"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Scott from Alaska
The Packers had an All-Pro center last season. If they have an average center in the coming year, what significant impact will the shift have on how the offense operates?
It's a game of replacement. In the salary cap era, you have to be willing to let players leave or you'll damage your future. We've debated this repeatedly: all in or protect the future? If it's protect the future, then you must trust your personnel department to find the next Corey Linsley. He was a fifth-round pick. His replacement is out there.

Tom from Bismarck, ND
Vic, addressing the three teams you've covered and the draft: The Jags get their man, not mine, but he'll do. The Steelers will, as they most often do, draft a football player. The Packers will draft a player who seems to check most of the boxes but will leave the fan base wishing for more. What is so confounding about the Green Bay approach is they don't seem to understand they lack the personality to be a viable defense, not the athletic ability. Just drafting Tarzans will accomplish nothing.
One player can change a team's personality. Joe Greene did that for the Steelers. Reggie White did that for the Packers. The Packers need to find that player.

John from Charlottesville, VA
I'd like your honest opinion about Brian Gutekunst as GM. He seems to draft well early on but is hit or miss later in the draft. His evaluation of Rodgers seemed to be off when he drafted Love. He has drafted All-Pros and also whiffed in the second and third rounds. I know the draft is a crap shoot but is he leading the team well? For the life of me, I can't understand the direction he has for the franchise. What is his vision?
Gutekunst is an astute evaluator of talent. His vision is consistent with the team's vision: Build a strong roster that, coupled with sound salary cap management, sustains winning. He was absolutely the right choice to lead the Packers. His first draft produced Jaire Alexander but lacked depth. His second draft is beginning to look better. I don't like the Love pick. Give Gutekunst time. He's building a roster.

Ben from Alameda, CA
Where would Jordan Love fit in this draft?
I get the sense he would fall after Kyle Trask. Where will Trask fall? I think that's one of the big questions in this draft.

Tom from Brookfield, WI
I seem to recall you having concerns with the Murphy/Gutekunst model. Now that it's been in place for some time, what's your opinion on the model's effectiveness and on their individual performances?
I distinctly remember supporting the new model. I remember writing about how football operations had become a fiefdom in Ted Thompson's final years, especially after the Lambeau Field remodeling. I completely support the new model. I think it's critically important for the football side and the business side of a franchise to be linked and accountable to the overall product. Under Thompson, that wasn't the case. Football was a feed-me machine. They got whatever they wanted and were answerable to no one. This is better. Individual performances? What part of 26-6 don't you like?

Carter from Fernandina Beach, FL
Vic, I imagine your comments regarding Trevor Lawrence on Monday led to an interesting inbox on Tuesday. Yet, aren't the questions/issues you raise exactly the kinds of questions/issues an NFL GM must address and answer regarding every draft pick, let alone the first pick in the draft? That said, if you were acting as the Jags' GM, is there any other pick you would make at No. 1? If Lawrence's name isn't on the card turned into the league, I would imagine it would be torches and pitchforks and tar and feathers coming to One Stadium Place.
So what would it be if Lawrence is a bust? Oh, that's OK, everyone said he was the right pick? It doesn't work that way. A franchise twists and turns with every first-round pick it makes. It agonizes over what player it should select. I haven't seen enough agonizing by the Jaguars. This pick was made months ago. Is there another player I would pick with the first overall selection? I don't think that's the right question to ask. Lawrence belongs in the top spot. The question is should the Jaguars trade that pick and collect the king's ransom that would help the Jaguars rebuild quickly? Could they trade the pick and still get the quarterback they need? I haven't seen enough debate along those lines.

Douglas from Binghamton, NY
What, in your opinion, would be a successful draft on paper for the Packers?
Two long-term starters is considered a good draft. Two starters and roster depth is a very good draft. Anything above that is a blockbuster.

Andrew from Linden, VA
Do you think the Falcons would take Jordan Love for Julio? If not, what do you think it would take?
You want to trade a first-round quarterback who has yet to take a snap from center for a wide receiver of declining skills and who would be easily replaced by a draft pick? What is this, a thank you for the Brett Favre deal?

Eric from Appleton, WI
Why couldn't the 1999 Jaguars beat the Titans?
The Jaguars wouldn't run the ball. If they had just given Fred the ball they would've won the game and they would've beaten the Rams in the Super Bowl.

Bob from Australia
Vic, I completely understand and cherish your answer regarding team journalism. I did wonder, however, whether the old Jacksonville advice about never embarrassing the team might ever clash with always publishing news you see. What if there was no way to write an inside news story without embarrassing the team? Thanks for the great insights.
Bob, where are we going with this? It's a team website. Why would you go to a team website expecting to read an expose on the team?

Max from Toledo, OH
How do the Steelers keep picking great coaches? Who makes the call?
Dan Rooney was the driving force in hiring Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin. His son, Art II, will make the next pick. It will be the most important decision to that point in his time as team president.

Michael from Sanford, FL
Regarding Dustin from Orlando, "The Jaguars donated $11,203 to Trevor Lawrence as a wedding gift to give to his charities. He, in turn, donated $20,000 to Jaguars charities. Something about this rubs me the wrong way. I'm assuming it's allowed but it just doesn't sit well with me. What's your take on it, Vic?" That's a significant misrepresentation of facts. Jags fans bought him and his wife a high-tech toaster and then kept at it by donating money to charities he supports. In return, they donated $20K to charities based in Jacksonville. The Jaguars organization had nothing to do with any of it, and that detail seems important to me.
My answer remains the same: Too close too soon. You people are so love-struck with Lawrence you're acting like teenage girls. Buy him a wedding gift?

Gregory from Milwaukee, WI
What are some of the best movies you have watched in 2021?
Ben-Hur. I only watch old movies, when they make it to TV. The last time I was in a theater was to see "Concussion." My job required I see it. I remember Mark Murphy walking into the theater as I was sitting there. We later shared our thoughts.

Eric from Lansing, MI
Vic, is there a sleeper in this year's large crop of quarterbacks? Who do you think will be the most surprising, if not the best pick?
Kyle Trask is not a sleeper, but his stock appears to have fallen and I think he could become the steal of the draft. He could turn out to be the best of the quarterbacks.

Steve from New Britain, CT
The click bait suggests Love needs to be traded for a draft pick now to capitalize on his value. Would GM Vic agree? Would someone else be a better backup?
Love wasn't picked to be a backup. He's the future. I think the pick was premature, but it was made and the best course is to stick with it. If you trade him now and he becomes a star, it would be worse than the John Hadl deal. It would be Favre in reverse.

Tim from Lancaster, PA
There's understandably been a lot of talk about Lawrence and the No. 1 pick, but who should the Jaguars be looking at with their other first-rounder?
They should pick from the top of their board. Their needs are many. A good player at any position would be a good fit for them.

Renaud from Paris, France
Which team do you see going crazy during the draft, and why the Bears?
Maybe they'll draft a kicker in the first round.

Morgan from Little Chute, WI
I'm very excited for this year's draft. Something big is going to happen in Green Bay. I just feel it.
A wide receiver in each of the first two rounds? Wow! That would be so exciting.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Timothy from St. Louis, MO
A lot of discussion about the new rules for expanding numbers. Tom Brady has come out against it, saying it will be bad for football. But in my mind, QBs will have to read and identify defenses better and teams will have to coach and scout other teams better to help their QBs and offenses better. After years of helping boost offense, it looks like the NFL finally gave a bone to defenses. Your thoughts?
Much ado about nothing. The Steelers didn't wear numbers on their practice jerseys when Chuck Noll was coach. It didn't take long to figure out which ones were Joe Greene, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert. After a few days of watching training camp practice, I could even identify undrafted free agents. By the time a team gets done studying an opponent on tape, it knows every player by their appearance and movements and by the sub package in which they play. The new number rules will create an even stronger identity and marketability for the league.

Morgan from Little Chute, WI
Last year the talk was Lawrence No. 1, Fields No. 2. What did Fields do to hurt his stock or was Wilson that extraordinary this year?
It's all a matter of who has the second overall pick. The belief is the Jets like Wilson. I get what they like. He's a ball distributor. He's very good at knowing where to go with the ball. Fields appeared to me to struggle with decision making, until the playoff win over Clemson. He was quick and spot on that night. My problem with Wilson is he physically doesn't look the part.

Vishnu from Boulder, CO
Vic, if players like Jerel Worthy and Datone Jones are seen as poor fits for a system by coaches as early as the day they are drafted, what is the rationale behind the front office drafting them?
The measurables and athletic talent say draft them. The Packers believed Jones and Worthy could adapt to new roles. These types of mistakes are common. It's a crystal ball business. Tim Worley was an I-formation back in college. He was best at lining up seven yards deep, pitching him the ball and letting him run right and left. Coach Noll cast him in an inside trapping game. He didn't fit. The Jaguars drafted Matt Jones to be a wide receiver. He never fit. I had this conversation once with Mike McCarthy, who firmly believed you draft top talent and then find a way to use it. I get that, but I also think it would be a terrible mistake to draft Aaron Donald and try to fit him into a two-gapping system. Something is going to suffer; either him or the system. J.J. Watt was miscast. So was Bruce Smith. In my opinion, it's very important to have a role in mind for a player in which he is a natural fit. T.J. Watt is a perfect fit for the Steelers. He's Kevin Greene. Watt plays a position that has long-existed in the Steelers' defense and required no adaptation for Watt or Watt for it. Plug and play is what you want, but it's not always available to a team.

Eric from Lansing, MI
What GM has most impressed you by his picks in the last few years, Vic?
Kevin Colbert didn't have a first-round pick last year and came away with three starters, all of whom have a long-term look to them. I think John Lynch has been sensational assembling talent for the 49ers. Carolina was a big winner last year. One more year of that and they could take over the NFC South.

Paul from Cumming, GA
Does a better pass rush improve the secondary, or does a better secondary help the pass rush? In your opinion, which straw stirs the drink?
The pass rush. It can make an ordinary secondary look good or a good secondary look bad. If it's rush or cover, I say rush.

Todd from Milwaukie, OR
Would the Packers not drafting significant resources in WR signify a further shift towards LaFleur's ideal offense, or just that Gutekunst didn't see a starter available (both of which might be true)?
He likes what he has and he knows when he needs to get a guy he can.

Jesse from Belleville, WI
Since you wrote about wanting to be treated as media and not as a team insider, a decision for which I applaud you, is the assumption your department was unable to view the portions of practices behind closed doors correct, and is this generally the case for all team media around the league?
It would be an insult to the other media for me to flaunt access they don't have. I would never do that. I have too much respect for my profession than to do something like that. Plus, why watch something about which I can't write? I would never agree to see news and not write it. I don't know what other team media reporters do, but I am the product of a credible profession that adheres to a code of ethics. My inbox is regularly populated with media haters who think they know it all about how media should behave and perform. I chuckle.

Kevin from Grand Rapids, MI
How specifically are scouts evaluated? There must be some measure as to how they keep their job or move up the ladder?
They're judged by the reports they write. Get too many of them wrong and you're gone.

Jerry from Grantsburg, WI
We haven't seen a meaningful snap, but does Aaron Rodgers know what the Packers have in Jordan Love?
Probably.

Eric from Lansing, MI
Vic, why do you think football eclipsed baseball as America's game? Did Americans change or just come into its own?
Football and TV is a perfect relationship. They were married on Dec. 28, 1958.

Howard from Homestead, FL
You asked if Trevor Lawrence has faced adversity, but he’s clearly faced pressure, and lots of it. What does adversity do for a player pressure does not?
Let's stick with the pressure theme. Was he really facing pressure as a true freshman in the national title game? Were expectations as great for him as they were for Tua? The following year, he absolutely was facing pressure in his matchup against Joe Burrow, and Burrow clearly outplayed Lawrence. Dabo Swinney made a mistake getting into a shootout with Burrow. How about against Justin Fields? Who responded better to the pressure in that game? Lawrence has been granted immunity against criticism. Every other draft prospect is subject to it, but not Lawrence. I don't get it.

Dan from Cedar Rapids, IA
As someone with Crohn’s, I was interested to learn David Garrard has it. Would you be able to share some insight into how he dealt with it, or are there published pieces about it?
David underwent surgery for it. It was right around the time I had surgery for colon cancer. We compared notes. He is a tough, courageous man who never used his illness as an excuse. I can't help but wonder what his career could've become had the commitment been made to him early in his career. He was sensational in 2007; a 102.2 passer rating. The following year, the Jaguars headed into a run of bad years. David always reminded me of Steve McNair. They had the same heavy-footed mobility. They could move and they didn't get knocked down easily.

Jesse from Bonita Springs, FL
I see all of these smaller receivers being mocked in the early rounds and I think of Devin Hester and Desmond Howard (great return man but never made it as a receiver). Has there been this big of a fundamental change in offense in the past 20-30 years or is it just wide receiver fever? The return guys in the late rounds look just as impressive to me. Am I missing something or is it that I’ve enjoyed your blog for so long I believe in the “big guys early” mantra?
There are a lot more little guys that can run than there are big guys with light feet. Wide receivers are regarded as safe and sexy picks because in today's game it'll be easy to get them catches that'll justify their selection, but that's a myth. The bust potential is high.

Ed from Merrill, WI
Vic, I recently read a piece by a columnist named Gene Collier for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette regarding what the Washington Football Team needs in the upcoming draft. He claims they need a nickname. I hope you can read it and would appreciate any comments.
I've known Gene for a very long time and he's one of the most talented writers to grace my profession. On most days, he makes me laugh. On his best days, he makes me think. I like those days the most. Some years ago, Gene wrote a play entitled "The Chief." He sent me an autographed copy of the opening night program. I've included it in my box of memorabilia. In regards to his column on the Washington Football Team, I disagree with Gene. I don't think the Washington Football Team needs a nickname. I like them the way they are. It's respectful of the team's past and it's a constant reminder we should never, ever again denigrate a culture of people for our selfish entertainment.

Nick from Charlottesville, VA
Does a retired GM ever sit down with a journalist and tell his story of draft day from 20 years ago?
I've enjoyed walks down memory lane with personnel guys who explained what they couldn't say then. The greatest of these stories belongs to Art Rooney Jr. Why didn't he draft Dan Marino? Artie drafted nine Hall of Famers from 1969-74, but he'll forever be remembered for not drafting Marino. What a shame. They put Bill Polian in the Hall of Fame and left Artie out. Shame on the Hall of Fame.

Billy from Brookfield, WI
The Packers’ front office really likes their shotgun approach to building the team (running backs in ‘17, wide receivers in ‘18, pass rushers in ‘19). Is the draft deep enough at the big guys for the Packers to draft a bunch of them in the first two days?
There are big guys who fit late in the first round. We talked about that.

Ron from Beaufort, SC
I remember years ago some writer assigned blue tags on elite players. If I recall, there were three colors. Thinking about this, I wondered how many blue players are currently on the Packers roster. I'm thinking four: Rodgers, Alexander, Bakhtiari and Adams. What do you think?
I think you can add Kenny Clark, Elgton Jenkins and Aaron Jones.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Jake from Knoxville, TN
What do you remember about Steve Blass? I was just reading about him and I realized we can soon add him to the list of sports records that will never be broken. No one’s ever going to pitch another complete game in Game Seven of the World Series while hitting for himself.
I remember he won the Cy Young Award in 1972 but lost his control the following season, went to the minors and was out of baseball following one start in '74. It can happen that quickly.

Justin from Delavan, WI
Have Green Bay fans forgotten quarterbacks at Rodgers' age can suddenly decline from an MVP form to waiver cut?
That's not a realistic expectation, but a decline due to age can be precipitous. It's usually accompanied by injury.

Eric from Lansing, MI
Vic, what do you think of Mike Tomlin as a coach and of his new three-year extension?
It was a no-brainer. He's a good coach. I like his boldness, not because of the strategy it brings to a particular game, but because of the big-picture challenge to his players to respond. Tomlin is a demanding coach. He's got the respect and support of his players, but he's not a player's coach. In that sense he reminds me of Coach Noll. Tomlin's team last season over-achieved early in the season and fell apart as the playoffs approached. He's the coach and he must shoulder the blame, but I've never perceived a lack of accountability from him.

Isaac from Abiquiu, NM
Vic, since drafting is such a crystal ball business, when do you know you've hit on a guy or have got a dud? Did you see or know of any signs that made Jerel Worthy or Datone Jones bad picks?
By the end of a player's rookie season, I think a team knows if it correctly evaluated the player. If it missed on its evaluation, then it needs to find ways to utilize the talent the player has. Role or position changes are often an indication the evaluation was off the mark. Worthy and Jones were bad fits. I sensed that right from the beginning. Worthy was a three-technique defensive tackle being asked to two-gap, and I remember on draft day defensive line coach Mike Trgovac questioning Jones' ability to play the Okie end.

Craig from Sheboygan, WI
Will Monday Night Football ever be what it once was? I remember when MNF came to your town, you were really in the spotlight.
It was never the same without Cosell.

Jon from Omaha, NE
Do you have any inkling on why my beloved Packers have drafted so poorly on defense during Aaron's era?
I think they tried to do too much. That might've been a product of drafting so low in the order. Often they appeared to be trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Khyri Thornton and Carl Bradford were head-scratching picks.

Mark from Sturgeon Bay, WI
Can a personnel department (GM, scouts, etc.) be better at picking players on one side of the ball vs. the other?
It happens that way. The Steelers have a poor record when picking defensive backs.

Dustin from Orlando, FL
The Jaguars donated $11,203 to Trevor Lawrence as a wedding gift to give to his charities. He, in turn, donated $20,000 to Jaguars charities. Something about this rubs me the wrong way. I'm assuming it's allowed but it just doesn't sit well with me. What's your take on it, Vic?
Too close too soon.

Mikey from Tallahassee, FL
Mock drafts are everywhere, especially at this time of year. What are your feelings on them?
They're good for identifying team needs and where players fit in the order, if they're authored by a credible draftnik.

Dave from Madison, WI
How are medical expenses covered in the NFL? Does each team have an insurance plan for their players to cover surgeries and rehab? The premiums must be sky-high?
Medical liability is so great it has protected the NFL from competing leagues.

Alberto from Barcelona, Spain
One week ahead of the draft, your preferred picks for Steelers and Packers?
The Steelers need a pass rusher, a cornerback, a running back and a left tackle, not in that order. I'm also greatly interested in how far Kyle Trask will have fallen. He would be an outstanding fit for them. The Steelers are rebuilding; they have many needs. The Packers need big guys.

Scott from Issaquah, WA
What did you think of the recent statements by Trevor Lawrence he has no chip on his shoulder and doesn’t need football? I find the honesty refreshing.
What chip could he have on his shoulder? He was the No. 1 prospect coming out of high school, won a national championship as a true freshmen and has been the consensus first pick of his draft since then. Has he ever faced adversity?

Victor from Mt. Horeb, WI
With the increased length of the season and both Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love on their roster, are the Packers in the best position of all teams in the league to weather their quarterback sustaining a serious injury?
​Love hasn't played a down. Even the stinky Bears have two quarterbacks who were long-time starters, one of whom won a Super Bowl. I can't consider the Packers deep at quarterback until I see Love play at least one meaningful game. At this point in time, we know nothing more of Love than he was a first-round pick.

Bob from Milwaukee, WI
How have the boundaries of professionalism changed in the role you played for the team over the course of your career?
I don't think the tenets of sports reporting have changed -- you write a story and stand by it -- but the physical boundaries have changed inasmuch as reporters who cover the team are being kept at a much greater distance. When I began covering the NFL, reporters were welcome and appreciated for their contribution toward popularizing professional football. My press credential was a badge of honor and membership. Now, it's the equivalent of the "Scarlet Letter."

Pistol from Illinois
Do you feel Mason Rudolph can be a good starting QB or do the Steelers go in a different direction after this year?
I don't think Rudolph is their future and my opinion is mostly the result of the contract deadline the Steelers are facing. Rudolph is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent next year. It's a situation similar to what the Packers faced with Matt Flynn in 2011. The addition of Dwayne Haskins also suggests to me the Steelers are preparing to lose Rudolph. Should the Steelers draft a quarterback, I would expect the Steelers to attempt to trade Rudolph.

Matt from Madison, WI
So much for leaguethink in European soccer. What would happen if some of the richest teams in the NFL tried to start their own football league?
To avoid pooling the revenue? A few would rise to the top, parity would suffer and viewership would decline.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Jeremy from Chilliwack, Canada
Vic, does a team ever save money (either cash or cap) by trading vs. releasing a player?
Either way, the bonus amortization stays with the original team and the player's salary is assumed by his new team.

Steve from Lake Stevens, WA
Unitas finished in San Diego, Namath with the Rams, Stabler in New Orleans, Montana with the Chiefs, Favre in Minnesota and Brady is in Tampa. Why is the possibility of Rodgers finishing elsewhere portrayed as some kind of disloyal lack of respect by former players who know better?
I'm not seeing a lot of that. I wouldn't have a problem with Rodgers playing for another team. It's professional football. Players shouldn't leave money on the table and teams shouldn't waste money on a player who could return more value by moving him. When I suggested as much late last season should the Packers lay an egg in the postseason, I was vilified by Packers fans in my inbox. Packers fans are proprietary, and I think that's the mark of a passionate fan but, at the end of the day (as Mike McCarthy loved to say), it's about the player and the team doing what's best for each. Pro football isn't a feel-good game. It's a cold, hard business and that's its charm. I think I learned that lesson first when the Steelers cut Franco Harris as he was approaching Jim Brown's all-time rushing record. The Packers are prepared to move on from Rodgers. He knows it.

Jason from Austin, TX
In this year's draft, would you lower a grade on a player if they sat out last season because of COVID? How many first-rounders are now second or third-rounders?
I might do the opposite. I might give an opt-out player a higher grade if I liked what I saw of him on tape from 2019, because I didn't think college football was very good last season. I think a player's performance in '19 allows for a more accurate evaluation of his talent. I think most of the mistakes are going to be made on players based on evaluation from last season.

Adam from Wausau, WI
Why wouldn’t you want to sign the best WR in the game to support your unproven QB?
Dime a dozen.

Eric from Lansing, MI
What do you see Mike McCarthy doing with pick No. 10?
I don't think it's his decision to make. I know this: The Cowboys need big guys and premium position players, and they need lots of them. They especially need help in their secondary and corners fit where they're picking.

Taylor from Hull, IA
What kinds of change did you notice in locker room behaviors over the course of your career? It would seem that as societal views on issues have changed, so would the interactions of players within the football locker room.
The biggest locker room change in my time covering football is the ash trays have been removed. The Steelers' clubhouse at Three Rivers Stadium had a big ash tray affixed to each player's locker stall. The '70's Steelers chain smoked at halftime and ate bacon cheeseburgers in training camp, and then ripped your head off on the field.

Brian from Sugar Land, TX
Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell pulled his ace pitcher after six shutout innings and 81 pitches. "Once we got the lead, it was a chance to conserve some pitches for him over a long season." Football leaves the star QB in the entire game regardless. The QB unarguably has a greater chance of injury. Why do you think the difference in conservation strategies?
Sixteen games vs. 162? The thinking might change as we go to 17 and then 18 games, and play count and pass attempts per game increase. I was suggesting as much recently when I wrote of the day when teams might need two starting-caliber quarterbacks.

Dave from Jacksonville, FL
If (players) opt out of offseason workouts, what happens to the player’s workout bonus? Is it as simple as a player loses their workout bonus and the team gets a credit on their salary cap for 2021?
Yeah. You don't pay it, you don't claim it.

Laura from Springfield, MO
What does Sam Darnold bring to Carolina Teddy Bridgewater did not?
A better arm, a younger body and more upside. If you want to see what Darnold can do, look at his performance against Penn State in the Rose Bowl. In that game, he had the look of a premier pocket passer. What went wrong with the Jets? I think Matt Rhule knows. Can he fix it?

Michael from Plano, TX
Vic, I keep reading the Steelers don't believe Zach Banner is a left tackle. I also see draft gurus saying certain tackles in the draft aren't left tackles. Can you explain the difference to a layman like me.
The inference is they're not good enough pass blockers to play left tackle, which traditionally opposes the defense's premier pass rusher.

Chris from Bozeman, MT
Before you scold Packers fans -- most of us couldn’t care less what Jim McMahon has to say -- the story regarding this was embarrassing, to say the least. Not a Bears fan at all, but respect them as a team. Anyway, aim your ire at the writers, not the fans.
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

Matt from Cudahy, WI
For the "profit from my likeness" crowd, how much does a star collegiate athlete's likeness benefit from marketing exposure provided by the NCAA?
I think this issue is greatly overrated. We're talking about a select few players in places where college football is king and doesn't have to compete with the NFL. Would this really make a difference for or satisfy the general population of college athletes? I think the big concern would be the general population might sell their names for minimal gain and in undistinguished ways.

Paul from Fairfax, VA
You have said a couple of times re-signing Adams will be a sign about Rodgers’ future. What did re-signing Jones tell you?
It suggested to me the Packers weren't fully confident in A.J. Dillon's readiness to assume the role of featured back.

Samuel from Jacksonville, FL
Years ago you nailed the criticism of Andrew Luck being too smart for football. Are you worried the same could happen with Trevor Lawrence after his recent comments?
What I wrote was because of Luck's academic pedigree (architectural design/engineering) he would always have options other than football. I think it's important to note as much in a scouting report. No offense intended, but Clemson isn't Stanford. I think you're OK.

Mike from North Hudson, WI
A lot of back and forth has been reported by media heads as to whether the Packers have actually drafted or acquired players to help Aaron Rodgers over the years. Since you have always been a straight shooter, what are your thoughts on this?
The Packers spent a lot of high picks on the defensive side of the ball. Jerel Worthy and Datone Jones are two examples. They were busts and the Packers bear the guilt, but that doesn't mean they didn't try. From 2012-16, the Packers picked 10 defensive players in the top three rounds of the draft, and Kenny Clark is all they have to show for their efforts. You just can't draft like that and expect to improve.

Dave from Chippewa Falls, WI
Any thoughts on taking a stud CB with an S1 microdiscectomy?
I assume you're referring to Caleb Farley. The L5-S1 joint is a common trouble spot. Disc surgery is no big deal if it's limited to the disc and is minimally invasive. My last low back disc surgery began at 2:30 in the afternoon and I left the hospital at 6:30. It was like going to the dentist. The concern is for potential nerve damage in the leg. Disc surgery usually occurs after the patient endures a period of leg pain. How long was it endured? How severe was the pain? Has numbness and/or weakness in the leg resulted? Farley would have to submit to an examination by my team's physician before I would draft him. The physician would ask Farley to walk on his toes and then on his heels. He'd likely ask Farley to submit to a nerve conduction test. If my team's physician believed Farley has or would make a full recovery, I'd have no qualms drafting him. At this late date, this surgery could cause Farley to fall into the lap of a lucky team, and Tony Pauline's mock draft has the Packers picking a cornerback. We need to keep an eye on this. 

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Ed from Midland, MI
I think the Packers need better big guys, as they've lost the last two NFC championship games by getting their butts pushed around up front. Who do you and Tony like toward the end of the first round?
Big guys at the bottom of the first round? Tony favors defensive ends Jaelin Phillips of Miami and Carlos Basham of Wake Forest, center Creed Humphrey of Oklahoma, guard Wyatt Davis of Ohio State and  tackle Alex Leatherwood of Alabama. I'll add Alabama defensive tackle Christian Barmore as a fit for the Packers. He was sensational in the playoffs and, as a redshirt sophomore, he is a truly ascending player. The player who excites me most late in the first round is Penn State edge rusher Jayson Oweh. He had a killer pro day recently, running a 4.36 40. He has freakish athletic ability on a 6-6 frame and the premium on pass rushers will probably cause him to begin zooming up the board. He could be the Steelers' guy at 24.

Micah from San Diego, CA
Vic, are you familiar with early 20th century pitcher Rube Waddell? "He would often leave in the middle of a game to go fishing. He was easily distracted by opposing fans who held up puppies, which caused him to run over and play with them.”
He was also known to have a fascination for fire trucks and run off the field and chase after them when he heard their sirens blaring. Baseball was full of goofballs back then. Babe Ruth was one of them.

Jamie from Yucca Valley, CA
It doesn’t bother me. Rodgers wants a longer career and an even greater legacy than he has. Jeopardy would be better than joining the jockocracy, or worse, the Vikings. Most importantly, he loves hosting Jeopardy and football can’t guarantee one dirty or even fair hit won’t change his life forever. He’s given a lot to football and this fan base. I support his effort to be the next host.
I do, too, but only on a full-time basis, otherwise it would be like chasing fire trucks.

Mark from Bristol, UK
Your best guess, if you will, please. If/when the Packers select there are two players of equal rating, one on offense and one on defense, who do you think they pick? I have no clue which side of the ball they feel the need to improve most.
If it's a choice between two players of equal evaluation, you select the player of the more premium position or of greatest need. I still think the Packers' needs are greatest on defense, but it's not as distinct as it has been in past years. Linsley is gone and Bakhtiari's coming off an ACL; the Packers have need on their offensive line.

Michael from Pennsylvania
I agree with you about wide receivers. I fully expect the Packers to extend Davante Adams for over $20 million a year, but I wouldn't. There are just too many really good receivers available in every draft. What would you do?
It depends on what I've decided about Rodgers' future. If I'm moving on at quarterback after next season, I'm not re-signing Adams.

Mark from Madison, WI
If/when is it appropriate to incorporate yinz into the conversation?
I go Pittsburghese with family and friends when I'm trying to make a point without offending anyone. "Hey, yinz people need to shut up so I can watch da game n'at, jano." I can also speak Billy Conn: "Wahs da use of being Ahrsh if you can't be stupid?"

Jeff from Miami, FL
What can you share about Jim Plunkett? Heisman Trophy, first pick of the NFL draft, discarded by two teams, then won two Super Bowls. Maybe Trubisky, Darnold or Haskins will win a Super Bowl. You just never know.
Plunkett threw a great deep ball, and that made him a perfect fit for a team that wanted to go deep. There's a lot of recycled quarterback talent out there right now. Odds are at least one of them will hit. It's about fit.

Scott from Lincoln City, OR
Vic, do you have a gut feeling as to whether or not the Packers will ultimately extend Rodgers? If it still feels like a beautiful mystery, what will be the tell-tale sign it's going to happen?
A new contract for Davante Adams?

Tom from Bismarck, ND
I think all of the believers in our front office should consider this: Take the single-best defensive player drafted by Green Bay at every single defensive position since 1962 and start them as your defense. Remember, you're using 58 years of defensive picks, using only the very best of them to start on defense. They still aren't as good of a defense as multiple Steelers defenses, multiple Ravens defenses. They're laughingly behind the great Bears, Giants, Buccaneers and Patriots defenses. Fifty-eight years of your top defensive players at every position and they don't compare with many teams' one-year starters. Many of your readers are critical of second-guessing the Packers front office. Well, how exactly are we supposed to evaluate the team's choices if we don't look back at them? I'll let 58 years speak for me.
As my high school coach would say, "It's time for a little Viet Cong training."

Bruce from Washburn (wherever that is)
Eighty-four mph in a 45 zone. Is this speeding, too fast for conditions or failure to keep a vehicle under control? Evidently not. In this case, it would appear that privilege trumped race.
When are we going to turn off the fawning love for this man and demand he grow up?

Jesse from Belleville, WI
Can "access journalism" not be avoided when one works for the franchise?
Ted Thompson wanted to know, "Are we Packers or are we media?" The inference in that question is we'd be favored if we played according to football's rules. I didn't like that approach. I asked to be treated as media, and Ted didn't like that approach. I didn't want to be favored in covering the team because I worked for the team, but I didn't think it was fair to be denied information for the same reason. It was embarrassing to me we couldn't reveal signings until days after the whole world knew about them, because the player had yet to arrive, pass his physical and officially sign his contract. I would say, "Let us announce the two parties have agreed to a contract, pending a physical examination." The news was already out there! There was no avoiding or denying it. I never felt I enjoyed what you describe as an "access journalism" advantage. It was more of a disadvantage. I would tell the readers not to come to packers.com for information about signings. It embarrassed me to do that, but I wasn't going to mislead our readers for the sake of a click. The simple answer to your question is team sites can be media sites. Just treat them as media. When Wayne Weaver came to me in Jacksonville and asked me to do jaguars.com, which at that time was a start up, I asked him what his expectations for me would be. He told me I'd have the freedom to write and report, "just don't embarrass the franchise." Those words guided me for the next 16 years. It can be done.

Ray from Raleigh, NC
So, is Edelman a Hall of Fame receiver? Admittedly, he played in an era in which passing has been greatly preferred, but his stats are comparable to (actually better than) those of Lynn Swann. Like Swann, he also had a highlight-for-the-ages catch in a Super Bowl win. He was a Super Bowl MVP and seemed to play his best in big games. Can the story of the NFL be told without that catch? He was not too bad for a short college quarterback.
So, you're going to play the Swann receptions card, huh? Haven't we discussed enough this stats thing as it pertains to comparing the generations? Why did you fail to mention Swann has a 16.3 yards per reception average? How about 19.7 in his best year? That's the stat from his generation that resonates. I would not favor Julian Edelman for the Hall of Fame, even though he's a Kent State alum. He wasn't a special player. He was a Tom Brady creation. If Edelman gets in, it would open the door for at least another dozen wide receivers, probably more.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Aaron from White Hall, AR
Thoughts on the Masters?
I was disappointed in the final round. The play was weak and uninspiring. Matsuyama limped home with the win. Schauffele had a chance to tie for the lead and then promptly tripled a very gettable 16th. Johnson and Koepka missed the cut. DeChambeau missed the widest fairways on tour. Where was Morikawa? The Aussies wanted to avenge Norman's collapse, and then Leishman disappeared from sight. A place where trees have names and rough is a vulgar word, Augusta's soft-to-the-eye look was matched by the men playing it. There was no drama, no charge, just a lot of whimpering about what a special event it is and how much it means to win it.

Sam from Olathe, KS
You mentioned the NCAA collectively bargaining with its players would help with standardization. Are you talking about a salary cap? Or a cap on scholarship money? Even with that, parity seems way too hard to achieve with so many universities and their diverse make up. But maybe something is better than nothing.
Let's begin with something as simple as eligibility for the NFL draft. Larry Fitzgerald and LeSean McCoy left for the NFL after just two seasons of playing college football. College football must stop that kind of talent bleed. A CBA would allow college football to negotiate to keep its players longer. I see a CBA as being most meaningful as it would pertain to the distribution of talent. Recruiting is the greatest parity killer in college football. A CBA would allow college football to negotiate a better system.

Hannah from McFarland, WI
Please tell us about your Honus Wagner card story and how it resolved.
I don't know how it ended. What I can tell you is this: A man in my circulation area called me about a baseball card he found. He said his wife had died, he had lost his job in the steel mill and he and his son were selling the home and moving. In cleaning out the house, he found in the attic a baseball card his grandfather had given him long ago. "Keep this; it'll be valuable some day," the man said he was told by his grandfather. "Who's on the card?" I asked. "It's a guy named Honus Wagner," the man said. Immediately, bells began to ring in my head. I was doing freelance work for Beckett Football Card magazine at the time and I said they would know of the card's value, and I would give them a call and pass on your name and phone number. Later that day I called the man back to find out what happened. He said a man from Beckett was on his way from Dallas. He said Beckett told him to take the card to the bank and put it in a safe deposit box, and to not talk to me anymore. I smiled and said, "I think you've got the Holy Grail. Good luck." That was the end of it for me. A few years later, I saw a movie on TV about a baseball card coming to life in the attic of a house. I couldn't help but wonder.

Robby from Middleton, WI
Quite audacious of you to tell a fan how to be a fan; I'll stick with Go Pack Go!
What was it Dean Wormer said?

Joe from Bloomington, IN
So basically going all in and rebuilding corresponds to maximum leverage and bankruptcy?
Don't forget reorganizing under Chapter 11.

Eric from Green Bay, WI
Rodgers has said he could be both QB and Jeopardy host, as long as he could film in the offseason. Rodgers has never done much in the offseason, football-wise, outside of staying in shape. All I've seen from Rodgers is honesty about his future, perhaps a level of honesty that is making people feel uncomfortable. Does this bother you?
Honesty is good, but it doesn't mean I have to agree with what was said. I honestly believe hosting Jeopardy would cause problems. Does this bother you?

Scott from Hamlin, NY
Would the NCAA players unionizing make them employees and cause their scholarships to become taxable?
Not if college football favors the plan. Should the players and college football become adversaries, there's no doubt scholarships would become taxable. It's already been threatened by politicians, should the players force the likeness rights issue.

Justin from Titonka, IA
If you were the Bengals would you trade back with a team that needs a quarterback? Or are there any players that you couldn't pass on at pick No. 5?
I don't think the Bengals' window is ready to open. That's still a year off. They have their quarterback. Take the picks. Value, value, value! The draft is all about value.

Jack from Orange Park, FL
Who has a better shot at making it into the Hall of Fame, Deshaun Watson or Andrew Luck?
Are you serious? Kerry Collins threw for nearly twice as many yards as Luck, 37 more touchdowns and took his team to a Super Bowl. You want to put Collins in, too? Watson? His issues right now do not include a debate about Hall of Fame worthiness.

Eric from Lansing, MI
Vic, I'm convinced wide receivers are too plentiful to waste on a first-round pick, but in the last 10 years all but five NFL teams have chosen wide receivers in the first round (not the Packers, Steelers or Seahawks). Is there ever a good reason to use a first-round pick on a wide receiver?
I don't have a problem with it late in the first round.

Jake from Oakland, CA
Left tackle is the safest top-five pick. Like Tony Mandarich, right?
In the last 10 years, 12 players were drafted in the top 10 picks as offensive tackles; I expanded the search for the sake of a larger sample. Those players are: Andrew Thomas, Ronnie Stanley, Jack Conklin, Brandon Scherff, Ereck Flowers, Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, Eric Fisher, Luke Joeckel, Lane Johnson, Matt Kalil and Tyron Smith. Joeckel is the only bust. Stanley, Scherff, Matthews, Fisher, Johnson, Kalil and Smith are Pro-Bowlers, and the rest of that group either are or were long-term starters. Some of them were moved to another position on the line, but the batting average of success among those draft picks is overwhelming. Mandarich was more than 30 years ago. Let it go. The NFL is a big place. The Packers aren't the only team in it.

Jason from Honolulu, HI
In Vic's fair and standardized NCAA football world, what does the postseason format look like?
Like the NFL playoffs.

Raul from Mexico City, Mexico
How would you approach the Rodgers/Packers saga in your column, if you were still working for packers.com?
I would stress the need for the Packers to do what they believe is best for the Packers. That's what I'm doing in this column. I couldn't be as direct on packers.com, but my overall tone in the column would leave no doubt with readers where I stood on the issue. It's how you have to write when you are treading on sensitive subject matter, and that's why it's so important to have savvy readers.

Travus from Minneapolis, MN
Obviously, this would never happen, but it’s thought provoking. What if the team with the worst record in the NFL turned its draft over to its season ticket holders?
They'd pick wide receivers.

Jeff from Des Moines, IA
Rules changes over the past 50 years have dramatically changed the game. In 1971, the 10 QBs with the most passing attempts threw for 151 TDs and 193 interceptions. In 2020, the top 10 threw for 324 TDs and 104 interceptions. I won't be around to see it, but what do you think the NFL will look like 50 years from now?
The top 10 QBs will throw for 648 TDs and 52 interceptions. It's never been easier to play quarterback.

Craig from Sheboygan, WI
I don't understand how moving the hash marks closer together in 1978 made the game open up? Also, how did John Stallworth last to the fourth round of the '74 draft?
The hash marks were moved toward the center of the field in 1972. It was believed the move would encourage more passing because offenses wouldn't be trapped against the boundary on one side of the field. What happened was the game experienced an explosion of thousand-yard rushers. Coaches just weren't willing to pass the ball because the downside was too great. Bump and run coverage gave defenders equal opportunity, offensive linemen had to pass block with their elbows and holding was a 15-yard penalty. Stallworth? He was played as a defensive back in the Senior Bowl and the Steelers lost the scouting film on him. Stallworth is one of the great Bill Nunn's greatest discoveries.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Bob from Marshfield, WI
Aaron Rodgers is nailing it as the host of Jeopardy. It's been brought up that maybe he would consider retiring if he was offered to do it permanently. A dream retirement job he could love doing for decades, making seven figures a year. Think he would take it after one final year in the NFL?
Seven figures? Try eight. If it's offered to him now, he absolutely should take it. The problem for the Packers is it would likely create a Jim Brown/Dirty Dozen kind of distraction. Could they live with it? If I was Mark Murphy or Brian Gutekunst and Rodgers was offered the Jeopardy job and accepted, I'd silently hope he'd retire from football. In my mind, it would be time for Rodgers to move onto his life's work and for the Packers to move into their future. This column's readers know I haven't been comfortable with the Rodgers saga since the team traded up to pick Jordan Love, and my mood went to Defcon One following Rodgers' NFC title game postgame remarks. This great mystery, as Rodgers has termed it, has become very unsettling.

Maxwell from Milwaukee, WI
Can a No. 1 ever be a slam-dunk pick? The expectations are so high.
No, but Joe Burrow had the look.

Chad from Appleton, WI
What is the safest position to draft within the top five picks?
I think it's left tackle. You could always move him to right tackle. You'll get your money's worth.

Aaron from Chesapeake, VA
Are you at all concerned with MLB moving the All-Star game out of Atlanta for political purposes? Sports seems to have always been a unifier and is no longer immune to political divisiveness. As someone who is generally politically neutral, it bothers me to have one more aspect of life torn apart by politics.
I can deal with it. It's just a meaningless game. The message is more important.

Mark from Sheboygan, WI
Your response to NCAA debt has me wondering: What are your thoughts on players being unable to make money off their likeness?
Slowly but surely the courts will force the NCAA to accept what it doesn't want. I'd like to see the players unionize. When that happens, the NCAA can collectively bargain with its players. Then, and only then, might we get meaningful standardization of football the game so desperately needs.

David from San Francisco, CA
I respect the recent Trevor Lawrence questions might be nauseating but I have one point I want to ask. If he’s so valuable to the Panthers in their effort to earn the fan support of the South Carolina television market, then what is so different about that same value to the Jaguars fan base? I’m not from the region, but is Jacksonville just as close to Clemson as Charlotte?
No. In the Panthers' inaugural season, as their stadium was being built, they played their home games at Clemson. As for the potential for trading the first pick to the Panthers, that ship sailed on Monday when the Panthers traded for Sam Darnold.

Jimmy from Jacksonville, FL
One thing you've continually preached even since your days as the Jags' senior editor was the importance of having "The Man" at QB. Not even additional draft picks trumps having "The Man." By even suggesting the Jags should entertain trading the first overall pick tells me you don't believe Lawrence is "The Man." Am I correct?
Not true. I think he's "The Man," I just don't think he's the only man. Draft depth is developing at the quarterback position.

Joseph from Acworth, GA
If anything, fans should view restructuring as a pay increase, not a pay cut or even keeping money flat. If I were a player, I'd happily restructure every year.
Here's how fans should view the conversion of salary to signing bonus: It's time invested for players, investment time lost for teams. The Jaguars converted every contract they could in the late '90's as they swung for the Super Bowl fence. What do you think that loss of float cost them as markets were exploding in the final Clinton years? Let's go back to 2009, when the Dow spiked nearly 50 percent. The Jags were in an austerity campaign at that time and I remember the Jags CFO telling me how glad he was the team wasn't doing conversions. I won't even get into dividends. Fans have to begin thinking of pro football as a business; businesses don't allow money to lie around collecting dust. Converting salary that's paid over 17 weeks to signing bonus that's paid in one lump sum six months before a fractional installment would be paid is a loss of cash flow and investment earnings. Go Pack Go needs to be replaced by an appreciation for a P&L statement.

Chris from Bozeman, MT
How much of the draft decision-making in round one is done way before draft night?
Nearly all of it. Teams target a few players, depending on where they are in the order. They also consider what they would offer to trade up or accept to trade down. The strategies are locked in. Jordan Love was targeted and it had to be a consensus strategy. You don't make a decision with such far-reaching implications while you're on the clock, so to speak.

Zibi from Krakow, Poland
Vic, five QBs were picked in the top three in 2016-2018. Four of them changed teams this offseason: Darnold, Trubisky, Goff and Wentz. I am astonished with the lack of commitment, patience nowadays dedicated to the most crucial position of the game. Maybe, all of a sudden, it is not bad idea to take the QB in the first round and develop him to the role as Packers do? Even if it comes down to sitting Love for as long as Rodgers did behind Favre.
It's a different game than it was when the Steelers drafted Bradshaw No. 1 overall and hid him in a run-the-ball offense and behind a great defense until he was ready to be a star. As for Rodgers, there were reasons the Packers had to exercise patience with him. As I've written, I was told there was a shoulder injury that required time to heal. Today's game will waste picks and it'll waste money, but it won't waste time. It's get 'em good or get 'em gone.

Mike from North Hudson, WI
In reviewing some mock drafts for the upcoming NFL draft, it appears there could be as many as five quarterbacks taken within the first seven picks. It sure seems like some teams are jeopardizing their teams' futures by trading away future draft picks in hopes of selecting "The Man." How does GM Vic view this draft class of quarterbacks vs. past draft classes during your career?
It's a deep crop and they seem to be getting deeper every year. Is that because it's never been easier to play quarterback or because you have to score a lot of points in today's game to win and teams are manic to find a quarterback, or both? The fact of the matter is, as I see it, the supply of quarterbacks is increasing. Guys are even coming off the bench and throwing for big stats. Mason Rudolph nearly beat the Browns in a game the Browns had to win to make it into the playoffs. Taylor Heinecke nearly ended the Bucs season. As the crops deepen, so will the ranks of the discarded: Darnold, Trubisky, Haskins, etc. I think it's possible we're headed toward the day when supply softens the position's drain on caps.

Charlie from Waukesha, WI
The Pats are down. The Bills are up. Both the Dolphins and the Jets are loaded with draft picks the next two years. While there can be just one AFC East champ, are we looking at a prolonged period of the three others beating up on the Pats?
It's possible. The Bills have "The Man." The Jets are about to take another shot at "The Man." If Tua isn't "The Man," the Dolphins have the picks to draft or trade for one. Belichick better find his quarterback real soon or even his seat will begin getting warm. In the NFL, time is on no one's side.

Randy from Westminster, CO
Though we know no one bats 100 percent when drafting, most football pundits and fans enjoy pointing out the misses. In your mind, what type of batting percentage does a GM need to be considered successful?
He needs to hit on the quarterback. If he misses there, it won't matter what he bats at the other positions.

Mikey from Tallahassee, FL
Well, I guess that takes the Jags trade out of the equation. Your thoughts on the Darnold trade?
Matt Rhule sees something in Darnold he likes. That would worry me if I was the Jets GM.

Frank from Wausau, WI
I see one of Tom Brady's rookie cards sold for over $2 million. It made me take out my old collection. Any fond trading card memories?
I was a baseball card kid. What I remember is it seemed every pack I bought included either Larry Sherry, Minnie Minoso or Roman Mejias.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Alex from Orlando, FL
Vic, Jacksonville is tired of picks. We want our QB. We have the pick of the litter in a year many consider a generational talent is available. Can you imagine the risk involved with passing on Trevor Lawrence and what he might become in the NFL? Would you legitimately take that risk? I wouldn't. There must be something about him that makes you feel he won't be successful. Sam Howell and Spencer Rattler? What guarantee is there the Jags can find a trade partner in the top two picks next year? I've been reading this column for 21 years and I've never disagreed with you more than on this topic. At what point do you stop accepting picks and just pick "The Man?"
Got it.

Bob from Plymouth, WI
Is there anything we should take from the Packers not restructuring Rodgers contract?
It simply means they don't want to push money out and increase his potential dead money. They might change their opinion but that's the way it stands right now. It's about maneuverability and options. The Packers don't want to get trapped.

Keith from Springfield, MO
Vic, I'm curious to know if I'm seeing what you're seeing with Trevor Lawrence: freshman national champion, sophomore runner-up, junior plus-one loss. Has he plateaued? Joe Burrow's season the year before was one for the ages, and it appears as though his trajectory is still pointing up. Doesn't that matter more?
I don't think that's a fair evaluation of Lawrence. He is clearly a premier talent and deserving of the No. 1 overall selection. He's big, strong, athletic, mobile and tough. He's got a strong, accurate arm, a stylish release and a bulldog temperament for big games. I love his leadership qualities. If he's successful, he'll make for a great face of the franchise. The negatives? I've seen it written he doesn't throw a great deep ball. The only thing I don't like is he has a long stride, which means he's not only going to need time to throw, he's going to need room to throw. I have no problem with the Jaguars picking him first overall, but I don't think it should be the slam-dunk pick Jaguars fans want it to be. I'd like the Jaguars to invite some intrigue. What's that pick worth on the open market?

Nate from Neenah, WI
Talk to us more about a two-quarterback system.
I didn't say it would be a two-quarterback system. I was merely suggesting the increase in the number of games, and I expect it will go to 18 games, will likely demand greater depth and quality at the quarterback position. It goes hand in hand with the exploding importance of that position and the need to score a lot of points. A few years ago it was common for teams to carry only two quarterbacks on the active roster. I can see it going to four.

Joe from Bloomington, IN
How does the NFL partner with legalized gambling? Why does legalized gambling need to share anything with the NFL?
A partnership with the NFL is gambling's pathway to televised games. It's "the box" on the top of TV.

Dalton from Medford, WI
Did you and Cliff Christl ever get into a friendly game of "Who's dynasty was better?" when talking Packers and Steelers?
Oh, yeah, it happened a lot. We'd get into heated arguments. One day Cliff began to cry and yelled at me, "Go Pack Go."

Justin from West Chester, PA
How far is it reasonable for a front office to attempt to plan its roster?
Realistic, hard planning? Two years; the one you're in and the next one. Salary caps are planned out farther.

Max from Minnesota
Vic, Rodgers currently takes up 20 percent of the 2021 cap. No Super Bowl-winning QB has taken up that much in the 10 years of data I looked at. The highest is about 12 percent and many well under this. Do you think Tom Brady is aware of this and purposely keeps his cap number lower to have a better team around himself? If yes, do you think Rodgers would ever do such a thing?
It's not up to Rodgers. Nearly all contracts include an automatic conversion clause that allows the team to convert salary to signing bonus without the player's permission. Converting Rodgers' 2021 salary to signing bonus and pushing it out through 2023 would create a savings of about $8 million this year. The Packers have elected not to create more potential dead money. I respect what they've done. I blame the media for fan confusion on this subject. For years, reports of Brady's restructurings suggested he was taking a pay cut. Vic to readers: Brady was not taking a pay cut.

Lee from Washington, DC
Is there a difference between functional strength and strength?
If weight room strength is limited in its range of motion, it's not playing strength. Bar goes up, bar goes down isn't good enough.

J.P. from Jacksonville, FL
Commissioner Vic gets to choose two new expansion franchises, but you cannot select a city that has recently lost a team. Who do you select?
It would have to be an international city because I don't think the NFL can expand in the United States without hurting one of its existing franchises. For example, a team in Hartford would hurt the Patriots.

Craig from Chicago, IL
Is the extent the Packers go to maintain good locker room culture unique among other franchises around the league? And is it working?
No, yes.

Warren from Mount Holly, NC
Vic, you may not need to hear it, but from time to time I feel like I need to say it: thank you for this.
Thanks for reading.

Tim from Denver, CO
Let's say (Lawrence) puts Carolina in the playoffs. The wolves will be howling and the Jaguars haven't seen much success in a long time. What insurance would GM Vic need from his boss to make this trade?
You don't get assurance, you get a lot of money to get it right. You would make the trade because you believe it's best for the franchise. The same job insecurity is attached to Lawrence failing and one of the other quarterbacks or all of them succeeding. The Jaguars have their pick of all of them. I don't understand this notion Lawrence is without risk. The Rams just dumped a first overall pick on the Lions. The Jaguars have to get this right. "Everybody agreed with us" won't be an excuse if he fails.

Brad from Oshkosh, WI
After a couple of seasons, someone smarter than I in statistical analysis could probably determine whether legalized gambling is skewing the outcome of games. Will anyone in sports journalism look at this, and will anyone care?
It was called to my attention recently that in places where legalized gambling exists, advertising for it on radio and TV dominates. Sports talk shows are even sponsored by casinos. I don't know how to answer your question but I'll say this: If the NFL lets gambling in the door, in time we won't know where one begins and the other ends.

John from Brookfield, WI
If professional sports are all about money, what are college athletics about?
Yes, college sports are big business, but it's a poorly run business because most athletic departments struggle to break even and several are enduring catastrophic losses. The Washington Post did a deep investigation on the financial state of college athletics from 2004 to 2014. Among its findings: "In 10 years, 48 athletic departments in college sports’ wealthiest conferences saw earnings surge by nearly $2 billion and spent it almost as quickly as it came in. Many programs still need student fees and school money to pay their bills." High-paid coaches and administrators and the costs of status-symbol facilities are out of line with the revenue they generate. In most programs, the revenue doesn't justify the costs. College athletics can't be solely about the money because, by and large, they're a loser. College athletics are about recruiting students and entertaining alumni. In that sense, they are indirectly about the money, but the popular notion colleges are swimming in profits is ridiculous. Mostly, they're drowning in debt. Research is where the money is. Johns Hopkins receives $2 billion a year for research and development. Does it even have a football team?

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Morgan from Little Chute, WI
As it gets easier to play QB, why are the top 3-5 picks going to be QB?
It's because the position has never been more important, and I think making it easier to play has added to the position's importance. You don't win in today's game without scoring a lot of points, and you don't score a lot of points without a good quarterback. The position went through a talent drought for a few years. I think the league saw that and became worried as long-time stars began to age. Rules changes and points of emphasis have encouraged schemes that have mined talent at the position. No team should be without a capable quarterback in today's game, unless they're the Bears.

Joe from Bloomington, IN
It seems Miami has calmly leveraged desperate teams for multiple draft picks for a few years now. They retain cap space by only spending money on young and relatively cheap players, yet, they fielded a pretty good team. Have they discovered a new formula?
If they did -- it's really nothing new; the Browns did it in building their current team -- they goofed on Minkah Fitzpatrick. They used an 11 to pick him and then traded him a year later for an 18. Since then, Fitzpatrick has been a takeaways machine. He's intercepted nine passes, returned two of those for touchdowns, forced two fumbles and recovered three. He is one of the best defensive players in his draft class. At some point you have to pick and stick. In the salary cap era, the formula is pick good players, win for as long as the cap and the inverse draft order will allow, rinse, repeat. Yes, massaging the draft is a good idea. That's what the Dolphins are doing. Now comes the difficult part: Pick good players.

Richard from St. Augustine, FL
Always have loved your dry humor. Gotta think your comment about four ones for Trevor Lawrence was just that, because after about 25 years of reading, I have never seen you imply any player worth four ones. Will you come clean, regarding if you're serious?
I was being serious. Lawrence's value to Carolina is immense. His Clemson roots would give the Panthers a presence in South Carolina they've never enjoyed. Lawrence would truly make the Panthers a two-states regional franchise.

Stephen from Long Beach, CA
You touched on this in the answer to the final question on Monday, but does an added 17th game mean a larger roster size? I'm still trying to wrap my head around whether I like the idea or not.
A 17th game will likely result in some kind of change that deepens the roster. I think that can be achieved easily by tweaking the practice squad rules. The bigger issue, in my opinion, is how an extra game might impact the quarterback position. I think we've reached the point teams need two starting-caliber quarterbacks. The Cowboys, Ravens, 49ers, Giants, Washington, Rams, Bengals and more had injury issues at the position last season.

Taylor from Fargo, ND
Your take on the 49ers and Garoppolo was refreshing. I didn’t understand the 49ers' rationale and did some research only to come away exhausted. It only took you one short snippet to make it all clear. That’s the content I wish was easier to find. What needs to be done to get quality material to rise above the garbage we come across daily?
Drama sells and readers are getting played by sites desperate for the click. It chafes me to read a site trumpeting a cap hit reduction without explaining the future cost. It sends a terrible message the cap can be circumvented. It insinuates some kind of cheating-like maneuver, and that immediately sends fans into a frenzy. This isn't the proverbial rocket science. It's easy to understand and explain. Demand better. You do it with your click. Don't be careless with it.

Lance from Flagstaff, AZ
Mac Jones is not a top 10 talent. There is a QB in the SEC that is better and he's from Florida. He had less talent and put up similar and/or better numbers. Mac Jones is just another weak-armed, Daltonesque QB that looks good because he had the top talent at every position surrounding him.
One of my favorite scouts loves Kyle Trask. He thinks he's the next Roethlisberger. Another one of my favorite scouts agrees with you on Jones. The scout likens Jones to A.J. McCarron. There is no uni-board. Opinions vary. It's what makes the draft the event it is.

John from Jacksonville, FL
You've made it abundantly clear Jacksonville should not draft Trevor Lawrence. Why?
Lawrence is the logical first pick of the draft. I get it. So why would I consider trading the pick? It's because Lawrence is so coveted he could deliver a treasure trove of picks in a trade the Jags could use to build a dominant roster, and I attach more value to that than I do to a quarterback in what appears to be a deep crop of them. Sam Howell and Spencer Rattler will be next year's stars. I get the sense we're headed for a long run of talent at quarterback. Spread offenses nearly guarantee it.

Josh from La Crosse, WI
What's a draft class that beats Green Bay's 1958 (Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke, Jerry Kramer and Dan Currie)?
Swann, Lambert, Stallworth, Webster.

Samuel from Phoenix, AZ
As an avid Vic reader, I’m going with your favorite player to be Jaylen Twyman.
I saw Twyman two years ago. He looked like the second coming of Aaron Donald: undersized, quick, disruptive. Last season, he opted out and it was a mistake. He thought he had shown enough, but it would seem that was a miscalculation. Because he's undersized, he needed to show more. The opt-outs are going to make the 2021 draft error-prone.

Steven from Charleston, SC
Can the Packers save money on their salary cap by trading out of the first round of the draft and not picking until rounds two and later?
The savings would be minimal. The draft is how you fix your cap; free agency is how you break it. The Minkah Fitzpatrick introduced an even better way of using rookie contracts to your advantage: Trade for a guy on a rookie deal one year after he's picked and you get him for three years on that deal, and his bonus amortization stays with the team that traded him. The draft has never been more important. It's about value, it's about need, it's about your salary cap.

Jack from Jacksonville, FL
According to his agent, Tyson Alualu had a change of heart about moving back to Jax. Why would he take less money to stay in Pittsburgh?
The explanation was he's building his dream house in Pittsburgh and his children are happy in their schools. I get that, but he's at the end of his career and he could've allowed life to continue for his family back in Pittsburgh while he chased the money in Jacksonville for a year or two. Hey, it's a seasonal business; airplanes fly between the two cities. Alualu chose to stay with the Steelers because that's where he wants to play. That's the real reason. He was considered a bust in Jacksonville. In Pittsburgh, he's been a valued performer. He chose happiness, for his family and for himself.

Jim from South Range, WI
Vic, I’ve often wondered how scouts, GMs, etc. get it so wrong on so many draftees. It’s easily understood with players who are considered marginal or projects, but how are mistakes so regularly made on high-profile draftees?
Mistakes are made because it's so difficult to determine if a prospect has another gear left in his game. He'll have to play at a higher level to be successful in the NFL. If he's topped out, he'll be a bust.

Nick from Boston, MA
Seventeen games with no additional bye weeks, retirement benefits, salary guarantees or access to free agency, and only meager revenue share gains. Why is the NFLPA so weak and shortsighted? Is it really just a consequence of having so many members?
Why kill the golden goose? The players and owners are partners in a business that's booming. When the NFL partners with legalized gambling, the money is going to flow like water. We'll see the salary cap hit a billion dollars per team. Quarterback salaries will reach a $100 million a year. I might even be underestimating what will happen.

Ben from El Paso, TX
What will the impact be of researchers being able to detect chronic traumatic encephalopathy in living patients?
On football? Players will retire sooner. The game will continue to soften. Gambling will become the bigger game.

Jimmy from Vero Beach, FL
Vic, I'm wondering if you've had a change in philosophy because you feel it's never been easier to play QB in the NFL, or if you dislike something in Lawrence's game. Having "The Man" seems like the most important factor in long-term success. Also, no team has 100 percent success rate in picking the right players. The Jaguars have been especially bad at it. Even if we hit on all four, having four good players vs. a great QB doesn't seem like an even trade.
OK, I surrender. Lawrence must be the pick.

John from Green Bay, WI
Vic, do you believe playing games in Europe is less about eventually establishing a franchise there and more about creating a market in which to sell TV rights?
I covered a preseason game in 1993 in Barcelona between the Steelers and the 49ers. I got off the plane after an all-night flight, staggered onto the practice field, saw someone I knew from the league office and decided he would give me an easy story so I could go to bed. "Pete," I said, "why am I here?" He smiled and explained the NFL sold $49 million in merchandise in Europe the previous year, expected to double that number and the team I covered was a big seller. In Pittsburghese, it's abaht da money n'at, jano. TV and merchandise is where the real money is.

Randy from Wisconsin Rapids, WI
What do we look for when trying to find a coach capable of getting his players to play above the X's and O's?
You look for greatness. Coach Lombardi coached his team to play above the X's and O's in the Ice Bowl. Coach Noll coached his team to play above the X's and O's in the Immaculate Reception. You'll know greatness when you see it. It has the look of immortality.

Mike from Bridgeport, CT
Vic, I'm Pittsburgh bound in two weeks so I can knock PNC Park off my list of unvisited MLB stadiums. I'm only in town for two days and three nights, so I'll need to wisely and safely cram in the important stuff, aside from the ballgame. Can you please advise on sightseeing spots, must eats and yinzer culture?
Pittsburgh is about more than its charming downtown. Pittsburgh is about the collapse of big steel and all of the little river towns, like mine, whose mills shuttered and left behind rusted reminders of what was once a very good life and a top 10 market. Pitt and Carnegie Mellon and Pittsburgh's robust medical, technological and corporate communities give the city a glowing, renaissance look on Sunday Night Football, but the abandoned mill towns are the true identity of what can happen when you are no longer necessary. Find them and you'll find the real Pittsburgh. They're worth seeing because they're real, more real than ever.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Mark from Sturgeon Bay, WI
Vic, I just moved to the shore. Not big open water like Lake Michigan or the ocean, but not a small inland lake either. Sit-in or sit-on kayak and why? I’m in decent shape and in my mid 60’s.
Everything about sit-on kayaks is great until you try to paddle one. It's like paddling a piece of plywood. Sit-ins are for kayakers who want to go somewhere.

Sean from Longmont, CO
Your comments about the spectacle of professional football stirred deep feelings in how the game is presented. I'm OK with change but it has lessened my interest overall. I find Fantasy Football boring and I have no time for analysts who talk about two-gappers and cover zero. I fell in love with the game because of Ed and Steve Sabol. I had a huge stack of NFL Films VHS tapes that I watched endlessly as a kid. I was mesmerized by the cinematography and the majesty of those slow-motion highlights. It was how I learned about the history of the league. Today's modern fans seem to have less interest in history and spectacle. NFL Films is still around but they seem to have a much smaller presence. This shift has diminished my passion for the sport. I have come to the conclusion that, in their pursuit of capturing more and more casual fans, the owners and their broadcast partners have made all of us merely casual fans.
The Bill Saul, "If" and "Joe and the Magic Bean" productions were my favorites. Saul is famous for having worn a wire for his film. He was a rough, ghoulish-looking man; he had to be beeped several times. I saw it at a father and son Holy Name Society function. These were the days of the baby boom and the basement of the church was packed with kids and their dads. NFL Films was a Pete Rozelle promotional enterprise and the teams were armed with their highlight films, etc., to lend to social functions in the team's market. The Steelers gave us the Bill Saul production and their highlight film to grace our event. The first few times Saul was beeped there were polite giggles. Then they turned to laughs. When Saul delivered his best beep, which left nothing for the imagination, the room exploded with laughter. Even the priest was laughing.

Dan from Madison, WI
I attended a virtual seminar with Isabel Wilkerson this winter and just ordered some copies of "Caste" for my history department to read. Would you like to share anything else to prepare our readership?
It sent me into deep thought.

Eric from Brooklyn, NY
Tony Pauline pointed out all of the college seniors who've taken the NCAA up on its offer of a fifth year of eligibility means next year's draft class will be loaded, compared to this year's, which will be thin in later rounds. He gets the feeling teams will try to trade picks this year for ones next year as a result.
These next two drafts are going to be intriguing, not only for the overload of talent expected in next year's, but in the unknown attached to this year's draft. Mistakes are going to be made on the opt-outs in this year's draft, due to a lack of information. I have a favorite player who opted out and I'm not seeing his name mentioned prominently.

Don from Imnaha, OR
How do coaches and other support staff salaries impact the cap, if at all?
They don't. The cap is for players only. It's their money.

Bob from Houston, TX
So Kevin King gets a one-year, prove-it deal. He still needs to make the team, right? If a stud draft pick beats him out after training camp and he's cut, will he see any of that contract money? Only the guaranteed part?
You don't give a guy $3.75 million in signing bonus on a contract that voids following the 2021 season and then cut him. The decision has been made: Kevin King will be one of the Packers' cornerbacks or the team will have made an embarrassing mistake.

Jacson from Minneapolis, MN
I think most fans want teams to go all in because those fans only think about the current year and not the future. Vic, what's an example of a team that went all in but didn't end up winning a Super Bowl? What happened in the years following the all-in decision?
You live in Minneapolis, right?

Adam from Denver, CO
Would the Bears overpay for Rodgers in a trade?
The Bears would overpay for me in a trade.

Travis from Fort Walton Beach, FL
I checked out the draft order and noticed the Seahawks only have three picks in the draft. After researching, they traded picks for players. Is this a symptom of going all in, or does this indicate a lack of trust in the COVID draft class?
It's a symptom of impatience, jitteriness, lack of confidence and commitment, all of which lead to forsaking the future for the present. Yes, that's going all in, and fans applaud it, until it's time to go all out. I think teams going all in justify it with the belief they can fix it with a year of repair. In my opinion, if you involve the draft in an all-in move, the repair is going to be a lot longer than a year or two because your roster could be severely depleted of young, ascending players. Again, I prefer an even approach, but I'll accept going all in on the cap for a team trying to maximize the run of a veteran quarterback. I'll never accept the wholesale trading away of draft picks for players, as the Rams have done. The draft is the lifeblood of a franchise. Watching other teams use your picks is a very bad feeling.

Tom from Pleasant Hill, CA
Vic, I’m all in on what Gutekunst is doing in Green Bay. He has a philosophy and he’s sticking to it. I believe Jordan Love is the future of this franchise and I believe Gute thinks so as well. By bringing back key players, he’s focused his attention on DB, OL and DL for the draft and they’ll be a better team in 2021. What’s your opinion?
The Love pick will define him.

Joe from Milwaukee, WI
How early will the first non-quarterback be taken?
Fifth overall pick.

Eric from Lansing, MI
Vic, how does that 49ers trade for the No. 3 draft spot make sense? Garoppolo is still on their books, the next two years will lack a first-round pick, and the top three QBs this year need to be of "The Man" quality or San Francisco might be left with leftovers. Very risky. Can you explain it?
Garoppolo's contract situation invited the move. He only has two years remaining and his dead money after this season is a mere $1.4 million. The 49ers did a unique contract with Garoppolo after they traded for him. They were a young team flush with cap room, and they paid him high in roster bonus and low in signing bonus. Instead of pushing money out, they brought money forward. As a result, they have no amortization to unwind; they have maneuverability. If he's not "The Man," and it appears they don't think he is, they have to find "The Man," and that's why this trade makes sense. It appears they've targeted a quarterback and they believe he's worth the cost of moving to where he fits. As for trading away draft picks, I also get the sense the 49ers believe they can trade Garoppolo and recover some of that lost draft capital. The strategy will be defined by who they pick and how he plays.

Aiden from Jacksonville, FL
With the No. 1 pick, who would GM Vic pick?
I'd call Carolina and ask them what Trevor Lawrence is worth to them. I think I might be able to get four ones. Then I'd maneuver into position to draft hometown guy Mac Jones.

John from Brookfield, WI
How does the proposed 17-game schedule impact the cap and player salaries? What unforeseen changes do you anticipate as part of a longer regular season?
More games mean more money and a higher salary cap. It also means more injuries and the need for greater depth.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Brian from Little Rock, AR
Have you been able to get the COVID vaccine yet?
I got my first shot last week. I think I've gained a few yards.

Jack from Middleton, WI
What will be missed when ticket stubs are no more? Some good memories are tied to the old stubs I've kept.
They'll sell commemorative stubs, and the sheep will buy them.

Isaac from Nashville, TN
Vic, do you think Rodgers bails on the game plan when he thinks it isn't working?
He likes plays. I think he sees football as a chess game. Rodgers sees coverage schemes as something to be exploited. The running game is too procedural for him. He believes he can move the ball faster through the air.

Scott from Issaquah, WA
What box are you talking about putting on the TV to encourage gambling?
The one you use to place a bet when the TV screen says, "If you wish to place a bet on today's game, do so now." Imagine how many people would push a button. It's frightening.

Joe from Milwaukee, WI
Who's the second best quarterback in the draft?
I don't know, but of all the quarterback prospects, Trey Lance is the one who interests me the most.

Samuel from Jacksonville, FL
Your thoughts on the NFL giving Amazon black Friday games that would overlap college football rivalry week?
Thank you, NFL.

Steve from Lake Stevens, WA
Would you explain again what the inherent risks in restructuring and pushing money out are?
The risk is the player you've restructured will be on your cap but off your roster. Drew Brees is retired, but he'll be a $12.2 million charge on the Saints' cap this year and $11.5 million in '22. Tom Brady was a $13.5 million charge on the Patriots' cap last season as Brady was leading the Bucs to the Super Bowl title. In all, the Patriots had $31 million in dead cap charges in '20. The Jaguars had $49 million. That's why they're big spenders this year. They cleared their caps. Dead money is going to catch up to a team. It's not a risk, it's a guarantee. The risk is it could cause damage from which it'll require more than a year or two to recover. I saw it first hand in Jacksonville. It turned that franchise dark.

Kyle from Cambridge, MN
When you say, "You pay it you claim it," does that also count towards salaries of players for playoff games?
Players don't receive salary money in the postseason. They are paid by the league in the form of pre-designated shares for the rounds in which they played, and that share money does not count against a team's cap. Incentives reached would count. Player salaries are paid over the 17 weeks of the regular season.

Morgan from Little Chute, WI
Is that when games will become rigged?
A partnership with legalized gambling would require aggressive enforcement by the league. The players union would probably agree to increased oversight because the money would be so fantastic. I think the big concern would be any hint of impropriety, even if it was unfounded or even intentionally planted, could create irreparable damage to the integrity of the game. If you give fans a reason to suspect the games aren't legit, the result could be devastating.

Robert from South St. Paul, MN
Vic, can you still watch football with the innocent enthusiasm of a 10-year-old, or has your previous employment, along with the sometimes drastic changes of the game itself diminished the excitement you once knew?
I was always different from the other kids as to how I watched a game. They cheered, I watched and analyzed. Even then, I liked to be alone when I watched games. The innocence I felt was for the spectacle, and I still feel that. It's a big, beautiful picture painted just for me. The innocence is in the appreciation of the sights and sounds of a major sporting event. I still thrill at the sight of bright colors on a gray day, at the roar of the crowd. All of the innocent pleasures that drew me to football as a kid still thrill me today. Big contracts and greedy players don't bother me. Even as a 10-year-old getting an autograph from Buzz Nutter, I wasn't in awe of who and what he was, I was in awe of the stage on which he played. I'm still attracted to football for all of the right reasons. It might be the only innocence I haven't lost.

Bob from Green Bay, WI
What are your thoughts on the Packers bringing back a player like Kevin King instead of investing in a vet player like Richard Sherman or Casey Hayward, Quinton Dunbar or Bashaud Breeland for just one year?
The Packers believe King is the better choice. I'm OK with that.

Mike from Tuscaloosa, AL
What was your reaction to Lynn Swann telling Phyllis George he was scared? Did you see opposing defenses try to play him harder after the comment?
I don't remember having a reaction. All of the top receivers were targeted: Swann, Stingley, Warfield, Branch, Gilliam, Curtis, etc. They all knew they were going to get wacked when they crossed the middle. Two weeks after Swann sustained a devastating shot to the head and concussion in the 1975 AFC title game, he was the MVP of Super Bowl X, and the target on his back broadened. I remember a game against the Browns early in the 1978 season. Swann was the victim of a brutal head shot that left him to lie stunned on the ground for a few seconds, as the Browns celebrated the hit. All of a sudden, he shot up and ran back to the huddle. I viewed it as a turning point in his career. He went on to have the best season of his career, including seven receptions for 124 yards and the game-winning touchdown catch in Super Bowl XIII, the leaping one NFL Films loves to feature in its Super Bowl highlights.

Mike from Fort Wayne, IN
Is there a method in the madness with the Bears front office moves the last few years?
No, only madness. Seriously, the Bears could be headed for collapse. They could be picking first overall in a year or two. Gross mismanagement usually creates inescapable consequences.

Paul from Cumming, GA
Kevin King is back and the wolves are howling. Why do we have such difficulty accepting the outcome of the NFC championship game was not the sole responsibility of one player? Is this phenomena simply part of the human condition?
Defense always gets the blame in Green Bay. Offense is the darling. Well, the darling was a dog at crunch time. That's where you put the blame.

John from Kalamazoo, MI
I've read your work for long enough to observe that on social issues you are open-minded, willing to adapt and accepting of new ideas. How are you adapting to society's evolving understanding of gender?
My understanding of gender began with Wilma Rudolph. No man ever ran with the power and grace she did.

Carl from Blue Mounds, WI
Do you ever wish a free agent said they signed their deal because it was the most money they could get, or is it just me?
They say it; you're just not listening. Fans, especially Packers fans, don't want to hear it. They want to believe the lie. I like the truth: It's about the money. It's cold. It's honorable. It's American.

Mike from North Hudson, WI
When it comes to the offseason, what does your weekly interests involve?
Up early, coffee, "Ask Vic" questions. Read the news and stock futures. Breakfast and then take care of business, followed by my bike ride around the beach. I go to the range in the early afternoon, followed by an outdoor shower, watch some cable TV news, phone calls with friends, refreshments and dinner. I'll work the kayak back into the routine (depending on the tides) when my new kayak carrier arrives. I like to go to bed early and read. I recently finished "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson. It is a humbling and enlightening read. I'm now reading "Bobby Kennedy" by Chris Matthews, who has a sensational grasp of politics and their history.

Greg from Columbia City, OR
The commissioner of the NFL embracing gambling surprised me. I guess I was more innocent than I realized.
I, too, was surprised. I'm OK with it being about the money, but not that kind of money. That kind of money is about stealing from the poor and the desperate.

Mel from Blount Island, FL
Mike McCarthy made a very good comment when asked about QBs. I think it was, "Is the team ready for the QB?" Is Jacksonville ready for the QB?
Great quote. Imagine, a guy from Pittsburgh being that philosophical. Yeah, the Jaguars are ready for the QB. Are the Jaguars ready to pick the right one?

Randy from Billings, MT
If there's a quarterback that grades out better than Love, and he slips significantly to be available in the mid to late 20's in the first round, do the Packers do what it takes to get him?
Congratulations, you're in the "Ask Vic" Hall of Fame.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Jeff from Des Moines, IA
Vic, do you feel teams that draft and develop at a high level are appropriately rewarded for their success in today's NFL?
If they have a star quarterback, yes. If they have a star quarterback, they almost have to draft and develop at a high level because he's gonna eat up the cap.

Mike from Fort Wayne, IN
How damaging is Deshaun Watson's civil lawsuits going to be for his trade desires?
I read a story that suggests teams are still interested in trading for him, but if I had wanted to trade for him, I wouldn't now. This is a big deal and it's going to get bigger.

Loftur from Columbus, OH
What is the greatest technological invention in football history and do you foresee anything taking it's place at the top in the near future?
It is, without a doubt, the invisible paint TV uses to show where the line to gain is.

Kyle from Prescott, WI
Vic, I have kept your "dime a dozen" comments about receivers in mind while watching the last few drafts and free agency. Overall, the free-agent market seems to agree with you. However, we still see a number of receivers highly drafted every year. Is there a more nuanced way to look at the position that places a high value on a dominant receiver and a low value on everyone else?
There are just more of them to draft. In the 2020 draft, 35 wide receivers were selected, compared to 20 offensive tackles. Wide receiver, linebacker and cornerback are usually the top three positions selected; they usually offer the greatest supply of NFL-caliber prospects. The edge pass blockers are in short supply. You almost have to get them early or you'll find yourself reaching for them late because you have to have them. Bakhtiari was a great find in round four.

Jake from Knoxville, TN
Vic, I like to watch, and the only people I ever complain about are the fans, the refs and, most often, the people who write the rules. Is it okay if I don’t truly know football? I appreciate the salary cap’s all-importance, but I have avoided learning much about it beyond a handful of guidelines: rookie contract good, dead money bad, can’t sign everyone, etc.
Yeah, that'll work. You don't need to know the intricacies of the cap, but you need to know enough about the cap to understand why teams do what they do because the cap impacts all of a team's personnel decisions. It is the author of a comprehensive, long-range personnel strategy and I think cap-savvy fans have an appreciation for that kind of planning the fans who avoid knowing the cap don't.

Samuel from Jacksonville, FL
If you're Jacksonville, do you trade Minshew? A backup QB with starting experience on a cheap rookie deal is valuable.
If they can get a decent pick for him, trade him. He's certainly not going to compete for the starting job with the first overall pick.

Leo from Dallas, TX
Your prediction, which I shared, was the Ravens would let Lamar Jackson walk after his rookie contract was up, unless he became a dominant passer, too. The recent dramas and power plays by other mobile QBs would seem to encourage that, except franchises still re-sign them to huge contracts when the dust settles. Are the Ravens cap-strict enough to be the first to hold their ground, or do you think another franchise will draw the line in the sand?
I'd like to see links to what I'm being told I've allegedly said, but I'll acknowledge concern for Jackson's skills as a passer after the Ravens used him for much of his rookie season as a specialty downs runner. Since then, he's become a full-time quarterback and his passing stats look fine to me: 6,000 yards, 62 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. That's not good enough for you? He was the NFL's 11th-ranked passer with a 99.3 passer ranking last season. Re-signing him isn't even an issue.

Tim from Ocala, FL
I have to say I am very impressed with how the Jaguars have approached free agency so far. Frugal contracts and solid depth overhaul, with only one real splash signing. What is your take on the Jaguars' 2021 free agency thus far?
It's low risk. It has a Belichick-like patch quality to it. Its volume gives it strength and it immediately makes the Jaguars a better team. Frankly, its expansionesque. The Jaguars have been re-born.

Donovan from Torrington, CA
Aren't A.J. Dillon and Jamaal Williams close enough in ability and potential to go with Dillon simply because Dillon's the younger guy?
Age has nothing to do with the decision to keep Dillon and let Williams walk, and it doesn't appear money was the issue either because Williams' deal with the Lions is so inexpensive it might not even qualify for compensatory draft pick consideration. Williams' cap number in '21 is a mere $1.625 million -- Dillon is $1.2 million -- and Williams would only be $1.625 million dead in '22 if the Lions decided to cut him. The Packers spent a second-round pick on Dillon. You don't cut a second-round pick in his second season.

Joel from Knoxville, IA
This blog is pathetic. The Packers have the best record in football over the last two years. Whine, whine, whine, whine. What a bunch of pathetic non-participants. Most of your questioners wouldn’t know football if it hit them between the eyes. Vic, do a better job of editing your questions.
OK.

Bob from Green Bay, WI
This would never happen, but what do you think the trade value for Jordan Love is at this point in time?
A three, maybe a two if you found a team that loved him coming out and still needs a quarterback. The Bears might give you four ones.

Dan from Minneapolis, MN
In announcing the new NFL media agreements, Roger Goodell said, "We're going to find ways we can engage fans through legalized sports betting." Vic, it feels like the game is going to become unrecognizable in the near future. What are your thoughts as to the potential impact of the NFL embracing gambling, which is anathema to its history?
I can remember writing, "The day they put that little box on top of the TV, the money will flow like water." That was a long time ago. Now they don't even need the little box. It's frightening to think what a partnership between the NFL and gambling could produce. More and more every day, the past looks like a better place to live.

Hannah from McFarland, WI
So before '93, did the most elite NFL players always stick with the teams that brought 'em?
Unless they were traded or cut, yes. Until unrestricted free agency, players were, in effect, the exclusive property of the team that owned the player's rights. The compensation required to sign a free agent effectively took them off the market. At the height of his career, Walter Payton was a free agent and didn't get a sniff. The players' only recourse was to hold out, and several did.

Damon from La Crosse, WI
Are the Packers waiting for the stupid money to dry up?
The Steelers did and they got Smith-Schuster back at a ridiculously low number.

Pedro from Asturias, Spain
If a team inks a player for, let's say, four years and the player calls it quits after the first season, can the team recover part of the signing bonus or continue to spread the cap hit through the whole contract length?
The team will likely seek return of a portion of the signing bonus, as the Lions did with Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson when they abruptly retired with time left on their contracts. Sanders said, "That's a tough check to write," and it resulted in a frosty relationship with the Lions that's only begun to thaw in recent years. When the team receives that "tough check," it will receive a cap credit from the league. Yes, the cap can be difficult to understand and that's why I stress this simple logic: You pay it, you claim it. When you've claimed it and didn't pay it, you get a credit. I like the newish rule that allows teams to carry unused cap space over to future years.

Ken from Tucson, AZ
What can college football learn from college basketball's March Madness?
The lesson is simple and obvious: When the supply of talent is spread over a large field of teams, parity results. Because basketball rosters are small, spreading the supply of talent doesn't require legislation. Football does.

Mike from Bridgeport, CT
What did you think about Meyer's brutally honest comments about the free agency process? He might be right, but too much too soon? Why paint a target on your back already?
This isn't college football. It's not autocratic. The NFL isn't the NCAA. The NFL can't unilaterally fix what's wrong. The process is the result of painstaking negotiation between the league's owners and the players union. It's the best compromise to ensure the game that's paying Meyer millions of dollars before he has even coached one game in the NFL can function within a workable framework. Deal with it!

Nate from Star Prairie, WI
I'm thinking they move on from Rodgers after next season with their inaction.
If the Packers are reluctant to push money out and create more cap room, it tells me they don't want to increase his dead money; it suggests to me they want to unwind his amortization and, yes, that would suggest they're preparing for life after Rodgers. What if they're considering an extension? That's a different ballgame. Or maybe they've decided "what's the rush?" which I would applaud. Let's wait for more information.

Tom from Oshkosh, WI
I have been reading most deals for free-agent running backs are going to be relative bargains. Did Gute panic when he rushed to sign Aaron Jones early in free agency?
It's a fair question. I sensed a sharp shift in strategy. My reporter instincts, and knowing agents as I do, tells me Rosenhaus saw he wasn't going to break the bank, so he let the Packers know he would be willing to negotiate. They did a deal and then Rosenhaus did what agents do to make themselves and their clients look good. It's about the money, and when they say it's not about the money, that's when it's really about the money.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Jared from Rigby, ID
Vic, what are your thoughts on Taysom Hill's new contract?
He's an overrated guy whose new contract is a cry for help and whose amortization and dead money won't matter because the Saints are dead team walking.

Oscar from Chicago, IL
Vic, if "passing was kept to a minimum," how were quarterbacks in that era used? As someone who hasn't seen a game from that era, I'm having some difficulty picturing what they do.
They converted third down and made big plays. In Super Bowl X, Bradshaw was nine of 19 for 209 yards and two touchdowns, including four completions to Lynn Swann for 161 yards and one touchdown, a 64-yard game-winner in which Bradshaw didn't know the result until after the play because he had been knocked unconscious by a blow to the head as he was releasing the pass. There was no penalty.

Hannah from McFarland, WI
What rules were different about the salary cap in the early '90's compared to today's?
The salary cap era began in 1993. At the start, there was a brief window of cap exemption that allowed teams to sign players, but once the cap kicked in, it was basically the same formula that's used today. Prior to '93, there was no cap. You could sign as many players for as much money as you wanted.

Lance from Milwaukee, WI
What would you guess is meant by describing a prospect as "quick with his feet but lags with his hips?"
He's stiff. If this is about a cornerback, it means he struggles to flip his hips.

Tom from Bismarck, ND
I'm confused. No need to chronicle the series of conflicting moves the Packers have made over the past few years. The signing of Aaron Jones to an extension most assuredly means the drafting of Dillon was a mistake. A backup for Jones deserving a second-round pick? The Love pick was idiotic. I don't really think they know what they're doing, but that's a story for another day. It appears there is no one questioning these moves in the organization. Why hasn't there been any, and I mean any, reports on how Love progressed this year? What could possibly be the reason for keeping it silent?
Media is barred from the part of practice that would allow evaluation of Love but, even at that, backup quarterbacks don't get much game preparation during the season. There was no preseason, so there was no meaningful way to evaluate Jordan Love. As for the team's evaluation of Love, there is no gain in sharing it.

Joseph from Acworth, GA
What I dislike most about the Jones re-signing is I don’t see a long-term plan with the Packers. It seems to me to be a haphazard, shotgun approach. Why take Dillon in the second round (when depth at tackle is non-existent) only to re-sign Jones? I don’t see the roadmap anymore, do you?
I'm still struggling to understand drafting a pass rusher and a safety in the first round after signing two pass rushers and a safety in expensive free agency, or you could say signing two pass rushers and a safety in free agency when you know you're targeting a pass rusher and a safety in the draft. If they hadn't gone overboard at safety in 2019, maybe they would've drafted Jeremy Chinn last year. The draft is a crystal ball business and nobody has one. You can be aggressive and chase your needs, or you can be patient and allow fate to do your work for you.

Greg from Danbury, CT
That “one player away” conundrum for the Packers might be the QB position. Your “what’s the rush?” comment when they re-signed Rodgers was loaded with truth then and carries the light of prophecy now.
I'm not Nostraketchman. The "what's the rush?" comment was solely about taking advantage of the time available to the Packers. Time was on their side. That's all I was saying. They had time to evaluate Rodgers' recovery. They had time to make his next contract his last contract. Now, I suspect they'll have to do another contract with him, and that'll further increase the dead money they'll soon have to unwind. On top of all of that, it appears they've also rushed into finding Rodgers' replacement, which flies in the face of recent comments about expecting Rodgers to play for a long time. What I'm sensing is jitteriness. I thought the Packers made a good, disciplined decision to let Aaron Jones go, but on the verge of free agency they caved. Ted Thompson was harshly criticized for being too rigid. In my opinion, the Packers could use some of that rigidness now.

Jake from West Allis, WI
Vic, I read the column because I respect your views and opinions. However, it seems like you are starting to say things just to get people riled up. For example, you said this: "It says to me they don't think he's as good as Jones. Dillon becomes the new Jamaal Williams. What was wrong with the old one?" How on earth do you expect the Packers to pay both Jones and WIlliams? Did you think Williams was under contract still or are you just trying to get people going? Either way, it is pretty lame on your part. We both know the money that would be spent on Williams is better off being spent on a different position. So what was the point of the comment?
The point of the comment was you don't draft backups in the second round. As for Williams, I suspect the Packers could've done a favorable deal with him prior to last season. As it stands, the two-year contract he's signed with the Lions is bargain basement. Money better off being spent on a different position? How about the draft pick being spent on a different position? By the way, don't use rough language in a question to me again. If you can't control your emotions, please don't participate in the column.

Dalton from Medford, WI
I think Drew Rosenhaus may be pandering Packers fans by saying Aaron Jones took a lesser deal to stay in Green Bay.
Winsome people don't want it to be about the money.

Steve from Lake Stevens, WA
What will tell you when the Packers have gone all in?
Again, it's about the cap. When the Packers are restructured to the max, they'll be all in. And what about Davante Adams? He has a huge salary in '21 and he needs a new contract. A new deal could probably save $5-$6 million on the '21 cap. I'm not advocating throwing crazy money at a wide receiver, I'm just saying that's what a team does when it's all in.

Jay from Minneapolis, MN
Last year, the Packers drafted a new QB, RB and TE in rounds 1-3. Since then, we've given new deals to our old QB, RB and TE. What do you make of this?
Jay, I'm going to give you a little advice. There's a force in the universe that makes things happen. All you have to do is get in touch with it. Stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball.

Dave from Franklin, WI
So, are the Patriots going all in?
Dave, I'm not the keeper of the caps, and I don't want to do an audit of the Patriots' cap. What I can tell you is a quick glance at their restructuring money reveals it's minimal, and that means the Patriots are not all in, yet. Vic to readers: A team is not all in unless it has pushed out every dollar possible to make room on the current year's cap for talent acquisition. The Patriots blew it up last season. This is their reward. They're new! It's a wonderful feeling.

Matt from Winfield, IL
Vic, I’d love your thoughts on New England’s spending spree.
Bill Belichick is back to what he does best, patch. The Patriots' 2020 blow it up provided the cap room to do it. Now he needs to find the next Tom Brady.

Steve from New Britain, CT
What would it mean if Rodgers refused to make a team friendly restructuring deal of $25 million like Brady did for the Bucs? Could it reflect Rodgers doesn't have as much desire to win as TB12 does?
First of all, you can't just pick a number out of the air. Rodgers doesn't have $25 million in 2021 that can be converted to signing bonus and pushed out. He has a $15 million salary and everything above minimum wage could be converted, and he's due a $6.8 million roster bonus on Friday and that could be converted, but the total of those two figures would not equal $25 million. Secondly, I can't imagine why a player would refuse to restructure his existing contract unless he wanted a new contract. He's getting his money now instead of later. Who doesn't want to be paid now instead of later? Fans have this crazy notion restructuring is somehow a gesture of kindness to the team. Vic to fans: It's not a pay cut! The player is the winner. The team is paying the player now for grass he's going to mow later. In Rodgers' case it works because it's not likely he'll be cut before next season. The low league cap number this year has really brought management of the cap and its tools into focus, and fans are struggling to understand it. Unfortunately, if I write too much about the cap, people stop reading. They just don't want to spend the time and energy required to know the cap. In my opinion, you can't know football if you don't know the cap.

Paul from Cumming, GA
Tramon Williams has moved on to his life's work. How will you remember him as a player and a person?
He's a great guy; one of my favorite Packers. He gets it. True pro.

Robert from Schaumburg, IL
Can you explain the Taysom Hill extension? It says it is four years/$140 million, but it is all voidable.
I'll explain it this way: The Packers sign me to a four-year contract that voids after the first year. What that means is the Packers effectively are announcing I will be cut after the first year of my contract, and all of the salaries in the forward years will be extinguished. That's what a voidable does. It pre-determines a player's release. So why do teams sign players to voidables? Because it's a way of putting signing bonus money in the player's hands and pushing that money out over the life of the contract before its remaining proration becomes dead money when the player's contract voids. In other words, it helps make cap room in the current year at the cost of lost room in subsequent years. I think voidables are disingenuous and should be forbidden. That would require agreement between the owners and the players union in the CBA. If memory serves me correct, voidables were a Broncos creation in the late '90's. I have railed against them in previous columns, but nobody seemed to care until now. Why, because of Taysom Hill? Come on, folks, get over him. He's just a guy.

Taylor from Amarillo, TX
So, the Packers essentially spent their first three picks in the 2020 draft on backups?
Essentially? No, absolutely. I'll put it this way: If Jordan Love and A.J. Dillon are starters in 2021, the Packers have a huge problem.

Eric from Colorado Springs, CO
You thought the league would do something to adjust the cap rules for lost revenue between the seasons. Why do you think they did not?
Because the lost ticket revenue isn't as big a deal as I thought it would be. I talked to a cap guy who also thought the league would have to create some kind of adjustment. Apparently, we underestimated the degree to which TV is carrying the NFL.

Scott from Saint Charles, IL
It has been reported the Bears offered the Seahawks three first-rounders, a third-rounder and two unnamed starters for Wilson. A few years ago, the Bears gave up two firsts and a third for Mack. Can you run a railroad that way?
32. Bears -- All the screws are loose.

Kevin from DePere, WI
Vic, so the Packers restructured contracts for most of their highest-paid guys, except Aaron Rodgers. Does that mean: 1) Aaron was unwilling to accommodate them due to general unhappiness with the front office, or won’t restructure without a commitment to use the cap savings on a key free agent. 2) The Packers didn’t want to push out any more of his cap hit to still allow for flexibility to move on from him in the next 1-2 years. 3) A little of both. 4) Neither.
Or: 5) He wants a new contract.

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
Are the Packers going all in?
We have to wait. We should know by the end of the week what the Packers' strategy is.

Barry from Hayward, WI
All in with Aaron Jones, Vic?
Or maybe it's cold feet.

Blake from Wayzata, MN
Now that Aaron Jones has been re-signed, what would GM Vic do next?
Sign Linsley. I'm not a fan of all in, but half in doesn't make sense.

Scott from St. Charles, IL
So I guess this is what all in looks like.
Not yet. There's more to go.

Joe from St. Paul, MN
What does the Aaron Jones extension tell us about A.J. Dillon?
It says to me they don't think he's as good as Jones. Dillon becomes the new Jamaal Williams. What was wrong with the old one?

Santiago from Bogota, Colombia
Vic, speaking of the original TB12, he seemed to be the quintessential big-game QB, just like his modern counterpart is. The game-winning throws in the Super Bowl, plus, out-dueling Staubach in XIII seems so impressive to me. He's the most underrated QB in NFL history. Could you share your thoughts about him?
Like of all of the great quarterbacks of the '70's, Terry Bradshaw will never be mentioned in the GOAT debate because he doesn't have the stats to compare with what today's quarterbacks are compiling. Bob Griese completed six of seven passes for 73 yards in a lopsided win in Super Bowl VIII. Bradshaw was nine of 14 for 96 in IX and Staubach was 17 of 25 for 183 in XII. Those were in the pre-1978 rules changes era, which was punctuated by defense and the running game. Quarterbacks were brutalized in that era; passing was kept to a minimum. Then came the rules changes of 1978 and that's when we began to see the real Terry Bradshaw. He threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns in XIII and for 309 yards and two touchdowns in XIV. His stats exploded and he was the MVP of both games. Put Bradshaw, Staubach, Griese, Anderson and Stabler in today's era, and one of them might be in the GOAT conversation.

Hannah from McFarland, WI
When's the last time a team with no holes won the Super Bowl?
The pre-cap Cowboys with Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman.

David from Saint Paul, MN
What is the most pressing question for the Packers front office this offseason?
All in or keep chopping wood?

Mitch from Brown Deer, WI
2014 Green Bay Packers or 2020 Green Bay Packers?
Which one was more heartbreaking? I'll go with the '14 Packers. They truly should've won it all. The '20 Packers gained my respect as the season wore on, but I still think they were a little bit of a weak schedule impostor. Their best wins were over the Saints early in the season and against a slumping Titans team that lost five of its last 11 games following a fast start.

Mike from Milwaukee, WI
Vic, with regard to Wellington Mara, leaguethink and revenue sharing, I like the famous quote from Art Modell that the NFL owners were a bunch of "fat-cat Republicans who vote socialist." A light-hearted quip, but it's pretty accurate, isn't it?
I love the book "The League" because it includes a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff from that NFL era. Rams owner Dan Reeves wasn't all in on surrendering his TV rights to the league, and there's a conversation in the book in which Dan Rooney tells Reeves not to bring his TV people to Pittsburgh next season because they won't be allowed in the door. Oh, what a wonderful time it must've been to be a reporter.

Joseph from Acworth, GA
Regarding bringing a player's salary cap hit onto the current year, couldn't you convert future salary into a current-year roster bonus? That would mean you could restructure without reducing the length of the contract, I think.
I interpreted the question in Thursday's column to be about proration and how to avoid it becoming dead money. Salary is not proration and, unless it's guaranteed, it goes away when the player does. What you're suggesting is dangerous. It's like paying someone now to cut your grass next year.

Justin from Delray Beach, FL
Do you think the Packers get in their own way by sticking to their identity as a franchise?
No. The Packers have been a model franchise and manager of their football operation. They just need to play better at crunch time in conference title games. The title was there for the taking, and then what had been the strength of the team all season became its weakness.

Michael from Eau Claire, WI
Call me an old curmudgeon, but I sure didn’t miss the cheerleaders on the sideline. I’m hoping it doesn’t return.
Coach Noll called it "the jiggle show."

Mike from Goshen, IN
Vic, how do incentives count against the cap?
If the incentive was equaled in the previous season, it's considered LTBE (likely to be earned) and is charged to the current year's cap. If it was not equaled, it's considered NLTBE (not likely to be earned) and won't be charged to this year's cap but will be charged to the following season's cap if achieved. NLTBE incentives are another mechanism for pushing money out. A top player who was injured in training camp and placed on injured reserve the previous season could have his contract restructured to include an incentive for being on the active roster on opening day, and the incentive would be considered NLTBE.

Eric from Brooklyn, NY
And so it begins (Preston Smith).
Restructuring Smith and Adrian Amos is a way to create cap room, and every team is doing it in a cap-challenged year. Are the Packers all in? Again, not yet, but they can make additional room very quickly.

Luke from Port Alsworth, AR
If you could go back in time and change one thing about replay, what would it be and how would it affect the game today?
I'd get rid of the coach's challenge. I don't think coaches should bear any responsibility for officiating the game. I dislike everything about the process, especially how the opponent can hurry to snap the ball and and steal a play or a timeout. If a team loses a timeout for getting it wrong, shouldn't they be awarded a timeout for getting it right? The whole thing is nuts. College football does it right. If there's doubt, review it. Yes, the game would get longer, but it would be in pursuit of fairness.

Wes from Jacksonville, FL
I was reading an article that said Trevor Lawrence has been participating in Zoom calls with the Jaguars. I know the NFL has rules about interacting with players during the offseason, but is there a loophole with regards to unsigned players? The No. 1 pick affords the Jags a unique opportunity to get the playbook to Lawrence and work with him ahead of the season, if that's the case. Is this a possibility and are there any drawbacks to this approach?
All teams meet with draft prospects. Yes, the team with the first overall pick has an advantage because it can make its pick long before draft day, which is effectively what the Jaguars are doing. It's only a drawback if you fail to use this time to get it right. Are they absolutely sure Lawrence is the guy? I'd feel better if they kept an open mind and used all of the time available to them in making that decision.

Scott from Lake Greenwood, SC
Predicting the necessary player when you’re "a player away" feels like predicting momentum; borderline impossible. However, recognizing momentum after, even during, is not so hard. It strikes me in retrospect the Packers were one player away -- quality second cornerback -- from reaching the Super Bowl. Thoughts?
Kevin King had a bad game and he'll be blamed forever for the Packers' loss to the Bucs. I tend to focus more on an offense that went dead at crunch time. The Packers were down by five heading into the fourth quarter. They were at home and with the league MVP under center, and following consecutive interceptions by the Packers defense the offense went three and out each time. Then, with the goal line eight yards away, they threw three consecutive incompletions before kicking a cowardly field goal. A year earlier, it was eight passes by the 49ers. This time, it was eight more yards. One player away? Are you sure?

"Ask Vic" is published on Monday and Thursday through the offseason.

Greg from Columbia City, OR
Let's assume the cap goes up in 2022. Let's assume it jumps up significantly. Could managers use that windfall to reduce the money that has been pushed out?
There is a rarely used cap maneuver that allows a team to bring signing bonus proration forward, but the player's contract would have to be restructured and reduced by one year.

Bill from Sheboygan, WI
I don't understand what you mean when you say Wellington Mara saved the Packers. The Packers were the best team in the NFL in the 1960's and Lambeau Field was sold out.
That comment has nothing to do with winning and selling tickets. It's about market size only. TV was about to become the driving force in pro football and in 1962 Pete Rozelle sold the league's TV rights to CBS and the revenue was split evenly among the NFL's 14 teams. Prior to '62, each team in the league was free to market its own TV rights, which they did. Most of the teams had a deal with CBS, but at one point the LA Rams had a cutting-edge deal with Admiral TV, the Browns were featured in a regional TV arrangement, and the Steelers and Colts had a unique contract with NBC. At one point prior to '62, the Packers were without a TV contract, which was symptomatic of the market's smallness and underscored its vulnerability. Again, Cliff Christl could speak better on this. To get the league's owners to agree to a leaguethink plan to sell the league's TV rights collectively and share the revenue equally, Rozelle appealed to Wellington Mara, one of the league's founders and the owner of the franchise in the country's largest and most valuable TV market. When Mara agreed to share his revenue -- he could've sold the Giants' media rights independently and left the smaller markets to compete for the crumbs he left behind -- the NFL as we know it today was born. Green Bay could've never survived in a free-market NFL, and it has nothing to do with winning. There just weren't enough TV households to attract a TV deal that could compete financially with the rest of the league. Every team benefitted because they were getting a share of the Giants' worth in the contract. That's why every franchise needs to thank Mara for his vision and generosity. The teams in the smaller markets, such as Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Nashville, Buffalo, New Orleans and Carolina, would struggle to compete financially with the big-market teams because that kind of media money just wouldn't be available to them, and the salary cap would worsen the problem because the revenue the big-market teams would generate would, in effect, transfer player costs onto the small-market teams that couldn't afford them.

Rob from Superior, CO
Maybe the Love pick isn't so confounding if Rodgers doesn't win the MVP and the Packers miss the playoffs?
If that was the expectation, then the Packers sure missed the mark on that evaluation.

Steve from Lake Stevens, WA
If it had been Ham or Lambert, Swann or Stallworth, Greene or Greenwood, Bradshaw or Harris, which would you have kept and could a current team afford any four of them?
Bradshaw is the interesting name in what you're suggesting. By today's salary cap/contract standards, the Steelers would've had to make a decision on Bradshaw's future either going into the 1974 season or following it. When the season began, he had lost his starting job to Joe Gilliam. At season's end, he had regained his job and the Steelers were Super Bowl IX champions. If they had elected not to re-sign him but had picked up the fifth-year option, Bradshaw would be headed for unrestricted free agency. What would the Steelers have done? Interesting.

Dan from Milwaukee, WI
What changes have you made to reduce how much you contribute to climate change?
I only vote for candidates who respect the science of climate change and plans for addressing it.

Brady from Milwaukee, WI
I have to say, I don’t feel hopeless at all being a Brewers fan. The team is well managed and well run, and consistently puts a team on the field that is capable of winning. The Tampa Bay Rays were in the World Series last year. Small-market teams can win.
Tampa is not a small market. It's No. 11 in the nation and No. 1 in Florida.

Caleb from Rosemount, MN
Did you watch any golf this past weekend? What are your thoughts on Bryson DeChambeau and what he brings to the sport?
He's changing it. He's an amazing combination of brains and brawn.

Jake from Green Bay, WI
Do you have any advice on gardens?
As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden.

John from Cape May Courthouse, NJ
Is Fred Taylor the most underrated running back in the history of the NFL?
Yes.

Frank from Lillington, NC
I believe the Packers have been in all-in mode for the past two seasons. The draft choices after Love indicated a desire to upgrade the offense and hope the defense would improve.
You're not getting it, Frank. All in has nothing to do with draft picks or the desire to win. All in is about how a team manages its salary cap. Right now, the Packers have $5.6 million in re-structuring bonus on their 2021 cap. The Saints are at $21.4 million. Dead money? The Packers are at $4.1 million. The Rams are at $27 million. The Packers have a long way to go before it can be said they're all in.

Don from Iowa City, IA
Cap question about the players who chose to sit out last year due to COVID: Do teams get some sort of roster credit?
You pay it, you claim it. In the case of players who opted out, they weren't paid so their teams receive a credit, and it doesn't matter when that credit is applied or used because remaining cap space is transferred to the next year's cap.

Wes from Mt. Horeb, WI
If "Ask Vic" existed during the 1980's, what kinds of questions would dominate your inbox you don't see today?
There was no glamor free agency as we know it today, but there was something called "Plan B free agency." It was a poor man's version of what we have today. Plan B free agency provided the kind of patch players Bill Belichick has always seemed to find. It didn't excite fans, but I'd be getting questions about it.

Justin from Delavan, WI
You asked us, your readers, what was the rush in signing Aaron Rodgers. The answer is Mahomes’s $45 million a year and now Prescott’s $40 million a year. Rodgers’ $33 million a year looks like a bargain now. Doesn’t Gutekunst look smart now?
The sooner you sign a player to a new contract, the sooner he'll want his next contract. Hang on, baby.

Mikey from Tallahassee, FL
What are your thoughts on who did and didn't get tagged?
I sense teams used the franchise tag to acquire more time to negotiate a contract with the player, and that's an honorable reason, but it comes at a risk. If the team doesn't get a deal done, it will have created enmity with the player for having effectively taken him out of the free-agent market, and it could become a Le'Veon Bell kind of distraction.

Laurence from Swampscott, MA
Vic, could the Packers have tagged Aaron Jones and given themselves more time to negotiate with him, or are they locked in to using the tag once they do it? Meaning, if they tag him, but then things don't work out with negotiations, would they be free to un-tag him so he could pursue free agency?
Yes, but they would've had to cap him, and the market for a running back might dry up while the tag is on him. Now Jones and his agent are angry and the Packers have a distraction on their hands, plus, they've sent a bad message about how they do business. The Packers did the right thing. They drew a line in what they would pay Jones, and they moved on.

Chris from Fort Worth, TX
Having a sense of belonging to one’s team is essential to success in any profession. What does it take to build a sense of belonging among members of a temporary team? Does it have anything to do with chemistry?
Coach Noll said one of the reasons he retired is he didn't want to coach in a game that has a graduating class every year. He was speaking, of course, of free agency. He saw his teaching being wasted and then being used by the competition. In that sense, the game did pass him by because free agency was never going to be his thing. He was all about teaching and developing talent, and creating the sense of team to which you are referring. Free agency has been a windfall for the players and for the league. It's created offseason excitement and promotes the parity the league has pursued forever. There is, however, a price: sense of team. Today's players are hired guns. The real sense of team belongs to the fans. Roethlisberger's recent display of affection for the Steelers is a feel-good story, but it's the exception, not the rule.