Packernet After Dark: Burning Cox, Hargrave, and the Packers' Defensive Rebuild Explained

Big Sal is up at six-thirty in the morning, coffee on the floor, and Ed Policy just said the quiet part out loud: without the salary cap, there might not BE a Green Bay Packers. Sal's not overreacting — he's doing the math, and the math is ugly. Policy admits the Packers are top three in league demand but middle of the pack in revenue — and the gap between Green Bay's reserve fund and what a billionaire owner can deploy in one afternoon is getting dangerous The salary cap levels the playing field for players — but coaching staffs, analytics departments, practice facilities, and signing bonus cash? Not capped. That's where the big market teams are burying us Lambeau is the last stadium in the NFL without naming rights — and while Sal's drawing a hard line on that name, he understands the financial reality of what comes next This isn't some rich owner's accounting problem. This is OUR team. Community owned. Irreplaceable. And it needs every one of us paying attention right now Drop a comment, smash subscribe, and let Big Sal know — where do YOU stand on the financial future of this franchise? #Packers #GreenBay #PackNation #NFLFinance #LambeauField #BigSal #LetMeTellYouSomething #CommunityOwned #EdPolicy This episode is brought to you by PrizePicks! Use code PACKDADDY to get started with America's #1 fantasy sports app. https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/PACKDADDY To advertise on this podcast please email: [email protected] Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/packernetpodcast Help keep the show growing and check out everything I'm building across the Packers and NFL world: Support: Patreon: www.patreon.com/pack_daddy Venmo: @Packernetpodcast CashApp: $packpod Website: https://nfldraftgrades.com/ My Board: https://nfldraftgrades.com/board/83a18c42-7a0b-4590-8d1b-453e49840d02

Pac Nation called in HOT tonight, and Ryan held it down through a packed line as the Packers' offseason started making some real noise. Javon Hargrave is a Green Bay Packer on a 2-year, $23M deal — and if that kid's reaction video didn't get you fired up, check your pulse. The vision is coming together, and the phones lit up to prove it. Jared the Uber Driver, Drew from Green Bay, Ryan from Alabama, and the rest of Pac Nation break down the Hargrave signing — what he brings to the D-line, his fit under Gannon, and what it means for the draft Burning Cox re-signed and could carve out a real role with Rashaan Gary gone — the guys break down where he fits now Draft strategy talk heats up: nose tackle is still the one glaring need, and the board will fall how it falls — stop projecting a perfect round-by-round order The "youngest team" narrative gets buried once and for all — it was never a philosophy, and Hargrave is the proof Drop a rating, leave a review, and keep those calls coming to 608-501-0718. New callers go straight to the front of the line — don't make Pac Nation sacrifice a Wednesday night for nothing. #GoPackGo #Packers #PackernetAfterDark #NFLFreeAgency #JavonHargrave #GreenBayPackers #PacNation #NFLDraft2026 This episode is brought to you by PrizePicks! Use code PACKDADDY to get started with America's #1 fantasy sports app. https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/PACKDADDY To advertise on this podcast please email: [email protected] Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/packernetpodcast Help keep the show growing and check out everything I'm building across the Packers and NFL world: Support: Patreon: www.patreon.com/pack_daddy Venmo: @Packernetpodcast CashApp: $packpod Website: https://nfldraftgrades.com/ My Board: https://nfldraftgrades.com/board/83a18c42-7a0b-4590-8d1b-453e49840d02

Big Sal is fired up — and this time it's not about the front office, the cap sheet, or some rival fan base running their mouth. It's about the most unglamorous, most essential, most criminally overlooked position in all of football: the nose tackle. And if Green Bay doesn't fix it in Pittsburgh, Jonathan Gannon's whole system is dead on arrival. Sal breaks down why Gannon's pressure-generation scheme collapses without a run-stuffing anchor — if offenses can just hand it off all day, the pass rush never gets off the ground The Bobby Ferrante Principle: how one massive presence changes the entire offensive calculation before a single snap is called The 2026 nose tackle draft board — Kayden McDonald, Lee Hunter, Chris McClellan, DeMonte Capehart, and Domonique Orange — who falls to 52, who disappears, and who Green Bay must not overthink Sal's daughter drops the most accidental football wisdom of the offseason, and Darlene just shakes her head Subscribe, drop a comment, and tell Big Sal which nose tackle you want the Packers to take. He reads every single one. This episode is brought to you by PrizePicks! Use code PACKDADDY to get started with America's #1 fantasy sports app. https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/PACKDADDY To advertise on this podcast please email: [email protected] Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/packernetpodcast Help keep the show growing and check out everything I'm building across the Packers and NFL world: Support: Patreon: www.patreon.com/pack_daddy Venmo: @Packernetpodcast CashApp: $packpod Website: https://nfldraftgrades.com/ My Board: https://nfldraftgrades.com/board/83a18c42-7a0b-4590-8d1b-453e49840d02

The Chicago Bears are in serious trouble — and it goes way deeper than just being tight on cap space. Ryan breaks down exactly how bad the situation really is after Adam Schefter shut down Max Crosby to Chicago speculation, calling any hope of freeing up cap room "a fantasy." Turns out, the Bears have just $2 million in cap space and a roster full of overpriced, underperforming players locking them into a financial nightmare for years to come. Cap autopsy: Deon'tae O'Damba at $21M, Jalen Johnson at $25M, Grady Jarrett at $19M, Jonah Jackson at $19.5M — Ryan goes contract by contract exposing the bloat and why almost none of it can be restructured without making things worse The cash question: Is this purely a cap problem, or are the Bears also cash-strapped from stadium spending and land purchases? Ryan explores the growing speculation that the McCaskeys simply don't have the liquidity to make big moves The verdict on Ryan Polls: With $100M in cap space over multiple years, the Bears GM produced almost no elite players on manageable deals — a damning indictment compared to where Green Bay sits today Subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell Pac Nation you sent them — it makes a huge difference for the show! #GreenBayPackers #ChicagoBears #NFLCapSpace #NFLFreeAgency #MaxCrosby #NFLDraft #PackernetPodcast #PacNation This episode is brought to you by PrizePicks! Use code PACKDADDY to get started with America's #1 fantasy sports app. https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/PACKDADDY To advertise on this podcast please email: [email protected] Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/packernetpodcast Help keep the show growing and check out everything I'm building across the Packers and NFL world: Support: Patreon: www.patreon.com/pack_daddy Venmo: @Packernetpodcast CashApp: $packpod Website: https://nfldraftgrades.com/ My Board: https://nfldraftgrades.com/board/83a18c42-7a0b-4590-8d1b-453e49840d02

BREAKING: Rasheed Finds a New Home. Comp Details!

Big Sal from Peshtigo is at the kitchen table, and he has had ENOUGH. Brian Gutekunst traded away first-round picks of his own free will — nobody held a gun to his head — and now the man wants patience while Pack Nation sits here staring at a draft board that looks like the leftovers at a church potluck. Cold. Dry. Nothing anybody actually wanted. Sal breaks down exactly why Gute gets zero curve — when you voluntarily remove yourself from the top of the board, every remaining pick has to work twice as hard, hit faster, and contribute in year ONE The Gary Pletcher snow removal analogy that perfectly captures what happens when you sell your best equipment and then the storm hits Credit where it's due: Jordan Love, the offensive line rebuild, some solid contracts — but good GMs are good EVERY year, not every other year The urgency is real — Love's cheap contract window is open RIGHT NOW, and thin rosters and third-year projects are exactly what slam it shut No more outs. No more context. No more explanations. Go find us some players, Brian. RESULTS. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell a friend about Packernet. It matters more than you know. #Packers #GreenBayPackers #NFLDraft #Gutekunst #PackNation #LetMeTellYouSomething #BigSal #Peshtigo #NFLDraft2026 This episode is brought to you by PrizePicks! Use code PACKDADDY to get started with America's #1 fantasy sports app. https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/PACKDADDY To advertise on this podcast please email: [email protected] Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/packernetpodcast Help keep the show growing and check out everything I'm building across the Packers and NFL world: Support: Patreon: www.patreon.com/pack_daddy Venmo: @Packernetpodcast CashApp: $packpod Website: https://nfldraftgrades.com/ My Board: https://nfldraftgrades.com/board/83a18c42-7a0b-4590-8d1b-453e49840d02

The offseason drama is heating up in Green Bay — and Ryan is here to break it all down for Pac Nation. From a blockbuster trade request out of Arizona to some eyebrow-raising social media activity surrounding Rashaan Gary's exit, this episode covers the stories that actually matter heading into 2026. Josh Sweat trade buzz: The Cardinals edge rusher has requested a trade, and the Packers are reportedly interested. Ryan digs deep into the numbers — Sweat's three best pass rush grades all came under Jonathan Gannon, his win rate and pass rush productivity mirror Lucas Van Ness almost exactly, and his 12 sacks on just 355 attempts in 2025 are flat-out remarkable. The price tag is the question. Kyler Murray to Minnesota: The one-year deal with the Vikings is real, but Ryan isn't losing sleep over it. No GM, no cohesive core, no long-term identity — this isn't a team, it's a rental. The Vikings are in cleanup mode, not contention mode. Rashaan Gary's exit gets messier: A closer look at Terrence Parsons' social media tells a story — charts, retweets, and pointed commentary all pointing toward effort and attitude issues in Gary's final Green Bay season. Ryan calls it like he sees it. Around the NFC North: Emmanuel Wilson lands in Seattle, Jonathan Allen heads to Cincinnati, and Detroit loses Alka'Din Muhammad to Tampa while adding a safety. Subscribe, rate, and leave a review — it helps the show grow and keeps Pac Nation strong! This episode is brought to you by PrizePicks! Use code PACKDADDY to get started with America's #1 fantasy sports app. https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/PACKDADDY To advertise on this podcast please email: [email protected] Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/packernetpodcast Help keep the show growing and check out everything I'm building across the Packers and NFL world: Support: Patreon: www.patreon.com/pack_daddy Venmo: @Packernetpodcast CashApp: $packpod Website: https://nfldraftgrades.com/ My Board: https://nfldraftgrades.com/board/83a18c42-7a0b-4590-8d1b-453e49840d02

Pack Nation called in HOT on this one. Ryan takes the lines from Dakota in Tennessee and Kyle from Madison as the crew breaks down one of the messiest offseason storylines in recent memory — the Ravens' Max Crosby fiasco. Baltimore backed out of that trade, swooped in on Trey Hendrickson while he was still with Cincinnati, and now everybody in the league is giving them the side-eye. Ryan makes the case that cutthroat is fine — until it costs you your reputation. Ravens drama unpacked: The Crosby-Hendrickson situation was slimy business, full stop — and now Baltimore is on damage control that nobody believes Packers cap space confusion: Kyle from Madison drops the question everyone's asking — why does Green Bay have $30 million sitting around after a round of aggressive restructures, and what's the target? CB room gets an upgrade: Benjamin St-Juste arrives, Skyy Moore solves the kick return problem Keyshawn Nixon didn't want, and the cornerback room finally has some breathing room AI hot takes at midnight: ChatGPT is slipping, Grok's improving, Gemini surprised everyone, and Claude keeps quietly winning — Ryan gives his full breakdown Subscribe, leave a five-star review, and call in live at 608-501-0718. New callers go straight to the front of the line! #Packers #NFLFreeAgency #PackernetAfterDark #GreenBayPackers #PacNation #Ravens #MaxCrosby #NFLDraft #GoPackGo This episode is brought to you by PrizePicks! Use code PACKDADDY to get started with America's #1 fantasy sports app. https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/PACKDADDY To advertise on this podcast please email: [email protected] Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/packernetpodcast Help keep the show growing and check out everything I'm building across the Packers and NFL world: Support: Patreon: www.patreon.com/pack_daddy Venmo: @Packernetpodcast CashApp: $packpod Website: https://nfldraftgrades.com/ My Board: https://nfldraftgrades.com/board/83a18c42-7a0b-4590-8d1b-453e49840d02

BREAKING: Kyler Murray to the Vikings!

The Draft Room is back with a full first-round mock draft — and this one doesn't care what the consensus thinks. Ryan works through picks one through fourteen (plus teams without a first-round selection) with a clear philosophy: positional value at the trenches beats popular picks every time. Fernando Mendoza locks in at one for Las Vegas, Arveell Reese goes to the Jets at two, and David Bailey edges out Maui Noah for Arizona at three — but from there, expect fireworks as Ryan diverges hard from the mainstream boards. The Giants pass on Sonny Stiles in favor of Maui Noah to address a crumbling offensive line, Cleveland takes Jeremiah Love to lean into a run-first identity around a shaky QB room, and Miami grabs Vega Yuani to protect their new signal-caller up front. Carnell Tate lands in Kansas City to give Pat Mahomes a legitimate X receiver, Baltimore adds Kenyon Siddiq to pair with a declining Mark Andrews, and Monroe Freeling heads to the Rams to solidify the right tackle spot. Ryan makes the case throughout that too many teams are chasing skill positions when their trenches are on fire — and he backs it up pick by pick. Subscribe, rate, and leave a review to keep Pac Nation growing. Drop your first-round takes in the comments — let's hear where you disagree. This episode is brought to you by PrizePicks! Use code PACKDADDY to get started with America's #1 fantasy sports app. https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/PACKDADDY To advertise on this podcast please email: [email protected] Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/packernetpodcast Help keep the show growing and check out everything I'm building across the Packers and NFL world: Support: Patreon: www.patreon.com/pack_daddy Venmo: @Packernetpodcast CashApp: $packpod Website: https://nfldraftgrades.com/ My Board: https://nfldraftgrades.com/board/83a18c42-7a0b-4590-8d1b-453e49840d02