Matt LaFleur has familiar question for new Packers kicker Trey Smack

LaFleur said Van Ness had to deal with considerable injury obstacles last year but that he’s confident he’s back on track and will be vital to the Packers defense this year.

“I mean, he's an important piece, man, and I know he's been kind of snake bit with some of the injury stuff,” LaFleur said. “But we feel like he's in a pretty good spot right now. I know he is.

“I've been watching him rehab and do all that, and he looks, he looks great, and I know he's in a good head space, so I'm excited for him.”

Van Ness suffered a foot injury in Week 5 against Cincinnati, missed four games, tried to return against Minnesota, aggravated the injury and missed two more games. He finished with 19 tackles and 1½ sacks in nine games.

Coaches are trying to refine offense not change it

LaFleur said at the NFL owners meetings that he wanted to strip down the offense and build it back up from the ground floor.

But he didn’t mean build a different foundation.

Instead, he wants everyone to see the detail and the why and how that goes into every play, so that the coaches and players understand what they’re trying to get done.

“I think you try to do that every year, right?” he said. “You don't assume anything. You go back to the foundation and making sure that guys are on all the little details. Because I do think that's typically what separates good from great in this league, is your ability to know the why behind every call and just the little details that tend to separate people.”

LaFleur said there isn’t anything specific he wants to change about how things are done, but is open to adding things that come up when designing game plans.

“Football is constantly evolving, and it's funny because, just like even last season, there were some things that we started to incorporate that we hadn't done in a couple years,” he said. “So, I think it's just the natural evolution of football, and you got to continue to try to find ways to adapt.”

Process of bringing rookies along has changed

When it comes to rookie minicamp, the players aren’t being maxed out on the field.

LaFleur said he gave up trying to do that awhile ago and mostly wants the players to get comfortable with the way things are done and the environment they’ll be in when they return in a week to join the veterans.

“It’s definitely changed,” LaFleur said. “Adapt or die, right? So, you got to evolve. And I think when we first got here, I'll never forget we were putting all the guys through drills, agility drills, and I think we had a couple guys throw up. So, we've definitely changed our approach in that regard.

“And then I know in other years when we've had some tryout guys, some of these guys got hurt, and so, you know, it just you're always evolving.”

LaFleur said the process of getting rookies incorporated in the system is complex given how much they must learn schematically. But they also have to know how to get from one place to another on time, what practice tempo is like, when to report to the training room, how to structure their day and how to study like a professional.

“The juice isn't worth the squeeze in regards to putting people in position, maybe in harm's way,” LaFleur said of having intense workouts. “These guys don't even know how to practice yet. They're learning the playbook. There's a lot going on. I mean, they're drinking water out of a fire hose basically all day.

“They had to listen to a bunch of different people talk to them. It's painstaking, but it's definitely a necessary part of the process. But I thought it was good. These guys are getting a lot of information. They're learning the people. So, I just think it's more an onboarding process that hopefully relieves a little bit of anxiety when they come back here, and all the vets are here.”

LaFleur keeping expectations in check with new quarterbacks

Though he spends a lot of time with quarterbacks and has high standards for how quickly they pick up his offense, LaFleur said he’s taking it slow with rookie Kyron Drones and first-year pro Kyle McCord.

Drones is an undrafted free agent from Virginia Tech who has a strong arm but rushed for 1,798 yards and 20 touchdowns over three seasons.

“I love the physical skill set,” LaFleur said. “I think, you get him acclimated and to watch and see how he progresses. He definitely has the physical skills to play the position. A lot of is just how fast can he pick up our stuff? And the processing speed when he gets out on the field.”

McCord was signed as a reserves/free agent in January and is new to the system after spending all of last season on Philadelphia’s practice squad.

“Today was the first live exposure that I've seen him throw,” LaFleur said. “So, I think it's too early to tell, but I mean, he's showing up every day with great attitude and putting his best foot forward.”

This article originally appeared on Packers News: Packers Matt LaFleur asks if rookie Trey Smack can kick in cold weather