Packers draft is shift in philosophy

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Malthe from Copenhagen, Denmark
I am usually one to preach patience and trust in the front office after a draft choice or personnel movement that seems odd. Could you please help me see the bigger picture in the Packers draft picks in rounds 1-3?
Jordan Love is a shift-in-philosophy pick. That's what you do when you pick a quarterback in the first round because quarterback is the centerpiece, the foundation on what you're attempting to build. Aaron Rodgers was that player for Ted Thompson and Love is that pick for Brian Gutekunst. In my opinion, the message in the Love pick is the Packers are moving on. They're not going to continue to throw money and picks at the defense in a desperate attempt to give Rodgers what he needs to win one more Super Bowl. They've done that seemingly forever and it hasn't worked. The Packers are preparing to step into their future with a new way of playing football and selecting talent. The A.J. Dillon pick cemented that opinion for me. He's one of my favorite players in the draft. He is a true pounder and I think he's the best back in the draft. D'Andre Swift looked wimpy in the loss to South Carolina. Dillon never looks wimpy. Josiah Deguara is a blocker. He's a block-a-lot, catch-a-little tight end who also offers scheme potential as a fullback or H-back. When Dillon and Deguara are in the game together, Rodgers better not change the play, if you know what I mean. You want me to help you see the bigger picture? OK, here it is: I get the sense the Packers wanna play big boy football. After that embarrassing performance in San Francisco, it's about time.

Paul from Vienna, VA
A few people have argued that, with this draft, Gutekunst is trying to shift the team away from McCarthy's West Coast offense to LaFleur's offensive philosophy. What are your thoughts?
I agree.

Chad from Layton, UT
What’s the fastest you’ve ever seen the wolves call for a GM’s job? After that draft, it’s hard to find any Packers fan happy with Gutekunst’s picks.
Cash the checks and send out the tickets. A tough football team begins with a tough front office.

Jamie from Brooklyn, NY
If the Packers let Williams go next year, will they have the cap space that it makes sense to keep Jones?
In the salary cap era, it's Hornung or Taylor, not both. It's a game of replacement, Jamie, because maintenance is too expensive.

Tony from Onalaska, WI
Is trading up really trusting your board and letting the players come to you?
Trading up is what you do when you've targeted a player. The Packers targeted Love. I have concerns about the pick because Love is coming off a bad season and I see a long throwing motion and a terminal stare, but I'm not a scout and scouting is a crystal ball business focused on what a player will do, not on what he has done. Brian Gutekunst is a pro. He sees something he likes and he likes it enough to risk his career on it. I respect that kind of courage and conviction and I believe it deserves patience and support.

Barry from Ireland
What are Tony's thoughts on the Love pick?
"Outstanding. Won't have to play in 2020. Physically talented but needs coaching and to get his game back to where it was in 2018."

Cliff from Washington, DC
I'm a big fan of the Love pick. 1. We have no competent backup behind Rodgers and need one. Competent backups in the free-agent market aren't cheap. 2. If this guy sits for four or five years and then we determine he's good enough to take over for Rodgers, we can sign him to a much cheaper first contract than would be possible for a fifth or sixth-year quarterback who had played for those years and proven himself. 3. This is a smart pick for the future which shows Gutekunst knows the Packers are not one player away.
Four or five years? Cliff, pack a night bag and meet us at the airport.

Dan from Winchester, CA
Do you think Aaron Rodgers will mentor Jordan Love to the bench?
Will he even have the chance to do it? If the Packers hadn't been manic to do a new deal with Rodgers, they could've traded him going into this draft. What do you think the 49ers would've given the Packers for Rodgers? Both ones? How about Jimmy Garoppolo and both ones? The 49ers would've had to get rid of Garoppolo's $24 million salary. The Packers could've done a new deal with Garoppolo and tailored it to their rebuilding strategy. He would've been perfect for a team in transition. Clean cap, fresh roster, let's go!

Barry from Hayward, WI
Vic, what position was over-represented and which position was under-represented in the first round?
Too many receivers, not enough big guys. Regret will result.

Samuel from Jacksonville, FL
If you've got the guy, you don't hedge your bet. Go all in on winning now. A Super Bowl win forgives 10 years of losing.
The Jaguars went all in on winning now in 1999. Some would say they've never recovered.

Craig from Cedarburg, WI
I'm not going to pretend I know more than the Packers, but some head-scratching picks. I swear, I don't have the fever, but not a single WR? A second-round RB? Felt like the Packers are looking to rebuild rather than make another playoff run. What is your take on their overall strategy?
Position needs were not addressed because the greatest need of all, the need for talent at any position to improve a roster of average strength, was the specific intent of this draft.

Wally from New Richmond, WI
Apparently, Gutekunst doesn’t have the fever. What are your thoughts on the Packers not picking any receivers in the draft?
You're not getting it. The Packers are moving on, and that speaks volumes about Gutekunst's opinion of the Packers roster. Do you think a wide receiver was going to change what happened in San Francisco twice last season? My inbox was shocked at my angry reaction to that eight-pass rout in the conference title game. I was shocked at how accepting Packers fans were of it. That was humiliating. That was a this-must-never-happen-again kind of game. The days of hard counts and soft defenses must end. A pounder, a center and two guards? What's that tell you? Vic to Packers fans: What you witnessed this past weekend was meaningful change.

Eric from Tenvik, Norway
Vic, according to every draft analyst I’ve read, the Packers had the worst draft haul in the league. What is your final assessment?
It's a tough-guy draft. Instead of drafting a bunch of pass-blocking left tackles who are limited to walling up in the run game, the Packers drafted interior linemen who can move the line of scrimmage. Again, it's a shift in philosophy.

Todd from Van Dyne, WI
Do you think Aaron Rodgers or Aaron Jones will demand a trade and want to leave Green Bay after this head-scratcher of a draft?
Wait a minute, I'll get my violin.

​Todd from Fond du lac, WI
Absolutely the worst draft I have ever seen the Packers have! We still have not filled the void from Jordy Nelson or Randall Cobb when we were just one win away from making it to the Super Bowl! Why would you not draft and add the final offensive pieces to get us there and win it all? We all know Davante Adams is the only consistent wide receiver the Packers have. Double-cover him and the Packers have to win ugly or lose!
What has happened to you people? Why have you gone so soft?