Inbox: You could make that case again this year

Jerry from Des Moines, IA

Are you more excited to see who makes the 53 and practice squad or sad to see some really good guys get cut which might be the end of their NFL dream?

Today is hard. I'm still reeling from Kenneth Odumegwu's release last week. I am happy for the guys whose dreams will come true later today but also crestfallen for those who may have played their last football game this past Saturday.

Adam from Fox River Grove, IL

How often is what we see in the preseason a "mirage"? The defense has looked physical this season, which is a welcomed change from years past, especially with how competitive the North appears to be this year. While extremely optimistic, I am hesitant to believe that we will be able to "force our will" and actually stop the run for a change until I see it in the regular season. Week 1 and Saquon Barkley will be like having the final exam on the first day of class!

If you want to glean anything from August, I'd focus more on practice than preseason. That's where the real emphasis is in action. After some disappointment in Denver, I thought last week's joint practice was a reminder of how formidable this Packers team can be in 2024 – especially on defense. That unit got after the league's most elusive QB.

Hannes from Glendale, WI

I might be in the minority or alone here, but a QB waiting to the last instance only to slide feet first into a defender who freezes trying not to get flagged should be unnecessary roughness by the quarterback. Tom Brady was the prime example for this act but other QBs are exploiting the protections afforded to them as well. Shouldn't there be more reciprocation when it comes to protecting players?

Good luck. The NFL barely calls intentional grounding anymore, let alone developing an unsportsmanlike penalty like the one you suggest. The QB is supposed to lose protections if he slides late, but it's on the officials to call it. It's like the unwritten protections given to scrambling QBs near the sideline. Jonathan Owens was flagged for unnecessary roughness for his hit on Patrick Mahomes last December, but we've seen countless times how a QB will creep up for extra yards when given the leeway. It happened Saturday. That's how the game is played in 2024.

Jonnie from Garden City, MI

Good morning, II! Final checkpoint indeed. How many checkboxes got filled on Saturday? Bounce back, grit, fortitude, playing with an edge, assignment sure, making big plays when it mattered. We'll see who made enough of a push to make the team, and who possibly fell short, despite their best efforts. Who did you feel made the best case for themselves on Saturday?

Malik Heath. He only got better as training camp progressed. I'm very intrigued to see how the Packers handle the receiving corps today. They've kept as many as seven wideouts on the Week 1 roster during the Brian Gutekunst era. You could make that case again this year.

Caleb from Knoxville, TN

What's your favorite story of a player who got cut from camp somewhere (any team) and made it big elsewhere?

Tramon Williams. Cut by Houston at the end of training camp, Williams resurfaced on the Packers' practice squad later that season and made the 53-man roster the following year coming out of training camp. A decade later, Robert Tonyan did pretty much the same thing in 2017 after initially being released by the Detroit Lions.

Jim from St Pete Beach, FL

Hi Wes. Which cutdown day loss has been the most heartbreaking to you?

Giorgio Tavecchio or Gilbert Pena, though it would've been hard if the Packers had kept Tavecchio over Mason Crobsy, too. Pena was a 26-year-old rookie defensive lineman in 2013 who'd put off playing college football to take care of his ailing mother. Gilbert was an awesome dude. I hope he's doing well. The Packers trading Jayrone Elliott (in 2017) and Justin McCray (in 2019) were hard, too.

John from Caledonia, MI

There has been multiple Packers who played defense with an Iowa Hawkeye background. In my eyes, some of them may not have the fastest 40-yard dash stats at the combine, but they are FOOTBALL PLAYERS who play all-out every play and have a deep understanding of the game and what being a teammate means. Will the Packers avoid the mistake of releasing Kristian Welch as they did Micah Hyde?

Apples and oranges. Hyde was never cut. In fact, he signed a four-year, $24 million contract with Buffalo as a free agent in 2017. I like Welch a lot, but we're talking about two entirely different situations. That said, the former Iowa linebacker has done everything possible to make this roster.

Ray from Phoenix, AZ

AJ Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd injuries seem to be lingering. Would the Packers put two same position players on the four-week injured reserve?

That's impossible to say without knowing what's going on in the training room. Increased flexibility with the practice squad has changed the roster-building game. A change in NFL protocols also now allow teams to designate up to two players to return from IR without having to carry them on the "initial 53." If you recall, the Packers entered into the 2022 season with just two running backs (Aaron Jones and Dillon) on the 53-man roster. So, my answer is who knows?

Keith from Dodgeville, WI

Guys, after watching a few preseason games it appears to me the running backs are running with their pad levels too high and are getting pushed backwards. Your thoughts.

As a team, the Packers were third in preseason rushing yards. If the running backs were rushing with their pads too high, the defense clearly didn't notice.

Kyle from Los Angeles, CA

The NFLPA has the power to adios rule changes the day before cutdown day? Was there any indication this would happen? Good grief!

That was news to me, as well. I heard nothing about any consternation over the emergency QB. To review, NFL owners passed a measure earlier this offseason that would have allowed teams to dress an emergency QB regardless of whether he was on the active roster. On Monday, the NFLPA nixed that. So, like last season, a No. 3 QB needs to be on the 53-man roster in order to be eligible to play in a game if the two active QBs are injured.

Max from Rockford, IL

Who will have the final, ultimate say on who stays and who goes, the coaches or the GM?

In Green Bay, Brian Gutekunst has final say on the roster.

Jeff from Indian Lake, NY

A year ago, there were clickbait articles saying Sean Clifford would replace Jordan Love as the starting quarterback by midseason. Fast forward and JL10 is the highest-paid quarterback in the league and those same talking heads are just about guaranteeing that Clifford won't even make the roster. When did sports media get so stupid? Present company excluded of course.

Media has the advantage of being reactionary with no consequences. NFL decision-makers must be pragmatic, taking emotion out of decisions. Whether they're right or wrong, GMs are paid the big bucks to project the best possible move for their team in the long run.

Craig from Sussex, WI

Who is more important to the success of a team: the GM or the head coach? I feel as important as Mike Holmgren was that Ron Wolf was the biggest reason for the Packers' resurgence in the '90s.

That's the beauty of football. It takes everyone. It would be easy to say, "Well, there's obviously no Mike Holmgren without Ron Wolf," but the same could be said for Bob Harlan hiring Wolf months earlier.

Bill from Clive, IA

Well, if it were up to me (which it's not), I would keep Greg Joseph on the 53 because of his more extensive crunch-time game experience, and sign Anders Carlson to the practice squad to let him continue to develop. My question: Have the Packers ever had a kicker on the p-squad? (international exemption notwithstanding)

Yeah, Ramiz Ahmed was on the Packers' practice squad throughout the 2022 season. When Ahmed got injured late that year, Green Bay even signed a second practice-squad kicker (Matt Ammendola). Having 16 practice-squad spots now instead of eight like when I started covering this league allows teams to keep a specialist or two if they so choose.

Jim from Hudsonville, MI

I tend to agree with Kevin from Bettendorf, IA. The kicker probably is the second-most important player on the team, yet many teams seem to just run them through the turnstiles until they find one that's perhaps a little better than the one they've got. Wouldn't it be wise to utilize our QB philosophy on the kicker and focus on the development of a prospect while an established one is on the roster? We've been blessed over the past few decades…maybe we're just spoiled.

Roster spots are too valuable to keep two kickers on the 53. That's not me saying that – that's the NFL. You obviously can stash one on the practice squad, but it's going to be difficult to develop any kicker worth his salt for two or three years when any team can sign him away at any time.

Matt from Fitchburg, WI

What's a reasonable kicking percentage to expect of someone kicking in an outdoor cold weather stadium? I realize there aren't a lot of those stadiums left to compare with.

I still use 80% as my Mendoza line, especially for a younger kicker figuring things out. Everyone wants Justin Tucker but only one team gets him.

Shin from Shimoda, Japan

Of all the phases of the game during the preseason, teams seemed to hide their hands most on kickoff returns, resulting in pretty uninspiring outcomes. Do you suspect special teams coordinators will come up with more innovative scheming to create creases once the regular season starts? Of course, if they're too successful, the kicking team may just as well kick everything through the end zone…

Week 1 is going to be very enlightening. Whatever creative loopholes special teams coaches have found most likely will be shown then.

Jonathan from St. Louis, MO

Have you noticed the hip-drop tackle penalty in any preseason games? I saw a couple of plays that seemed deserving of a call, but no flags were thrown.

I didn't notice one. Like we've talked about before, I'd expect the hip-drop tackle is something we'll see more in the form of reported fines than actual flags.

Scott from Milwaukee, WI

LaFleur had mentioned that he likes the way the Ravens run their camp and I was wondering, do some teams have camps that are not well run?

I think that's based on organization. There are time limits on all this stuff, so running an efficient practice is critical to getting all your work in. Like anything, some teams will do things better than others. With John Harbaugh now the NFL's second-longest tenured head coach, it's no surprise to hear the Ravens have developed a solid blueprint for training their football team.

Rory from New Berlin, WI

As I understand it, if a player gets plucked from a practice squad, they immediately go to the other team's main roster, correct? How much do they get paid? Is there any contract negotiation in the process? Early on in the process, if applicable, a futures-contact signee might receive some sort of bonus. Would the Packers then eat this bonus or, is there some sort of reimbursement arrangement? Do agents get involved with contact negotiation when a player is signed off a practice squad?

If a player has an agent, that person is involved with any and all contract discussions regarding their client. If a practice-squad player isn't vested, his base salary is set at whatever the minimum is for his NFL experience. A signing bonus could be offered, but you rarely hear of it. Usually, a spot on the active 53 is enough to get a deal done. If signed off another team's practice squad, that player is guaranteed at least three games checks.

Jeff from Albuquerque, NM

Loved how LaFleur kind of turned the tables on young Migz during the interview. Showed a bit of a "sassy" side that was pure fun.

Migizi is coming for my job, y'all.

Ryan from Sun Prairie, WI

Not a question, but a statement. This will be the first team to go 20-0! Go Pack Go!

Is this Ryan from Sun Prairie or James Jones from San Jose?

Jim from Westland, MI

For all the young men that chased their dreams back in the spring, a continuance of high school and college work only they hoped, dreamed would lead to the NFL … every single one is a story. Today that chapter ends for some. Working out, keeping in shape, hoping for the call that rarely comes. Is it worth it? Upon reflection the answer is always yes. It's better to work toward a dream, than never have dreamed...

In my experience, it's always better to do everything in your power to achieve something great than be left wondering 10 years later, "What if?" Because even if it doesn't work out, that drive will propel you in whatever comes next. This is a day filled with mixed emotions, but you celebrate those who find their way onto that 53. I look forward to hopefully telling a few fun stories over the next few days.