Join jaguars.com senior editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Mike from Jacksonville:
Whatever happened to that kid who got his head stuck in the Jaguar statue in front of the stadium?
Vic: I looked on the way into the stadium this morning and the kid's not there. It looks like they got him out.
John from Jacksonville:
Are the Jaguars going to play a mock game in training camp? If so, when? That could be interesting to watch if I can find the time.
Vic: The mock game is set to begin at 10 a.m. this Saturday inside Alltel Stadium. Fans are invited to attend and admission and parking will be free of charge. The team will also have a full-pads scrimmage inside the stadium on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
Joe from Jacksonville:
What game was it last year that Fred Taylor challenged himself and the team and then came through with a victory?
Vic: It was the game against Indianapolis in week 10, when the Jaguars were 1-7 and the Colts were leading the AFC South. Fred Taylor took exception to remarks made to him by Colts rookie safety Mike Doss after Taylor fumbled in the first meeting between the two teams, in week three. Taylor punctuated his challenging remarks for the week 10 encounter in Jacksonville by running over Doss in scoring the game-winning touchdown on a 32-yard run with 1:08 to play.
Mike from Palm Coast, FL:
When can we expect an official depth chart?
Vic: What good is a depth chart until the roster is cut? We know who the primary people are at their specific positions. If the Jaguars produced an official depth chart today, you could assume Byron Leftwich would be the number one quarterback, Fred Taylor would be the starting running back, etc. But assigning the rookies a place on the depth chart after just a few days of training camp would be unnecessary and possibly misleading. What's the rush? Let them seed themselves.
Doug from Salem, VA:
I just read your article on David Garrard. What do you think the future holds for him?
Vic: I think the world of David Garrard as a player and as a person. I consider him to be a major talent who is going to attract a team willing to trade with the Jaguars prior to next spring's draft. Those prospects have changed, of course, due to Garrard having been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. He has to prove to prospective teams that Crohn's will no longer be an obstacle in his career. He also has to show teams interested in him that he's still the talent he was before the Crohn's problem and its subsequent surgery. Should Garrard have a big preseason and should he experience no more setbacks medically, I would expect him to be a hot trade item next spring.
Karl from Freeport, NY:
What NFL teams do you consider strongest at the running back position entering the 2004 season, considering depth at the position? We argued at work that it's between the Jets, Bills and Jags. Do you agree?
Vic: The Jaguars, for sure, have legitimate depth at running back. The Bills will have a real upside situation, provided Willis McGahee makes it all the way back from his ACL rehab. The Jets' situation is a little more iffy. Can Curtis Martin continue to play at his unbelievably high and consistent level? If Martin falls off this season, is Lamont Jordan capable of being the feature back? St. Louis has an intriguing situation with Marshall Faulk and Steven Jackson. When DeShaun Foster came off the bench in the Super Bowl, he provided the big run that got the Panthers back in the game. Foster and Stephen Davis offer quality and depth. There are other good running back combinations, too. It's such an important position. New England got away with something less than desirable, but Bill Belichick addressed running back in a big way by trading for Corey Dillon. Cincinnati might have a complementary duo in Rudy Johnson and Chris Perry. What if Larry Johnson blossoms in Kansas City?
