JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Jonathan from Formerly of Jax Beach
Would you agree that most of Trevor's issues are a direct result of times he holds on to the ball too long? Regardless of the improvement of the offensive line conversation, he's at his best when he gets the ball out immediately, as is the case for a lot of quarterbacks.
While this assessment of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence features some truth, it perhaps paints with a bit too broad a brush. Lawrence in three seasons as the Jaguars' starter certainly has had his share of issues fumbling while trying to extend plays, and getting him to realize when it's OK to take a sack and move onto the next play absolutely has been a focus this offseason. And Lawrence has had success passing quickly and on time. But he also has had more than enough success improvising off-schedule plays that you don't want to entirely remove that element of his game. Lawrence must improve his awareness of when to give up on a play, but he can't just "always" throw the ball away under pressure. You can't just play quarterback one way and you can't play scared of mistakes. Finding the right balance is the art and what makes players special or not special.
Bradley from Sparks, NV
I felt that perhaps the Jaguars regretted getting rid of Marvin Jones last year, not only because of some the injuries, but also because of his sideline and locker room presence. Is it myth that an older vet who has become marginal as a player can still pay major dividends as a leader?
I think it's fair to say the Jaguars missed wide receiver Marvin Jones last season. He was a reliable receiver who was a positive locker-room presence, and he made some clutch catches in 2022 that helped the Jaguars make the postseason. Salary cap and age made parting ways necessary, but that doesn't mean he wasn't missed on occasion.
Marty from Jacksonville
John, speaking of preseason records and how much they correlate to regular season results, you probably recall, in 1982 the Washington team lost all their preseason games and won the Super Bowl, and in 2008, the Detroit Lions won every preseason game and lost every game in the regular season.
Correct.
Ray from Newport News, VA
O-Man, Next week is a unique week as I am sure it is not a normal practice week. I have the basic idea of the teams practice schedule for game weeks, but I wanted to know what the schedule might look like next week? Assuming it's all hands on deck for players Tuesday to find out who made the team.
The week between the preseason finale and Week 1 still has a no-man's-land feel, with this being just its fourth season of existence. There is no practice Sunday (today) and players according to NFL rules must be off next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the week is valuable practice time, with Tuesday absolutely a practice day – and a nervous, difficult day for many with teams required to trim rosters to 53 by 4 p.m. that day.
Nick from Virginia Beach, VA
Will third-and-1 still be an issue for this offense?
We'll see.
Deadhead Brian from Shakedown street Nocatee
Does Trammell make the team?
You're referencing Jaguars wide receiver Austin Trammell, who has become one of the more fascinating stories of 2024 Training Camp. It was easy initially to overlook Trammell, who originally played with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 after signing with them as undrafted free agent and joined the Jaguars this offseason after two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. It's quite common for a fourth-year veteran receiver to spend the offseason with a team, look OK in preseason then spend the ensuing season bouncing off a practice squad or two while playing a few regular-season games. Perhaps that will be Trammell's 2024 story. But he has looked really good in three preseason games, and the Jaguars like him a lot. He will be among the Jaguars' tougher decisions as they trim the roster to 53 players and I wouldn't be surprised if he makes the team.
Bruce from Saint Simons Island
O, I believe you would agree that the main positive of the preseason is not that the Jags were undefeated, but rather that they have completed the preseason without significantly major injuries. How good are the Jaguars this year?
Being relatively injury-free following the preseason absolutely is more important than being undefeated in the preseason. How good are the Jaguars? I think they have a chance to contend for the postseason. I think the defensive line needs to be as good as I expect, and the Jaguars need to run a bit more consistently than they did last season, for those things to happen. I also think Lawrence must reduce turnovers in key situations and I think the Jaguars must stay healthier than they did late last season.
Dorf from ATL
Not a question but a comment: Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis is too large a human being to wear No. 0. That is all. Good day, sir.
OK.
Tater Salad
East Overshoe, Alabama
JO - Will our front office have the guts to admit they made a mistake and just cut Luke F? If our starter gets hurt, the long snapper could fill in.
I don't expect the Jaguars to release center Luke Fortner. Long snapper Ross Matiscik would not – and could not – be the center if starter Mitch Morse is unavailable because of injury.
Who cares from Round the way
Deshaun Watson and Jameis Winston are both national champion winning quarterbacks.
Good for them.
Matthew from Charles city, IA
What's the chances of the Jags going back to the Prowler jerseys or maybe a new gen of them in the future?
I don't sense that the Jaguars' plan is to make the "Throwback Prowlers," which they will wear October 6 against the Indianapolis Colts, permanent. Weirder things have happened, but I don't sense it's the plan.
Eddie from JACKSONVILLE
I keep seeing questions from readers about how bad a play-caller Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor is. If Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson thought he was awful, wouldn't he have fired him by now? Loyalty is great but I don't see head coaches being loyal to a guy if it gets them fired.
Yep.
Chris from Jax
To the salary whiners I have just this to say: If you were a world class talent in your field, you'd probably make world class money also.
We're revisiting a recent O-Zone topic regarding player salaries, which have been offensive to some NFL fans for decades and which remain offensive to many. Your point is one forgotten by many, and that's that NFL players – like top-level athletes in most high-profile professional sports – are well-compensated because they're among the best 100-to-500 people in the world at their profession. They are also in a high-demand field. Many people who are the best at what they do in high-demand fields are insanely compensated. It's the way it is.
Scott from Atlantic Beach, FL
The salaries and profits of the NFL as this point just seems like greed. They squeeze every dollar they can from the fans, from ticket prices to concession prices, all to make even more money, when salaries and profits are already unreal. I wonder if they took just 10 percent of the salary cap, not net profit of the league, and returned that to the fans. It is pretty disgusting at this point. I mean, I'm going to watch, I've been watching since I was eight years old, but it does seem like the NFL as a business whole is way out of touch with reality. The greed at this point is disappointing.
I can't control how fans feel about this, and I understand fans who recoil at players and owners making what they make. On the one hand, they make this money playing a game. One the other hand, it's an insanely competitive game when played at its highest level professionally – and such competition has led to players being paid exorbitantly. I don't what counsel to offer here. This isn't changing.
Marc from Oceanway
You know, Cam Little can't actually kick a football over them there mountains, but he did once kick a football high enough that he accidentally hit a Majestic Canadian Goose.
I clicked on that.
Rob from Northside
As one who has sported the ponytail since I left the Corps in 03, it does rock, but I understand the hair will probably dictate a time when the ponytail is sad rather than glorious; at that time I shall sport it no more. Do not lament, appreciate you could.
My ponytail would reach epic levels of sadness were I try to sport it today. Come to think of it, it wasn't all that happy in '96.
