Join jaguars.com senior editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Lee from Jacksonville:
I understand the Jaguars are somewhat leery of free agency, but what is the downside of approaching Anquan Boldin?
Vic: Boldin's not a free agent. He's the property of the Arizona Cardinals and you don't dare talk to him without first talking to the Cardinals and receive permission from them to talk to him. The Cardinals, of course, would first like to talk to you about all of the draft picks they want you to give them before they allow you to talk to Boldin, and then Boldin's agent would like to talk to you about all of the money Boldin wants you to give him. We're never gonna get it, are we?
Daniel from Wichita, KS:
What do you think of Evander Hood as a pick in later rounds to fill the middle of the line?
Vic: I like all the Hoods: Car Hood, Child Hood, Neighbor Hood, Likeli Hood, Robin Hood, Mother Hood, Father Hood, Little Red Riding Hood; they're great.
Shaun from Jacksonville:
With Jack Del Rio putting such a big emphasis on guys being here for the offseason program, what are your thoughts on Maurice Jones-Drew not being here? I understand the workouts are not mandatory and he is unhappy with his contract, but as a leader on this team he should be here.
Vic: I would agree that as a leader on this team he should be here, but I tend to be very understanding of players' attempts to get the contracts they need to insure their financial security. They have a small window of time to do that and they have to use all of the means available to them to get what they're worth. Let's not blow this out of proportion. It's April and, as you said, it's not mandatory.
Drew from Jacksonville:
So I get that you have Moreno higher on your board and you say the Jags may pick Wells, but would you be willing to bet that Moreno is better than Wells? I guess my real question is if someone were to come back one or two years from now saying you were wrong about Moreno, you would take the heat for that, right? It just seems that you bash everyone else's theories and thoughts, but you are almost never wrong. No big deal, though. I'm still going to keep the questions coming and reading your column.
Vic: I may have missed your point. Are you saying I should be held responsible for the Jaguars' draft picks, even though I don't receive any of the financial reward that goes with accepting that responsibility? I don't think so. You get me GM money and you can bash me all you want. Hey, you're gonna do it anyhow. This is all for fun. I think that's what you're missing. You've lost perspective.
Preston from Atlanta, GA:
Just wanted to comment on the response you got to the weight-room story. I, too, found myself getting excited when I read the story and I'm certainly not the type of guy that thinks changing the weight room is going to push this team to the Super Bowl. I think what it says is that your writing style for that piece was just so good that it gave us all hope that things can be better than we're expecting.
Vic: Maybe it's the balls.
Joshua from Portageville, MO:
I don't have a problem with the Jags choosing Wells or Moreno at eight if he is BAP. My problem is that I think you can get running backs just like wide receivers in the later rounds. I was just wondering your take on the whole situation. Do you think both are special enough to be in the top 10? Do you think RB is a position you can draft later with success?
Vic: Yeah, I do. I agree that running back is not a premium position, but not because having a good running back isn't important to the team, but because you don't have to draft running backs in the first round to find a good one. The reason I have Knowshon Moreno and Beanie Wells in my top 10 is largely because I don't think this is a good premium-position draft. There are two quarterbacks worthy of top 10 status, and that may be pushing it. I also see two tackles, one cornerback and no defensive ends worthy of the top 10, which means that I see five nonpremium-position players as being among the 10-best players in the draft. Hey, it's a numbers game, right? You gotta have 10 of something.
Marci from Macon, GA:
I completely understand and am sold on the BAP philosophy; I'm just having trouble accepting the Jaguars selecting Beanie Wells. While he may be the BAP on the board, is he worth the money that the eighth pick would garner? So, if Mark Sanchez is not available and there are no other teams willing to trade down, do you think the Jaguars will let the clock expire and then pick Wells or another BAP at a more affordable pick where the price for the player matches the value of the player?
Vic: Do you understand that I am not making the pick for the Jaguars? Do you understand that I was asked for my opinion and I gave it and more than likely it'll be proven to be incorrect? Do you think you may be taking this too seriously? I want you to think about that question.
Dale from Hampton, VA:
In your response to Sharon, it seems like you use BAPPP: Best Available Premium-Position Player.
Vic: I would agree that I do. The premium-position players are overdrafted for a reason. The greater importance of the positions they play certainly favor them in the grading process. At some point, however, their ranks diminish and top players at nonpremium positions enter the picture. In this draft, I think it happens very quickly.
Kenney from Jacksonville:
What makes a left tackle more valuable than a right tackle? What makes a left cornerback more valuable than a right cornerback?
Vic: Left tackles are more valuable than right tackles because left tackles are usually blocking against the defense's premier pass-rusher. Left corners are usually considered more valuable than right corners, unless the corners are positioned relative to receiver positioning, because the left corner is usually regarded as the man-to-man corner and the right corner is usually the squat or zone corner.
Jason from Jacksonville:
I'm not just a reader, I'm a fan. After all, you're the one that created the sneak formation for my flag football team. Believe it or not, that strategy is a huge part of our league now. Pat yourself on the back. You're generally included in our conversations when we start talking about football. You have a ton of fans, trust me. We use the formation on defense. You have to remember, it is flag football with only four players for each team on the field at a time. Whenever we are on defense, we line up in a straight line, kind of how basketball teams line up whenever they inbound the ball, and just before the offense snaps the ball, we jump into position. This really confuses the offense and keeps them guessing the entire game. Are we going to give up the short route? Are we going to sit on the short stuff and force them to go deep? You probably didn't know it but when I asked you that question that day – "What strategy could we use?" – you came up with the perfect strategy and it is widely known as the "Sneak Defense." We have about 90 teams in our Jacksonville league and everybody uses it.
Vic: Just call me "Pop" Ketchman.
Andy from Fort Collins, CO:
Perhaps you should consider doing a value board and a mock draft, too. That would alleviate the confusion for some of your misguided readers.
Vic: We do our annual mock draft on "Jaguars This Week" on the Wednesday before draft day. If I'm not mistaken, we did very well last year. I think we blew Kiper away. I take great pride in that because it's all very important and I take this very seriously. Last year, Jeff Lageman started getting silly while we were making our picks before we went on the air and I had to get in his face about it. I don't think he'll make that mistake again.
Jo from Jacksonville:
I know a team can't get compensatory picks for players they cut, but can a team lose a chance at compensatory picks if they sign a player that was cut by another team?
Vic: No; signing free agents only counts for you or against you in compensatory picks consideration if the original rights to those players were permitted to expire at the start of free agency.
Raymo from Jacksonville:
Glad to see you agree with BAP, with some regard to position.
Vic: I'm a flexible person. I believe in adapting to change.
Sean from San Bernardino, CA:
I noticed the significant amount of weight David Garrard has lost since the season ended. Is this really a result of a diet or is it a result of his Chrons disease?
Vic: No sick person has ever looked that good. He told me about the diet he used to effect his weight loss. He said he ate a lot of salad, with a little meat on top for nutritional purposes. He told me he had gotten as high as 252 last season and I told him I can remember times that, while I was interviewing him, I was thinking he had gotten too thick through the chest, arms and legs. I have never seen biceps and calves on a quarterback as Garrard had last season. He really looks good right now. He looks like a guy who can pitch the ball. Last season, there were times when he appeared to be pushing it.
Chris from Pleasantville, NY:
So, in your mind, if the Jags draft Wells over Moreno they wouldn't be drafting the BAP?
Vic: It's not my board that counts, it's the Jaguars' that counts. This insanity has to stop. I'm starting to lose it.