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Inbox: Mason Crosby has mastered that art like few before him

Packers know they hit a home run with Jaire Alexander in 2018

K Mason Crosby
K Mason Crosby

Conan from Kaneohe, HI

Aloha Mike (…and you to Wes!), loved, loved, loved, your answer to Jim from St. Paul! Keep up the great work! Sending some sunshine your way.

Spoff didn't have to steal my lunch Monday. I gave it to him, freely. He deserved it. The "Not my style" line had me rolling. It was the perfect intro to his manifesto.

Kurtis from Madison, WI

Does Spoff have to pay for the mic he dropped yesterday, or is that one on the house? Not sure why people love to get a rise out of jabbing at the packers.com staff for doing their jobs, but I love seeing you two clap back at them when the situation calls for it. Dunking on the bitter submitters is one of the spectacles I love about this column!

Spoff is working it out with our broadcast department. The mic might still be under warranty.

Dave from Germantown, TN

Did Spoff's answer to Jim from St. Paul's tirade regarding Aaron Rodgers set a record for the longest II response to a question?

If it's not first, it's definitely on the Mount Rushmore.

Matty from Durango, CO

During our last Super Bowl years, we had the youngest team in the NFL. It took half the season to get those youngsters up to speed but then, at Atlanta in 2010, for instance, it all seemed to click. Was that youth kick accidental or part of Ted Thompson's genius?

A little of both. I see the 2010 season as a mix of Thompson's early draft classes maturing and a cast of young players thriving after injuries thrust them into starting roles.

Frank from Wake Forest, NC

Wes, I read the question about the most dominating of all time, interesting discussion. I disagree with Mike on his take of Jerry Rice over Don Hutson. Hutson in several years caught more passes, for more yards and TDs than other entire teams. While playing on defense, as well. Yes, Jerry caught a lot of passes, but he wasn't the only one catching lots of passes. What do you think?

It's Hutson for me. Rice did it against far better competition, but Hutson was ahead of his time. You alluded to it, but just look at the NFL receiving leaders from 1939 until he retired. This guy was lapping the field. Hutson's 1942 season remains one of the best seasons by a player in NFL history. So, pound-for-pound, that would be my pick.

Joe from Swansea, IL

With the Pack picking at 22, which teams do you think might try to jump ahead of them in Round 1? Conversely, at what point in the draft should we wonder whether to watch for a move up by Gutey? Is there even a realistic chance of that?

Teams don't typically telegraph trades that much. They just sort of happen. A lot depends on how the board falls and the value teams place on specific players. I will say – since Brian Gutekunst took over as GM, I make sure to finish my draft-night meal before the draft begins. After Roger Goodell makes his opening remarks, anything could happen.

Josh from Adams, WI

How high is too high to draft PR/KR specialist like Marcus Jones? He looks to have the potential to be a generational talent at a position we are desperately in need of and would be guaranteed six-plus touches and hopefully 100-plus yards of production every game. For a team that is looking to improve in the third phase of the game, I'd be fine with us "reaching" for him a little bit with pick No. 59 or moving up from No. 92 to ensure we finally fill that hole.

If Jones really is the next Devin Hester or Dante Hall as some scouts make him out to be, then I'd be OK drafting him in the late-second round. To me, he seems more like a solid third-round option, just because of the size. He had five interceptions last year at Houston but 5-foot-8, 185 pounds is pretty small for an NFL corner. You're likely going all-in on Jones as a special-teamer when you turn the card in.

The Green Bay Packers held their first offseason session of 2022 at the Don Hutson Center on Monday, April 18, 2022.

Jeff from Muskego, WI

What's your thoughts on the Packers taking a kicker in the draft?

I'd be against it, especially after Pat O'Donnell's signing. Obviously, the field-goal operation wasn't what it needed to be last season. If O'Donnell's holding is as dialed in as the Packers say, Mason Crosby deserves the opportunity to work with him before Green Bay does anything as drastic as drafting a kicker. Because you're not drafting a kicker to compete. You're drafting a kicker to be your kicker. And kicking at Lambeau Field is a different animal compared to anywhere else in the league, maybe outside of Chicago. Crosby has mastered that art like few before him.

David from Appleton, WI

Hello Insiders! With the schedule coming out in the near future, what are you most looking forward to seeing (besides the London game)? I want to know how many home games will actually kick off at a decent time this season. It seems like the last few seasons most home games started late.

If there isn't more than one home noon game on the schedule, I am going to cry. The inundation of 3:25 p.m. CT games last year destroyed me. I'm looking forward to the Cowboys home game – but not for the same reason the rest of the country will be. Mike McCarthy accomplished a great deal in Green Bay and it'll be cool to see him come back to the place he helped solidify as Titletown. The Patriots home game, the Bucs matchup and obviously London will be fun. It's a good schedule from a pure entertainment standpoint.

Mike from New Orleans, LA

With the time limit for each draft pick I understand how trades could be difficult as the timer ticks down. Are you aware of any instances where two teams couldn't get the trade secured in time, so Team A drafts the player Team B wants and then trades said player for picks?

Yes…just don't ask me for any specific examples. But I know I've heard about that happening in the past. When a team is negotiating a trade, it almost always has a name ready in case the deal falls through.

Dan from Toledo, OH

I'll admit it, I was against moving Adams initially. But now after the Hill trade and the reports that Scary Terry, A.J. Brown and Deebo are all holding out, it seems we may have been out ahead of this and early enough that we have enough picks to improve our team. (And hey it looks like we started a trend of moving star WRs).

I wasn't trying to blow air up your balloon. Aaron Rodgers getting his extension and Davante Adams wanting to be the league's highest-paid receiver were not isolated events. They're realities many NFL teams had to face this offseason with their superstars. Fortunately, the Packers ironed out the details early and can now focus on 2022. The situation I'll be eagerly watching is the one in Arizona. I can see where both the Cardinals and Kyler Murray are coming from. I'm not sure how that plays out in the desert.

Bud from Boyceville, WI

Seems that the Sammy Watkins signing key will be his availability. He has the pedigree. Will the Packers and Watkins be able to come up with the best exercise/flexibility/yoga program to make this happen?

I'm sure it's something the Packers discussed with Watkins during his visit and will continue talk about this offseason. Watkins also doesn't need to play 60 snaps a game to have an impact on the offense. Quality over quantity, plan over reaction.

Steve from Kansas City, MO

Well, given what the Browns just threw at CB Ward, is there any chance GB will be able to afford CB Alexander?

Jaire Alexander's shoulder injury threw a wrench into everything but I still think the Packers extend him at some point. He's too young and too talented to let him walk. Alexander is the type of player and person you want in your locker room for a decade. The Packers know they hit a home run with him in 2018.

Ty from Jamestown, IN

Please, please, please tell me Kylin Hill from all word is healthy and ready to hit the ground running as our returner again in 2022?

He looked good walking into the building on Monday. So, that's a good sign. We'll learn more in the weeks ahead.

Don from Riverton, UT

I know Aaron Rodgers has expressed appreciation for learning from an HOF predecessor, but has he ever said he'd trade for one or two more years as a starter if he could, or would it offset the lessons?

I think it worked out the way it should. Rodgers probably would've been fine if he'd started in 2006 or '07, but it's impossible to find the true line of demarcation in Rodgers' development. The main thing is he was ready when his time finally came – and the Packers knew it.

Jack from Black Mountain, NC

How long does the spring offseason program last, and what are the top outcomes from these sessions?

Nine weeks. The offseason program provides a walkthrough of the installs for younger players while introducing veterans to some of the changes that'll be made to the playbook next season. It's also a good checkpoint to make sure players are hitting their strength-and-conditioning marks. The Packers certainly believe in the program's value and are willing to pay for their veterans' attendance.

Dwight from Brooklyn, NY

OK, instead of a pre-draft question, I've got a post-draft question. After the fat lady sings, have you ever been able to see the Packers' draft board? And, if not, were you ever able to talk to anyone in the room about how it shook out vis a vis plan and execution?

The only NFL draft board these eyes have ever seen was the Cowboys' in 2013. Thank you for that, Jerry.

Nicholas from Baltimore, MD

Here's how you save college sports: Give players vesting options contingent on performance and graduating. The performance is based on things like starts, stats, team performance, awards, etc. When a player graduates, he/she gets their options. If they leave school early (via transfer or leaving for the draft), the player loses the options. This encourages players to stay/graduate and also gives them money when they do. But it also preserves the "amateur" status pre-graduation. Thoughts?

I've never had an issue with college athletes making money. The NCAA profits greatly off their images, likeness and athleticism. These young men and women should reap some of those benefits. You'll have a difficult time convincing me the transfer portal was a good idea, though. It's turning mid-majors into farm teams for power-five conferences. Either way, it's a double-edged sword for smaller schools. Any young player who has success immediately is going to be looking for greener pastures, while any young player who encounters adversity also is going to want out.

Gordon from Newport Beach, CA

Mike, has the legalization of sports betting affected the way you report Packers camp information and what you write?

It hasn't affected the way we report as much as I've just noticed more random sites and aggregators writing stories off any injury information we tweet from practice or injury reports. So, we have that going for us…

Gretchen from Dousman, WI

Oh! Hurray! The boys are back in town! How wonderful to see them, many for the first time without masks. It made a totally depressing day a marvelous one! Thanks SO MUCH for those photos.

Call it good job, Ryan Hartwig. Thanks.

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