Inbox: That was pretty much the point

Josh from Seattle, WA

Can you tell me why I am here every day in the offseason? Really, why do I read this every day and submit questions semi-frequently when there won't be a game happening for five months?

Because time flies when you're trying to have fun?

Dale from Prescott, WI

Welcome back, Mike! Glad you were able to get away and decompress. How many books did you read? I would read three books on my 3-4 week vacation.

Well, I wasn't reading books while absorbed in March Madness or my taxes, but I'm still planning to add more Grishams to my reading list this offseason. Page-turners like those really make me feel like I'm accomplishing something.

Eric from Kenosha, WI

Geez Mike, the people don't want facts and logic. Give them soundbytes and hysterics! In all seriousness, though, appreciate the deep dive into Matthew Golden's season. We should all be encouraged by seeing he was on a good track until an injury derailed him, then he got back on track in a big way at the end.

That was pretty much the point.

Doug from Eugene, OR

Gentlemen, pardon me if I'm bit caught up in Holy Week, but as one who counts themselves among the faithful, I cannot help but have an affinity for a player named Messiah Swinson. I tried to look him up a bit further, and it sounds like he has some speed for his size, and was actually mentioned as a potential OT, which implies some blocking skill as well. Anything else you can tell us about him?

Honestly not really. His physical tools are visible and intriguing, and he's been in Green Bay the last two training camps. But he spent most of last season on practice squads out west (SF, AZ) before coming back here in Week 18. He's one of those guys you make a mental note to keep an eye on during OTAs and see if he stands out in any way.

Jeffrey from Eveleth, MN

I remember reading an article about Sean Rhyan somewhere, maybe one of you two published it? It stated that one of his greatest strengths was his knowledge of the game. He was always a leader at the team meetings and the guy with the answers to the coaches' questions. That ought to bode well for his move to center, no?

Presumably.

Dewey from Newburg, OR

Hi Mike, and thanks for making us smile every day. I have sort of a rhetorical question. Is there anything more meaningless and a bigger waste of time than the numerous "mock drafts" out there? Who cares what certain "experts" prognosticate about draft picks when things can change almost instantly? What purpose do they serve players or the league? Does anyone REALLY think teams pay the slightest attention to that nonsense on draft day? Apologies for the rant, but geeeezzzzz!

I've always said the value of mock drafts is in seeing the players projected to be taken in the range of the team you're following. But pegging any team's actual pick(s) outside the top 10 is pretty much throwing darts blindfolded.

Dave from Rockford, IL

I strongly agree that the refs deserve a raise in pay or more benefits. With the infection of sports betting lately a pay raise would help ensure that all the refs stay honest. Do you think full-time refs are in the future?

The league seems to be starting to lean that way, but the officials' union is pushing back on the idea.

Ian from UK

Gents, before the draft is a team allowed to carry out full medicals on any of its current players? I'm thinking particularly of MarShawn Lloyd. How confident can the FO be in his contribution next season?

Lloyd will have to prove he can stay healthy. No doubt about that. But to your question about medicals, players are given a routine physical three times every year – when they arrive for offseason workouts, before mandatory minicamp, and before training camp.

Paul from Ledgeview, WI

Mike, I recently read an article that accurately reflects BG's performance as GM for the GBP. His results have been laudatory considering draft position, a significant upturn as a team post 2018. My conclusion is that given the average talent and distribution of the typical draft, unless you have a top 10 pick, you would be better served to trade out of the first round for more bites at the apple. How many picks would be required and in what rounds to make that a worthwhile strategy?

That depends on any particular draft. Sometimes you hear about Day 2 depth where guys with second-round grades can fall all the way to the fourth or fifth round. Other times there are sixth-round picks who would go undrafted in previous years. The personnel staffs who study this stuff for a living have a much better gauge on that than you and I do.

Herb from Mosier, OR

The Dynamic Duo is back in Titletown! When the team invites 30 potential draft picks to an interview at Lambeau I'm guessing Gutey, MLF and others glean as much information as possible from them. On the other hand, I think it's imperative for our guys to sell the Packers AND Green Bay. Imagine you're responsible for selling the team and town to a 21-year-old college kid who may be from Atlanta or Boston. What do you tell them and show them?

Call me old-fashioned, but if I showed a draft prospect around this place and got the sense he needed to be "sold" on anything else, I'd probably lose interest.

Doug from Neenah, WI

Good morning. Unbeknownst to me, but probably knownst to other Inbox readers, the 30 pre-draft visits have already begun. Is this still a game of "bob and weave" or "bait and switch" so teams don't reveal their real intentions? Without researching, it seems like players appearing on this list of 30 actually do end up in Green Bay for training camp. Thanks.

All visits are on the league transaction wire, so there's no hiding the names. But sometimes guys are brought in because there's a gap in the scouting report, some info missing they need to fill in. Other times there's genuine interest and they want to see how the player reacts to being in the building (see Herb's inquiry above). It makes for great fodder, but I'm not sure how much smoke-and-mirrors stuff actually goes on.

Gardner from Circle Pines, MN

Some are disputing the value received in the Micah Parsons trade. Over the past 10 drafts, the team has hit great value in the first round with Kenny Clark, Jaire Alexander, and Jordan Love as true difference makers, with the verdict still out on Matthew Golden, Jordan Morgan and maybe Lukas Van Ness. I submit that our 2026 first round pick IS Parsons and a great pick at that. Who at pick No. 20 and another low first-rounder next year can you draft and be assured you are getting a perennial All-Pro?

Obviously nobody can assure that, but don't lose sight of the fact the trade wasn't just about the draft picks. It was also about the contract, the $188M over four years the Cowboys weren't interested in giving Parsons. The Packers did, and I'm glad they did, but it's important to grasp the commitment to making the move went well beyond the first-round picks being surrendered.

David from Oak Hills, CA

Watching Duke in their March Madness Elite 8 loss vs. UConn reminded me of Green Bay vs. Chicago in the WC playoff game (really the whole season). Duke was an elite team who unfortunately blew a handful of double-digit second half leads and then it cost them in the tournament. And then in the Elite 8 the nation saw UConn's epic comeback. And when I saw Dan Hurley's emotion and passion it reminded me of Ben Johnson. Both teams (UConn and Chicago) just fed off of their coach in improbable fashion.

Sorry, that's a bit much for me. I just think the dramatic run the Bears (love 'em or hate 'em) were on late last season, UConn's comeback and epic shot to make the Final Four, and a bang-bang force out at home plate in Game 7 of the World Series are why we watch sports. At least that's why I watch.

Colton from Springfield, MO

When the leadership keeps mentioning the team needs to finish games better this season, what's the plan to accomplish that? Coaches can keep driving that point home in every offseason workout, practice and meeting, but those are just words. To me, it comes down to the mental makeup of the coaching staff and mainly the players. Finishing games is a mentality. Hopefully Gutekunst found some finishers this offseason or it will be more of the same this upcoming season.

Finishing games boils down to executing at crunch time, and being better than the other guy in the biggest moments, no matter what has transpired up to that point. The mentality hinges on understanding there's always another big moment around the corner, and being ready for it when the time comes. It's the hardest thing to feel prepared for as a football team, because you can run all the two-minute drills you want in practice, but one side of the ball is always going to fail. Making those trial runs as tough as possible will hopefully allow game success to build on itself, because the mentality is more collective than individual.

Jim from Mundelein, IL

I'm surprised at MLF talking about locker room issues regarding roles. Good on him for recognizing the issues. Bad on him for not being able to resolve those issues. Were you as surprised as I regarding locker room issues relating to player roles?

I'm surprised LaFleur brought it up, unprompted, in Arizona. But he must've done so because he wants it out there. I don't think it's all that unusual in an NFL locker room, honestly, when you've got six dozen professional athletes with individual goals amongst the team structure. Some level of discontent is unavoidable, but maybe there was just a bit more than usual. That said, do I think dissatisfaction with roles produced a botched onside recovery, crucial fourth-down failures on defense, a four-possession offensive stagnation after a dynamite first half, or three missed kicks? No, not really. But while changing any one of those items in the two losses in Chicago could've handed the 2025 Packers a different fate, LaFleur's public disclosure suggested the harmony and cohesiveness needed to win a championship was lacking, and he's determined to improve communication and whatever else it takes to get the locker room where it needs to be to achieve the ultimate goal.

Tim from Augusta, WI

"Hasenpfeffer Incorporated. I've always wanted to announce my presence with that line. I'll abbreviate: HI. I'll see myself out in a bit." All I can say is "Schlameel, schlamazo!" No, I have no idea if that is spelled correctly. Does Schotz Brewery make root beer?

Have a good Easter weekend, everybody.

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