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Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com

The ultimate in accountability

Join jaguars.com Senior Editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.

Robin from Ann Arbor, MI:
Can you explain what the supplemental draft is and which players we acquired from this draft?

Vic: The supplemental draft is a second chance for underclassmen who missed the regular spring draft to enter the NFL. Why would they have missed the first draft? Because they didn't apply for eligibility and circumstances in their eligibility or hardship in their family or a change of mind have since occurred. The Jaguars have never acquired a player in the supplemental draft. When you select a player in the supplemental draft, you lose your pick in the corresponding round in the following year's regular draft.

Jason from St. Augustine, FL:
As a loyal reader of "Ask Vic," I am puzzled by something. To use myself as an example, I can only assume that my here-and-there submissions over the years were not included in your column because they were either not topical enough or not relevant in some manner; ultimately, not column worthy for whatever reason, and that is certainly okay with me and not a complaint by any means. It's your column and I can appreciate how much sifting you must go through to make any given column interesting and relevant, but guys like Blake from Wichita chime in regularly with nothing but hate and personal attacks on you and they get posted, which seems to me to be playing into their attention-starved hands. What gives, Vic? Why entertain them with a response? Why subject loyal readers to such loathsome people?

Vic: Obviously, "Ask Vic" is edited because I select from hundreds of questions every day, but I attempt to select questions that represent their extremes. "Ask Vic" is a snapshot of the readership and, to a large degree, the fan base. It's a way for the readers and the fans to take a look at themselves. I like introspection. It's the ultimate form of accountability.

Jon from Jacksonville:
I was watching a documentary on Neil Young last night and was surprised that the song "Ohio" was about the Kent State shooting. I immediately thought of you and wondered if you were a Neil Young fan?

Vic: Yes, I am. It was our anthem. I recently read the story of how Young came to write the song. Young had just finished viewing pictures of the Kent State shootings in "Life" magazine when he became deeply disturbed by what he had seen. From a hotel room window, members of Young's band watched Young walk the streets below, clearly in deep thought. When he returned to the room, he wrote down the words to the song.

Grant from Jacksonville:
I would like to respond to Blake's comment about the second-string player that volunteered at the humane society. First off, it was our starting tight end, Marcedes Lewis. As a veterinarian, I am glad to see someone with a high profile volunteer his time for these animals. It is also good public relations for the NFL. The Vick incident and the injury to James Harrison's son really tarnished the NFL, in the eyes of pet owners. A lot of my clients are Jags fans and Marcedes Lewis impressed a lot of fans. Through my sources at the humane society, it was said that (Lewis) was very humble and got his hands dirty cleaning animal cages on his day off. What's not to like about that? If you want to see someone disgruntled, I suggest you look in the mirror.

Vic: This is why it's important to provide space for the haters. They rally the rest of us.

Ryan from Manteno, IL:
Why are you always answering questions about hockey and golf? I would much rather read about the Jaguars and NFL football.

Vic: I do it for a few reasons: 1.) It's a way of keeping the column fresh at a stale time of the year. 2.) It broadens the scope of the column. 3.) It attracts new readers to the column. Hockey fans that might be searching the name "Red Wings" for commentary will come to "Ask Vic," like what they've read and come back for more. They might even become Jaguars fans. Hey, how many times can I tell you "he looked good" in underwear practice?

Jacob from Cocoa, FL:
I know it's a little late for draft questions, but had Crabtree's foot been 100 percent and he had run a 4.45, would you have drafted Crabtree or Monroe knowing you would get Britton in the second round?

Vic: I don't know how I would've known I was going to get Britton in the second round, but even if I had, I would've drafted Monroe instead of Crabtree. Anybody who's read this column for any length of time knows how I feel about big guys vs. wide receivers. Big guys are at a premium. Wide receivers are a dime a dozen. You can get them in the later rounds. I like the wide receivers the Jaguars drafted.

Nate from Tallahassee, FL:
With training camp around the corner and OTAs in full swing, who has the final say on who makes the Jags' final roster? Will it be the same as the draft, with Gene Smith having final say, or will it be more of a decision by Jack Del Rio, since he is actually working the players?

Vic: "Gene has the conn."

Rusty from Yulee, FL:
It seems there's a lot of speculation that the offense is looking much sharper and seems to be improving like it needs to, but I am also hearing the defense is looking offbeat and maybe has some holes. Could this be the main reason the offense could be shining a little now? I hope not. I am anxious to maybe get a chance to see the offense carry the Jaguars' load now.

Vic: Where are you getting this speculation? I've been at every OTA practice and I haven't detected one side of the ball playing at a higher level than the other. I've seen some catches downfield and I've seen some interceptions, too. I know everybody is football-starved and there's an urge to turn these no-pads practices into something meaningful, but that would be a mistake. Be casual about everything you hear and read at this time of the year, and I'm including what I write and say.

Mitchell from Jacksonville:
Do you really think we will use the wildcat this season and, if we do use it, do you think it will be successful?

Vic: Yeah, I think they'll use it, but I don't think it'll be a big part of the offense and I'm not expecting anything special. Teams are preparing for it on defense now. It's not going to catch anybody by surprise this year. Unless the wildcat offense is deepened so it becomes the spread, I don't think it'll have the success it had last season. There's nothing to it. Just tackle the guy with the ball. I certainly haven't detected it being especially successful against the Jaguars defense in OTAs.

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