By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA

Size, speed and instincts on display for skill position players, defensive backs

GREEN BAY, Wis. –   The problem with OTA’s is the potential to come away believing everything is A-OK.

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Shorts and shirts isn’t full speed with pads. The live 11-on-11 hitting – not to mention the one-on-one pass blocking drills and all they reveal – must wait until training camp.
That doesn’t mean OTA’s aren’t instructive though.
It’s just not live football.
Here’s what to look for when the Green Bay Packers take the field Tuesday to begin off-season team activities:
** The position unit pecking order:
When the Packers’ No. 1 defense takes the field which players will be lined up where? Who will be opposite Kevin King at cornerback? Will Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson cover the slot or perimeter receiver?
Where will Muhammad Wilkerson and Tramon Williams fit? I suspect both will be in the starting lineup.
What does Montravius Adams look like? I can’t recall. Will he line up behind Kenny Clark? Or perhaps he’ll play the “Five technique” in defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s scheme.
At receiver, it’s crystal clear at the top with Davante Adams and Randall Cobb, but beyond that there are jobs to be won.
Rookie draft picks Ja’Mon Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown will begin sizing up veterans Geronimo Allison, Trevor Davis and Michael Clark.
I’m extremely curious to see how the rookie receivers’ size, speed and pass-catching ability compares with the veterans’.
** Checking out the new offensive weapon:
Jimmy Graham is going to draw as much attention from Packers’ fans as opposing defenses. Graham, who essentially IS the tight end position group, brings cache and star power.
He’s also dynamic when the offense reaches the red zone.
Who isn’t curious to see a tight end with his size and speed cruising through the heart of a defense?
I know I am.
** Running backs trying to get traction:
Jamaal Williams appears to be the most likely answer to the question: Who is going to be the Packers’ starting back?
Williams rushed for 556 yards and showed the ability to hit holes, get what’s blocked, and catch it out of the backfield.
Ty Montgomery, who’s down to his last shot, will be a factor if he can stay healthy. That’s not a news flash, though.
Aaron Jones is explosive, but he also was injury-plagued. Devante Mayes feels like a long shot to contribute. He will need to be detail oriented and fumble free to have a chance.
** Who will be Aaron Rodgers’ backup to open OTA’s?
Is it going to be holdover Brett Hundley or newly acquired DeShone Kizer?
McCarthy said he felt Kizer would’ve been one of the top quarterbacks taken in this year’s draft. If that’s true, he needs to back that bold statement and name Kizer the No. 2 quarterback.
New quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti Jr., who replaced Alex Van Pelt, walks into an interesting dynamic.
Rodgers, I suspect, is anxious to rinse the bad taste from last season and get on with a new quarterback room.
** Getting the right side of the offensive line “right.”
David Bakhtiari, Lane Taylor and Corey Linsley form a strong left side of the Packers’ offensive line. The right side is something of a mystery, however.
Jahri Evans’ future is unclear as he remains unsigned. Bryan Bulaga is rehabilitating his knee and likely won’t be ready for the regular-season opener.
So what’s an offensive line coach to do?
James Campen knows the drill, certainly, and he’s got offensive coordinator Joe Philbin (a former OL coach), to work with now.
I suspect rookie Cole Madison will line up at right guard, where Evans played, and Justin McCray, Kyle Murphy and Jason Spriggs will slug it out at right tackle until Bulaga returns.
** Getting to know the defense:
Pettine, the new coordinator, is going to be a prime source of curiosity. Both media and fans are anxious to see his scheme in action. Will he bring multiple fronts? Will he move Clay Matthews around? Where will rookie hybrid Oren Burks play?
Just how aggressive IS this Pettine defense going to be?
It’s only OTA’s, but it’s at least a glimpse into the Packers as they prepare for what is sure to be a pivotal season.
 

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA

Big, fast receivers plus top-end corners MUST contribute to Green Bay’s success

GREEN BAY, Wis. –   The Packers’ rookie draft pick most likely to make the greatest impact this season is … the punter.

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J.K. Scott’s strong right leg and varied skill set is why.
I’m serious.
While the Packers’ defense sorts itself out early in the season field position will be at a premium. Scott, who punted at the highest level at Alabama, is a triple threat: He can pin offenses inside the 20-yard line; he can boom 60-yarders to tilt the field; and he can also handle the kickoff duties plus PATs and field goal attempts in an emergency.
Oh, he’s also an adroit holder on placements.
Stop furrowing those eyebrows and ask Packers’ kicker Mason Crosby if the holder matters. Since we’re on topic, let’s make long snapper Hunter Bradley the 1-B most-important rookie.
Brett Goode, Taybor Pepper and Derek Hart were the Packers’ long-snapping triumvirate last season.
That’s at least two too many.
The next most-significant rookie contribution will come from … the offensive lineman.
Cole Madison, out of Washington State, was a welcome and much-needed addition. Bryan Bulaga’s injury history, coupled with Jason Spriggs’ subpar play, makes right tackle vulnerable. In fact, with right guard Jahri Evans unsigned, the entire right side of the line is in a state of flux.
Fortunately, offensive line coach James Campen can fix flux.
He’s been dealing with it for awhile now.
Madison’s presence and versatility should help ease his mind.
Campen’s going to play Madison at right guard to begin with. It’s his more natural position, which gives him a better chance to start fast, and it allows the Packers to see other options at right tackle (Spriggs, Kyle Murphy, etc.) while he gets comfortable.
After Madison, it’s the best two-out-of-three at receiver and cornerback in terms of rookie impact.
By that, I mean the Packers need two out of their three rookie receivers to excel in key roles. They also need two of their corners (rookies Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson, plus second-year pro Kevin King) to play well.
On defense, I predict King will be a solid starter this season. My guess is he’ll line up opposite Tramon Williams at the outset, with Alexander and Jackson vying for nickel and dime roles.
If either or both show the play-making ability they flashed in college, the Packers’ secondary will be infinitely improved.
Guess what? New defensive coordinator Mike Pettine actually might be able to play zone coverage well enough to force opposing quarterbacks to wonder, “Are they in man or zone?”
Last year, quarterbacks didn’t much care.
The receiver position is an intriguing group.
Missouri’s J’Mon Moore has the ability to get open. While some NFL teams thought he was too slow, the Packers clocked him at 4.49 in the 40-yard dash and have no concerns.
Moore did have a bout of the “drops” but since corrected it.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling out of South Florida is interesting in that he has great size (6-4, 206) to go with a 4.38 40 time.
If he plays just as fast and big when the pads come on in training camp, the Packers may have found themselves a gem.
If Equanimeous St. Brown has the game to go with the name they can start chiseling a bust for Canton.
St. Brown, a tall (6-4 3/4) target, is a 4.48 speedster with fine hands. He dropped in the draft after a subpar junior season, but when teamed with current Packers’ teammate DeShone Kizer at Notre Dame, St. Brown excelled.
Clearly, it’s a reminder that receiver is a co-dependent position.
Ex-Vanderbilt defensive back Oren Burks is next.
Burks’ skill set is unique.
He played safety for the Commodores his first two seasons before moving to a hybrid safety-linebacker position.
Burks excelled as a sideline-to-sideline tackler best-suited to line up in the middle of the field. However, he also would shift outside and line up over the defensive end’s shoulder and blitz. He showed to be an explosive pass rusher with closing speed.
At 6-3, 240, he was timed as the fastest linebacker at the combine and is adept in pass coverage as well as along the line.
I mention Burks last, not because I don’t think he’ll contribute, but because I saved the best for last.
C’mon, now.
You really weren’t buying in on the punter, were you?
 

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA
GREEN BAY, Wis. –   The route to the Packers’ rookie orientation weekend is a two-way street.

Packers’ sense of urgency needs to be instilled in draft picks, UFAs at outset

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On one side, it’s the players meeting Green Bay head on.
On the other side, it’s the fans watching, analyzing and critiquing the newest prospective Packers.
It’s the start of an emotional ride for both.
It’s an opportunity for expectant Packers’ fans to begin appraising the newest players. Typically, the fans’ hopes and the rookie class’s reality intersect in early August. That’s when it becomes clearer who can play and who cannot.
Likewise, it’s an opportunity for wide-eyed rookies – those drafted and undrafted alike – to begin acclimating themselves to Green Bay. That’s on and off the field.
Where to shop? Where to eat? Where to live?
The Packers’ organization does a terrific job easing the transition from college student-athlete to young professional football player. Orientation weekend is the kickoff.
Meantime, the football side at 1265 Lombardi Ave. begins the players’ indoctrination into the Packers’ culture. Everything from “Arrow” routes to “Zebra” personnel is covered.
The players are transformed from a collection of college football players into full-fledged (for now) members of the Packers.
Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy embraces the process.
Rookie orientation appears to be among his favorite steps along the way to a 53-man roster and the regular-season opener.
“You’ve got every young man sitting on the edge of their seat,” McCarthy told reporters Friday. “This is a great opportunity for these guys, and they realize it.”
It’s a great individual opportunity, to be sure.
But it has to be more than that.
It has to be an understanding of the Packers’ situation.
The rookies need to realize that Green Bay desperately needs an infusion of young talent. Guess what? They’re it.
The Packers were 7-9 and floundered without their star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. They weren’t nearly good enough in many areas, and not just those addressed in the draft.
The success of this rookie class matters.
The Packers’ fortunes are reliant upon several givens.
** No. 1 – Rodgers needs to continue to be the dominant quarterback in the NFC, if not the NFL. His complete return from a broken collarbone is as critical as it is obvious.
** No. 2 – Clay Matthews, Nick Perry and a third pass rusher to be identified (Reggie Gilbert, perhaps?) need to step up. If Matthews and/or Perry underperform I can’t imagine Green Bay’s defense playing at a championship level.
Exacting every ounce of talent from these two is among new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s most crucial tasks.
** No. 3 – The returning players need to show improvement, especially players such as defensive lineman Montravius Adams, who did next to nothing in an injury-plagued year.
Vince Biegel is in a similar position.
Gilbert has drawn early raves from the Packers’ coaches, but until he’s able to generate pressure in a game I’m dubious.
** No. 4 – This is where the rookies and undrafted free agents come into the picture. They need to realize that they’re not just trying to win a job. They’re trying to work to build a winner.
Jaire Alexander, Josh Jackson and Oren Burks all join a defense that badly needs their talents to succeed. Naturally, there will be rookie struggles and all of that, but let’s be real here.
The Packers need at least ONE of their top two picks to contribute significantly. They also need contributions from at least ONE of the three receivers they selected.
And in the name of true depth, unlike last season, the Packers’ bottom third of the roster needs to be better prepared to play.
That preparation began with rookie orientation weekend.
At the risk of sounding melodramatic, it’s important that the rookies see themselves in the big picture.
“Every man that steps on that field (Friday) has an opportunity to be a part of our 90-man roster,” McCarthy said. “That’s how we approach it. We coach them all the same. The draft picks will probably be first in line, we clearly understand that, but this is a very important two days.”
McCarthy expressed respect for the “tryout” players. That means giving them each and every chance to make the team through a thorough, legitimate evaluation process.
“There are going to be tryout players you’ll look at and not know the difference (between drafted players),” McCarthy said. “That’s the norm. Everyone has a story, a different vehicle for why they’re here. Every one of those men has earned the opportunity to be in that room, so it’s important to take a close, hard look.”
Let the scrutiny begin.
 

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA
GREEN BAY, Wis. –   If the NFL Draft was a window into the Packers’ soul, I realize why some have their doubts about the team’s future. The inside glimpse was revealing, to say the least, but I’ve got to say I’m still on board with GM Brian Gutekunst.

Green Bay’s GM ‘corners’ the market with Alexander, Jackson and a punter

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Here’s why:
** No. 1 – The Packers had no choice but to pin their defensive, pass-rushing hopes on Clay Matthews and Nick Perry. They were obliged contractually to allow Matthews and Perry to earn their existing deals.
Good luck with that.
The best-case scenario is that Matthews and Perry find a way to stay healthy through the regular season and into the playoffs. Nobody questions either player’s ability. It’s their availability that is the source of disappointment.
If 2018 is going to be a success, Matthews and/or Perry MUST deliver.
It seems a foregone conclusion that the Packers will use their own first-round pick in 2019, plus the Saints’ first-rounder, to acquire help at outside linebacker and pass rusher.
** No. 2 – The team’s pass rush will come from players on the roster – rather than the draft – who are going to take big steps forward. OK, it’s the party line, but I’m willing to humor the Packers for the sake of this column.
Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers’ non-existent pass rush will improve because “the biggest gains have been through the guys that have been here, from our returning players, particularly our second- and third-year players.”
The Packers didn’t draft a pass rusher until the seventh round.
So that means Vince Biegel, Reggie Gilbert and Kyler Fackrell is going to be the answer to the team’s pass-rush deficiencies.
It’s a long-shot, I’ll admit, but here’s where the “develop” part of “draft-and-develop” comes in.
It’s the hand the Packers have been dealt.
If one of the three (Biegel, Gilbert or Fackrell) contributes significantly consider it a win.
** No. 3 – Two words: “Cover sack.”
Apparently, that is the Packers’ defensive plan.
The selection of Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson gives Green Bay what appears to be great depth at cornerback.
The singular skill that jumped off the video on Alexander and Jackson, for me, was their tremendous ball awareness. They made a ton of plays because they recognized what the offense was trying to accomplish.
Alexander’s speed allowed him to be something of a “baiter.” He’d trail a play while hoping the quarterback would try to stick a tight throw through the window. Then he would pounce.
Jackson merely out-battled receivers for jump balls, didn’t allow receivers to cross his face in the slot, and showed a great understanding of his role in the defensive scheme.
Jackson is Micah Hyde, only better.
The Packers’ cornerback position currently includes Kevin King, Tramon Williams, Jaire Alexander, Josh Jackson, Davon House, Quinten Rollins, Lenzy Pipkins, Josh Hawkins, Demetri Goodson, Donatello Brown and Herb Waters.
With Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Josh Jones and Kentrell Brice at safety, the Packers’ secondary appears to be much-improved over the 2017 version.
** No. 4 – Frankly, this draft revealed that the Packers are putting a lot of resources into new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s scheme. The Packers signed Muhammad Wilkerson, the defensive end, to bolster the front seven.
If Montravius Adams, last year’s third-round pick, develops the front seven will have added two key components. That may be a big “if” but the Packers have little choice.
Pettine is the key to success.
It’s interesting that the Packers traded up to select Vanderbilt’s Oren Burks, a safety/nickel linebacker who posted the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.58) among linebackers at the combine.
Burks will be an inside linebacker for Pettine. That suggests Pettine’s scheme is going to be reliant on speed and play-makers. Clearly, he’d love to have two big-time edge pass rushers. What he has is Matthews and Perry, coupled with the hope that one or both can turn back the clock.
Odds and ends:
** The Packers drafted three receivers, leading off with J’Mon Moore of Missouri. Moore (6-2, 207) ran a 4.49 at his pro day after an abysmal 4.6 at the combine.
The Packers bought into the pro day time.
We’ll know soon enough if they were right.
** The selection of a punter and a long snapper drew some fans’ ire, but the fact is this: It’s a way to guarantee getting a particular “need” pick without having to out-bid another team for the undrafted free agent’s services.
In other words, if you like the player, draft him.
Why wait and potentially lose a punter or long snapper to another team merely because “they” felt they had a better chance of making another team’s roster?
** Cole Madison, the guard from Washington State, could become a “plug-and-play” pick at right guard. There was a reason the Packers held off re-signing Jahre Evans.
Madison may have been it.
 

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA
GREEN BAY, Wis. –   Brian Gutekunst didn’t blink.

Green Bay’s new GM gets Alexander to pair with King as bookend cornerbacks

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The Packers’ new GM came into Thursday night’s first round of the NFL Draft in search of a defensive playmaker, preferably a cornerback, with the 14th overall pick.
He came away with Louisville’s Jaire Alexander, regarded as the second-best player at his position, to pair with last year’s first pick, Kevin King.
What made Gutekunst’s debut memorable was the way he dared to take a calculated risk. And the way he made it pay off.
It would’ve been easy to take Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds or Florida State safety Derwin James at 14. Neither was expected to be there.
He also could’ve taken Alexander and easily defended the pick.
Instead, he traded the 14th pick to New Orleans in return for the Saints’ 27th pick this year and their first-round pick next year.
Gutekunst had no guarantee that he’d be able to find a trade partner and move up from 27 to select Alexander. But as he said, first-round picks don’t come around often.
Neither do shutdown corners.
Nevertheless, he kept working the phones and eventually landed a deal with Seattle to acquire the Seahawks’ 18th pick in exchange for the Packers’ 27th pick from New Orleans and Green Bay’s third-round pick.
Essentially, Gutekunst landed a top-tier cornerback and the Saints’ first-round pick in 2019 in a single round.
Alexander (5-11, 196) was one of the fastest players in the draft. He ran a blazing 4.38 seconds in the 40 at the NFL combine, and his ball skills are on par with a sure-handed receiver’s.
Clearly, the Packers’ grade on Alexander was similar to where they had Edmunds and James. They simply preferred a corner.
So Gutekunst took the plunge and made it work.
“I felt confident we could (trade up),” he said. “The draft is one of those things you can’t predict, but I felt confident we could.”
Alexander didn’t have any contact with the Packers.
It seems Gutekunst intended to keep his interest in the Louisville cornerback as low-key as possible. Alexander was the second cornerback selected behind Ohio State’s Denzel Ward, who was selected fifth overall by Denver.
The Packers’ director of college scouting, Jon-Eric Sullivan, explained what they liked about Alexander.
“Jaire is a guy we targeted all along,” he said. “We liked him from the outset. He’s very much a competitor. I think you can see that in his play. He’s twitchy. He has really good ball skills. He can play inside and outside. He’s a very good punt returner. He’s the kind of person we wanted to add to the locker room.”
Alexander believes his height isn’t a disadvantage.
“I’m a big believer in heart over height,” he said. “If you look back at the field, I only gave up five passes (in 2018). I’ve played against bigger receivers who are 6-5. It doesn’t really matter. My mentality is I’m going to be the man in front of me. That’s just a part of being a student of the game. I don’t pay any attention to size or anything like that.”
Alexander said he is familiar with Packers great such as Charles Woodson, and is looking forward to being a teammate of one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers.
“I’m very excited about that,” he said. “He’s a legend. I know going against him is only going to make me better and prepare my game, so I’m definitely looking forward to going against him in practice and just being around the type of person that he is, the competitor that he is.”
Currently, the Packers have their second-round pick, the 45th overall, as well as two in the fourth round, four in the fifth, one in the sixth and three in the seventh.
Gutekunst strongly suggested the Packers aren’t done trading.
“The way our board looks right now, I would assume we would move around a little bit,” he said. “We have a lot of picks.”
The Packers still may be able to acquire a pass rusher or a receiver with the 45th pick, barring trades.
Georgia’s Lorenzo Carter (6-5, 250) is a highly regarded pass rusher who would be a godsend to the Packers. He would help immediately in sub-packages and should develop into a starting outside linebacker in a 3-4.
Florida State’s Josh Sweat (6-5, 251) is graded lower because of injuries, but like Carter is a gifted pass rusher when he’s right.
At receiver, Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk (5-10, 201) and SMU’s Courtland Sutton (6-3, 218) are good prospects. Kirk is a slot receiver similar to Randall Cobb, while Sutton is a big, perimeter receiver with strong hands who can go up and get it.
A wild-card might be LSU receiver D.J. Chark (6-3, 199) who ran a blistering 4.34 at the NFL combine. If the Packers can land any of these players it would be a good second round.
 

By Chris Havel
Special to Event USA
GREEN BAY, Wis. –   The safest NFL Draft prediction is that the Packers will be deeper and more talented by next week.

Green Bay has ammunition to manipulate NFL Draft depending on who’s available

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The question is how much deeper and more talented?
Will it be enough to help Packers coach Mike McCarthy stay ahead of Chicago and leapfrog Minnesota and Detroit? Will it be enough to resuscitate a dormant defense? Will it be enough to replenish a once-prolific offense?
The first step to making that happen is the Packers’ draft board. If the personnel and coaching staffs have done their job, the Packers will be able to select an impact player with the 14th pick.
In today’s Internet-driven world, the plethora of mock drafts generally agree on the top 15-to-20 players available when the NFL Draft kicks off its first round Thursday at 7 p.m.
The trick is to select the best player when you’re on the clock.
Here are the Packers’ best, worst and likely scenarios …
** WORST SCENARIO: It begins with the Packers’ brain trust being merely lukewarm on players at the greatest positions of need. Let’s say Boston College edge rusher Harold Landry and UT-San Antonio linebacker Marcus Davenport are on the board when the Packers are on the clock. Green Bay likes them, but doesn’t love them, and certainly not with the 14th pick.
Virginia Tech’s Tremaine Edmunds, whom I believe they would draft in a heartbeat at 14, is already gone.
Tick, tick, tick …
In addition, they’re not in the market for a safety, and there aren’t any cornerbacks they have a high-to-mid first-round grade on besides Ohio State’s Denzel Ward, who will be long gone.
Tick, tick, tick …
No other teams have called to inquire about a trade, or at least, to inquire with a worthy offer.
Tick, tick, tick …
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell steps to the podium.
He reads the card and says, “With the 14th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers select (drum roll) Mike McGlinchey, tackle, Notre Dame.”
If you don’t think it can happen think again.
Defending the selection of a starting right tackle is actually easy.
Bryan Bulaga, who is tough as they come, is rehabilitating a season-ending knee injury. He won’t be available at the outset of training camp. His likely replacements include Jason Spriggs, Kyle Murphy and perhaps Justin McCray.
Aaron Rodgers isn’t getting any younger, or more mobile, in the coming seasons. His health is of the utmost importance. Frankly he’s been running for his life far too long. With 30-plus sack seasons continuing at an alarming rate, the line needs help.
McGlinchey is a safe pick. He is the second-best lineman in the draft behind Quenton Nelson, a guard from Notre Dame. He also should be the season-opening starter at right tackle.
McGlinchey (6-8, 312) did 24 reps at 220 pounds and posted a 28 ½ inch vertical leap at the NFL’s scouting combine. He is a former tight end whose natural athleticism enables him to execute “move” blocks with control and balance.
His technique is strong, his strength is OK but will improve, and his leadership as a two-time captain is unquestioned.
Nevertheless, if the Packers take McGlinchey – and it may be the correct decision – many fans are going to be disappointed.
The reason is they have more faith in Rodgers’ ability to escape, and offensive line coach James Campen’s ability to coach them up, that they feel like Spriggs, Murphy or someone will emerge.
That’s all good until no one emerges and Rodgers gets blasted.
As a “worst-case scenario” goes, a starting-caliber tackle at 14 isn’t all bad.
** BEST SCENARIO: Virginia Tech’s Tremaine Edmunds is there, or either Landry or Davenport is available and the Packers have correctly judged their impact as a pass rusher.
If the Packers believe Landry or Davenport can bring juice to the pass rush right away – and they’re right – it’s a no-brainer.
There are too many really good, very similar cornerbacks available in the late-first to mid-second round range to reach on one at 14.
That’s why this best scenario also includes trading back into the first round or up into the early second to select Iowa’s Josh Jackson, UCF’s Mike Hughes or Louisville’s Jaire Alexander.
If the Packers get a pass rusher (Landry, Davenport) and a cornerback (Jackson, Hughes) they will have had a very productive and promising draft.
** MOST LIKELY SCENARIO: The Packers will stay put at 14 and select the top player on their board.
That means either Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick or Florida State’s Derwin James will be taken by Green Bay.
The good news is that neither is a converted point guard, centerfielder or goalie.
If it’s either defensive back I won’t be surprised, but I will be intrigued by how new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine plans to employ a high-talent safety in the Packers’ secondary.
My advice: Start him. If he’s worthy of the 14th overall pick, he’s certainly good enough to start on Green Bay’s defense.
After that, I would implement Phase II: Drafting a pass rusher, a cornerback, a receiver and a tackle with my next four selections.
Stay tuned.
I will be posting a “first-round reaction” column in this space on Friday morning, as well as a “draft recap” column on Monday.