Sam from Greendale, WI
Sounds like Jordan Love had a better day Wednesday. How are reps being divided? Is the plan to give Jordan Love as many reps as possible as de facto QB1 or is there a competition?
The Packers are giving Love nearly every team rep, which is invaluable considering he took very few last summer. To my eye, it looked like Love was taking both the first- and second-team reps. For example, he handled the first 10 snaps in the first team period before Blake Bortles took two. Then, Love took 10 more before Kurt Benkert stepped in for two, and finally Love took another 10 before tryout QB Jake Dolegla got two reps. Love completed 20 of his 31 passes, including 7-of-10 for 70 yards in two-minute, and looked confident in the pocket. There will be highs and lows. It's all part of the learning process. But Wednesday was a good day.
Jim from Fairview Heights, IL
I can't imagine what Love is enduring these days. On Day 1, he had a group of reporters watching him that were just hoping to see failure. Not all reporters, but some. Plus, he's dealing with the Aaron Rodgers saga, of which he had no choice in being involved. How do Love and the coaching staff help him to keep focused on what possibly lies ahead?
Saying some reporters want to see Love fail is too strong of an assertion. And even if that is the case, Love has bigger fish to fry this spring than what anyone standing on the green rubber thinks. Personality-wise, the guy is as steady as quarterbacks go. If Love's feeling any added pressure from this whole ordeal, it's not showing.
Dar from Mansfield, TX
I was watching an old Jags game earlier this week on the NFL Network, and it occurs to me that it wasn't that long ago Blake Bortles was thought to "have the goods." He certainly looked the part, though it seems inaccuracy became his bugaboo (my word of the day). Given coach Hackett's recent mention of noticing a new hiccup in Bortles' delivery, is it possible for him to reclaim his lost luster? And/or get better at "reading with his feet" like the lessons for Jordan Love?
I find the whole Bortles thing somewhat quizzical. This is a league where many QBs can stick for 6-8 years after they were a starter and make good money doing it. Without knowing any details, I don't get why Bortles was out of the league for much of last season. Regardless, at 29 years old, this is as good an opportunity as any for Bortles to prove he still has something left in the tank. Plus, he's working again with the offensive coordinator who was with him during his highest point as an NFL QB.
Reed from Myrtle Beach, FL
TV talk recently centered on what if AR plays and the Packers, say, win the Super Bowl or at least get there – not a far-fetched situation. Then that would validate what the organization has been doing. Is AR in a no-win situation?
I'm taking a day off from the Rodgers stuff and commenting on what other media outlets are saying about the Rodgers stuff. Sorry. Try again on Saturday.
Jake from Athens, GA
Thanks for the five things on the Campbell signing. Seventy-five games (and 70 starts) in five years is nothing to sneeze at, but the first question I always ask is, "How did no one else get this guy?" Atlanta seems to be blowing up its defense, so I'm not worried about him leaving the Falcons. But do you have any sense for how he came to be a Packer? Did we outbid other teams? Did he want to play for a contender or for Smith/Barry?
De'Vondre Campbell is a very interesting signing. Quite frankly, I wasn't even aware he was still a free agent. Campbell had a solid four-year run in Atlanta and then signed a fairly lucrative one-year deal last year with Arizona. It's my understanding, from people I've talked with, Campbell did fine with the Cardinals, so I'm interested to see what kind of deal he struck with the Packers.
Neil from Turnbridge Wells, England
Nice signing at linebacker. How much does his past experience offset moving to a new team with established, albeit, young players at the same position?
Experience always helps, but I don't think it's a huge concern either way. Campbell picked up Arizona's defense despite the absence of an offseason program, while Krys Barnes and Kamal Martin did the same here. It's June 10. Campbell has almost two months to get this playbook down. He'll be fine.
Dave from Savage, MN
Have you noticed anything interesting with how the different offensive linemen have lined up?
You know what's kind of funny, everyone is playing practically everywhere on the O-line it seems…except Josh Myers. He continues to take the lion's share of the snaps at center with the "first-team" offense. The Packers have two aces up their sleeve with Elgton Jenkins and Billy Turner being able to play anywhere, so it's really trying to figure out who the best fits are in the other spots with David Bakhtiari on the mend. Lucas Patrick and Jon Runyan have taken a fair amount of snaps at guard, with fourth-round pick Royce Newman and veteran Ben Braden getting some first-team work, as well. It's a wide-open deal.
Jack from Chicago, IL
I had to do a double take of the Davante Adams photo on the website. His right quad is massive! If AJ Dillon is the Quadfather and Adams might be his Quadson. Holy smokes.
You can tell the guys who weren't here for OTAs still put the work in this offseason. They weren't sitting around stale or anything. Adams, Allen Lazard and Jaire Alexander, specifically, came back in exceptional shape.
Christopher from Frederick, MD
Which do you think is more valuable to a young corner like Eric Stokes: picking Jaire's brain in the film room, or trying to cover Davante in practice?
In the long run, there's no better education for a young cornerback than trying to cover Davante every day in practice. There's no question that experience elevated Alexander's play at a young age. But right now, this is an important time for Stokes getting to learn from Alexander considering the All-Pro corner was in Stokes' same spot three summers ago.
Salongo from Hailey, ID
Looking over some minicamp photos I was struck by the similarities in build between Devin Funchess and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. How fast is Funch?
I've only seen Funchess run a few routes so far but he is an imposing figure on the field. Like Matt LaFleur stated, Funchess sure looks the part of a receiver. He's listed at 6-foot-4 but he looks bigger than that to me when running routes. I felt he was going to be a strong fit for LaFleur's offense last year and that stance hasn't changed. As Funchess reminded reporters, he's only 27 and feels his best football is still ahead of him.
DT from Bozeman, MT
Devin Funchess: You dance with the 11 you've got, etc. Have you seen a better response to the Rodgers question than Devin's?
That whole Zoom call was great. I heard many good things from various reporters around the league about Funchess when the Packers signed him last year but I was blown away by his news conference. He has a quiet intensity about him and he doesn't give cliché replies. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Bret from Hertel, WI
Dear Mike and Wes, some players are locks to make the team based on draft value, contract cost, or depth…which players have the most to gain during the minicamp and full training camp coming up the end of July?
The unheralded. While jobs ultimately are won in training camp, the offseason program is where guys like Jayrone Elliott and Tim Boyle started to impress as undrafted rookies.
Bryan from Madison, WI
What is the biggest criticism of JK Scott's game?
Just consistency. The guy has it all, man. Scott looks exactly how an elite punter should look. It's just carrying over the strong starts he's had throughout his NFL career through December and January.
Derek from Eau Claire, WI
In order for JK to be the most improved player, he needs to play his best football in December, January and February. What can he work on during a 92-degree melted tundra that will prepare him for 22-degree frozen tundra?
I think that's where Mo Drayton and his staff come in. They have to work with Scott and figure out the right formula to get the most of him over a span of six months. A fast start is only as good as a strong finish in a marathon.
Margeaux from Tallahassee, FL
Everyone needs a friend like Davante Adams. In his interview his insight and thoughtfulness were on full display. I was very impressed with his comment on Jordan Love's growth after viewing only one practice. What a great response and a perfect example of the leadership without bravado that he displays.
Davante has been a dream to cover as a reporter. There's a reason he's one of only two Packers players who have won the PFWA Stand-Up Guy award on two occasions. He's real and he just gets it. Adams also has a gift of knowing how to communicate and express how he feels in a productive fashion, especially in times of adversity.
Grant from Grand Forks, ND
Don't let Bakhtiari fool you. Making that first complete cycle on a bike is one of the most difficult "little things" I have ever done. Good thing the therapist had a sadistic streak otherwise we would never get back to where we were.
As someone who has never torn or broken anything before, I can't even imagine. The thing Bakhtiari said that resonated with me the most was how injuries happen and then everyone moves on…except the person who got injured. His or her life changes drastically and it can be humbling. As I've continued to say about Bakhtiari and Josiah Deguara, there's so much blood, sweat and tears that have led to both guys making it as far as they have over the past 6-9 months. You can't help but respect that.
Bret from Hertel, WI
It takes a lot of support coming back from a major injury and David Bakhtiari discussed it. What player came back from a major injury during your time with the Packers that impressed you the most because of severity of it?
Bret gets a second question because I liked both (way to go, Bret). Demetri Goodson is a name that doesn't get mentioned nearly enough whenever this question comes up. He suffered one of the nastiest injuries I've ever witnessed against Washington back in 2016. I know he never played in another regular-season game but Meech returning to the field during the 2018 preseason was awe-inspiring.
Sreedharan from Pewaukee, WI
Hi Wes/Mike. On the Packers team page, the weights of the players are displayed. Are those figures from their first entry into the NFL, or are they ever updated as the players lean out or bulk up?
It only typically happens if a player makes a drastic change (e.g. Mike Neal going from 291 to 262). If a lineman puts on six pounds, however, teams won't waste their time.
Dave from Bentonville, AR
Just finished watching the 2018 opener against the Bears. Dang, that second half was fun.
I caught the replay on NFL Network out of the corner of my eye Wednesday. There wasn't a lot to remember from the 2018 season but that night was fun. I'll never forget it.
Stan from Merrill, WI
Kurt Warner "slipped through the cracks" as a free agent in Packers training camp. Can you think of any other players who became successes after they were cut by the Packers?
Maybe my brain is just fried, but not many come to mind. Mostly long snappers, to be honest, such as Rick Lovato, Zach Triner and Taybor Pepper. Travis Fulgham got off to a great start with the Eagles last year but cooled off by the end of the year. Another, who didn't actually sign with the Packers, was Denico Autry. He was set to join Green Bay as a UDFA in 2014 but failed his physical. He's gone on to have a pretty successful NFL career.
Doug from Neenah, WI
Good morning. I noticed the Packers' roster on your website no longer carries special (separate) designations for players previously on injured reserve, physically unable to perform or non-football injury lists. Does this mean Green Bay doesn't have players in those categories or are they just de-listed during the offseason? Thanks.
There's nobody in an inactive category right now. The slate gets wiped clean at the start of the new league year, with all "injured" players moving onto the 90-man roster.
Teri from Canton, MA
I noticed that Will Brinson of CBS Sports has seven Packers ranked in his top 100 players of the NFL. I was disappointed to see that Kevin King didn't make the list. In case you were wondering, T.J. Watt came in at No. 6.
I wasn't but thanks anyway.
Shen from Crystal Lake, IL
Hello everyone! My wife and I are Packers and Inbox fans since Vic. We made a T-shirt for Insider Inbox fans out there! You can search the shirt as "Green Bay Packers Insider Inbox T-shirt" on Etsy. It includes a T-shirt representation of many inside jokes. The design contains a player in green and gold wearing the number 88 with an I.I. helmet kicking Wes's lunch bag through a goalpost with laser uprights, all taking place on the moon. The back has Insider Inbox and 88 in a jersey style.
The creativity of Inbox readers never ceases to amaze me.
Brett from Gulfport, MI
Have you ever suspected a player or former player of submitting an Inbox question?
Never.
Dennis from Beavercreek, OH
So, Preston Smith has a sack incentive. Would it count if he stole your sack lunch out of the refrigerator?
As Spoff can attest, a free Hod lunch is always a bonus.
