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Inbox: Great moment captured by the greatest

Interesting comparison from a quarter century ago

QB Aaron Rodgers, T David Bakhtiari and LB Preston Smith
QB Aaron Rodgers, T David Bakhtiari and LB Preston Smith

Nic from London, UK

The WR position is still unsettled and quality FAs remain available. What do you think the chances are that we make a serious run at Messi?

Thanks for the chuckle.

Sonia from Fairbanks, AK

Will Wayne and the Rock travel to Minneapolis for the opening game, or will they follow MLB and stay in Green Bay and use video feeds to guide the broadcast? Will you two travel with the team?

Many of those details are still being worked out.

Dale from Lima, NY

I just watched Coach LaFleur's (Thursday) press conference. I was impressed by how genuine and heartfelt his responses were. We are at a tipping point in American society. We will define who we are now and who we want to be in a couple months. If we in everyday life could emulate what professional athletes take for granted – to every day strive to be better than you were yesterday – then we all might reap the rewards of the potential this country has to offer. The struggle's not over. Persevere. Believe.

I'm proud to know Matt LaFleur.

Rick from Frederick, MD

Have either of you guys read Rob Demovsky's article on the ESPN app regarding Kenny Clark's contract shedding some light on Aaron Rodgers' future with the Packers? He says the pay on Clark's first two years is minimal before it takes a massive jump on the cap for 2022 and saying if Rodgers is kept on the team they would account for more than $60 million that year, hinting that could be when Gute may cut or trade Rodgers. What are your thoughts on this?

The way the dollars currently stack up, the Packers appear to be setting themselves up for an assessment of where things stand in '22. But there are more ways to make cap adjustments than moving on from players. Contracts can be restructured, money moved around. I'm not going to predict what the Packers' decisions will be when there are two full seasons of football to play between now and when those decisions might have to be made.

Craig from Sheboygan, WI

The NFL has a successful "hard" salary cap and it has resulted in parity, which is one of the most desirable elements of pro football. So why can't the NBA and MLB institute a "hard" cap and enjoy parity too? Don't these other leagues see the success the NFL has? Wouldn't they want to emulate that?

Plenty of owners in the NBA and MLB are making plenty of money, and the players' unions in those sports have negotiated what they feel is best for them. I think the owners in those other leagues would have to give up a lot at the negotiating table to get the players to accept hard caps (MLB has no cap of any sort), so neither side is really interested in disrupting what they have.

Tony from Kansas City, MO

Re: Jerry Gray parting ways with the Vikings. I'm guessing it was the horn.

Good one.

Benjamin from Bear, DE

By all accounts, it looks like Tim Boyle's having a nice camp and maybe even the inside track on being named Aaron's backup. With that said, will the Packers dress three QBs or will Jordan Love be inactive on game day? I'm hoping to see him in action during mop-up time after the Packers get huge leads in the fourth quarter! Your thoughts please.

I wouldn't expect the Packers to suit up more than two QBs for game day unless there's a potential injury issue with one of the QBs heading into the game. There is one extra spot – game-day rosters are going from 46 to 48, with one of the additional required to be an offensive lineman – so maybe … but my suspicion is coaches would still prefer to fortify depth at another position, especially a position with health concerns.

John from Salt Lake City, UT

Insiders, in regard to the college vs. pro hash marks: I was in the Wisconsin marching band, and it was always tricky during our games at Lambeau Field navigating the pro hashes after getting used to the friendly confines of Camp Randall. The college hashes are right on the 8-to-5 (eight steps for every five yards) grid, while the pro hashes are not. This made spacing much more difficult, especially for us tubas who led out during pregame and thus "set the grid" in the east-west direction.

Interesting. Going from college to pro, is there also an adjustment to the speed of the songs? The thickness of the sheet music binder? Do you have to keep both feet in bounds instead of only one? Just having fun. I appreciate learning something new.

Travis from Oshawa, Canada

Hope I haven't missed an article addressing this question. How is the grounds crew coping with maintaining the grass at Lambeau with the team using it regularly for practice?

The team has only scheduled three practices on it, which from a usage standpoint would be the equivalent of Family Night and two preseason games in a normal year. It's actually less work for the crew members because they don't have to paint all the lines every time.

Gerry from Richmond, VA

I support and agree with all the statements about the need for major change. However, the second half of almost all the statements is usually missing. This is the condemnation of violence. As soon as the first rock is thrown, the first fire is lit or policeman is attacked, the protest loses all hope. The athletes and celebrities need to speak out strongly about this to truly be effective.

Many have brought this up. I can't begin to comprehend the levels of frustration some feel, but unfortunately too often these situations are exploited by those with destructive agendas that hurt the cause and create, in addition to more victims, guilt by association for those with a lawful approach to change. Do the players really need to state the obvious and condemn violence and destruction? Maybe they should if they're going to use their larger platform in this way, but that's not going to stop it, or really do much good, unfortunately. Either way, I think the players are more interested in setting an example with their actions, whatever plans they devise in the coming weeks and months, than with soundbites.

Heikki from Joensuu, Finland

This year's special situation has forced coaching staffs and organizations to take different routes of preparing between teams to go through the offseason and be ready to play come September. Do you guys think that this year especially presents the competence of a coaching staff and organization?

I don't know if I'd use the word competence, but I hear your point. The challenges of roster management and playbook installation in the current environment are different, and greater than normal. I think the circumstances have tested coaches' creativity with finding new ways to prepare. Once the regular season arrives, it mostly goes back to the usual routine barring a virus breakout.

Chris from Rochester, NY

What is the best/most memorable special-teams play you have witnessed in your time covering the Packers? For me (in recent-ish memory), it has to be the Randall Cobb kick return in the 2011 opener against the Saints. John Kuhn with the assist!

Off the top of my head, for me it's probably Tim Masthay and Tom Crabtree giving fourth-and-26 a different footnote in Packers lore in 2012 vs. the Bears.

A from Ellsworth, WI

How is JK Scott punting in practice and will not having preseason games affect the punting game more or less than other parts of the game?

I don't think the lack of preseason games will affect Scott much, but the coverage and return units will be lacking live snaps against an opponent. They may conduct some fully live reps in camp before the end of next week. We'll see.

Thomas from Hayward, WI

I reject how sports and players are becoming political social justice warriors. Sports are the outlet for fans to get away from this. Sorry they lost my support this year. I think you will be amazed overwhelmingly how many fans will be turned off by teams, leagues, and players weighing in on social political issues.

Again, I don't understand why equality has to be labeled political. That's part of the problem. But that aside, I'm well aware many share your views, and I don't think the leagues, teams and players will be "amazed" at any backlash. The fear of it was why Kaepernick was vilified for his peaceful protest four years ago. The difference now is the leagues, teams and players have decided they don't care about the backlash because the issues are more important than economics. They understand the potential consequences and have decided to live with them and hopefully change some minds in the process. I applaud the reset of priorities.

Joseph from Salt Lake City, UT

What does the plaque say above the "concrete to Greatness"? I noticed it in one of the photos posted from today's practice but couldn't make out everything.

"Proud generations of Green Bay Packers Players, World Champions a record 13 times, have run over this very concrete to Greatness." The plaque is at the end of the players' tunnel as they enter the stadium. There are three concrete blocks that were taken from the old tunnel before the stadium was renovated and placed in the current tunnel, lined up like a threshold to cross, with the plaque on the wall alongside to the left as the players pass by.

The Green Bay Packers avoided the rain, practicing inside the Don Hutson Center on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020.

Ryan from Colfax, WI

II, when it comes to the tryout players the Packers bring in, do the players have to pay for their transportation to get to Green Bay, or do the teams provide a stipend for travel-related expenses? Thanks for all you guys do during these difficult and trying times.

The team pays travel expenses for players they bring in for tryouts and typically feeds them while they're in town, too.

Lori from Heredia, Costa Rica

What is the story behind the great pics of Rodgers, David Bakhtiari and Preston Smith sitting on the wall? Practicing their leaping? Did any of them need a boost to get up there?

I didn't see how they got themselves perched there, so I don't know if anyone needed a boost. But when the vets were excused from practice, those guys decided to sit there to watch the young players' final period of the workout, which included live tackling. Great moment captured by the greatest, Evan Siegle.

Steven from Silver Spring, MD

The buzz/reports around Kamal Martin remind me of the reports written about Adam Timmerman back in '95. I am hearing the same phrases used with each. Game not too big, rising to the progressively more "realistic" challenges. Top all that off with playing a position group that is as wide open and unclaimed as you can possibly be.

Interesting comparison from a quarter century ago.

Leslie from Las Vegas, NV

So Mike, guessing you wouldn't make it through an August practice in a hooded sweatshirt?

Uh, no.

Gregory from Lanark, IL

Not really a question, but I loved the answer to Chuck from Arizona with reference to "The Lorax"! "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing's going to change, it's not!" The world could use a large dose of Dr. Seuss right now. So thankful for all you do!

Have a good weekend, everybody.

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