Let's get to it . . . John from Jacksonville:
It might be me, but this offseason has a similar feel to our inaugural season with all of the changes and hope. My head is spinning when I think of all of the money that is floating out of our new owner's pocket with all of the coaching hires, new president, salary cap, plus another potential $30M on top of that. If the fans don't think our new owner is "in," I don't know what else it will take. I sense this is only that start of all kinds of upgrades for the next exciting era of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
John: It's not just you, and you're right about the feeling around EverBank Field. Shad Khan promised change, and there has been change, but it has been change that makes sense. He chose substance over flash in hiring Mike Mularkey as head coach, and the result has been an experienced, capable staff praised by many in the NFL. He also has found a very logical fit in new President Mark Lamping, who has experience in a relatively small market in St. Louis that correlates to Jacksonville's small-market situation. It's impossible to know the full-scale, long-term effects of such change when trying to analyze it in the immediate aftermath. These sorts of moves only can be properly judged years down the road, once you see the results. But looking at it from a short-term point of view, Khan seems to be establishing a professional atmosphere in which good people can do a good job – and that's a good start.
Roy from Orange Park, FL:
Boselli in his prime vs. Jason Pierre-Paul? Who wins that battle?
John: Boselli. I never saw him play an end he couldn't handle, and I saw him do it for six seasons. Let's let Pierre-Paul do it a while before we put him in that class.
Andy from St. Johns, FL:
Any chance Shad Khan is going to introduce $1.00 Beer Day as a game-day promotion this fall?
John: Shoot, I'm hoping he introduces it as a lunch-time promotion in the company cafeteria.
Mike from Wanaque, NJ:
The question from Austin from San Antonio is the problem with the Jaguars over the last decade. When Reggie Williams and Matt Jones can be the No. 1, your wide receiver core NEEDS to be upgraded.
John: It has been an issue, and it without question has been on the radar for a while. The Jaguars essentially started rebuilding in 2009, and because you can't remake the entire roster in one or even two off-seasons, you pick spots and build by process. They have building blocks in place on the offensive line, and last off-season drafted a quarterback in the top 10. They also have addressed the bulk of the defense. Now, it's time to get a pass rusher and solidify the receiver position. If that gets done, there aren't a lot of holes.
DH from Houston, TX:
Can you please explain to me why the Jaguars would avoid drafting Coples if they signed Mario Williams in Free Agency? Are they only allowed to have one defensive end on the field at a time?
John: I don't think Coples will be the pure best available player at No. 7, and if they sign Williams they wouldn't have to reach for need.
Glen from Lake City, FL:
So O-man, any preference for MNF, two-man or three-man booth? While I enjoy Gruden's depth of knowledge, he can really start to grate on my nerves with some of his man-crushes on certain players. Just afraid I'm going to get even more of that with only two commentators now instead of three.
John: I agree. I like Gruden and he's certainly entertaining and informative. I watch more MNF than any other game on a weekly basis, mainly because I usually am working most Sundays afternoons and evenings, and I found ESPN's three-man crew entertaining. I'm a little disappointed they're changing things. I do wonder about too much Gruden being too much of a good thing.
Keith from DeLeon Springs, FL:
I know all the draft buzz is DEs and WRs but how do you pass up Morris Claiborne if he is there?
John: Who says they will?
Nick from Annapolis, MD:
"The Jaguars already had taken Mularkey and former Atlanta quarterbacks coach Bob Bratkowski from the Falcons' staff. Bratkowski is the Jaguars' new offensive coordinator. Both of those moves are considered promotions and can't be blocked." This is a report on NFL.com. How can people at NFL.com get this type of stuff wrong?
John: It happens. There is a common perception that teams can't block requests for position coaches to interview for coordinators, and because of that, people – even people at NFL.com – tend to write the perception as fact.
Luke from Whiteman AFB, MO:
According to SportsNation the Jaguars would consider using the franchise tag on Scobee? Seems like a waste to use on a kicker, didn't know they were so valuable.
John: Actually, I believe that got started when Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union tweeted essentially that Scobee was likely the only player the team would consider franchising, and I think Tania's right on this one. The franchise tag is a roster-management tool. You don't always need to use it on the highest-priced guy on your team. Sometimes, you use it to keep a player from hitting the open market and to buy time until a long-term deal can get done. I'd be surprised if Scobee goes anywhere, and my guess is the sides agree to a deal. But if necessary, franchising makes a lot of sense.
Gene from EverBank:
Scott from Sect 240 is my hero. My love starts to know few bounds at just three beers. And Mincey will not be getting the tag...how did you know that?
John: Everybody has a love plateau. Without it, many next-day stories would be far more boring. As for Mincey, I don't know that anyone officially has said he won't get the tag, just that the general belief is he won't. That's my belief, too.
Roger from Duval, FL:
Point blank, do you think Alualu was worth the No. 10 pick? I agree he is good, but I don't think it is unreasonable to expect great results from a No. 10 pick, especially with JPP still available. I understand JPP had some character issues coming into the league, but at the same time Alualu wasn't touted to be a Top 10 pick, either. I don't want you to nor expect you to bash on Alualu, I would just like your honest opinion on whether drafting him at that position was the best decision.
John: I won't bash Alualu, because I have no reason to. I understand people looking back and wishing the Jaguars had taken Pierre-Paul, because Pierre-Paul is very, very good. The first thing I would argue is that Alualu hasn't just been good. He has been very, very good, but because he's not a sack guy he's also overlooked at times. Alualu also has been held back by knee problems and I believe had he been healthy his first two seasons he would have been even better than he has been. Because I don't believe you can penalize a selection because he was injured, yes, I believe at the time he was worth the selection. Don't forget: Pierre-Paul was considered a risky pick at the time. Good for the Giants for getting him, but as I've written before: let's not change history and say that everyone knew he'd be this good. If that was the case, he wouldn't have been around at No. 10, much less No. 14.
Don from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
Defense was the key to the Giants' run to the Super Bowl. Flat-out they had the best pass rush in the NFL. Defense is still alive and the most important phase of the game.
John: It's certainly important. I'd argue that you have to have a quarterback making plays at a high level at critical times, but without question you have to have a pass rush and a quarterback.
Jerry from Tamarac, FL:
If healthy, I could not understand why the Indianapolis Colts would allow Peyton Manning to leave. Everyone cites his roster bonus coming up in March but isn't this about the same difference between what it costs to have a No. 1 draft pick this year compared to two years ago?
John: The key to your question came early: "If healthy." If the condition of Manning's neck was certain, none of this would be an issue. Because it's not, everything is uncertain.
Edward from Jacksonville:
When does The Dead Zone officially begin?
John: I assume you're talking about the end of the streak of writing O-Zones every day. Just as the streak started organically – by the demand of at least a few as I recall – I suspect we'll know the right time to take a day off, too. Maybe one day the fingers won't work, or one Sunday I'll have had too many Intuitions the night before. In mid-February with free agency and the Combine on the horizon, I sense we have not reached that time.