Inbox: Those are the questions that await him

[Cheesehead]

Dean from Ottawa, IL


It was suggested on Monday that without people in the stands, we might have more cameras, more angles to see football. If the result of more TV is a better understanding of how football plays develop, GREAT. If the result of additional cameras is more drama, more finger-pointing towards referees, no thanks. I think television has taken away some of the joy. Your thoughts.


There was a charm to the simple TV broadcasts of my youth. I won't deny that. But no one is going to cast technology aside and revert the viewing experience to the 1980s, not with how much the networks are paying to broadcast the games. So it's on the league to keep up, and when it changes the rules (RTP, PI reviews, etc.), it needs to communicate and implement those changes smoothly and effectively so the game doesn't suffer. That hasn't happened in recent years. That's on the league, not on the broadcasts.


Dominic from Chesapeake, VA


With Kenny Clark, David Bakhtiari, Corey Linsley, Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams and Kevin King all entering the final year of their contracts, would BG ever consider approaching some or all of them as a group to re-sign them? I realize the complexity of this, but it seems that Packer players who want to stay with the club and want to keep a winning group in place may want to take a deal that, while not getting the money that free agency would bring, pays them well enough and keeps them in Green Bay. Wishful thinking?


Brad from Crifton, MD


Any rumors on how the league is looking at how to assign the 17th regular-season game starting in 2021?


Nope. All the focus right now is on having a 2020 season.


Robert from Verona, WI


How Favre was able to get up off the turf time and time again during the NFC Championship against the "bounty-hunting Saints" is beyond me. I know a few times he was picked up off the turf by his teammates, but it still amazes me today.


Aside from that one night in Oakland, I think it was the most heroic, courageous game he ever played.


Randy from Billings, MT


One of the players who seems to get overlooked in terms of play and inspirational effect is Tyler Lancaster. He switched from center to defensive lineman in college, was undrafted and yet here he is, a rotational player for the Green Bay Packers, in what will be only his third year. He has accomplished quite a bit. I would think his upside potential is high. Yet he is not given proper respect. Why is that?


It's difficult to gain notoriety when you're not an every-down player who does a lot of grunt work. That's Lancaster. Can he be more than a rotational player? Can he offer more to the pass rush? Those are the questions that await him in his third season, and I'm eager to see how he answers them.


Evan from Oesterle Lake, WI


Favorite Packers playoff memory?


Aside from the obvious, oddly enough I keep coming back to a game they lost – the 2015 divisional at Arizona. With James Jones erased by Patrick Peterson, Rodgers had Jeff Janis and Jared Abbrederis to work with, and he almost pulled it off. That would have been the most remarkable postseason victory I'd ever witnessed.


Ross from Roswell, GA


Gents, with the emergence of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson in a short time span, do you think that the Jordan Love learning curve has to be much shorter than previous years?


I believe the Packers are going to give Love all the time he needs.


Paul from Northglenn, CO


Mike, when coach talks of having more explosive plays, is he also referencing taking more advantage of what play-action is intended to contribute? It seemed last year, PA turned into check-downs more than you would expect? Your thoughts from a press box view seemingly could speak to this with more expertise than what television shows us.


I think LaFleur absolutely wants to use play-action to attack downfield, but if it's not there and Rodgers takes the check-down, that's not all bad. Live to take another shot. I don't have any stats in front of me, but by the eye test I thought Rodgers' check-down game last year was the most productive it had been in years.


Mike from Los Angeles, CA


It always seems in the best interest of teams, players, and fans alike to keep homegrown talent on the roster as long as possible. With the contracts of superstar players seemingly far outpacing the salary cap (proportionately), it's getting harder and harder to achieve this. Do you think it's time the NFL considers a "Larry Bird exception"-style rule to allow homegrown players' contracts to surpass the cap? Maybe base the qualifications on where they were selected in the draft?


It's an interesting thought, but NFL rosters are more than four times the size of NBA ones. The draft is seven rounds compared to two. It just doesn't seem feasible on this scale, which is why I don't think it's ever been seriously considered.