Fred from La Crosse, WI

Good morning II, ATMR(WCBW), was yesterday the first time the word futzing has been used in a response?

I believe so, and boy, did reading that word take me back to my youth, as it apparently did for many others as well.

Ryan from Sun Prairie, WI

What was your biggest surprise on cut-down day?

Nothing too jarring, and there could be more maneuvers over the next couple of days. I guess what I'd say I'm most curious about is cornerback, keeping Kamal Hadden and Micah Robinson while releasing King and Ballentine. I didn't have a good feel for how that was going to go, and I could've seen it unfolding multiple ways, but I do wonder what exactly were the deciding factors there.

Tallon from Castle Rock, CO

Hate to see Kalen King not make the 53, I thought he really improved since last year, hope he is back on the practice squad. What have you seen in camp from the two bottom corners that did make it in Kamal Hadden and Micah Robinson?

Hadden definitely stood out in both the joint practice and preseason game against the Seahawks. He had an intensity and aggressiveness to his game, coming off a tough outing in Indy (which was after he returned from a hip injury), that was noticeable. He really was playing every play like it was his last, and it paid off for him.

Darin from Greenfield, WI

What is the most surprising cut based on performance during the preseason?

For the second year in a row it's probably Welch, but after last year it can't be all that surprising, really.

Nathan from Williamstown, MA

Surprised to see both Simmons and Welch get released, especially after Gute's comments this offseason that he'd like to have six ILBs. Depending on how waivers shake out, do you think they may bring back one of those guys in Week 2 when they don't have to make a financial commitment to do so?

I'll never say never, but the financial commitment wasn't significant with either.

Joe from Swansea, IL

So, do you think the mistakes against the Jets doomed Mecole Hardman's bid to make the team? Were there other factors not obvious to us on the outside looking in?

Those errors certainly didn't help, but I don't think they were the reasons necessarily, not with a veteran who's accomplished what he has. I'd surmise the final analysis came down to him not being able to offer more at receiver and returner than the Packers already have.

Ian from the UK

Gents, the roster has a very young look to it yet again. All the draft picks plus Nazir Stackhouse make the grade whilst Welch, Ballentine, Simmons and Hardman fall away. I know it's a young person's game, draft and develop etc., but some experience goes a long way too. I'm surprised and upset to see Kristian Welch cut, a terrific all-action player in my eyes. Your thoughts?

Young guys getting the nod is the way business is done here, because this team believes in its process, and those decisions often aren't made with the current year at the forefront. The team is left shorter on experience if injuries strike particularly hard at one spot, but that's the sacrifice they're willing to make to see it through with a young player.

Doug from Woodington, OH

Good morning, Inboxers. Cuts have been made. The dust is still settling. Mike, who intrigues you the most out of the bubble players who survived for GB? Are there any other cuts around the NFL that shocked you?

I haven't studied all the cuts around the league. I have to save my brain capacity this time of year to the team I cover. I'll just say I'm glad the Packers kept four tight ends. It's a really intriguing group.

Kurt from East Peoria, IL

I have a question concerning the trade for Darian Kinnard. Is it possible the Packers used a 2027 pick because they project themselves to have compensatory picks that year?

That was my initial thought.

Matt from Fitchburg, WI

The Darian Kinnard trade has me a bit surprised. I was under the impression our O-line depth was solid, and it comes at seemingly a weird time where he won't get much work with the team before the season starts. Just curious what your thoughts are?

The personnel department saw Kinnard as an upgrade to the O-line depth, so it wasn't where it was expected to be after a full offseason, training camp and preseason. Player development is projected but never guaranteed.

Frank from Wake Forest, NC

Mike, regarding Justin from De Pere, WI, question. The most surprising cut I can remember in the 2000s is Hunter Hillenmeyer in 2003. I remember watching him during the preseason and thinking, he was definitely making the roster. I was shocked when he was cut and very disappointed when he ended up with the Bears, where a year later he was starting as an outside linebacker. I know it was before Wes's time, just curious as to what you think about it.

If memory serves, that's when the Packers were still trying to get something out of their 2001 third-rounder Torrance Marshall, which was a futile pursuit. Marshall made the team over Hillenmeyer, who went on to play eight years for the Bears, appearing in 101 games with 69 starts. Marshall started two games over four years in Green Bay and was out of the league after 2004.

John from Fort Myers, FL

Is Robert Tonyan still in the NFL? I tried to find him on the NFL website with no luck! He was one of my favorite players. Do you know where he is and what he is doing?

Tonyan was trying to make it as one of Travis Kelce's backup tight ends in Kansas City, but I believe he was released.

Tom from Columbus, NJ

There is so much focus on the 53-man roster...but what does the process look like to assemble the practice squad? Is there typically a certain number at each position that the Packers will look to retain? Or is it more talent/upside based?

It's mostly the latter, but the injury situation at any given time can turn the attention to position depth.

Mark from Madison, WI

How do teams find out which players have been waived by other teams? Is "waivers" like an actual database that the league maintains?

All roster moves are submitted to the league, and that information is then distributed to all clubs via "the wire." Even in Baltimore.

TK from Grafton, WI

Can a team trade up to be higher in the waiver claim order (like they can in the draft)?

No.

Herb from Mosier, OR

Couple of questions. Please explain how the "waiver wire" works. I know it follows your previous draft order but that's the limit of my understanding. Do the Packers have to wait for each team ahead of them to make a decision before making their own? How much time does each team have to make a decision? Does each team have to actually make a decision on every available player?

Teams submit their claims, which can include contingencies (if we don't get this guy, we want this guy instead, etc.), and then the league just starts at the top of the waiver order and goes through team by team, awarding the claims. I don't know if teams have to submit their corresponding roster moves to make room with the waiver claims, or right after, but the moves are effectively simultaneous.

Richard from Telford, TN

If I recall correctly the Packers had more players plucked off the waiver wire last year than any other team, four. Do you think it could be the same this year?

I have absolutely no idea.

Klay from Great Falls, MT

Do the injured players appear to be capable of being on the field in Week 1? Thanks.

I have absolutely no idea. Right now anyway. Well, Xavier McKinney did return to practice for individual drills before the last preseason game, so there's that. Otherwise, we'll just have to see what we see at practice later this week and next. The first official injury report won't be issued until next Wednesday.

Josh from Newhall, CA

Not to beat a dead horse, but out of curiosity I read the article that cited the NFL.com insider as believing the Packers would trade for Parsons. The problem is he's not actually citing any information or sources, named or unnamed. It was literally just a podcast conversation and he's spit-balling. He's making a supposition based only on cap space and contender status. As a society we need to start absorbing (all) information through a sieve rather than a funnel (or just through II).

I would never advise a fan to have only one source of information. There's a lot of high-quality work done covering this Packers beat, where plenty of reliable information can be found. The one thing we guarantee at this website is if there's a headline on a team transaction, it's official. Your reading of the NFL.com piece is the correct approach. Is the information coming from actual sources, or is someone just stating an opinion or supposition? There's a MASSIVE difference between those, but the industry has become so oversaturated with coverage that media consumers pay less and less attention to the distinction.

Duane from Bangor, WI

Mike, with Paul Coffman as the Packers' record holder with 813 yards (yes, I watched him play his whole career) how close would Finley have been in his best year or two if he could have played a whole 16-game season? Projected out of course...

Well, Finley played every game in 2011 and '12 and had 767 and 667 yards, respectively. He missed three games in '09 and had 676, plus that monster 159-yard playoff game in Arizona. He was more than capable of 800-plus but Rodgers also had a number of quality wide receivers on those teams, too, if you'll recall.

Howard from Appleton, WI

I was struck by an aspect of Mike's reply to Doug from Neenah, seeming to imply a total comfort level with Jordan Morgan as the opening-day starter at three different OL positions. As a second-year player who really didn't get very many snaps his rookie year (only 1 start) that seems pretty remarkable to me. Does it seem to you to involve a quick development and maturation? That kind of versatility on the line is quite valuable if he can play at a high level.

Morgan was a first-round pick for a reason, and the Packers hadn't used a first-round pick on the O-line in more than a dozen years when they chose him. Don't forget that. His shoulder was an issue during his rookie year before they shut him down to have surgery. I don't know what the final decision will be – maybe Rasheed Walker and Morgan are going to rotate at LT in the early stages of the year – but Morgan showed this summer he's on track to become the player the Packers projected when they made the first-round investment.

James from Appleton, WI

During the last preseason game, I was struck by the number of unfamiliar names on the offensive line. It opened my eyes to how deep the preseason roster goes, but maybe the bigger eye-opener goes to the linemen who discovered they were competing for a job against every hopeful lineman on every team. Boy, ask Brian Gutekunst if the glass is half empty or half full and he'll ask if there's another glass.

That's what makes this league so competitive, amongst the teams and the individual players.

Zach from Green Bay, WI

Is there ever a moment at the start of each season where it all hits that "Wow, we're really about to get going"?

Usually when I'm on my way to the stadium for the opener. At least this year that won't be a two-hour bus ride through the streets of Sao Paulo.

Nate from Naples, FL

Mike, would you ever announce your wedding engagement on roster cut Tuesday?

Somehow I don't think anyone would care. Happy Wednesday.

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