Hi Wes, I hope you had a wonderful holiday and welcome back! Hope you have more vacation time before the season starts, but does it ever end for you? You mentioned the need for more O-line players and you’re right. On the D side, I’ve read a lot about CB D’Angelo Ponds, and he might be available for the Packers? Indiana really played inspiring football, so he should bring both talent and attitude to the Packers, but your thoughts please. Can Pack get both?
The Packers don’t have a first-round pick but still have the resources to get what they need from this draft. Ponds is a premier athlete with a 43½-inch vertical that makes him one of this year’s top cornerbacks. He also might not be on the board when Green Bay picks in the second round. The drawback with Ponds is he’s only 5-9, standing a hair beneath the minimum height the Packers have previously held on their corners.
I’m sorry to see Emanuel Wilson go, but his departure isn’t just due to the market and his opportunities. If – if, if, if – MarShawn Lloyd starts the season like he’s shot out of a cannon, then the Packers have to find a way to get him enough carries as a No. 2 back to feel good about his durability and to make a decision about his future. Right now, you wouldn’t want to hitch your wagon to him.
There’s been a lot of ifs with Lloyd the past two years. Hopefully, his body can soon provide the when. Because the want to is there.
Outside of the Packers, are there any storylines out there in the league you are following this offseason that you have particular interest in? Now that the first wave has settled, I’m very intrigued by what happens with the Raiders. Although a lot of money was spent, I think Maxx Crosby leaving was a key element allowing them to spend which I can’t assumed would have happened if the Crosby deal never happened. What is the best a last place team has done the following year?
The Raiders rank high on that list, but the Giants are the NFL team that intrigues me most. Both New York teams have been in the cellar for a while now, but the Giants finally have motion with Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers. Can John Harbaugh be the man who finally puts it all together for the G-Men?
Wes, with the first waves of free agency now behind us, are there any remaining FAs out there that you’re secretly hoping will land in Green Bay?
I wouldn’t saying I’m rooting for any particular outcome, but I am curious to see what happens with Trevon Diggs. It’s been all quiet on that front for two months now.
Derek from Eau Claire, WI
I know this isn’t a strategy Gutekunst should rely on, but as an armchair GM I, for one, hope for the best and assume Desmond Ridder can play effectively in the preseason and hold a clipboard with the best of them for 21 games next season.
That would be optimal, my friend.
Charles from New Berlin is seeking new goals now that he’s had questions answered by Ed Policy, Cliff, and in Inbox. Because it’s the offseason and we’re all trying to improve, let me help. His next level might be creating a question used in Outsider Inbox. That’s II’s Super Bowl. Beyond that (cue the “Rocky” theme), the ultimate is “The Double:” two posts, one column. Only a handful have achieved it. It takes high daily effort, skill, and kismet to pull it off. Inbox’s version of a perfect game.
Outsider Inbox: The Showcase of the Inbox Immortals. In my opinion, I think hitting for the cycle is having two questions answered with a reply also serving as the headline.
Aaron Nagler stated that Jeffrey Lee Query had greatest mullet in Packers history, as a wide receiver in 1989-1991. Is this quote historically accurate?
Aaron couldn’t be more accurate. The Query mullet was real and it was spectacular.
What do you think of having a “Jeopardy”-style Inbox during the slow season where IIers submit “answers” and you guys respond with a question that matches the answer?
Hey, this column is for the people. If y’all want a “Jeopardy” format during this year’s Outsider Inbox, I’m ready and willing to give it a shot on one of the days.
Gavin from Albuquerque, NM
Stolen lunches: I may know someone who had food regularly disappearing from the work fridge without permission. So, they baked some brownies with chocolate laxatives in them and made sure to not invite anyone to have one…the problem sorted itself out.
Commiserations to the nearest Mike Spofford Memorial Commode.
Preston from Tallahassee, FL
Hi Wes (and IIers)! If you will indulge, I’d like to make an argument for consideration for Packers.com. I respect the position on “official” announcements, but at times there have been mentions of “reported ” signings, etc. inside the Inbox. For me (and I think most GBP fans) we would love to come here for what IS being reported rather than elsewhere. Just qualify what is known vs reported. I cannot stand having to go elsewhere and would prefer to take my clicks to Packers.com. This is home.
Thank you for calling this home, Preston. We do the best we can, but I will say we usually tackle pretty much every topic under the sun whether it’s official or reported.
Does the franchise realize what a huge fan base they have and how much people love the story of the team, town, and people?
I think so. If not, then you probably should find a different place to collect a paycheck. But Monday’s Celebration of Life for Bob Harlan was a good reminder of how much we all love Packers football. On a personal level, it was inspiring to listen to Kevin Harlan, Ed Policy, Mike McCarthy, Mark Murphy and Ron Wolf talk about Harlan and his contributions to this fabled place. As a good friend of mine Gordon “Red” Batty once said, “It’s in the bricks.” Well, men like Bob Harlan made sure it stayed there.
Good morning, Wes. There are a lot of intriguing prospects in this year’s draft class, but the one player Inbox readers should know about is Tyren Montgomery, often referred to as Ty. He played wide receiver for the John Carroll Blue Streaks and earned D-III All-American honors. Ty was invited to the American Bowl and Senior Bowl where he held his own against FBS competition. At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, do you think he’s big enough to eventually switch to running back for the Packers?
You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?