Steve from Surprise, AZ

Congratulations to Zach Tom as he deserves every penny of his new contract. With Elgton Jenkins moving to center, Rasheed Walker at LT, and Aaron Banks at LG, it appears the development/ascension of right guard will be the key to a dominating OL for the next several years. I love the depth and potential of Anthony Belton, Jordan Morgan, Jacob Monk, etc. Brian Gutekunst has turned what appeared to be a weakness into a strength. Well done.

The Packers know their mid-round offensive linemen, man. That's been the secret sauce to their success over the past three decades. Also, remember what I wrote on Tuesday about the Packers negotiating behind closed doors and not through the media? Shhhhhhhhhhhh…

Nick from Janesville, WI

With the OL battles, where does Anthony Belton fall in? Could he be a hidden third option at LT or RG?

Belton repped left tackle with the second-team offense on Wednesday. We'll have to see if Green Bay rolls with him there for now or expands the menu in practices to come.

Richard from Telford, TN

How does Nate Hobbs look? I say if he plays more than 10 games, he is an improvement over Jaire Alexander.

Hobbs opened Wednesday's practice by breaking up a would-be touchdown intended for his former Raiders teammate Josh Jacobs. It was on the media's sideline, so we could see him flash a wide smile afterwards. It's the same thing he was doing in the spring. As first impressions go, this guy is just a magnet to the football.

Caleb from Knoxville, TN

What's your favorite aspect of the locker room renovations? It looks fantastic!

A lot stood out to me. The built-in drying mechanisms for the helmets and shoulder pads are cool. I like the LED screens above each locker with the player's headshot, name and hometown. Obviously, you can never go wrong with leather seats, couches and big-screen TVs, either.

Tim from Windsor, CO

Great Seinfeld reference regarding the new locker room, my all-time favorite show. I also enjoyed the footage from Josh Jacobs as players saw the locker room for the first time. How much do the "little things" really boost team morale and can you feel it in the building?

From an organizational standpoint, the locker room renovation is the latest example of the Packers' commitment to investing in their football team. They leave no stone unturned. That said, Matt LaFleur had the right message for his team – none of these luxuries is worth a win. Sure, they can aid a team's development and progress, but all the work still happens on the grass.

Dan from Cross Plains, WI

I get the hype with Edgerrin Cooper and can't wait to watch him as the starter for the whole season. But don't you think opposing offenses will be more focused on him this year with all the hype? What does he need to do this year to combat the additional attention?

It's the cat-and-mouse nature of the NFL game. All Cooper can do is grow. He's certainly done that in the weight room. Mentally, the next step is gaining comfort in the defense and surely executing his assignments. Opponents will have No. 56 circled on film. It's up to Cooper to stay ahead of the curve and maximize his physical gifts.

Jeff from New Lisbon, WI

I've often wondered beside the paycheck, which I understand is of extreme importance and rightfully so for these young men, how much do you think the other peripheries such as fan base, amenities (new locker room), city life, coaching staff, etc., play into a player's decision when talking with his agent?

It depends on the player, but certainly guys want to sign with competitive teams that have good cultures. Winning is obviously paramount but organizational stability also protects the player and his future, too.

Dan from Oshkosh, WI

It's a little early, but how did the new edge guys look? Lukas Van Ness? DL?

Fit as a fiddle…or fiddles, I suppose.

Doug from Roberts, WI

It amazes me how fans of teams become enamored with a hot free agent, to the point of wanting to spend cap money on that guy instead of keeping one of your own. What if we would have traded our fourth-round pick for a hot free agent prior to Zach Tom being selected? We know at some point our core guys will have to be paid; why would you want to jeopardize that? The question, how far out does cap $ get "reserved" for an ascending player like Cooper, knowing you will be extending him in X year?

Player acquisition has many streets and avenues, but ultimately teams want draft picks to be their foundation. The better you draft, the less you need to spend in unrestricted free agency, or trade future draft assets for players. If a team's cap situation is healthy, which the Packers' perennially has been, you don't need to set money aside to extend young, ascending players. That situation just kind of works itself out. At least, that's how it's been in Green Bay with Russ Ball keeping the books.

Andrew from Chicago, IL

The year the Peyton Manning Colts won their lone Super Bowl, they went 3-4 in their last seven games (after starting 9-0). The year the Saints won their lone Super Bowl, they went 0-3 in their last three (after starting 13-0). Both Giants' Super Bowl runs came after lackluster regular seasons. The 2012 Ravens went 1-4 in their last five. Finishing strong might be a sufficient, but not necessary, condition for postseason success. Give me health over everything else.

It's in the eye of the beholder, but the two best non-Super Bowl teams I covered in Green Bay each suffered significant injuries to significant players in the final month of the regular season – Aaron Rodgers' calf in 2014 and David Bakhtiari's knee in 2020. That reinforced my position that health, as best you can manage it, is a must down the stretch.

Herbert from Tlexcala, Mexico, CA

Good morning! The comment about peaking at the right time has always intrigued me. As a coach I attributed it to two main factors: 1) Keeping players mentally and physically healthy. 2) Continually teaching until the last game has been played. Can you add anything?

Making the necessary adjustments (Kenny Powers voice). Green Bay does not get as far as it did in 2014 without scrapping the 4-3 "Quad" and later moving Clay Matthews to inside linebacker. Even last year, the Packers changing up their defense to better affect the quarterback was essential to the unit's turnaround under Jeff Hafley. Adaptation isn't just reserved for the offseason. It's constant.

Bill from Clive, IA

Mike mentioned that TEs tend to get more national recognition when they have a season of more than 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns. I think we all would love to see both Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave have big years like that, but it doesn't seem likely that they could both do so with all the talent we also have in the WR group, not to mention the RB group. What would you say would be a satisfying year for any TE or WR, given the competition for pass targets with an offense like ours?

It'd be great for Kraft to improve on last year's numbers, but I already felt like he had the perfect season in 2024. His 50 catches for 707 yards and seven TDs rank up there with Jermichael Finley's 2011 season (55-767-8) for the best all-around season by a Packers tight end in the 21st century. Green Bay doesn't tailor the offense to one or two specific pass-catchers, so it may be hard to break the 1,000-yard mark. However, Kraft could post the comparable numbers this year and still be even more valuable to the Packers and what they're looking to achieve on offense.

Ari from Milwaukee, WI

Look no further than last year's Cincinnati Bengals to see why early games matter. They ended the season as hot as anyone, with five straight wins to close out 2024. But an 0-3 start kept them out of the playoffs, no doubt burning holes in their sofas as they watched from home. While ending strong is important, you have to get there first. Can't skip any steps, as Gute said yesterday. Step one is camp, step two preseason, step three sending the kitties back to Detroit with tails between legs.

You're not wrong, but the Bengals also did themselves no favors splitting their next eight games after that 0-3 start. There's peaks and valleys in every season. While a team can't get too high, it absolutely can't get too low. It comes back to consistency. It always does.

Dylan from Galesville, WI

What is your outlook on Jordan Love's upcoming season? I feel that he'll be a top five QB in the NFL, but there is A LOT of speculation that he is average at best.

Only a casual fan would say Love is average. Anyone who watches Love with any regularity can see that young man can do spectacular things with the football. Sure, there's still areas of Love's game where he can improve but he has all the tools to be one of the NFL's top-tier QBs.

Jason from Hartselle, AL

I knew the Packers had about 25 years of futility following the Vince Lombardi tenure, so, out of curiosity, I checked Wikipedia (which is ALWAYS right) to see just how bad it was. Literally, not one coach between Lombardi and Mike Holmgren had an overall winning record. What has been made of the reasons for this long, horrible stretch, and what changed?

Bad drafts, bad trades and no free agency.

Jim from Hudsonville, MI

Could a player have contract incentives tied to being selected to the NFL Top 100? Also, do you think being selected to that list would possibly mean more to a player since they are selected exclusively by their peers, as opposed to the (IMO silly) Pro Bowl?

Could they? Sure…but I haven't heard of such a thing. Based on how NFL Network goes about gathering those votes, however, I would say a player and his agent would be foolish to have that language written into a contract.

Ryan from Chippewa Falls, WI

And just like that, No. 80 is no longer eligible for the pantheon of II side quests. Out of curiosity, what would be more of a double take, "88" lined up at running back or "80" locking down the opposing WR1?

In this case, I was sad to see No. 80 go. When your name is Bo, that number is an elite arrangement.

Gerry from Salina, KS

Is Willie Davis the Packers' all-time sack leader? I know that they did not count sacks during his playing years, but I remember him as being in the backfield a lot when I watched the Packers during his years.

Unofficially, probably. His Packers Hall of Fame biography, which I believe Cliff wrote, estimates Davis had at least 100 sacks and possibly more than 120 during his Packers career.

Jeffery from Monticello, WI

Hello II, in your opinion which President did more for the Packers during their tenure?

Probably Ford. It's not every day a sitting U.S. president christens a football team's hall of fame.

David from Janesville, WI

So Mike recommends "Fletch" and "Christmas Vacation," plugs "A Few Good Men," as well, then slips in a "Police Academy" reference as well as an "Airplane" reference – partly in responding to a conversation begun by a "Caddyshack" reference. My only question is, where was the "Shawshank Redemption" reference? I'm assuming it was there, and I missed it. I won't rest for one minute until I find it. Now let's grab a bite to eat.

It's buried in a box under a rock that has no earthly business in a Maine hayfield. Piece of black, volcanic glass.

Ben from Cripple Creek, CO

I think I back Vic on when baloney season stops. Yes, this time is important, but people can still make wild predictions about teams/players. But the results on the field aren't quantified in wins or losses just yet. Speaking of baloney, do we call it that season because no one likes baloney?

Whichever way you slice it, each day we get closer to revealing the story of the 2025 Packers.

Mark from Westminster, CO

I am grateful to have you two as editorial writers for the Green Bay Packers. I can tell you I would not want to be tasked with coming up with content day after day, week after week, and month after month. How you two do it so well year after year is profound. The Packers should be proud to have you two on their team. Keep up the fantastic work, because Packers Nation needs access to the team and you give it to us.

I'm just here so I don't get fined.

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