Inbox: That's what every NFL team wants

Spencer from Hampshire, IL

Alright Wes, Mike's gone. Any guesses on what the big news could be this week?

He left this morning, so I assume something has already happened by the time this even posted.

Yotam from Israel

Comments were made about the challenges for next year: losing players to free agency, cap situation, limited draft picks, etc., but don't all teams have these challenges to some degree? Looking just at our team and worrying that we will fall behind the rest of the league is a bit tunnel-visioned.

Navigating the salary cap is not easy. Don't believe me? Take a peek at Chicago's situation for 2026. The Packers handle the cap as well as any team in the NFL. While Green Bay likely won't be as active in free agency as it's been, that's mainly due to prosperous 2022 and 2023 draft classes. The Packers will be looking to re-sign and extend many of their own rather than signing outside free agents…and that's a good thing. That's what every NFL team wants.

Gary from Davenport, IA

Wes, now that the Miami Dolphins have begun to relocate the Packers' personnel to a warmer climate, would they consider an Insider Inbox for their team and try to recruit you and Mike? I'm sure both of you are quite happy here but everybody's got a price, and not just for the Million Dollar Man.

Well, the high is gonna be minus-2 here on Friday…

Jon from Willmar, MN

Great that Matt LaFleur is staying! Lots of rumors on defensive coordinators. What have you heard?

Interviews are apparently underway. I expect the Packers to cast a wide net again, just like Matt LaFleur did when he hired Jeff Hafley two years ago next week.

Tom from Palatine, IL

So many big-name, qualified DC candidates. Obviously, the Packer leadership will not be polling the two of you for your thoughts, but what are your thoughts on this? Hafley was not even a name of which I was aware before he was hired, and it turned out great. Do you see them going for name recognition, someone with a similar style to Hafley, or another person with whom we may be less familiar? It always surprises me how quickly coaches that get fired by one organization get hired by another.

This isn't a popularity contest. Whether the next defensive coordinator is a household name or someone fans have never heard of, LaFleur is going to hire the best man for the job. Upon hiring Hafley, LaFleur told reporters he wants the Packers' defense to "be fast and physical and attack the ball. We will be a little more vision-based on the back end. That's a great opportunity to be able to go out there and generate takeaways." He also said two parts of Hafley's background stood out: his work coaching NFL defensive backs and ties to the defenses run in San Francisco/New York Jets (Robert Saleh) and Houston (DeMeco Ryans).

David from Janesville, WI

Wes, Hafley was an unknown to me two years ago and became one of my favorite all-time coaches. He's on his way to Miami and will likely take several of his current staff along. The new defensive coordinator will undoubtedly bring in his own people, even if it's an internal hire. Is there a specific assistant member of the current defensive staff who you would love to see stay on? If so, what traits do they possess that you would miss if they left?

One guy I don't think gets nearly enough credit is defensive backs coach Ryan Downard, who's the longest-tenured member of the defensive staff. He came to Green Bay with Mike Pettine in 2018 and has done a great job developing safeties over the years. Like Hafley, Downard is relatable and a good teacher of the secondary. Perhaps he sticks around on his fourth Packers defensive coaching staff, but Downard has ties to Hafley. The two were both members of Pettine's staff during his two years in Cleveland.

Steve from Niles, MI

With the success that the Packers have had over the years with drafting some of our best players in the later rounds, I can't wait to see how they do the next two years without a No. 1. It also seems like it will help with the salary cap.

The Packers have made a lot of hay on Day 3 over the years, and it's never going to be more critical to do so without a first-round pick the next two years. Also, more mid-to-late selections could be coming Green Bay's way through the compensatory process depending on who stays and who departs among this year's unrestricted free agents.

Tim from Henrico, VA

Defense wins championships. The Pack have offensive players; the upcoming draft must work on the other side of the ball. If you score points, you may win. If the opposition never scores, you never lose. While that goal will never be fully attained, that should be the quest.

No lies detected, Tim. Unless, of course, the officials get in the way of allowing the defense to do its job.

Paul from Ledgeview, WI

Good morning, Wes! I have read articles that indicate the performance of the Packers' special teams is a function of how they build the roster, not a result of coaching. Can the Packers improve the return game and remain a draft-and-develop team not prone to reserve roster spots for specialists? Do fans need to level set their expectations for ST in line with the reality of roster building in GB? I am with John Kuhn, let's give Bisaccia the proper tools and see what he can do.

Again, I felt the Packers' special teams were pretty good in the defensive aspects of the phase. Daniel Whelan had the best punting season in team history (more on that next week) while the coverage units were very solid until they lost both Bo Melton and Zayne Anderson in the playoffs. Where Green Bay came up short was on the "offensive" end of things. The kickoff return unit was fine, but the Packers struggled on punt returns (only team under 6.0 yards per return) and obviously the kicking game. We'll see which direction special teams take in 2026 but there's work to be done at all levels. It's not a single player or coach.

Doug from Neenah, WI

Good morning, Wes. It was no surprise when the Packers released Trevon Diggs because of his substantial salary. Assuming he might want to stay in Green Bay, can he be re-signed at any time or do both parties have to wait until the start of the league's new year? Thanks.

Quite a few submissions related to Diggs. I'm reserving comment on this until either Diggs signs elsewhere or Brian Gutekunst addresses it. The Packers were going to cut Diggs eventually because of his high base salary for 2026 and no other guarantees. Diggs cleared waivers Wednesday, so the Packers and any NFL team can sign him to a new deal now.

Dan from Morehead City, NC

The last two years we have been so inconsistent. In both years we never seemed to play a complete game. The difference seemed to be when the poor play would happen. In 2024, it could happen at any time in the game. In 2025, it was consistently in the second half. Also, all three units played major roles in the failures. Is the major reason for this coaching not being able to adjust to the other teams' changes, player conditioning, combination of both, or some other reason?

That's what we all want to know, right? How much of the Packers' struggles were due to injury? How much scheme? How much was attrition? Did in-game adjustments have anything to do with it? From the top down, everyone agrees the second-half lapses need a real fix and the Packers feel Matt LaFleur is the right guy to answer those questions. I have no doubt in my mind the Packers fielded a better team than Chicago, but the Bears winning this impromptu best-of-three series is all that matters. A fast start is only as good as a strong finish.

Ray from Phoenix, AZ

Wes, assuming Malik Willis moves on in free agency, do you see GB drafting a QB or in your opinion are Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord talented enough to be backup quarterbacks?

Ridder and McCord give the Packers QB3 options, but a response is needed when/if Willis leaves. His run in Green Bay showed how important QB2 can be. So, I expect the Packers will add a rookie either through the draft or college free agency.

Jeff from Montclair, VA

Question regarding installing and practicing various looks and schemes, and preparation: Are players given written quizzes at all? Such as "You're a left guard and see defensive scheme X against called play Y. What are your blocking assignments in priority order?" One would think that having to study for and pass a quiz, in addition to all the film study and practice would help cut down on mental errors. Am I wrong? Good luck till Mike gets back, Wes.

Absolutely. The topic came up this season when it was mentioned how frequently Sean Rhyan was put on the spot in the O-line meeting room and he almost always had the right answer.

Tallon from Castle Rock, CO

Bittersweet that Haf is gone, but once again most of Wisconsin is clamoring for Jim Leonhard as defensive coordinator. For those of us who didn't watch much Badgers stuff what can you tell us about him? Is his scheme/style one that would fit here?

I've never met Leonhard, but I know Badgers fans hold him in high regard. As a DC, Leonhard's scheme was an offshoot of the Pettine defense he mastered as a player in New York and Cleveland. He's currently the defensive pass game coordinator for Denver, which employs a 3-4 base under Vance Joseph but that's mostly semantics in today's NFL. As a position coach, Leonhard is not eligible to be interviewed until the Broncos' season is over, but it's another name to keep an eye on.

Tom from Nolanville, TX

Wes, when approximately does the NFL announce the per team salary cap for the upcoming season? Does it happen before the UFA insanity begins?

Correct, because NFL teams need to know how much money they have to spend before free agency begins. The league announced the 2025 cap on March 1 last year.

Bill from Bloomfield Hills, MI

Super Bowl streaks. Six different winners first seven Super Bowls, then only eight different teams won the next 24, then five new winners over six years, but then only two new winners the past 22 years. Which perennial recent contenders – Chiefs, Eagles, Lions, Bills, Rams, Packers, Niners and Ravens might be done vs. new ones who will be around awhile: Seahawks, Broncos, Bears, new Pats and Texans.

New England appears to be back, and Eliot Wolf doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves for his role in that. Wolf made the call to draft Drake Maye in 2024, and it's given the Patriots their franchise quarterback for the next decade. I am interested where Kansas City goes from here. The Chiefs have perhaps the best quarterback in the game, but Patrick Mahomes now is rehabbing from a torn ACL. They've also had some bad drafts and cornerstones are getting older.

Bruce from Jackson, WI

Leave it to Wes to redefine life as we know it in his close Tuesday. With all of the changes starting to occur with coaches and players staying and going, it's nice to know besides death and taxes we can always count on the II being there for us. We saw what happened to Detroit this year after losing their OC and DC and we will have more turnover than they did when all is said and done. Any concern with the impact of our turnover?

The best is still yet to come for Green Bay in my opinion. There's obvious pressure to improve in 2026, but the Packers have a serious championship window the next two years. As we saw with Hafley, sometimes you can build Rome in a day with a new coordinator. Stay tuned.

Dave from Phoenix, AZ

Not a question but an observation. While I do appreciate Wes's astute insider knowledge of football, I'm gonna have to disagree with him on his measured response with regards to Jordan Love's "lack" of sideline emotion. He is the leader of this team and paid accordingly! He needs to lift others up when he senses things are not going well, it's what great leaders do in trying times. Ice cool stares while sitting alone is not a trait of great leadership, it projects a sense of consternation to others.

And yet, many lambasted the last guy for being too demonstrative on the field. So, which is it? Maybe Love's demeanor wouldn't work for you, but he is the undisputed leader of this team. For all the reasons the Packers lost in Chicago, I don't think Love's performance or visuals rank very high on that list.

Gary from Chippewa Falls, WI

Is my memory correct that Gutekunst and Russ Ball were competing to be the GM? The signing of Gutekunst, Ball and Matt LaFleur together shows the Packers value continuity over emotional decisions. Have you ever done an article on RB for the Yearbook?

Spoff did one for the 2018 Yearbook when the new structure was announced. I'd love nothing more than to write something on Russ, but the man lets his work speak for him. I respect that. If you look up character and integrity in a dictionary, you're likely to see Russ Ball under listed examples.

Scott from Issaquah, WA

I'm so bewildered by the Sean McDermott decision. He has the longest active streak of playoff appearances and the most consecutive years with a playoff win. Depending where he lands it may be more likely he continues the streak than that the Bills continue the streak

If the Bills promote Joe Brady to head coach, the whole thing makes a lot more sense to me.

Michael from Lemgo, Germany

With all these coaching changes around the league, what do you think about this? "Dumb organizations are doing dumb things! And the Packers are not a dumb organization." I thought a lot about this in the last days and in my opinion, it is absolutely true. Have a great offseason everybody.

Again, the pressure to win in this league can be suffocating, which is why you often hear Gutekunst talk about the importance of being principled and staying true to your process. I'm not going to opine on how other organizations conduct business. Everyone does things a little differently. But I think there have recently been some good examples out there about why it's better to keep things in-house and not open the fourth wall to the outside. Stability is the concrete beneath the Packers' winning foundation.

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