Mike from Winchester, TN

Hi Mike, I hope the crappie were cooperative for you. They've turned on down here, and I'm getting good hits on the John Deere jigs. I ordered my yearly Packers jersey last week. I try to choose a player that might stick around a while. My choice? Barryn Sorrell.

Spoff won't be back until Tuesday, but I like the way you think.

Jim from Mundelein, IL

A deep dive from II about positions is appreciated. QB1 and QB2 are locks. Have you seen Kyle McCord and Kyron Drones in practice? If so, please share your impressions.

Too soon to tell. Jordan Love and Tyrod Taylor took most of the reps last Wednesday. We probably won't get a great feel for either Drones or McCord until the last week of OTAs.

Mike from Hammond, IN

How do Brandon Cisse and Chris McClellan look in OTAs?

Now, those are two players whom we saw plenty during Wednesday's practice. As Spoff pointed out, both Cisse and McClellan were part of the rotation at their respective position with the No. 1 defense. That tells me they're doing the right things in the classroom and deserving of those reps. Those aren't just given out. What I like most about Cisse is he has a swagger you can feel. A big, speedy corner who triggers fast, Brandon Cisse looks the part and then some.

Jeffery from Monticello, WI

Hi guys, I am really excited to see what Chris McClellan brings to the inside D line. His college tape looks like a very good pass rusher. Imagine him going up the middle with Micah Parsons and Lukas Van Ness coming from each side. They will give QBs nightmares! With that said, how is Devonte Wyatt coming along?

Wyatt's name didn't come up during Matt LaFleur's media session on Wednesday, but he is back on his feet and worked with the rehab group in practice. We'll see if there's more of an update this week. Wyatt is a massive piece to this puzzle, figuratively and literally. The Packers need him as badly as they could use Parsons and Tucker Kraft back on the field.

Caleb from Knoxville, TN

The other day, I read a quote from Tom Brady that talked about practice-squad players and how many struggle when elevated to the main team. He made the argument that, in his observation, practice-squad players struggle in the spotlight because they are used to a lower level of pressure on the PS. A higher level of responsibility is difficult to manage. Would you agree or disagree?

Mostly disagree. Maybe that was Brady's experience in New England and Tampa Bay, but here I could name a dozen practice-squad players who were thrown in the fire and paid immediate dividends for the Packers, including Allen Lazard, Tramon Williams, Chris Brooks, Bo Melton, Lucas Patrick, Jake Kumerow, Tyler Lancaster and Krys Barnes. Barnes, in fact, wound up being the "Mike" linebacker as an undrafted rookie in 2020. I'm sure there are guys also who struggled after a promotion from the p-squad, but the Packers typically do a great job of having that next man up ready.

Troy from Menomonee Falls, WI

Gutey has said they decided to release Brandon McManus early to give Trey Smack more kicking reps. It's not an unreasonable explanation. But what I find interesting is that in a league in which half the teams are looking for an improvement at kicker (so I have read) McManus remains unsigned. Doesn't that suggest there was another reason the Packers didn't want to mention?

Not necessarily, and just because a guy didn't sign somewhere the minute that he gets cut doesn't mean he won't find employment soon enough. Daniel Carlson is a free agent, too. Between injuries and positional inconsistency, I'm sure both will be on the NFL touring circuit this summer.

Jack from Chicago, IL

I think two things that kickers in the NFL have to grow into is the speed of their operation to beat the rush and the ball shape. My buddy can nail 50-yarders when we're goofing around at the park, but I tell him all the time he's not kicking an NFL ball and there's no Dani Dennis-Sutton sized guys bearing down on him.

That's still impressive. I can't kick a ball 15 yards. To your larger point, Rich Bisaccia was always quick to point out the perils of kicking in the NFL. The line not only can speed up the operation but also alter the trajectory of a kick when 6-foot-5 men fully extend.

Mick from United Kingdom

Although we didn't have a first-round pick in the draft this year, we do have three first-round picks who could have a breakout season. Strange but true.

Very true. Van Ness, Jordan Morgan and Matthew Golden are all set to step into the spotlight. The Packers are banking on it, too.

Jay from Lutz, FL

Guys, would you say at this point that in the next draft, barring a free agent signing/trade, we must select an RB and a TE in the early rounds? Captain Obvious.

It depends on this season and which direction the free-agent dominoes fall. I thought Randall Cobb was gone in 2015, the Packers couldn't afford David Bakhtiari in 2017, Aaron Jones might be a cap casualty in 2022 and he was a lock for 2024. I was very wrong. There are quite a few expiring contracts among the Packers' skill-position players, though. So…we'll see.

Markus from Aurora, CO

Insiders, what does it take for the Packers to be feared again in the NFL? Not just NFC North or NFC overall, but the entire league ...

Finish. The playstyle is there. Preparation is on point. The Packers need to finish. Period.

Mike from Baraboo, WI

What differences should we expect to see with our defense?

The obvious big one is Jonathan Gannon favoring a 3-4 base, but otherwise many of the same principles remain in place from the Jeff Hafley era: Plenty of disguise, simulated pressures and DB blitzes off the edge. More to come on that (defensive) front as we see more.

Andrew from Milwaukee, WI

Have you had a chance to speak with Zaire Franklin yet? I saw one interview he did on a podcast and based on the way he speaks I'm bought in. The guy seems like a true leader and even was voted a captain while playing mostly special teams. With him being a late-round pick, it seems he's never taken any of his opportunities for granted and I feel like that kind of cerebral approach is what has been missing in the middle of the defense. How do you feel about Zaire getting the green dot over Edgerrin Cooper?

I love it. First, Franklin has worn the headset for years and the beginning of his NFL career coincided with Gannon's time in Indianapolis. Secondly, I think Franklin's presence allows Edgerrin Cooper to keep the main thing the main thing for now - a playmaking "Will" linebacker who can rush the passer, drop in coverage and still lower the boom on running backs. I look forward to chatting with Franklin about that partnership this week. I think those two will complement each other well.

Darrel from Pueblo, CO

II, there have been discussions on who wears the green dot; Franklin, Cooper and even Xavier McKinney. How does MLF/Gannon determine who wears it and are there any specifics?

It's customary for a middle linebacker to wear it because he never comes off the field. Morgan Burnett did it out of necessity for Green Bay in 2015, but I think it came at the detriment of the secondary. McKinney is as smart as they come in the NFL, but it's kind of like the situation with Cooper – I want X directing traffic on back end and making plays on the football.

Tom from Columbus, NJ

With June 1 here, do you expect the Packers to actively pursue any veteran FAs still on the market?

No. Would it surprise me if the Packers added another free agent? That answer is also no. De'Vondre Campbell signed at the end of the offseason program in 2021 and enjoyed an All-Pro year. Dennis Kelly signed before training camp one month later and played major minutes on the offensive line. Team-building never stops.

Nick from Beaver Dam, WI

What can we expect to see from the offense this year with MLF saying we are looking to change things up and get rid of calls that don't seem to be working?

LaFleur isn't tipping his schematic hand in the spring, but you'll know it when you see it in the fall.

Mark from Big Bear City, CA

Good morning II. Mike, hope you got lucky on the lake over the weekend. When I heard that Cam Achord was using tennis balls with the return unit it got me thinking is the tennis ball thrown at ground level? It seems it would make the returners concentrate on the field as well as the ball. Have you guys been able to ask Achord about that yet?

Not yet, but one thing I didn't say last week that I want to touch on now is the efficiency of Achord's special team periods. It stood out to me. Controlled intensity is how I would describe it. To give you one small example, during the field-goal period, the Packers positioned the goal posts at the 20-yard line and had Skyy Moore catching Smack's field-goal attempts and practicing kickoff returns. No reps wasted.

Robin from Ashburn, VA

Best potential late-round pick from this year's draft?

Besides Smack – whose foot could decide the Packers' season – Dani Dennis-Sutton has a shot to contribute out of the gate like Kingsley Enagbare did in 2022. He's a big pass rusher who played a ton at Penn State on both defense and special teams.

Jon from Arlington, TX

Hi Mike and Wes, I've been wanting to ask this question for a while: Considering the plethora of injuries that occur over the course of the season, the NFL's push for an 18-game schedule and the impact injuries such as Parsons' or Kraft's have on a team, do you foresee a day when NFL teams will hold out players for non-injury reasons (like MLB teams do), such as restricting each player, with exceptions of QB and punters/kickers, to only a certain number of games each season? Thanks!

I hope not, but 18 games is daunting. If teams must resort to a "load management" plan to keep their stars healthy for the playoffs, who could really blame them? (See: Packers, 2025).

Derek from Sheboygan, WI

What are the chances we see MarShawn Lloyd this year?

Hopefully high. But we wait.

Dale from St. Cloud, FL

Seeing all the complaints about not re-signing Emanuel Wilson made me wonder his situation with Seattle. On a one-year contract, he could end up getting very little playing time due to the investment they put into that group.

That's more or less what I was getting at last week. I hope it works out for Wilson in Seattle. He's a good dude and a talented football player. Without knowing the particulars regarding negotiations, though, I always felt Green Bay was a better landing spot for him.

Margeaux from Tallahassee, FL

With the Packers running back room being a bit thin, the idea that Savion Williams could fill the void has been broached. If such a thing should happen his No. 83 from a certain angle with slightly impaired eyes could once again open a taboo subject.

Williams didn't line up in the backfield last week, but he continued to touch the ball on end-arounds and sweeps. So, I'd say all that is still on the table.

Joe from Bozeman, MT

While getting a question from Uruguay is unique, I predict you will be getting questions from somewhere on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania between Sept. 14-21. Maybe even from the summit at 19,341 feet?

I enthusiastically await that submission. Have a great Monday, everyone.

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