It was just a few weeks ago when former Wisconsin Badgers and Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas was on ESPN Milwaukee’s “Wilde and Tausch” podcast singing the praises for new Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.

“I remember being in Cleveland and having Kyle (Shanahan) talk about how smart (Matt) LaFleur was when they were together…in Washington,” Thomas said. “And how basically LaFleur was learning everything he knew under Kyle Shanahan.”

While LaFleur never coached in Cleveland, he worked closely with Kyle Shanahan, who spent time with the Browns in 2014 as the offensive coordinator. LaFleur and Shanahan have worked together numerous times the past few years. The pair connected first in Houston in 2008, and then shared stints in Washington (2012) and Atlanta (2015-2016).

“He understood the details of the wide zone scheme,” Thomas said. “He understands how to get the most out of all of his players, and how it fits well with a quarterback that can move, that can threaten the edges, that can threaten the bootlegs. So I think the skillset Aaron (Rodgers) has would fit perfectly with the offense that Matt LaFleur runs.”

Originally airing on Jan. 4, Thomas’ praise seems to underline some of what the Packers have needed in recent years, which is an injection of offensive innovation and commitment towards an effective run game.

“I think Matt LaFleur can get the run game going in Green Bay like we haven’t seen in recent memory,” Thomas said, “because of how he teaches the wide zone and because of the things he learned from Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, who in my opinion are two of the guys everyone in the NFL respects from an offensive mind standpoint.”

There will plenty to sort through in the coming days, but so far the LaFleur hire is getting endorsements from many in the football punditry field.