You are who your quarterback is

"Ask Vic" will publish on Mondays and Thursdays through the offseason.

Kelvin from Kenilworth, UK
Vic, after reading the list of Vicisms in the column, I can say a  first edition "Ask Vic" mug is still going strong here. It bears my first coffee of the day every morning and my favorite is still "My inbox is a place of great anger," which was after every Jags loss. I hope you and the column continue for as long as possible! Thank you.
The Jaguars CFO used that coffee mug to explain why it was a mistake for the owners to have agreed to the CBA that preceded the current one. It was a total football revenue (TFR) model that paid players 60 percent of the gross. "The players will get 60 percent of the gross from sales of your coffee mug, leaving you with 40 percent of the gross to pay 100 percent of the costs," he said. We stopped selling the coffee mug.

Tom from Bismarck, ND
Vic, many readers probably write in with takes on your football opinions. Some even on your political opinions. I like how, rather than engaging in a debate, you simply reply OK. However, you have said on many occasions the questions help write the column. By simply saying OK, the readers are, in fact, writing the column. Personally, I think your political opinions are reflective of someone in today's media. You know, like someone who's kind of out of touch. I'll let others comment on your football opinions being out of touch. OK?
OK.

Anthony from Milwaukee, WI
So it wasn’t Dom Capers' fault the defense struggled. It was a talent problem. Which falls on Ted Thompson, who had spent the majority of this decade's top draft picks on defense, yet, the Packers still had no defense. But he deserves to go into the Packers Hall of Fame because he got his first draft pick right?
Ron Wolf is in the Packers Hall of Fame because he got his first trade right. GMs are defined by what they do at quarterback.

Grant from Plymouth, MN
A "powerful bull rush" was also Nick Perry's thing, I think.
It is. I attribute Nick's failures with the Packers to his inability to avoid injury. I also think Nick is a little too well-adjusted to be a star defensive player. I don't think football is the most important thing in his life. Outrage!

Justin from Madison, WI
What did you make of Matt Nagy's 43-yard kicking competition at rookie mini-camp? If you were head coach of the Bears, would you be dwelling on the double doink or would your message to the team be more focused on moving on?
It's kind of hokey, certainly not something Chuck Noll would've done, but I'm going to give Nagy a thumb's up on it. He was sending a message to his kickers specifically and to his team in general: Make the plays that win games. If you're going to act out this kind of melodrama, spring is the time to do it.

​Will from Salt Lake City, UT
It's unfortunate you did not have as close of a relationship with Ted Thompson as you may have when you worked with other teams, but what with the owners, like Mark Murphy, for other teams you covered? I love how Murphy is engaging to the fans and truly believe your column helped inspire that.
Mark sat next to me in the press box. We had conversations during the game that helped me enjoy the event. The future of the Packers couldn't be entrusted to a better person. Mark is a brilliant man who's going to give the Packers a more blended, outgoing and accommodating personality. I thought the Packers' personality got a little stale and aloof in the years I worked there, especially after the remodeling of the football operations space created a kind of football fiefdom. Mark has torn down the walls. Owners for the other teams I covered? I love them all. The Rooneys are great people, regular people with whom I always felt a sense of brotherhood in the fraternity of football. One of my Vicisms comes straight from Dan Rooney: "You find football players  where you find football players." Former Jaguars ower Wayne Weaver transitioned my career from ink to digital. I am forever indebted to him.

Greg from Cuenca, Ecuador
Vic, would you comment on the trend among athletes to avoid the press but roll out their "blockbuster takes" on HBO or whatever other outlet will pay them for content?
"Checkbook journalism" isn't journalism. I don't begrudge anyone from maximizing their income, but players who don't take advantage of the free and honorable media available to them are making a big mistake. It's an opportunity to communicate with mainstream fans and create an image that'll last a lifetime.

Dan from Waupun, WI
In your long career, what quality do all good athletes have? Sports people talk about first in, last out, football IQ, quick hips, etc. Is there a tell you have noticed in top athletes?
Their movements are fluid. The grace of Swann, the flick of Bradshaw's arm, the lateral slide of Boselli, Rodgers' ease.

Carwyn from Carmarthen, Wales
I recall you being very positive about the Jerry Porter acquisition at the time. Were you surprised he didn't work out, or did you have to be a company man on that one?
I had preached the message of draft the best available player and free agency is a trap for fools for so long I eventually wore out. Almost nobody agreed with me. The Jaguars were coming off a strong finish that nearly took them to the Super Bowl, and the feeling heading into 2008 was the Jaguars were only a player or two away. They needed to find a pass rusher and a wide receiver, so they traded up to draft pass rushers in the first and second rounds, and they signed Porter to a big contract in free agency. Instead of being a killjoy, I decided to join the parade of fans that delighted in deluding themselves.  Everybody liked me  and it made for a pleasant offseason. After the Jaguars finished 5-11, I apologized to my readers for not being true to my beliefs.

Jim from Maple Grove, MN
Vic, based on your last blog post, it looks like ILB is the panic position for Packers fans this year. Personally, I’m not convinced Jimmy Graham is the answer at TE. You’ve shared concerns about the receiver corps. Is WR still your main concern for the Packers?
It's the offensive line, especially right tackle.

Derek from Eau Claire, WI
Do you see the Packers being able to rush four most of the time and apply pressure, or will their be a fifth rusher coming from somewhere else most of the time?
If the Packers aren't bringing five, they're wasting two.

Beau from Lancaster, PA
What are your thoughts on the derby debacle?
The horse doesn't care so I don't either.

​Joe from Bloomington, IN
Keke dominated the Senior Bowl. Sleeper of the draft?
It's possible. The Senior Bowl is a good test of a player's skill. Be that as it may, Montravius Adams also dominated the Senior Bowl. The draft is amazingly unpredictable. After applying all of the information accumulated on a prospect, there's no guarantee of how a player will perform or when you'll know for sure what his level of performance will be. Maybe this will be Adams' breakout year. In my opinion, all you can do is collect the best talent available to you, be committed and patient with it as you coach it up, and hope.