Ryan from Mount Zion, IL

Trying the wet-ball drill in the backyard with my kids gives me a new appreciation for special teams in regards to the LS and holder combination after watching the Coach Cam video. Any chance we can see Mike and Wes try this for our entertainment? Thank you!

Uh, don't hold your breath.

Troy from Westminster, CO

Thank goodness they finally got the win that doesn't count out of the way. It makes starting the regular season at 0-0 so much better.

LOL.

Don from Boise, ID

I know it is meaningless, but it still feels good. But it appeared to me we played well as well, and that is not meaningless.

I will say it was good to see all the guys in the second half fighting for roster/PS spots to play better than last week. They needed to.

John from Rhinelander, WI

I would guess that you haven't had too many submissions this preseason complaining about the kickers.

Trey Smack has put a lot of minds at ease.

Bill from Boscobel, WI

I know, it's only the preseason. And I know, it's Denver. But 59 yards is still 59 yards, right?

When it looks like it would've been good from 65-plus, yeah.

Sean from Chicago, IL

Good morning Insiders! MarShawn Lloyd's TD has to be so cathartic for him. What a moment!

Can't help but be thrilled for him. Hopefully it's just the start of better things to come. It's easy to root for a guy like Lloyd.

Tom from Nolanville, TX

Pierre Strong Jr. appears to a strong, shifty running back with good vision. Have you seen him in pass pro in practice? With the ball in his hands he looks like real keeper to me. It would be a shame to see him released at the cutdown.

I confess I've got no evaluation on him in pass protection. I keep thinking he was drafted in the fourth round for a reason and that's starting to show.

Ingrid from Hugo, MN

Will the Packers keep four RBs on the 53? Pierre Strong Jr. sure had a good night and I'd hate to lose him to a waiver claim if the Packers tried to get him on the PS.

His kick return ability certainly gives the Packers pause, I would think, about the idea of four backs on the 53. We shall see.

Paul from West Allis, WI

Good morning? Did we make it out alive Mike and Wes? I mean besides your health ... did the Packers remain fairly healthy?

Seems so. Brandon Cisse said in the locker room after the game he was fine.

Bill from Raleigh, NC

Hi II, ATMR, Kyle McCord had 58 TD, 18 INT, almost 8K yards, and 66% completion percentage in his last two years at Ohio State and Syracuse. For the preseason, it's really obvious he's NFL ready now, isn't it? Has he played himself into QB2 ... for another team that needs one? It doesn't seem he would last on our PS.

I don't want to take anything away from McCord, but to say he's "NFL ready" when he hasn't faced anything resembling a first-string defense yet is wildly premature. I'm not versed in the rest of the league's QB2s to know whether other teams would consider him their best option for that spot, coming in cold to a new system, should he become available. That's for GB's personnel department to study.

Jim from Hudsonville, MI

What a wild ride it must be for some of these guys fighting to make a roster. Arden Walker signs on Wednesday, doesn't practice, and plays on Friday. I'm not judging his game, but simply admiring what it must take.

Preseason can be a crazy time.

Marty from Rancho Cordova, CA

Suffice it to say, Gutey has a difficult day approaching, which is a good thing.

As I always say, it beats the alternative.

Jim from De Pere, WI

Greetings Mike and Wes. There is a great competition for roster spots at defensive tackle. How many defensive tackles will make the 53-man roster?

I'm thinking six but hard to say.

John from Australia

You mentioned Brenton Cox Jr. will likely play more special teams this year. What position would he play on ST and what skills has he developed that he would play more this year? How has he changed?

Blocking and tackling on special teams requires being able to operate in space, much more space than at the line of scrimmage on offense or defense. When big-bodied linebacker types like Cox, who can run, learn how to block and defeat blocks in the open field, they can help in the third phase.

Matt from St. Mary's, KS

NFL officials are held to a high standard. Last I knew, refs are on annual contracts, about 10% of which are not renewed, and they are required to take and pass weekly rules tests. Still, let's just say there are crews I would prefer not to see at a Packers game. If we compared lists, I bet they would match up pretty closely. Do the coaches give any thought to the officiating crew in creating a game plan? I would think that, in some cases, there are plays they simply wouldn't call.

It's more about knowing a crew's tendencies in terms of the frequency of calling holding, pass interference and such. Players need to know the crews that call it tighter than others, and they're informed as such. I've never heard of officiating affecting game planning, though. In a normal week, game plans are built on Tuesday, and I don't think officiating assignments are known until Wednesday or Thursday. That crew in Denver certainly sent a message it likes to throw flags.

Michael from Novato, CA

Regarding center/tackle combo players. I remember early in his career, Mike Flanagan was swung out to tackle for several games (don't remember exactly why). Played very well there, too. One of the most underrated offensive linemen of our time, IMO.

Good call.

Alex from Sanford, FL

Building on Paul from Hewitt, WI, question. Is the early-season waiver wire based on draft order before or after trades? If the team picking first trades down to say No. 3, are they also giving up waiver claim priority or do they retain the No. 1 slot there regardless of the trade?

It's retained. Teams don't surrender their waiver claim position by trading their first-round draft pick.

Dave from Germantown, TN

With cutdown day coming, one man's trash will be another man's treasure. How much midnight oil does the staff burn watching all of the preseason games? Do they look for waiver wire players that they already" know" (played against or had a visit, prior Packers PS)? Who was the last player added during the cutdown waiver wire who ultimately played an important role for the Packers?

Any prior interaction, or scouting report, plays a role in the decision-making process. Back in my first two seasons with packers.com, Jarrett Bush (2006) and John Kuhn (2007) were waiver claims and went on to play a long time in Green Bay.

Stan from Jupiter, FL

Mike: Color me curious ... w/r/t your answer to Chad from Wis. Rapids, who was the highest-round draft choice to not make the Packers' initial 53 in the year he was drafted?

Again, back to my first year, 2006. Cory Rodgers was drafted in the fourth round as a return specialist and didn't make it.

Tom from Keota, IA

Hey II. We haven't played a real game yet, but at the moment, I'm feeling like we handily avoided the problem of not having a first-round draft pick by picking Cisse. I don't think that's getting out over my skis – I just mean that he seems to be having the kind of spring and summer that you'd be happy to be seeing (and don't always get) out of a first-round pick. If that's how it keeps playing out, in a way it makes the Parsons trade less expensive. Least that's how I like to think about it.

Interesting perspective. Like Wes, I'm impressed that a draft pick who just turned 21 has looked like he belongs so early.

Kevin from Arlington Heights, IL

Me and a bunch of buddies (SNC alum) are coming up in an RV for the Bears/Packers game Week 5. I know Week 6 seems to be the target for Micah Parsons, but is there any hope of a Week 5 debut for him at this point?

The last we heard from Parsons, he went on the record saying Week 6 was his "most optimistic" return date.

Sandy from Green Bay, WI

Have you noticed any adjustments in how teams are structuring training camp practices now that there are fewer preseason games during which to assess players? Any changes in how the coaches are gathering the data they use to make their player personnel decisions?

The CBA limits the full-pads work and dictates the schedule to a degree. Joint practices have obviously become more common, and they'll continue to be when preseason games are reduced to just two, probably next decade.

Kerry from Lakewood Ranch, FL

How much of training camp is spent on situational football? In the end, isn't that the most important part of camp?

We've seen numerous third-down, red-zone and two-minute periods in training camp this year. I don't know if it's any more than past years, but there have been a lot.

Christopher from Fish Creek, WI

What's one thing you've seen from the Packers this summer that you think fans are either overlooking or completely misreading?

I get the angst about the offensive line. It's understandable. There have been a lot of moving parts, plus injuries, and the group is full of youth. But I'll take this opportunity to plead for some patience. I think the line has a chance to be really good, but I expect it to be better in November and December than next month.

Jake from Herriman, UT

Has Jacob Monk stepped up, or has Anthony Belton stepped back?

Some of both. Belton's Year 2 has had its bumps already, and Monk has taken advantage of health and opportunity to show what he's got. I still think it'll be an interesting call whether they go with Monk or Jager Burton at the other guard spot once Banks is full-go.

Richard from Canton, GA

Coming from print backgrounds, did the Packers organization provide you with media training for the in front of the camera work? I know from plenty of experience about how things are very different once that thing gets pointed at you.

Nothing formal, but both Wes and I had experience with TV segments from our newspaper days.

Jodi from Grand Rapids, WI

Hi Mike and Wes, good writers sometimes express a lot by not elaborating or being offensive and leaving the reader to think that through independently. I always enjoy when that happens in II. Thanks!

You're welcome. Thanks for your discernment.

Ron from Mitchell, SD

After reading all the angst, (get this guy, cut that guy, depth charts, etc.) I think it's best to follow the advice of a future Hall of Fame QB... R-E-L-A-X! The Packers have one of the best personnel departments in the business. How many times have other teams cherry-picked from GB's front office and scouts? Let these guys do their jobs and enjoy the process. The average fan has no idea what goes on behind the scenes. Many fan bases and teams would love to have the same consistency.

Amen. Have a good weekend, everybody.

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