Al from Tulsa, OK

Mike, you didn't get it. All JP from Geneva, IL, wants is elite performers, elite performers, elite performers, elite performers and elite performers.

My bad.

Matt from Fitchburg, WI

Coming from someone with extensive beer league softball experience, .290 doesn't seem that impressive.

Ha. D-III college baseball in Wisconsin was no picnic, man. I faced at least one pitcher who got drafted. When I transitioned to beer league softball, I was still fast enough to hit leadoff for two years and fashion an on-base percentage around .800. I didn't hit any homers but I scored a bunch.

Andrew from Libby, MT

Can the NFL retroactively do away with the onside kick for the 2014 season? Too soon?

I knew that was coming.

Caleb from Knoxville, TN

What's your favorite cameo by a football player/s in a movie or TV show? Might make a good Outsiders question!

I'll leave that up to Wes, but mine is Joe Namath in "The Brady Bunch."

Eric from Kenosha, WI

It's funny. $5 million is a lot for a kicker, but after the 1.5 seasons between Crosby and Brandon McManus, I'm sure we are all thrilled to know our team has (reportedly) locked into that for the next three years.

Indeed. I knew the Packers would have to pay plenty to keep McManus, and I fully expected them to do so.

John from Jupiter, FL

Just curious. Often Brian Gutekunst is referred to as "Gutey" by both fans and this column's writers. Is he addressed this same way in person or more formally? Thanks.

Everyone in the media calls him Gutey and he's never asked to be addressed differently.

Andy from Wisconsin Rapids, WI

If memory serves, between the Covid cap(s) and the huge dead money from Bakhtiari and Rodgers' contracts, I believe this is the first offseason Gutey & Co. haven't had a major cap obstacle to navigate since his first year or two as GM. Do you think we will see or notice any philosophy changes, now that he is finally out from under those challenges?

I don't believe Gutey has held back in his pursuit of players due to cap challenges. They've just structured the deals to make them work. So a change might come in those structures because the Packers have more current cap room. They can take on a larger cap charge in the first year of a free-agent deal and not push as many cap charges into the future. Unless they want to, they won't have to structure deals with minimal Year 1 hits, like they did last year with Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs.

Dean from Leavenworth, IN

Mike, can trades in the next couple months leading up to the draft be designated as post-June 1 similar to cuts to split dead money over the next two seasons? Thanks.

No. There's no post-June 1 trade designation. For the cap benefit the trade would have to actually take place after June 1. The post-June 1 designation is only for released players.

Curt from Westby, WI

In response to Mike from Coleman you wrote: "Over several days at the combine in Indy, agents and team reps were talking amongst one another to get a sense of the market for various players." This sounds like collusion.

Player agents and team negotiators aren't colluding when they represent different sides. They're getting a sense of the market and comparing notes. As long as the conversations are exploratory and no agreements are reached, the league is fine with it.

Patrick from Hudson, WI

For those of us that live on the other side of the state, the only way we get to attend a game is by getting tickets on the secondary market and if that possibility is taken away from the tens of thousands of Packer fans from all over the country, that would be a crying shame. So I hope they consider the outstate fans who scrimp and save all year to afford a trip to GB just to experience a game at Lambeau! For many of us it's an annual pilgrimage!

Nobody's trying to shut down the secondary market. The organization is simply keeping track of those season-ticket holders who sell ALL their regular-season tickets on the secondary market for MULTIPLE years and not renewing their season tickets to give them to the next person on the waiting list.

James from Appleton, WI

The Packers have gone three seasons without a 1,000-yard receiver, which hasn't happened since 1986-88, when the team transitioned from James Lofton to Sterling Sharpe. You can understand why fans are concerned about the WR corps. What's more likely, a fourth season or ending the streak? And who would end it? Jayden Reed?

I'm guessing the streak ends, and I could see Reed or Romeo Doubs ending it, with Tucker Kraft having an outside shot.

Jeff from Janesville, WI

I was appalled when Mark Murphy revealed that some college players were being paid $2M. That is disgusting. Are those people getting a scholarship on top of that?

As far as I know. Welcome to the new world of big-time college athletics. As Mark said, the current model isn't sustainable. There will need to be a structured system in place at some point, but who knows when.

Marin from West Lawn, PA

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a player electing to participate in his college/university's pro day, as opposed to taking part in the NFL combine? I can see a player electing to take this route as he will be judged on his own merit and in familiar surroundings, as opposed to be evaluated against players from all over the map at one single venue.

If a player has any nagging injury or doesn't feel 100% for the combine, he'll often elect to work out only at his pro day. But outside of the top-of-the-draft guys who might only damage their stock with an off day, most prospects work out at both to maximize their exposure and improve their standing.

Christian from Mukwonago, WI

Was this new contract extension for Isaiah McDuffie a total steal for the Packers? As well as how will bringing him back effect Edgerrin Cooper's playing time and continued development in this upcoming season? Thanks!

In McDuffie, I think the Packers brought back an occasional starter, reliable depth piece and regular special-teamer for a reasonable price. He won't be competing so much with Cooper, though. As I said yesterday, McDuffie's competition will be with Hopper for the third linebacker spot. Walker and Cooper are this defense's top two linebackers.

Good morning II! I am very happy to see Isaiah McDuffie back in the fold. He is the kind of player every team needs. Not flashy or dominant, but a consistently good linebacker who contributes on special teams and gets better every year! Is there another Packers player on the roster or about to hit free agency you think fits that same mold?

Zayne Anderson developed into a similar player last year, a standout on special teams who can do his job reliably on defense when called upon.

Jeff from Littlefork, MN

It felt for the longest time our Packers rarely did anything splashy in free agency. Then we got pretty good at it and last year we knocked it out of the park. Last year we got, arguably, the best guys at their positions. Is there a CB anywhere in the league as talented as 23 who has legitimate free agency buzz? Are we all just overthinking it? (That would be so out of character for us!)

I don't anticipate a cornerback of Jaire Alexander's age and caliber being available on the market. So-called second-tier guys with better injury history and enough gas left in the tank won't come cheap, though.

Allen from Fairhope, AL

II: The XFL is adopting significant rule changes to kickoffs this season. I suspect the NFL will again be watching the reaction as a "beta test" for considering its own (needed) changes. The "dynamic" formation players will be moved back to the 40, allowing returners a little more time to accelerate, but a touchback will be rewarded more by bringing it out to the 35. Their more questionable change is to eliminate onside kicks altogether, making a fourth-and-12 the only option – should be 27 yards!

I don't want that fourth-down option in lieu of an onside kick. I just don't. I agree the NFL will watch the XFL's kickoff changes closely. Could make for a meaningful adjustment.

Pancho from Neshannock, PA

Did the Packers improve last year at containing a running quarterback? They didn't seem to overrun the play on the edge as often as before. Is better containment the price for less sacks?

It was in the early portion of the season, the way the Packers decided to defend Jalen Hurts and Anthony Richardson in Weeks 1-2. But the lack of sacks later in the year against pocket passers like Jared Goff and Sam Darnold stood out and hurt the defensive efforts.

Steve from Flagstaff, AZ

So Jimmy Johnson says he's leaving FOX as an analyst. Some may think this is not Packer-related but, "Stick a fork in him, he's done!" Or too soon?

I will never forget that. I didn't travel for the game in Detroit in mid-December 2010. So I happened to be watching FOX's postgame show after a dismal 7-3 loss to the Lions during which Rodgers got concussed and Flynn couldn't do anything with the offense. Johnson pulled out that giant fork on the set and stuck it in the Packers, declaring them done. The all-timer of hot takes.

TK from Grafton, WI

For a vintage look, I'll take the Bucs' creamsicles all day, and twice on Sundays and Mondays.

I've always liked that helmet, not so much the full-on creamsicle jersey, though.

Terrence from Canto, MI

I'm very optimistic about free agency, the draft, and next year. Like all teams there are some improvements needed, but nothing is broken and in need of fixing. Seems like tweaks are easier than fixes in this league. Receivers can improve routes and catching the darn ball. DL could get more pressure. Both of these might improve with experience and coaching. As far as depth and potentially losing players we have a pretty good GM to manage the roster. Many teams are in much worse shape.

That reasonably aligns with my perspective, too. I've been saying all offseason the Packers aren't as far off as that three-game losing streak to end the year makes it seem. It was a bad rut at a bad time, but I don't think it defines who these Packers are.

Nathan from Manitowoc, WI

If Bill Jartz would get laryngitis, do the Packers have a backup PA announcer?

First of all, congrats to Bill on his pending retirement. A local broadcast legend and a great man. I doubt he's giving up his Lambeau gig anytime soon, though. To your question, he's not allowed to get laryngitis. It's specifically prohibited in the franchise bylaws.

Jon from Rockford, MN

Hi Mike, I have a baseball question for you. I know you are a fan of the game of baseball, and have read some baseball books. I just got into recently reading about baseball too, and I'm currently reading "The Baseball 100" by Joe Posnanski. Have you read it, and if so how did you read it? Did you read the entire book? I could read the entire book, because it's a fun book to read.

I haven't read that one, and I've heard it's over 800 pages so I will have to gear up for it. But it sounds like I should read it. I've read Posnanski's "Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments," and it's outstanding.

Jerry from Des Moines, IA

Here's my draft prediction, the least likely position to be drafted are punter, LS, kicker, safety and II writer. Agree or disagree?

Works for me. Happy Wednesday.