Inbox: It's a long list with an opportunity

[Cheesehead]

Aristotle from Athens, Greece


Hello gentlemen, I couldn't help but notice that the more vitriol contained in the question, the more of my fallacies I see contained within the question. Interesting correlation, agreed?


Pepperoni, please.


Mike from Lake Villa, IL


Mike and Wes, thanks again for the much-needed distraction you provide each day. I was listening to Chicago sports radio and an NFL expert claimed that only in Green Bay could a GM "get away" with drafting a first-round QB of the future after recently signing a superstar QB to an extension that has four years left. His point was if the Packers had an individual owner (like Jerry Jones), the GM would feel much different pressure and likely not make such a pick. What are your thoughts on this?


There may be some validity to that. It's an interesting argument. It would depend on the extent of the owner's involvement in football decisions, which isn't the same across the board. If such a discussion were necessary, I guarantee you it would occur long before draft night, because the willingness or reticence would shape a team's strategy for the entire draft. All in all, I believe the Packers' structure has served the franchise well in the modern era (cap/free agency) of NFL economics. Either way, how this turns out could certainly influence other teams' future approaches.


Matt from Minneapolis, MN


Do you believe that Josh Jackson's foot injury he suffered last year in training camp lingered throughout the regular season? There were some snaps he played in the slot last year where I just remember thinking his quickness was nowhere near what it was when he was a rookie. If he can return to his rookie form, he could be a great nickel corner this year.


Judging by how he was running downfield as a punt gunner, the foot appeared back to normal. I just think all work, particularly in padded practices, he missed during training camp opened the door for others, like Chandon Sullivan, to move ahead of him on the depth chart. Once the regular season starts, with only one padded practice per week, it's difficult for young players to make up for lost time.


Lori from Bloomfield, CO


What contributes more to team revenue, ticket sales or television rights?


TV. It's the top dog. Ticket revenue branches out to generate additional money from parking, concessions, etc., but TV is still revenue king.


Levi from St. Paul, MN


I watched the E60 special on Alex Smith and was blown away by the severity of not only the injury, but how severe the infection was and how close he was to losing his leg. But what he said to his wife after it was under control was incredible. He said how blessed they were to have what they have. It puts into perspective even more this game us fans go crazy about. Alex Smith is an inspiration and a reminder that it's just a game, but that it is played by real people. Not pieces on a chess board.


Thanks for the reminder to watch that program. I missed it and have to see it.


Tony from Lancaster, PA


Hey guys, what happens if the league decides to play without fans in attendance? I keep thinking it would have a huge impact on player performance and subsequently evaluation. You want to see what players can do when the pressure is on, the crowd is loud, and the lights are brightest. It seems like those players who would excel in that environment might not show their true colors in an empty stadium and other players might shine who otherwise would be negatively affected.


I guess we might find out. The pressure to perform doesn't change even if the environment does. That's how a true pro would process it, I think.


Joan from Freedom, WI


Any chance the team was trading up to grab Jefferson or Aiyuk, and by the time things played out, they were gone, and Jordan Love was next man up?


You don't make the trade unless your guy is there and the team you're trading with is on the clock, so no.


Scott from Hamlin, NY


An important note about the fifth-year option; the salary carried with it is pretty high. Just because the option is declined doesn't mean the player is gone.


True enough, but it's usually a sign the player is not considered worthy of a long-term investment at the time the option decision is made, except in special cases. The option is usually exercised to buy time to negotiate a multi-year extension.


Jeroen from Wormer, Netherlands


If Jordan Love sits his first three seasons, are the Packers going to pick up his fifth-year option or is it better to decline his fifth-year option and try to sign him to a team-friendly bridge deal?


The Packers will cross that bridge (yes, pun intended) if and when they get there.


Cameron from Menomonee Falls, WI


I was watching the 1985 Bears NFC Championship Game and it looked like Soldier Field was artificial turf? Was it? And when did it switch from grass to turf and then back to grass?


Soldier Field had artificial turf from 1971-87.


Greg from Chicago, IL


Hi guys, I'm overall very optimistic about the draft and the chances for success, but I don't understand the rationale behind fixing the issues against the run schematically. The 49ers crushed us twice on the ground and there was plenty of time between games to apply that type of fix. Besides the obvious changes in players, what is different now that could allow them to effectively stop the run without a major infusion of talent?


Look, I fully expected the Packers to draft a defensive lineman, and probably high, so I'm not going to belabor it. But proper perspective on "crushed us twice on the ground" is needed. In the first meeting, when the score was 30-8 after three quarters, the 49ers had 78 yards rushing. Of the three TDs to that point, Samuel had one on a 42-yard catch, and Kittle another on a 61-yarder. The rushing TD was a 2-yard plunge right after the Rodgers sack-fumble near the goal line. My point? The 49ers won those games with two completely different game plans, so your premise (shared by several readers) of "plenty of time between games to apply" a schematic fix is flawed.