Gus from Fort Lauderdale, FL

Love you Insiders! My question is if you submit a question to your Inbox, do you notify the poster that a response will be coming? I've sent in many but never got any love.

Consider this…your lucky day.

Al from Green Bay, WI

A popular media discussion involves which teams are "winning" the offseason. We know most of this discussion is fruitless. With that said, can you provide your definition of what it means to win the offseason?

My definition probably varies from most. Where some pundits perseverate over which teams signed the biggest names, I've always felt winning the offseason is being in good standing with the salary cap and having as few glaring weaknesses as possible. The Packers routinely check those boxes. It's all conjecture. This franchise doesn't hang banners for division titles and last I checked there are no trophy cases dedicated to offseason championships at Lambeau Field.

Mike from Baraboo, WI

How much does a player's current health or health history impact whether he will be drafted?

It's everything. Every year there is a prospect who seems destined to be a first-round pick who falls to Day 3 because of injury concerns during the medical evaluations. Sometimes it's nothing and the guy plays for a decade without an issue, but NFL teams are taking a major risk once they turn in the card on a Day 1 prospect. Like Spoff often says, the most important thing that happens every year at the NFL Scouting Combine is what we don't see – the medical checks.

Grant from Green Bay, WI

Purely as a fun hypothetical, let's say we see the next Rodgers situation – a Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders is sitting there at No. 23 (though I'm assuming the rest of the league learned their lesson after 2005). This time, the Packers do NOT have a 30-something future HOFer. Just curious, what would you do? Let's also say there's no valuable offer to flip the pick to someone else either. Do you let him fall one more or take him simply because it's good value?

In all my years doing this, I've yet to stumble upon a hypothetical I would call "fun." At any rate, I'd pass on Ward and Sanders. Jordan Love is 26 and entering the second year of one of the largest contracts in the history of this sport. If you're putting that type of money behind your QB, you better do the same with draft picks.

Jerry from Rockford, IL

Good morning Mike, Wes and all Insiders. Don't sell yourselves short. Because of you and the draft this year there is no baloney season; brats and asparagus maybe? I do have a question. What would be the biggest surprise of our draft at No. 23?

Realistically, it would be receiver. I've backed that horse on multiple occasions since 2020 and come up empty every time.

Tristin from Morristown, TN

Hey Mike...or Wes, whoever's there. I was thinking…if the draft is going to be in Green Bay, and the fact that 20 years could be a perfect punchline to finally do the impossible…DRAFT A FIRST-ROUND RECEIVER! Adding to all the visits the team has had with, let's say countless wideouts, is this all pointing to the still undecided destiny to draft a WR in the first round? Or will we just bank on Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs or Dontayvion Wicks to step up? As much as I love those guys, I'm not buying it. Have a good one!

Yes, the Packers are counting on those guys to step up, but it's not all on them if Green Bay chooses not to draft a wideout in Round 1. I believe the Packers will draft a receiver and possibly early, but I'm conditioned to that pick coming in Rounds 2-5 rather than Thursday night.

Jack from Chicago, IL

I know Lukas Van Ness was a top 15 pick so the expectations are higher than mid-round picks, but I think people are writing him off too quickly. Josh Sweat and Trey Hendrickson, whom many fans sought this offseason, took time to develop with their first three season sack totals at 0, 4, 6 and 2, 0, 4½, respectively. Defensive line is hard. Like really hard.

I agree. If you're tempted to say, "Well, Clay Matthews came in and made an instant impact in 2009," remember CMIII was a 23-year-old rookie who spent five years at USC. Van Ness played two seasons at Iowa and won't turn 24 until July. His selection was a long-term investment into the pass rush. There's obvious pressure to produce, particularly this upcoming year, but we still gotta alotta way to go, folks.

Darrel from Pueblo, CO

II, Green Bay signed Isaiah McDuffie to a two-year contract. He is a special-teams stalwart and a tackling machine, but somewhat of a liability in coverage according to his numbers. Is it recognition/reaction or slow foot speed and do you think the coaches can improve on McDuffie's coverage? I think coaching can improve his coverage knowledge but I'm not sure you can teach foot speed.

If you're a linebacker who doesn't run in the 4.4s or low-4.5s, you must be intentional about your footwork and have no wasted movement. That's where off-ball linebackers separate themselves with what we commonly refer to as "game speed." McDuffie is a fine all-around player and returning at a palatable price in today's NFL. While the Packers want Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper on the field as much as possible next year, good teams need smart players like McDuffie who can step up at a moment's notice.

Ronald from Edison, NJ

Any changes to our starting offensive line?

You mean besides the two-time Pro Bowl left guard moving to center?

Jim from Eau Claire, WI

Hey guys, happy Monday. I love the Prospect Primers. I doubt he will be there when we pick, but if he is, I would like some Walter Nolen please. What do you guys think?

NFL.com's boom-or-bust take on Nolen's potential is appropriate. He's a former No. 1 high school recruit but a bit undersized for an NFL defensive tackle at 6-4, 296. But he is an explosive and high-effort defender who makes opponents pay when isolated against a lineman. Nolen plays to his talent level. He works for it, which is the best compliment I think you could give a prospect.

Paul from Northglenn, CO

Does the defensive lineage point to the BC edge guy having a clear advantage for a spot on the stage come draft day?

Donovan Ezeiruaku fascinates me because he's a first-round talent with experience in Jeff Hafley's defense. However, he's a 6-foot-3, 248-pound pass rusher. That's an inch shorter and a few pounds heavier than Quay Walker. Personally, I have Shemar Stewart, Mykel Williams and Jordan Burch ahead of Ezeiruaku on my wish list, but that opinion might be about as good as newspaper under a parakeet. If the Packers want background on Ezeiruaku, though, they have a go-to resource available in Hafley.

Paul from Ledgeview, WI

Mike or Wes, while there may be consensus on the top five players in the draft, I would expect the draft boards for the 32 teams would have significant variance due to need, play style, cap space, etc. To have access to the inside information for all 32 teams and then see how the draft plays out would be a fantastic case study in situational dynamics. Or maybe fascinating is a better word.

And the variance only grows as the draft progresses.

Paul from Nevada City, CA

Spoffster, loved the Doug response, the trite and true "Form over Substance" analysis. Query, is there any expectation the NFL will ever do the "right thing" with its product vs. revenue? P.S. Perchance am too old, but what now is "in the grasp"? Is that even still current terminology with the officiating we're seeing?

That's the way it's written in the NFL rulebook. Referees must blow the play dead as soon as "the passer is clearly in the grasp and control of any tackler." I think the NFL would tell you it is doing the right thing with its product in every decision it makes. But you can't ignore the financial element to all these league developments. Like any Fortune 500 company, the NFL faces pressure each year to increase the bottom line. That's where little Wes Hodkiewicz asks: "At what cost?"

Steve from Cedar Falls, IA

Do you know if the draft board is a board or a bunch of computer screens with say 400 players ranked? I envision a screen that as the players are drafted, are either erased or moved to another database with the player and drafting team. Sort of like a rolodex to refer for trades or if cut?

The great thing about having a big draft room is there's plenty of wall space. So, the Packers still have the old-school board with player names on it but also have computer screens on the opposite side of the room that can adjust.

Desaune from Cleveland, OH

Wes mentioned he was in favor of guaranteed contracts. I am too.

So that makes two of us.

Patrick from Ashland, WI

The draft board conversation led me to this question. If Aaron Rodgers had not been on the board when the Packers picked, who would have been the pick? Anyone ever ask Ted Thompson?

I'm guessing they trade out. I think it's pretty well-documented Rodgers was the last remaining prospect whom the Packers had a first-round grade on that year.

Richard from Lac du Flambeau, WI

Hello II, when looking at Friday's Prospect Primer, and offensive lineman, I was curious in looking back to Cliff's series on draft history. How was it that Tony Mandarich, after all the pre-draft hype of him being one of the greatest linemen ever, turned out to be a waste of a first-round pick? I remember reading a comment by Reggie White that he tossed him around like a rag doll (when he was with the Eagles).

To those who haven't read it yet, I'll point you to Cliff's oral history of the 1989 NFL Draft because he answers that very question within the piece. However, one quote I particularly enjoyed was Indianapolis director of operations Bill Tobin telling the Chicago Tribune in 1994: "Everybody had Mandarich graded high. Unfortunately, the Packers took the fall." That's how it goes in the scouting world.

Craig from Appleton, WI

Kenny Clark is on his third contract with the Packers. Can you remember any non-QB, non-kicker players getting a fourth contract with the team?

I'm guessing it's Donald Driver. Tramon Williams technically signed four contracts with Green Bay, but his last was a one-week stint on the practice squad in 2021.

Jarrett from O'Fallon, MO

In a perfect world, if everything went right, what would this year's ideal draft class look like to you?

Again, no wish lists…but I think this draft is about filling a few holes and building depth at stronger positions. The Packers have been on quite a run with these last three draft classes. Can they make it four-in-a-row?

Rick from Woodstock, GA

Not a question but a comment on the date for the Super Bowl conflicting with the NASCAR Daytona race. With all the crazy weather that Daytona has had at that time of year, and with all the wrecks that occur at that race, finishing before 6:30 p.m. is really not guaranteed, even with a noon start. Sure would like to see Green Bay in that Super Bowl, though! GPG!

Is this even a question? The NFL already competes against NASCAR on a weekly basis in the fall and now plays games directly against the NBA on Christmas Day. The league couldn't care less about competing against the Daytona 500.

Dan from Waupun, WI

Is the NFL Draft like spring fishing for walleyes at De Pere and the Wolf River? Do we just need to scratch a spring itch?

Dan, I just think people are looking for something to talk about until there's something worth talking about.

Ben from Luxemburg, WI

Packers nation lost a true legend recently. Did either of you ever get the chance to meet "Mean Gene the Dancing Machine"? I will always cherish the few times I got to meet him. Dance on Mean Gene.

I never met Gene but know he meant a great deal to many. My sympathies to his loved ones.

John from Little Rock, AR

After losing AJ Dillon and T.J. Slaton in free agency it appears we are without J-initialed players for the first time since 2017. I'll never forget the riches of 2012 when we had A.J. Hawk, B.J. Raji, B.J. Coleman, C.J. Wilson, D.J. Smith, D.J. Williams, and T.J. Lang...

I guess we have no other choice than to start referring to QB1 as "J.A. Love."