I really struggled to write the intro to the mailbag this week. What I’ll say is this; I hope the Packers are doing their due diligence. There needs to be a zero tolerance policy for domestic violence, always. If you are someone experiencing domestic violence and need resources, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also text “START” to 88788 to get connected with resources immediately. Help is free, confidential, and available 24/7. Now, football: 

“Hey Maggie! Cool to find out you are an aquarium “a-fish-ionado”!  When my grandson was 2, he absolutely loved aquariums (what 2 year old doesn’t), so we purchased the whole setup. He’s now 12, and couldn’t care less. BUT, we still have the tank! They’re a lot of fun, and not to mention more work than some may think! Onto the Pack: With the discouraging development in our RB room, it’d be great if you could share some of your positivity on this week's OTAs. What did you glean? Thanks!” Jim

We’ve only heard a little bit so far from OTAs, but hey, it sounds like Trey Smack is looking pretty good! It also seems like the team is champing at the bit to get Tucker Kraft back into the mix. We expected him to be ready for the regular season, but it would be nice for him to have an entire training camp to rev up and get his body into playing mode. Zach Tom is a big one, too. He’s without a doubt the best player on Green Bay’s offensive line, so having him back at right tackle is going to be huge for Jordan Love. Again, we expected him back by the regular season, but getting time to acclimate during training camp instead of a trial by fire in Week 1 is preferable. 

It’ll be nice to hear more about MarShawn Lloyd, too. Packers.com reported that he took 11-on-11 reps on Tuesday but wasn’t involved on Wednesday when the media was there. Even outside of the bigger picture with Jacobs, Lloyd really needed to have a strong camp and preseason. This feels like his last chance in terms of an NFL career. Right now he’s kind of like Bigfoot. We think he exists, but we need proof of existence. (Do we think Bigfoot exists?) I’m rooting for him. Even having an Emanuel Wilson-type impact as RB2 would go a long way for this football team (regardless of who RB1 is). 

“As a valuable member of the Cheesehead TV cohort, do you ever get to attend Packer's media sessions? If not, would you want to? Who would you like to question (Josh Jacobs situation aside)?” - Tony

Hi Tony, I would love to attend a media availability at least once in my life! But unfortunately, no, I don’t have credentials to do so. The closest I’ll probably ever get (which is okay!) was the profile I wrote on Justin McCray back in 2019. That was a very cool experience and I’m honored to have been able to share a piece of his story. He was gracious enough to meet me on his own time, and he even bought me lunch. Truly a class act. 

If I could pick a person to ask a question to at the podium, it would probably honestly be Matt LaFleur. I just have always found his pressers to be interesting, and I like his approach to breaking down his offense. If I had to pick a player, I think Jordan Love would be the guy. He seems honest, genuine, and humble, but like he also puts a lot of thought into his answers. On defense, I’d probably go with Xavier McKinney. Anyone who has career longevity in the NFL is there because of more than just talent. I appreciate those veteran perspectives from the players who have been around it all and seen it all. That experience lends itself to the storytelling side of player interviews, which is something I’ve always appreciated. 

“I read somewhere that Josh Sweat mentioned 3 teams he'd like to play for: Eagles, Bucs or Packers. What would be a fair draft capital to trade for Sweat? Do you think Gutey will try this one until the very end? Thanks CHTV!” - Tulio

Hi Tulio! Thanks for submitting from Brazil! I haven’t seen anything confirmed about Sweat publicly saying which teams he’d prefer to play for, but the Packers make sense given his relationship with Jonathan Gannon. We know that he requested a trade from the Cardinals already and that he hasn’t been in attendance for voluntary OTAs, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in a new uniform for the 2026 season. 

Despite not having a first round pick, the Packers are still projected to have 11 selections in the 2027 NFL Draft. That gives them plenty of capital if they did want to trade for Sweat. A deal could probably get done for a third-round pick or a pair of Day 3 picks. While it certainly is fun to think about pairing a Pro Bowl talent with Micah Parsons, I think it largely would come down to whether or not the Packers want to take on Sweat’s contract, although it’s relatively affordable for a player who’s registered double-digit sacks twice in his career (once last season and once under Gannon in Philly). It looks like the dead money on the cap would be $5.5 million in 2026 and $16.1 million in 2027. Even if the Packers (or any other trade-willing team) took on Sweat’s bonus, it still is costing the Cardinals $11.1 million in 2027. They’d have to really like the offer they received, but a third rounder might be enticing for a team still in a rebuild. The Cardinals also have the second most cap space in the entire NFL going into 2027, so maybe they don’t care too much about the hit they’d take from Sweat. 

It’s hard to believe that we’re already into the OTAs portion of the offseason and that Green Bay’s rookie draft picks have been Packers for over a month. Time flies. But for now, I’m going to enjoy this nice summer weather before we get into the start of the regular season. Then it’ll be all about football, crisp fall weather, and Oktoberfests. As always, send your questions to [email protected], and I’ll see you next week!