Inbox: They're both at a premium

[Cheesehead]

Terry from Rothschild, WI


Spoff, you may have heard that legendary D.C. Everest football coach Wayne Steffenhagen recently passed away. Would you have a Coach Steff memory or story you could share from your days in Central Wisconsin?


What an icon. I only covered Valley football for 3½ seasons, but Steffenhagen was a singular powerhouse presence. My best story is from a game I covered walking the Everest sideline. I was 10 yards or so away from a DCE ball-carrier and opponent colliding right in front of Steffenhagen, and the ball popped out as the players tumbled away. The fumbled ball just sat there for a few moments on the turf, in bounds no more than four feet from Steffenhagen, and he hollered at the top of his lungs to no one in particular, "Somebody … GET IT!" I honestly thought he was going to jump on the ball himself. When an opposing defender slid in for the recovery, Steffenhagen just growled in frustration, and threw his arms up in the air as he turned away. The whole crowd heard and saw him, and got a good chuckle out of it. I never covered a coach who was so intense on the field yet just as much a gentleman off of it. May he rest in peace.


James from Appleton, WI


I have the feeling that a healthy Josiah Deguara would run many of the routes a slot receiver would. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do. If he stays healthy, AJ Dillon steps in as the primary back, Jon Runyan earns a spot on the line and Kamal Martin is regularly crunching bodies, will the Packers get graded twice for essentially having two drafts this year?


Ha. Though if such developments come to pass, it would go to show how useless immediate post-draft grades are.


Tom from West Palm Beach, FL


It seems from the outside as if there's a binary choice between re-signing Aaron Jones or Corey Linsley, with management leaning towards Jones. I feel this would be a mistake after investing a second-round pick in Dillon, as well as Linsley asserting himself as the top center in all of football. Is center a more easily replaceable position? Wouldn't locking up 60% of the line with Pro Bowl-caliber players in front of a HOF QB make more sense than paying a RB you already drafted a replacement for?


There isn't an easy answer. While I understand and appreciate your argument for Linsley, it's clear more than one workhorse-type running back is needed for LaFleur's offense to be at its best. I also think Jones' skills, as I've mentioned before, are uniquely suited to this offensive system and would be more difficult to replace. Jones is 3½ years younger than Linsley, and the Packers have others on the roster who can play center. But again, with no overstating the value of protecting Rodgers, there's no slam-dunk call to make here. It's tough. The only sure thing is if the Packers can't bring both back, they're going to lose a whale of a player.


Derrick from Fairmont, MN


Regarding the overtime discussion, the coin-flip winner would always choose the placement. If they were to choose offense/defense first, the opponent would spot the ball on the corresponding 1-yard line. Most teams choosing yardage first would revert to a "safe" play of the opposing 20-to-30-yard line every time to avoid getting too "cute." In sudden death you have to choose offense first and the only thing accomplished is the kickoff is eliminated. Right?


Under the new proposal, the coin-flip winner would decide whether to choose the yard line or offense/defense to start, but then whoever is picking the yard line obviously goes first. What I've read is most analysts suspect the swing spot would be around the 13- or 14-yard line. Put the ball on the 15, most teams would choose offense, but on the 12, more might choose defense. The crux of the potential improvement is the new procedure would be more strategic, and therefore with outcomes based less on luck (the coin toss).


Patrick from Murfreesboro, TN


What yard line would you choose to not put AR on the field for a chance to win? Or if you're the opponent, what yard line would you choose to invite Aaron Rodgers to try and beat you? It's fool's gold to suggest that the Ravens' proposal reduces the impact of the coin toss.


How? The coin-toss decision becomes much more tactical, rather than automatic. But to your point about Rodgers, who the QBs are in any given game would almost certainly impact strategy as well. LaFleur might push the standard envelope a bit and want to give Rodgers the ball at the 12, but if the opponent hedges and chooses the 10, it knows it's risking sending its QB out there in a tough spot. The permutations are fascinating.