I see no negatives in Jonathan Taylor

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

Jon from Omaha, NE
Vic, I'm starting to get defense fever again. I'm quite curious about what the Packers will do on the defensive front. I'd love to have a starting three that would scare offensive lines. Any big guys we should be looking for in this draft or late in free agency?
Tony Pauline thinks the Packers will need to trade up to address their defensive line in the first round, but I'm not so sure. Quarterbacks and pass-rushers are always overdrafted and push good players down at other positions.

Ryan from Wausau, WI
You said Pop Warner was the first father of modern offense, but also mentioned there were several. Who are the others?
Sid Gillman and Bill Walsh immediately come to mind, but there were a lot of innovative coaches between Warner and the modern wave. One of them is Clark Shaughnessy, the father of the T formation. Football's history is every bit as fascinating as baseball's, but not nearly as publicized and chronicled. If you love football, research men such as Shaughnessy and how they helped the game evolve.

Scott from Alaska
I do not understand this question: "Is it moral to place wealth above life?" Isn't wealth the source of life? Isn't wealth necessary to sustain it?
Thank you.

Drew from St. Paul, MN
Have you watched any Gophers football games in the last couple of years? If so, what’s your take on P.J. Fleck?
Carnival barker.

Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, what events during your lifetime have fundamentally changed American culture besides 9/11 and the current pandemic?
Jonas Salk's discovery of his polio vaccine, Kent State, Watergate, FOX News, Seinfeld and the 2008 financial crisis come to mind. There are many more, of course.

Caleb from Brookfield, CT
Vic, do you feel like a member of the media needs to try and limit their internal bias? You always emphasized you were not a fan when you reported for the Packers and I appreciated that. Do you feel like that sense of professionalism is lost now?
I've known newspapers named the such and such Republican and the so and so Democrat. Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" was a biased publication. The media has always had a bias. Media outlets have long taken a position and defended it. All of a sudden, we can't handle it; it's divided us. Why? Why have we become so intense about opinion we have no tolerance for anyone's but our own? The problem isn't with the media. The problem is with the reader and the viewer. Stop blaming the media and begin being accountable for your reaction to it.

Joshua from Cable, WI
Vic, hard counts, catching 12 men on the field or any type of trick play are all fine until they get cute. It's good to make the other team pay for their mistakes, but if a team gets cute they are admitting they can't win straight up. I would like to see the Packers be a bit less cute.
Bingo!

Doug from Union Grove, WI
Vic, I'm retiring on Friday. I'm turning 71 on Sunday. I still have part-time work as our village president, but what am I supposed to do with the rest of my time? Is there a book on this somewhere? I'd come sit on your porch but the commute would wear me out.
Ask yourself, do I have enough and am I enough? If the answer to both is yes, relax and enjoy it; you've achieved contentment. If the answer is no to either, don't retire; you've got work to do.

Alex from Vienna, VA
I understand there are different physical requirements, but why is it more difficult to find a safety than, say, a linebacker? It was the only ranking you gave that surprised me.
In this age of four and five-wide, and with offenses going no-huddle and forbidding defenses to substitute, safeties have to possess cornerback-like coverage skills.

Damian from Superior, WI
I just finished "Kent State" by James Michener and found the reaction of the residents of Kent more horrifying than the shootings themselves. What a dark time.
Within a few years after the shootings, Nixon had ended the draft and the United States had withdrawn from Vietnam. Often, people have to die to effect the change they seek.

Jake from Eden Prairie, MN
With OTAs and training camp most likely being canceled, will this lower the amount of injuries throughout the season due to less contact early on, or increase injuries due to lack of proper technique and being in football shape?
We could be headed for a very different kind of football season. Should it begin late and lack a preseason, comparisons will be made to the 1982 strike season, which saw the cancelation of seven games and resumed in late November.

Pat from Seneca, SC
What are your thoughts on Bruce Arians as a coach? Tampa seems to have some good skill-position players (but perhaps questionable pass protection). All things considered, is Tampa a good fit for Brady?
I think the bigger question is: Can Tom Brady still play? I love Arians as a coach -- I thought he would've been a good hire for the Packers -- but when Bill Belichick gives up on a guy, I have to believe his skills have clearly eroded.

Matthew from Madison, WI
A few weeks ago, you said having NFL free agency was a bad look. Are you disappointed they didn't delay the draft?
No, because I think the draft is a good look, especially at a time like this. The draft is re-birth. It's young men excited for their new life. It's heart-warming stories of human victory. On draft night, it's a game of the heart. The greed comes later.

Will from Julian, CA
Vic, what are your thoughts on playoff expansion?
I love it. I hope a 7-9 team wins the Super Bowl. Why would that be an outrage? Folks, the days of the '60's Packers, '70's Steelers, '80's 49ers and '90's Cowboys are over. There are no more true teams of the decade. That ended with unrestricted free agency and the salary cap. This is the era of true parity, and nothing defines this era better than an unlikely champion.

Morgan from Little Chute, WI
Jameis Winston to the Packers in a Teddy Bridgwateresque role?
I don't think he's a good fit for the Packers, but he'll be a good fit for somebody, and I'm not referring to a team looking for a No. 2. Winston is a huge talent. He's a lion that needs to be tamed. I think he'd be a great fit in Jacksonville.

Bret from Mililani, HI
Did all those Tom Brady “discounts” finally catch up to the Patriots?
Are you referring to contract restructurings? Of course they caught up to the Patriots. Belichick is a great manager of personnel and the salary cap. He's going to take his medicine and heal as quickly as possible.

Chris from Lexington, KY
What are your thoughts on Jonathan Taylor? Some mocks have him in the top 25 while others have him in the third round. Where do you see him going?
I love him. I asked Tony Pauline for his opinion on Taylor and I also asked Tony for the negatives on Taylor. "Powerful between-the-tackles, downhill ball carrier with breakaway speed," Tony said. The negatives? "Purely a north-south running back with no ability to run laterally or turn the perimeter," Tony added. That's not a negative for me, that's a pounder. Taylor is a perfect fit in Pittsburgh. Let's pound, baby.