Inbox: That's how this game is played

[Cheesehead]

Kyle from Osceola, WI


Even with Mason Crosby re-signing this offseason, would it surprise you a whole lot if they bring in a second kicker if training camp happens yet this summer?


I would be floored.


Jim from Bloomington, IN


It's not a given, but I'd be surprised if at least one of the young receivers on the current roster doesn't show the level of improvement this season in order to round out the receiving corps. I'm trying to ignore the negative waves and have a little faith.


That's how this game is played. Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb didn't walk in the building and become immediate 1,000-yard receivers. They all followed the hero's journey. Last year, it was Allen Lazard who rose from obscurity to become a weapon. Who's next?


Liam from Cranbury, NJ


Spoff, Hod, I love you guys. Thank you for everything and say hi to Larry for me. I just read the article on 10 players to watch in the draft. Kenneth Murray seems to fit the mold for the Packers in terms of production on the field and character off it. I seem to remember a story about him saving someone's life at OU. Do you know the story I'm referring to?


Yes. Murray performed CPR on a woman with a head wound suffered in an accident. He revived her and left once paramedics arrived. No one would've even known it had it not been for someone from the student newspaper witnessing it. Spoff did an exemplary job of recounting the tale at the combine.


Joseph from Ellsworth, WI


Antoine Winfield Jr. is a ballhawk that can lay the wood like his dad. He could play in the box in nickel and dime, shades of Morgan Burnett. Capers played three safeties with far less talent. Amos' awareness with Savage's athleticism and Winfield's physicality would be nasty. He would be a great spy for mobile QBs, too.


Winfield and Michael Pittman Jr. are solid prospects. I believe both will do their fathers proud at the next level. Winfield isn't the biggest defensive back but he plays hard. Like cornerback, the Packers have put a lot of resources into the safety position in recent years.


Kevin from Whitehall, WI


With the discussion of how a shortened season may impact the compensation of players this season and the impact shortened camps will have on late-round draft picks and undrafted FAs, do you think the league would consider some roster exemptions/changes to accommodate keeping some of these players around for additional development? Perhaps even expand the PS for the first "X" weeks of the season?


Maybe but there's no way to know right now. If the league has to adjust, it'll adjust. In chorus with the NFLPA, the league will make the best decision possible for its players.


Jerry from Salem, OR


So, "The league has indicated there will be provisions to stop the clock for technical issues." My question is, what's to keep teams, I won't mention any names, from gaming the system and saying they've got "technical issues" to extend their time on the clock? Are the technology police watching?


We've been getting a lot of questions about this. My thought is who cares? So a team takes a couple more minutes. The board isn't changing. Now if they do it for every pick, then I'm sure the league would step in but I think you guys are making a mountain out of a molehill with this.


Kevin from Rockton, IL


Here's a prediction – over the courses of their careers, three WRs drafted in the third round or later this year will outperform three drafted in the first round. Draft the big guys early, and there will be plenty of WR talent later.


It wouldn't surprise me. I go back to 2003 when the Cardinals drafted Anquan Boldin in the second round. What people often forget is they also took Bryant Johnson with their first pick (17th overall). There's risk in every pick – but there's also reward.


Walter from Chippewa Falls, WI


I just hope the Packers don't draft some oft-injured prospect who they're just sure would have been a "top-10 pick" if he hadn't broken his leg/shoulder/arm/knee/ankle/whatever. Has drafting a guy who dropped because he got hurt EVER worked out for ANY team?


Thurman Thomas, Steven Jackson, Jaylon Smith, Willis McGahee and Myles Jack to name a few. Jeffery Simmons is off to a good start for Tennessee after falling to No. 19 last year because of the ACL tear.


Randy from Grapevine, TX


I am a huge fan of Chris Orr. Watched him a little in high school then at UW. Was at the LSU game at Lambeau when he hurt his knee. Great kid from a great family. Scouting report has him as "could be a depth player who excels on special teams" but not a starting MLB. Packers need both, help on special teams and depth at LB. Do you see him as a sixth- or seventh-round choice or undrafted FA? Thoughts on the Packers' interest?


Orr is one of those guys it seemed played at Wisconsin for 10 years. I have no idea of the Packers' interest but the Badgers were one of the few who got their pro days in before the pandemic hit. So Green Bay should have all the information it needs on those Badgers prospects. Orr had a solid pro day that could get him drafted in the later rounds but otherwise I'd expect him to be a coveted priority free agent.


Dan from Toledo, OH


When a scout says they have a first-round grade on 20 players, are they comparing those players to the current class of draftees being evaluated, or is there a component of evaluating players in comparison to previous first-round draft classes? For example, could it be the case that Player A is a first-rounder in 2020 but in 2021 they would not be? Happy draft day!


By giving a player a "first-round grade," that's simply saying the player is worth what it would cost to take them. It's a tactic used to not reach on a player. So a first-round grade would theoretically be the same, year-to-year. It's not a direct comparison to the draft class.