What a GREAT article on MarShawn Lloyd; so well-researched and written. I shed tears several times while reading it. Thank you, Wes!

Thanks for checking it out, though the real credit goes to MarShawn and his mom, Na-Shawn. Both were so gracious with their time while providing the anecdotes that brought the story to the life. I always enjoy diving into the backstory of the incoming draft picks to understand what makes them tick. Through that process, I gained an appreciation of the entire family’s work ethic and the sacrifices they all made in helping MarShawn get to the NFL.

Mike from Stevens Point, WI

Thanks, Wes, for the inspirational story of MarShawn Lloyd’s journey to this moment in his young career. It’s apparent Mother’s Day was every day as he followed his dreams!

If I was just a little faster, I would’ve loved to turn the story around for Mother’s Day, but it took a minute for all the pieces to come together. You can tell how much MarShawn appreciates his mother and everything she did for him. With all the sacrifices the family has made over the past 10 years, it’s cool that everyone now gets to enjoy this ride to Green Bay.

Adrian from Oregon City, OR

The contracts for franchise players in the major sports, say quarterbacks, are out of all proportion to many of the other players on the team. In baseball, a few points of batting average and 10 home runs can be worth millions to a player. Do you see a time when collective bargaining wins a better deal for the rest of the roster? Or, when will the rising tide lift all boats, not just the yachts?

I don’t see that trend changing. QBs are the NFL’s CEOs, and we all know how CEOs pull down the biggest salaries in a corporation. That’s the entry fee for one of the best in the business at football’s most essential position.

Steve from Ellison Bay, WI

Best morel season ever here, hope you guys had some. I have been watching some of Luke Musgrave‘s 2023 season. He appears to be too fast for a LB and too big for safeties or CB. I think he is indefensible, what do you think?

Nobody is indefensible in this league, but Musgrave does challenge what a defense can do schematically. His size, speed and range are special. He was a second-round pick for a reason. What impressed me most was how much ground he can cover in only a few steps. It made for a promising start all-around.

Weston, over the weekend, I was digging into the continued youth movement of this year’s early roster. ATMR (WCBW), I was surprised to find there is only player left who was drafted by Ted Thompson: Kenny Clark. But even more curious, there are actually two who were drafted by Giants ex-GM Dave Gettleman: Corey Ballentine and Xavier McKinney. What do you make of this other than I have too much time in my hands?

NFL careers are as brief as the statistics show. For that reason alone, I think Ballentine deserves praise for his resurgence in Green Bay. The former Washburn standout could’ve easily been lost in the NFL shuffle after brief stints in Detroit, Atlanta and Arizona but took advantage of an opportunity in Green Bay the past two years. He’s not only a versatile cog in the secondary but also a key special-teamer for Rich Bisaccia.

How do you anticipate the battle for the winner of Jordan Loves backup to turn out?

I have no predictions but I’m excited to see what Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt can do. The Packers have invested draft capital into the position the past two years, and that should benefit everyone in that room.

Dean from Leavenworth, IN

Wes, last week you listed your top five offseason additions this season and I agree with the exception of one. At the top of my list is Jeff Hafley. I think he will be the key to making it work on the defensive side this season. Am I overstating this? As far as my dark-horse candidate? Think I’ll wait about six weeks to reveal that, Weston.

Good call on both fronts. The expectations have been high for the Packers’ defense for several years. Hopefully, Hafley has the key to unlock the unit’s full potential.

Jack from Black Mountain, NC

It is clear to everyone how NFL athletes are off-the-charts physically different from the rest of us. What is often overlooked is also how smart they have to be. The Evan Williams story about spending hours in the hotel room learning concepts, schemes, and language is a good reminder of how complex the football game is, and how difficult it must be to learn and remember the details of countless numbers of formations and plays. A good reminder to your young readers to stay in school and study!

That’s what’s always drawn me to the NFL. Being a top prospect doesn’t guarantee you’ll be the best player. It gets you a foot in the door but it’s the work that keeps you there. Having a high football IQ is critical in every area of the field, but especially the back end. It’s clear how seriously Williams takes that responsibility with his study habits and attention to detail.