Inbox: It's a whale of a foundation

[Cheesehead]

Gary from Malta, MT


I have seen many comments about going to 17-game season being tougher on the players and the possibility of more injuries. How about changing the 53-man limit to 55 or 56?


That would have to be negotiated through the CBA, and it's unlikely to get anywhere. The players aren't going to want increased roster size without a cap boost because they'd essentially be giving themselves a pay cut, and the owners aren't going to want the increased expenses.


Dan from Rothschild, WI


Mike, regarding the 1999 draft and the first three QBs taken, didn't two of them eventually sign with the Packers?


Yes, both Tim Couch and Akili Smith did at certain points sign with the Packers, but neither ever played in a game for Green Bay.


Stan from Merrill, WI


I know I'm not the only Krys Barnes fan out here. But am I the only one who believes he will be an elite inside linebacker? In his rookie season, he played hurt, was playing in a new system and was calling the defensive signals. In spite of this, there were times when I was truly excited with the speed at which he played. What is your opinion regarding his ceiling?


There's no telling where it is right now. It would be a big leap for an undrafted player to become "elite" as you suggest. That's pretty rare. But Barnes showed he belongs and now we wait and see where this goes.


Steven from Silver Spring, MD


Now that all parties have passed, what do we take away from the return game of '19-20? Often times it was league worst statistically except for a stretch of games late in '19 for Tyler Ervin. Does that tell us that it is more the scheme and coaching, or does that tell us that it was just about having a healthy and explosive returner?


In his most recent media session last month (I can't recall if it was the on-camera Zoom or the off-camera Q/A with writers) Gutekunst indicated getting a dynamic return man back there is the first step toward improving the return game. It was a comment that, to me, adds even more intrigue to the upcoming middle-round draft decisions.


John from Des Moines, IA


Vic always said each coach had a different approach for winning; McCarthy was matchup-based. What is LaFleur's approach?


Every coach's approach is matchup-based to a certain extent in the NFL now. It's all about finding where the edge resides, personnel-wise. Coming from the Shanahan-McVay pipeline, LaFleur's offense adds an element of duplicity and deception – making concepts look the same when the intent is to do something different.


Tom from Palatine, IL


I thought I saw that Lane Taylor was visiting a few teams. Has there been any talk of bringing him back as a depth piece, or have they moved on from him due to what they believe they have in "jars on the shelf" from the last draft?


I haven't heard anything one way or the other regarding Taylor. Whether it's in Green Bay or elsewhere, I hope he can get healthy again and continue his career. He's a good dude who's had some rotten luck in recent years.


Ronald from Panabo, Philippines


Hey Insiders, it appeared to me the Smith brothers had a down year in 2020. Did you think so also, and if so what was the reason? More importantly how do they and the new DC fix the problem?


Preston Smith's production obviously fell off, and his restructured, incentive-laden contract is a reflection of that. But he's a proven pro who's certainly heard the negative chatter out there, so I'm curious to see how he responds on the field. Za'Darius Smith still had 12½ sacks and four forced fumbles, so it's hard for me to call that a "down year" even if other metrics showed his total pressures declined. His 2019 season was off-the-charts good in so many ways, he may have set an unrealistic bar for himself. It's up to Barry to get the most out of the Smiths-Rashan Gary trio through scheme, opportunities, etc. I doubt he sees it as something to "fix."