JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Bryan from Rip City

Yo, Grizz! Improving on defense seems a quick path to more wins. Central to that improvement is best utilizing players on the roster. How can the new coaches maximize Devin Lloyd? Shouldn't he rush the passer much more frequently?

Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd, the No. 27 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, in three NFL seasons has had some good moments. Two defensive staffs have searched for a way to have him be more effective and the new staff will face the same task. I expect Lloyd will play strong-side linebacker in this new scheme and be given a chance to rush the passer at times. Whether he should be given the chance to do this more has been a regular topic for three seasons. My sense is that if Lloyd was a big-time pass rusher that he would have been given more opportunity to rush the passer already. But maybe there's something more in this vein. We shall see.

Chevin from Jacksonville

From your perspective, is it reasonable to think that this new regime can coach better football out of the current offensive linemen?

I think the Jaguars believe their offensive line in 2025 will be better, more physical and nastier than has been the case in recent seasons. It's reasonable to think the new regime will coach offensive linemen fine. It's also reasonable to think the quality of the line will depend largely on the players. And it's reasonable to think it's always coaching in the NFL.

Joel from Jacksonville

I have this really crazy idea for the draft. Why don't the Jaguars pick the best available player per their evaluation consistent with their needs?

Shad Khan … hire this man!!!

DuvalJag95 from J-ville

ROFLMFAO @Ivan!!! Can someone please tell me where he's doing his next comedy skit dudes hilarious lol

I sense we're at the end of our Ivan discussion. He doesn't like public money for NFL stadiums. He's not alone. It's not a particularly compelling discussion at this point here in the O-Zone because I'm not sure where it goes from here. The Jaguars' Stadium of the Future is essentially funded half by Owner Shad Khan and half by public money. This is a more than fair split for the City of Jacksonville compared to other NFL small-market stadiums. The Stadium of the Future is expected to be ready for play in 2028. That's the summary. I don't know how much more meat is on this bone.

Econfan from Orlando, FL

Hi, O. First-time writer, longtime fan. As a Jags fan, I hate to pour cold water over my friends' enthusiasm for the stadium, but as an economist I am used to it. Stadiums are rarely good investments for cities. The main reason is that fans' spending is not all new spending, but comes out of the budget for other recreational activities such as restaurants, boating, etc. While as fans we hate to see the stadium full of opposing fans, that actually helps the value since all their spending is a net gain to our economy. I have found that the Jags have increased economic output by about the amount that adding 100 new multimillionaire would add. That is not insignificant, but not enough to pay for a stadium. While it is hard to put a price on the joy we get from the Jags, in fairness, we should ask if we would be willing to add $700 million to our taxes to turn Jax into a boating destination with subsidized boating activities, yacht races, etc. if it could be shown to generate positive economic activity but not pay for itself? If I were purely objective, I would vote no on both until they could demonstrate greater return on investment. Thanks for all your contribution to my daily reading.

There's a lot of math involved in this. I was OK at math in school, though not good enough to brag. For that matter, I wasn't really good enough at anything in school to brag very often – though I was surprisingly good at a really hard finance course at Florida. Do you want to be an NFL city or not? That's really the question.

Lawrence from Blair, NE

I'm a little bit confused about Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. It's my understanding that there are three "elite" players in the 2025 NFL Draft, the obvious ones being Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and Penn State edge Abdul Carter and that Jeanty falls in that category as well – he's just at a devalued position. If he's there at No. 5 and Carter and Hunter are gone, I can't see how he isn't the most logical pick. The team wants to run better. He's supposed to be a special talent. So it seems like going a different direction really isn't doing BAP, right?

Stay tuned.

Jason from Suffolk, VA

It is indeed a steep price to be a NFL city. However, does the city not gain financially from the Jaguars being in Jacksonville? The city of Jacksonville owns the stadium, which means that in order for the Jaguars to use the stadium they have to pay a lease to the city. That only amounts to seven games a year and they utilize the stadium as a venue for other things throughout the year to continue making money. Does the city not make any money off of tickets and concessions sold? Has the city not benefitted from the projects that the Jaguars (who partnered with them on the cost) have brought into town? If we look at it at its simplest form, it's easy to understand why someone would not want public money spent on a sports team. If we look at the full picture however, one could easily see how the city benefits from having an NFL team.

Now that I think of it, I also was pretty good at geometry in high school. That's not bragging, baby. That's just a fact. Do you want to be an NFL city or not? That's really the question.

Kevin from Jacksonville Beach, FL

Hi, John. I'm a 25-year season-ticket holder and would like to add my comments to the Stadium of the Future conversation. I believe those like Ivan have a problem with spending money on the stadium because they see the amount of money these athletes are paid to play a game. They probably believe salaries like these are completely out-of-hand and they think using public money to fund the stadium allows the owners to continue paying this level of salaries. It's just entertainment. You either watch or don't watch, go or don't go. Either way, you can never please everyone. As for me and my house, we want the Jags in Jacksonville.

OK.

Robert from Elkton

With the likelihood that Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are off the board, I'm finding it harder and harder to not want the Jags to take Ashton Jeanty? Draft is deep in defense, you can take some later. Our backs are very good, but Jeanty just seems to be on another level. Two fast deep-threat receivers, a tight end that looks like the real deal, and a back that can score from anywhere like Jeanty (or just get five yards constantly) sounds like a quarterback's dream come true. IF they went this way, do you think the Jags would keep both running backs Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby, or would you expect a trade of one?

I could see one of the backs being traded in this situation, though the trade value – and injury risk – for running backs is such that sometimes it's best to keep the player.

JayPee from The Vortex

I'm late to weigh in on the most underrated band. But the answer is easy, JJ Cale. So underrated that I bet 90 percent of the readers have never heard of him. But is the original writer of songs like "Cocaine." Not an Eric Clapton original, but a cover. I would highly recommend checking him out, if you haven't already.

This is a good answer. It's a good point. It's a good argument. Happy Kyne and the Mirth Makers is a better answer. A better point. A better argument.

Paul from Lake City, FL

Does cultural icon Gene Frenette know where to find you? And if so, does this keep you awake at night?

Longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist and Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette on occasion knows where to find me. On occasion, he does not. I strive to stay "one step" ahead of Gene in this. And yes. It keep me awake at night. Obviously.

Sam from Orlando

Saw "Eugene "The fixer" Frenette on the side of the road with a flat tire. He was just showboating when he lifted the car up with one arm. It became classless when he did it while eating a Philly Cheesesteak.

He can be a lot.