Cheesehead
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,854
- 0
Michael from Granite City, IL
With the tarps covering the fences and the Packers practicing outside, how do the Packers deal with drone control over the practice field?
Rodgers has a pretty good arm.
Corey from Henderson, NV
There is a proposal on the table to allow players to opt out of the upcoming season should they not feel safe to play. Should the pandemic subside, would players then be allowed to opt back in at some point later in the season? I could see allowing that to be abused by veteran players who may want to keep their bodies fresh for the playoffs.
I don't see that happening. Players who opt out would be making themselves ineligible for the full season.
Jeff from Athens, WI
With the concern about COVID-19 when the players return, is there a league-wide policy for handling player testing and quarantines or is some of that up to the teams to work out? Who would perform the tests? Will someone monitor the player(s) to ensure they are actually quarantined? Would a player be able to participate remotely in meetings for their position group(s)?
I've said all along I have to believe the testing will be done by the league or an independent medical group. I'm not sure if the players would be monitored during quarantine except to ensure they're not around the rest of the team. Not following that protocol would only increase their chances of testing positive again. A lot of meetings will still be virtual anyway, so anytime remote participation is possible, players would take advantage.
Jim from McLean, VA
So wait, you're saying our viewing experience could possibly become even MORE disjointed and frustrating?
I knew someone would say that.
Nic from London, UK
I know you're not a fan of rankings but you also have your finger much closer to the media pulse than I do. Is Jaire Alexander starting to gain national recognition as a top 10 CB? I'm seeing his name crop up different places even though I don't remember him being a featured talking point much in-season. If so, good for him, normally there's a one- to two-year lag between performing at that level and being recognized for it (see: Bakhtiari, David).
I think Alexander is viewed as a strong candidate to vault himself into top-10 status very soon.
Mike from White House, TN
The Derrick Henry signing (four years, $50 million) seems to be friendly for both Henry and the Titans with it not resetting the market and Henry making more than his franchise tag. Do you think that will be a ballpark number the Packers could try to re-sign Aaron Jones to?
It's certainly more palatable than the numbers in the contracts of Christian McCaffrey and Ezekiel Elliott. I'm not sure Jones will go from 1,000 rushing yards in Year 3 to 1,500 in Year 4 like Henry did, given the Packers' other backfield options, but we'll just have to see.
Cindy from Mesa, AZ
Hi Insiders, judging from social media, the Packers' rookies are in Green Bay. Will you get access for virtual interviews before training camp?
Not that I'm aware of.
Mike from Franksville, WI
I've noticed that defensive stats in the Packers media guide (tackles, passes defensed...) don't always match the totals on nfl.com. Who compiles the stats for the media guide? Is there a reason they don't match what the league has?
The defensive coaches compile the stats the team publishes for tackles, passes defensed, etc., when they review the game films, so numbers frequently differ. If there's a discrepancy regarding a sack (such as whether or not it should be a shared sack with a teammate), the team will send the play in to Elias Sports Bureau for an official determination.
Sean from Springfield, OR
Do you think the Packers (or any team) will retire a non-QB number in the future? Maybe Gronk or Larry Fitzgerald? With the emphasis on passing and the QB I'm not sure other positions will gain the long-term acclaim for number retirement.
I wouldn't be so sure. I could see the Cardinals retiring Fitzgerald's number, and the Texans retiring J.J. Watt's, as examples. When a megastar, Hall of Fame-caliber player's off-the-field, community impact matches or exceeds his on-field exploits, it makes the franchise's decision easier.
Dave from Germantown, TN
I think the Packers have between 40 and 50% of the salary cap tied up in eight players (Rodgers, Adams, Bakhtiari, Linsley, the Smith brothers, Amos and Turner.) The other 46 contracts account for the balance which is less than $2.5 million per player on average. Is this normal for the majority of the teams in the NFL to have 20% of the roster get half the money? Second, what challenges does this make in the locker room?
It's pretty standard, and it underscores how important it is to draft well and get elite-level contributions from young players who aren't getting paid as much in order to win consistently. In the locker room, I think it's just viewed as the nature of the beast, and players see the big payday on the second contract as a rite of passage, so to speak.