Inbox: It might be the hardest position to play

[Cheesehead]

Jeff from Eveleth, MN


Jars on the shelf. Jon Runyan seemed like he belongs and can contribute. How about the other two linemen the Packers took in last year's draft?


TBD. Simon Stepaniak was recovering from his college ACL tear most of the year, returned to practice toward the end of the season, and then went on IR. Jake Hanson was on the practice squad, ended up on practice-squad IR, and was re-signed to a futures deal. A lot of unknown there.


Sal from Mullica Hill, NJ


Not a question but a comment about compensatory picks. I believe Bryan Bulaga falls under a special 10-year vet category. Bulaga played in 10 NFL seasons and, therefore, his "maximum value" is a fifth-round pick, and if signed in free agency, can't net a compensatory pick higher than the fifth round.


Mike from Franksville, WI


I know we're all sick of debating about the Packers "going for it," but all the talk made me think of 2002, one time I felt the Packers really did "go for it." They traded for a No. 1 receiver in Terry Glenn, signed a dominant pass rusher in Joe Johnson, an All-Pro middle linebacker in Hardy Nickerson, a dangerous return ace in Darrien Gordon, and drafted a deep-threat wide receiver, Javon Walker, in the first round. Fans would love that kind of offseason right now, right? Look how that turned out.


One playoff win over three years, and then a 4-12 season in 2005.


Jim from Mauston, WI


The Wasted-Pick crowd is the first cousin of the All-In crowd. Both suffer from the delusion the team is just one player away from hoisting the Lombardi and it is only the tunnel vision of management keeping the team from finding that player.


That's pretty good.


Andrew from Pleasantville, NJ


I get after the NFCCG that Kevin King has been one of the biggest scapegoats, but I honestly don't think he's a bad player when healthy. With how dominant Jaire Alexander is on the other side, I fear that whoever we put at the other spot will always have their "issues" due to the sheer volume they see. Thoughts?


I tend to agree. King played the worst game of his career two weeks ago, but that was not representative of the bulk of his play for the Packers. I don't know what his future holds, and while it's easy to see another No. 2 corner playing better than King's last game, if the Packers are in the market for a replacement it's not a given they'll find a full-time upgrade. With Alexander on the other side, it might be the hardest position to play in the Packers' defense.


David from Janesville, WI


Insiders, I understand the angst over the Love pick, even if I don't get fired up about it. I am often amazed at how small the margins are between a win and a loss at this level. Would someone like Queen have helped stop one of the third-down conversions? Maybe a high pick corner would have been able to perform better than a veteran with a hurting back? Obviously there are no do-overs, but I at least understand why folks think an immediate contributor could've helped beat the Bucs.


I get where you're coming from. I honestly do. But that's why I focused my laundry list of failures last week on this team's upper-tier players as well as the coaches. Guys everyone had counted on all year and done the most for the team's success had it in their hands and came up short. Everything else is hypothetical. As for corner, had the Packers known back in April that two recent draft picks at the position would be deemed no help by season's end and therefore inactive for the NFC title game (even with the No. 2 nursing a bad back), perhaps decisions are different, but no one had that crystal ball.