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It's up to the player to prove them right

The only constant in the NFL is change

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Drew from Rogers City, MI

Two of Aaron Rodgers' miraculous Hail Mary recipients are gone this offseason (Richard Rodgers, Jeff Janis). Who will catch the next Rodgers Hail Mary?

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Take a look at photos of Packers QB Aaron Rodgers from the 2017 season. Photos by Evan Siegle, packers.com

Graham, Adams and Allison all have the attributes to make them excellent candidates, but the beauty of the Hail Mary is you never know. Hello again, everybody.**

Daniel from Riverton, WY

What does it really mean when someone compliments an offensive player (especially running backs) as being "dangerous when he gets into open space"? I never thought that was much of a compliment. It seems like it indicates that such a player's best attribute is gaining yards when no one is around him. Which seems pretty unimpressive.

I think the "dangerous" part is how difficult he becomes to tackle in the open field as opposed to in tight quarters, meaning once there's some "open space," the chances for a big play go way up.

Scott from Martinez, GA

What information does a team gain by bringing in top-tier draft options that couldn't have been discovered at the combine or at pro days? It's not like bringing in a veteran who's able to choose where to sign.

When limited to a 15-minute interview in Indy, there are inevitably follow-up questions a team can explore. Players often are over-prepared and scripted at the combine, and in the context of gauging a player's reaction to his potential new facilities and environment, the conversation during an "on-campus" visit can be a little more real.

Jeremy from Garden Prairie, IL

Thank you for the QB Mike White Prospect Primer! Mayock described him as cerebral during the Senior Bowl and on one deep pass he "dropped it in the bucket" for his WR. The film you showed of his play at Western Kentucky highlighted a bit of escapability as well. Does QB DeShone Kizer's acquisition change the Packers' draft strategy at all in drafting a QB?

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It lessens the need, but I say if someone you've got pegged higher is still there in the fifth round or later, you shouldn't pass up the value.**

Richard from Farmington Hills, MI

Given Ted's track record, I think Gutekunst should put Ted in charge of drafting wide receivers in the second round and O-linemen in the fourth or fifth. How about that?

It's funny how that worked out over the years. I'm sure there have been considerably more factors at play than just the position and round, coaching and health being two obvious ones, but I'm not sure what all the rest are.

Stan from Denver, CO

With so many talented running backs bursting onto the scene last season and another good crop coming in this year's draft, do you think it's possible we could see multiple 1,000 rushing yards-1,000 receiving yards running backs in 2018?

Just the opposite, really. I think the depth teams will be able to build at running back will make those individual statistical milestones less likely.

Glenn from Naples, FL

What's your guess for the first league game opponent? I'm guessing Green Bay at Patriots Monday night! Yours?

I think Sunday night is an even better guess, but if the league wants the Packers involved in a marquee matchup in Week 1, it has plenty of options in addition to the Patriots. The Falcons, Rams, Seahawks and 49ers (with Garoppolo) are all viable choices. I'm also not ruling out the Vikings, though I'm not a fan of having a division game in Week 1.

Ricky from St. Charles, MO

I was cleaning out my closet last night, and found my 2017 Packers calendar. Looked over the players featured...and only six of them are still on the team. Crazy.

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Team Photographer Evan Siegle shares some of his favorite images of the 2017 season.

The only constant in the NFL is change, and this offseason has featured more than usual in Green Bay.**

Lucas from Stevens Point, WI

With parity increasing in the NFL, do you believe teams will eventually begin drafting for scheme rather than BAP? Additionally, do you believe the increased parity will make coaches even more valuable down the line? When talent is even, it will be scheme vs. scheme. I imagine this to be the NFL 10 years from now with processed foods seemingly creating superhumans these days.

Parity results, in part, from the worst teams getting the first chance to draft the best young players. Parity doesn't mean all players are created equal, no matter what they eat. Coaches and schemes will always have their impact, but a superhuman and a superhuman player are two different things to me.

Carl from Marshfield, WI

Since the trade, most questions about Kizer have not been with a winsome tone. Let's acknowledge that 4 and 12 did not start as rookies. The first two that came to my mind who did were Troy Aikman (18 INT, 55.7 rating) and Peyton Manning (28, 71.2), and things worked out OK for them. It's too early to label Kizer. Can we give the kid a break?

McCarthy often has said the decision to play a young QB is more about whether the team is ready for him than whether he is ready for the NFL. No team coming off an abysmal season, as the Cowboys and Colts were when drafting Aikman and Manning, is ever truly ready for a young QB to step in and play.

Tony from Hershey, PA

With the 4-5 QBs potentially being taken in the first round this year and the possibility of big draft-day trades (OBJ) being discussed, the draft seems to be more intriguing in 2018 than in recent years. As you think back on the last 3-5 years, where would you rank this draft solely in terms of intrigue?

To me they're all about the same. What changes the perspective is when your team is picking 14th as opposed to the back end of the first round. You actually can have some realistic ideas as to who might be available.

Brandon from Madison, WI

How do we consistently finish in the top third in terms of revenue but are classified as a small-market team? Doesn't profit sharing actually hurt us?

The Lambeau Field Atrium and the revenue streams it generates are a big reason for the consistently strong revenue ranking, but I don't think you'll ever hear the Packers complain about giving to the sharing pool rather than taking. It was the other way around for a long, long time and the Packers wouldn't have survived long enough to redevelop Lambeau Field without that arrangement.

Dan from Grand Rapids, MI

Insiders, if you are replacing the onside kick with a different play for a team to retain possession, shouldn't it stand to reason that new play should have about the same success rate as the onside kick? If I had Brady, Rodgers, Wentz, or a handful of other QBs, give me the fourth-and-10 every single time over the onside kick. It just doesn't seem like a fourth-down play would give the same "fairness" for all 32 teams in the way an onside kick does.

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Spot on. That's my biggest problem with all these gimmick suggestions to replace an onside kick if the traditional kickoff does indeed go away at some point.**

Chuck from Poynette, WI

Hey Insiders, I've read that you are intrigued by Troy Fumagalli because of his experience in a pro-style offense unlike other tight ends in the draft. What round is he projected to be drafted in? Do you think he would last until the first pick of the fourth round?

I've seen everywhere from third to sixth for Fumagalli, so top of the fourth is definitely in play. Generally speaking the later the round, the greater the variation in teams' evaluations and ratings of players. That's why from about the third round on, almost every team feels like it's getting bargains with every pick. Whoever chooses Fumagalli will talk about getting great value. Then it's up to the player to prove them right.

Rich from Grand Rapids, MI

GB has a number of fourth- and fifth-round picks, but I do not recall the Insiders mentioning which positions offer exceptional depth in this year's draft. Are there two or three positions in this year's draft where good value can be found in later rounds?

I'm hearing corner and offensive line as two possibilities for mid-round finds. Corner is unusual to hear about in that respect. I'll be very curious three years from now if we're talking about multiple mid-round corners from this draft making significant names for themselves.

Mike from Northlake, TX

Wouldn't you say the best draft pick made by Ron Wolf was the pick that he didn't make, which brought Brett Favre to Green Bay?

I think that's obvious, and the second-best pick Thompson made was the one that used the pick he obtained for trading Favre to move up and get Matthews.

Gary from Sheboygan, WI

Are the top five projected draft picks even on the Packers' draft board? I know Aaron fell to No. 24, but do the Packers have any in-depth evaluation of these guys who in all likelihood will be gone?

You do your homework but at the same time you spend your resources (pre-draft visits, etc.) wisely.

Tinger from Red Wing, MN

Every year we see the top picks who have been the top guys throughout their lives get into the elite of the NFL Draft and fail miserably. How much do general managers look at someone with a chip on their shoulder, like Aaron Rodgers, as a reason to draft someone who may not be listed as the best athlete available?

It's all part of the profile, but the chip on the shoulder normally arrives after the draft, when a player believes he lasted way too long.

Tom from Halifax, Canada

This isn't meant as a shot at anyone, but it is unfortunate that cornerback seems like such a need right now. Given the fact that Green Bay used their first two picks in 2015 and their first pick in 2017 on cornerbacks, one would hope that position was more of a strength right now given the amount of draft capital used on it in recent years.

The best laid plans …

Andy from Clive, IA

Fort Hays State? You find football players where you find football players.

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Nathan Shepherd is a really intriguing story.**

Brad from Mounds View, MN

Is there a realistic scenario where you would move up from 14? Is there a guy you would say, pick No. 10 is in and our guy is still there? Who would you move up for?

I think if somebody that good is still there at 11, you're going to have some really good options at 14. The only player I could see the Packers trading up for is Chubb, if he's somehow still there at 7 or 8, but it just seems so unlikely.

David from Cable, WI

Sorry to see some guys go. But with a lot of young players back from last year as well as a large draft class sometimes you have to move on.

The game is built on premier passers, pass protectors, pass rushers and pass defenders. Anyone not a premier player at one of those four positions is eminently replaceable. That's not a knock on anyone. It's just reality.

Joshua from Green Bay, WI

Will Aaron Rodgers be at the offseason workouts in Green Bay starting next week? With the roster and coaching staff changes, his presence would mean a lot in my opinion.

Rodgers has always arrived for the first day of offseason workouts, and I see no reason that would change.

Paul from Beijing, China

Come on, Wes. Rock, paper, scissors is passe. Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock would make the start of the game so much more exciting (25 combinations vs. only nine). All the pre-game shows would need to add another analyst to debate team and player inclinations, how often "lizard" is successful in weather below freezing, why "rock" is a better strategy for night games, etc., etc.

That wouldn't be fair. CBS would have exclusive access to the best analysts. Have a great Monday, everybody.

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