Inbox: Let's get one thing straight here

[Cheesehead]

Dean from Leavenworth, IN


"Defense wins championships." That idiom has been around longer than I have (1951). Every year, the talking heads and Packers fans clamor for the Packers to add weapons with FAs and high draft picks for AR and the offense and this year is no different. I'm sort of fond of old sayings that history supports, and that one certainly stands the test of time. In the three years that Gute has been in charge, do you think he agrees with that thinking? Do you?


I'd say so. Gutekunst signed the Smith Bros. and used his first three first-round picks on Jaire Alexander, Gary and Savage. That speaks volumes about how seriously the Packers took improving the defense – and I believe that's the right way to go about it. Because as much as all the headlines were about Tom Brady signing with Tampa Bay last offseason, the reality is the Buccaneers already had a championship-caliber defense. The Bucs just needed the QB.


David from Janesville, WI


Insiders – I just wanted to chime in on the debate about investing in a returner. Anyone who feels it would be a waste of money or a roster spot should watch the 1996 playoff highlights. Most remember Desmond Howard's kickoff TD in the Super Bowl, but he had a punt return for a TD against San Fran and nearly took the next one back as well. Jim and Max were calling the game, but Larry was with them and I distinctly remember him uttering a single syllable sound of disbelief on the second return.


The Packers caught lightning in a bottle with Howard in 1996. That's not to say an unrestricted free-agent signing couldn't provide a huge boost on returns, but there's no way to predict a Howard-like return on investment. That's why I still lean toward drafting a young receiver, running back or defensive back who has potential at his set position, but can handle returns in the interim (ala Randall Cobb).


Jeff from Black River Falls, WI


Good morning II. Has there been any kind of update regarding David Bakhtiari's rehab? Thanks.


Based on Bakhtiari's Instagram posts, everything seems to be going well – both in rehab and on the wedding-planning front.


Matt from Waterloo, IA


Mike/Wes, love the daily Insider Inbox, as well as the non-sports/Packers questions as well. Who in your writing career has been your favorite player to interview?


Man, there are too many to count. Micah Hyde, Tim Boyle, Allen Lazard, Kenny Clark, Blake Martinez, Casey Hayward, Andy Mulumba, Marcedes Lewis, Jayrone Elliott, Clay Matthews, Davante Adams, and Aaron Rodgers all come to mind. However, my favorite interview subject could very well be Tyler Lancaster. I remember sitting down with him outside the team cafeteria for the profile I wrote on his father. Tyler's memories are so vivid that you can easily put yourself in his shoes and feel the struggle he and his family endured both during his father's cancer diagnosis and after his passing. In my opinion, that story is the closest I've ever come to fully explaining the player behind the facemask and what drives him.


Derek from Eau Claire, WI


Derek looks at a bunch of mock drafts, Derek feels he has an idea of how the first round will unfold, Derek watches first round and is found to be completely wrong. I'm looking to sell the movie rights if anyone out there in II land is interested.


A tale as old as time.


Craig from Chicago, IL


Any possibility of moving draft picks this year?


Sure. Where you wanna move 'em?


Mark from West Bend, WI


Wes, with a little over two weeks to go until draft day, given the current top 10 teams, of those, which draft room would you like to be in on Thursday night? My choice would be Atlanta. If I could also ask a follow-up on second-round trades, what is the cost to move from 62 to 52? Kudos to Spoff for I "second" the motion.


I agree that the Falcons' phone is gonna be ringing more than a 24-hour telethon. And if you go by the ol' draft-value chart, it'd take the Packers dealing their third-round pick (92nd overall) to move up from No. 62 to 52. But good luck getting the Bears to make a trade with the Packers.


Cam from Fort Atkinson, WI


Vic used to say when teams start pushing too much money into the future you could hear the whistle of cap problems coming down the tracks. I heard a faint whistle while reading the answer about extending Jaire Alexander. Did the cap decrease put every team on the tracks running from the train? How will teams rescue themselves without gutting their roster and losing years of relevance?


By being smart with how they spend. I know this wasn't the most exciting offseason to be a Packers fan but that eye on the future is ultimately what will allow Green Bay to extend Davante Adams and Jaire Alexander in due time – just like the Packers did with David Bakhtiari, Kenny Clark and Aaron Jones this past year.