Inbox: There is no greater legacy in the post-Lombardi era 

Mark from Lansing, MI

Oh, you had an errand to run. Now I feel bad for telling the fire marshal that I saw you fleeing the scene.

You wanna see me flee, wait till my two-week break starts later this month.

Anthony from Southington, CT

Auction the hats for charity! Authentic Mike Spofford Office-Displayed Division Champion, Conference Champion and Super Bowl Champion hats! It would net a fortune for some worthy charity! Heck, you could run the auction through the II! I'd even start the bidding!

"Office-displayed." Quite the selling point.

Bill from San Antonio, TX

My post, as with many fellow Insiders, RIP Bob Harlan. Thanks for bringing the Pack out of the wilderness.

That's really the crux of it, along with his vision and tireless effort to get Lambeau Field renovated, which allowed the Packers to continue thriving. I can't do justice in this space to everything Bob meant to this franchise. It's impossible. Changing the football structure with the hiring of Ron Wolf brought the Packers out of the doldrums, but the organization was headed back to oblivion (if not non-existence) without the stadium project roughly a decade later, and he was out knocking on doors himself to get the hotly contested referendum passed. The Packers are here today because of him. There is no greater legacy in the post-Lombardi era. I've seen words like legend, titan and visionary tossed about since the news broke, and each one applies, but he was all that as well as a true gentleman in every sense of the word. As I posted on X, I'm honored to have known him and worked for him, and it's been a pleasure and privilege to get to know his son Kevin and granddaughter Olivia along the way as well. My thoughts and condolences go out to them and the rest of the Harlan family. It's a sad day but a life worth celebrating for all Packers fans.

Adam from Altoona, WI

Bob Harlan's passing hit home. He had a great run on life and turned the Pack around. Better than the days when I was a kid and it was an obligation to watch when you didn't really understand the game. His legacy will live forever. Do you have any memories of him you would be open to share?

I remember talking to Bob about two years into my tenure, in 2008, just before he handed the baton to Mark Murphy, and he told me the 2003 Lambeau redevelopment that cost $295M would've cost $700-800M then, just five years later. The franchise was doomed had it waited any longer. He made sure it didn't. It hit me then that I don't land the job I did without what he did, and here I am 20 years later blessed beyond measure.

Yotam from Israel

So, $17 million in 1993 is 38.3 million in today's money. If you ballpark a modern contract at 40 million, that's not a big change. So, are the ballooning contracts we see just an adjustment for inflation or do other positions (QB?) have sharper increase in value?

Once again, why math is not allowed in the Inbox. The 1993 Reggie White contract referenced was $17M over four years. The current reference was $40M per year. Not just an adjustment for inflation.

Joe from Eau Claire, WI

Happy Friday, Mike! A follow-up to Jennifer's (from Middleton) question. Now that your new workspaces are done, and the new studio is nearing completion, is there a target date for the new media auditorium? I worked in media in the mid-late 1990s and spent many postgames in the (now) "previous...previous" media auditorium. Thanks to you and Wes for ALL your effort!

I believe the plan is for the new media auditorium to be finished in time for the draft.

Bill from Forest Park, OH

On the subject of distinctive football sounds, I remember watching Packers games as a kid at the end of the Lombardi years and then into the John Brockington and MacArthur Lane days, and the crack made at the snap when the linemen crashed into each other with those big shoulder pads was truly unique to football.

It's still there, just not as distinct now with pads so much smaller and tighter-fitting to the body. But that also reminds me of the hockey sound of a player getting checked into the boards. I always cringe and smile at the same time.

Steve from Ellison Bay, WI

The most amazing sound I have heard at a pro sporting event was Kerry Wood warming up in spring 1998 in the old bullpen down the left field line at Wrigley. I was sitting with my son and some of his friends in the first row of the left field bleachers by the left field pole. The hiss of the ball and explosion in the mitt was shocking.

I remember in high school watching from the left-center bleachers at County Stadium in Milwaukee and hearing Roger Clemens' fastball – in the eighth inning, no less – popping the catcher's mitt, loud and clear, like I was standing at second base, not sitting 400 feet away.

Matt from Forest Falls, CA

Mike, I'm planning on attending the Packers at Rams game at SoFi next season. Please remind us when the 2026 schedule is likely to be released. Thanks.

Last year's schedule was released on May 14.

Venny from Montgomery, AL

Do you think Lukas Van Ness can have a similar Year 4 jump like Trey Hendrickson? Trey had a fairly average run in his first three seasons for the Saints. He had a few injuries early on, but totaled 6.5 sacks in three years in 30 games played. In Year 4 he produced 13.5 sacks.

Asking anyone to become the next Trey Hendrickson isn't really fair, but I do think if LVN stays healthy, his best football is on tap for 2026.

Scott from Sauk City, WI

As an accountant by trade, all of this talk of signing bonuses, void years and the salary cap makes me really curious about how Russ Ball does it all. Does he have one, master spreadsheet with all of these scenarios baked in? All on one big tab? Many linked tabs? Many different spreadsheets that link together? It gives me a headache to think about, but also, I really want to know how the magic comes together. I imagine that he's just like me...pouring over data 24/7, running all of the scenarios.

I don't know how he does it, either, but I do know he's got a very valuable and trusted right hand in Melanie Marohl, who joined the Packers as a salary cap analyst 25 years ago working with Russ's predecessor, Andrew Brandt. Mel is now director of football administration and player finance, and I bumped into her at the combine when she was on her way to meetings with agents. She's on the front lines and right in the mix, too.

Doug from Neenah, WI

Good morning, Mike. With all the recent hype about international games, does that mean the league is not interested in adding new teams in the lower 48? It seems like college football hotbeds like Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Oregon might be ready, willing and able to support an NFL franchise. Thanks.

I think Nashville serves as a cautionary tale for the NFL in that regard. Anyone I've ever met from Tennessee always talks Vols when it comes to football, not Titans. I know the Titans have struggled lately, but they've had their share of success over the years, yet remain a clear second fiddle to the college game there.

Ed from Minneapolis, MN

Hi Mike, thanks for holding down the fort. I imagine special teams units in high school and college are comprised of players who(m) may not get a lot of playing time. You've made mention in the Inbox how certain players have flourished despite not having played a lot of special teams. How much experience, would you say, has the average player at the combine had on ST?

I'd have no way to quantify it. Some draft prospects played special teams early in their college careers, but that was curtailed as they developed into high-level, NFL-bound players. Others have never lined up on a punt or kickoff team because they were college starters from the jump. The duties aren't easy for just anyone to learn.

Craig from Brookfield, WI

Your point about the difficulty of the Bears repeating their 30-plus takeaways is Spoff-on. Of course, it's a combo of players, scheme, and dumb luck. IYHO, is there anything about the Bears' scheme that this copycat league will try to…um…take away?

The Bears' defense ranked 29th in the league in yards allowed and 23rd in points allowed. It was a unit that took chances to go after the ball and lived with the results. I said it all year long, protecting the ball against the Bears gave any team a great chance to beat them.

Ron from Geneva, IL

With Dalman retiring as the Bears center, local sport radio is inundated with conversation about free agent centers. I've never heard our free agent center brought up as a possible filler for them. Does that say anything about the league's perception of our guy?

Sean Rhyan has eight starts at center in his career, including the playoff game last January. The Bears are looking to replace a high-priced Pro Bowler in his prime who suddenly walked away, so I'm not surprised they aren't talking about Rhyan.

Wes from Marengo, IL

More of a wishlist item than a question. I grew up in Amherst, WI, and have enjoyed watching our hometown hero Tyler Biadasz throughout his career. It would be more than fitting for his next chapter to take place with the Packers; on the flip side it would be painful to see him on the Bears. It was hard enough to have him playing for Dallas, though the team colors matched those of the Amherst Falcons.

Biadasz is an intriguing option, not only because of the Wisconsin high school and college roots, but also due to the following: He's still in his 20s, was a Pro Bowl selection three years ago, and was released by Washington so he wouldn't count in the comp pick formula.

Jim from McLean, VA

A number of years ago, Wonderlic test scores got a lot of attention for NFL Draft prospects as a measure teams looked at while evaluating players. I haven't heard about Wonderlic recently. Is that test still administered to players participating in the combine?

The Wonderlic was replaced by a different cognitive test a few years ago that, from what I understand, measures how quickly information can be processed. The fact we've heard very little about this test and how players have fared tells me one of two things: The league is doing a much better job keeping the results confidential compared to all the Wonderlic leaks of the past, or there isn't a "score" or measure on the test that would make any sense to someone not part of the process. Or both.

Jeff from Flemington, NJ

Spoff, the "occasional lost player" comment got me wondering, do you have any stories in regard to that? During your tenure, has there ever been a player that would stroll around the stadium, to the generally non-player areas, just to chat and say hi to some of the team's unsung heroes (writers, cleaning crew, security guards, nacho vendors, etc.)?

Ha, not really. All the employee work areas are secure with badge-activated entrances. What I was referring to was players who would be brought into our area for, say, video recordings in the studio, and while waiting their turn they'd just start wandering around to see what and whom they'd see. The ones who know us would kind of get a kick out of seeing where we actually work.

Matt from Fitchburg, WI

Do you think their mom is going to be present, to ensure that there's no ruff housing at the joint practice?

Ha, we shall see. The idea of Matt and Mike as head coaches conducting a joint NFL practice is pretty cool, though.

Dwight from Brooklyn, NY

Read that the "legal tampering" period will begin soon. Ah, that wonderful oxymoron that officially approves of what everyone was doing anyway during the "passing of cash in brown paper bags" era.

It officially begins Monday, but … everyone in the league knows it unofficially began at the combine in Indy, if not before.

Shannon from Ovilla, TX

Not going to lie but I enjoy this week before free agency more than the week before the Super Bowl. Think about it, 32 teams and who is getting cut, who is being traded, who re-signs, who takes a pay cut, who might sign with your team vs. six days of foolish questions, over-analysis, and former players hawking goods on radio row. All a primer for the actual signings and then March Madness, baseball, and the Masters. Plus a possibility of spring in Wisconsin.

Now that last item, I can't wait. Happy Friday.

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