Inbox: AJ Dillon certainly didn't skip leg day this offseason

[Cheesehead]

Matt from Beaverton, OR


Pretty clear now that the Packers value Dean Lowry a lot more than all the talking heads that had him as good as cut. The 2022 cap situation is getting more and more interesting.


Lowry is as durable as they come and has a thankless job, doing a lot of the dirty work in the defensive front. If you look at the roster, there aren't many who do what Lowry does in the Packers' defense. Everyone agrees he got off to a slow start last year, but Lowry picked things up down the stretch. He was playing his best football come January.


Perry from Ishpeming, MI


I read that Oren Burks is moving back to working with the ILBs. Do you think moving a young player around early in their career impedes their development? Or do you think it provides them with more experience down the road? Thank you all for keeping us all entertained for six days a week!


It's not unusual for teams to cross-train linebackers at both the inside and outside linebacker positions. Heck, the Packers made a cottage industry out of it during the mid-2010s under Dom Capers. So, there's some natural synergy between the two spots. Regardless, this is a huge year for Burks. He's been a solid special-teamer but just hasn't been quite able to make that leap into the defensive rotation.


Tom from Douglassville, PA


So, who looks the best so far in the OTAs?


Preston Smith. You can tell he's been in the gym a lot this offseason. Mike Smith even mentioned on Wednesday how much leaner Preston looks. Dexter Williams, too.


Jeff from Eveleth, MN


Guys, I know I joke around a lot, but a serious question here. Is it harder or easier for a guy like Bakhtiari to recover from an ACL tear versus a "skill position" player that relies on speed, acceleration, and cuts? Does the 300-plus pound frame on that surgically repaired knee stress the issue more than all the movement of a running back or wideout?


That's a good question. While offensive linemen aren't cutting as violently as a receiver or skill-position player, they're also carrying a lot more weight. It's probably a horse apiece but it does seem like the Packers feel more comfortable returning an O-lineman quicker to the field following ACL surgery than receivers. At least, that's my hunch after covering this team for 10 years.


Jeff from Champlin, MN


The Packers have nine away games this year. I assume they'll have nine home games next year.


You got it, dude.


David from Appleton, WI


Hello Insiders! It seems the players' influence has increased (re: AR12 situation) in the last several years. What do you attribute to this increase in player influence? Free agency? Size of contracts? The 24/7 media coverage? Insider Inbox writers?


I don't know if I'd agree there's any significant increase in influence in recent years. In the NFL alone, John Elway, Joe Montana, Randy Moss, Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown all used influence for a change in scenery at different points over the past 40 years. The only thing I can think of that's different today is the instantaneous spread of information due to the internet and social media.


Tom from Sturgeon Bay, WI


II, did you guys notice Aaron playing the guitar with his left hand?


I just figured the video was backwards.


Vincent from Lindenhurst, NY


Can the Packers be competitive without Aaron Rodgers? Is Jordan Love capable of being the next quarterback for the Packers?


Loyal readers know how much I hate hypotheticals but there is one thing I want to say off this question. By design, this is a QB-friendly offense. The presence of a three-time MVP like Rodgers was the perfect marriage, but that's also not a prerequisite for the offense to succeed. The Rams and 49ers made the Super Bowl with Jared Goff and Jimmy Garoppolo, respectively, as their quarterbacks. No disrespect to those guys but they're not Aaron Rodgers. So, that isn't where the bar should be for Love – not today, not tomorrow and not whenever the day comes that he makes his first NFL start. Is Love capable? He wouldn't be here if he wasn't. Love is a 22-year-old quarterback with a first-round pedigree and an inexhaustible amount of reps right now. That's all he needs to be right now.