Every weekday, jaguars.com Senior Editor Vic Ketchman tackles the fans' tough questions.Do you have a question for Vic? Fill out the form to send it to him. Your question could be posted right here on jaguars.com. Bill from Jacksonville
Can you explain what the draft class does between now and when camp opens?
Vic: They learn how to be professional football players. They learn how to practice, how to condition their bodies and how to conduct themselves in meetings. They learn that when these three elements are blended together, they represent a day of work for an NFL player, and that this is what they are to expect through a 16-game season.
Greg from Surprise, NY
Based on collegiate careers, which wide receiver in our draft class has the best chance to become an impact player?
Vic: Why base it on a college career? They’re all here now. College is over. It’s time for them to show what they can do on the field against other professional football players.
Andy from Jacksonville
I associate consistently stopping the run with quality play from the defensive tackles. How would you rate the Jaguars DTs?
Vic: John Henderson and Rob Meier need to turn the clock back, Derek Landri wants to prove he’s more than a change-of-pace player, and Terrance Knighton is the player who represents the future at the position. Remember what Gene Smith said on draft day, after the team had selected Knighton, that Knighton was the last guy on the board the Jaguars felt had a chance to become a starter. I think there’s a message in that statement and the message is that the Jaguars are looking for a defensive tackle who can become a starter. Is that a statement the Jaguars would’ve made a few years ago when Henderson and Marcus Stroud were at the peaks of their careers and Meier was one of the best backups in the league? I don’t think so. This is a position that requires rebirth or new talent or both.
James from Orange Park, FL
I noticed that when you answered Steve from Lancaster, you included a blister for Murray. That stuff is why I read you daily.
Vic: I’ll teach him the meaning of the word respect.
Brent from Ormond Beach, FL
Do you have a pick for the TPC this weekend?
Vic: Tiger, right? Isn’t it always Tiger? He’s the best.
James from Memphis, TN
Have you ever seen the show “Pros vs. Joes” on Spike TV? The idea of the show is to take retired pro players and put them up against the youngest, mouthiest, think-they-should-be-in-the-pros guys they can find and then they square off. Last night it was Steve McNair, Tim Brown and Simeon Rice going against three guys. It was great to watch and to still know that even though these guys aren't in the NFL anymore, they can still get it.
Vic: The idea of the show is to give over-the-hill pro athletes one more chance to sting the naïve public for a pay day.
Tom from Conway, AR
What happened to Nathan Brown? It doesn't seem like he was given a chance. Is this about coach Tice and the Bouman connection? Yes, obviously I am biased, based on where I am from but, seriously, did they even look at him? I know he is getting a legitimate shot this weekend with another team bringing in only rookies. I sure was looking forward to you guys seeing first-hand what he can do. I guess you will still get to see but it will be from the other side of the line.
Vic: Let me know how that turns out, OK?
Logan from Jacksonville
With Peterson gone and us needing a LB, why don't we go out and get Foote? I know he is some cash and he was the enemy, but he would be a good pick up for several years and we need some help back there. What do you think?
Vic: He was the enemy? Isn’t that a little over the top? Larry Foote was an underrated player for a lot of years with the Steelers but, wherever he signs, he’s not going to be playing between James Harrison, James Farrior and LaMarr Woodley, and he won’t have Casey Hampton in front of him and Troy Polamalu behind him. I think the Jaguars are just fine the way they are. I like their linebackers. It’s not an especially deep group, but I like the starting three and I think we should all keep an eye on undrafted free agent Russell Allen of San Diego State. He offers potential to be a real player for this team.
Tyler from Phoenix, AZ
How do you think the tight compression fit is going to help out our Jags in the swamp-like conditions at home?
Vic: I wore trial compression-fit underwear this past weekend and it was pretty hot and I thought they felt great.
Sam from Jacksonville
I am following Torry Holt on Twitter and love hearing what he says. When are you going to jump on the bandwagon and start to tweet?
Vic: Wait for it.
Charles from Orange Park, FL
Isn't it true that most of the underwear stars fade when the pads go on?
Vic: It’s certainly true at wide receiver, but I don’t think it’s true at cornerback. If a cornerback plays well in the Underwear League, he’ll probably play well in the fall because cornerback is a lot more about having the athletic ability to cover than it is about hitting. Wide receivers have to have an element of toughness to their game. They have to be able to get off the jam and you’re not going to know from the Underwear League that they can get off the jam. Charles Sharon was a big-time Underwear League star but he quickly faded when the games began because he couldn’t get off the jam and couldn’t match up physically.
Rich from Lake City, FL
Having seen the helmets on the practice field, what do you think of the new paint?
Vic: I like the new helmets. I made that remark to someone on the field on Saturday. That little teal dot that shines in the sun, in my opinion, is going to become the Jaguars’ new uniform identity. I may start calling them the Dots.
Jack from Toronto, ON
I was reading Peter King's “Monday Morning QB” article on SI.com and he wrote about how Crabtree and Maclin were top 20 picks and the guys who threw to them went undrafted (Harrell and Daniels). King went on to show that Harrell and Stafford are the same height and that in the 2007 and ’08 seasons Stafford completed 59 percent of his passes and Harrell completed 71 percent. Is arm strength really worth $41.7 million dollars? Maybe I am missing something, but I just don't get it.
Vic: It’s real simple. To be a quarterback in this league, you’ve got to be able to make all of the throws. If you can’t make all of the throws, the defense won’t respect all of the field and they’ll sit on all of the throws you can make. It’s a formula for getting your receivers killed and throwing interceptions. Pro football is a huge step up from college football. That’s what the average fan, especially rabid college football fans, don’t understand. They think college football is the be-all and end-all, but the truth of the matter is that it is a ridiculously inferior product to the NFL. The Jaguars signed a great small-college quarterback in undrafted free agency and, frankly, I felt bad for him watching him struggle through this past weekend’s practices.
Patrick from Jacksonville Beach, FL
What do you think about Favre possibly unretiring again to play for the Vikings?
Vic: If it wasn’t so sad, the stupidity would be entertaining.