Join *Jaguars Inside Report *Senior Editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
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Tim McClellan from Jacksonville:**
Do you feel any satisfaction in being one of the few people that questioned Coughlin's selection of a punter and a long-snapper in the
draft this year? Now that both guys have hit the bricks, along with three other draft picks, how do you grade this draft class? The remaining picks seem to be solid players who will produce for the team this year, but who's judgement should be questioned when we see five of our 10 draft picks released? Also, when do you think Tom will begin to use the "R" word, since it's clearly evident the Jaguars are in a rebuilding mode?
Vic: I say what I believe, and lots of times what I say turns out to be wrong. It was mentioned to me this week that there's only one thing worse than drafting a punter and a long-snapper, and that's cutting the punter and long-snapper you drafted. I give Tom Coughlin credit for having the courage to cut his team according to his honest player evaluations, instead of keeping guys just to make his draft look good. The guy has guts. As for this draft class, clearly, its success is in the hands of the top two picks, Marcus Stroud and Maurice Williams. If they become star players, this draft will be judged to have been a major success. That can be said of any draft class and its first two picks. The criticism is that this draft did not yield the depth the Jaguars so desperately need. Coughlin is a stern needs drafter. I prefer best available athlete. Yes, the Jaguars are in a rebuilding phase, but there's a reluctance to use the "R" word because this team still has 16 starters remaining from 1999, which represents the least turnover of any team in the league.
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Craig Lokken from Jacksonville:
I know the NFL has minimum salaries set for players depending upon the number of years they have played. What if a team wants a player but his salary is too high for them. Can the player choose to play for less, just to have the opportunity to play, rather than sit out a year?
Vic: A player can accept any salary arrangement, as long as it is not less than the minimum wage stipulated for his level of experience. Todd Fordham is the perfect example. Because he is a vested veteran, he was free to negotiate with any team in the league when the Broncos waived Fordham this past Sunday; a waiver claim did not have to be made. That put the Jaguars in a position of being able to negotiate for Fordham's return, however, the minimum wage that would have to be paid to Fordham is far more than the Jaguars have available on their salary cap.
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Omar Brown from Jacksonville Beach, FL:
How does our practice squad affect the cap? I thought we could use it to hold potential players floating around until we see if the new ones we have can cut the mustard.
Vic: Teams do use the practice squad for that purpose, but veteran players such as Carnell Lake and Jamie Martin are not eligible for the practice squad. The original intent in establishing the practice-squad concept was that teams would use it to develop young talent, but, clearly, coaches are using the practice squad as an adjunct to the active roster, with players coming on and going off the practice squad according to the active roster's needs.
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Wilson Ellis from Jacksonville:
Why can't Marcus Stroud be used as a blocking fullback in short-yardage as "Refrigerator" Perry was used for the Bears years ago?
Vic: The problem with using big players, especially tall ones, as blocking backs in short-yardage is that they are easily cut at the line of scrimmage and get stuck in the hole, thus becoming another obstacle for the running back. William Perry was a unique individual. He was massive and powerful, but squat and nimble. He had the ability to run through the hole and blow it open without getting cut at the line of scrimmage. Marcus Stroud is not that kind of player. The major flaw in his style of play is that he tends to stand up.
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Mike Cummings from Jacksonville:
Hypothetical question for you: It's midseason and we get a safety injured, can we re-sign Carnell Lake at the league minimum? If so, what would happen to his dead money on the cap?
Vic: Any team, including the Jaguars, can sign Carnell Lake at minimum wage right now, if Lake agrees to play for it. That goes for any player who has cleared waivers. The "dead money" from Lake's previous contract with the Jaguars is set and can not be altered. The Jaguars have chosen to declare $2.3 million this year, and the same next year.
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Wolfgang Kintscher from Essen, Germany:
As you might know, offensive tackle Patrick Venzke comes from my hometown, Essen, in Germany. We have been very disappointed that the coach decided to cut him. What were the reasons? And what does it mean, that he will join a practice squad?
Vic: Wolf, Patrick Venzke's level of performance was judged to not be worthy of an active roster spot, but don't despair. Venzke impressed coach Tom Coughlin enough to put him on the practice squad as insurance at tackle, and for the purpose of development. The practice squad is a five-man unit of young players who will continue to practice, but will not be eligible to play in a game, unless they are moved to the active roster. Any team in the league can claim a player from another team's practice squad, but he must be placed on the claiming team's active roster. Venzke has given himself an opportunity to be recognized as a future NFL player.
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T. Walls from Waycross, GA:**
A squeeler fan on our message board just stated that we are crazy to support players individually, because they don't care about the fans. This statement was brought about for the fact that we post happy birthday messages, get-well messages, good luck during the next four weeks to Soward, and such to the players on our board. Just how much of our efforts reach the players? And just how much do they appreciate us?
Vic: I can't tell you who does and who doesn't read the message boards, or who does and who doesn't appreciate the fans' genuine expressions, but I can tell you this: In my 30 years covering NFL football, I have seen plenty of examples of players and fans bonding. I've seen it here in Jacksonville, and I saw it plenty in Pittsburgh, where I covered the Steelers for 23 years. You might tell your Steeler friend that, in the 1970's, when the Steelers won four Super Bowls, fans would flock by the thousands to training camp in Latrobe, Pa., where the likes of Joe Greene, Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, etc., routinely mingled with fans as the players made their way around campus. That was a special team that had a special relationship with its fans, and it was genuine. We experienced a similar expression in Jacksonville in January of 1997, when the Jaguars returned from a playoff win in Denver to a middle-of-the-night pep rally at Alltel Stadium. It happens. Teams and their fans do bond.
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Vic Ketchman is the Senior Editor of Jaguars Inside Report, the official team newspaper of the Jacksonville Jaguars. One-year subscriptions may be purchased by calling 1-888-846-5247.
