Packers will breeze to victory

​"Ask Vic" will publish on M-W-F through the football season.

Scott from Hamlin, NY
GM Vic has decided to trade Rodgers in the offseason and eat the dead money. Do you sign Jones or let him walk and begin rebuilding the offense around Love and Dillon.
If I've decided to trade Rodgers, I've decided to blow it up, so blow it up. Let's back up a little bit. If the Packers win the Super Bowl this year or at least come close to doing it, I'd likely do everything I can to keep the team together and take at least one more run at a championship. If the Packers were to lay an egg in the postseason, however, I might blow it up and start over. As that decision would pertain to Rodgers and Jones would depend on my opinion of Love and Dillon. Are they the players I thought they were when I drafted them? If they're not, then I wasted my top two picks of the 2020 draft and I don't have the dynamite I need to blow it up. In my opinion, everything hinges on what the Packers do in the postseason and on the evaluations of Love and Dillon. It's an intriguing situation. Brian Gutekunst was either visionary or screwed up badly in picking Love and Dillon. He might've painted himself into a corner.

Tim from Fernandina Beach, FL
So owner Vic has hired his GM. Now comes the one thing that will determine his legacy: drafting the QB. Given college football only vaguely represents NFL football, how do you evaluate a college QB to see if he is NFL ready?
I leave it up to the GM I hired to do that. Owner Vic hires good people and then gets out of the way and lets them do their job. Owner Vic doesn't evaluate players. Owner Vic evaluates the people who evaluate the players.

Jason from Des Moines, IA
How much of an impact do you think Matthew Stafford could have on a team like the 49ers or Patriots? He's my favorite player (not on the Packers), and definitely deserves an opportunity with a contender.
He would have a big impact, but I'm more interested in the impact a Stafford trade would have on the Lions. I think Stafford could give the Lions a big return in a trade. Used wisely, it could be the cornerstone of a brighter future in Detroit.

Mike from Slinger, WI
At one point this season I had the Panthers game circled on my calendar because I was looking forward to a good matchup. It still could be, but it's less inviting without their star player. Do you think Christian McCaffrey would have changed the Panthers season if he hadn't been injured, or would they be the same as they are now?
The Panthers miss McCaffrey's run/catch threat, but Mike Davis has been an adequate replacement in the run game. The Panthers' problem is Teddy Bridgewater is a backup-quality quarterback. Rodgers will overmatch Bridgewater and the Packers will breeze to victory in another easy win.

Ryan from Thorp, WI
Will you be getting the COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available?
Yes.

Todd from Phoenix, AZ
I know you don't cheer in the same sense most of us do, but do you ever hope a team does well because there's a player or coach on that team you have enjoyed working with or interviewing?
Of course I do, and it's not just players and coaches.

Adam from Wausau, WI
Do you think Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback of all time?
No, Brady is.

Erik from Madison, WI
With regard to the Browns' arrow pointing "straight up," should they try to deal OBJ for anything they can get in the offseason?
If possible, trade him for a six pack, and it doesn't have to be cold. Why did they trade for him in the first place? Dime a dozen.

Jon from Warsaw, Poland
Best running back without a QB? Did you forget about Walter Payton and Gale Sayers?
Earl Campbell didn't get Ken Stabler until Stabler was over the hill. Barry Sanders? Jerome Bettis didn't get Roethlisberger until the end. How about poor Curtis Martin? Eric Dickerson? There are a lot of great running backs who played without an elite quarterback.

Roger from Glen Falls, NY
Detroit has had "The Man" for over a decade and has picked early in the draft for a number of years. Is it just they have not had success with their picks or is there another reason they have not been more successful?
Their drafts have lacked depth.

John from Green Bay, WI
Vic, what are your thoughts on the notion of the Packers using the franchise tag on Aaron Jones, using him up next season and then letting him walk?
You don't hire Drew Rosenhaus to sign the franchise tag. Tagging Jones would breed enmity. I fear tagging Jones would produce a Le'Veon Bell-like distraction, unless the Packers used it to buy time to do a new deal.

Leena from London, UK
Vic, what are your plans for Christmas?
I'll be outside for the season.

Dustin from Orlando, FL
With the average action in an NFL game being only around 11 minutes, would you favor "NFL Network" putting together 30-minute shows the week following each game?
In the run-the-ball '70's, actual playing time was about six minutes. We're getting more action than ever, but it doesn't seem that way, and I think it's because passing the football has become too easy. A 10-yard completion has become the equivalent of an off-tackle slant. I think the NFL needs to pay more attention to the balance between offense and defense. Too much candy spoils the appetite.

Joe from Winnetka, IL
Aaron Rodgers has been openly talking about winning a third MVP. I appreciate him being honest -- what player doesn't want to win awards? -- but do you think his focus on the individual accolade could have downside for the team?
I'm a big believer in the "just do your job" philosophy, but the MVP talk would chafe me and his voice would cease to resonate with me as a team leader. The balance between team and self is delicate. Aaron Jones just hired a "killer" agent in preparation for a free agency run and the MVP light is shining brightly on Rodgers. I hope Za'Darius Smith doesn't have any plans for another "Snubbed" towel. Maybe Coach LaFleur needs to give a team-first speech.

Dalton from Medford, WI
Would Notre Dame benefit from joining the ACC permanently?
The Power Five is the future of major college football. I think the bigger question is will the Power Five demand Notre Dame became a full-time Power Five member to enjoy its benefits.

Brian from Iron Mountain, MI
I recall in 2011 Rodgers was asked whether or not they should run more. He kind of scoffed and said something along the lines of, “Do we even need to run?” I thought, “Yes!” Has he held the team back in that aspect, at times, even unintentionally, because of that attitude? Sometimes I get the impression he likes to be the reason they win.
They sure needed to run in that playoff loss to the Giants. When your opponent is rushing four and dropping seven, you're being invited to run the ball and the Packers couldn't. In the years I covered the Packers, they were at their best when Eddie Lacy was at his best. Lacy forced teams to bring an eighth defender toward the line of scrimmage, which opened the passing lanes for Rodgers. It also managed the tempo of the game, which benefitted the defense. Rodgers' sack stats also reflect the importance of a running game.

Thomas from Port Charlotte, NC
Regarding college players opting not to play their whole season, is it fair they have been given an athletic scholarship to play their respective sport? Perhaps they should be required to pay back the scholarship should they opt not to play. I suspect this would cause an uproar.
College football is a mess. It needs new leadership and direction.