Dillon from McCrory, AR
With Clay moving to inside linebacker, would Green Bay take an OLB like Eli Harold from Virginia, if he's there, and would Michigan's Devin Funchess be a good day-two pick to move to TE?
I don't know.
Steve from Franklin, WI
I was watching a Super Bowl classics game on NFL Network between the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins. I noticed the receivers were split out but in a two-point stance. Why have receivers gone from two-point stances to standing up straight?
I'm going to assume you mean a three-point stance. One of the reasons for a three-point stance was it made it difficult for the defense to see the player's number, which might cause hesitation in identifying who the receiver was. This was also during the bump-and-run days, and a three-point stance was seen as an aid for defeating jams. Today's receivers need to stand and pay attention to the adjustments the quarterback is making at the line of scrimmage.
Scott from Sheboygan, WI
Vic, I don't understand the venom for Mel Kiper, either. He's a guy who does his research, has strong opinions and isn't afraid to let his opinions be known. Kind of like a guy named Vic.
Mel's got better hair and more money.
Jim from Oakland, CA
OK, so you hate soccer and basketball. Why is it you have a thing for a sissy sport like golf?
I like college basketball. I sense a struggle. Golf is a struggle. The soccer thing is about the hands. Who invents a sport that doesn't permit you to use your hands? It's ridiculous.
Andrew from Jacksonville, FL
I loved the playfulness of the video Adam sent. Honestly, think of all the criticisms Bradshaw would get from fans today and how many articles would be hemming and hawing over him not taking his rehab seriously. Simpler times.
The line about his ex-wife would've probably angered somebody.
Dale from Kettering, OH
Limited prep time in college makes the spread-type offense hard to defend, so going to two preseason games should make the first month a scoring orgy for the fantasy players, right?
Yes and no. It's not just the limited prep time that makes the spread difficult for college teams to defend. The spread works on the college level because the quarterback is a runner, and that means the offense has a one-blocker advantage in the box.
Richie from Highland, UT
Vic, if the AFL and NFL would have started as one instead of merging, would Lombardi's Packers still have dominated like they did?
**
Yes, I think they would've dominated as they did because the AFL didn't achieve parity with the NFL until the Packers' run had ended. Everything about the Lombardi era was perfect timing. For starters, Green Bay needed him; it needed a savior. Lombardi arrived just in time. As I've mentioned, the emergence of the AFL and the money wars it created with the NFL caused several NFL teams to go into austerity movements. I can remember the Steelers drafting a running back named Dick Leftridge in the first round. It was a terrible reach, but he was a player they knew they could sign cheaply. BAP? Forget about it. Who can we afford? The Lombardi era was magical in how all of the stars aligned at just the right time to produce a dynasty and an iconic coach the game of professional football desperately needed. We don't have to analyze everything to the last drop of speculation. Some things just need to be enjoyed. The Lombardi era was given to us by fate to be savored and revered.**
Corey from Sterling, IL
How are you, Vic? I'm writing with a complaint about the new mobile website. It is making your column almost unreadable on my iPad. Whenever you include a link to a story in a question or answer, it is left out. So all we see is part of a sentence and no link. Please fix the website, Vic.
Packers.com's mobile site was recently named the greatest mobile site in the history of the world, so we have that going for us, which is nice.
Bob from Edgar, WI
Who are the big guys in the upcoming draft that have caught your eye?
**
This draft is loaded with defensive linemen, and I think a lot of really good ones are going to be available to the Packers in the first two rounds: Malcolm Brown, Eddie Goldman, Jordan Phillips and Carl Davis are guys who interest me.**
J.D. from Palm Bay, FL
Since you have an appreciation for the course at TPC Sawgrass, I hope you got to see the video clip of the Jaguars mascot in full uniform hitting a driver from his knees onto the 17th green. Amazing!
I've known him for years. He's a great athlete.
Steve from Minocqua, WI
Vic, I'm so sorry to learn of Lee Remmel's passing. Did you get to know him?
I covered AFC teams during Lee's career with the Packers, so I didn't have as many opportunities to work with him as I would if I had covered the NFC Central, but he once connected me with Jerry Kramer for an interview, and everyone respected Lee for being the esteemed figure he was. I think it says everything about a man's life that something should be named for him (the Packers press box) before he dies.
Josh from Philadelphia, PA
Vic, you've changed Packers fans, no doubt. How have we changed you?
I'm a kinder, gentler person.
Tim from Normal, IL
Vic, Namath threw for 4,007 yards in 14 games, long before the 1978 rules changes. Can you compare that feat to anything in today's game?
That was in 1967, prior to the merger. The AFL was a passing league, so I really don't put a lot of stock into those stats. Joe Namath threw 26 touchdown passes and 28 interceptions that season. It was throw the ball at any cost. When I think of Namath, I don't think of stats. I think of one of the most beautiful throwing motions in the game's history, and I think of the day he shocked the world.
Rocky from Tucson, AZ
How does today's stretch play differ from the old Packers sweep? Why does that work in today's game?
The stretch play uses its offensive linemen to wall off the defense and deny penetration. The Packers sweep invited penetration by using its guards to get out in space. Today's gap-control defenses are based on penetration; that's why the Packers sweep isn't a staple in today's offenses. Defenses in the 1960s were based on a read-and-react philosophy that required defenders to engage and defeat blocks. It allowed time for blocking patterns to form.
Joe from Bloomington, IN
What do Vic and Tony say about Mike Hull?
I haven't asked Tony for his opinion on Hull – Tony and I don't live together – but I think Hull could be one of the steals of this draft. He's a tough-guy over-achiever. He has the attitude you want in an inside linebacker. The problem is he's undersized, and that's what could make him a steal in the late rounds. If you're looking for the next Chris Borland, Hull's the guy.
Gabriel from Appleton, WI
Prior to the NFL-AFL merger, were there any rules that were different, such as the designated hitter for AL games?
The AFL had the two-point conversion; the NFL didn't. Truth be known, today's NFL game looks more like the AFL than the old NFL.
