Inbox: He might be just getting started

Cheesehead

Well-known member
Mar 19, 2019
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Joe from Rapid City, SD


II, good morning. I was wondering how many times the Packers have used the franchise tag and do you see the team using it this year because of the lowering of the salary cap?


The Packers have used the franchise tag five times – in 1998 (Dorsey Levens), 1999 (Antonio Freeman), 2004 (Chad Clifton), 2008 (Corey Williams) and 2010 (Ryan Pickett). Using the tag creates a large cap number for the player in the current year, unless and until a long-term deal can be worked out. I think that would make the Packers less inclined to use it this year if they don't have to, but I'd never rule it out.


Jeffrey from Wauwatosa, WI


I hate to say it but I think both Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are gone. The consensus around the league seems to be don't pay a RB. Pittsburgh didn't pay Bell and the Chargers didn't pay Gordon. Hindsight would seem to say that both those teams made the right decision. What do you think?


I think every case is different, and in Jones' case, I've said before I believe he's an exceptional fit for LaFleur's offense and his abilities in this scheme would be very difficult to replace.


Julian from Gastonia, NC


As a marquee team my guess is the Packers will open the season against another marquee team. I know the old saying be careful what you wish for. That said, it would be different to have more of an off-the-radar opener. Maybe home against Washington or on the road against the Lions before they settle in with all their changes, or on the road against the Bengals. What would you prefer to open the new season?


I don't really give it much thought until it's announced. Your question, though, sent me on a little research mission during which I discovered that since 2003, the Packers have opened against a division rival or a playoff team from the prior season every year except one – 2016, when the league sent the frozen tundra team into the Florida heat for an opener at Jacksonville. So it seems safe to say the odds of a ho-hum opener are pretty slim.


David from Cable, WI


This desire for a WR to me is just code for we want to see Aaron Rodgers throw it 40 times a game. This coincides with the belief that he won the MVP because he found the Fountain of Youth. I think Matt LaFleur put together an offense that maximized his strength, which is between the ears, and reduced dependence on his physical ability, which is still good but not what it was 10 years ago. At this point in our passing offense less is more. Keep building a team not an aerial circus.


I wholeheartedly agree, though in the same breath I would like to see the Packers create more competition in the offseason at the receiver position behind Davante Adams and continue building for the future there.


Jason from Des Plaines, IL


People really seem to want us to draft ILB early, again. I really liked what I saw from Krys Barnes in terms of explosiveness and tackling, but what happened to Kamal Martin? I was shocked to see Barnes earn the role he did given his situation, but I have to say I wanted more Kamal, too! Both seem promising, but what happened to Kamal?


Martin is a hundred-mile-an-hour player whose aggressiveness can backfire at times. As he learns the NFL game (progress that was curtailed somewhat by his injury and COVID absences) his play style could really pay dividends. But he needs time to develop.


Doug from Neenah, WI


Mike, what were the Packers' final numbers on going for two-point conversions last season? How did that compare with the league average? And what where the numbers for defending against them?


Including postseason, the Packers were 2-for-5 on two-point tries (not counting a botched PAT snap that turned into a two-point attempt) and opponents were 6-for-6. I couldn't readily find the overall league numbers for 2020, but the Packers know they weren't good enough on either side of the ball.


Thomas from Cedar Rapids, IA


Whenever I see photos of LeRoy Butler I can't help but notice the shoulder pads. Are the smaller pads now a result of better science and materials, or player choice? Is the speed and flexibility advantage of smaller pads a risk/reward trade-off with the safety factor?


I believe yes on the latter.


Doug from Lafayette, OH


Spoff, aside from Aaron Rodgers, which current Packer (mostly assumed to make the 2021 roster) do you feel needs to have the most impactful season-long performance?


Of the players I'm fully confident will be here, I'd have to pick Za'Darius Smith. Pass rush is the most valuable defensive commodity in the NFL, and he's the best the Packers have.
 
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