Will Scott Tolzien be Aaron Rodgers' backup quarterback come the fall?

GREEN BAY (WITI) -- The most important player on the Green Bay Packers roster is Aaron Rodgers -- but as we saw last season when he fractured his collarbone, the Packers need to have a reliable backup quarterback. And right now is Scott Tolzien's time to shine.

The NFL season will start in early September when the Packers visit Seattle.

Working backwards, before that will be the preseason and Packers Training Camp -- and mini camps and the draft, but QB Scott Tolzien's opportunity for advancement is right now.

"This is the time of year when quarterbacks really make their hay and improve their technique because of the demands in the OTAs and the demands in Training Camp. So much of it is about scheme and being partnered up with other positions. This is the time when they can individualize as far as particular techniques that are fitted for every single one of them," Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy said.

"It'll be huge as long as I make the most of it. I have a great opportunity in front of me, but it's really on my shoulders to capitalize on the opportunity that I have," Tolzien said.

Tolzien was a very accurate and accomplished passer at the University of Wisconsin -- but he was not drafted coming out of school, and knocked around San Diego and San Francisco for two years without playing in a regular season game.

The Packers signed him to their practice squad for last season, and by the time both Aaron Rodgers and Seneca Wallace were hurt, he was playing. Tolzien showed potential -- throwing for a score against the Eagles and running for a memorable tally against Minnesota, but his inexperience led to the team turning to Matt Flynn to stay in playoff contention.

Tolzien is a far different player than he was at this time last spring.

"I'll take any experience I can get, so to get my feet wet like I did last year was awesome for me. It forced me to grow up in a hurry, so you pack that experience away and you learn from it, and just kind of use this off-season to keep going and improve myself," Tolzien said.

"There's nothing like playing time, don't get me wrong. You can't replace that. The fact that Scott is standing here and has the ability to go back to 'A,' and learning 'A through Z,' as opposed to coming in and learning game plans that would help any quarterback -- especially in Scott's particular case where he had zero carryover of the two systems that he'd been in before," McCarthy said.

Mike McCarthy's team will have plenty of football in the future, leading up to that kickoff in the Pacific Northwest.

Scott Tolzien is taking the approach that his future is now.

It is possible the Packers could select a quarterback in the NFL Draft May 8th through the 10th.

Tolzien wants to be sure he is as ready as he can be to earn the job as Rodgers backup in the fall.