They were as deep as they were talented

Don from Imnaha River Woods, OR

The new Packers kicker signee, Dominik Eberle, had 75 extra points and 22 field goals in one season as a junior? That means his team scored well over 50 points a game in a 10-game season, and even in a playoff scenario had around 50 pts a game. Is this correct? Asking for a friend (if this is true) . . . is the offensive coordinator available? 🙂

That is true. That quarterback from that team happens to be on the Packers’ roster. The offensive coordinator is not available, though. David Yost was hired by FIU a couple months ago.

I understand the heavy breathing regarding 12’s future. I really do. Several sports columnists have said Jordan Love isn’t the guy. I’m not saying he is. Any idea what 12’s stats were before he got the starting job? I’m willing to bet they are similar to JL.

Rodgers completed 15-of-31 passes for 111 yards and an interception during his first two NFL seasons. It was in his third, Rodgers had that eye-opening performance against Dallas (20-of-28 for 218 yards and a touchdown).

Hi Insiders! I’m coming back to the world after sitting through the bar exam the past two days to catch up on Packers news from the last couple of weeks. I’m glad to see the cap situation didn’t prevent us from retaining Kenny Clark. He’s a key part of making sure this defense stays championship caliber. The draft class seems weak on QBs and the jury still seems out on Love, do you think we can build a championship team around our running backs and this defense should Rodgers retire? I think so.

If it’s not 12, then it’s going to be 10. I think that’s the right call, too. Fans get riled up over the amount of cap space teams have to dedicate to franchise QBs in today’s NFL. Have you seen what veteran backups are commanding these days?

Etienne from St joachin de tourelle, Canada

I am sad for the Ukrainian people. It’s a tragedy. Why can’t we all live in peace on earth? Great to read the Insider Inbox six days a week, a place where it seems that hatred and the cancer of social media is nowhere to be found. Did I pick up that Big Dog was coming back? I know we are stacked against the cap, but Cordarrelle would be a great addition ( even though there is no math in the inbox), a la Desmond Howard, if I can dream…

Lewis signed a two-year contract with the Packers last offseason and I think we all know how serious he is about making a run at Jason Witten’s and Tony Gonzalez’s record for most seasons (17) played by a tight end. So, I expect him back. Like Campbell in Green Bay, Patterson set himself up for a big payday with how well he played in Atlanta. I don’t think anyone is getting him on a discount this time around.

Reed from Kansas City, MO

All the talk about first-round QBs this week got me thinking: when a highly drafted QB struggles (Mitch Trubisky and Sam Darnold as two recent examples), do you think it’s primarily misevaluation or are bad situation and coaching to blame?

I always think back to Alex Smith’s situation. He had four different offensive coordinators in each of his first four NFL seasons. The 49ers lost a lot of games and Smith took a lot of hits. Once Jim Harbaugh arrived with a more stable offense, Smith showed his true potential.

Dennis from Beavercreek, OH, commented that he would love to see the Packers win many more SBs but most of all wanted to stay competitive. Given a choice of remaining competitive but not winning a SB versus winning a SB every so often but maybe not as competitive during the non-SB years, which would you prefer?

Maybe I’m being obtuse but I’d rather be in Green Bay’s situation than Denver’s or Philly’s.

Right now, when trading a player to another team, the team trading the player can get in return money, players, and/or draft picks. With cap dollars being so valuable, why couldn’t a team receive compensation cap dollars, which would increase their cap quantity?

That’s not what that means. There are ways for the former team to “eat” some of the player’s contract, but it can’t actually give the new team cap space.

Patrick from Murfreesboro, TN

Jack Vainisi, now that’s someone who deserves HOF attention. Not only for his pivotal role in hiring Lombardi and assembling a legendary collection of talent, but also for pioneering the modern scouting and personnel systems of the NFL. Those who don’t know him should look him up. I know he died too soon, but how can his impact get so overlooked?

Those in the know recognize the massive impact Vainisi had on the Packers. He’s another guy who was way ahead of his time. He was the architect for the run the Packers got on in the 1960s, which may not have been possible without him.

As to Scott from Sheboygan’s question about career-ending injuries, Sterling Sharpe and Tim Lewis would also be good picks. I started watching the Packers in 1970 while Phil Bengtson was the coach, and suffered through the ’70s and ’80s. Hence, I couldn’t agree more with your comment that Bob Harlan should be in the HOF, not only for resurrecting the franchise, but also for the inspiration to construct the atrium, etc., to provide a solid revenue stream for the franchise’s future.

Like Vainisi, Bob Harlan deserves every good thing that’s ever been said about him. The addition of contributors to the Hall of Fame was needed. But now we have a pretty long line of deserving candidates over the past century. Canton could almost use a Centennial Slate just for contributors.