Larry from Macomb, IL
Just listened to the conference call with Randall Cobb about his heart being in Green Bay and I had a huge smile. I am recovering from the loss to Seattle.
When a player speaks of a team as Cobb spoke about playing for the Packers, team and fans are united. It's nice for fans to know their feelings are shared by the men they cheer.
Brandon from Mililani, HI
Vic, we know Green Bay has to add at least somewhat of a veteran presence at inside linebacker, correct?
They've got veterans on each side in Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews. I'm not against adding a veteran inside linebacker in free agency, but I think the term veteran presence is overrated. The Packers need somebody that'll step in at that position and hit somebody, and it doesn't matter if it's a veteran or a rookie.
Mike from Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
Just letting you know there are Packers bars in China, too. I saw a Favre poster on a bar bathroom door in Sanya.
I've always wanted a reader in Guangdong Province.
Gamble from Jacksonville, FL
Who is the best free-agent signing you've ever covered?
Keenan McCardell.
Matt from Champlin, MN
If the Texans had signed Suh, what would GM Vic say to a trade proposal of Watt, Suh and the next two years' first-round picks for Aaron Rodgers?
Rodgers is untradeable, at any price.
Roger from Auburn, CA
Vic, now that the mania of free agency is almost over, do teams reevaluate the market and adjust what they are willing to spend?
As players begin to come down closer to the price a team is willing to pay, the team might rethink its strategy or, at the least, pursue the player more intensely. We're not at the point prices have begun to fall significantly, but by this time next week, bargain free agents will begin to emerge.
Jared from San Antonio, TX
Is this the craziest first week of free agency you've ever witnessed?
Yes, it is; the trades made it that way. A swap of starting quarterbacks is rare. I'm not sure what triggered this mania, but I suspect it has to do with the win-now demands coaches and general managers are facing.
Hernan from Milwaukee, WI
Do teams get any compensation for players retiring and is there any dead cap money from their retirement?
It depends on whether the retiring player returns signing bonus money. If he does, the team's cap is credited accordingly. Jason Worilds was on a franchise tag, so there was no amortization or dead money.
Spencer from Madison, WI
Vic, next week rolls around; any players/positions you're looking at in particular?
Free agency is all about needs. I think we know where the Packers have need.
Paul from Spokane, WA
Would it make sense to secure one shutdown corner to help simplify the defensive scheme? This seems to be what New England did last year with Revis.
Wait a minute, I'll go out back and look at the shutdown corner tree.
Aric from Oshkosh, WI
Vic, what will teams make of the veteran combine? Will players who've already had a shot be given a meaningful chance, or is this the NFL just making another offseason event?
It's another offseason event, and I have no doubt it will grow into something of significant popularity and marketability, but I think it's a legitimate platform for acquiring talent. All teams need role players.
Patrick from Fort Collins, CO
Will the Packers get a compensatory pick next year for losing Davon House?
Almost certainly, yes.
Jack from Wauwatosa, WI
I think we are going to be in the hunt for a long time. What about you, Vic?
The roster is strong and Aaron Rodgers is in his prime. That's a formula for a long run.
Dave from Ft. Rucker, AL
Do you see anything in your crystal ball for the middle of our defense?
It doesn't take a crystal ball to know the Packers are going to address the middle of their defense. I expect them to sign somebody in free agency and then spend multiple picks on that area of the team in the draft.
Paul from Chicago, IL
Vic, if the Raiders have to spend money to make the minimum salary cap, why don't they try to sign some of their promising young players to long-term contracts?
The best way to eat up cap space in the current year is to pay high in salary and use roster bonus instead of signing bonus. That'll make cap room disappear quickly, but you're putting a lot of money into the hands of those players up front, and there's always a concern that you're not making them play for their money and it might dull their competitive edge.
Zack from Los Angeles, CA
Vic, why on Earth would you add the word "that" to readers' questions? Adding "that" to 99 percent of sentences is like adding a backup punter to any roster.
I didn't add it; it was already in there. I put parentheses around it to accentuate the point you've made.
Kevin from Los Angeles, CA
Vic, your philosophy on free agency makes a lot of sense to me. Why then, when I look at articles on nfl.com, none of their writers seem to share these views?
It's not a popular viewpoint. The readers are looking for excitement. They want the teams to spend recklessly on players whose names the readers recognize and on whom they have an opinion. Free agency drives a lot of readership.
Bubba from Pocatello, ID
Vic, are you the guy that saved the endangered 500-pound leatherback sea turtle in South Carolina?
I was walking on the beach and somebody called for a marine biologist.
