Join jaguars.com senior editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Rob from Jacksonville
Levi is wrong about the trivia question because the Colts have moved into Lucas Oil Field, which I believe is not a dome.
Vic: Then it’s a good thing the Jaguars are playing in Indianapolis in September, not December, huh?
Jack from Columbus, OH
I would like to thank you for your insight and comments every day. I would also especially thank you for coming up with a team slogan for our girls “Powderpuff” football team. I am the head coach of the senior team at our high school and we needed a team motto. After watching the game every year for a few years, it occurred to me that the team that gets more sacks in the game usually wins. Thus, I came up with a blitz-heavy scheme to help us win, and you gave us our team motto: “The quarterback must go down, and the quarterback must go down hard.”
Vic: Tell the girls I said just win, baby.
Curtis from Jacksonville
Not sure about all franchises, but in Florida and in Cleveland, if you win the butts stay in the seats.
Vic: All franchises go through periods of losing. That’s when you find out if you have true fans. If a franchise has to win to sell tickets, its future will never be secure.
Kylan from St. Augustine, FL
So, technically, with the signing of Jake Long, the Rams could make their selection and are on the clock?
Vic: The league says no. I guess they’re trying to protect their TV show.
Adam from St. Augustine, FL
In an absolutely perfect world, the Jaguars would trade up in the draft and get Derrick Harvey without giving up too much. Can they pull this off or am I just dreaming?
Vic: You’re dreamin’.
Brad from Jacksonville
Is there any way the Jags could use a third or fourth-round pick to trade for Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard, to team up with Rashean Mathis and move Brian Williams to safety?
Vic: Maybe the Jaguars should just sign all of those ex-Gators that were going to play in that All-America league that went belly up before it ever played a game.
Larry from Jacksonville
How does a team (Patriots) that went to the Super Bowl get the easiest schedule in the league?
Vic: It’s the luck of the draw. That’s the way the scheduling rotation works. In time, you’ll play everybody in the league, but the rotation can’t predict who’s hot and who’s not now. Before you start considering conspiracy theories, go back to 2005, when the Patriots played one of the toughest schedules in the league. They played at Pittsburgh that season and Pittsburgh went on to win the Super Bowl. They played the Chargers, Broncos, Colts and Panthers. Hey, it’s not their fault the AFC East stinks.
Scott from Thunder Bay, Ontario
So, no team should ever trade for a player that is available?
Vic: There have been trades that have worked very well for the team that receives the player. The Marshall Faulk and Jerome Bettis deals were outstanding. More times than not, however, the team that receives the player loses in the deal. Let’s go back a couple of years, to when a lot of people wanted the Jaguars to trade for S. Alexander or Travis Henry. Would you want them to have made either of those deals? In my opinion, you’re bucking the odds when you trade for a player.
Tom from Jacksonville
In view of the fact that stadium issues tend to make teams leave one city for another, why do teams like the Chargers and the 49ers remain in cities with shoddy stadiums?
Vic: They stay there because a lot of people live there. You can build stadiums but you can’t build markets. I’m not sure where the 49ers stand in their quest for a new stadium. I think it was approved.
Donnie from Jacksonville
What teams would you say have stadium issues at the present time?
Vic: San Diego, Minnesota, Buffalo, Oakland and New Orleans are the obvious ones. They all lack high-end revenue-generating seats.
Sam from Toronto, Canada
What caused McFadden to drop so much on your value board?
Vic: He’s still in the top nine. What’s the big deal? I dropped him a few spots because I detect a decrease in energy for him among people whose opinions I respect. Let’s get this straight: I’m not down on this guy. I think he’s a fabulous player. I just don’t think he’s Adrian Peterson.
Tim from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Do you think the Jags are even considering trading for Jason Taylor?
Vic: Yes, I do.
Scott from Jacksonville
When a team is on the clock, they may work the phones with other clubs to work out trade deals. Would a rival club ever try to sabotage the team that is on the clock by bluffing a trade deal and then revoking it, creating unnecessary disruptions?
Vic: Come on, these guys are professionals.
Steve from El Dorado, AR
Will you be dropping any hints on who the Jags may select?
Vic: Did you read Tuesday’s story from the draft preview luncheon?
Stephen from Belfast, Northern Ireland
Do you not think the Bengals are cutting off their nose to spite their face with Chad Johnson? It's been confirmed they were offered this year’s one and a conditional three next year, by the Redskins.
Vic: The Bengals are the kind of franchise that would stand on principle to send a message and drive home a point. The message is: We won’t be bullied.
Mario from Cooper City, FL
I read your article about the Jags having an eye on Phillip Merling. What intrigues me is the fact that he is coming back from his sports hernia surgery and in one workout a team can decide whether he will be able to survive an entire NFL season without showing signs of the surgery? How does that work?
Vic: A lot more than one workout goes into the decision. I thought Gene Smith answered the question in a forthright manner on Tuesday when he said Merling is “a takeable player, regardless of what he does on Thursday.” What Smith is saying is that the Jaguars have done their homework on Merling’s sports hernia and they are satisfied he will make a full recovery. That doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be an element of risk involved in selecting Merling, but the farther down you go in the draft order, the more acceptable the risk becomes. The Bills’ selection of Willis McGahee a few years ago is the ultimate example.
Austin from Orlando, FL
You're kidding, right? No Brian Brohm? He's 10 times better than Ryan, let alone Flacco and Henne. What's your beef on him?
Vic: The pass-rush rattles him.
Cody from Seattle, WA
I know Justin King is an amazing athlete, but his athleticism didn't translate into a great junior season. What made you overlook his college play when you rated him 17th on your value board, and would he be a good pick for the Jags if he is available when they pick?
Vic: He only had the one bad game, against the tall Indiana receiver. I tend to overlook his failing in that game as a result of King’s fantastic combine 40 times, a very impressive pro-day workout and outstanding freshman and sophomore seasons. Any downward trend last year, in my opinion, can be attributed to what I consider to have been a miserable environment at Penn State. King got involved in some kind of off-campus tiff that included several players, and then Joe Paterno punished the whole team by having them clean the stadium the day after games. Come on, what’s that? How can any player succeed in that kind of an environment? Everybody wants speed, right? Well, King is speed.
Patrick from Wayne, NJ
When will your mock draft be up?
Vic: We will do our mock draft tonight on the “Jaguars This Week” radio show. It can be heard on 690 WOKV AM. Jaguars.com will post the results of the mock draft and archive the radio show in the multimedia section of the site.