There’s still plenty of work to be done

Good morning. With the impending LARGE contract going to AR and the cap issues, it appears there will be a premium on our draft picks performing well on affordable contracts. The last couple years and the next couple years will need some great impact from young players as it seems unrealistic they’d be able to afford too many free agents or catch the magic of so many lower-budget guys like this last year. Do you see that same picture or is it much more complicated than that?

If you draft well year after year, you get the production needed from players on their first contracts. That’s a key to any team staying in the hunt on a regular basis. What’ll be virtually impossible to replicate is the lightning-in-a-bottle the Packers caught with De’Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas last year. That’s exceedingly rare, and not to be counted on annually. Campbell filled a major void, while Douglas was an injury-related move, so better luck in the health department would obviously help reduce the need to hit big like that again.

Jeff from Vandenberg SFB, CA

Wow, what a Tuesday! Bigger news, Rodgers coming back or the Wilson trade?

I’ll leave the ranking to others. What a monster trade between the Broncos and Seahawks, though. Wow. Hackett is getting a chance to win right away, which doesn’t always happen for first-time head coaches, and a nine-time Pro Bowl QB joins a division that already has Mahomes, Herbert and Carr under center for their respective clubs. Time to really buckle up in the AFC West. The Packers will face that entire division in 2023.

What do you suppose a trade with Denver would have looked like had the Packers not extended AR? I’m curious if you think they would have given more for Rodgers than Wilson?

I don’t know. Wilson isn’t the two-time reigning MVP but he is five years younger.

Colton from Pleasant View, UT

I know they say all you need is Love, but with the Rodgers deal going down, what do you see in his future? As a former Aggie myself I was hoping he would get a chance for the Packers, but I don’t see the point in keeping a first-round pick on the bench.

If they get a really good offer, I could see the Packers trading Jordan Love, but they aren’t just going to move him without getting worthwhile value in return. More likely in my mind is the Packers will continue to develop the young prospect knowing they have a reasonably priced, capable (and improving) backup to Rodgers for the last two years of Love’s rookie contract. I’m fairly certain a veteran backup would cost the Packers more money than they’re paying Love.

I’m feeling a little hypocrisy in the NFL air. Calvin Ridley is suspended for gambling (which I believe he should be) but the NFL advertises gambling during pre-game and games. Am I misunderstanding? What are your thoughts?

As those who read this column regularly know, it’s difficult for me to reconcile the league’s insistence on the integrity of the game with its embrace of the gambling industry via sponsorships, etc. There’s a blurring of lines that doesn’t feel sustainable over the long haul. I’ll just leave it at that.

Good morning, Mike. Since everyone will comment today on the obvious big news (didn’t 12 get the memo on making big announcements while you were gone?), here’s a change-up pitch. What if anything can be done by the now O-line coach to improve on the remarkable 2021 performance, and keep 12’s jersey clean on game day? Other than possibly right tackle, it looks like the line will be deep and experienced this year. Thanks for all you do, enjoy the day and GPG!

Luke Butkus’ job as he rises to take over the offensive line will be to continue developing young players the way he and Adam Stenavich have for the past three years. Myers, Runyan, Newman and Nijman all look like ascending players to me. Bakhtiari should be back for the start of everything in ’22. Jenkins is expected back at some point. I’m not sure what will happen with Turner, and the depth will take a hit if Patrick and/or Kelly don’t return, but there’s plenty of reason to believe this will be a very strong unit for the Packers once again.

I know a ways off, but with Elgton Jenkins’ contract but do you think with his versatility he will be paid as a tackle, guard, or center?

That’s a negotiation for another day, but chances are it won’t be as simple as giving him a specific position label.

Just a ballpark figure please. Just wondering how much cap space do the Packers need to sign their draft picks? Thank you for your time.

Generally speaking, it ends up in the $8-10M range, but it’s impossible to peg right now. Players/contracts currently in that top 51 will be released/restructured between now and next Wednesday, and more moves could come between then and when the draft picks sign, changing all the equations. But no space is needed for the draft picks until after the draft.

Is there any consideration given when evaluating draft prospects to the conference of the prospect? I would think a prospective OL player from a Big Ten school would be held in higher regard than one from say the Missouri Valley Conference.

Studying the film on a prospect includes studying his competition.

With regard to the combine becoming a moneymaker, what can the NFL do to make it more entertaining for fans to want to attend? It is hard for me to watch more than a few athletes before I’m bored.

That’s understandable. Somewhere down the line the league probably will create more direct competitions amongst the prospects and pay them to participate.

Hi II, I am wondering if you can confirm if the practice squads are reverting back to the 2019 rules? I know they were updated for flexibility during Covid, and the NFL suspended their Covid protocols. I am not sure, however, if the updated practice squad rules are a part of that or not. The Packers’ front office seemed to work those updated rules very well last season and I am hoping the expanded roster and lessened restrictions on returning to play stay in effect.

I’m not aware of any reversion to old rules, but we’ll likely get more clarity on this following the owners’ meetings at the end of the month, which Wes will be covering for us.

Gentlemen: I’ve been thinking a lot about this the last few years. What are your thoughts of giving the conference regular-season champion the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and let their respective tournament champion have a shot at an at-large bid? Might give some excitement to the long regular season and allow some of the smaller conference regular-season champions not to lose their bid during a three-day weekend tournament to a sub-.500 team. Thank you!

Amidst all this craziness, I am legitimately looking forward to March Madness. I’m sure your suggestion has been kicked around by various conferences over the years, because it seems grossly unfair in a one-bid league for the regular-season champ to be forced to essentially win the conference twice to get a bid. But my guess is without the automatic bid tied to the league tournament, those smaller conferences wouldn’t get the attendance nor TV audience for that event, which translates into a lot of dollars.

Could we have a rule that all future questions with the term “OT” must refer to offensive tackles?

I’m getting close, believe me.

On whether Ludwig and Therese lived happily ever after, not so much. King Ludwig never married and was found dead at age 40. His body was found floating in Lake Starnberg near Munich along with that of his physician in 1886 under mysterious circumstances, one day after his imprisonment for “insanity.” Not exactly a fairy tale ending.

So they got that goin’ for ’em, which is nice.

What will we ever find to talk about now ’til August?

T-minus 50 days and counting until the draft. Happy Wednesday.