There are several intriguing options

It’s “Closing Time,” Wes. Any final thoughts?

Gather up your jackets, move it to the exits…I hope you have found a (free agent).

I bet the inbox blew up today. Good luck.

James from Ottawa, Canada

Spoff takes time off and Tom Brady ensures the big news streak continues in Mike’s absence! I knew all the celebrating about the NFC’s comparably weak QB competition was going to come back to bite us! Chortling tends to have that annoying habit of inconveniently backfiring.

And the Brady news was only the beginning. I picture Spoff being lowered in the PTO lifeboat while I despondently stare at him from the deck.

Wes, shall we pencil in Yosh Nijman for right tackle? I like the look of David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan, and Nijman. Possibly flip Runyan and insert Lucas Patrick/Royce Newman to start the year?

There are several intriguing options at right tackle. Nijman played well enough to compete for a starting job and maybe Dennis Kelly also returns. Runyan and Newman have played there, too. But I liked what I saw from Nijman last year. With Bakhtiari back, I imagine Nijman will be in the running to flip to the right side.

Gretchen from Dousman, WI

Good morning II. I didn’t see the Billy Turner cut coming with his experience and versatility. Is this just a case of younger/stronger/less cap cost or something I’m missing?

I think it’s just having to make tough calls, as the Packers begin building their 2022 roster. Turner came as advertised and did everything right in his three years with the Packers. He was dependable and versatile on the field and a solid locker-room guy. He still has plenty of football ahead of him.

Derek from Eau Claire, WI

The Packers need to be under the salary cap by 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Does that imply that the Aaron Rodgers contract needs to be signed by then?

Not necessarily. Getting Rodgers’ contract done would help, but I don’t think it would be required to get under the cap. Green Bay has more flexibility in that regard than the team is given credit for.

Wes, looks like OL and edge just moved higher on the needs depth checklist. Gutey’s first big splash into free agency and two of the four didn’t make it to the end of their contracts. Is this more common with players re-signed by their own team or by players brought in from other teams?

It’s more common with in-house guys to play out contracts but it’s still a minor upset those four free agents from 2019 all played three seasons in Green Bay. It’s not often a team bats 4-for-4 like the Packers did on the Smiths, Turner and Adrian Amos. Za’Darius Smith and Turner played a pivotal role in the Packers’ resurgence, but unfortunately this is a business and difficult decisions have to be made.

One of my favorite games over the past three years was Week 16 of 2019. In a game where our offense took quite a while to get going, Z played like he was possessed by the spirit of Reggie White and it seemed like he spent the entire game in the Vikings’ backfield. I was curious if you have any favorite memories from covering either Smith or Turner.

Being in the post-game scrum after the regular-season opener in Chicago in 2019. That afternoon, the Smith Bros. dual press conference was born. I was there with Lily Zhao and a few other reporters when Preston and Za’Darius chose to answer questions together. And the rest was history.

It’s free-agency frenzy week! Fans and experts alike generally consider Reggie White and Charles Woodson as the best-ever Packers’ free-agency signings. Who would you rank in the next grouping?

The Smith Bros. and Julius Peppers are in that conversation. Ryan Pickett also was a good signing that sometimes gets overshadowed because he was part of that same free-agent class as Woodson in 2006. But pound-for-pound, De’Vondre Campbell has made a compelling case. He hasn’t just filled a void in the defense. Campbell has become one of the best players on the entire unit.

Greetings II. I’m trying to understand why it’s reported that Z. Smith won’t count toward a compensatory pick. Why is that? It’s interesting that two years later it’s P. Smith being retained and not Z. What a difference a season makes.

Only free agents who sign elsewhere after their contracts expire count towards the compensatory equation. If a team terminates the contract of a player, it’s no longer eligible for compensation. As far as Preston Smith is concerned, I have a lot of respect for he handled last offseason and the way he bounced back. What’s more, Preston is as tough and durable as they come. His future is bright in Green Bay.