Inbox: He's extremely well-liked around here

[Cheesehead]

Chuck from Gold Canyon, AZ


Good morning Mike. Notwithstanding the QB situation I would say there are going to be a lot of NFL quality players the Packers will not be able to keep just from a numbers perspective. I know some will be lost to injury but the decisions especially at WR, OL, TE and now ILB will be interesting going through training camp. I can't say I recall another year the Packers had this deep of roster. What is your opinion three months out from game day?


I'd say this is the deepest 90-man roster I've seen since at least 2014.


Statham from Pineview, GA


Are the majority of players just as unaware of how the salary cap works as most fans are? My reason for asking is that I noticed a lot of current and retired players in awe that it only took a second for Julio Jones, with many of them questioning why their team did not trade for him at that price.


No one needs to understand all the minutiae and machinations of the salary cap to have an appreciation for how the NFL works, but Vic was absolutely spot-on when he always used to say, "To know the game, know the cap."


Ty from Elkhart, IN


I am rather proud to have called Krys Barnes arguably the biggest steal of last year's rookie class – he had no business going undrafted. Patrick Taylor was the other guy I pegged, but injury stole his 2020 season...can I get an update as to how you think Taylor is looking? Am I going to go 2-for-2 possibly after a year delay?


I mentioned Taylor the other day regarding the No. 3 running back competition. But I draw absolutely zero conclusions about running backs without pads on. We really have to see them in preseason games, how they hit the holes, break tackles, pass protect, etc.


Jeremy from New Glarus, WI


At what point during the offseason does the coaching staff start putting together a depth chart of the roster?


They do it before OTAs start, so there's a plan for how to divide up the 11-on-11 reps in practice. But it's always fluid and guys are sharing reps with different units, and in some cases playing different positions (offensive linemen, for example). They'll do another one before the start of training camp, but again, it'll be fluid and constantly adjusted.


Alex from Lake Forest, IL


It has been a long time since we've had a potential starting QB without the reps and NFL experience of a seasoned starter. To assess Love's understanding of the playbook and formations, will coaches ever intentionally (and as a surprise) line a player up in an incorrect location to see if he can diagnose and correct the mistake? How does Love best get accustomed to this type of pre-snap readiness?


It's on the player to line up in the correct position, always. The coaches want the QB focused on any adjustments that have to be made based on the defense, and he may switch someone's alignment accordingly. But he's not tasked with correcting his own teammates on the basics.


Josh from Portland, OR


How difficult is it for a QB like Blake Bortles to learn the offense while not getting many reps in practice? While he has some advantages in accrued seasons and familiarity with coaching, picking up a new offense seems like it can take a full season of work, even for starting QBs getting the lion's share of reps. Similarly, how difficult is it for the coaches to evaluate a player with minimal reps?


It's definitely a challenge for Bortles, but this spring has been focused on Love out of necessity given all the circumstances over the last 15 months. Regarding evaluation, that's more for training camp, but it is difficult with few reps, and players have to maximize whatever they get.


Concetta from Gurnee, IL


Which team will be the biggest threat to the Packers this year?


In the NFC North, I'd say the Vikings. The moves they've made on defense should have that group looking like a Zimmer unit of old rather quickly. The wild card is the Bears and rookie QB Justin Fields. If he takes over early and lights it up, it'll change the look of the division.