Inbox: It's a special position in a special place

[Cheesehead]

Nate from St. Francis, MN


How much impact do you believe the COVID pandemic will have on the NFL's international expansion plans? My gut is telling me that it will push them back multiple years.


Yeah, I don't think it's controversial to say that at all. The international series already has been canceled for 2020. Now, I think that momentum can easily be regained but it definitely puts a pin in the league's desire to expand the game's international footprint temporarily at the very least.


Ashley from Chicago, IL


Depending on what happens health-wise with baseball, will this influence the NFL's season in terms of precautions and timing?


Yeah. Like Spoff said, the situation is ever-evolving but each day is a new lesson learned. So you can bet the NFL is paying attention to what the MLB, NBA, UFC, Premier League and other organizations are doing and taking notes. It'd be foolish not to.


Bart from Point Roberts, WA


Hey guys, can you explain Reggie Begelton's reserve/futures contract?


All it means is that player has signed with a team for the following season and now counts towards its 90-man roster. It often happens with street free agents, practice-squad players whose contracts expire after the season, and CFL alums like Begelton. It's a ticket to the party.


Mike from Mount Prospect, IL


Gentlemen, I'm wondering how strong your predictive acuity is. Not for a single game or even an individual, but are you able to sense the strength of a unit for a season? Have you ever watched a defense in training camp and thought, "They're gonna surprise some people," or "This unit will struggle"?


For sure. Training camp is huge. When you spend 24 or 25 hours watching practice each summer, there are things that stand out. Allen Lazard, Darrius Shepherd and Chandon Sullivan all stood out in practice before they made plays in a game. That being said, there also have been years where I've wondered if the offense or defense was going to struggle in certain areas for the same reason.


Al from Pasadena, CA


As far as speedsters are concerned, are you forgetting Bill Schroeder who ran a 4.26 40 – the "Sheboygan Flash" who graduated from my alma mater, Sheboygan South HS?


Bill definitely deserves to be in that equation, too. It's tough to compare previous generations of Packers players without having official 40 times like the combine provides.


Dale from Port Washington, WI


How can we discuss the great career of Ezra Johnson and not discuss hot dogs?


Because we choose to focus on the former?