Pennington heads list of the underappreciateds

Q: Dan, Great article, great list ... especially including Jerry Kramer. Other than the high number of Packers from that era, can you explain why you never hear his name in any Hall of Fame discussions?
— John Parker, Grand Rapids, Mich.

A: Thanks, John. Kramer’s name does come up in discussions by the board of selectors for the Hall. Kramer would have to be voted in as a senior candidate because he has been out of the game for so long. He has two things working against him. The first is it’s difficult for interior linemen to get recognition when they are compared with most other players who have more tangible ways of being measured. The second is he played on a team with so many other Hall of Famers that it is difficult to make the argument that Kramer was a primary reason for his team’s success. But there is no doubt in my mind Kramer is worthy of continued discussion.

Q: Will Devin Hester be better with Jay Cutler throwing him the ball?
— Gary, Joliet, Ill.

A: Hester certainly thinks so, and I agree. This is what Hester told me about it: “My improvement is a testament to both of us, bringing him in a Pro Bowl quarterback, as well as my learning process going along. Jay is helping a whole lot. ... We find something new every day. It’s about working together. Each day we learn something new about each other. … We talk every day. After a play—‘What do you see there?’ He tells me his opinion. ‘If it’s not there, do this.’ It really makes sense and it seems we’re on the same page.”

Q: Do you think that the Detroit Lions will sign Kevin Carter, and if they do when will they?
— Curtis Jones, Columbus, Ohio

NFL blog ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com Profootballtalk.com is hosted by NBCSports.com, giving you the latest greatest NFL rumors.

A: Carter is in no rush to sign with the Lions. My read on the situation is this: The Lions aren’t offering him much money, and he’d prefer to sign with a contender if he’s going to play for cheap. Carter probably will be in more demand three or four weeks into training camp, when teams become more desperate because of injuries or because their players aren’t performing as well as they thought they would. At that point, he could have his choice of more than one team, and he could be offered a more lucrative contract. So he’s probably gambling that there is a better situation in the future for him.

Q: Why is the fullback not used more in the running game to carry the ball instead of always blocking? Isn't the fullback more of the power runner and short-yardage runner anyway?
— Lance, Rockmart, Fa.

A: There are two reasons we don’t see many fullback runs. The first is fullbacks by nature are not very adept runners compared with tailbacks. As a rule, they aren’t built to be able to get away from tacklers — though there are hybrid players such as Baltimore’s Le’Ron McClain and Denver’s Peyton Hillis who break the mold. The second reason is when the fullback runs, the tailback generally has no role and the fullback has no lead blocker. So the offense is essentially playing with 10 against 11.

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