When you achieve an identity, stop

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

Samuel from Milwaukee, WI
Vic, what do you think of the Bucs' and Falcons' new uniforms?
I like the Bucs'. They're a huge improvement. The Falcons'? Not so much. The throwback is OK, although I'd like to see a little more red in it; there's way too much black in all of the Falcons' models. The Falcons' three modern looks are all Joe's Bar.

Jim from Maple Grove, MN
If the talent drops off at about pick 22, what do you think it would take for the Packers to move up to the edge of the cliff?
It would probably cost them their two. If they have their eye on a guy they believe can be a difference-maker, go get him. Otherwise, I think quarterbacks and pass-rushers will be overdrafted and that'll push a good player down to where the Packers are.

Jeff from Miami, FL
Can the Packers "stop the run" with a dominating offensive line and running offense of their own, or must they spend a top draft pick on the defensive line?
I don't think the Packers can get better on defense by merely trying harder.

Ryan from Thorp, WI
Which teams besides the Kansas City Chiefs are set up for a long run of success?
The Ravens and 49ers immediately come to mind. I could make a case for at least another four or five teams, but long runs of success aren't as many as they once were. More and more the NFL is a one-year league; circumstances are flipping the arrow very quickly. The Falcons are the classic example. How about the Rams? The Bears' arrow was pointing up two years ago.

Richard from Clearwater, MN
A few teams are almost always updating their jerseys in significant ways, while other teams stick with or close to their past. Do you have a preference, and does it ever really make sense to always be re-branding?
When you achieve an identity, stop.

Alfonse from Taos, NM
If the Packers were lured to trade Aaron Rodgers for many draft picks this spring, what would be the cap hit of such a move?
If the Packers traded him on draft day, they would suffer a nearly $40 million dead money hit to their salary cap.

Lucas from Buenos Aires, Argentina
Vic, who do you think will have more success, Brady without Belichick or Belichick without Brady?
I don't think you're asking a fair question. Chuck Noll never won a Super Bowl after Terry Bradshaw retired. Paul Brown never won a pro championship without Otto Graham as his quarterback. Does that mean Noll and Brown were overrated coaches? What it means is even great coaches need great quarterbacks. Bill Belichick is a great coach, but he was 5-13 and on his way to being fired when he made Brady his starting quarterback. I'm very interested in seeing Belichick rebuild the Patriots; it'll further define him as a coach. Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time, but I'm not sure what he has left in the tank.

William from Savannah, GA
Vic, could you envision the Jags shipping a late-round pick to the Bengals for Andy Dalton?
At the least, Gardner Minshew is the equal of Dalton. Why trade for another one? I'd like to see them draft a top prospect to compete against Minshew.

Scott from Hamlin, NY
Who is the last great QB to play his whole career for a single team? I think Roethlisberger will do it. Was the last one Aikman?
​It's a good trip down memory lane: Bradshaw with the Steelers, Anderson with the Bengals, Marino with the Dolphins, Fouts with the Chargers, Elway with the Broncos, Simms with the Giants, Brodie with the 49ers, and Starr.

John from Yakima, WA
What surprised you the most about the recent "All Decade Team" announcement?
All the picks are sensible. I didn't find anything surprising or controversial.

Lane from Orlando, FL
What do you think will be some of the unintended consequences of the Covid-19 virus? I’m thinking handshakes may be a thing of the past.
Bat should be more affordable.

Geoff from Beaver Dam, WI
Brandin Cooks has now been traded three times for a total of two firsts and a second. He was also a first-round pick in 2014. If he is so valuable, why is he on three teams in six years?
Fever in the morning, fever all through the night.

Andy from Dane, WI
I watched the 1979 strong man competition with Jon Kolb and Bob Young. Did you cover Kolb? Any good stories you could share?
I was asked to do a Gameday program story on Kolb; I think it was in '79, which would've been the second year of the rules changes. I was interviewing Jon when he decided to show me his punch move. He punched me in the shoulder and a pain shot through my shoulder and up into my neck. He saw the look on my face, but I told him not to worry and I finished the interview and then walked down to the Steelers PR guy's office. "How'd it go," he asked? "I think I separated my shoulder," I said.

Ben from Palto Alto, CA
What was watching Otis Taylor like?
He was Calvin Johnson before Calvin Johnson was Calvin Johnson.

​Lori from Brookfield, WI
Vic, what is your funniest football story?
I have too many of them to rank, but here's one you might enjoy: The Steelers had a young nose tackle named Gary Dunn. At this point in his career he was just trying to stick on the roster. He was involved in some hijinks during a late-season road trip to Seattle, which resulted in the hotel complaining to Coach Noll. "They call him Arthur," the hotel said; it was a nickname Dunn's teammates had for him. Noll addressed the issue with the team when it got back to Pittsburgh. "I don't know who you are, except they call you Arthur," Noll said. Dunn figured he was toast, but nothing more was said about the issue, the season ended and Dunn thought he was in the clear. The following summer, at training camp, Dunn and Noll passed each other in the dormitory hallway. "Chuck," Dunn said. "Arthur," Noll said. Nothing more was said.