Go wild in free agency or be responsible?

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.