Gregg from Indianapolis, IN
Vic, who was the last non-quarterback who tilted the field?
I think Lawrence Taylor would widely be considered the answer to your question.

Derek from Eau Claire, WI
Is the new rule just going to favor the offense even more?
The new catch rule? It favors sanity. The Jesse James non-catch was an embarrassment to the NFL. It was nuts.

Braden from Waukesha, WI
What's the downside to letting Rodgers' contract expire and franchising him?
The downside to franchising a quarterback is the team has to take a monstrous hit on that year's cap. The upside is you're avoiding a contract that'll push a monstrous amount of money onto future caps for a quarterback who would be pushing 40.

Jason from Menomonee Falls, WI
Do you feel like the Packers are more active, or after a notoriously tight-lipped Ted Thompson they're just making their activity more known?
I sense a distinct shift in personnel management. The Randall-for-Kizer trade is a deal I can't see Thompson making.

Katie from Vermont
How many quarterbacks do you think the Packers will keep on the 53-man roster? Is it fair to say if Brett Hundley doesn't beat out DeShone Kizer, he'll be incessantly chomping on his bubble gum for a different NFL team?
I think the Packers will keep two quarterbacks on their 53.

Conrad from Oklahoma City, OK
You often say great coaches are great leaders of men. How much of a great coach's legacy is dependent on having exceptional players to follow him? Is one the result of the other?
Don't confuse leadership with winning. A lot of losing coaches are great leaders of men. Talent is the first requirement for victory. First, you find talented players, then you lead them to victory.

Dan from Houston, TX
Do you also have to overdraft pass rushers?
Yes, especially if you play a 4-3. A 3-4 team can find pass rushers without overdrafting them. The scheme creativity the 3-4 allows produces a deeper pool of pass rush talent. Once you put that rusher's hand on the ground, the pool shrinks and the price goes up.

Adam from Chicago, IL
If you are the Packers GM and a running back is at the top of your board in, say, round three, do you take him?
You'll never regret drafting a good football player, at any position.

James from New York, NY
When did the reporter/player relationship start to change from the free and open access you once enjoyed to "I just want to contribute?" Was there an inciting incident?
As the NFL became more popular, the ink-stained media that had long promoted the game became unnecessary. That's when it changed. I began sensing the shift in the late '80's.

Eric from Lansing, MI
I thought I'd ask a tough guy question: You're sitting on your porch and some stranger shouts at you from the driveway, "Who the hell do you think you are?" What do you reply?
I guess I'd say, "Hi, I'm Vic." What am I supposed to do, shoot him?

Steven from Jacksonville, FL
Blake Bortles has been in the league since 2014. Have you seen enough to determine whether or not he can become "The Man" for the Jaguars?
Last year was supposed to be the year we came to a decision on Bortles, but we still need more information. He elevated his game in the postseason, but it was easy to see the Jaguars don't regard him with the trust afforded an established quarterback. I think that has to happen this season. If it doesn't, the Jaguars will need to find a way to move on or they will risk missing their turn.

Scott from Palos Park, IL
I have been married 35 years and have never had to hang outdoor Christmas lights. Did I marry the right girl or what?
Are the little lights still twinkling?

Tristan from Durham, NC
In today's game, is it more important for a college football head coach to be a game planner or a recruiter?
Recruiter; it's always been that way. Better players make for better plans.

Zach from Honolulu, HI
A lot of people are high on Barkley in the draft. It reminds me of the hype around Trent Richardson. Do you think Barkley is worth the hype?
Three plays from last season make me believe Barkley is the real deal: The hurdling, drive-sustaining run against Iowa, the opening kickoff return at Ohio State and the long touchdown run against Washington in the bowl game. Those are the kinds of plays star players make. What concerns me about Barkley is the ability of defenses to take him out of the game by keying on him. I thought he got soft as running room was eliminated. I'm going to give him a pass on the latter because he was in one of those read, delay-handoff offenses that invites penetration.

Vincent from Seattle, WA
Vic, what defensive position in the modern era is the QB of the defense?
It's the safety, and that's why it's important to have an every-downs safety.

Brent from Dubuque, IA
Vic, I would really like to see Green Bay be able to get a stud pass rusher. The Jags need a stud at quarterback. At what position do the Steelers most need to find a stud?
They lost their best player (Ryan Shazier) at linebacker on defense and they desperately need to replace him. Cornerback continues to be a position of intense need.

Mike from North Hudson, WI
Vic, in regards to the NFL, what concerns you the most looking to the future?
The game of football is under attack by the forces demanding it become a safer game to play. The NFL's reaction to that attack concerns me. In my opinion, that reaction is over the top. I fear the game is being strangled by a procession of rules changes driven more by the threat of litigation than by the need to improve and preserve the game.

Steve from North Hudson, WI
What will be a good measurement for a new GM in his first few years? Is it possible for a fan to measure it?
I'll judge Brian Gutekunst by the Packers' roster turnover. Will he make the roster faster, tougher, more athletic. That's always the gauge used to measure the effectiveness of a general manager.

Derek from Eau Claire, WI
What are realistic expectations for Jimmy Graham?
The expectations are for Graham to become a playmaker in the Packers' offense. He's expected to catch a lot of passes and become the deep middle-of-the-field target Mike McCarthy covets for his passing game. Davante Adams is the Packers' boundary receiver. Graham isn't replacing Nelson; Adams is. Randall Cobb is the slot receiver. Cobb will work underneath. He'll be a rub-route and space receiver.

Lupe from Minneapolis, MN
Is Tramon Williams going to make a difference?
A difference maker? No. He's going to give the Packers depth and dependability at cornerback. The Packers gave up too many big plays on the outsides last season. Williams knows how to play; he won't bust coverages.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
At what positions is this draft strong and weak?
Tony Pauline says this draft is strong at running back, defensive end and linebacker, and it's weak at offensive tackle and safety.

Tom from Mira Mesa, CA
Vic, what are your top three teams of all time?
I think the best teams almost have to come from the period beginning after the merger and up to the salary cap era. Why? Because the product was at full strength. It wasn't diluted by the AFL and not constrained by salary limitations. The three teams I would pick are the 1978 Steelers, the 1984 49ers and the 1992 Cowboys.

Dave from Madison, WI
How does the role of defensive linemen change in Pettine's defense compared to Capers'?
Mike Pettine is known to blend one- and two-gap techniques into an attack-style defense. Dom Capers was mainly a two-gap coordinator. He wanted his defensive linemen to eat blocks and keep the blockers off the linebackers, who were expected to be the stars of the defense. I don't want to pigeon-hole Pettine because I think he'll do whatever his personnel dictates, but he has a reputation for playing his defensive linemen in an under look and using the strong side linebacker as his defense's premier pass rusher. It gives the appearance of a 3-4 with the strong side linebacker opposite the tight end, which means the strong side linebacker will move to the right and left sides of the formation. The bottom line is Packers defensive linemen can expect to be used more often in a gap-control scheme, which means they'll be free to penetrate and disrupt, instead of anchoring and holding the point. Muhammad Wilkerson can blend those two styles.

Morgan from Kaukauna, WI
Any 401k advice?
Never sell; only buy. I know, the market is tanking right now, and that's a perfect buy time for young investors. Because of this trade war threat, stocks can be purchased at a discount right now. I encourage young investors to contribute to their 401K plans to the maximum allowed. Look at it this way: The tax being deferred will allow you to make money on Uncle Sam's money.

Jerry from Savannah, GA
Vic, you’re right. As soon as the play concluded, I blamed Julius Peppers just as much as Morgan Burnett. Peppers was one of the leaders on that team. How do you think the coaches felt about it immediately afterwards?
Mike McCarthy said it was too conservative, and I agree. There was too much time left in the game to put up the white flag. If the game was inside the two-minute warning and the Seahawks were out of times out, yeah, fall on the ball. Peppers had visions of Marlon McCree dancing in his head. Too bad.

Leif from Frederic, WI
Vic, what do you think of the Steelers signing former second-round pick Jon Bostic and ex-Packer Morgan Burnett? Does this change their draft strategy at all?
Bostic is a value signing. He's the kind of free-agent patch I like from a money standpoint. He gives the Steelers a player they can immediately pencil in to replace Ryan Shazier, but I still expect the Steelers to address linebacker in the draft. No team drafts linebackers in the volume the Steelers do. Burnett addresses a need position expected to be weak in this draft. Burnett is a perfect fit in the Steelers' draft strategy.

Ben from Alameda, CA
There are 31 new offensive/defensive coordinators this year. How do you know a position coach is ready to make the jump?
A head coach knows a position coach is ready to become a coordinator when the position coach responds favorably to involvement in game-planning. It's as simple as that. When a young coach shows the aptitude to dissect and create scheme, and he has a grasp of the big picture, he's ready to make the jump.

Greg from Cuenca, Ecuador
Clearly, Brian Gutenkunst thinks the Packers will be better with Tramon Williams in the defensive backfield, otherwise he wouldn't have signed him. Still, many years of reading "Ask Vic" has shaped my thinking that getting younger beats getting older. Thus, I now suffer cognitive dissonance as I attempt to reconcile two conflicting thoughts. Please advise.
Do you remember reading "you build through the draft, you patch in free agency?" Williams is a patch.

John from Sioux Falls, SD
Vic, such great stuff recently. You have us Packers fans totally pegged. It got me thinking as to what your one-sentence personality profile would be for each of the league's fan bases?
That's too many; how about the four in the NFC North? Packers -- Great expectations. Bears -- Waiting for better days. Lions -- Every day isn't Thanksgiving. Vikings -- Blow that horn.

Joe from Los Angeles, CA
Vic, for which team will the wolves howl louder if the team does not succeed this season, the Packers with their new GM or the Vikings with their new QB?
The Packers have more fans, so their howl is always louder.

Milt from Gary, IN
We should want to hug our politicians but not our entertainers. Praise those who believe the former; mock those who want the latter. Got it? Feel sad for you, man.
OK.

David from San Francisco, CA
Vic, your answer about Packers fans wanting to hug made me laugh out loud. Thank you for that. Hopefully, there are a few of us who want to win, will name our new dog Jordy, and move on with our lives.
Naming a dog after a player just doesn't work for me. It's just too weird.

Bill from Menominee, WI
Do you think the Packers defense is ready to be salty? I'm ready for a chippy defense that offenses don't want to line up against, and the face of that defense should be none other than Mike Daniels. McCarthy said last year to forget the talk and just perform. Daniels and other salty players perform best when they're angry and emotional. I'm expecting an attitude adjustment with Pettine.
Coach Noll said pep talks last until the first time you get knocked on your ass.

Andrew from Green Bay, WI
The NFL eliminates the salary cap tomorrow. How long does the team in Green Bay survive?
The Packers don't need a salary cap to survive. They have a fan base and revenue streams that would blow away the competition in a cap-less system.

Pat from Seneca, SC
Who would you put on your Mt. Rushmore of college football coaches?
Rockne, Warner, Bryant and Saban. Paterno would be on that list if not for the scandal that forever taints his place in college football lore.

Jimmy Bob from Atlanta, GA
Did the NFL address the national anthem by only raising the cap $10 million?
The cap isn't arbitrary. It is decided by a formula for dividing the league's revenue by 32.

Tyler from Greenfield, WI
About time they let Burnett go. Will never forgive him for falling to the ground after being gifted with an interception and blockers ahead. What is wrong with that guy?
Unfortunately, that play will be a good man's and a good player's lasting identity for what were a lot of good seasons as a member of the Green Bay Packers. Let's not forget, Julius Peppers gave Morgan Burnett the surrender sign.

Nick from Oswego, NY
Who do you think the Browns will pick with No. 1, and who would GM Vic pick for the Browns?
Sam Darnold would be my pick and I think the Browns will pick Darnold. They need to get "The Man." Using the first pick of the draft in pursuit of that player is the best way to do it.

Dave from Madison, WI
Vic, the Packers are on the clock in the first round and the top two players on their board are a pass-rush specialist and a cornerback. Both are rated the same. Who are you taking?
I doubt a pass-rush specialist would be rated high enough to be picked No. 14 overall. I'm looking for an every-down player who can rush the passer. If that guy is available and he's at the top of the Packers' board, picking him would certainly be justified. Pass coverage begins with rushing the passer.

Greg from Cuenca, Ecuador
Pretend you are in a waiting room and there are five magazines in front of you: Sports Illustrated, Forbes, People, National Geographic, Time. In what order would you read them?
The cover would weigh into that decision but, generally speaking, the order would be Time, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and Forbes. My reading tastes don't include People.

Lee from Marshfield, WI
What does Vic want? Top 10 secondary or Top 10 front seven?
Success begins up front. If you can't stop run, you won't have a chance to stop the pass. If you can stop the run with your front seven, you won't have to involve your secondary in run support, and that'll make them even better in pass coverage. Given a choice between the two, I'll take a strong front seven.

Raquel from Park Falls, WI
The Packers have now said goodbye to Damarious Randall and Morgan Burnett. There have been no additions to the secondary during free agency, which leads me to believe it will be the focus of the draft. However, rookies in the secondary would seem to indicate a rebuilding year? Can the Packers afford to have a rebuilding year in the secondary? They'll get picked apart.
What's the option, stay the same and get picked apart? Brian Gutekunst would seem to be sending a message: The personnel on defense needs to be upgraded. Maybe Dom Capers wasn't the problem, huh?

Dave from Chicago, IL
Vic, why do you think it has historically been a huge challenge for Green Bay to field a dictating defense, while teams like Chicago and Pittsburgh seem to get there much more often? Is there a different focus within the organizations?
Yeah, I think there is. I think the Packers' DNA favors offense, and I think the fans prefer it that way. I can't remember the last time the Packers were involved in a Steelers-Bengals kind of game.

Aaron from Wausau, WI
Vic, has there been a free agency signing you have seen hurt a team for a long time?
I think the majority of high-priced free-agent signings hurt the signing team for a long time. Remember Jairus Byrd? Packers fans wanted to break the bank to sign him. What did signing Byrd do to New Orleans?

Stephen from Jacksonville, FL
What are your thoughts on how the Jaguars used free agency this offseason?
They appear to have spent a lot of money backfilling at nonpremium positions. I guess they did that because they have so much cap money to spend. They've been very aggressive in free agency, without risk of mortgaging the future. I've explained this in past columns. Their situation is unique. The Jaguars were afforded an almost unfair advantage coming out of the uncapped year.

Paulie from Boca Raton, FL
What is your opinion of the 1972 Dophins team and their undefeated season?
It was a great football team that was blessed by an easy schedule -- it was also a 14-game schedule back then -- and an AFC title game on an unusually warm day in Pittsburgh. I don't think it's the best team of all time.

Adam from Wausau, WI
Would GM Vic hire a head coach he knew was the perfect man to turn the team around, but wasn't a role model off the field?
I wouldn't hire a man with an unstable personality, which is what you're describing.

Tim from Jacksonville, FL
I've been dating my girlfriend for two years now and I'm unsure if I should marry her. What advice do you have?
Try it and find out? Tim, marriage is a big step. You're committing yourself to a lifetime of putting up outdoor Christmas lights. Make sure you want to do that before you commit to it.

Matt from Verona, WI
What was the win-to-hug ratio after the last column?
Packers fans are the huggiest fans in all of sports, as evidenced by the Lambeau Leap. They like players who ride kids' bicycles and periodically return to Lambeau Field in retirement to tell everyone how much they love them. Packers fans want to hug as much as they want to win.

Steven from Jacksonville, FL
Do you think the Jaguars will make a Super Bowl within the next two seasons?
Yes, but only if the Jaguars find "The Man." Can Blake Bortles become that player? I think that's the No. 1 question confronting the Jaguars.

Justin from Madison, WI
Vic, it's been two weeks and I've yet to see a Tiger question. What do you make of him being in real contention to win the last two weeks, and of his odds at replicating that feat at the Masters?
His game has recovered, though his driver is still a problem. He can win at Augusta because he's putting well and he knows how to win on that course. What bothers me about Tiger Woods' performance the past two weeks is on both occasions he collapsed down the stretch. That's not the old Tiger.

Jason from Menominee Falls, WI
Is the QB push in the draft going to be enough to push one of the top tier guys Tony mentioned to the Packers at 14?
Yes, the Packers will get their man. They have to make sure they get the right man.

Dan from Cedar Rapids, IA
You recently commented about comparing our current president to Vince Lombardi and how there wasn't a Stormy Daniels in his time. Fair, but the way our current president appears to be treating Stormy Daniels appears to be out of The Art of War. Simply, the media is chasing around Russia, Fire and Fury, and Stormy Daniels; they appear to imply it means something; if it doesn't, they move on to the next thing. Remember all the fuss over North Korea bombing us? Our President is brilliant and knows how to entertain and distract. That is incredibly easy when your opponents are irrational fear mongers who don't use common sense. Is he perfect? Hell no, but he is far from the warmongering Muslim Hitler he was implied to be months before and after his election. My question is, when our President said we/he would "Drain the Swamp," how did you think he/we'd do that? Did you think it'd be pretty? Did you expect "The Swamp" to not fight back? War is deception. When things are caving in and the enemy has you surrounded, you chuck up the rock to No. 80 for the game winner. I see many parallels to our President and Lombardi and Aaron Rodgers, but the person he emulates most is a modern day Sun Tzu. If he (our President) wasn't, then he would've been dealt noticeable defeats and damn sure wouldn't have lasted this long in office.
OK.

Roger from Auburn, CA
Vic, I would like your thoughts on what happened to the Packers regarding the free agent cornerback search. Do you think Gutekunst made a rookie mistake in only pursuing Fuller, when the Bears said they would match the offer?
It was a fishing expedition. You try to write the contract in a way that'll make it difficult for the Bears to match. They matched. No big deal. Nothing was gained or lost. As for addressing the position, the draft is a better forum for doing that. Free-agent cornerbacks are bank-breakers. If you can afford a cornerback in free agency, you can probably find someone of the same quality in the draft, and for a lot less money.

Joe from Los Angeles, CA
Vic, what’s more valuable, cap space or draft picks?
Draft picks are cap space because young players come at a bargain price. I want a GM who prefers picks over cap space; it would tell me all I need to know about his plans for building the roster. Free agency is a forum for patching; the draft is for building.

Conard from Washington, DC
Given the priority placed on high draft picks, is it fair to say that if a team drafts a QB in the top five and he does not become “The Man,” that draft pick was wasted?
Wasted isn't a strong enough word to describe the devastation of missing on a top five quarterback. First of all, quarterback is an expensive position, even in the draft. Secondly, a top five quarterback requires a commitment of time -- probably a minimum of three years -- before you can decide on his future. Thirdly, if you've missed on him, you have to go back and do it all over again. Missing on a top five quarterback can be a decade killer.

Kris from Stockbridge, WI
Are the Packers taking care of the future?
I don't see anything in the Graham and Wilkerson deals that raises a red flag for future caps, but I would also agree with those fans who would say the Packers need to put a little more cap emphasis on the present, because Aaron Rodgers is in the final phase of his career. I won't condone reckless spending, but I think the sense of urgency should be greater.

Darren from Hollywood, CA
"Get 'em good or get 'em gone." Lombardi kept his players feeling like they could be replaced at any moment, and is regarded as one of the great leaders of men in American history. I couldn't help but notice it seems the current president also subscribes to this philosophy. Gotcha?
Really? You want to compare our president's leadership qualities to those of Vince Lombardi? I don't recall any Stormy Daniels moments in Lombardi's time.

Leif from Frederic, WI
Vic, the Steelers have been (as usual) quiet in free agency. They have at least two glaring holes at inside linebacker with Shazier's injury and at safety with Mitchell being cut. Do you sign any free agents to fill those voids or would you trust your scouting department to fill those positions via the draft?
Inside linebacker is a grunt position that can be addressed in the more affordable stages of free agency. Safeties are generally easy to find in the draft. I think the Steelers still need to address cornerback, and those guys aren't easy to find in free agency or the draft.

Adam from Chicago, IL
Did you watch any of the NCAA basketball tournament?
I watch it and I like it, but I think the fascination for upsets has become kind of silly. They're so commonplace I have to ask: Are they really upsets? Basketball is a two-man game, and a lot of these no-name schools have the star ball-handler and the star scorer required to win on the tournament level. Basketball is a great college sport because it's affordable for small schools and they can compete on a big-school level. Virginia was ripe for an upset because it doesn't score a lot of points.

Jerry from Savannah, GA
Vic, what’s a “Drugstore Cowboy?"
That's old-school football talk for a guy who spent too much time in the training room. You can't make the club in the tub.

Mike from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Which one player from the great '70's Steelers teams would you most like to see play in today's NFL?
Lynn Swann would be Antonio Brown in today's game.

Frank from St. Louis, MO
Vic, I know we haven't had the draft, yet, but what do you think of Aaron Rodgers' current group of pass-catchers? From top to bottom, it's probably the weakest group with the least amount of potential.
It's average at best. The Packers need to invest a couple of picks in guys who can run and catch.

Anthony from Milwaukee, WI
Do you like the carry-over cap rule?
I don't like it because I think it allows for an uneven playing field in any one year. I prefer use it or lose it.

Tim from Sun Prairie, WI
The Packers signed a lazy but very talented defensive lineman to a one-year deal. He's motivated to get paid and, if he leaves, the Packers get a compensatory pick. What's not to love?
I like the concept. The Patriots have been successful with these prove-it contracts. They buy time and they also accentuate the replacement quality of today's game, and I think it's good for a personnel department to embrace that philosophy.

Bob from Kennesaw, GA
Is Green Bay winning the offseason?
Based on two free-agent signings? Ask me the same question after the draft. Free agency is for drama queens.

Randy from Medicine Hat, AB
Does the current Bengals/Steelers rivalry compare to the Raiders/Steelers rivalry of the past in terms of how vicious it was?
I think it does. The playoff game of a couple of years ago and the Monday night game from last season are two of the most violent football games I have ever seen. Football was not about the money in those games. It was about honest to God hate, and I'm ashamed to say I enjoyed every minute of it. Football is not a game for the well-adjusted, and I guess that's why it's my favorite game.

Matt from Lodi, WI
Guys like Jordy Nelson, John Kuhn, Donald Driver, Al Harris and Gilbert Brown are why we love the Packers. How do we cast them aside without (being sad), since we're not cold-hearted reporters?
Do you want to win or do you want to hug?

Lori from Brookield, WI
Why did Jordy have to go? He was leading the league in touchdown receptions prior to Aaron Rodgers' injury.
It was time to be new.

Curt from York, PA
Vic, I think Brian Gutekunst was a fine choice to succeed Ted Thompson, but I question how releasing an aging, slowing Nelson just so they can sign an aging, slowing Graham makes this team better. Would appreciate your thoughts.
Mike McCarthy wants a big receiver in the middle of the field. Jimmy Graham is expected to be that receiver. Jordy Nelson is more of a boundary receiver. He's a back-shoulder fade guy.

Andrew from Mount Dora, FL
Vic, what am I supposed to feel about what Gutekunst has done so far?
He had some money to spend and he spent it on players he believes will make the Packers better in 2018. Isn't that what everybody wanted? Loosen up the purse strings, right? Well, that's what he did. In the best-case scenario, Jimmy Graham becomes a playmaker in the Packers offense and Muhammad Wilkerson becomes a difference maker on defense. In the worst-case scenario, the Packers just wasted a lot of money on two over-the-hill guys looking to score one more big hit. Hey, that's the first week of free agency. It's risk for reward. You can't have one without the other.

Buford from Detroit, MI
Well, I'm a Lions fan and we finally got rid of Eric Ebron. Can you believe we drafted him ahead of Aaron Donald? How bad was that pick?
The Lions aren't alone in their mistake. In my mind, Aaron Donald should've been the first pick of that draft. It's not as though he didn't prove himself. He won the Outland, Bednarik, Lombardi and Nagurski awards at Pitt. He was by far the most dominant player at the Senior Bowl. Guys I've known for a long time said they had never seen anything like Donald's performance in Mobile. I'll never forget Zack Martin kissing Donald on the top of his head following the final one-on-one pass-rush drill of the week. Donald was throwing people through mid-air. Then he turned in a killer combine. What were the scouts thinking?

Ben from Visalia, CA
Do you have any predictions as to where Jordy Nelson will end up?
Look at the teams with need at wide receiver. The Bears are one of them. Wouldn't that be a kick in the butt?

John from Sheboygan, WI
After Sean Jones was let go, I clearly remember Ron Wolf saying the worst thing a GM could do was to fall in love with his players.
If you're not replacing your guys, you're not getting better, because the competition is replacing its players with better players.

Angel from Oceola Springs, CA
Can you believe the amount of money average players are getting in free agency? Unbelievable!
If you're going to participate in free agency, you better get it right. Otherwise, it's a trap for fools.

Justin from Titonka, IA
What is your favorite Jordy Nelson memory?
I think it's the back-shoulder catch he made down the sideline in the Packers' game-winning drive against the Giants at MetLife Stadium in 2011. The back-shoulder is his signature catch. I think it's how most Packers fans will remember him.

Braden from Waukesha, WI
Well, looks like we got more than socks this year. How do you feel about the Jimmy Graham signing?
Graham is the big receiver in the middle of the field Mike McCarthy covets. If he can overcome his injuries of recent years and get back to where he was in New Orleans, he can be a game changer for the Packers. He almost has to be a game changer because as a first-day-of-free-agency signing, he'll be a cap changer.

Sam from Jacksonville, FL
What's the incentive for staying so low under the salary cap? The Browns led the league last year in lowest salary and they fielded a winless team. How can you justify selling tickets to fans for a team that did not do all it could to field a competitive product?
The incentive for a crummy team to stay well under the cap is it can create room in future caps, when the team might be a playoff contender, to spend on players that can put the team over the top. A cap-conscious team creates a long-term plan.

Patrick from Burlington, IL
Which teams have helped themselves the most and which have hurt themselves the first days of free agency?
All of the participating teams think they've helped themselves but, in fact, most of them have hurt themselves. Next fall, we'll find out who the lucky few are.

John from Belle Plaine, MN
Vic, the Jordy Nelson release has left Packers fans with a lot of broken hearts. While I hate to see him go, I understand the business decision that was made. You must have seen this quite a bit. During your time covering the NFL, which released player was taken the hardest by the fan base?
Franco Harris.

Scott from Milwaukee, WI
What are all of these free agency moves doing to the Packers' cap?
Ask this question again after the Packers sign Aaron Rodgers to a new contract.

Roger from Gillette, WY
The Bears are being very active this offseason. It could be a real dogfight for the NFC North title this year, couldn't it?
The days of two guaranteed NFC North wins are over.

Josh from Tucson, AZ
Vic, Paul Posluszny has retired. Reading his retirement letter, this portion about growing up in Western Pa. caught my eye: "As a young boy, with tears in my eyes and afraid of contact, my first football coach approached me on the practice field and stated with a steely-eyed glare, 'Either stop crying or get off the field.' Thankfully, I wiped my eyes and continued to run and hit for the next 25 years." It's a tough game for tough boys and men. I'm glad I got to see him play for the Jags the past few years, and especially glad he finally got to the playoffs last year.
So ends the unheralded and largely unappreciated career of one of the best form tacklers in football history. Posluszny is the poster player for what a football player is supposed to be: Tough, dedicated, humble, productive. He looks like a football player. Former Jacksonville trainer Mike Ryan, whose contributions often appear in this column, recently told me a story of Posluszny's toughness in playing with an injury he didn't even divulge to the training staff. A good player isn't hurt if he doesn't think he's hurt. No one has ever referred to Posluszny as a "drugstore cowboy."

Pat from Green Bay, WI
So I agree with you expanding from six to seven playoff spots for each conference. Top team in each conference gets a bye, everyone else plays. Wouldn't mind one preseason game and maybe 17 regular season games. What do you think, Vic?
I favor staying at 16 regular season games and increasing the playoff field to 16 teams with no byes.

Mark from West Allis, WI
Can you comment on the relationship between the Saints and Drew Brees? Is there something that transcends football at play? Can you compare/contrast Brees-Saints with Brady-Patriots?
I think Brees is as much the identity of the Saints as Brady is the identity of the Patriots. Brees is the greatest player in Saints history. Beyond that, he is the savior of a region. He is the symbol of the Gulf Coast's recovery from Hurricane Katrina. He's too intelligent to taint or lessen that acclaim for a few more dollars. It's rare but it still happens. Jerome Bettis did it in Pittsburgh. It's nice to know some players love where they play as much as the place loves them.

Dan from Delray Beach, FL
As a Packers fan, I'm reasonably pleased the Vikings spent all that money on Cousins. In my estimation, he's very similar in talent to Keenum. Do you agree?
Kirk Cousins is a cut above Keenum. I think Cousins will flourish with the Vikings, especially since he's guaranteed nine dome games a season.

Dan from Burton on Trent, UK
Vic, if wide receivers are generally a dime a dozen, then what is Allen Robinson worth? Would GM Vic ever sign a free agent WR for big money?
Probably not.

Bill from South Dakota
When you covered the Packers, what did you think of Casey Hayward?
He reminded me of DeShea Townsend, who was an unspectacular but productive cornerback through a long NFL career. Hayward was never going to be a shutdown corner, but I thought of him as that reliable guy you need on the side opposite the shutdown guy. After all, he's the guy who gets tested the most. If it wasn't for his chronic hamstring problems, I think Hayward would still be playing for the Packers.

Anthony from Milwaukee, WI
GM Vic isn't as confident as he used to be his Green Bay Packers win another Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers. Do you brace yourself for the train and go all in? Would you ever consider trading Rodgers and trying a different approach?
If you're going to kill the cap to win it all, now's the time to do it. Trade Aaron Rodgers and begin rebuilding? No.

Isaac from Nashville, TN
Vic, with several years of hindsight, do you have any more thoughts on what happened during the 3:52?
They began to celebrate. Never sell; only buy.

Chad from Port Douglas, Australia
Is Damarious Randall any good? What’s your take?
The Packers missed on their projection for him to make the move from safety to cornerback. Now he's moving back to safety. This bears watching.

Mike from Perth, Australia
What were your thoughts and feelings about serving in Vietnam when you believed you were headed for war?
I didn't want to go but I did nothing to avoid being drafted. I got lucky. It bothers me so many of our recent presidents dodged military service. A patriot doesn't do that.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, trading, cutting and letting players test the free agent waters is part of the game. Which player's departure was hardest for you?
I'm not built that way. I have long accepted the fact professional football is about the money. The Brees-type players are exceptions. It's a game of replacement. I accept that fact, too.

Keith from Racine, WI
Vic, will you tell us a story about Joe Greene? Something that might help us understand the man better than we do now?
Joe is a deep thinker and football romantic. His words have stuck with me, especially the words "achieve immortality." Joe held the Steel Curtain together when the WFL tried to break it apart. His sales pitch to his teammates was: "Together, we can achieve immortality." Upon arriving at Newport Beach, Calif., for the start of Super Bowl XIV week, Joe immediately conducted a press conference, which he punctuated with the "achieve immortality" theme. Players don't speak as romantically about the game these days. They just want to contribute. It's very sad because football is a wonderfully emotional and romantic game. There is so much beauty players can convey to fans, but they hide it and I'm not sure why. Joe was a reporter's dream. He not only taught me how to watch football, he taught me how to write football. He is this reporter's all-time favorite player; always has been, always will be.

John from Weatherford, TX
I hope all is well with you and your family. I'd be interested in your perspective on the Damarius Randall/DeShone Kizer trade.
Randall didn't fit into the Packers' plans and Kizer didn't fit into the Browns'. That's the easy part to understand. You don't trade a guy you want to keep; you trade a guy you want to replace. In Kizer's case, the Browns intend to use one of their top picks to draft "The Man," and that means committing to that quarterback and giving him the playing time he needs to grow into the role. The Browns had decided Kizer wasn't "The Man," and that made him available in a trade to acquire a player the Browns liked at another position. Apparently, Randall is that player. Following Randall's rookie year, I thought he was going to be a top player for the Packers, but he regressed. It's not a blockbuster trade for either team. It's a trade that fits a need for each team and dovetails with its plans for free agency and the draft.

Eric from Silver Lake, WI
Vic, I've been enjoying this column since I discovered it late last season, and here's my first question: You described the difference between Chubb and Davenport in 4-3 vs. 3-4 terms, but coaches have been saying recently it's all sub-packages now. Is 4-3 versus 3-4 a dead topic?
I also described the difference between the two players in terms of hand on the ground vs. standing up. That's the issue.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, what are your thoughts on the Packers' acquisition of DeShone Kizer?
It tells me the Packers want an upgrade at backup quarterback. It also tells me they think Kizer has more upside than Brett Hundley. Kizer is talented. He's got size, a strong arm and improvisational mobility. The only thing not to like is his wildness. I have a feeling Mike McCarthy believes he can fix Kizer's mechanical problems and make him a more accurate passer.

Jerry from Savannah, GA
Vic, did the Packers just tip their draft plan hand by trading Randall?
Maybe they were tipping what they intend to do in free agency. They're going to have to address the cornerback position in either free agency or the draft, or maybe in both.

Adam from Chicago, IL
Now three years removed, what do you make of the 2015 Packers draft class?
When your first-round pick doesn't make it to year four, it's usually not a good draft class. Randall and Rollins were drafted to be the future at the corners, and it hasn't happened. Montgomery, Ryan and Ripkowski keep the class from being a washout, but if the Packers end up missing on their first two picks, it will have been a disappointing draft. Bear in mind, Randall was a No. 30 pick and Rollins was No. 62. There aren't a lot of players drafted after Randall that jump off the page.

Nick from Barrie, Canada
What's your take on all the trades involving players?
It's a great way to avoid free agency. You trade what you don't want to another team to acquire what they don't want. Each team gets what it thinks it needs. It's free agency without the big cost. Kizer, for example, is a second-round pick whose signing bonus stays on the Browns' cap, so the cost to the Packers for a quarterback with starter experience is minimal. Try getting that guy in free agency.

Doug from Racine, WI
Vic, you are getting a lot of heat on the packers.com site in the comments section for your take on Rodgers' collarbone possibly being a problem. How is your day going? What is the weather like there on the ocean?
Are you asking me if the criticism bothers me? Yeah, I cried all night. For the record, I never said Aaron Rodgers' collarbone injury might be a problem, I'm saying I need to know it's not a problem before I make him the highest-paid player in football history.

Jim from Maple Grove, MN
Given the ways some teams have been using the fanchise tag recently, particularly with Le'Veon Bell, do you think the players association will cry foul and try to change things at the next CBA? In your opinion, has the tag been abused by organizations to retain talent annually until the team no longer sees value in the tagged player, or is perpetually using the tag on a player just a savvy business decision that ultimately has no victim?
It worked for Walter Jones. It's working for Kirk Cousins. I think the franchise tag is good for teams and players.

Chris from Lexington, KY
I'm sure you know a lot of scouts and analysts from all your years writing in the NFL. Why Tony?
Tony was a relative unknown when I made him my guy. I needed someone good and cheap, and he needed exposure. We've been good for each other. In life, nothing is more rewarding than a loyal relationship. Tony's my guy; always has been, always will be.

Nathan from Tiffin, OH
Vic, I'm glad you're enjoying retirement. Thank you for continuing to take a little time to spend with us. A number of years ago somebody asked you if you thought Aaron Rodgers would win another Super Bowl, and if I remember correctly, your answer was a very confident yes. My question is do you still feel that way?
Was that answer prior to the 2014 season? That should've been the season Rodgers won his second Super Bowl. Now? I'm not as confident.

Leif from Jackson, WY
No question, just a heads up about an article you might enjoy. Cliff Christl posted an article on the Packers website about the three things Lombardi saw as a team's keys to success, one of which was getting rid of players. That's a concept I've seen you espouse numerous times: "being new" and "it's a game of replacement."
Get 'em good or get 'em gone.

Jerry from Des Moines, IA
Vic, you left Coach Noll off your Mt. Rushmore. I can't argue with your picks, but knowing how much you respect and admire Coach Noll, is it hard to leave him out of the top four? Can you elaborate on why?
I also left Don Shula and Bill Walsh off my Mt. Rushmore. Noll, Shula and Walsh are off the Paul Brown tree. I decided it would be one of the four, but not more. I went with Brown.

Eric from Colorado Springs, CO
With Martellus Bennett back on the street, do you think the way he left the Packers will give other teams pause when they consider signing him?
I wouldn't sign him to clean the locker room.

Tim from Sun Prairie, WI
Vic, if wide receiver is the easiest position to replace, why is cornerback one of the hardest? They are the same type of athlete.
One runs forward, the other runs backward. One knows where he's going, the other has no idea where he'll be running. Colleges have long put their best athletes on offense. By and large, cornerbacks are wide receivers that aren't good enough to play offense, and I think that contributes to making it more difficult to find cornerbacks that can compete with the top wide receivers. The pool of cornerback talent isn't as deep as the pool of wide receiver talent.

Brad from Jacksonville, FL
Vic, you’ve always said receivers are a dime a dozen. The Jaguars are going to let Allen Robinson test the open market instead of paying a $16 million franchise tag or giving a ton of guaranteed money. He is coming off a down year in '16 and an ACL injury in '17. The fan in me wants to question it, the observer in me thinks the eyes don’t lie and he doesn’t look like $16 million. Do you let him walk and build on the likes of Cole, Westbrook, Lee and Hurns?
Let him walk and find somebody to replace him. Dime a dozen.

Tom from Bahia De Los Angeles, B.C.
Vic, what is your favorite fish and favorite way to cook it?
Mahi-mahi blackened.

Dustin from Seymour, WI
What story does the Packers' cap tell?
It's flat. It tells a story of responsible management. It allows for maneuverability. If the Packers want to go all in for one or two seasons and create cap room by restructuring contracts and pushing money out, they can create all the room they need to go wild in free agency. Is that what the team's fans want? Do they want the Packers to mortgage the future while the Aaron Rodgers window is still open, or do they want flat, responsible management to continue and preserve the team's ability to compete each and every season?

Eric from Hudson, WI
I see a lot of positives with having a publicly owned franchise like the Packers. Can you tell me some of the negatives?
There's an attitude among some Packers fans the Packers shouldn't make money, only break even at best, and it's because the team is publicly owned. I think that's a negative.

Ben from Indianapolis, IN
Vic, you've always advocated asking why a team is letting a guy walk, because, if the guy is good, the team can figure out a way to keep him. So, if Kirk Cousins is "The Man," why is Washington letting him go?
The Redskins don't think he's worth the money they would have to pay him, so they're prepared to move on at the quarterback position. One man's junk is another man's treasure but, in this case, Cousins is hardly junk.

Joe from Bloomington, IN
How much better is Bradley Chubb than Marcus Davenport?
All we know right now is they're different. Chubb is a hand-on-the-ground guy for 4-3 teams; Davenport is a perfect fit for 3-4 teams looking for a stand up pass rusher. In my opinion, the hand-down guys are usually higher-rated and more costly to draft because their supply is more limited. Chubb fits that description.

Tony from Colorado Springs, CO
I recently finished "The Vietnam War," the 10-part documentary done for PBS by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. Wow! Have you had a chance to watch this yet? I know you had a very personal connection to one of the most infamous events during the Vietnam War protests that you have referenced many times, but I'm wondering if you can share how the war and all going on at home has helped shaped your world view.
My world view was shaped by my lottery number, 15. It made my world view a me view. I was four months away from graduation and my student deferment expiring when Nixon ended the draft. I was watching a basketball game in my dorm room when TV broke the news. I was stunned. It was completely unexpected. I had already been receiving correspondence from my draft board and I was fully prepared to be drafted when my deferment ran out. That was my world view.

Mike from Milwaukee, WI
Vic, on Monday you said 12 picks are too many for one draft. That had me thinking all day. What is the downside of having that many picks?
A true draft-and-develop football team is committed to finding a place on the roster to retain their picks so they might be developed. Twelve rookies on a roster is too many, unless the team is rebuilding. The practice squad can be used to retain them, of course, but then you worry you might be developing them for another team. Twelve is just a bulky number to have to manage at cutdown time.

Benjamin from Jacksonville, FL
A lot of people are talking about Shaquem Griffin and what he was able to accomplish on the field as well as his combine performance. He appears to be a phenomenal athlete with the potential to be a true impact player in the NFL. My question is this: Why is no one discussing the use of an articulating prosthetic hand? The few people I have discussed it with have argued that such a prosthetic would be a danger to other players and could be used as a weapon, but I don't see how it would be any more dangerous than any other player's hand. What are your thoughts?
Is such a device practical for a football game? I don't have that information in front of me. What I can tell you is it would be a nightmare for any league to have to rule on a player using an artificial limb to aid his performance on the field. Golf experienced a lot of bad publicity for not allowing Casey Martin to use a golf cart in competition. Ben Agajanian was a controversial figure for the square-toed shoe he used for kicking. Agajanian was missing four toes on his kicking foot. To his critics, he suggested they cut off their toes so they could also use the square-toed shoe. Maintaining the integrity of the game can, at some times, be bad for business. At this point in time, Griffin is very good for business. He's a feel-good story football very much needs.

Derek from Eau Claire, WI
I agree the field position aspect of the game has been all but lost. Shouldn't this lead to more aggressive fourth-down calls in the middle of the field?
It has. Bill Belichick is the first to be so bold. In my opinion, Belichick's fourth-down attitude is his greatest contribution to football. He changed the game.

Brad from Parker, CO
Vic, based on what you're seeing and hearing, is there a drop off point in the first round this year and, if so, where?
Tony Pauline says there are cliffs after the ninth and 24th picks.

Justin from Roswell,  NM
I agree the Jags can’t go farther in the playoffs with their current QB. How would you feel about them possibly getting Lamar Jackson? Do you think he would surpass Bortles in training camp, or after Week 4, when Bortles has tossed more interceptions than touchdowns?
Jackson would be the worst possible competition for Bortles. The first time Jackson took off on one of his cross-country scrambles, the fans would fall in love with him and turn on Bortles. At best, Bortles can be a game manager. Fans want stars at the quarterback position.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
At this point in the process, give me a candidate for the Packers' pick at No. 14.
Tony gave me Leighton Vander Esch from Boise State.

Jason from Syracuse, NY
So, does Vic get to 6,000 miles first or does a quarterback get to 6,000 yards first?
A quarterback will throw for 6,000 yards in a season; it's just a matter of time.

Stephen from Jacksonville, FL
How do teams generally view healthy combine invitees who elect to not participate in certain drills? Is this ever a red flag, a deal breaker towards draft-day decisions?
No, provided the player works out at his pro day or in a private session. He's got to put himself on display at least once, so teams can make sure he's not hiding an injury or deficiency.

Greg from Cuenca, Ecuador
Vic, twice you've mentioned optimism for the Bears. What is it about the Bears that has you intrigued?
They have the pieces in place. Mitch Trubisky is the final piece. I see a team with a strong running game and defense. I see a team in a strong draft position. They'll have a chance to put themselves over the top in this draft. All they need is a receiver, and that player is usually the easiest to find.

Adam from Wausau, WI
Is it safe to say it's good draft strategy to never fall in love with a player?
Coach Noll said "never fall in love with a guy." Belichick fell in love with Kyle Brady. Look at how that turned out.

Pete from Perham (wherever that is)
So, if financial concerns dictated draft choices in the '60's, did GM Jack Vainisi and the Packers dominate because they had the financial ability to do so? Does this add an asterisk to a man that brought together so many Hall of Famers?
The Packers of the '60's were, for the most part, built in the '50's; certainly before the war with the AFL hit its stride. Gregg, Skoronski and Starr were drafted in '56; Hornung and Ron Kramer in '57; Taylor, Nitschke and Jerry Kramer in '58; Dowler in '59; Adderley in '61; Robinson in '63. Dave Robinson was largely the first of the Packers' top picks for whom they had to compete with the AFL to sign. The draft classes declined dramatically in what was left of the decade, but by then the Packers roster was built for the long haul.

David from Madison, WI
Vic, with the draft approaching, I thought it would be good to review the best available player strategy. Can you walk us through this scenario? The Packers are on the clock with their first-round pick. Their greatest need is pass rush but the top-rated player left on their board is a quarterback. If you're drafting BAP, you take the quarterback, right?
Not necessarily. You can fit yourself to the pass rusher you want by moving back to where he becomes the best available player. By doing that, you recoup the full value of your original pick by adding the value of the extra pick you acquired. Now you've got the added value and the player you've targeted fits where you're selecting him, and that maneuvering also fits what he'll cost you on your cap. What you don't want to do is reach for a player who is neither worthy of the value you're spending to pick him, nor the money the slot at which you selected him demands you pay him. If you can't move back, pick the guy at the top of your board, but quarterback is a special position. It's the exception to the rule. Those are, in my opinion, the hard and fast facts of the philosophy of drafting the best available player.

Ben from El Paso, TX
Vic, you have often said being a leader of men is a necessary quality for a coach. How does that quality translate to the QB position?
How many titles would the Packers have won without Bart Starr at quarterback? He had average skills, but nobody was a better leader of men than Starr. Tom Brady is a great leader of men. He leads with crunch-time performance. I think that's the defining trait of leadership. Terry Bradshaw played his best football when the games were biggest. Joe Montana did the same. Starr called the most memorable play in football history. He didn't have to put the burden on himself, but he did because he possessed that steadfast and defiant belief in himself all leaders of men possess. If your quarterback isn't a leader of men, he's just a passer of the ball.

Shane from York, NE
Vic, I finally found your new blog and immediately began the process of reading every column on your new site. I love the conversations! You recently mentioned the Packers are more than one player away. Assuming a healthy Rodgers, how many players do you think they lack to be competitive playoff contenders and on which side of the ball are they?
"More than one player away" is a way of saying they need to improve their overall roster. Specifically, the Packers need an impact pass rusher and impact run-stuffer on defense; that's two players. On offense, they need speed and suddenness at receiver; that's one more player. Then there's the big one: Where is Aaron Rodgers in his recovery from collarbone surgery? There's a foregone conclusion among Packers fans he'll be no worse for wear, but I'm not convinced. Thirteen screws are worrisome. If Rodgers makes a full recovery, the Packers are a few players away. If he doesn't make a full recovery, there'll be no need to ask this question again.

John from Sioux Falls, SD
Vic, if I was a team picking in the mid-teens to 20's that had a settled QB situation and lots of other needs, I would be raving about every QB in the draft to anyone who would listen. The more QBs that get overdrafted, the more quality players get pushed down. Is disinformation part of the game?
Yeah, but you don't have to pump up quarterbacks; the position does it naturally. What's most important to the Packers, in my opinion, is they must be absolutely certain about their needs at quarterback, should a franchise-type quarterback be available to them. If you pass on him, it might be a long time before you get another chance to draft him.

Mike from North Hudson, WI
Vic, with 12 draft choices available to GM Vic, would you be entertaining the possibility of trading some of those picks for experienced roster depth? Standing pat? Or trading up?
GM Vic never, ever trades draft choices for veteran depth. GM Vic wants young depth. I'm not opposed to trading up. Twelve picks is actually too many.

Isaac from Nashville, TX
Vic, this might be naive, but something that's struck me over the last few years is how quickly great defenses age out. Having "The Man" keeps an offense artificially young, but these defensive juggernauts seem to rise, beat everyone up, and then recede in just a few seasons. Was it always this way?
You've made an astute observation. It wasn't that way in the '70's, for example, but it is now because today's game is unfairly tilted toward offense. The "Legion of Boom" is gone but Russell Wilson remains; that's the example. Once upon a time, defense was the constant and offense was whimsical. These days it's the reverse. It's evolution.

Matthew from Oshkosh, WI
Vic, lots of talk about the lack of aggressiveness with Clinton-Dix. Is this guy a bust or did he just get stale under Capers' system? I don't think I've seen a player fall off so hard from a Pro Bowl year in 2016 to his dismal performance in '17. No injuries were ever made public so we are left to believe it's all mental? Or maybe play-calling to blame?
Ha Ha and all of the other players on that defense will have to be accountable for their play this year because they've lost their best excuse.

Joe from Bloomington, IN
Have you ever gone crabbing? I remember being a kid crabbing off a sunken boat just north of the South Carolina border.
I gave my crab trap to a neighbor. I got the shell fish allergy and crab is No. 1 on the don't-eat list. Fortunately, I can still eat shrimp. I looooove shrimp.

Blake from Normal, IL
What do you think the immediate future of the NFC North is? Do you see the Bears making noise anytime soon? Can the Vikings figure out their QB issue? Thoughts?
The Vikings are the current king of the division, and I think they'll be difficult to dislodge from their throne. I like the way they're approaching the quarterback position; I get the sense they know it remains unsettled. I think Jim Caldwell had the Lions on the rise and it was a mistake to fire him. The Packers will compete for the division title if Aaron Rodgers makes a full recovery from his collarbone injury and if the defense finds the talent it needs to become formidable. The Bears will be the surprise team next season; that's my prediction. I see big things on the horizon for the Bears.

Rich from Manitou Springs, CO
Do you think there will be a day when Major League Baseball will have a cap? I've given up watching baseball just because I feel there is never an even playing field. Smaller markets have a huge disadvantage. Imagine the NFL without a cap. Green Bay would be lost.
The Yankees, Red Sox and their big-market brethren will never do for the rest of the league what the big-market teams of the NFL have done for Green Bay. It's just not in baseball's DNA to be a leaguethink league. The luxury tax is a veiled attempt at a cap-type mechanism, but it's really just welfare for losers. It does little more than assure there will be teams to beat. Maybe that's the way it has to be, and it's because baseball depends so much on attendance revenue. That's where market size is a huge factor. Eighty-one home games create a huge gap in attendance revenue.

Rich from Rome, NY
Do you think Fred Taylor will ever get the Hall of Fame nod? Would he get the nod in Vic's heightened requirements?
It can't even be a thought until Edgerrin James is elected. Here's what I'll say about Fred: He's the most talented running back I've ever covered. He's in my Hall of Fame, first ballot.

Kyle from Green Bay, WI
You've mentioned you ride a bike. What type? Have you done a century ride, yet?
I ride an Orbea. Why? Because it was affordable. I ride for enjoyment, and an app called "Map My Run" has made riding my bike especially enjoyable. I would've hit 5,000 miles last year if I hadn't lost two months due to shoulder surgery. I finished at 4,017.4. I think my longest ride was about 25 miles. I ride daily. It adds up.

Terry from Pinehurst, NC
I was looking again at that picture of the flood waters under your home. What do you do with your vehicles?
We parked our cars in a field high enough to avoid the flood waters. You learn what to do. It becomes part of the routine.

Logan from Lino Lakes, MN
Vic, I presume you get to see pretty good metrics. Do the readers seem to be more breakfast time readers, or lunch or evening? I’ve always been curious when others read the column.
"Ask Vic" gets its biggest readership bump in the hours immediately following posting. It stays at an even pace from about early afternoon on.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, "the glove is making the catch." Are they working on something to make the tackle?
We already have something to make the tackle; they're called shoulder pads, but players have stopped wearing them. Defenders are ducking hits because they lack protection. Why aren't they wearing more protection? Because football is a passing game now. Freedom of movement is more important because defending against the pass is more important than supporting against the run. In the run-the-ball era, players wore hip pads, thigh pads, knee pads and neck collars. Football was a hips and shoulders game back then. Now it's played with the hands and feet.

Mark from Bettendorf, IA
Help me understand the effect of removing three- and four-point stances.
The head isn't involved in nearly as much contact. It's all about the head now. The CTE scare is an even greater threat to football than the flying wedge was.

Ben from Chicago, IL
Vic, how would you characterize football pre-TV money?
Every team was on its own, and some teams just didn't have owners wealthy enough to compete at the top level. Pete Rozelle negotiated a leaguewide deal with CBS in 1962, but the money was small. The big-money TV deals didn't begin until after the merger. Here's an example of the money crunch teams faced prior to the big-money TV contracts: In 1966, the Steelers drafted Dick Leftridge, a running back from West Virginia, almost solely because they could afford him. He was the third pick of the draft and his career totals are four games, eight rushing attempts and 17 yards gained. He never played for another team. Imagine a No. 3 overall pick's career ending following his rookie season. Half of the NFL was largely uncompetitive during the NFL-AFL war years of the 1960's. For those teams, financial survival was the No. 1 concern.

Jake from Milwaukee, WI
I love the idea of warm weather and being by the water, but I can't imagine not having a basement. Where do you put all your junk?
We have storage rooms under our homes. I have a big storage room I fuss over; it's my man cave. The room is vented at the bottom, to allow for water to escape after it enters. To prepare for rising waters, I move everything off the floor. The water goes in, the water goes out, and then I get the pressure washer and clean up. it's an uninsured room; insurance coverage begins with the first floor.

Randy from Medicine Hat, AB
Your Mt. Rushmore of all-time coaches would include Lombardi, Noll, Landry and?
Lombardi, Landry, Brown and Belichick.

Connor from Greenville, SC
A few years ago you were asked to make a team of three current NFL players and three players in the upcoming draft. You chose Andrew Luck, J.J. Watt, Richard Sherman, Jadeveon Clowney, Greg Robinson and Aaron Donald. Who would you take now?
Donald, Carson Wentz and Khalil Mack, and Sam Darnold, Bradley Chubb and Saquon Barkley.

Cindy from Los Angeles, CA
Vic, assuming the Packers don't draft a round one QB, who are some of the later round prospects that have your attention?
I asked Tony Pauline your question and he gave me Mason Rudolph and Mike White. Rudolph was rising in my estimation throughout the season, especially following the Texas Tech game. I began seeing him as a first-round prospect, but then he had a horrible bowl game against Virginia Tech. He was wild high and that immediately raised arm strength concerns, which always seems to be an issue for Big 12 quarterbacks coming out of those lob-ball offenses. Be that as it may, I still like him, even moreso in a later round. He's got size and he knows how to distribute the ball.

Luke from Horicon, WI
I am happy for the memories Cobb and Nelson have provided me, but it’s time to kick them to the curb. I want some young speed.
If you don't have speed, defenses won't fear your passing attack. The Packers need speed.

Derek from Eau Claire, WI
Who do you like to make the deepest run in the playoffs next year: Steelers, Jaguars or Packers?
I don't think the Jaguars can do it without upgrading the quarterback position. Will they? At this point, I would say the Steelers have the best shot of going deep. Ask me again after the draft.

Matt from Verona, WI
What's your take on Kirk Cousins? I can't shake the feeling his stats lie, and he's the kind of QB 8-8 teams have.
I think he's a good quarterback who's played on an average-at-best team. Surround him with talent and he might be "The Man."

Rob from Weatherby, UK
I notice your initial summary of Romo as a broadcaster was just OK, with things he needed to improve. What were your thoughts by the end of the season?
He needs to say less. He talks so much he can't avoid making ridiculous comments, and then he tries to cover his tracks, which means he's said nothing. Chatty has to be more discerning in his remarks. Say big stuff, avoid the chatter.

Dan from Plymouth, WI
How often do you get requests from people who want to just call or come visit you and have a conversation?
I get a lot of it. I have six rockers on my front porch. I wish I had 6,000 of them and I could fill them with readers who want to talk football. I love it.

Nick from Oswego, NY
Does it even matter where offenses start any more? In other words, does football still have a field position battle aspect?
No.

Jerry from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Does all the mental and physical preparation by the athletes (for the combine) really make a difference in their draft position?
Teams go to the combine with a list of prospects they've already targeted. The combine is used to gather medical information on the players teams have targeted and to interview those players to gather information about their personality and how it might fit within the locker room and with the franchise's image. The medicals and interviews are the big things; the cone drills are not nearly as important. Boards are set before the combine; they're tweaked after the combine. I think you'll enjoy Mike Ryan's report on the information teams seek in the medical examinations.
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Ben from Alameda, CA
If you were part of the Hall of Fame selection committee for the past seven years, would anything be different?
There would be fewer wide receivers and more grunt-position players elected to the Hall. Also, I'm not a big fan of the contributor category; I think it's diluting the product's quality. Assuming I would have no choice but to accept it, I would set the bar extremely high. I don't think it's high enough.

Morgan from Kaukauna, WI
Logically thinking, the Browns should go Barkley at No. 1 and their top-rated QB at No. 4?
The Browns need to get "The Man" as soon as they can. They don't dare run the risk of losing the guy they want. For them to have come away empty in the Wentz-Goff year is a lesson they should never forget.

Patty from Green Bay, WI
Is help on its way to Lambeau?
This is the help-is-on-the-way time of year. A team's fate next fall will be largely determined by what happens over the next couple of months.

Anthony from Milwaukee, WI
Did the Packers rush to sign Adams? Should they have let him test the free-agent waters? What is a guy that has had three concussions and never had a 1,000-yard season while working with Aaron Rodgers going to get offered by another team?
They moved too slowly on him, and that forced them into a contract that's richer than they should've had to pay. It happens to all teams. I think they recognized their mistake and decided to take their medicine and swallow hard. I'll swallow hard and say they did the right thing.

David from San Francisco, CA
Vic, that video of the floods below your house makes me cringe. I’m not worried about the structure but I don’t get the draw to a place where you build your house on pilings. For someone who grew up in a suburb of Seattle and now resides in an urban San Francisco neighborhood, and hasn't ever experienced the Southeast, can you give me a story which will show me why you love the place you’ve retired?
It fits my eye and my lifestyle. I love where I live. My neighbor refers to Edisto as the "island of misfit toys." It's a flavorful, beautiful, quirky place, and I'm one of the misfit toys. Our numbers are small and we're friends to the degree we feel like family. I guess I always wanted to live in a place where everybody knows your name. I live in the low country. You live in earthquake country. As Coach Noll said, "How do you wish to die?" None of us are getting out of this alive, David.

Ben from Fremont, NE
Vic, is the woman always right? Asking for a friend.
Happy wife, happy life.

Dustin from Orlando, FL
Forget the crows; they are merely a nuisance. A poorly placed guy wire can decapitate a man on a bicycle.
For those of you who didn't find this column in my Jaguars days, here's the story: A reader wrote in complaining about having to fight crows to go to Jaguars games. Obviously, he meant to write crowds, not crows. He went on and on about it: fighting crows in the parking lot, to get to his seat, at the concession stands, leaving the game, etc. It was a slow offseason day so I allowed the misspelling to stand, thinking it might make somebody chuckle. I didn't want to do it; I felt I owed it to him. In my answer, I said I would advise Wayne Weaver of the crow problem. I never thought the crows question and answer would become "Ask Vic" legend, but it did. I still have readers tell me it's the funniest thing they've ever read. Guy wires, the invisible paint they use on TV to show the line to gain, and my friendship with Snoop Dogg were also hot topics. My favorite was the guy from 998 Oaks, Calif. We sure did have fun.

Gertrude from Lake Mills, WI
Do you think the current roster of Packers running backs are anything more than placeholders until a true feature back shows up?
Running backs have a way of coming out of nowhere. I think that could happen with what the Packers have on their roster. I don't see a pressing need at the position.

Dougie from MT
The best advice I ever received: "Beware what you give up in your first year of marriage, because you will give it up forever." Yours?
"Too often we don't learn to say hello until it's time to say goodbye."

Barry from Knob Hill, GA
Do you have any signed memorabilia? I used to have a fair amount of helmets, but I ended up selling them because it seemed a little foolish.
I have two autograph pieces. One is a large, framed picture of Forbes Field that sits above my desk. My sons gave it to me as a Christmas present. Back then, I lived in the same town Bill Mazeroski did, and I would occasionally play a round of golf with him. After one such round, I asked Maz if he'd sign the Forbes Field picture for me. He did, right at the base of the 406-foot mark at the leftfield wall. The 1960 Pirates were my first sports love. My other treasured autograph piece is a Fred Taylor poster commemorating his 10,000 yards rushing. Fred walked into my office one day, plopped down the poster on my desk and wrote meaningfully on it, and then signed his name. Fred might be the most human player I've ever covered. We had a special relationship. He never complained about a word I wrote, and I never felt our friendship compromised what I wrote about him. For a reporter, that's special.

Tristan from Durham, NC
Vic, before the Packers-Panthers game in December, I asked you how to tell when a team's arrow was pointed down, and you told me it was a Potter Stewart. Well, I went to that game, sat down quietly and watched. You were right; I knew it when I saw it. I enjoyed the game, but I didn't need to see the end of the game to know the offseason had begun, and I left the game disappointed but content. Thanks for giving me perspective.
Never argue with your eyes.

Bill from Staten Island, NY
Since it's the offseason and knowing you are a golfer, I wonder if you have any thoughts regarding the advance of golf equipment, in particular, the ball.
It's over the top. The ruling bodies should cap technology. In my storage room, I have an old bag full of clubs I used long ago. One of the clubs is a Taylor seven-degree "Pittsburgh Persimmon." It was the ultimate in driver technology when it hit the pro shops in the 1980's. Today, it's comical looking and feeling. It's unhittable compared to today's colossal drivers. How can we compare eras with this kind of equipment discrepancy? Football has a similar problem. I give baseball credit for maintaining continuity.

Mike from North Hudson, WI
Vic, of all the decades you covered football, which decade is your favorite and why?
It's probably the '70's, not because of what happened on the field but because of what happened off it. In most ways, today's game is more exciting, compelling and entertaining than the one I covered in the '70's. For a young reporter, the '70's were heaven. Pro football was overtaking baseball as America's most popular sport, and the NFL treated reporters as kings. "Write anything you want, just spell the name right." That was the PR motto that helped make the NFL the most popular sports league in the country. I've talked about the five o'clock club. It was the highlight of the day; coaches gave us scoops. My goal was to write something every day that was fresh, new and would distinguish my reporting, and I counted on the coaches to assist me in those efforts. Those days are gone. I feel blessed I had a chance to experience them.

David from Capitol Heights, MD
What do you think about the way Eagles fans treated Vikings fans at the NFC Championship game?
It's not cute anymore. The Eagles are finally a championship franchise. It needs to act like a champion and put a stop to that crap.

Chad from Troy, MI
"Those that played in the pre-1978 rules changes era must be treated completely different from those that have played in the pass-friendly era." I've been debating this same argument with wide receivers with my friends at work. How would you compare wide receivers from the two eras?
The wide receiver position, in my opinion, has two eras: the gloves era and the pre-glove eras. No player should ever drop a pass while wearing today's gloves. The pre-glove era receivers not only didn't have sticky gloves to aid them, there was no defenseless-receiver protections. They had to catch a slick ball knowing they were going to get clobbered the moment the ball touched their cold, slippery hands. These days, we ooh and ahh over these one-handed catches. The glove is making the catch.

Brian from Yakima, WA
Vic, do the front office personnel losses the Packers have suffered make you think the team is at a disadvantage in personnel acquisition in comparison to other teams?
No, the important work was done. This is fine-tuning stuff now and that's the job of the cross-checkers, Brian Gutekunst being the No. 1 cross-checker.

​Chris from Fitchburg, WI
Any chance "Video Ask Vic" comes back?
I posted a video in Monday's column. It was the first such attempt. Now that I know it can be done, I can consider doing some "VAV" stuff. On another front, we've changed the comments platform. I was getting complaints about the previous platform. I think everyone is familiar with the new platform; the only negative is it requires we permit advertising. Let's give it a shot. Let's be new!

Dan from Sebastopol, CA
Is the combine more important for coaches in player evaluation over game tape?
No, most coaches disregard the gym class stuff. They go to the combine to interview the players they've already identified as prospects to draft. The coaches know who can play. Now they want to know who can be coached.

Barry from Hayward, WI
Vic, what would the league have to do to make you turn your back on professional football?
When the league bans three- and four-point stances, I'll probably find other things to do on Sundays in the fall. That day is coming. It's just a matter of when and will I still be alive?