Mark from Canton, GA
Are you dizzy from all the knee-jerk reactions to the draft yet?
Sleep deprivation is my larger concern at the moment. Sunday was too short a reprieve, but it always is.
Frogger from Marinette, WI
Should the Pack sign Percy Harvin?
Serenity now.
Joshua from Desert Hot Springs, CA
Dear Insiders, thank you for posting the "Outlook" article. While I didn't agree with some of this year's draft selections, your input has given me some clarity and a bit clearer mind (I think there is a saying for that around here in these digital parts).
I do a lot of reading between the lines, or reading tea leaves, or whatever you want to call it. I just tried to summarize the perspective Gutekunst and LaFleur have about their team and this draft, and put it all in the proper context. Agree or disagree, that's anyone's right. But in a wrap-up piece like that my goal is to crystallize their thoughts because I think it's important for fans to know where the leaders are coming from.
Paul from Minneapolis, MN
Going on record with your consistent doubts that Gute would NOT take a QB at 1 proves to me one thing: You guys are not in the tank for the Pack just because you work for the team's site. II readers should respect that. I still don't like the pick though, but that's just me.
Appreciate you saying that. Or then again there's Eli's theory.
Eli from Yardley, PA
Well, BG may not have asked Wes to join the front office. But I think it is clear he has Spoff on the payroll to create smokescreen on the website about the Packers not drafting a QB in round one. I hope Rodgers lights the NFL on fire this year. Did big leaps from young players like Rashan Gary, Jace Sternberger, etc., just become that much more important?
Yes. They were going to be very important anyway, but that was the gist of the recap of the draft I wrote late Saturday night. The Packers are betting on young players at various stages of their careers fulfilling their promise. That's where the team will improve the most in 2020, not from the draft class itself.
Bob from Springfield, MA
Hi Insiders, for youngsters upset by the Love pick, one of the things the Packers have missed since the Favre era is having a quality backup QB. That list includes two three-time Pro Bowlers in Matt Hasselbeck and Mark Brunell. Indeed, excluding AR, the Packers drafted nine QBs while Favre was starting, including seven by Ron Wolf. Do you think that was all wasted draft capital?
Not at all, and I agree the Packers have improved their backup QB situation immensely for the foreseeable future. That's not nothing, when one win during a two-week injury could be the difference between getting a postseason berth and missing that shot. But let's be fair. Of all those QBs Wolf drafted, the highest pick he used was a fourth-rounder (Aaron Brooks). This was spending a first and fourth for a player everyone hopes doesn't have to play, so I understand the dissatisfaction with the decision from a large segment of the fan base.
Conard from Washington, DC
To Wes and Mike, dealing with incensed Packer fans after draft weekend: "Whatever they're paying you...it can't be enough" (The Dead Pool). CC: Packers' front office.
I have no problem with my compensation, my job description, nor the outlet we provide for the fans. It comes with the territory. At times I ask many of the same questions, raise my eyebrows, etc., but I do so a bit more dispassionately (an understatement if there ever was one). Maybe the better word is measured. I guess that comes with the territory, too.
Robert from Schaumburg, IL
I think David Bakhtiari will hire Laremy Tunsil to be his agent.
He doesn't have to. Tunsil's already done plenty for him.
Todd from Brighton, MI
Happy Monday! How will the NFL draft format this year impact future NFL drafts? Will anything change? Mostly positive reviews, but ultimately $$ will drive the decisions, right?
Indubitably. I don't think the way the NFL conducted this draft is here to stay, but some of the components leading up to it might be, like virtual pre-draft visits.
Rick from Poulsbo, WA
Not a question but an observation: the stark difference between Green Bay's staff, who appeared to be drafting for depth, and the "experts," who expected Green Bay to fill perceived needs (WR, LB, OT). The "experts" raved over the quality of the WR draft class but GB drafted none. GB passed on drafting Patrick Queen, one "expert's" top LB, and no OL until the sixth round. Mr. Gutekunst and Coach LaFleur clearly believe in the guys they have, and theirs are the opinions that matter.
They also have the most at stake, aside from the players themselves. They're banking on these picks (over the long haul) and the players they didn't "replace" (in the short term) to prove them right.
Jeff from Montclair, VA
LaFleur says he has total confidence in his receiving corps. Do you take this draft as evidence that he has total confidence in his run defense?
My interpretation of Gutekunst's and LaFleur's comments Saturday night regarding the run defense is they believe they have adequate personnel and the issues can be fixed schematically.
Wes from South St. Paul, MN
Okay, enough already with the whining and moaning about Gute not picking a WR. He was pretty plain – the best players on their board were gone (the cost to move up to get one was more than the Pack wanted to pay). And the rest, in Gute's opinion, were no better than the guys on the roster. The key is for Allen Lazard, Jake Kumerow, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, etc., to step up and make the jump in Year 3. In addition, the onus is on ML/AR to get those guys more involved in the offense.
True enough. LaFleur did sound very excited about Devin Funchess in his final comments, and it was the first we'd heard from him on free agency. He also mentioned being "all over" MVS to get him to maximize his ability, and he made a change at receivers coach. I think all those things should be kept in mind.
Scott from Fredonia, WI
Does the drafting of Josiah Deguara signal a shift to a more traditional TE role for Jace Sternberger? Although he performed admirably last year in his role, nothing about the scouting report on Sternberger said H-back.
Also true, and that's a fair read. I'm guessing the plan is for Sternberger to take Graham's role, and for Deguara to take Sternberger's late-season H-back duty, when he's ready. But Sternberger can hold down that fort in the meantime, too.
Terry from Andover, MA
Just wondering who Reggie Begelton is, and is he the reason the Packers did not draft a wide receiver in this year's draft? Is he a slot receiver or what is his primary position?
I honestly know very little about him, but I'm even more curious now to see him in person.
Matt from Grayslake, IL
Gute's reasoning for why he didn't select a WR sure makes it sound like he got caught with his pants down once he made the decision to draft Love in the first. That said, I'll let time determine how this year's draft class will play out. After all, I wouldn't expect him to know or understand the decisions I make in my job, so I'll just have to trust he made the best picks possible under the circumstances.
Gutekunst knew the ramifications and limitations the trade up in the first round would have for the rest of the draft. This wasn't his first rodeo. I'll go back to what I wrote in this space Friday morning – all the consequences of the move speak to how highly he views Love's potential. He knew the cost, as well as the fallout, and did it anyway.
Richard from Caledonia, WI
Has there been any reaction from Aaron Rodgers to the Packers' draft? Heard he had a brief conversation with Jordan Love but not a lot more.
Gutekunst and LaFleur both said they spoke with Rodgers over the weekend. They didn't share details, but their public comments indicate how they feel about Rodgers. I can't imagine they said anything different to him in private, because being two-faced is not a sound relationship strategy.
Don from Billings, MT
I know this won't make the Inbox, but here is my question – do you really think the Packers are a better football team now than they were before the draft? A lot of teams are better but I honestly don't think the Packers are.
Personnel-wise, on paper for 2020, they aren't appreciably better. The only draft picks I see getting significant snaps on offense or defense, barring injuries, are AJ Dillon and Deguara. Maybe Kamal Martin finds a niche role on defense, but otherwise the Day 3 picks will be fighting for backup/special-teams roles. This draft was more about beyond 2020, and not just at QB, but also depending on what happens with Aaron Jones, Bakhtiari, Corey Linsley, etc.
Timmy from Chicago, IL
Someone who I believe is being lost in the madness is Swervin' Ervin. When he had the ball in his hands last year, good things happened, and he lined up as WR as well as RB.
The Packers brought him back to be more than just a returner. We'll see how much more.
John from Mattituck, NY
No cornerbacks baby. Let's go sign Tramon Williams!
Gutekunst sounded lukewarm on that idea at best Saturday night. Maybe he was just playin' possum, but I heard a rather strong vote of confidence for Chandon Sullivan and Josh Jackson.
Stickwin from Dallas, TX
Would A.J. Dillon be a more popular pick among Packers fans if he changed his name to Eddie Lacy Jr.?
I think the angst over the Dillon pick is that based on all the pundits' rankings, Dillon would have been available later in the draft. But no one knows that because no one knows what 32 teams' draft boards look like. I guarantee you not one of them looks like a draftnik's board.
Donna from Darien, WI
"Three offensive linemen in one round!" It's a good day for Larry.
I researched to find the last time the Packers drafted three straight offensive linemen, regardless of round(s). You have to go all the way back to 1966 – Gale Gillingham, Tom Cichowski and Fred Heron.
Eric from Reedsburg, WI
How many of the Packer draftees did you get to interview this year for the Prospect Primers?
To be clear, those interviews in the Prospect Primers are from the news conferences at the combine, not one-on-ones. The only pick we had done a Primer on was Love, but we cut back on our total number of Primers this year.
Rob from London, UK
Hey Wes, I need something to take my mind off that draft. Which board games have you got, and which is your favourite? I noticed "Ticket to Ride." Is that the European or American version?
You're like the gazillionth person who's mentioned that game on Wes's shelf. I have to try this game. Is there any way we can play a virtual version?
Richard from Menasha, WI
When will we hear about the undrafted free agent signings? History tells us we will see one or more of those names on the roster this year. I guess I am still hoping for an interior defensive lineman and receiver, however unlikely they will make a significant impact this year.
We should have an official press release on the undrafted signings in the next day or so.
Ken from New York, NY
Now that the draft is over, I find myself wondering, now what?
Join the club.
Phillip from Corona, CA
Good morning. The work you guys did during the draft was incredible and the packers.com website is very well organized with lots of information. Please express my thanks to all at packers.com for your hard work and for providing quality information to us. Wish you all the best. Take care.
Thanks so much. I'm obviously biased, but no one comes close to our volume of draft coverage. Stories, videos, photos, commentary, conference calls … if you want to get to know your Packers draft class, it’s all here. If you haven't already, please take some time in the coming days to peruse the draft tracker page. We're exhausted, but we had a blast. Happy Monday.
