Maybe the thing that bothers me most about clickbait and certain radio shows, is how quickly those narratives can become cemented as “facts.” I’ll hear or read something that is pure conjecture, and that the host or writer would have no way of knowing, and suddenly it’s being discussed as truth within other forums the next day. Really bothersome, especially when it comes to discussing coach/GM/player motives. Sorry, just wanted to vent.

The proliferation and oversaturation of “media” trying to grab a piece of the audience creates a vicious cycle, because they all have show/podcast hours to fill and they need content. So if someone else’s conjecture can become their content, it helps their cause. They feed each other, and the symbiosis succeeds because the consumers aren’t discerning enough (or don’t care to be, because they just want to be entertained), which allows the size of someone’s audience to lend a phony credibility to their content, when in fact their content on its face has no credibility at all. And the cycle doesn’t stop.

John from Stevens Point, WI

Sorry to see Emanuel Wilson go, especially to a conference foe with GB area connections, but again, the Pack can’t keep everyone with two big salaries eating up a lot of the cap. Do you think Jordan Love and Parsons will be approached at some point to see if they’re amenable to a restructure, or were their contracts front-loaded so as to not hamstring the Packers down the line?

There’s a decent chance those deals will be restructured in the future, but whether those would be straight cap-accounting restructures that can be done without player input/negotiation, or something more involved, remains to be seen.

Curtis from Moreno Valley, CA

Letting Emanuel Wilson go for $2M seems like a headscratcher to me. That is one I think we will regret because he always delivered when his name was called and that isn’t a lot of money to keep him.

How do you know the Packers didn’t offer it? All we know is they didn’t tender him as an RFA at $3.5M. Regardless, I said at that time, right after Chris Brooks re-signed, I wondered if Wilson would look for an opportunity for more playing time elsewhere. That’s what I suspect happened here, and going to a place that just let the Super Bowl MVP running back sign elsewhere, and where the No. 2 RB tore his ACL in January, makes a TON of sense for Wilson.

What are you anticipating the running backs room will look like in camp? Obviously, barring unforeseen events, Josh Jacobs and Brooks are penciled in to make the 53. Is MarShawn Lloyd expected to return to camp healthy of previous ailments? How many RBs are typically on the training camp roster?

Typically five or six. There are a couple of developmental prospects on the roster now, and I could see the Packers adding to the position via the draft and/or UDFA class. But my expectation is camp will start with Jacobs-Lloyd-Brooks as the 1-2-3.

I don’t understand all the consternation over the Ravens backing out of the trade. Does everyone forget that the Raiders shut Crosby down due to that same injury? If the team’s doctors are concerned then that’s good enough for me.

The scuttlebutt around the league is the Ravens apparently had all the medical information needed – scans, reports, etc. – to make their decision on Crosby before conducting the formal physical, but they went through with negotiating the trade only to back out at the last minute anyway.

Kevin from Arlington Heights, IL

When scheduling, does the NFL take into consideration players who will start on IR? For example, the Bears/Packers game you’d think you want to have Parsons healthy for, for the storyline alone, or Mahomes to be back for a game against the Bills or Ravens.

They’re not oblivious to it when it comes to QBs, but whether any other high-profile players are taken into account is debatable.

George from North Mankato, MN

What has been the biggest surprise of free agency so far in your opinion? Mine would be the catapulted contract for Linderbaum at center. Seems to me upping the ante by making him the highest paid ever could have been enough to sign him. Your thoughts?

Linderbaum topping the league’s previously highest-paid center by 50%, and Indy’s Alec Pierce joining the high-priced receiver crowd at $29M per were the two deals that blew me away.

What are your thoughts on the NFC North teams this offseason? Can the Packers win it?

I’ll probably say this too many times this offseason: I don’t believe there’s a clear-cut favorite to win the division.

Hey Mike! Did you see the new Titans unis? What an incredible upgrade. Not the best uniforms in the league, but a vast improvement over previous iterations. Finally, normal numbers!

They possess a welcome resemblance to the Houston Oilers’ “Luv ya Blue” Earl Campbell era. Those were always a sharp look, and it’s great to see them back. I wish they’d never gone away in the first place.

Skyy Vodka. Evan Williams whiskey. Is there a pattern here?

Johnny Blood (red) and Green 19 (IPA) are among many GBP-related local beer varieties in this town, so why not?

Can we please enshrine “Don’t confuse outcome with intent” as one of the core tenets of Inbox (f.k.a. Vicisms)? It should be right up there with “Players, not plays,” “Just win, baby,” and “It’s time to be new.”

Appreciate the recognition. I did come up with that one on my own, but in a nod to the predecessor, last week I pulled out “It’s a game of replacement,” too. Happy Monday.