Over the last two training camps it seems like the defense has dominated the offense more often than not. Do you see a different dynamic this year, especially with the defense learning a new scheme?
Maybe, although I’m not one to record perceived gains and losses during practice. If both parties are learning and growing, that’s what really matters. This is how a football team prepares for Week 1. But yes, I would expect the offense to be further along this summer given the development of Jordan Love and having so many key players who are now a year wiser in the scheme .
Johnny from Nasawaupee, WI
II, there is a lot of talk before the preseason about the receivers room and who will take the next step. One name that doesn’t seem to get much mention is Jayden Reed. If this young man steps forward… watch out. Looking back at his key catches in 2023, Reed made a lot of them. How will the Packers get the most out of Reed at 24?
Just putting the ball in Reed’s hands, and fortunately, there are countless ways to do that in Matt LaFleur’s offense. Reed has that “it” factor and unparalleled versatility. For that reason, I think Reed will be even more electric in Year 2…whether it’s being talked about or not right now.
I just realized. All four NFC North teams have QBs selected in the first round. Jared Goff and Caleb Williams were selected first overall in the Draft. JJ McCarthy was chosen 10th overall. And our man Jordan Love was the 26th pick. Given Love’s rapid rise, would you now classify him as a “steal” at 26 years old, or should we wait to see how things play out in the division?
I don’t think it’s too early to call Love a steal considering how tedious finding franchise QBs can be. Love is by no means a finished product and must build on past success, but his performance last year shows that he was a solid find in the second half of the first round.
Ethan from Coralville, IA
The selection of Jordan Morgan has created an interesting and much-discussed tackle competition this offseason. Has there been any indication that perhaps Rasheed Walker or Morgan will move to the right side while Zach Tom recovers from his injury?
For now, Morgan will rotate at right tackle with free agent Andre Dillard. As I said in “Packers Unscripted”, this is Valuable work for first-round rookie selection to get to the right tackle test drive. As we’ve seen so many times, any Green Bay offensive lineman is one injury away from changing positions. My expectation is that Morgan will continue to play that tackle and swing position all spring.
With Tyler Davis recovering from an injury and Tucker Kraft out until training camp, this is Ben Sims’ chance to earn snaps. In college, he was known for running routes and running fast. Was his blocking progress during the season similar to Kraft’s improvement? I’m hopeful he can be what LaFleur had planned Josiah Deguara to be.
Deguara and Sims are two completely different tight ends, but I was impressed with how Sims handled being thrown into the fire last year as an in-line blocker. He has the framework for it. Funny you mention Sims as a pass catcher. I probably saw Sims run more routes of 10 or more yards in last Tuesday’s OTA than I did all of last year. This is a great opportunity for Sims, a waiver claim days before the 2023 season, to get in all those reps he missed last summer.
Hey, tight end doesn’t look very healthy right now. Do you think they’ll look to free agency to bring one in until Kraft and Davis get better?
I doubt it. The Packers have plenty of options available with undrafted rookie Messiah Swinson joining practice squad holdover Joel Wilson and fullback Henry Pearson. Much like Sims’ situation, OTAs and minicamp offer all of those young tight ends a chance to show what they can do.
George from Kennebunkport, ME
Henry Pearson, a TE in college, is listed as a FB on our list, but I don’t remember him being used on offense. Recently, Deguara has been the de facto FB. Without Deguara, is there any chance we see Pearson or is it more likely that we continue to use a player listed as a TE in that role?
That was a point I made at rookie minicamp. Pearson is the only natural fullback/H-back on the roster. He has to earn a spot like everyone else, but his skill set is pretty unique compared to Green Bay’s other TEs and RBs.
David from Janesville, WI
Gentlemen – Happy Memorial Day! After a brief moment to honor the fallen, I’d like to point out how much I appreciate slotted contracts for draft picks. While as of this writing we still have two unsigned picks, there is no concern that they will hold out and miss the early parts of the season like we may have seen years ago. I don’t remember when the league implemented the change, but it’s been good.
The rookie pay scale is one of the biggest successes of the 2011 collective bargaining agreement. It eliminated the headaches of negotiations, shaved a year off rookie contracts, protected veterans and got draft picks on the field faster, than It’s what they need. I think it has been a victory for everyone.
Do you think the NFL will ever implement a quarterback salary cap based on a percentage of the total cap? With Jared Goff now taking on 21% of Detroit’s salary cap, I think the owners would be okay with a cap so that no player would take on more than, say, 25% of the salary cap. I think most players would also vote for that so there would be more money for everyone.
I never see the NFL and NFLPA putting a limit on a player’s earning potential. As I’ve written in the past, those premium contracts for QBs also help league parity because they give teams without a franchise QB a chance to win in other ways.
It’s very early, but do you have any thoughts on the Packers’ roster selection process? Would the practice squad be an extension of the 53, or is it a process in itself? Would it be like something like the draft, with a ranking order regardless of position, and then a depth chart by position with “need” as the tiebreaker? Aside from specialists, including PR and KR, is the “defense” established after the initial list is assembled? Thank you.
I don’t know Brian Gutekunst’s exact approach, but I see the construction of the 53-man roster and the 17-man practice squad as two different processes. Having the flexibility to “call up” players from the practice squad has definitely impacted things. It has allowed teams to protect draft picks and development prospects a little more, while also creating freedom to retain a veteran special teams player who might not play on offense or defense. Until the final point, each team ranks everything.
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