Inbox: All those things should be kept in mind

[Cheesehead]

Paul from Minneapolis, MN


Going on record with your consistent doubts that Gute would NOT take a QB at 1 proves to me one thing: You guys are not in the tank for the Pack just because you work for the team's site. II readers should respect that. I still don't like the pick though, but that's just me.


Appreciate you saying that. Or then again there's Eli's theory.


Eli from Yardley, PA


Well, BG may not have asked Wes to join the front office. But I think it is clear he has Spoff on the payroll to create smokescreen on the website about the Packers not drafting a QB in round one. I hope Rodgers lights the NFL on fire this year. Did big leaps from young players like Rashan Gary, Jace Sternberger, etc., just become that much more important?


Yes. They were going to be very important anyway, but that was the gist of the recap of the draft I wrote late Saturday night. The Packers are betting on young players at various stages of their careers fulfilling their promise. That's where the team will improve the most in 2020, not from the draft class itself.


Bob from Springfield, MA


Hi Insiders, for youngsters upset by the Love pick, one of the things the Packers have missed since the Favre era is having a quality backup QB. That list includes two three-time Pro Bowlers in Matt Hasselbeck and Mark Brunell. Indeed, excluding AR, the Packers drafted nine QBs while Favre was starting, including seven by Ron Wolf. Do you think that was all wasted draft capital?


Not at all, and I agree the Packers have improved their backup QB situation immensely for the foreseeable future. That's not nothing, when one win during a two-week injury could be the difference between getting a postseason berth and missing that shot. But let's be fair. Of all those QBs Wolf drafted, the highest pick he used was a fourth-rounder (Aaron Brooks). This was spending a first and fourth for a player everyone hopes doesn't have to play, so I understand the dissatisfaction with the decision from a large segment of the fan base.


Conard from Washington, DC


To Wes and Mike, dealing with incensed Packer fans after draft weekend: "Whatever they're paying you...it can't be enough" (The Dead Pool). CC: Packers' front office.


I have no problem with my compensation, my job description, nor the outlet we provide for the fans. It comes with the territory. At times I ask many of the same questions, raise my eyebrows, etc., but I do so a bit more dispassionately (an understatement if there ever was one). Maybe the better word is measured. I guess that comes with the territory, too.


Robert from Schaumburg, IL


I think David Bakhtiari will hire Laremy Tunsil to be his agent.


He doesn't have to. Tunsil's already done plenty for him.


Todd from Brighton, MI


Happy Monday! How will the NFL draft format this year impact future NFL drafts? Will anything change? Mostly positive reviews, but ultimately $$ will drive the decisions, right?


Indubitably. I don't think the way the NFL conducted this draft is here to stay, but some of the components leading up to it might be, like virtual pre-draft visits.


Rick from Poulsbo, WA


Not a question but an observation: the stark difference between Green Bay's staff, who appeared to be drafting for depth, and the "experts," who expected Green Bay to fill perceived needs (WR, LB, OT). The "experts" raved over the quality of the WR draft class but GB drafted none. GB passed on drafting Patrick Queen, one "expert's" top LB, and no OL until the sixth round. Mr. Gutekunst and Coach LaFleur clearly believe in the guys they have, and theirs are the opinions that matter.


They also have the most at stake, aside from the players themselves. They're banking on these picks (over the long haul) and the players they didn't "replace" (in the short term) to prove them right.


Jeff from Montclair, VA


LaFleur says he has total confidence in his receiving corps. Do you take this draft as evidence that he has total confidence in his run defense?


My interpretation of Gutekunst's and LaFleur's comments Saturday night regarding the run defense is they believe they have adequate personnel and the issues can be fixed schematically.


Wes from South St. Paul, MN


Okay, enough already with the whining and moaning about Gute not picking a WR. He was pretty plain – the best players on their board were gone (the cost to move up to get one was more than the Pack wanted to pay). And the rest, in Gute's opinion, were no better than the guys on the roster. The key is for Allen Lazard, Jake Kumerow, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, etc., to step up and make the jump in Year 3. In addition, the onus is on ML/AR to get those guys more involved in the offense.


True enough. LaFleur did sound very excited about Devin Funchess in his final comments, and it was the first we'd heard from him on free agency. He also mentioned being "all over" MVS to get him to maximize his ability, and he made a change at receivers coach. I think all those things should be kept in mind.