One of the oldest traditions in Green Bay Packers history is for players to borrow bikes from young Cheeseheads to go from Lambeau Field to the Ray Nitschke Field before training camp practices. Linebacker Zaire Franklin didn't want to be left behind and wasted no time taking part in the old-timey tradition.
Franklin landed in Titletown via trade in the offseason, so this was the first time he rode a bike to practice with Green Bay. Based on pictures and videos, he was hyped up about it.
But leaving aside his excitement to be part of the team's tradition, his comments about the state of the Packers show how quickly he's made himself at home.
Zaire Franklin is quickly becoming a veteran voice on the Packers defense
Franklin is making an impact off and on the field, telling reporters after Day 1 of training camp that the Packers have grown a lot the past two years, adding that they could have one of the scariest defenses in the league.
"I've been in a lot of situations in this league. X [Xavier McKinney] has been in a lot of situations in this league, Micah [Parsons], this team is growing," Franklin said, via Kyle Malzhan of WFRV Local 5. "They're not the young team that they were a year or two years ago. The Green Bay Packers is ready to take that next step."
Franklin continued, "We're ready to be that dominant team to take over the league. You know, just build off everything that they had built last year, and let's go ahead and be that dominant team at 0-0. Everybody practice today. Let's be the best at practice. Let's be the best at getting better."
The truth is that the Green Bay defense has a chance to be one of the best in the league. That said, Jonathan Gannon's group will have to find a way to navigate Micah Parsons' absence to start the season. The good news is that he'll have plenty of talent to work with at all three levels.
While the Packers aren't short on veteran leaders, it's encouraging to see Franklin embrace his role as an elder presence in the locker room. He could be especially important while the Green Bay defense navigates an early stretch of the season without Parsons, who'll tentatively come back after Week 6.
Zaire Franklin is everything the Packers bargained, and then some
The Packers weren't going to be able to re-sign Quay Walker in free agency, so they traded for Franklin.
The move raised eyebrows because Franklin is a stud against the run but struggled in coverage last season. Then again, Jonathan Gannon will find a way to mask his weaknesses and put him in a position to succeed.
The top brass should be thrilled that Franklin's already turning heads in training camp, forcing running back MarShawn Lloyd to fumble on Day 1. When you factor in that the Packers didn't give up substantial assets to acquire him, trading for him to replace Walker seems to be the right call.
Heck, it's only training camp, but the Packers are already getting plenty of bang for their buck.
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