Vic: The trade that allowed the Jaguars to move up and select Harvey is probably the best draft-day trade I have ever covered. The value in it is fantastic. When I first heard of it, my reaction was that the Jaguars had probably given their second-round pick and next year’s first-round pick, too. When I found out that it had only cost them two three’s and a four, I was stunned. That deal killed the numeric table. Forget about it. It no longer exists.

Vic: The Jaguars had targeted Harvey, not Merling. Harvey was the guy they wanted. Had the Jaguars stayed at 26, I’m not sure Merling would’ve been their guy. I think they may have liked Lawrence Jackson more. The whole key to the day for the Jaguars may have been Atlanta’s selection of Matt Ryan. If the Falcons had taken Glenn Dorsey, Ryan may have made it down to the Ravens, which means there may have been no trade up for the Jaguars. In my opinion, if the Jaguars had stayed at 26, Jackson would’ve been their pick.

Vic: That’s not true. In all of the drafts before yesterday, points were very definitely assigned to draft picks. What you saw happen yesterday was extraordinary. Don’t take my word for it, take Jack Del Rio’s word for it: “This wasn’t one we envisioned. We didn’t think we had enough ammo to get into the top 10. We weren’t going to give up our whole draft.” What happened on Saturday is the Jaguars got lucky. It’s that simple. This team is on a roll. The gods are favoring the Jaguars right now. Just relax and enjoy it.

Vic: Don’t sell yourself short, James. I think you’re very much a complainer and you have every reason to do so. Saturday was a disaster for jaguars.com and I apologize to every one of our readers and the team’s fans who came to this site for information. We failed you. Technical difficulties caused our site to crash during the peak traffic hours. If you awakened at three in the morning on Sunday and logged on, I think you’d agree the site looked great. Unfortunately, when most people were awake, we were asleep. I apologize.

Vic: He’s a “tweener.” That’s why the Jaguars had to move up one spot ahead of the Steelers, because Groves would’ve been a good fit for a 3-4 team as a linebacker. He’ll be a rush end for the Jaguars. Initially, he’ll be a pass-rush specialist. That doesn’t mean he can’t grow into an every-downs role. Tony Brackens did. Right now, however, realistic expectations are for Groves to contribute as a designated pass-rusher (DPR). He’ll give Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams a lot of potential for creativity.

Vic: Yeah, it is. The Jaguars had a specific need and they addressed it, but they didn’t surrender value. They stayed true to their board – Derrick Harvey wasn’t the highest-rated guy left but he was close – and they got what they needed. It was an impressive day of drafting by the Jaguars.

Vic: Your information is way off. First of all, the Jags didn’t reach. The Bengals would’ve probably taken Harvey a pick later had the Jaguars not picked him at eight. Secondly, a lot of teams stayed true to the BAP philosophy. Look at Miami, which got Phillip Merling and Chad Henne in round two. Are you gonna tell me those guys were reaches? Look at Pittsburgh, which drafted Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed. Hey, don’t the Steelers need offensive linemen? Yeah, I saw teams going for need, as the Jaguars did, but in most cases they were very careful not to reach. Look at the Jets. They spent all that money in free agency but don’t have a quarterback. How could they not go for Henne or Brian Brohm? But they didn’t. They stayed true to their value line and selected Dustin Keller. The Patriots are the perfect example of putting value above need. I love their discipline. They were in perfect position to address need at linebacker, offensive tackle or cornerback, with premium players left on the board at each position. What did they do? Move down a few spots, fit themselves better to their pick and acquire more value. I’ve never said a team shouldn’t draft for need. What I’ve said is that a team should never sacrifice value in addressing need. Value is everything and that’s why I’m giving our readers this “Ask Vic draft special.” It’s added value I hope our readers will accept as an apology for Saturday’s failures.

Vic: Pinch me, too.

Vic: Those were not hints. When I made those remarks, I had no idea the Jaguars could pull off the blockbuster they did on Saturday. I started to hear of it Saturday afternoon and I was starting to set the table for it in my blog. Then we crashed.

Vic: They sure do. How will I ever live this down? I may need therapy. Oh, wait, Wednesday is pay day. I’m better now.

Vic: Yeah, Derrick Harvey is an every-downs end who can rush the passer. Your premier pass-rusher has to be an every-downs guy, for the obvious reason. If he isn’t, then you have to be able to predict run or pass to be able to disrupt the quarterback. Do you remember last summer when I wrote that Mike Smith was going to have to be able to predict run or pass for the Jaguars to have an effective pass-rush in 2007? Well, Mike isn’t clairvoyant and I’ve never known a coach who is.

Vic: Yes, I do. I think the Jaguars executed the shrewdest draft-day maneuvering I’ve ever covered, but it still comes down to the guys they picked. They have to be players. It’s always that way. You can acquire the first pick of the draft for a seventh-round pick, but the deal is no good if the guy you pick is a dud. Now, all eyes turn to Harvey and Groves. If they turn out to be the players the Jaguars expect them to be, the Jaguars will have executed two draft-day maneuvers that will be long-remembered. If they’re not the players we expect them to be, then they’ll be trades we’d like to forget. As it stands right now, I like the deals and I like the picks.