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Cheese Curds, 4/10: Early buy-in key for Matt LaFleur

The rookie coach is getting key support from veteran Packers

NFL: Combine Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

“Buy-in” is one of the many quasi-mythical factors that affect the success and failure of a football team. We like to talk and think about the idea of players being “bought in” to what a coach is trying to accomplish. And while it’s probably a little much to get excited about players being interested in their coach’s goals — it is their job to do what the coach says, after all — we’ve seen the effects of a tuned-out football team in Green Bay.

Establishing that culture is a crucial part of Matt LaFleur’s first offseason workouts, and it’s been encouraging to see the signs of early buy-in from players speaking on social media and elsewhere. David Bakhtiari even voiced support for LaFleur’s offseason workout strategy before stepping foot in Green Bay.

Reading into anything that happens in April is probably foolish. So many things can change between now and the games that matter. But at the very least, things are off to an encouraging start.

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