Inbox: He's primed to do it again

Dave from Huntsville, AL

With your new sponsor, is gambling still illegal at Bushwood? And Mike, when are you going to introduce Wes as your trusty sidekick.

Sidekick feels like a putdown to me.

Gary from Marion, IA

Wasn't Halas "saving" the Packers largely motivated by padding his own pocketbook?

Indubitably.

Mark from Madison, WI

The Packers signed Christian Watson to a one-year contract extension coming of an injury with great results and now appear to be inking him to a new contract. Can you see them doing the same thing with Tucker Kraft or are the situations different?

Very different. Kraft didn't have the injury history Watson had before his ACL, and Watson was only going to get half a season in his original contract year.

David from Janesville, WI

Gents, I'm really glad we won't have to find out if Watson would have been willing to play on the remaining year of his contract. In addition to the risk of him staying on the sidelines to avoid injury there was the additional trend of wide receiver contract numbers just getting bonkers. He got paid handsomely, but time would have only increased that number. Now on to Tucker and Devonte Wyatt.

Just to be clear, there was never any indication Watson was going to hold out or anything, if that's what you're suggesting. Plus, with the Packers these deals don't just magically appear, they're in the works for a while. That said, I agree the receiver market has gone bonkers, and when I saw Drake London's contract numbers earlier this week, I honestly figured it would cost the Packers more to keep Watson than what's been reported.

Andy from Boscobel, WI

I realize you guys are EMPLOYED by the Packers. With ALL BIAS aside, do you TRULY believe the contract we gave Watson has been EARNED? Last time I checked, NO PLAYER gets THAT kind of $ WITHOUT having at LEAST ONE great season. I KNOW his potential but that's ALL it is so far. Yards per route run means LITTLE when you're NOT producing. I'm not a pessimistic person, just HONEST. He 100% has NOT earned this and can't tell me it's projection because of how injured he's been. 17 is plenty!

But it is projection. He's not getting paid for what he's done. He's getting paid for what the Packers expect him to do. There's also ample evidence how different this offense is with him versus without him, due to how defenses react to his presence. That doesn't show up in his statistics. I believe the only reason he didn't hit $30M APY is his injury history. Is there risk here? Sure. There's risk in every big contract in such a violent sport. But right now the Packers have the receiving trio of Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden locked up for the next 3-4 years. That sounds like a pretty good spot to be in.

Matt from Sioux Falls, SD

Now that the Watson deal is done and with the Kraft extension most likely coming next. Do you think the Packers re-sign Wyatt? The Packers generally do not like to sign/re-sign older players.

I do think a Wyatt extension is a possibility, but I don't see his age (28) being a limiting factor except for perhaps the length of commitment. I'd surmise the Packers are more concerned that he's back to his old self after that nasty injury last Thanksgiving.

Craig from Brookfield, WI

Jayden Reed, for some reason, has fallen off people's "players to watch" radar. In his rookie year, he caused as much buzz as Golden does now. Reed stood out despite having to scrap for opportunities behind Doubs, Watson, and Kraft. Then the collarbone injury, and he's faded from fan/pundit attention. Given his age and the departure of other options, I think Reed is well-positioned for a breakout year. What are you seeing in OTAs or hearing from coaches about 11's potential?

I don't need to see or hear anything because Reed has proven what he can do, and he's primed to do it again provided he stays healthy. I agree with all the attention on Watson and Golden, people are sleeping on Reed.

Ronald from Edison, NJ

Will Micah Parsons be able to start the first game?

No.

Bruce from Las Vegas, NV

Is there enough salary cap available to sign Kraft?

Yes.

Kevin from Arlington Heights, IL

Parsons came out and said he'll start the season on the PUP and aims to be back mid-October (hopefully in time for the Bears game Week 5) but any word on Kraft? Is it expected he'll be able to suit up Week 1?

Nobody has laid that out as an expectation, but it's certainly on the table. LaFleur said the hope is Kraft will be ready for the start of training camp, or very early in training camp, which should give him enough time to prep for Week 1. But one step at a time.

George from North Mankato, MN

So glad to see Bo Melton getting another chance to crack the roster as a receiver. In what ways could his crash course on the defensive side benefit him going forward?

I would imagine he learned something about what clues DBs look for to decipher the routes and route combos coming at them, so he might have an idea how to mask those tips. Or he might have a better understanding of how secondaries disguise their coverages, which could help make the right decision on choice routes.

Paul from Ledgeview, WI

Maybe you can never "know" absolutely, but the coaches and personnel guys and probably a lot of veterans know when they see an alpha or the apex predator. We fans won't know until the season is over whether the Packers have the horses. I am especially interested in seeing how our defense plays without Micah Parsons. Outside of RB, and kicker, do you believe the Packers have any significant question marks?

I still say cornerback depth, though it looks a lot better now than it did three months ago. But we still don't really know how Benjamin St-Juste will fit and what Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson might be able to do as rookies. Time will tell.

Doug from Neenah, WI

Good morning, Mike. Am I the only one (other than themselves) who thinks Isaiah Neyor and Pierre Strong Jr. could make significant contributions to the team this year? Thanks.

I'm not writing them off by any stretch, and no offense to them in particular, but I hope they don't, because that means some (stuff) has gone wrong.

Nik from Moore, SC

If you can pick one rookie to have a Pro Bowl season, who would you choose? I think Dani Dennis-Sutton having a Clay Matthews-type rookie year would be huge for the defense.

Whom, and that's a lot to ask of a fourth-round pick. It's even more to ask of a sixth-round pick but my choice would be Trey Smack.

Jim from Eau Claire, WI

Hey guys, why is Collin Oliver not practicing? I haven't seen any updates on an injury. Should we be concerned because of all the games he missed last year?

There are no injury reports in the offseason and LaFleur doesn't talk about what players are dealing with this time of year.

Eric from Holiday, FL

In response to Wes yesterday, "You can't have one second-team All-Pro selection and make it to Canton without paying admission." I would like to ask your thoughts on Mike Evans then. I have long been firm that I do not believe he will make the HOF since he has one second-team All-Pro, no OPOY votes, no MVP votes, has never led the league in yards or catches (tied for TDs once with 13 in 2023) and he has never once been in the discussion for best WR in the league. Yet most say he is a HOFer.

That's why I think every case should be examined individually, and the process shouldn't be beholden to certain benchmarks. Everybody has their preferences for what makes a good case, I get that. With Evans (who has two second-team All-Pros, for the record), he tied Jerry Rice's record with 11 straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and Rice is the only receiver with more 1,000-yard seasons overall (14). How much that means is up to each voter.

Ed from Green Valley, AZ

I have a belief that Russell Wilson has a better shot at being in the Hall of Fame, as a quarterback, if he stays in broadcasting for a while.

Right or wrong, there's definitely some truth to that.

Scott from Issaquah, WA

I can't limit the HOF based on All-Pros. All-Pros are based on what happens during the regular season. It's called the Hall of Fame, not the Hall-Of-Good-In-September. Eli won two Super Bowl MVPs. If you told me Jordan Love had a pair of Super Bowl MVPs in his future, I'd be far more excited than if he had five All-Pros in his future.

Again, every case needs separate consideration. Eli's candidacy is fascinating to me for reasons I've discussed previously.

Pete from Hillsborough, NC

I realize it is early and a lot depends on available talent, but do you have any impression of what type of pass defense Gannon prefers? Does he tend to favor zone or press man? Is there any historical trend?

Not really, but DCs who seek turnovers tend to prefer zone with vision on the QB. Those decisions are often personnel/package-based, as well as matchup/situational/game plan-oriented, etc.

Craig from Sussex, WI

Will it benefit the Packers that DC Gannon knows Kyler Murray? Or will Minnesota use him differently?

This will be the most overplayed storyline of Week 1. Yes, Gannon knows Murray, but Murray knows Gannon. Murray won't be running the same offense, and Gannon won't be calling the same defense.

Jeffrey from Eveleth, MN

The last team I watched that could consistently and effectively rush just four and create pressure won the Super Bowl. Heck, the last two actually.

That list is long.

Gary from Sheboygan, WI

G'Morning Insiders, comparing the trades for Parsons and Garrett, does it look like the Rams got a cheaper deal? It's close?

It's close. Verse (versus Clark) gives the Browns a much younger player, but the second- and third-round picks don't add up to another first-rounder. With Garrett 3½ years older than Parsons, I'd say the Packers got the better deal.

JC from Madison, WI

If the trade for Garrett brings Aaron Donald out of retirement, that could be the greatest trade of all time. That defense would be frightening. How do the Rams pay for that roster and stay under the cap? Seems impossible.

The bill will come due at some point. They're probably just planning to carry a bunch of dead money when their next QB is on his rookie contract.

Mutt from Blaine, MN

Good morning II. I always think it interesting when fans take silence or inaction as a sign that BG isn't aware of the situation or ignoring things. I'm quite sure the team is always preparing and on the lookout for options. You never know when a player will get hurt or have something outside football cause them to miss time. Let's not take inaction as a sign BG isn't doing his job.

Thank you.

Dustin from Kansas City, MO

What is one thing about covering the Packers that you appreciate more today than you did when you first started?

How truly insatiable the appetite is for Packers news and content 24/7/365.

Ryan from Sun Prairie, WI

How many more days until the baloney stops?

T-minus 100 and counting. Happy Friday.

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