"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday through the NFL draft.

Rosco from Oshkosh, WI
Vic, no question, just thanks for the chat, a lifeboat from reality that arrives three days a week. Can you tell us again about the story of the "thing?"
A young member of our division was charged with creating a goody bag of stuff to give to those attending "Ask Vic Day." I looked through the bag of stuff, came upon something odd looking and I asked her, "What's this?" She wasn't sure what it was, what it did or what to call it. I decided to call it the "thing." When those attending "Ask Vic Day" asked me what the "thing" was, I said nobody knows what it is or what it does, but you'll always have it when you don't need it.

Jeff from Miami, FL
Does playing early season MLB games in empty stadiums seem that far-fetched?
I doubt there's enough money in baseball's media deals to make it happen. The owners would sustain huge losses. Do you hear any players volunteering to play for free because they love the game and want to entertain us during a challenging time in our country's history? I don't either.

Joe from Gainesville, FL
How would you rank all the different roster positions in terms of supply/demand?
In order of greatest supply and least demand to least supply and greatest demand: 1) wide receiver, 2) linebacker, 3) tight end, 4) running back, 5) center/guard, 6) defensive tackle, 7) safety, 8) pass rusher, 9) cornerback, 10) offensive tackle, 11) quarterback.

Travis from Indianapolis, IN
Vic, do you have any fond memories of the snow, other than it creating a beautiful spectacle for football?
No.

Dionicio from Albuquerque, NM
Your comment to Chris in the last blog post had me thinking about the possibility of no 2020 season and how it may shape the decisions of some franchises this offseason. In your opinion, what NFL teams appeared to act with this in mind during free agency?
The Packers have been frugal and the Steelers are acting as though they're building a replacement team.

Phil from Marietta, GA
I understand you don't like overuse of the quick count to catch the defense with 12 men on the field. How do you feel about the hard count?
I'm OK with both. A good hard count on third-and-1 is fine. Catching a defense with the wrong personnel on the field is strategy. Too much of either begins to look cheap and becomes a distraction.

Steve from Racine, WI
As Chuck Noll might ask, how do we wish to die? Sickness, starvation or exposure?
I'm gonna go with sickness.

Adam from Columbia, MD
We're in a bit of a conundrum with the lives vs. economy debate. if we continue with the social distancing measures and they're successful in limiting the numbers and blunting the curve, those who oppose the measures will think they were unnecessary. If we lift them and it gets even worse than it's becoming, it will be impossible to reverse the effect.
It's a great debate, the mere existence of which begs this question: Is it moral to place wealth above life? I have a feeling we're going to answer that question next November.

Tom from Charlottesville, VA
Vic, what are your thoughts on the league deciding to hold the draft as scheduled and on Roger Goodell's warning there will be disciplinary action for those who criticize this decision?
I'm OK with conducting the draft, but it'll have to be done in a safe way and the commissioner appreciates the liability to which he'll be exposing the league, thus the gag order to help control criticism.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Do you think the NFC has the strongest, most experienced men playing quarterback?
Most experienced for sure. Brady, Brees, Ryan, Rodgers and Stafford are old-timers. I think the AFC has a much better cast of young stars: Mahomes, Jackson and Watson head the list.

Nate from Neenah, WI
Vic, just read Carlisle vs Army. What a fantastic book! I learned much history about our country and how football shaped many young men like Eisenhower and Thorpe. What is Pop Warner's legacy?
He was an innovator. He was the first to understand how to use speed to spread the field. There have been several fathers of modern offense, but Warner is the first. He also was the first coach to express a talent for promoting the game. He created media day.

Kevin from Texas
Do you have any thoughts or memories on the career of Marcus Allen?
I remember Coach Noll violating one of his draft tenets: Never fall in love with a guy. Coach Noll fell in love with Allen. He was the Steelers' guy, but Allen was selected one pick ahead of the Steelers and it caught them completely off guard. They tried to ease their pain by drafting another running back, Walter Abercrombie, but he was never the player Allen was. Allen would've been perfect for the Steelers' run-first offense. This is another example of how fragile the draft is and what happens when the picks don't fall your way. Without Allen, the Steelers headed into the worst years of the Noll era.

​Randy from Medicine Hat, AB
Who would want to watch games played without fans in the stands? The TV ratings would definitely tank as a result.
Artificial sound makes the fans unnecessary. The game doesn't need their noise, it needs their money.

Joseph from Little River, SC
If one of this year's top quarterback prospects falls to Jacksonville, does GM Vic believe in Gardner Minshew enough to pass on a QB?
The Jaguars are facing a huge decision: Stick with Minshew or use their draft capital to trade up and get a franchise-type guy. It's a decision that could likely determine the Jaguars' future in Jacksonville. I like Minshew. I think he could be "The Man," but I like security at the quarterback position. I'd trade up and get the headline-type prospect. The Jaguars need to create a buzz in Jacksonville. They need to become a hot ticket. A hot-topic competition at quarterback might create the buzz the Jaguars need.

Roger from Auburn, CA
Vic, what do you think the NFL would do for the 2021 draft if the 2020 season was cancelled? It wouldn’t be fair to have the Packers draft at spot 30 two seasons in a row.
If there's no NFL season, there will have been no college season, which means the 2021 draft would truly be a crapshoot. Here's an idea: Determine the first-round order by having each team pick a number out of a hat, and then reverse that order for every round of the draft after the first round.

Jeff from Ogden, UT
Vic, mom passed this week. Because of the virus we had to do things different for the funeral/gathering. It still came together well. Under mom's picture on the front of the printed program was this quote, "Our memories make us rich, even when they make us sad."
The present and the future end. The past is forever. On behalf of the "Ask Vic" community, I extend our sympathy for your loss.

​David from Madison, WI
What's the next big thing?
I have a feeling it's climate change migration and this is a starter course.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday through the NFL draft.

Robert from Plymouth, WI
Vic, I work in an ER department in Wisconsin. I cannot thank you enough for your comments on the crisis. Please, people stay at home and be safe. The vacations can wait.
Edisto Beach is no longer accepting short-term rentals. I applaud our community leaders for making such a difficult but responsible decision.

David from Rochester, MN
Thoughts on Devin Funchess?
Affordable roster depth.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, does the talent in the NFC look like it will be far superior to that of the AFC in 2020? How has it achieved that dominance?
Lori, you ask a lot of good questions. This is not one of them. Here's a question for you? Why do you think the inferior AFC has won six of the last eight Super Bowls?

Phil from Wausau, WI
Vic, did you see the lieutenant governor of Texas on Fox calling for those prone to complications from COVID-19 to sacrifice their lives for the good of the economy?
I was struck by such an act of patriotism, as he said he would do the same, so I decided to do some research on this man, as I knew nothing about him. I learned he had previously been a conservative radio talk show host, and he didn't serve in the military during the Vietnam War due to a medical deferment.

Dave from Savage, MN
Do you think teams' draft boards would have changed much if the pro days and visits hadn't been cancelled?
The board wouldn't have changed much, but pro days are important and they have caused teams to move a guy up or down in their draft plans. I've written a lot of stories about prospects who ran poorly at the Combine but canceled that negative with a fast time at their pro day or in a personal workout. Teams are going to have to look deeper for supporting information this year. This is a year when teams' cross-checkers are going to lean harder on their scouts' talent for finding the real football player inside each prospect.

Ryan from Conroe, TX
What is your opinion of Mike Pettine as Packers DC? How would you rate him in terms of being a leader of men and of scheming?
He's an outstanding football coach who did a fabulous job of scheming the pass-rush talent available to him. Defending against the run isn't about scheme. It's about getting off blocks. Coach Pettine can't do that for his players.

Pete from Minneapolis, MN
Vic, it seems as if some in our country's political leadership are wrestling with whether human life or the economy is more important. What do you say?
I think it's a great debate question that can make us all dig deeper for understanding of the problem this pandemic is presenting. What interests me about this issue is the people who would protect the life of the unborn are largely the people who would commit the living to die.

Garrett from Spring, TX
Some Texan guy said he'd rather die than let the America he loved die for his grandchildren. Where's the balance?
He's full of baloney. He'd do whatever it takes to survive. His idiotic rant was just another example of talk show tough talk.

Mike from North Hudson, WI
At this point in the offseason, how would you rank the teams in NFC North?
1) Packers, 2) Vikings, 3) Bears, 4) Lions. I haven't seen anything happen in free agency that would change the order from when the season ended.

Jeff from Ogden, UT
The Packers didn't get better in free agency. Is it safe to say Gute already has his guys picked in the draft?
At this point, teams are beginning to assemble their targets. You can't draft everybody.

Marcus from Belleview, FL
The second London game convinced me the Jaguars do not care about my loyalty. This year, after a decade of season ticket support for the Jags, which began when you asked us to save the whale in 2010, I'm taking my season ticket dollar south to see Brady and the Bucs. I figure take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see an all-time great in my backyard, as opposed to another 3 or 5-win season from the clearly London-bound Jaguars. How terrible of a fan does this make me?
Don't ask me, ask your heart.

Paul from Cumming, GA
What makes the allure of mortgaging the future for the present so potent to an established franchise like Chicago?
Good ownership has a plan and then hires people who can execute that plan. The Bears' ownership doesn't have a plan. They continue to hire people who have a plan, which means every 3-4 years the Bears have a new plan. That won't work. They're throwing you know what at the wall and nothing is sticking.

Austin from Denver, CO
Vic, do you feel the way Aaron Rodgers frequently attempts to catch opponents offsides or with 12 men on the field is also breaking the spirit of the rules?
I won't go that far, but his clear overuse of this trickery chafes me. It's not tough-guy football. Maybe that's one of the problems.

Chris from Bozeman, MT
I don’t agree with the politics you sometimes pepper in your replies, but I can appreciate your perspective and insight, and you are always respectful. Football is not the most important thing, and I get the feeling most loyal readers enjoy how you showcase that.
I'm considering the possibility the Packers didn't spend big in free agency because they didn't want to waste money and cap space on a season that might not happen. If I was an owner, the thought would've crossed my mind.

​Dan from Milwaukee, WI
I can only imagine the wave of hate you're going to receive for your COVID-19 comments. One satisfying aspect of this is we'll have a fairly clear way to tell who's right or wrong. Unfortunately, it'll be measured in deaths. What can someone do to ensure they haven't formed too restrictive of an information bubble around themselves? How do we stick to the facts?
I'm not sure there are facts any more, only opinion for which we are willing to distort the truth.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday through the NFL draft.

Eric from St. Paul, MN
Can you help me get a better understanding of special teams? First, I heard Zook was awful and (rightfully) so Green Bay let him go. They brought in their current special teams coordinator and were worse. After a carousel of returners, they finally found one who was able to gain positive yards on kicks. Players, not plays?
Ron Zook wasn't the problem, the bottom of the roster was. Dom Capers wasn't the problem, drafting at the bottom of the order and drafting poorly was. Largely, the Packers have been Aaron Rodgers and a bunch of guys since 2015. Brian Gutekunst will change that, but it's gonna take time.

Pat from Altoona, WI
Are the LA Rams a soccer team? That new logo stinks.
I could create a better logo for the Edisto horseshoe crabs.

Steve from Lake Stevens, WA
When you say get the big guys first, does that mean quality big guys are harder to find in later rounds than other positions?
Yes. Their supply is limited.  Don't yinze know about George Young's "planet theory?"

James from Nogojiwanong, Canada
First, thanks for expanding the column. What about Clowney? Why hasn't he been signed? Could the Packers use him?
He's got knee issues that make him older than his football years. It's a young man's game, and age is often measured by injury.

Christopher from Hagerstown, MD
“He's all about winning football games, and it's what I like best about him.” What do you like least about him?
I don't like that he breaks the rules, but I think I even dislike more that he violates the spirit of the rules. I'm not sure he's welcome in my fraternity of football.

Ben from Chicago, IL
Vic, doesn't it get expensive for a team to perpetually be drafting in the top 10? Seems a large part of the team's salary cap would be taken by their first-round draft picks.
The draft is affordable free agency, but you have to wait your turn to pick one.

Gladdys from Rolling Meadows, IL
Vic, the Packers have replaced Blake Martinez and Brian Bulaga with Christian Kirksey and Rick Wagner. Do these seem like upgrades to you?
I think Bulaga is an overrated player and Martinez is just a cut above a guy. Let's see what the Packers do in the draft before we pass judgment on those two positions.

Mark from Wausau, WI
By the time the pandemic runs its course, do you think there will be a long-term negative impact on spectator sports from people re-prioritizing or finding different ways to spend their time?
Yes, because there's likely going to be a great economic downturn as a result of this virus. Fans aren't going to have the disposable income they've had to spend on sports. Waiting list? Now might be your time.

Samuel from Milwaukee, WI
Your comments on free agency got me wondering what else, in your experience, is often a trap for fools?
I think firing coaching staffs is often a trap for fools. The damage can be long term because it usually results in the new staff cleaning house and causing the franchise to re-trace its steps. The change in scheme and philosophy might be a bad fit for a player and he can be acquired affordably in a trade. Jerome Bettis immediately comes to mind. You get weaker and the competition gets stronger. Also, there's the matter of paying off salaries, and how about the information on your players that now belongs to the teams that have hired the coaches you've fired?

Paul from Cumming, GA
Have the Bears admitted defeat with Mitchell Trubisky?
I think the bigger question is: How are they going to get out of this mess they've made for themselves? Drafting Trubisky was a mistake, but they compounded that error by trading for Mack. Now, they lack the draft capital to draft a new quarterback and that's caused them to cause even greater damage to their salary cap by trading for Nick Foles. The Bears have mismanaged their future as badly as the Rams have mismanaged theirs.

Phil from Marietta, GA
Are you staying safe on Edisto? Your readership community hopes so!
I hope I'm safe, but the cars with the out-of-state license plates keep coming across the bridge. I met a couple from Delaware yesterday. I wanted to say, "Why are you here?" I'm angry about this. I'm angry America isn't affording this pandemic the respect and fear required to defeat it, and I'm angry at the leadership in Edisto Beach for placing their greed above the health and well-being of our citizens. Shame on all of you, and you know who you are. This is not how you make America great again.

C.T. from Jacksonville, FL
What are the expectations for Tampa Bay and Tom Brady this year?
When a team's quarterback will be 43 when the season begins, the future is now. The Bucs must be a Super Bowl contender for signing Brady to have been a good move.

Mike from North Hudson, WI
With the Olympics being postponed by up to one year, what are your thoughts on playing out the 2020 NFL season?
I think there's an element of doubt. Can we defeat this virus completely enough by fall to bring thousands of people into close quarters without re-starting the spread? Yes, the games can be played without fans and there's enough money in the TV deals to make that happen, but in the salary cap era TV has largely been regarded as paying the players' salaries and everything else going to the league and its teams. There would have to be some kind of special agreement or adjustment to the CBA for the games to be played without ticket revenue; the owners aren't going to pay 100 percent of the costs to receive only a fraction of the revenue, and the players aren't going to volunteer for a pay cut. As we near summer, this issue could become bigger.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday through the NFL draft.

Timothy from St. Louis, MO
What are your thoughts on Todd Gurley being released? Surprised?
We saw it coming. The Rams signed him to one of the worst contracts in NFL history. Even worse, they had to have known his knees were older than their years and Gurley's arrow was likely to begin pointing down before he played through the value of the guarantees. The Rams have done a terrible job of managing their future. They are moving into a fabulous new stadium and the team is potentially on the verge of a cut and gut. If the Chargers get lucky and push the right buttons, the Rams could lose that market to the stadium's secondary tenant.

Jeremy from Lethbridge, Canada
Do you think whether or not Clay reaches 100 sacks will matter as far as his Hall of Fame candidacy?
It could. Clay Matthews has the postseason moment I like a candidate to have and his sacks total suggests he has the body of work necessary to make it into the Hall of Fame, but I don't see him as a Hall of Famer and I think the main reason for that is his father was a better player and he's not in the Hall of Fame.

Joe from Bloomington, IN
Did the Packers players signing big contracts feed into Gute’s decision to hold back?
I'm not sure I understand the questions, but I think the Packers didn't spend big in free agency for two main reasons: The guy they need wasn't there and they didn't want to damage their salary cap for marginal talent. All in sounds good until you examine the cost of being all in.

Brett from Pasadena, CA
Not a question, wanted to put a yes vote for expanding the column. We need the wisdom and you need to do something once the quarantine starts.
I've been self-quarantining since I retired. That's why I live where I do. I love the solace. As for expanding the column, beginning this week I'm going to add a column a week and publish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday through the draft. It's my version of  coronavirus stimulus.

David from Madison, WI
What do you do differently in this sportsless purgatory?
I read and think more. I don't miss March Madness because it had become repetitive. Same song, same shocking upsets. I miss golf late on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Early-season baseball doesn't interest me. What if this happened during football season? We'd go crazy.

Henrik from Stockholm, Sweden
What exactly does a ”physical” mean and what does it take to pass (or fail) it?
As it pertains to football and especially to Gurley, a physical examination takes an especially close look at joints for clouding and muscles for scarring. They determine a player's football age.

Bruce from Greenville, WI
It looks like the Jags are going into a rebuild, so why sign Joe Schobert to a big contract?
They need to put a competitive team on the field and Schobert is young enough to still be in his football prime when the rebuild is complete.

Paul from Chicago, IL
Will the Packers regret letting any of their own free agents walk? Would GM Vic have made the same decisions?
Bulaga and Martinez weren't worth the money required to re-sign them. Bulaga was oft-injured and showing signs of breaking down, and Martinez gives ground to make tackles.

John from Edisto Island, SC
Vic, what do you think of the Panthers signing Teddy Bridgewater? The deal seems cap friendly for a good quarterback. Am I correct?
It's pricey but not a killer. Bridgewater will help the Panthers get in and out of the huddle as they tank for Trevor.

Dominic from Columbia, MD
Is Belichick trying to prove he can win without Brady? With no heir apparent at quarterback, what do you think is his plan?
His plan is to rebuild. Bill Belichick cut Bernie Kosar in midseason due to what he judged to be eroding skills. Browns fans were furious, but Belichick was absolutely correct. I think it was obvious in recent seasons Tom Brady's skills were eroding, and Belichick knows he rode that horse as far as he could. Belichick is a bold and cold evaluator of talent. He's all about winning football games, and it's what I like best about him.

Jason from Austin, TX
Vic, how long do you think it'll take before the wolves of New England start howling if the Patriots start losing?
The second loss. "Why didn't he re-sign Brady? Belichick's an idiot."

Vincent from Seattle, WA
Vic, in this time of no sports, what would Vic the sports writer be doing?
Shortly after I joined packers.com, the NFL locked out the players, which meant I was the editor of a team website that had no team. I wasn't permitted to interview the players and the team's general manager, Ted Thompson, wasn't a media friendly guy and wasn't about to offer the team's football operations people as assets. So, how did we create content? We did features on the past. I remember us doing a numbers series in which we selected the best players in Packers history representing each number. Fortunately, there was a draft in the middle of the lockout, so that gave us a chance to do some real reporting, but it wasn't long before the glow of the draft burned out. In the final days of the lockout, we were running out of ideas. The current situation is similar. The NFL has a treasure trove of game tapes it can use to fill time on NFL Network, and the draft will carry us deep into the spring but, eventually, we'll need new football. Somehow, we all need to use this time for gain. As I look back on the 2011 lockout, I can say without reservation the time I spent on the Packers' past gave me a feel for the new team I was covering I might never have otherwise achieved. The past is a teacher, the present is a test. This is a time for reflection. We need it.

David from Madison, WI
What are your thoughts on Sinclair Lewis?
Knee bender. Good bubble and wingspan. Plays with leverage. Strikes the rising blow. Gets to the edge of his blocks. Plays angry but coachable. Mother was in roller derby. Tougher than he is athletic.

Mike from Somerset, WI
How would a player like Ndamakong Suh fit in the Packers defense?
Signing or drafting a nose tackle would allow Kenny Clark to move outside, and I like that, but it could make re-signing or franchising Clark more expensive.

Frank from Beaverdam, VA
I'm a complete convert to the Vic school of the draft (get the big guys if they are there), but I was wondering what would the receiver look like that was No. 1 on Vic's draft board. If you thought he fit where you were, would you take him or try to trade back to where you thought a big guy would fit and get more picks?
You're describing what I call massaging the draft. It's not enough to just sit and pick. A good drafter has to treat the picks he has as puzzle pieces that need to fit economically into a strategy that addresses the team's roster needs without reaching. Often, that requires moving in the order. No. 30 is certainly not too high to pick a wide receiver, but I think getting a big guy is a higher priority. I don't think this concept is difficult to understand. A team's value board should reflect it because it should include weighting positions.

Daniel from Altoona, WI
I feel quilty. This is an emotional time we are all going through. People are losing jobs, businesses are having to close, personal events are having to be canceled due to rules regarding large gatherings. Day cares are closing. Working parents are struggling to keep jobs, yet, provide and take care of their kids as if there isn't a pandemic going on. My guilt is I am glued to my TV/phone to see who is being signed and let go. It's one thing that distracts me from reality, but I still feel quilty because at the end of the day none of the signings matter. When I turn on the news I'm brought back to reality. I'm a little scared at what the future holds when this is all over and what life will look like on the other end of all this.
I think free agency was vulgar and should've been postponed. The players and the league looked bad. A big chunk of our country is in lockdown, so to speak, and players are celebrating their freedom of movement. We're watching our financial futures decline by 5-10 percent a day and the players are being signed to huge contracts that secure their futures and will allow them to invest those sums of money in hugely discounted stocks when this crisis ends. Last week was insulting to fans, especially the Todd Gurley saga. He pocketed $34.5 million for not having done much and with the possible security of another $10.5 million if he can't do anything more. On top of that, teammates complained he had been treated unfairly. Will this crisis change us? Maybe it should.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Ben from Alameda, CA
The Titans extended Tannehill, $118 million over four years. How does a QB you don't trust to throw a lot get that kind of money?
When I saw the deal, Blake Bortles immediately came to mind. It's not that I think the Titans were a fluke last season, it's that they might be making the mistake of thinking they've arrived, which is the mistake the 2018 Jaguars made. It's a ridiculous contract that'll pay Tannehill salaries of $24.5 million and $29 million in years two and three of the deal, and is likely to guarantee that money before the Titans can get out of the contract. The Titans immediately become a candidate for my disappointment team of the year.

Alex from Orlando, VA
Vic, did the Jags make the right decision to trade Calais Campbell for a fifth-round pick?
The Jaguars are in full rebuild mode and I like getting picks for players I either don't want or will be too old to be of value when the rebuild is complete. I'm OK with the deal. It gives the Jaguars more draft capital and, at this point, I think they've got the picks to do something very dramatic. Here's what concerns me: If rebuilding means extended losing, will the accompanying empty seats further cast doubt on the Jaguars' future in Jacksonville?

Scott from Hamlin, NY
Who got the better deal for Foles?
It amazes me the Jaguars were able to dump Foles' contract on the Bears. It's a game-changing trade for the Jaguars' salary cap and it allows them to consider all options at quarterback and proceed with a rebuild dedicated to young talent and the wealth of draft capital the Jaguars have to acquire that talent. The Bears? They're collecting broken pieces.

Randy from Medicine Hat, AB
When did your family first purchase a color TV set? What was the first televised football game you saw in color?
It wasn't until the late '60's and it had to have been at a friend's house because my parents didn't own a color TV until after I left for college. We had an old black and white Magnavox in the basement, which had become somewhat my personal hideaway for watching sports.

Patrick from Indianapolis, IN
Vic, what does the Packers' relatively cautious/quiet approach to free agency thus far tell you (if anything) about the team's plans, what they think of their roster, how they view their Aaron Rodgers window, etc.?
At this point, it tells me the Packers aren't willing to wreck their salary cap to go all in on the Rodgers window, and they believe they can address their needs in the draft and what remains of free agency. That opinion could change dramatically with a couple of pricey free-agent signings, but that's the way I'm reading it as it stands right now.

Dan from Waupun, WI
Do you have a vaccine for Bill O'Brien?
Why does he need a vaccine? He doesn't appear to be suffering from wide receiver fever.

Steve from Burlington, VT
Isn't QB, WR, WR again and WR yet again the premium positions in Green Bay?
Fever! in the morning, fever all through the night.

Tony from Burbank, CA
The Vikings traded Stefon Diggs and a seventh-round pick to the Bills for a first, fifth, sixth and 2021 fourth. I think the Vikings did very well for a position that's a dime a dozen. What do you think?
I feel sad for the Bills. The Vikings? It could be a game-changer for them.

Griff from Ashwaubenon, WI
What’s your assessment of free agency leaguewide so far?
A lot of real money and salary cap space was wasted on marginal talent. Regret will dominate.

Casey from York, PA
Is Christian Kirksey a run-and-hit piece the Packers defense is missing?
Your expectations are too high. I think he should be viewed as a player who's being given a chance to prove he can avoid injury and fill a role. The Packers signed him to a nothing contract that can be exited without a whimper. Kirksey is a value signing with almost downside risk.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
What are your thoughts on the Packers signing Rick Wagner?
Coach Noll said you don't build from the waiver wire. Using that logic, I think it's sensible to say you don't win your division title by signing rejects from the other teams in the division, but these are different times. I'm going to use Wagner (cut by the Lions) and Jimmy Graham (signed by the Bears after being cut by the Packers) to provide an answer that can be applied to all such players: Find in them a role they can perform and for which you have need, and then sign them to a contract that reflects the value of that role. The Packers have done that with Wagner.

Kyle from Wallingford, PA
Do you hear a train in the distance heading to Green Bay?
No. As I've written, the "train" is all about contract restructuring because it's difficult to wreck the future without restructuring contracts and pushing out money. Will the Packers restructure contracts to make a splash in free agency? So far, they appear to be taking the frugal route.

Amit from LaCrosse, WI
You mentioned covering the Steelers for 23 years and then you moved to Jacksonville to cover the Jaguars. Afterwards, you moved to cover the Packers. Can I ask why you switched to covering different teams? What were the circumstances that made you move from the Steelers to the Jaguars and then finally to Green Bay before you decided to retire?
Warren Buffett said if you're Bobby Fischer, you only ever play chess for money.

Roger from Auburn, CA
Vic, it looks like the Packers settled for lower priced/lower grade free agents at both the offensive tackle and linebacker positions. What does this tell you about the Packers' direction at this point?
It appears the Packers have returned to their true DNA. Wagner and Kirksey were released by their teams prior to the start of free agency, and that means neither player will count against the Packers in comp pick consideration.

Chris from Cincinnati, OH
With Brady apparently headed to Tampa, this feels more like Unitas going to the Chargers than Montana going to the Chiefs. Your thoughts?
I don't agree. Tom Brady is going to a Bucs team that can become the new power in the NFC South. I don't know how much Brady has left in the tank, but his coach is an astute offensive mind and I have no doubt he has a plan for getting the most out of what Brady has left. If anything, Brady going to the Bucs reminds me of Favre going to the Vikings.

Will from Julian, CA
What do the Bears/Giants see in Jimmy Graham/Blake Martinez the Packers don't? Aren't they saying they don't think the Packers used them properly and they will?
Or it says the Bears and Giants have spent their money unwisely. Free agency is often a trap for fools. We shall see.

Mark from Madison, WI
Would you be willing to write more columns during these peculiar times?
I hadn't planned on it, but these are extraordinary times and I'm getting a lot of emails from readers who are seeking entertainment in a sportsless culture. I'll consider expanding the column.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Alex from Racine, WI
What is your favorite game memory from each team you've covered over the years?
I can't restrict myself to game memories. "Immaculate Reception," Jagwads in Denver, Cobb's touchdown in Chicago? All wins; happy happy. My mind doesn't work that way. For me, great memories are happy, sad and for purely personal reasons. I covered the Steelers for 23 years, which included a lot of big games, but my most lasting memory is of covering training camp in Latrobe. Looking across those fields down in the bowl and seeing the mountains in the distance is the most beautiful football scene I've ever experienced. It was my Iowa. In Jacksonville, it was the middle-of-the-night pep rally following the playoff win in Denver. It was the fly-by on the team charter, and the pilot dipping the wing to let everyone in the stadium know it was the Jaguars and they'll be right back to party with you. It was just the second year in the franchise's history. It was all new and it was a whirlwind that swept me away. With the Packers, the lasting memory is the most hurtful memory of my reporting career. It's of sitting in the media room in Seattle preparing to interview Mike McCarthy following a win that would put the Packers in the Super Bowl, and then watching it all fall apart. "What am I going to tell those poor people? This isn't fair. This is wrong." I can remember mumbling those words inside my head.

Mark from Yucaipa, CA
The second thing I do after getting my coffee on Mondays and Thursdays is read your column. Haven’t missed one since you introduced yourself in 2011. Thanks for doing this, Vic. Looks like we are possibly going back to the old days of the league just announcing who is being picked. What did you reporters do between picks in the old days? What was it like in those rooms?
We interviewed coaches and scouts. The environment wasn't as antiseptic and confining as it is today. The coaches and scouts would wander down to the lunch room between picks, and that's where we'd go to engage them in conversation. That kind of cooperation and interaction doesn't exist today. It made covering the draft fun. Nowadays, covering the draft is like covering a press conference at the Pentagon.

Mike from Milwaukee, WI
Vic, a few years ago we made those lists of the rankings of the teams with the best combination of the four premium positions. It was kind of fun to think about. Are quarterback, left tackle, pass rusher and cornerback still the four premium positions, and which team do you think has the best set of premium position players (prior to free agency)?
Those are still the four premium positions, at least they are for 31 teams in the league. In Green Bay, the four premium positions are quarterback, wide receiver, tight end and inside linebacker. As for the best combination, I'll go with the Ravens: Jackson, Stanley, Judon and Humphrey.

Raymond from Jacksonville, FL
If the NFL decides 2020 games will be played in empty stadiums, wouldn't it be beneficial to the Jaguars in that the other teams will also have no fans left?
Yeah, get ready for the jokes. If the NFL decides games will be played in empty stadiums, how will they know in Jacksonville? Ha ha.

Adam from Denver, CO
Have you seen anything like this?
Google polio, and I'm not talking about canceling sporting events or running out of toilet paper, I'm talking about real fear.

Leo from Madison, WI
Has the draft always been after free agency? Teams would benefit more if the draft was before free agency, so why won't the league change it?
The players want it this way. They're afraid of teams getting what they need in the draft and then avoiding free agency. What if the draft came first and teams didn't get what they needed in the draft? They'd be desperate to get what they need in free agency and prices would go up.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, why were you drawn to the game of football?
The spectacle and the confrontation touched a nerve inside me. Again, it's the story of a young boy stumbling upon a high school football practice on a hot August day and being mesmerized by what he was seeing. I remember the feeling of excitement and how I couldn't wait to go back there the next day. I began hanging around, trying to get close to it, talk to the players and coaches. I wanted to be part of it. I guess that never changed. Maybe that moment was so intense it caused me arrested behavior and I stayed a child the rest of my life. I can tell you this, football appeals to the savage inside us. Maybe that's what it is.

Justin from Milton, WI
Vic, I love your memories from the years you covered the Steelers. The story you told about your interview with Terry Bradshaw in his training camp dormitory room sticks in my mind, how you asked about his relationship with Coach Noll. Do you have any other funny Terry Bradshaw stories?
Brad had a little dog he loved and he'd even bring it on the plane on the trip back to Pittsburgh following the annual preseason finale in Dallas. One day, I was walking across the locker room and he called to me. "I wanna show you a picture of my new dog," he said. He opened his wallet and showed me the picture. "What happened to the other dog?" I asked. I was afraid it might've died. Now, at the time, Brad was going through a divorce from skater JoJo Starbuck. "She even took the dog," Brad said.

Steven from Pampa, TX
I just now discovered this new blog! It made my day. It’s good to find something lighthearted in the wake of all the issues.
We're all in this together. You know, that might make for a winning campaign slogan.

Barry from Portage, WI
A thinker you are, yet, also a bereft moral deficient. And a covetous boob, as you've dutifully taken as much of my future as you can. Don't get eaten by an alligator on a lazy river, for your beautiful life deserves to witness the precipitates and suffering caused by its scornful industry. Loon.
OK.

Dan from Milwaukee, WI
I'd love to see Brian Gutekunst pull off one of these pennies-on-the-dollar trades for a player from a team in rebuilding mode, such as a two or a three for Myles Jack. Do any ideas jump out to you?
Yeah, don't make you my GM when I buy a team. Jack is coming off a bad season, he has knee issues and his salary explodes to $12.75 million this year. A two or a three? You might be able to get him for a six-pack and it wouldn't have to be cold.

Bill from Edisto Beach, SC
If the season is canceled in the fall, who gets paid what?
I have to believe there's language in the CBA to cover cancelation of games or the season. I vaguely remember it being described to me once as a "war clause."

Eric from Minneapolis, MN
If COVID-19 impacts the NFL season, will it also impact the salary cap?
Great question. If the season was to be canceled, revenues would dip dramatically and that would go directly to the 2021 salary cap. There would have to be some kind of new plan or dispensation that would allow teams to get under the cap. I suspect 2021 would become an uncapped year.

David from Madison, WI
Has COVID-19 breached the island? How close is it?
A neighbor's son has returned from France and the family has announced it's self-quarantining itself. It's a selfless act considerate of others and dedicated to the task of defeating this disease. It's what good people do.

​Matthew from Madison, WI
How would you fix the franchise tags so both parties would be happy?
The tags are turf for the owners in negotiations. Otherwise, I think the tags are useless. They delay the inevitable and breed enmity between the parties. I don't think they can be fixed in a meaningful way and I'd like to see them go away. The key to making free agency more affordable is making the supply of players equal or exceed the demand for them. The tags are ultimately hurting the teams by reducing supply and driving prices up. Imagine a free-agent crop loaded with affordable talent. Imagine a free agency auction, a draft-like event played out over two weekends. It would get bigger TV ratings than the draft. America would be glued to the TV to see teams bid on Tom Brady. It might get Super Bowl-like ratings.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Tristan from Chicago, IL
I once heard a man say, “The greatest form of currency is gratitude." Thank you, Vic.
This column is my expression of gratitude to my readers for the riches their loyalty has bestowed on me. It's also a way of saying I enjoy writing this column as much as I hope they enjoy reading it.

Adam from Denver, CO
Do you think this offseason will determine whether Rodgers wins another Super Bowl?
That question requires deep thought, and before I can provide an answer I need to know what the Packers' approach to free agency will be. Soon we'll know. Let's revisit your question in a couple of weeks from now.

Jason from Austin, TX
During these CBA negotiations, if a new league with a lot of money came into existence and vowed to be uncapped, do you think that would be a threat to the NFL or is it too late for real competition?
No new league can compete with the NFL. I think a new league can exist on a somewhat minor league level, but it would have to be willing to lose a lot of money for a long time because injury liability is going to turn the books red. Is this new XFL willing to lose a lot of money for a long time? I doubt it and that's because I don't see an end game. What the AFL did was the result of growing markets such as Denver, Houston and San Diego being available to a new league. There was no NFL team in Boston, one of the country's largest markets. There are no such markets available today. A new league would have to push the NFL aside, and that's not going to happen.

Alex from New Richmond, WI
Do you think that after the XFL admitting the refs made a mistake and are holding them accountable, the NFL will learn from that and maybe do the same?
The NFL has been doing it for years. It reviews, evaluates and grades the performance of its officials following every game. Every penalty assessed is evaluated. I had an official tell me if he threw a flag for defensive pass interference on a play in which the receiver caught the ball for a touchdown, the official might wave off the flag to avoid being reviewed on the call. That's how intense the review is. Officials are promoted, demoted and fired based on the result of those evaluations. What you want is a public flogging. Fans have begun to confuse humiliation for accountability.

Joe from Bloomington, IN
How many defensive line stars of the caliber you think the Packers need currently exist in the NFL?
Do you consider linebackers part of the defensive front? I do and I can think of several defensive stars who'd be game-changers for the Packers defense.

Kevin from Grand Rapids, MI
How does an incentive-based contract work under the salary cap? Is it paid in advance, retroactive to the past, or put against the next year's cap?
If an incentive is new or hadn't been achieved in the previous season, it's not likely to be earned and, therefore, will be charged to the following season's cap. If it was earned in the previous season, it's considered likely to be earned and, therefore, must be charged to the current season. A team could find itself having to cap last year's incentive and this year's incentive in the same year. When that happens, a player's contract is often restructured to change the incentive in a manner that would move it out of the LTBE category.

Brett from Marietta, GA
I enjoyed the hypothetical look at the Steelers from a modern salary cap perspective. Would you be willing to share what you see with the Lombardi Packers through that same lens?
On offense, Gregg, Taylor and Kramer would've been priority signings. Everybody else would've been at risk to leave, though the Packers would've been willing to reach down deep to keep the others, just not as deep. Defense is where the money would've been spent. Davis, Adderley, Robinson and Wood would've been priority signings. Everybody else would've been at risk to leave, though I have no doubt the Packers would've been willing to reach down deep to keep Nitschke, Jordan and maybe even Jeter, just not as deep. Starr not a priority signing? Based on conversations I've had with Cliff Christl, I get the sense Lombardi thought Starr was limited and replaceable. Starr would've gotten big money in unrestricted free agency. His name had star power. A lot of teams needed to sell tickets back then and Starr would've sold them.

Ben from Chicago, IL
Vic, which players could the Packers successfully trade to get some more draft capital. Preston Smith?
Not this year, next year. The Packers paid him a $16 million signing bonus and $12 million of it remains to clear the cap. His salary this year is affordable. Next year, he gets real pricey.

Barry from Portage, WI
Hopefully, your generation and the generation of my father are eternally sorrowful for the bind of ecological catastrophe in which their progenies have been unwittingly placed. Would you gladly sacrifice the game of football if it somehow saved societal collapse?
Would there still be football in societal collapse and would it be on TV?

Sean from Arlington Heights, IL
Vic, I’ve started watching the Packers “Legacy” documentary series and during the 1950-59 episode, there is a video of Jack Vainisi saying: “The theory of the Packers is we’ll draft the best available football player at the time. And even though we may end up with three halfbacks, or three tackles, or maybe two guards -- we don’t know ourselves at the time -- but we hope to have the best available football player because you can always use good football players.” Was that philosophy rare in those days?
I don't know when that philosophy began being used, but it was the draft philosophy with which I grew up as a young reporter. In 1959, there were only 12 teams in professional football, the draft was 30 rounds, training camp rosters were unlimited in size but in-season rosters were limited to 36, and there was as much lightly scouted talent in the HBCU schools as there was high-profile talent at the big-time schools. Also, unrestricted free agency didn't exist and that meant players were largely exclusive property of the team that owned their rights, so teams could collect talent and address roster depth without fear of losing that talent at the end of a contract. In other words, the game was talent rich and didn't have to concentrate as much on fitting talent into a grand plan. BAP was the perfect long-term philosophy for building and maintaining a roster. Unrestricted free agency and the salary cap changed everything.

Ben from Alameda, CA
If the NFL decides to play games without fans in the stadiums due to the coronavirus, does the casual fan watching at home notice or care?
If stand-and-howl noise was piped into the stadium and the camera was trained on the field, nobody watching TV would know the difference. Football is a great studio game.

​Malthe from Copenhagen, Denmark
How do you get a "killer" at pick No. 30?
You draft T.J. Watt. Yes, the chances of getting a "killer" decline as you go deeper into the order, but it happens and every team needs to be prepared to seize the opportunity. When you get the chance, don't pass on it.

Hugh from Sioux Falls, SD
GM Vic caught a leprechaun and was magically gifted this year's first overall pick. Who does he select for the Packers?
I think you're asking me if I would select Joe Burrow if I had the opportunity. I would certainly entertain trade offers, but if I didn't like what was offered to me and if Burrow was No. 1 on my board, I'd pick him. You just don't pass on the next Aaron Rodgers. The Packers didn't and look how it turned out for them.

Brandon from Lafayette, IN
What did you make of Rodgers' comments about drafting a QB?
They're logical. The day is nearing when the Packers will have to pick Rodgers' successor, but doing that now isn't going to help him win another Super Bowl. Take care of the future or all in for the present? That's the No. 1 question facing the Packers right now.

Mike from McFarland, WI
If you were commissioner, would you suspend the NFL season due to the pandemic?
If this virus is heat resistant, I would expect next season to be canceled.

Craig from Sheboygan, WI
I remember watching/listening to you and the Packers pregame show in the Atrium at Lambeau. They don't have the pregame show on the floor in the Atrium anymore. I miss that. Do you miss those days?
They are committed to memory and they help make me rich. I loved those days. I loved sitting at the broadcast podium, watching the fans in their cold-weather gear and waving to them. That was real fun.

​Eric from Lansing, MI
Loved your Notre Dame memories. They made me like college football again for a moment. Any special memories about Michigan State, to warm my Lansing heart?
The game of the century: Clinton Jones, George Webster, Bubba Smith and the colorful and incomparable Duffy Daugherty. The hype was out of this world.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Lynn from Los Alamos, NM
“You lost with them; you can lose without them.” Sounds like a Pittsburghism. Branch Rickey to Ralph Kiner?
Yep. "We finished last with you; we can finish last without you."

Craig from Benicia, CA
I enjoy reading your blog. How can I send you $20? I know you don’t do it for the money and that is great. I sure would like to show some financial support. Maybe there's a charity you want to receive (money) on your behalf?
I considered the charity idea, but I decided I want this column to maintain its distance from any kind of attachment to money. All of my working life, it was about the money. Not now. Be that as it may, I encourage everyone to donate to the charity of their choice.

Jason from Spokane, WA
What's your opinion of Minshew? Do you feel he could be the real deal or just a hype machine?
I think he's the perfect quarterback for a team that needs to blow it up. New, young, affordable quarterback and a new, young, affordable team growing together. This time, do it right and don't be deluded by a flukey flirtation with success. Coach Noll said you never arrive.

Steven from Doctors Inlet, FL
Packers fans should be prepared to do whatever they did during the '70's and '80's. Welcome to the club, from a 25-year Jaguars season ticket holder.
Ouch!

Freddie from West Valley City, UT
All the stats you need to know about Covid19 are at Coronavirus Worldometer. Someone in your age group with pre-existing conditions should be a little cautious.
OK.

Evan from Chicago, IL
Who does Tony see as the top two-gappers in this draft?
Tony told me Andrew Epenesa of Iowa and Raekwon Davis of Alabama are the top two-gappers, but he doesn't expect either player to be available at pick No. 30.

Pete from Rescue, CA
What is your favorite memory (good or bad) of Notre Dame football growing up.
My favorite memories of Notre Dame football are from the resurrection era under Ara Parseghian. One of the best games I've ever seen is from the 1964 season. John Huarte was the quarterback and Notre Dame was undefeated and No. 1 when they played at Pitt Stadium late in the season. The game came down to a fourth-and-short play in Notre Dame territory. They stopped Pitt quarterback Fred Mazurek to preserve a 17-15 win. A few weeks later, Notre Dame lost at USC, where several controversial calls left Notre Dame to believe they were jobbed. Two years later, after Notre Dame played Michigan State to a 10-10 tie in the true game of the century, Notre Dame ran it up on USC, 51-0, as payback for the jobbing they got two years earlier. My all-time favorite Notre Dame memory is of Tom Clements' game-winning pass to beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and claim the 1973 national title. Given the circumstances, it might be the greatest pass completion in college football history.

Will from Lake Julia, WI
Do you have concerns the accelerating melting of the polar ice caps will put your home at risk? I mean, don’t you live close to sea level and close to the ocean?
Yes, I do have concerns. Do you have concerns the accelerating melting of the polar ice caps could cause the loss of coastal cities and create a devastating migration of people, loss of land and commerce that could collapse our economy? No one will escape the effects of that kind of catastrophe. Salt intrusion into our fresh-water drinking sources is already a major problem. The Colorado River is drying up and threatening to paralyze the West. We're all in this together. Fortunately, my age suggests I'll be dead before the really bad stuff begins, so I have that going for me, which is nice. I suspect you're young and I'm glad to see our young people are showing a true concern for a crisis that threatens America's future.

Mike from Neenah, WI
Why do you think Nick Perry isn't on a roster?
Production didn't equal potential and eventually the guys with the great potential run out of time and chances. Nick is the perfect example of what Coach Noll preached. Football was an opportunity to earn a lot of money before Nick got on with his life's work. I always had the sense Nick got it, that he had football in its proper perspective.

Peder from Denver, CO
When the Combine starts, do you say to yourself, “The balogna starts here,” except you don’t say balogna?
No, I don't do that, and even if I did, I wouldn't say balogna, I'd say baloney. Maybe it's a Pittsburgh thing. Growing up, baloney was a word we used often. "That's baloney" or "You're full of baloney." It's not a colloquialism. It's in the dictionary. It's a word!

Justin from Waukesha, WI
Rodgers says 17 games are too many. Is he right?
I don't think he is. Expand the rosters. America is loaded with football talent. Rest players. Develop and play a second quarterback. Maybe that's a way to devalue the position; supply-side economics, so to speak. Hey, these teams have 20-some coaches, so coach. Less scheming and more teaching.

Keith from Springfield, MO
I know there's no cheering in the press box, but is laughing allowed?
I think you're missing the point of no cheering in the press box. It's a work area. Loud noises are forbidden because they are a distraction. The press box is also much more than a place for the media. It's a place for statisticians, team and league executives and scouts, and maybe even a Patriots incognito video crew spying on an upcoming opponent. These people don't get paid to cheer, they're paid to perform a task. Yes, there is laughing in the press box, but it's a quiet laugh.

Ted from Green Bay, WI
Regarding defensive line prospects for the Packers, what type of player in this draft would complement Kenny Clark and the Packers scheme on the defensive front?
The Packers need a star. They need a physically dominant defensive player, a "killer," so to speak. They need a player Clark can complement.

Eric from Colorado Springs, CO
The dominant Steelers teams of the '70s were created because of a couple of really good drafts close together. With all those rookie contracts, how long could they have kept that group together in today's salary cap?
The '69-'72 haul of talent would've been heading into their second contracts when the '74 draft produced Swann, Lambert, Stallworth and Webster. Greenwood almost certainly would've been lost in free agency. On defense, the Steelers would've kept Greene, Ham and Blount; everybody else would've been at risk to leave. On offense, Bradshaw, Harris and Kolb would've been re-signed; everybody else would've been at risk to leave. Of course, it would've been the same for every team in the league. The Raiders would've been decimated by free agency. The NFL would've never adopted a salary cap at that time because to do so would've allowed the WFL a ready-made roster of big-name players to launch that league.

John from Yakima, CA
Do all NFL players pay dues to the NFLPA? The question is based on a news article that said only dues-paying players would be voting on the new CBA.
There's no rule requiring a player to belong to the players union.

Derek from Eau Claire, WI
This is the one time of year when help is on the way. What kind of help do the Packers need?
They need help on defense. I think they need to get a big guy up front on offense, a tight end and a wide receiver. Some would say they need to draft a quarterback. Frankly, that's a lot of needs for a team in the conference title game.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Jim from Brooklyn, NY
Do you think "Mean Joe" Greene liked being called mean?
Yeah, I do. I don't think he would've gotten the Coke commercial if he had been "Nice Joe" Greene. "Little boy, would you like to have my jersey?" instead of "Hey, Kid" just doesn't work.

Matthew from Madison, WI
In reading about the draft, I came across someone arguing the term generational prospect gets thrown around too much. A generational prospect at their position should come around once every 20 years. He put forth the term presidential prospect (a prospect that comes around every four years). Do you think anybody in this draft is deserving of one of those labels?
Overstatement is the charm of the draft process. It's politically correct to be outrageous when talking about draft prospects, which has always been what I've loved most about the draft. Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane; looks good in the shower; plays best in space; plays too big for his body; time him with a sun dial; I have him graded just below Jesus from Nazareth, etc. It's draft lingo and I've always loved it. I got a text from a scout friend who was at this year's Combine: "Tight ends struggled blocking a sled. Ditka is shaking his head!" It almost made me wish I was there. Are there generational or presidential prospects in this year's draft class? Absolutely there are. Finding out who those players are is what makes the draft fun. It's all a projection. It's a crystal ball business and the careers of the men who look into those crystal balls will be determined by what they see. Love it!

Mike from Somerset, WI
The Packers got whipped in the NFC Championship game. How would you compare the fan bases after big losses for each of the three teams you covered?
There's no difference. I covered all three teams when they lost conference title games and there was abject disappointment in each case. The reaction by Packers fans to what happened in San Francisco is a little different because they're giving Matt LaFleur a rookie coach pass. It'll be his last.

Tom from Pine River, WI
What are your thoughts on Tony Romo becoming the highest paid NFL broadcaster?
They're paying him by the word? Seriously, it didn't surprise me. As much as he's not my kind of TV analyst, he is the perfect TV analyst for the young fans, whose view of football is tilted toward the play-calling/strategy side of the game. Romo has a magnetic personality for the young fans. I think it helps him he never won anything. It gives him a kind of sympathetic nice guy allure. In my mind, his commentary explains why he never won anything: He relied too much on scheme. That's exactly what the young fans love about him.

Will from Maine
Vic, what precautions are you taking to ensure you will survive the coronavirus? What should the rest of us do?
I've stopped eating bat. I think everyone should do the same, at least until we know a little more about this illness.

Mark from Minneapolis, MN
NFL Network definitely has a case of WR fever. The first night of the Combine they posted a list of the best WR 40 times in recent years, and it was alarming to see the NFL productivity, or lack thereof, associated with the names on the list. Is the mega-hype over 40 times a media-driven tool to drive viewership, while the GMs and personnel people are looking for a much broader skill set?
It's the underwear Olympics. Nobody cares about the 40 times of offensive tackles.

Joe from Eau Claire, WI
You mentioned Jacksonville holding its training camp in Stevens Point, Wisc. This brought back memories of when I was younger and there being a variety of teams holding training camps in Wisconsin. Do you have any insight on this practice, how it came to be, or what contributed to its decline?
Teams were trying to get out of the heat. This was in the era of two-a-days and full-pads practices with live goal-line drills. The Cheese League was also good for combined practices, which had become very popular. Why did it go away? Teams began building elaborate training facilities at home, distance from home was making the move bulky, injured players had to be sent home for medical evaluation and treatment, etc. The Jaguars were in Stevens Point for only one year. It was obvious it didn't make sense moving a football team so far from home.

Dave from Chippewa Falls, WI
Last weekend, I read a draft guy that wrote something to the effect a LB prospect showed he will be able to be a good cover guy because he had good times in the 40 and the agility drills. Do these guys really believe this stuff or are they just trying to get us to believe it?
It's a crystal ball business, Dave. Rashan Gary is a classic example. He was a down lineman in college but he was drafted to play linebacker because the Packers believe he has the speed and agility to play in space.

Evan from Chicago, IL
Are running backs a dime a dozen now?
The elevated injury risk at that position is also causing teams to look for more affordable prospects in the later rounds. Look at the mess the Rams are in with Todd Gurley. I favor a shotgun approach at running back. Late picks, undrafted free agents, street free agents; Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams are good examples of that philosophy.

Jared from Sugar City, ID
Vic, if you were a coach, what would you look for in players during the pre-draft activities?
It always begins with size and speed. Then you look for athletic ability, instincts, toughness, coachability, leadership, etc., but big and fast are the prerequisites.

Grant from Wauwatosa, WI
The Packers may be an all-in team for the next three years and there is only one result that justifies this strategy. What do you suggest Packers fans do for the subsequent three years of clean up?
You can't have it both ways. If you're all in on the present, you're going to suffer the consequences in the future. My philosophy, especially in the salary cap era, has been to take care of the future and the future will take care of the present. In that philosophy, you pay the price in the first three years. When do you wish to be patient?

Louis from Columbus, OH
Vic, if you are Brian Gutekunst, what is your biggest concern this offseason? What keeps you up at night?
It's the defense. It's No. 18 in the league and that rather unimpressive ranking was achieved despite having played against three backup quarterbacks and two rookies. The Packers have spent a lot of money and draft picks on that defense and it's still the Packers' No. 1 problem. Complicating matters, I've got an aging quarterback and I need to get him weapons to help ease the concerns I have about him.

Adrian from Jacksonville, FL
How can the Jaguars fix the problem they have with players wanting out of Jacksonville?
Let them leave, trade them and cut them. You lost with them, you can lose without them. It's time to blow that mess up and start over, and the Jaguars certainly have the picks to do it.

J.P. from Jacksonville, FL
Vic, do you have any advice on how to best enjoy an afternoon at the upcoming TPC Sawgrass tournament?
Get a press pass, sit in the media facility all day, eat the free food and watch the golf on TV. That's what I did and I loved it. Oh, make sure they give you a parking pass, too.

David from Madison, WI
Would you share a story from coaching little league? Your story about not playing a kid when he wasn't ready is powerful.
We had a nice traveling team of 12s. The following year, they were going to be 13s in a 13-14 travel league and we knew we were gonna have a long summer, but they'd be better for it when they were 14. So, we prepared the kids for what was going to happen, but we weren't prepared for one particular team we had to face. As soon as they stepped off the bus, I knew we were looking at a 10-run-rule game. I was actually more concerned about injury. This team was built for a much bigger stage. Neil Walker's father, former Expos pitcher Tom Walker, was the manager. I saw the look on our kids' faces and I took them aside and gave them this pep talk. "Forget about the score," I said. "Let's get these guys out 15 times." There were chuckles. One kid hit a pop up so high I was afraid our kid would miss it, it would hit him in the face and he'd be disfigured for life. Mercifully, the game ended and our kids looked like they'd rather play soccer, so I took them aside and gave them this pep talk. "We got them out 15 times," I said. Then, for dramatic effect, I pointed at the other team and in a louder voice I said, "We got those guys out 15 times!" Our kids smiled, laughed and left happy. Perception is reality. Oh, by the way, the other team eventually lost to Chinese Taipei in the Pony League World Series.

"Ask Vic" will publish on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Morgan from Little Chute, WI
If you aren't going to participate in all of the combine drills why go?
The most important function of the combine is to perform medical exams on the players. That's why the combine was created.

Dan from Milwaukee, WI
Do you think the depth of the receiver class will lead to most teams waiting to address it?
It makes sense when you consider the premium placed on big guys. I get the sense what you're really asking is: Could the premium on big guys cause a receiver rated higher than the 30th pick of the draft to fall to the Packers? Yes. As I've written, the bottom of the first round is not too high to draft a receiver. I think the Packers have greater need for a big guy, but if the value is in a receiver, pick him. I'll also tell you it has come to my attention the top 10 wide receiver receptions leaders in 2019 ran an average of 4.55 in the 40. What's that tell you about wide receivers? It tells me you don't have to reach for them.

Isaac from Nashville, TN
Vic, how is a single-gapping defense supposed to play the run?
It's called a gap-control defense and in it every player in the defensive front is assigned a gap responsibility, which is known as a run fit. Gap-control is a sound defensive scheme that promotes tackles for a loss, and in gap-control everybody is a pass-rusher, but if one guy fails to man his gap, it can result in a big run. The "Steel Curtain" is the best two-gapping defense I ever covered, and the Marcus Stroud/John Henderson Jaguars defense is the best gap-control defense I ever covered.

Nate from Plymouth, MN
Recently, Pro Football Focus published a list of the best Super Bowl quarterback performances PFF has ever graded. Aaron Rodgers' outing against the Steelers after the 2010 season came in at No. 1, and it wasn't particularly close. What were your thoughts on Rodgers' performance in that game, and what's the greatest Super Bowl you've ever seen from a QB?
Is that the same Pro Football Focus that said the Packers defense was much better than its yardage rankings? Rodgers played a great game. The best I've seen? I don't feel a need to rank my memories. If I did, what Brady did against the Falcons would immediately come to mind, and Roethlisberger's game-winning drive against the Cardinals still amazes me, especially the consecutive passes to Santonio Holmes, the one in the back-left corner of the end zone Holmes dropped and then the mirror-image one in the back-right corner of the end zone Holmes caught to win the game. I'm big on crunch time, and Rodgers made a game-winning crunch time throw against the Steelers that defines his performance in that game.

Michael from Sanford, FL
Where does Mike Hollis rank on the list of kickers you covered, and are you knocking him down a peg because his short kickoffs necessitated the Jaguars use two game-day roster spots on kickers?
This is why I don't like rankings. When you honor one player or one memory, you detract from another. Mike Hollis and Josh Scobee rank right behind Gary Anderson and Mason Crosby, but that's not how I'll remember Mike. Mike is tied for No. 1 on my favorite-kicker-story list. It goes back to the Jaguars' first-ever training camp, in Stevens Point, Wisc. Scott Sisson was the favorite to win the job. Mike was kind of an afterthought in the competition, but right away I could tell he was better than Sisson. Mike got the ball up faster and his kicks had a much more consistent rotation to them. His kicks simply made a better thump sound than Sisson's. I introduced myself to Mike, became friendly with him and my reporter's instinct told me he was going to make a good story. Nevertheless, Sisson continued to get the reps, right down to the final preseason game, when Sisson missed a PAT kick. Maybe that was the final straw. Mike won the job and he was, in fact, a great story, especially in the Jaguars' '96 run to the AFC title game.

Benjamin from Vestal, NY
Who’s the most eloquent player you have covered?
Joe Greene. "I have a very cavalier attitude toward Cleveland," he said. It's one of my favorites. Not once did Joe play the "I just want to contribute" card. He always had something thoughtful and meaningful to offer to a worthy question.

Steve from Phoenix, AZ
I got an unpleasant chill when reading your tongue-in-cheek response about McCarthy's accent becoming easier to understand under different circumstances. It felt prescient.
It wasn't tongue in cheek.

Brian from Iron Mountain, MI
Did you cover Dan Marino’s last game?
Yes, and I also covered the final game in the careers of Johnny Unitas, Terry Bradshaw and Jim Kelly. The combined deficit Marino and Unitas faced in those games -- Unitas was benched at halftime -- was 97-7.

Jason from Austin, TX
Vic, if the "Steel Curtain" is considered the most dominant defensive line in NFL history, is there an equivalent offensive line/running game in NFL history you think could run effectively against them?
Hogs vs. Steel Curtain would be a great confrontation.

Jack from Chicago, IL
Do you have any examples of under-and-up throwers who got into turnover trouble?
Byron Leftwich had an under-and-up throwing motion and I think it cost him a great career. Byron had great instincts for the position. He was a natural-born leader and winner. He was big, tough, courageous and intelligent. He wasn't mobile but he knew where his receivers were and how to dump it down to avoid the rush. Everything about Byron was an up arrow except for that horrible under-and-up throwing motion. He got the ball knocked out of his hand too often and his long throwing motion was an invitation for pass-rushers. Byron was Dan Marino with the worst throwing motion I have ever seen. Also, Byron held the ball as I had never seen another quarterback hold it. He ran his fingers down the laces, more than across the laces. I figured it was a backyard creation from his childhood, but one day I happened to notice Chad Pennington held the ball the same way Byron did. I assumed it was something they had been taught at Marshall.

Cassidy from Carlsbad, CA
What was the rationale for the 1978 rules change that allowed the offensive linemen to use their hands to block?
Defense was dominating. There wasn't enough scoring. The losing team in Super Bowls VI-IX didn't score more than seven points. The rules changes of 1978 were intended to promote the passing game, which is exactly what they did. In that season's Super Bowl, the Steelers beat the Cowboys in a 35-31 thriller. The game was changed forever.

Alex from Orlando, FL
Vic, has Paul Azinger been a good replacement for Johnny Miller?
Miller is still the best -- I watched a TPC replay the other night just to listen to Miller -- but Azinger has really grown into the role. In the beginning, I thought he was too much of a player apologist, but with time he has become a more balanced analyst. I love his succinct technical evaluations. In the Honda, he quickly explained why Gary Woodland had chunked a chip. "Hands ahead cause the leading edge to dig," Azinger said. I knew exactly what he meant; it was Milleresque analysis. On the flip side, Paul grossly misspoke during the second round of the Honda. The coverage provided a visual of a brown pelican standing majestically near a green. David Feherty said he heard brown pelicans go blind from diving head first into the surf and then starve to death because they can't find food. "That's absolutely true," Azinger. It's absolutely not true. They do not go blind from diving head first into the surf and then die of starvation because they can't find food. I can't imagine how that morose story of kamikaze pelicans came to become beach lore, but it has been debunked. Brown pelicans live to be 15-25 years old, which is a long life for a bird. Human behavior is the greatest threat to the brown pelican.

Dave from Savage, MN
I have a book to read about Joe Namath and his time with Bear Bryant at Alabama. Do you have any stories from Namath's time in high school or after?
He played for Beaver Falls. A stupid rule required a team to be undefeated and untied to play for the Western Pa. title. Beaver Falls was the only undefeated and untied team in Namath's senior season, therefore, they won the title without having to play a title game. It angered me. Hey, step out of the Beaver Valley and play somebody, OK?

Bryan from Spartanburg, SC
Vic, you mentioning Rocky Bleier in your column made me think of an article I read a couple of months ago. Bleier was talking about an issue he had when he was playing and the writer asked him if he had talked with Coach Noll about it and Bleier responded he had never had a personal conversation with Chuck Noll. I found that surprising. Was that Noll's personality or just how coaches handled players back then?
Paul Brown said "I'll tell you when you do it wrong; I pay you to do it right." Coach Noll played for Brown. It was the way coaches were back then. Getting close to your players might've been perceived as a weakness. It made cutting a guy difficult and might've clouded a coach's decision making. I can only remember one such example of weakness in Chuck's career. He cut Dwaine Board to avoid cutting Dwight White, who had come out of a hospital bed to play in Super Bowl IX. Keeping White and cutting Board was a mistake and I'm sure Chuck knew it. Lombardi used a good cop, bad cop personality to keep his distance. Still, in the end he quit instead of having to cut the guys who won for him. Fans want love, but football is not a loving game. Chuck expressed his love for his players in unique ways. He told them football was something they would do for a short time before they got on with their life's work, and he applauded them when they moved on. He never capitalized on his success by taking endorsement money. He believed endorsement money should be left for the players, who had short careers and needed to profit as much as possible in the time they had in the limelight.

David from Calistoga, CA
I recently read a fringe presidential candidate suggest the invention of a transhumanist Olympics, a second division of athletics, where medical science and radical technology are encouraged and celebrated through new sport. I’m intrigued; what are your thoughts on the concept?
Fringe presidential candidate? Is he running on the Nutso Party ticket? Maybe he's the guy who started that story about brown pelicans. Are we talking about using athletes as lab rats to create a quarterback with a third eye to watch the pass rush? A wide receiver with an extra finger on each hand? A Packers defender who could stop the run?

Saikat from Niskayuna, NY
Which books have you been reading recently?
I'm re-reading Michener's "Kent State," as this is the 50th anniversary year of that event in my life. I've had to put the book down several times because the details upset me.

​William from Savannah, GA
Vic, did you watch the 1980 Olympic hockey game between the U.S. and Russia? That game, 9/11, the Cuban missile crisis and the Kennedy assassination were about the only four events in my lifetime that really united this country, in my opinion. From your perspective, did I miss any?
I'll add the moon landing and Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" before the 1976 Flyers/Red Army hockey game. Everyone in the Spectrum was singing, and then the Flyers bounced the Soviets off every board on the ice. "They're going home!"