The best chefs know how to make the most out of their ingredients

Wes Hodkiewicz

Al from Green Bay, WI

Count me among the many who are excited to read reports from OTAs. Which new player did you watch most closely?

I watchedMatthew GoldenandSavion Williamsquite a bit and they impressed me for different reasons. Golden, who took some first-team reps, is prodigiously fast but also sudden. He gets from Point A to Point B in a hiccup. Williams, who wore a red non-contact jersey, is a rookie but looks like a man out there. His size for a wideout really stood out. I thoughtNate Hobbshad a great day. Working from the slot, Hobbs broke up a pair of passes intended forTucker KraftandLuke Musgravein 7-on-7. It's always fun to get back out there for OTAs. It starts to feel like football season again.

Michelle from Ringgold, GA

What do you see as the biggest challenge for the Packers this year?

The NFC North. I have full confidence in this roster and coaching staff to be competitive this year, but I also expect the division to be equally formidable again. For the Packers to take that step we've talked about all offseason, they must achieve better results within the division.

Bryan from Madison, WI

I feel the additions of Matthew Golden, Savion Williams andMecole Hardmanbumped the floor and the ceiling up a notch or three in the WR room. Add in a healthy Luke Musgrave andJosh Jacobswith a full year under his belt and I believe this offense has all the ingredients to be very, very good. From a defensive perspective I honestly have no clue how you effectively contain all those threats.

That's what the Packers are aiming for. They want to be a balanced, multiple offense that also can take advantage of favorable matchups and pray on opponents' weak spots on any given week. Staying healthy is the main thing. But if the Packers can keep that skill-position nucleus together, that depth easily could be the biggest strength of the 2025 squad.

Michael from Shawano, WI

Gents, this year I'm more excited about the team because of the playmakers added last two years. It made me think of the fine line the HC will have to walk with all the unique athletes/playmakers hopefully at his disposal. Seems like there's someone made for anything he wants to do, but how he will keep them and play calls in sync to not be disjointed and inefficient will probably be the thing I'll watch for the most.

The best chefs know how to make the most out of their ingredientsand Matt LaFleur is a damn good cook. I'm not concerned.

George from North Mankato, MN

Outside ofJaire Alexander(who recent reports say is going to report) andElgton Jenkins, any players not at minicamp this year?

First off OTAs and minicamp are very different things. Minicamp, which is in two weeks, is mandatory. Players are fined for failing to attend. Organized team activities, which started this week, are voluntary. Besides Alexander and Jenkins, the only other players not practicing or working with the rehab group were kickerBrandon McManus, rookie offensive linemanJohn Williamsand cornerbackTyron Herring.

Tim from Superior, WI

It's still a ways off, but do you think LaFleur will adapt his preseason playing time schedule this season for the starters given the significance of the home opener against the Lions? He's been pretty conservative limiting playing time in the preseason in years past.

It is a long way off, but the Packers are conducting joint practices with both Indianapolis and Seattle. Based on recent history which is all I have to go off I'm guessing that's where most of the starters' work will come.

Kerry from Lakewood Ranch, FL

IfMarShawn Lloydturns out to be the player the Packers think he will be, would you trade our running back room with any other team?

It's so hard to compare, especially with how running backs rise and fall on any given year, but it's up there. Like I said before, this is as stacked of a running backs room I can recall in Green Bay with Jacobs, Lloyd,Emanuel WilsonandChris Brooks. They all bring something different to the party.

John from Topeka, KS

Regarding playoff counts, Sean is dead on in that it's a "pick one" situation. I guess I'd personally have the end quarter of the season for some teams be meaningless, compared to the ENTIRE regular season not matter for most teams. Why tune in (or care) about regular season games if half the league will be playing afterwards, and that's when results have consequences? (Anecdotally, I've started to feel that way about the first half of NFL games; it almost always comes down to Q4 anyway).

That's what's happened in MLB, right? Play 162 games and then have your entire season come down to a best-of-three quarterfinal? The NFL playoffs are a crapshoot. Just ask the Detroit Lions. Anyone can beat anybody at any time. That's why it means more to make an NFL postseason.

Jay from Yulee, FL

Before they ban the tush push, can the Pack do a Love Shove just once?

It's always possible, but the Packers' reluctance to "Shove Love" is player-safety related. LaFleur has touched on this before, including at the NFL Annual Meeting in March. They don't want to put their franchise QB in a compromising situation.

Mike from Pekin, IL

Good morning II first responders, regarding Matty from Durango, CO, North Dakota State is a DI FCS program. They have won numerous national championships BEFORE the FBS teams adopted a playoff format. They play at least one FBS school, and win, yearly. The MVFC is the SEC of the FCS. Ken Anderson QB for Cincinnati came from DIII Augustana. So what? Talent is what it is no matter where it came from.

True, though North Dakota State and South Dakota State could almost be considered FBS schools at this point. Brian Gutekunst said earlier this year they view those high-end FCS programs no differently than their Division I counterparts.

Richard from Madison, WI

Joshua from Milwaukee wrote "10-inch hands for a QB are fine, but 13-inch hands are dysfunctional and look weird." Which reminded me of every time I've ever seen former Cowboy QB Troy Aikman in his current job as a TV guy and I think his hands take up half the screen. Any idea how big THEY are?

I couldn't tell you, but this topic led me down an interesting rabbit hole ending withDavid Flemings 2020 NFL Draft preview. In that ESPN.com piece, Fleming stated thatJordan Lovepossesses "once-in-a-generation" 10-5/8-inch handsSo, QB1 has that going for himwhich is nice.

Derek from Sheboygan, WI

WillMicah Robinsonbe given an actual opportunity to showcase his skills in camp rather than be relegated to the practice squad right away?

Yes. How do you thinkCarrington Valentinemade the roster in 2023? Everything we've seen from Valentine on Sundays started on the grass at Ray Nitschke Field.

Martin from Orlando, FL

Ben Solak from ESPN states Green Bay will not make the playoffs as they lack a strong pass rush and a dominant receiver, thoughts?

Isn't that, um, how the Packers, uh, made the playoffs last year?

Scott from Noblesville, IN

Luke Getsy's drill brings to mind an NFL film/doc on Jerry Rice in which his father tossed Jerry bricks while working construction, when Rice was a youngster. One can't help but wonder if that film sparked the drill.

I actually wrote astory on it back in 2016. I can tell I'm getting old; I'd completely forgotten about it. Dropping bricks and having receivers catch them out of thin air was an "eye-hand coordination" drill, according to Getsy, intended to train the less-dominant eye. When asked where he got the idea, Getsy said: "Everywhere. The road that I've taken, you get different ideas from different people." So, there you go.

Clipton from Pasadena, CA

One more point about "The Moveable Scrum," it's always puzzled me why one the defenders surrounding the runner wouldn't just disengage from the shoving and wrap him up around the ankles. The pile can't move if the runner can't move his feet with it.

It's not the safest thing in the world for a defensive player to end up on the ground in the middle of those scrums, either.

Paolo from Turin, Italy

Regarding falling bricks, if anyone wants to give it a try, I suggest using something lighter but roughly with the same shape and size of a brick: falling speed is just the same and you don't risk your fingers. (I know, no math, but we've been having physics in II since the laser goalposts).

I haven't had a strong desire to try it, but if I ever do, I'll keep that advice in mind.

Mark from Greenville, SC

While Tucker Kraft was very successful with the tush push, I can't wait to see what ML can dream up with Savion Williams in that role! He seems to be the perfect weapon that can lead to interesting twists to really mess up a defense!

Having more tushes to push is never a bad thing.

Craig from Weare, NH

Mike or Wes, to continue the big toe injury discussion. I dropped a wooden base, made outta 8x8s on my left big toe two weeks ago. I said a lot of unprintable words. I broke my left big toe in three places. I climbed in the back seat of his jacked-up pickup. He had to help me because I couldn't push off to get in. I know understand the issue.

Big toes are big deals. All the best with your recovery.

Julian from Gastonia, NC

Small-town Wisconsin really is the best Wisconsin. Have you ever been to Plainfield?

Not that I recall. I'll head there after my 0.2K in Arkansaw.

Eric from Oshkosh, WI

All this talk about an 18-game schedule is ridiculous. What the league really needs is a 19-game schedule! Play everyone in your own conference once (15 games) and rotate against four teams in the other conference. Then, seed the top teams in each conference according to record for the playoffs. Done. (FYI, I hope they never do this, but I could see it being considered.)

Please don't give the league any ideas.

Ted from Findlay, OH

I am a solid no on expanding the number of playoff teams. In comparison, we are approaching the finals of my second favorite sport (NHL). In professional hockey a team could theoretically play 28 playoff games (minimum of 16) vs. 82 regular season games. On average, this means playoffs are equivalent to a quarter of the regular season. The NFL is just shy of that percentage now. Don't add more playoff teams and games. The NFL is at the digestible limit now.

"Digestible limit." That's a good one. I may steal it. It'll make for a good chuckle while I'm preparing to watch the "NFC Play-in" tournament in 20 years between the 8-10 Cowboys and 6-12 Bears for the No. 8 seed in the playoffs.

Randy from Clarksville, TN

Hey everyone! Before we all get weirded out about nine of the last 15 games being away games, if you take the season in four-game chunks, each chunk provides two home and two away games followed by one last away game. Seems totally reasonable and doable. I know there are variables involving Monday/Thursday and others, but at least we aren't traveling three-in-a-row!

It's not a great layout, but staying within the orbit of Lambeau Field is one silver lining. I'm just not a fan of having to play twice at home in the first five days of the season and then having the first possible bye. But again, Philly had to do it last year and won the whole darn thing.

Randy from Clarksville, TN

Hoping to double-up once in my existence, just heard about a reduced contract offer to Jaime. Any more info?

Jaime? Jaime Lannister? I'd assume it's hand-related (Maybe you should've just tried for the single).

Chris from Chillicothe, OH

Hey II, now that Mike's hair is ever more graying and telling us life isn't fair, when does he start pinching our cheek and telling us when he was our age television was called books?

Maybe tomorrow? Enjoy the rest of your week.

HAVE A QUESTION?

ASK A QUESTION