Lori from Brookfield, WI

If the Packers win the coin toss in Cleveland, do you expect them to elect to receive?

Indubitably. Also, I can't believe there's a Packers preseason game this afternoon. Where did the offseason go? (Don't answer that)

Dana from Eau Claire, WI

Does it just seem like the defense is making a lot more plays this training camp or are you seeing what appears to be a better defense than in the past?

The Packers' defense had strong summers under Dom Capers, Mike Pettine and Joe Barry, too. But I don't know if I've ever seen it generate this much pressure with this many takeaways through the first three weeks of camp. Again, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth, but you need buy-in in order to play, and the defense has it. It's making plays at all three levels this summer.

Vince from Auburn, WA

What position battle is flying under the radar so far in camp?

We've covered 13 practices without a preseason game. I think we've broken down the competition at the guest-services desk at this point.

Jerry from Rockford, IL

Good morning, Insiders and Outsiders. I kind of like the hype around Caleb Williams. It keeps everybody's mind off the Packers' defense, and offense. What's more important in this rivalry with the Chicago Bears? My thought is the rivalry has switched to maybe Detroit this year. Can't wait for football. Did I say I can't wait for football? Go Pack Go!

The Lions are the Packers' biggest threat in the NFC North, but the Bears will forever be Green Bay's biggest rival. Chicago hasn't beaten the Packers since my first-grade son didn't have a number attached to his age but I can assure you Bears fans will rejoice like they won the Super Bowl whenever that day comes again. Not because of records – because of rivalry. That's the difference.

Gary from Chippewa Falls, WI

I look at the quarterback contracts as it is better to pay one guy 6-10 years than to have to restart every two or three years at the cost of a first-round pick for another position. It's hard to run a car when the starter is continually being replaced.

Not to disparage the Bears, but they are a prime example of how costly it can be to swing and miss on quarterbacks. Beyond salary cap implications, those are first-round picks you can't invest into other positions. Meanwhile, the Packers augmented their roster with several Pro Bowlers and All-Pros between the 15 years they drafted quarterbacks in the first round.

Thomas from Cedar Rapids, IA

When Mike from Niles said the Packers haven't drafted a guard in the first round in recent history. Immediately I thought, "What about Aaron Taylor in '94?" Then, I realized that was 30 years ago and recent history is relative. But Taylor played a huge part in winning a Super Bowl. So, we have that going for us, which is nice. A rookie starting anywhere is a good pick.

Find good players. Develop good players. That's the name of the game. It doesn't matter if they come in the first round, seventh round or tryout.

Dennis from Parrish, FL

I remember the week after the draft, and the pundits were very vocal that Evan Williams and Ty'Ron Hopper were both over-drafted by two rounds! History has barely been written, but early reports seem that Gutey wins again!

Find good players. Develop good players. That's the name of the game. It doesn't matter if they come in the first round, seventh round or tryout.

Monty from Velva, ND

Hey Wes, I'm reading/hearing about how the Packers "wasted" a first-round pick on a guard. As an eternal optimist, shouldn't the narrative be that we are in such a good place right now that we can afford to spend a first-round pick on a guard? Also, how many solid left tackles are drafted in the seventh round? My suggestion, don't worry, be happy!

A part of me laments wasting two minutes taking that question on Thursday. The rest is thankful the biggest gripe among some Packers fans is the decision to draft a promising offensive lineman who may start right away at right guard.

Jason from Mt Prospect, IL

I don't care how good the 49ers are, losing their WR1 would be huge. Brandon Aiyuk adds a different aspect to that offense. If the 49ers' WR1 is Deebo Samuel, I like our chances against them every time.

You hate to see this issue linger into training camp for the 49ers. A pity, really. But Aiyuk is an extremely talented wideout who deserves everything coming to him.

Tom from Reading, MI

I just can't make up my mind whether there will be more or less big returns on kickoffs this year. Kickoff team should have better lane control than prior years but if the returner busts through that it seems there will be less reinforcements beyond that enabling a "long" return. What say you?

It won't take much. There were 24 kick returns of 40-plus yards last season and Keisean Nixon had two of them. He was one of just five returners who had multiple returns of 40 or more yards, and no one had more than two. In 2009, five returners had at least five 40-plus-yard returns.

Andrew from Clearwater, FL

How is Kitan Oladapo doing, haven't read much about him. Some say he is built for the "free safety" position. What are the chances he appears on the depth chart behind Xavier McKinney? Your thoughts?

Oladapo is getting up to speed on things while working with the second-team defense. Hopefully, we see a lot of Oladapo tonight. There was a lot to like about him coming out of Oregon State.

Jeff from Ogden, UT

The safety battle intrigues me. What one or two words would you use to describe each of these men?

Anthony Johnson Jr. – smart and heady. Javon Bullard – explosive and physical. Williams – savvy ball-hawk. Oladapo – experienced with prototypical size (I guess that's four words). Frankly, I'm excited to see all these rookies get out there. This is their night to shine.

Jack from Chicago, IL

The Packers are continually bringing in a third kicker. This tells me that either the Packers just prefer three legs for camp workload and/or they feel both Greg Joseph and Anders Carlson will be starting NFL kickers this year, so they need to identify a practice-squad kicker to retain for development and backup in case of injury. Do you think one rationale is stronger than the other right now or is it truly both equally?

The Packers constantly work out kickers, even during the regular season. They originally signed Jack Podlesny last January after working him out in August 2023. I think they're just getting a head start on it this year and using that 91st roster spot to keep fresh eyes on free-agent legs. And yes, it's possible they keep Alex Hale or another kicker on the practice squad, even if Joseph or Carlson win the job.

Mark from Westminster, CO

Of all the position groups, I'm concerned least with the offensive line. When comparing other NFL teams, the Packers are one of the best in the league in developing this position year after year. There may be rough spots from time to time, but history indicates they get things figured out pretty quickly.

Because as much as success up front is about size and skill, it's also about synergy. Elgton Jenkins doesn't make two Pro Bowls based on his performance alone. It's how he meshes alongside the left tackle and center, as well. Likewise, whoever wins that right guard job will do so having developed chemistry with Josh Myers and Zach Tom. The Packers are as good as any team in the league at developing a nucleus for its starting five to build.

Al from Green Bay, WI

I'm intrigued by the competition for backup QB. It appears Sean Clifford has the leg up at this point, but the preseason games are important. If you're making the call, how do you split preseason snaps between the two contenders?

I'd expect Clifford to get two quarters and Pratt to close the show tonight. Clifford showed a lot of promise last summer and is champing at the bit for the start of Round 2, especially after bouncing back from a slow start to camp.

Nathan from Lino Lakes, MN

With how the defensive players have talked about how free they are allowed to play under the new scheme, it makes me sad we don't have Rasul Douglas. I think he would thrive in this system. Was that decision made because we thought we weren't going to turn this around this quickly, or was he a causality regardless?

This has been asked and answered several times over. Once again, Douglas is a great player, but Buffalo put a third-round pick on the table and it's not easy to acquire a top 100 pick in today's NFL. The Packers expected to have Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes during the second half of the year, but even when they were out, Carrington Valentine and Corey Ballentine stepped up to the challenge. The Douglas trade is done. It's over. With any luck, Hopper becomes a solid player for Green Bay and these questions finally subside.

Emma from Sandy, UT

I keep reading players such as Rashan Gary, Kingsley Enagbare, and Lukas Van Ness are glad to not be dropping into coverage in the new 4-3 scheme. This may be a silly question, but in my quest to keep learning, who is now responsible for those coverages?

This is an oversimplification, but there are either three off-ball linebackers on the field in the 4-3 base or five defensive backs in nickel. There are only two off-ball linebackers in the 3-4 and occasionally just one in the 5-1-5 penny. That's not to say a defensive lineman won't zone-drop anymore in Hafley's scheme, but the rules of this defense won't require edge rushers to read the alignment pre-snap and adjust. At least, that's my expectation.

Alexandrea from Auburn, WA

I've always been a big Eric Wilson fan. Has he been doing enough in practices to see more time on the field this season?

Wilson and Isaiah McDuffie have maintained their stronghold on the starting spots next to Quay Walker in base. Few on the Packers' roster have played more football than Wilson, a seventh-year veteran who has done it in all in the NFL. He's also an excellent resource for Hopper and Edgerrin Cooper as they begin their NFL careers.

Dean from Leavenworth, IN

While reading the piece on Tom Clements it occurred to me that he is an excellent candidate for the Packers HOF. Do you agree and is there any precedent for an assistant in the Packers HOF?

It's a very short list of assistant coaches who are in the Packers Hall of Fame. I've been vocal for the past few years about Fritz Shurmur's candidacy. Hall of Fame or not, Clements is in rarified air when it comes to his history with QBs. Mike did a great job on the Clements piece, by the way. Be sure to check it out if you haven't already.

John from Palmdale, CA

Regarding Jeff from Nebraska, the Packers were the more consistent playoff contenders, but the stars aligned for them only once. Luck is needed to win the Super Bowl unless you're utterly dominant, and luck only helps if you're close enough for it to make a difference. GB puts together good teams every year.

The Giants have had five head coaches from 2007-21. The Packers are on their second. There's your answer.

Todd from Montreal, Canada

Greetings, given the change in the kickoff rules, do you think that kickoff placement might impact who is chosen as the kicker for the upcoming season? Or will it simply by field-goal percentage?

Everything is taken into consideration, but the Packers opened up the kicking competition to improve their success rate on field goals and extra points. That's where Green Bay needs to improve most this year.

Gary from Sheboygan, WI

Insiders, can a player on one team's practice squad quit and join another team's practice squad?

No. If not released by the team, a practice-squad player may only terminate his contract if he signs to another's active roster. Otherwise, he can sign with another squad when his practice-squad contract expires at the end of the year.

Dennis from De Pere, WI

How long before the additional protection provided by the Guardian caps is just built into all the helmets rendering the choice to wear the caps in games moot?

Mayhap. Evolution is inevitable, but I also don't work for Riddell.

Hank from Centennial, CO

Teams used to play six preseason games, and my impression is the starters usually played a significant number of snaps in those games. Is the risk of injury in the NFL higher now because of bigger players and faster speeds? Skill-position players haven't changed that much in terms of size, but linemen clearly are bigger and run faster than they did 50 years ago.

I think it's two things – the massive financial commitment teams make to franchise players these days and the fact players do so much training on their own during the offseason. Yes, they still have to get into "football" shape, but their conditioning baseline is so much better today than it was back then.

Greg from Sydney, Australia

Hi guys. Will Mike be live blogging the preseason games?

That's the plan. Of course, that's subject to change depending on technology.

Cody from Tennyson, WI

I thought you said no NFL coaches read this column. Looking at some of the questions/comments, there are obviously some coaches asking questions or at least people who think they know more than the coaches. I don't know how you handle them. Keep up the good work.

By writing softly and carrying a big recorder.

Dave from Kaukauna, WI

Let's make clowns of the Browns!

Let's stay healthy! Enjoy the game, folks.