Jessi from Sterling, KS

Can you hear my happy sigh there at 1265 Lombardi Ave? You should have when I got to watch "Unscripted" again :) Thank you two for a great recap! And Wes, you mimicking Spoff's hand motions at the end was pretty great, too.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

Jennifer from Middleton, WI

The music, and listening to Spoff do the reliable ad reads for that matter, are like pulling your comfortable favorite college sweatshirt out of the closet each fall. You put it on, the familiarity envelops you, all is right with the world.

I realized the other day we'd never taken that long a break in the show's history – getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and not coming back until two weeks after the draft. But it's never uncomfortable getting back in that saddle.

Brian from Charlottesville, VA

Could the intro music to "Packers Unscripted" be changed to a drum solo by Animal?

No objection.

Marc from Crandon, WI

Quick Craig Stadler story. Ninth hole of GMO at Brown Deer Park. About a 400-yard yard hole. About 125 yards short/right of the green was a beer tent. I purchased four beers (waxy cups in a corrugated tray), turned around and here's Stadler grumbling and walking to his ball right in front of me. I said, "You look like you could use a beer." "You're damn right I could." He put a towel over his head to shield the cameras, grabbed a beer and slammed it down. I'll never forget it!

Only in this column do we go from Statler & Waldorf to Stadler (the Walrus) within a week.

Richard from Caledonia, WI

Good morning, could you kindly reprint the training camp schedule? Which dates will be open to general public?

The training camp schedule has not been announced yet. It usually comes out in June. And for those asking about OTAs this spring, those haven't been open to the public in recent years.

John from Stevens Point, WI

What do you make of the Packers signing Canadian QB Taylor Elgersma to an undrafted free agent contract when they already have Jordan Love, Malik Willis and Sean Clifford? Looks like a camp arm or developmental (read: practice squad) guy, at best.

I see the signing has been reported, but it's not official yet. If it indeed becomes official, it looks to me like the Packers are setting up a competition for this year's No. 3 QB which could continue into next year as a competition for the No. 2 spot.

Bob from Covington, KY

Hi, guys. Just curious … what's the current tariff on Canadian QBs?

Bob wins the internet today. Thanks for playing, everybody.

Will from Milwaukee, WI

Hello Insiders. I know religion and politics are quasi-verboten in the Inbox, but it appears that with the latest papal election, the Bears may finally have a prayer.

Ouch. Please see yourself out.

Paul from Ledgeview, WI

Gents there are A LOT of new additions to this team. Is there a new Packer you are most excited to see in action when training camp begins? The most likely help will come in the form of a leap in a second- or third-year player. Do you have an eye on anyone in particular? Hopper and Van Ness come to mind almost immediately for me.

That second- and third-year list is long. The Packers drafted 24 players in '23 and '24, and 19 of them are still on the roster, none of whom I consider finished products. Then outside the draft classes, there's also Emanuel Wilson, Daniel Whelan, Brenton Cox Jr., and others as third-year players.

Elliott from Hillsborough, NE

Who is considered the greatest linebacker in Packers history?

Well, only two are in the Hall of Fame (Nitschke and Robinson), and only one of them had his number retired, so I'll go with Nitschke.

Gerry from Salina, KS

If you included Reggie White's sacks before he joined the NFL, would he be the all-time sack leader?

White finished two sacks behind Bruce Smith on the NFL's all-time list, but he did have 23½ sacks in his two years in the USFL.

Ray from Phoenix, AZ

Lots of examples in the last few years of Gute drafting players where he has expiring contracts. He does not like getting painted into a corner of paying a good player great-player money to a second contact. If a trade partner can be found that is willing to let go of say a third- or fourth-round draft pick, then I believe Romeo Doubs will be traded before the season. Also name the hill at Titletown Mark Murphy Hill. The hill is seen more than the field.

First, the hill is already named for one of the Packers' corporate sponsors (Ariens), and Dan Ariens is currently secretary on the Packers' executive committee, so Mark wouldn't want to go there. Second, I agree wholeheartedly on Gutey's strategy of never painting himself into a corner. We've seen it time and again, and it reflects what Wes described yesterday with a GM balancing the need to live simultaneously in both the present and future. Third, fans are always quick to trade a player at a position of surplus. Maybe that happens in this case, but I'd always rather wait to be sure the surplus isn't needed.

Jeffery from Milwaukee, WI

Thursday's Inbox mentioned giving non-Super Bowl hosting cities priority in hosting the NFL Draft. I agree! My question though is what about cities like Nashville or Washington, DC? Nashville hosted the draft in 2019 and got rave reviews even from Mark Murphy. DC hosts the 2027 draft, and both cities are getting fancy new stadiums to try and host a Super Bowl. How would the NFL balance out those priorities with these cities?

The new stadium in Nashville won't be finished until 2027, so it'll probably get its Super Bowl about a decade after hosting the draft. I'm not sure how much was in the works with the new stadium when Nashville made a bid to host the draft anyway. The new DC venue reportedly will be finished in 2030, so the two events might end up on a tighter timeline, but for all the Super Bowls we've seen multiple times in the same locations (New Orleans, Miami, etc.), I don't have any issues with it, especially now that Snyder is no longer Washington's owner.

Bob from Grand Rapids, MI

Following up on not wanting to release a good receiver "into the wild." Presuming Christian Watson is not ready to play until October, my understanding is that putting him on IR before the season starts ends his season. So, it seems likely GB will have to put someone on waivers they hope will make it back to the 53. Is that an accurate statement? Is there anything teams do to "hide" a player's talent and ability?

Watson will start the season on PUP (physically unable to perform) and will not count on the 53-man roster. He will have to miss at least the first four games with that designation. After that, there's a five-week window during which he can start practicing anytime, and as soon as he does, a 21-day clock starts to be activated to the 53. If the player doesn't return to practice or is not activated at all, I believe he stays on PUP all season.

Markus from Aurora, CO

What's your favorite quote thus far uttered by one of the 2025 Packers draftees?

Collin Oliver: “I get to the passer. That’s what I do best.” He didn't say it in any kind of boastful way. He's confident and knows who he is.

Brian from Fort Atkinson, WI

I get the excitement around Matthew Golden. First-round pick, the speed to take the top off the D. I am, however, way more excited to see Savion Williams. We have seen the speed guy that can take the top off a D in Green Bay. I am not sure we have seen anyone with quite the build and coachable abilities of Williams in Green Bay before. Does anyone come to mind?

Not really. The different, multi-faceted receivers we've seen before have been smaller guys who fit the "gadget" label. At 6-4, 220, Williams is no gadget.

Mike from New Orleans, LA

In Mike's answer to H.R. from Henderson, he mentioned the Pack have had 11 winning seasons and playoff appearances since the last Super Bowl win. Did the team make the playoffs every time the team had a winning season? They must have. Do you have the time to research how many teams have had a winning season yet not made the playoffs in that same span?

Somehow I did, and dating back to 2011, I counted 35 teams that have posted winning seasons but not made the playoffs. The only year it hasn't happened in that span was 2015. In '14, '17 and '23, there were five teams each year, four in the AFC alone (all 9-7) in '17. There were also four teams in '21, the first year of the 17-game schedule. But there was just one team in '20, the only year with the 7^th seed but just 16 games.

Ted from Findlay, OH

Do the networks have any input on the schedule prior to its release? For example, do they lobby for certain opponents for Thanksgiving games? Time of year? Game times (e.g. primetime)?

There's a process (I'm not familiar with the details, nor are they made public) whereby the league has the networks put in for their top priorities, or the games they want the most. Then the league sorts it out.

Jake from Decatur, GA

I don't think Clark ever played all the way out at a 7-technique, but there was at least one year he lined up at 5 or 6 a few times, with no one on his outside shoulder and three linebackers bunched on the other end of the line. I always thought that was a fun alignment to watch. Can't remember who was DC at the time, though. Did you notice if Hafley did much asymmetric stuff like that last year?

Not a lot. He was more likely to put six or seven guys up on the line of scrimmage and try to keep the defense guessing as to which four, or perhaps more, were rushing.

Mike from Geneva, IL

Yesterday Wes made a commitment about the importance of opportunity. I've always contended the best example of that is Tom Brady. While many consider him the GOAT, the reality is had Drew Bledsoe not gotten injured we may have never known since Brady wouldn't have had the opportunity. It's unlikely Bledsoe would have gotten benched unless he played horribly. He had just signed a 10-year, $103 million contract making him the highest paid player in the NFL. Opportunity and system!

That may be the biggest hypothetical question of the last 25 years of NFL history. How does Brady's career unfold if Bledsoe never gets hurt? I'm not going to bust my brain trying to answer it, but it is sorta fascinating.

Jason from Sioux Center, IA

Regarding UFAs choosing a team with the most opportunity, would you rather go to one with the most need and the best chance to play meaningful minutes, or a team with the best coaches/players at your position? I think I'd choose the latter. To be the best, you gotta beat the best.

But you can't get paid if you can't make the team. Anyone fighting for a roster spot is trying to earn a paycheck first and foremost. This is their livelihood.

Mark from Bettendorf, IA

Mike, I watched Don Mattingly and Tony Gwynn take batting practice. It was almost better than the game itself. Watching Gwynn was like watching a tennis player returning serves wherever he wanted. And the ball exploded off his bat. Are there any hitters like that around anymore in this home-run-or-nothing era?

Luis Arraez is probably the closest. He's won three batting titles so far (one in the AL, two in the NL), but for two of those his average was .316 or less. Gwynn won eight NL batting titles plus had seven non-winning seasons better than .316.

Jeff from Flemington, NJ & Andy from Darien, CT

Reading your way thru the box today
Takes everything you've got
Taking a break from the talking heads
Sure does help a lot
Wouldn't you like to ask away?

Sometimes you wanna go,
Where Spoff and Wes can post your name,
And they're mostly glad you came,
You wanna be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same,
You wanna be where everybody loves the game.

I don't know if Jeff and Andy are brothers or cousins or were just mind-melding out there in the northeast, but they both took a stab at this and I combined their efforts. One of my all-time favorite songs and shows to end the week, and it's almost time to visit such an establishment. Happy Friday.