The Dynamic Duo is back in Titletown! When the team invites 30 potential draft picks to an interview at Lambeau I’m guessing Gutey, MLF and others glean as much information as possible from them. On the other hand, I think it’s imperative for our guys to sell the Packers AND Green Bay. Imagine you’re responsible for selling the team and town to a 21-year-old college kid who may be from Atlanta or Boston. What do you tell them and show them?
Call me old-fashioned, but if I showed a draft prospect around this place and got the sense he needed to be “sold” on anything else, I’d probably lose interest.
Good morning. Unbeknownst to me, but probably knownst to other Inbox readers, the 30 pre-draft visits have already begun. Is this still a game of “bob and weave” or “bait and switch” so teams don’t reveal their real intentions? Without researching, it seems like players appearing on this list of 30 actually do end up in Green Bay for training camp. Thanks.
All visits are on the league transaction wire, so there’s no hiding the names. But sometimes guys are brought in because there’s a gap in the scouting report, some info missing they need to fill in. Other times there’s genuine interest and they want to see how the player reacts to being in the building (see Herb’s inquiry above). It makes for great fodder, but I’m not sure how much smoke-and-mirrors stuff actually goes on.
Gardner from Circle Pines, MN
Some are disputing the value received in the Micah Parsons trade. Over the past 10 drafts, the team has hit great value in the first round with Kenny Clark, Jaire Alexander, and Jordan Love as true difference makers, with the verdict still out on Matthew Golden, Jordan Morgan and maybe Lukas Van Ness. I submit that our 2026 first round pick IS Parsons and a great pick at that. Who at pick No. 20 and another low first-rounder next year can you draft and be assured you are getting a perennial All-Pro?
Obviously nobody can assure that, but don’t lose sight of the fact the trade wasn’t just about the draft picks. It was also about the contract, the $188M over four years the Cowboys weren’t interested in giving Parsons. The Packers did, and I’m glad they did, but it’s important to grasp the commitment to making the move went well beyond the first-round picks being surrendered.
Watching Duke in their March Madness Elite 8 loss vs. UConn reminded me of Green Bay vs. Chicago in the WC playoff game (really the whole season). Duke was an elite team who unfortunately blew a handful of double-digit second half leads and then it cost them in the tournament. And then in the Elite 8 the nation saw UConn’s epic comeback. And when I saw Dan Hurley’s emotion and passion it reminded me of Ben Johnson. Both teams (UConn and Chicago) just fed off of their coach in improbable fashion.
Sorry, that’s a bit much for me. I just think the dramatic run the Bears (love ’em or hate ’em) were on late last season, UConn’s comeback and epic shot to make the Final Four, and a bang-bang force out at home plate in Game 7 of the World Series are why we watch sports. At least that’s why I watch.
Colton from Springfield, MO
When the leadership keeps mentioning the team needs to finish games better this season, what’s the plan to accomplish that? Coaches can keep driving that point home in every offseason workout, practice and meeting, but those are just words. To me, it comes down to the mental makeup of the coaching staff and mainly the players. Finishing games is a mentality. Hopefully Gutekunst found some finishers this offseason or it will be more of the same this upcoming season.
Finishing games boils down to executing at crunch time, and being better than the other guy in the biggest moments, no matter what has transpired up to that point. The mentality hinges on understanding there’s always another big moment around the corner, and being ready for it when the time comes. It’s the hardest thing to feel prepared for as a football team, because you can run all the two-minute drills you want in practice, but one side of the ball is always going to fail. Making those trial runs as tough as possible will hopefully allow game success to build on itself, because the mentality is more collective than individual.
I’m surprised at MLF talking about locker room issues regarding roles. Good on him for recognizing the issues. Bad on him for not being able to resolve those issues. Were you as surprised as I regarding locker room issues relating to player roles?
I’m surprised LaFleur brought it up, unprompted, in Arizona. But he must’ve done so because he wants it out there. I don’t think it’s all that unusual in an NFL locker room, honestly, when you’ve got six dozen professional athletes with individual goals amongst the team structure. Some level of discontent is unavoidable, but maybe there was just a bit more than usual. That said, do I think dissatisfaction with roles produced a botched onside recovery, crucial fourth-down failures on defense, a four-possession offensive stagnation after a dynamite first half, or three missed kicks? No, not really. But while changing any one of those items in the two losses in Chicago could’ve handed the 2025 Packers a different fate, LaFleur’s public disclosure suggested the harmony and cohesiveness needed to win a championship was lacking, and he’s determined to improve communication and whatever else it takes to get the locker room where it needs to be to achieve the ultimate goal.
“Hasenpfeffer Incorporated. I’ve always wanted to announce my presence with that line. I’ll abbreviate: HI. I’ll see myself out in a bit.” All I can say is “Schlameel, schlamazo!” No, I have no idea if that is spelled correctly. Does Schotz Brewery make root beer?
Have a good Easter weekend, everybody.