H-back saves a roster spot

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

Jack from Middleton, WI
What's a book that's given some of the greatest advice you've ever been given?
I forget the name of the book and the author. It was a self-help book and I'm not big on those because they tend to be monetized versions of over-parenting, but I agreed to read this one on the advice of a loved one who found comfort in it. The advice was about seeking contentment: If you can say I have enough and I am enough, you've found it. I've applied those words to my perspective on retirement.

Barbara from Salamanca, Mexico
What's the lowest scoring game you've seen with your eyes?
I covered a 6-0 game in Houston in 1980 and a 7-3 game in Cincinnati in 1976. They are two of the most memorable games of my career. The '80 game was the end-of-the-run game for the "Steel Curtain," and the '76 game was the beautiful, Thanksgiving weekend snow game. Low scoring allows us to focus on other events.

George from Manassas, VA
You didn't really have a neck fusion and then go on your roof and ride out a hurricane a couple of years after having a heart attack, did you?
Neck fusion, yes. Ride out the storm, yes. Lash myself to the air-conditioner, no. I sat inside, it rained a little and a few palm fronds blew down. The forecast for Isaias turned it away from us, and I relied on the forecast because evacuation would've been doubly difficult in my condition. The tide schedule was the whole issue for us. Once I saw the storm would pass Edisto at or near low tide, I had no concern. It's all about the forecast, and science was right on the mark. I trust science.

Joe from Milwaukee, WI
How would you think your recent neck fusion compares to the procedure Jermichael Finley needed done?
My understanding is Finley's fusion is high in the neck, and the higher the fusion, the closer it is to the brain stem and likely to end a player's career. Fusions put added stress on the levels directly above and below, and that can be a big problem later in life for someone as young as Finley. Years ago, when I underwent my first fusion, Tom Coughlin put me in touch with Tim Lewis, whose career was ended by a neck injury. Lewis told me of a new procedure he had just undergone. I remember connecting with Lewis in the conversation. We were members of the bad-neck club. We know the lingo. A neurosurgeon once asked me to describe what I feel. I said, "Doc, the best I can tell you is when I'm good a pop is bad and when I'm bad a pop is good." He said it was the best description he ever heard.

Richard from Sacramento, CA
Can you explain an H-back compared to a halfback or a tight end?
An H-back is a fullback/tight end. He's big enough to catch passes in the middle of the field and absorb a blow, but short enough to block in the middle of the line and avoid getting cut and stuck in the hole. Josiah Deguara, 6-2, 242, is the perfect H-back. His combined talents should save the Packers a roster spot.

Terry from Wausau, WI
Freedom means I am free to do whatever I want. Free to pursue my chosen career without taxation, free to not wear a seatbelt, free to poop my pants if I want, free to not wear a mask. Any other kind of freedom is loser Democrat Marxist freedom.
OK.

Ron from Beaufort, SC
I recently read teams are approaching the Packers about a trade for Aaron Rodgers. I don't see that as realistic for this season. What about 2021? Would the Packers consider it? If they did, what would the salary cap implications be? What do you think he would get them in terms of trade value? I know teams always experience change and I find myself feeling they should do it. Your thoughts?
He'd get them at least two ones. If this is rebuilding, I think it would be a smart move. His dead money would be huge but his scheduled cap hit would be even higher, which means he'd be a cap savings. In 2022, the cap savings would be huge, which makes a trade a no-brainer. Again, if this is rebuilding, why wait? It's all about where the Packers think they are with turning over their roster.