker to look like you know six five wingspan can move can run but the production wasn't always there on the field is that you're just kind of the opposite of that because that's not really what you would draw your you know your inside linebacker to look like but the other thing that really jumps out when you're saying that to me is Michael Parsons after the season was kind of speaking to this and was you know all but challenging some of the guys on the defense saying things like beat me to the ball like I want guys on the field with me that are trying to beat me to the ball and that's kind of a lot of people thought that was

17:34very much pointed at Rashon Gary who when you're listening to this maybe we'll get resolved with whatever the hell that weirdness was on the day he was hot but he was hacked yet so we'll see what happens with that but I mean but it is it's just kind of pairing that with you know the Rashon Gary stuff all season with bringing in a guy like this who you know say what you want to produce people like he he's going to give you everything he has every single snap that's kind of what I think they're trying to get more of in this locker room so I think that's interesting I would I do want to ask you too because there are a lot of Packers fans that are like what the hell why we can't why did they trade Colby wouldn't you know this young 25 year old played well you know he's not I mean you're sure you've already watched probably enough of him to get a feel for who he is as a player you know he's never going to be Prime BJ Rajee or Chris Jones but he's a nice player nice young

18:36player in this league came into this league as like an edge defender has really reshaped his body they needed somebody desperately to step up when Kenny Clark was traded last year and he filled in really well you look at him at the beginning of the year and towards the end of the year that he just kind of wore down and for Indianapolis you know he's not going to go there and be their starter he's going to be a rotational piece for them Indianapolis fans got to be feeling pretty good about that you would think I think you kind of know that with NFL fans and you know I've been in this industry for long enough if I don't know the name of this player when you're making a trade then then therefore we lost the trade although Colts fans I think we're kind of ready to move off sire Franklin just because you know how fandom gets with like guys players you podcasts and stuff when you're not winning so he has been public enemy number one in Indianapolis last couple years so a lot of Colts fans are like cool we won the trade by moving off sire Franklin but who is this guy and even to a degree I was I mean I knew him as a draft prospect but I was like why

19:39why is he 270 pounds playing one tick here on where you guys but I realized he bulked up last year put on a lot of weight to get in there and I thought the film looked pretty good like like you said he wore down a good bit especially later in games as well you could see him wearing down but I at some again from my time cover in the Colts I remember when Chris Ballard signed Nico Autry as a pretty young player years ago and I keep thinking when I was watching this film like if we can get this guy in like the 280's with his heavy hands and his quick hands like I know he only has like half a sack in his career but I think there is something there as a pass rusher that wasn't truly unlocked there with Green Bay because you guys were planning to play him at nose tackle and and one tech and I thought he played well there but I think there is more to his game so I think you know for the Colts they're pretty pumped to get younger and faster on the D line get that kind of player but if you're the Packers you're probably thinking you know what we have enough young guys on this team maybe not enough young defensive tackles at this point you guys got to figure out defensive tackle but but they needed more like leadership and at the end of the

20:45day that's what you're getting with Franklin I also wanted to add to your point to about like guys beating Parsons to the ball we know with linebackers that tackle is a very tackles are like a very noisy step right it doesn't it's not really indicative of how good you are if how many I mean Blake Martinez showed that right in Green Bay not how many tackles you get doesn't really correlate but I think it shows like especially with a guy like Franklin like the energy and just the passion to get to the ball at all times like I'm not going to say this guy is the greatest linebacker football because he got 15 tackles in the game but I am going to I'm going to say that he was constantly around the football and he was flying to the football and he was finishing plays so I think that is valuable when it comes to tackle numbers and he's always been up there regardless of season or scheme or or stature whatever it is so he's going to be there as much as possible it it's going to look a little rough here and there but he is going to give his all out there and guys are going to gravitate towards him yeah I think like I said I think that's what they're looking for you look at the first half of the season for this packers team when I don't want to call

21:47the honeymoon phase of like a Parsons but that's kind of what it was you know when guys were hyped to be out there on the field playing with him and they were flying to the ball that I've never seen a defense in Green Bay play like that where got just the juice was off the charts and I think bringing guys in like that you know it's not going to be a fix all that's that's a all 11 guys on the field need to be doing it but I think it is helpful when you have more guys out there doing it every play and maybe we'll say something if you're not so it's it'll be interesting for sure you know appreciate you Zach coming on I think we kind of hit all the major points here on this blockbuster trade which obviously not but it's still interesting and like I said before I don't know how involved Green Bay is going to be the next week so this might be all we get outside of some releases and things like that so it's hope it what's your appetite guys but time will tell we appreciate Colby Wooden too I mean then I'm going to miss that guy so it'll be good but Zach appreciate you so much for coming on appreciate you guys for listening

22:50we'll be me and Westendorf we'll be here again on Tuesday but until then and as always go pack up