Austin from Appleton, WI

I take some time off from II in the offseason, so forgive me if this has been answered. In years past, hasn't there been a "Three Things" nearly every day during camp? Love those videos.

I guess you've taken some time off from “Three Things,” too.

Monty from Velva, ND

Is it just me or does training camp time move very slowly? I am so ready for Sept. 6!

That probably has something to do with the calendar just now flipping to August and yet there have already been eight practices. There were just six before Family Night last year.

Jesse from Appleton, WI

Hey Insiders: I've been a Kenny Clark fan since the Packers drafted him and it was great to see him get a third contract. Even better was to see Kenny acknowledge the significance of the third contract and recognize his place in Packers history. My question is: What will KC need to do in order to adapt to the new 4-3 defense? I know he's up to the challenge, whatever that will be.

To me, it's more an opportunity than a challenge. Like all these players, Clark has to learn the rules and leverage points of the new defense, but I don't anticipate a heavy learning curve for him. Clark is an intelligent guy who's played a lot of football.

Ryan from Mount Zion, IL

Kenny Clark isn't listed in the top 10 of defensive linemen in the Madden 25 ratings. When will he get his due?

Hopefully soon. Clark is ready to wake some folks up.

Tom from Rochester, NY

Just wondering how Jonathan Ford has looked with this new defense. In preseason games, he has always seemed to be disruptive on the D-line, so I was wondering if the new "scheme" plays to his strengths more and if he has a chance to make the 53.

Not enough has been written or said about Ford, a monstrous defensive tackle who was on the 53-man roster for one day before being waived the day after final cuts. But for as many injuries as the Packers weathered at virtually every position, they stayed healthy on the defensive line all season and Ford remained on the practice squad all year. This is a huge preseason for Ford. He has to make every snap count, but I've always been a fan of his.

Tim from Miami, FL

Hey II, how is this year's rookie crop looking compared to last year's?

Last year's rookie class will be tough to top in terms of production, but this 2024 group is talented bunch. You have four rookies competing for starting jobs ( Jordan Morgan, Edgerrin Cooper, Javon Bullard and Evan Williams) and several others with a chance to contribute right away.

James from Appleton, WI

There has been some good reporting on Romeo Doubs. When I start to wonder how the Packers are eventually going to pay all these receivers, stories like Doubs' remind me that the receivers will decide all that themselves.

My advice: Don't think about it. Not now, at least. We're a full season away from the Packers even being permitted to negotiate with Doubs and Christian Watson on extensions and two full years until they're free agents. Enjoy the present because the future will be here before you know it.

Hannes from Glendale, WI

If your veteran backup QB were capable of winning football games, he's probably starting somewhere else. I think the Packers' approach of drafting for not only QB1 but also QB2 increases their odds of finding a good one. How big is the factor to have control over four years of rookie contracts in the equation?

I keep it simple – you have two of the NFL's best teachers of the quarterback position on your payroll in Matt LaFleur and Tom Clements. Let them do what they do best and develop quarterbacks. I'm not saying there's a right or wrong way to build a roster, but I've never understood why teams eat $7-8 million to keep a veteran QB on retainer. The Packers have found a process that works for them.

Bill from Menominee, MI

I seem to recall AR12 mentioning when being asked about training camp interceptions that he's purposely "letting it rip" and throwing more "50-50" balls to give opportunities to both the receiver and defensive back. It offered a greater sample size for evaluation than playing safe. I'm not worried. Hell, Brett Favre did it in the games...

I saw a cool graphic on Instagram the other day that showed a target with missed shots around it that read: "This isn't failure." Next to it was another graphic of a target with no attempts at all that said: "This is." Training camp is a time for learning and growing. As many impressive throws as Jordan Love made in practice Wednesday, he mentioned how the interception he threw to Xavier McKinney will make for good teaching tape. Improvement is not achieving perfection – it's the process of chasing it.

Austin from Manassas, VA

Carrington Valentine had a heck of a rookie season, put a ton of work in over the offseason, and comes back noticeably transformed. Yet, Eric Stokes is getting all the first-team reps. He must be great out there to prevent CV from getting any first-team looks. Can you provide any insight? Also, I'm curious how their rookie seasons compared.

Y'all must have forgot on Stokes. There's a lot of fight in that young man. He was darn good as a rookie in 2021, nearly making the PFWA All-Rookie team. Stokes has a first-round pedigree, runs in the 4.3s and is healthy again. So obviously the Packers want to take a long look to see if he can recapture that magic. Also, Valentine missed practice Wednesday with a hamstring injury. So, we'll have to see how he's doing on that front.

Greg from Monument, CO

How much pull does the position coach have in determining starters for his group? Is it all on ML? Do they pick? A 50/50 blend?

The head coach has final say but position coaches also offer input. Adam Stenavich talked a few years ago about stumping for Yosh Nijman to step up in David Bakhtiari's absence. That's also true at rotating positions. Ben Sirmans talked in the past about mixing in AJ Dillon and Emanuel Wilson to give Aaron Jones a breather. During the chaos of a game, position coaches know better than anyone how their guys are doing. But if LaFleur wants a specific player in there, the on-field buck stops with him.

Al from Green Bay, WI

Which "bubble player" has impressed you the most thus far in camp?

Grant DuBose. He's been one of Green Bay's top performers through the first eight practices. The play DuBose made on a deep ball from Sean Clifford on Wednesday was one of the finest catches I've seen this offseason.

Randy from Trophy Club, TX

Why do backup QBs not hold for placekickers anymore? Seems to me that having a holder that can actually throw the football would be a big advantage come fake kick time.

It's easier to have the specialists handle the operation themselves. I can't tell you how many times during practice the specialists will be working independently while Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt are throwing or doing other offensive drills.

Rudy from Rhinelander, WI

Has the "We-fense" practiced kickoffs and kickoff returns in public view this year? What are your observations?

Yes, but I still don't know what to make of it. It just looks like short-area blocking drills to me. The real test will come in these preseason games. I feel like everyone, the NFL included, still has much to learn about the modified kickoff.

Ryan from Ripon, WI

For the preseason, the NFL talked about using technology for the first-down marks instead of chains. Will there still be some kind of locator on the field for players and fans to know where the first down is?

I'll echo LaFleur's comments and say I have no idea. It was news to me until Rob Reischel asked LaFleur Wednesday. I've always been for using technology to make the officials' lives easier, though.

Darren from Wakefield, MI

Hard to believe preseason starts next week. Looking at the schedule, will you two use the Denver preseason night game as practice for the brutal four-week stretch of night games late in the season? Hope your families keep the light on for ya.

It is what it is. It's the opportunity cost of covering a relevant football team.

Lori from Heredia, Costa Rica

Not long now until your road trip (flight) to South America. Have you heard any of the players mention it? What do you most look forward to doing during your free time in Brazil?

I am very much looking forward to my first trip to South America. In fact, I just dropped off my passport to football for safekeeping. That said, it's hard to look that far down the road. We still have another month of camp ahead of us.

Harold from Husby-Rekarne, Sweden

I just rewatched "Moneyball" again and it made me wonder. Have similar algorithms been developed for the NFL? Is there a "How often he gets on base?" stat for NFL players?

Teams invest a lot of time, money and resources into analytics and the Packers are no different. I'm not sure it's produced as much "fan-friendly" statistics as Major League Baseball did during the "Moneyball" era, but teams are constantly generating data about their football team and deciphering how it translates to wins and losses.

Jeff from Mequon, WI

Mike brought up the similarity between Rich Bisaccia's and Antonio Pierce's situations in Las Vegas. I don't think it's a coincidence that the outcomes were different. I think many players wanted to keep Bisaccia, and after they let him go, they were much more vocal about their support for Pierce after Josh McDaniels was let go. More importantly, Raiders ownership listened. It will be interesting to see how it turns out as players across the league continue to be heard.

Bisaccia isn't interested in deliberating the past, but I think everyone can agree the Raiders erred in not removing the interim tag from his job title in 2022. Las Vegas seems to have learned its lesson, though. Wishing Pierce nothing but the best.

Paul from Ledgeview, WI

Wes, the Packers bring Peter Bowden back and release Henry Pearson. Can you tell the difference between the training camp shuffle and more permanent roster moves? Could Family Night be a catalyst for some of these moves?

I can offer no additional insight, or foresight, other than Bowden telling Jason Wilde this week that it was a procedural move. The Packers needed a roster spot for Jacob Eason and told Bowden they'd bring him back if he was still available. He was and they did.

Zak from Huntington Beach, CA

Mike mentioned the kickers go from shortest to longest during practice. Do they do things periodically to amp up the pressure, such as starting with the longest kick first, or simulating the opponent trying to "ice" the kicker, or by adding additional stakes to the kick (ex: make it and practice is over, miss it and everyone has to run laps)?

Well, they did the competitive period at the end of offseason practices where the team encircled the kickers. I've never seen kickers attempt long field goals first. I assume that has to do more with player safety than competition – like a pitcher warming up before hurling a 98-mph fastball.

Bob from Pocatello, ID

Mike and Wes, congratulations on an excellent edition of the Packers Yearbook. I ordered it from the Pro Shop, and it arrived promptly. As I was reading it, I was struck by what I perceive to be the amount if planning, design, story conceptualization, and then execution that goes into a high-quality product like that. An obviously huge effort on so many people's parts. Can you give us an idea of the timeline, process, and number of people involved? Thanks for a great product.

I'm gonna leave this for Spoff, but I want to quickly say Mike, Nicole Timm and our designer, Tim Chatman, do a wonderful job piecing that 128-page puzzle together. The wheel keeps turning once we pivot to the season, as Nicole and Tim then assist me with the Packers Gameday program.

Jason from Austin, TX

"Anything they do at the facility would be completely on their own." Would I be correct in assuming that almost every fringe player is showing up to the facility during the off days in order to stand out and maybe get an edge on the next player?

I mean, that's what I would be doing if I'm trying to make a team on the roster bubble.

Bruce from Jackson, WI

Thanks guys for bringing the Saturday edition back last week. Now what can we do to show our appreciation? I know, I just donated to one of the charities (Wisconsin Humane Society) taking part in the Packers' "Nonprofit of the Day" in honor of the II. I challenge other Insiders to pick one of the charities and donate in kind. Lastly, I'm looking forward to this season even more than a Jets fan so let's get this thing started.

You're a real Mensch, Bruce. August is here and we're another day closer to the ultimate goal.