Inbox: It all comes down to this

Sarah from Neenah, WI

Is Jordan Love going to play in the final preseason game?

You betcha. How much will he play? I don't know…cha.

Steve from Colorado Springs, CO

Hey guys, haven't written lately but still reading the II faithfully. Looking forward to the regular season already and how Jordan does against all the things that defenses don't do in preseason. It seems there are things where inexperience doesn't matter as much, like throwing accuracy (given being on the same page as the receivers), but what do you see as things where inexperience will be more of a challenge? Interceptions come to mind, at least when resulting from misreading defenses.

The grind. It is a loooooooooong season with few reprieves. Win or lose, the key for any young QB is reviewing the tape, learning, and moving on to the next opponent. There will be moments of adversity. There will be turnovers, missed throws and perhaps even injury. It's how a QB powers through that'll determine how far the season will take him and his team. That's going to be the challenge for Love as a first-time NFL starting quarterback and he fully embraces that.

Dean from Leavenworth, IN

"The veteran voice in the locker room." Teams have position coaches for every position group. Those coaches have plenty of experience either as a player or coach and usually both. Their job is to provide that voice of experience and leadership. When the room doesn't have a veteran (older) leader, I think it gives the young leaders a chance to step up and provide that leadership voice organically. Thoughts, Weston? Good luck and good health to all this afternoon. GPG

I couldn't agree more. I think you're seeing it with the receivers right now. Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson aren't rah-rah, look-at-me wideouts, but they worked alongside Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard and Sammy Watkins for a season and saw what it means to be a professional. If a veteran is missing, somebody needs to step up and both of those wideouts have.

Jeff from Middleton, WI

Are the two safety spots interchangeable? With Darnell Savage holding down one side, would the guys competing for the other spot be able to fill in seamlessly in case of injury?

That's how the Packers have gone about things the past 10 years (at least, for the most part). Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage moved between the free and strong safety positions. Amos occasionally filled in as a slot cornerback in the dime due to injury. If Rudy Ford ends up starting Week 1, I'll be curious to see who lines up where but it likely will continue to be a fluid situation on the back end.

Lori from Brookfield, WI

Wes, a senior sports-writing sage said, "If you try to watch everything, you'll see nothing." Who (or what) should receive our focus in this last preseason game?

Competition. Today's game will begin with the starting offense and defense getting their final tune-up before the start of the regular season, but then the battle begins amongst the guys on the bubble. I can't tell you how many times a player has earned his spot on the 53 during those final 60 minutes of the preseason. Whether it's the plethora of running backs, safeties or linemen, jobs will be on the line when the No. 1 units remove their pads.

Al from Green Bay, WI

Most pleasant surprises (rookie version) from training camp: There are several, but I'm going with Carrington Valentine, Sean Clifford and Malik Heath. Do you agree? Also, who would your most pleasant surprises (veteran version) include?

Those would be my top three. Heath gets a special mention as an undrafted rookie who has earned reps with the starting offense this summer. The Packers' Day 3 class has been impressive, but Clifford and Valentine stand atop that list. Those are two guys who have brought it since OTAs and carried that momentum into training camp.

Bruce from Jackson, WI

Hey guys, I enjoyed Weston's article on Rudy Ford and I'm definitely pulling for him because of his attitude. Too many people live in the past instead of the present. As Wes noted, "Ford is focused on today and controlling what's controllable." On a separate note, what did Wes mean when he said … "and a run fit of Ezekiel Elliott during the joint practices." I'm not familiar with that phrase. Thanks, and GPG!

Just how Ford attacked the gap and squared up to Elliott. He was in the right position to make the play. Ford is a fast safety who hits hard. Consistency is going to be the key for him this season, but it's also put him in position to once again run with the ones.

Bret from Hertel, WI

Dear Wes, Larry's interview with Milt Hendrickson is excellent. Mr. Hendrickson has a great football background and as Ted Thompson said about many at 1265, he is a Packer person! Have you had the opportunity to do an interview with him? and I liked his approach on 11-on-11 by focusing on one position group. Thanks!

I've never had the pleasure of interviewing Milt, but he's one of my favorite people in the building. Milt is a salt-of-the-earth guy and a gifted talent evaluator. I love "The Unsung" series and how it's brought some of the most hard-working and vital people in our building to light. They deserve it.

Brandon from Imperial, MO

Good morning. With what seems to be a myriad of young talent and only 53 spots, do you anticipate the front office trying to trade guys at spots of depth (that might not make it to the practice squad) rather than lose them to another team with no compensation? I'm thinking of WRs, RBs, and edge, specifically. Maybe BG tries to bring in talent at a spot the Packers aren't quite as deep, like safety?

It's always possible. Last year, they traded Cole Van Lanen to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a seventh-round pick. Six years ago, they also sent Lerentee McCray to the Jaguars for a seventh-rounder. It can always work the other way, too, like when the Packers acquired Corey Bojorquez from the Los Angeles Rams two years ago. You just never know until the mandatory roster reduction begins.

John from Jupiter, FL

Morning Wes. So, if ML gets the Packers to 13-3, does he finally win Coach of the Year? Thanks

Lord, I hope so.

Jimmy from Rockford, IL

I've seen a lot of questions pertaining to a veteran quarterback in the room. Wasn't Tom Clements a quarterback?

And a darn good one. Spoff made a salient point at practice Thursday that one of the lasting impacts Aaron Rodgers had on this current Packers team was drawing Clements out of retirement last year. Clements has a green thumb for developing QBs. It can't be overstated how much progress Love has made under Clements' watchful eye.

Eric from Springfield, VA

What's the longest you've seen someone bounce around on practice squads? Either with GB primarily or with other teams.

Off the top of my head, I'd say Danny Etling. He was on six practice squads (New England, Atlanta, Seattle, Denver, Green Bay and Jacksonville).

Justin from Los Angeles, CA

Is the choice to activate someone from PUP up to the GM, or the team doctor? For example, if the team thought Eric Stokes was maybe two or three weeks out and they didn't want him to be shut down for the first four weeks, could they go ahead and activate him now, or does a doctor have to clear him first?

Those conversations would start with the team doctors, trainers, and player, but certainly the Packers could activate a player from PUP if they feel he could return earlier than the four-week minimum time that's required for players to remain on regular-season PUP. In a way, the Packers sort of did that last year with David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins, neither of whom played in last year's opener in Minnesota.

Ned from Laguna Woods, CA

What ever happened to Ron Wolf's son after he missed out on the GB GM job?

That's Eliot Wolf you're referring to. He was actually just in town for the joint practices. Eliot is the director of scouting for the Patriots. It was great seeing him last week.

Thomas from Cedar Rapids, IA

If I have one complaint about the Packers website, it's the difficulty in finding what I want to read. For instance, where is "Three Things" once it drops off the home page list of news? I can never seem to find it and there is no search box. This is often the case when someone on Inbox mentions a story. If you don't provide a link, typically I don't bother spending the time to look for it because it is just too frustrating scrolling through "more news" trying to find it.

My apologies, Thomas. There is a "Three Things" section under the video tab, and we have an "All News" bar at the top of our "News" section. We strive to make our site as accessible and efficient as it can be it can be, but those are two suggested areas you can turn to for archived content.

TK from Grafton, WI

It wasn't very long ago that one couldn't fall out of a boat without hitting two things: water, and a fan bemoaning the dearth of talent at receiver. Now it appears that GB will have a tough time keeping "only" six. What gives?

Hey, life moves pretty fast in the NFL. If you don't stop and (acquire young talent), you could miss it. But seriously, the positive outlook for the receiving position is a credit to GM Brian Gutekunst and Head Coach Matt LaFleur and their respective staffs to identify and develop talent. Most of all, it says a lot about the work ethic and drive of the receivers themselves. Those wideouts understood the opportunity presented to them and they rose to the challenge. It should be an exciting year on the perimeter.

Benjamin from Evergreen Park, IL

Tyler Davis was obviously slated for a pretty big role this year, albeit "12" personnel on offense or special teams. We have had decent developmental players at TE on this roster since 2020. Is reaching back into that rolodex of players a possibility worth considering if the price is right and the relationship is good?

Anything is possible after the first wave of cuts is made Tuesday. Like we always say, it's referred to as "the initial 53" for a reason. There's always a player or two you don't expect to come available. Last year, for example, it was Rudy Ford in Jacksonville and the Packers moved quickly to sign him. It's entirely possible Green Bay seeks to add another tight end depending on who comes available.

Sue from Three Lakes, WI

Not a question, just an observation. I really enjoy "Three Guys." It seems very evident on camera how much you guys respect and admire Larry, as we all do. A former player great who stuck around GB/Wisconsin. I can think of a couple others that did the same, like LeRoy and Brian Noble for a while. Do any others come to mind? I guess that is a question. Keep up the great stories.

Johnnie Gray deserves so much credit and respect. His name doesn't come up nearly enough in these conversations. He's such a humble, giving individual who's dedicated his life to helping others. But yeah, Larry McCarren is the genuine article. He's a WBA Hall of Fame broadcaster and Packers Hall of Fame center, but I've always felt Larry's true legacy is how many lives he's touched in a positive way, especially in the media industry. I am so honored and humbled to share a video screen with Larry McCarren.

Paul from Ledgeview, WI

Wes, what is the process for II? Does the Inbox close for the day at some point, and submissions after that point go to the next day? Do you snap a line when you start writing? When do you begin writing for the day?

Honestly, it comes down to how busy/tired I am.

Brian from Denver, CO

I have been a longtime reader but today I do have a question: With the team in its youth movement, are you guys going young, too, with the Junior Power Pack reporter? Sorry, I couldn't resist when I saw the picture with Wes and the Junior Power Pack reporter.

Writing positions are never owned, they are rented, and James is coming for payment.

Derek from Eau Claire, WI

To all the young men trying to make their dreams come true this week, may the odds be ever in your favor!

It all comes down to this. I'm wishing every young Packers player on the bubble good fortune and health today at Lambeau Field. To fans attending the game, I hope you all have a great time.

Eddie from Fort Myers, FL

Nothing quite like an early Saturday game...a few beers, a nice pot roast going in the slow cooker, and an entire Sunday to recover.

Amen. Happy gameday, everyone.