Ahman Green, Former Packers Running Back

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Call 562-314-4603 for details. All right, a lot of movement on the running back market. We got Saquon Barkley going to Philadelphia. We have Josh Jacobs landing with the Green Bay Packers. And then Aaron Jones getting released and winding up in Minnesota. Derek Henry is going to the Baltimore Ravens to team up with Lamar Jackson.

Let's go out to the guest line right now. Welcome in an excellent former running back. And that, of course, is Iman Green, kind enough to join us right now once again on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. Iman, always great to talk to you.

Thanks so much for doing this. How you been? I'm being good Zach.

Same here. Always good to talk to you. Talk some football. And now we're talking my neck of the woods, some running backs and how they've been treated and what they got paid this year. Yeah, well, here's the fascinating part of it.

We were talking about a little bit before you popped on the last segment. I'm surprised how many running backs have already agreed to deals. Is this the running back starting to understand the market more and what they're actually going to get? Or is it just a little bit of fatigue from these guys that they've now seen this song and dance the last two years where they're not getting the contracts that they're used to getting?

I believe it's a big sure both. I think right now they know they got a strike right of irons hot. So if they get a good offer and it makes sense and they could talk to their agents or they could just look around the league.

It's just a just a mathematical problem addition here who has less who has more of the artist than me and what they're getting paid going on that scale once you see that is not rocket science to figure it out and then you get all this drama right behind you. And right away then you get into the rest of your offseason going back to your wherever you train in offseason getting and get I say 100% into that then get ready to get with your team and learn the playbook and learn your players the new coaches and everything. Yeah. I also think sometimes players don't like getting slapped with the franchise tag, but now we've seen Tony Pollard get it last year.

You saw Saquon get it last year Josh Jacobs as well. You go get that 10 million dollars guaranteed and then it's just the next season. Okay, take what I could go get on the open market, right? Yeah, I mean you got to look at it as this look you're going to be on one one year contract and then you're back into negotiating a deal and that is a good place because then it's new money. And then it could be with the team that you already had and that would be great. But if not, this is the part of the offseason where I tell fans all the time. Hey, this is the business part of professional sports players coaches understand it the agents also this is their world. This is the time where they get up and do their conversation and kind of shine for the players.

So they have better agents. They understand what they're going to get out of the deal talking to him on green. So how did you react to it in the last 24 to 48 hours? Josh Jacobs winds up with the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Jones release. And now we know he's found a new home in division with the Minnesota Vikings. Oh, man. I was like, wow. So they trade one good running back for another this a slightly better running back, but only other than size like durability.

I think that's it. That's the weakest point I've seen for my good friend Aaron Jones. The health factor was a thing for him over the last several years. But for a business standpoint, that is going to reek in the mind that's going to be a reminder, you know, to any GM or head coach, you know, the hit your durability. And so he was a bit little beat up this season. He came back finished greatly in the last three games for the Packers, including the playoffs.

But still, it lingered in guys head. So is the durability factor. So bring it in Josh Staker, who is a little bit more built like a tank. He's 510.

He's 223. He can run catch. He could do everything that Aaron Jones could do.

He just has the durability factor. So having Jordan love in his second year, a guy, as we know, has been 100 percent proven what he can do as a starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. So now having him into a set of young wide receivers that they already have that proved their point as well to get that team to the playoffs. So this offense for the NFC North is going to be a problem for every other team that they face in 2024. You know, it's kind of crazy where we were before this season, the last two years of the Aaron Rodgers drama, then they finally trade Aaron Rodgers.

Love gets his opportunity down the stretch. We saw Green Bay get better. They had the big playoff performance up against the Dallas Cowboys and they couldn't get the job done at the end in a game that they probably should have won. Looking back at it up against the Niners, like a full year later, you know, a lot of people are very confident with this Packers team moving forward. Yeah, I mean, I said from day one, support this guy.

I do a couple of podcasts myself. And what I said in that, just like you and Aaron came in and I say, go back 30, 40, almost 40 years now when Brett came in, give him the support as any other quarterback. Don't doubt him. Give him that little margin of error because you're going to have that sitting on the shelf for four years, watching Aaron Rodgers, learning from him how he plays. And we saw we already knew in the first couple of throws and first couple of games that he took some of Aaron's kind of, I say, game stuff where he has that back back foot throw where it kind of just seeks over right over the defenders.

Hand for either touchdown or completion for a first down. So he paid attention, took some good stat, good. I say good things off of Aaron and was able to mold it into his game. And then the confidence just grew game by game.

And I saw it. Like I said, that last stretch, not only Aaron Jones, but Jordan Love just picked it up a notch, you know, having over 4000 yards, having over 20 touchdowns in his first year as a starter. You know, I was thinking that was going to be year two. I figured year one was going to be little bumps and bruises, but no year one ended on the on a high end.

So for year two, you know, hopefully we'll see how it goes. You know, maybe no sophomore slump, but somewhere you become a super sophomore along with now. Like you said, Joe, Joe, Josh Jacobs on the roster among green here with us. We were always sold about the potential with Jordan Love. What do you that end ceiling is for Jordan Love as a quarterback in this league? It's so early enough.

I think that ceiling is still at a high mark. We're going to see. We just saw a scratch of what he can do.

You know, plan a full season and then getting it because it wasn't till probably I would say middle of November where it's like, OK, I got this. He had a couple mistakes early in the year where I remember he had a fourth down situation. He's under center and he, you know, he flinches.

He he gets the all size flag. So little stuff like that. He matured game by game. So now he's at a point where all that is now learning experience. He could go back and watch film, correct those mistakes with Matt Leflore and the rest of his offense and the rest of the players around him and come into the season full bearing. I say the only thing we just got away for, as we know, because it's football, is injuries for everybody across the board. Hopefully everybody stays healthy. And then we got to I say we're going to have a Packer offense that's going to push Detroit Lions like they did this past year.

And it's going to be interesting. NFC North. Yeah. Do you think that gap between those two teams is pretty damn close? Is that what you're saying? It's getting close.

Yes. I mean, right now, it's the leader in that division is the Detroit Lions. They have a defense. They have an offense, even though they made some changes to offensively.

But it's going to be a nice little game when that game game comes around in the fall. I'm on green here with us. Let me get some of your reaction to some of the other running back moves. Saquon Barkley landed in Philadelphia with Jalen Hurts.

Man, I don't even know how you're going to defend that when you get inside the red zone and you're 20 yards away from from a touchdown. Well, I so for us, defensive coordinator is going to sleep unwell and some of the linebackers around there as well. But for Surayani and that offense, you know, having losing pieces like Kelsey gone, you know, Hall of Fame center. And then this is going to bring in somebody like him and whoever replaces Kelsey to take over the leadership in the offensive line.

They should be feeling pretty good because they are. We already got the kid hurts that we know can run and throw. And then now we got this other kid to come in and run the ball, catch the ball, help us with pass protection and a threat down the field.

Either way, you know, running a ball or catching. So then another leader on that roster. So it will fill in holes and gaps and and just see how it fits in with what they already have at wide receiver with AJ Brown and some of the other receivers. So it's just going to be interesting in that NFC East where, as we know, it's kind of it was a little bit on the down on stroke in terms of overall competition with the commanders down and Cowboys.

Just get into the playoffs again, but then falling short again, not playing up to up to their par as usual. You talk about the fit with Saquon and Jalen Hurts. How about the fit in the AFC with Derek Henry landing with one Lamar Jackson?

All I say is problem. That's a problem for a lot of defenders where, you know, you got to deal with Lamar's legs and his arms. But now you got a guy that when he gets the ball, he's going to make defensive backs, mostly a few linebackers think about how they come in to tackle him. And then that's another layer of what the Baltimore Ravens offense already has.

They already are a Smash Mountain football team. They like to run the ball, mix it in with the RPO and then every now and then try to beat you over top when the back end is beat up because they have to deal with the run game. So it fits perfect into what Harbaugh calls and what Lamar Jackson likes to do with his play calling to execute the play.

So this is going to get guys. I say this is going to put everybody else on notice in the in the AFC North right there from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati to know. We got another hammer coming down and this is going to be interesting how we're going to try to figure out how to stop this crew. And it's two totally different approaches for defenders. I wonder if they kind of bottle up Henry a little bit and then they just unleash him in the fourth quarter because it takes such a toll on defenders to try to defend Lamar Jackson. Then you get a bruising back like Henry in the fourth quarter and everybody's gas man.

That's a recipe for disasters for defenses. Yeah, he's a four quarter horse, man. I mean, that was something I was able to do him during my time on the football field and I paid attention to the body mechanics or I say the body language of defenders come fourth quarter when I saw guys kind of holding their hips and taking heavy deep breaths. I'm like, I got him.

Let's go. And so that's I've seen Derek Henry play games like that. Not not necessarily the way I thought of it, but he's and he's probably got me by 50 pounds. So now, you know, he's a guy along with the run game that Lamar can bring to the game and all the other weapons they have in terms of receivers and then how stout their defense are. They can definitely slow that clock down offensively and then make it make it hard for guys to try to score because it won't be much time on the clock once they get the ball back. We're going against that Baltimore Ravens defense.

Let me just end you with this. I know you started your career with the Seattle Seahawks, but most remember you for your time in Green Bay. We're trying to figure out where Justin Fields is going to land. I know he's with the Bears now, but they're going to draft Caleb Williams. You know, I see today that Drew Locke winds up with the Giants.

Gino Smith, he's fine. He's under contract, but I don't think anyone believes he's the franchise quarterback. Should Seattle maybe place a call to the Bears and give up a third round pick or whatever it costs to go land. Justin Fields in the trade. I mean, that that would be that is an interesting option right there for the Seahawks and I say for Justin. I mean, for me, I look I've been looking at this Justin field saga since he got in NFL. And for me, it's just an unfortunate situation because it has been fondled by the coaches and then now the GM because they're going to push off a guy that I that has all the talent in the world, in my opinion, to be a quarterback in NFL.

You just got to make sure you talk to him. And when you set up the game plan, starting an offseason now, coaches start to do a devising their game plan for the regular season and ask Justin those questions like what run plays do you like to run? What pass plays do you like to throw? And here's are the adjustments on certain passes. You got to learn how to throw this deep pass like this with, you know, in search of where you got to ask them that. And then he'll give you the feedback and you got to go from and that is a coach making the better plays for your player. You know, you proud to put your players in the best situation and I didn't see that over the next few years of last past few years for for Justin and Ivar Foos and the coaching staff.

They figured it out, you know, when they didn't have to when it didn't make sense. So now, unfortunately, he's in the market. And so any team, especially Seattle, that has the defense that has players around him still in terms of run game and pass, you know, in terms of receivers. He's going to flourish. I think he's ready for to kind of go out there and let this let his wings spread so he could get out there and show what he did at Ohio State. He was a passing quarterback, very accurate. And then now he's got to have some semblance of basically tranquility. And because it's always been turbulent around him from the past was coming out him and then not knowing communication amongst coaches, as we saw earlier last year.

So hopefully he gets somewhere where it's just a cool common collective. Here's the playbook. This is what you need to know. And here's your outlets. Here's your throws. And this is your audibles and make it real easy for him because he's a guy that I think he did.

I say if anything, he deserves that type of situation to be the athlete so he could show his talent that is out there. He is a man green, a man always appreciate the time. Thanks so much for doing this. You be well.

Hey, no problem, Zach. Thanks for having me. We've seen a lot of change in the past 20 years, but two decades later, Mountain Dew Baja Blast is still a fan favorite, bringing you the cold tropical lime flavor that folks can't get enough of. It takes you back to a sunny day at the beach with every delicious sip.

And don't you want that feeling all the time? Well, 2024 is the year. In celebration of their 20th Bajaversary, you can sip Baja Blast all year long. So pick up a Baja Blast wherever you are.

In stores now. There are great deals on all of our award winning Hyundai models like the tech filled Tucson and Kona, as well as the spacious Palisade. Enjoy wherever you go with the peace of mind that comes with America's best warranty and three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance.

But hurry in. These deals won't last. Add more joy to your journey at the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Now get 0% APR or up to 1500 bonus cash on the Hyundai Tucson. Now during the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Offers end soon.

Call 562-314-4603 for details. What's the first thing you do if you'd had more time in the day? Take a nap? Read a book?

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