Nobody deserved it more than De’Vondre Campbell

Trevor from East Side Cream City, NH

Going into the playoffs with a bye, will getting Za’Darius Smith, Randall Cobb, Jaire Alexander, David Bakhtiari, Josh Myers, Billy Turner, Whitney Mercilus, etc., back be the perfect juice and boost needed for a team that tends to keep itself mainly focused and prepared?

With Aaron Rodgers receiving 34 of 50 first-team All-Pro votes, is that a strong indicator he’s favored to receive a similar number of votes for MVP?

Yes. The Associated Press voters who select the All-Pro team are the same ones who vote for the MVP award, so it would seem likely. Jonathan Taylor was a unanimous first-team pick but it’s been nine years since a running back won the award. For reference, the last three times Rodgers has been named first-team All-Pro (2011, 2014 and 2020) he won the MVP award.

Well, at least De’Vondre Campbell got a bit of vindication for his Pro Bowl snub. Does the All-Pro selection earn him any bonus like the Pro Bowl or just the respect of his peers?

I don’t think there was any award bonus worked into Campbell’s deal with the Packers last June but it’s almost therapeutic to see the sixth-year linebacker get the first-team All-Pro nod. Nobody deserved it more than Campbell, who was a driving force behind the defense’s marked improvement this year. It’s not just big plays, either. He’s been extremely consistent as a tackler. As Mike Renner tweeted two weeks ago, Campbell had just four missed tackles this season. According to PFF, every other linebacker with at least 80 solo tackles had at least double-digit misses.

Christopher from Frederick, MD

Congrats to Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams for their first-team All-Pro selections, very much deserved. And it would seem Campbell is the new Bakhtiari, getting first-team All-Pro love but nothing from the Pro Bowl. Are there any other teams who have players with more All-Pro awards than Pro Bowls?

I’m sure of it. It’s wild how often that’s happened over the years in Green Bay – Bakhtiari, then Corey Linsley and now Campbell. It was good to see Adams get a unanimous nod, too. He should have done it last year but one of the 50 voters left him off their ballot despite having 115 catches for 1,374 yards and 18 touchdowns.

On the AP All-Pro team, the offense is in three receiver, one tight end, one running back personnel, but the defense is in a 4-3 base. Teams use their nickel defense more often than their base, so when do you think the AP will correct this oversight turning one LB spot into a slot CB?

I’m OK with it. The switch to a third receiver was needed. I appreciate what the voters tried to do with the “FLEX” position after the elimination of fullback, but it led to a lot of wackiness when the votes were tallied (e.g. Christian McCaffrey being a first-team running back and FLEX). On defense, there are four defensive backs on the first team (two cornerbacks, two safeties). While nickel is more common, middle linebacker remains a premium position. For that reason, I don’t mind three linebackers getting recognition.

Scott from Maple Plain, MN

Is Brian Gutekunst a candidate for GM of the year? A lot of key additions with Randall Cobb, Campbell and Rasul Douglas.

It’s a credit to the personnel staff for bringing those guys in and the coaches for maximizing their talents. Also, you have to give a hat tip to Aaron Rodgers. He wanted Cobb back. The wily vet had some big moments this year and brought a lot of leadership to the offense.

Good morning II, with regards to the rushing stat bomb Spoff dropped yesterday and the fact that the Pack are on the back side of the list. Obviously, it’s a double-edged sword, when the weather’s good, we’re a pass-first team but how does our rushing attack compare when the weather turns bad, e.g., how do we compare through the final six games of the year or even playoff stats from past years when cold weather means smash-mouth football? Thanks and Go Pack Go!

It probably will sound cliché but I truly believe the Packers can be as good as they want to be in the run game, especially with David Bakhtiari and Josh Myers back. The Packers have the league’s reigning MVP at quarterback, so naturally the offense is going to start there. But Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon have shown they can pound the ball with the best of them.

Mike from Franksville, WI

Remember in “Avengers: Endgame,” where the cavalry arrives at the end with all the superheroes coming through the portals? I can’t get that scene out of my head when thinking about the Packers’ upcoming postseason run. David Bakhtiari. Za’Darius Smith. Jaire Alexander. Whitney Mercilus. Josh Myers. Randall Cobb. All the reinforcements the team has coming is pretty amazing.

I’ve been hearing this sentiment quite a bit over the past couple days. You still gotta win, though. The grind doesn’t stop just because the stars are coming back into orbit.

Richard from Farmington Hills, MI

Regarding the return of Za’Darius and Whitney Mercilus, “platooning” them on passing and rushing situations respectively could work out to be an effective use of their best skills as well as limiting their snaps. Having Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Za’Darius on the field on third-and-long sounds awfully good to me!

I had a pretty good laugh after hearing Adrian Amos’ answer about acclimating Za’Darius back into the defense. “Go get the quarterback. Go make plays. That’s what he do. I feel like you got guys that you can plug in and go.” Obviously, it is a little more complicated than that but any snaps Z and Mercilus can take off the plate of Preston Smith and Rashan Gary could be huge down the stretch.

Jacob from West Allis, WI

Royce Newman, Josh Myers, and Eric Stokes have done incredibly well in their first season as pros. Can you think of another draft class the Packers have had that immediately impacted the team like this one has?

In my years covering the team, 2013 is the gold standard.