JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Jimsure from DBS
O man, who do we give away next? A team in serious need of a left tackle and all we can get is a fifth-round pick???? Are we giving away a starting tight end or defensive tackle for free next week? At least we know there will be a new head coach and general manager next year.
You're referencing the Jaguars trading left tackle Cam Robinson and a conditional seventh-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Minnesota Vikings for a reported conditional '26 fifth-round selection that could be a fourth-round selection. This trade became official Wednesday. The conditional selections are based on playing time, meaning there is a very good chance the Jaguars will receive the fourth-round selection. For clarification's sake: The Jaguars did not remotely "give away" Robinson. He is an eighth-year veteran who was a good starter. He also had nine games remaining on his contract. Teams don't typically give away premium selections to get a player for nine games. The Jaguars got decent value here, as much as could be expected anyway.
Nick from Virginia Beach, VA
How would you grade Cam Robinson's career here in Jacksonville? Unfortunately, he never saw consistent winning here.
Robinson, a second-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, was a good player and a solid starter for eight seasons. He was not elite. He was not a Pro Bowl selection. He was very good for a long time and that's good. He had a very nice career here, and a team could do far worse with a second-round pick.
Rusty from New Iberia, LA
A Day 3 pick for a player at one of the most premium positions in all of sports. Seems low. I would have expected at least a third-rounder.
Not with nine games remaining on the contract.
Jess from Glen Carbon, IL
Cam Robinson to the Vikings for a fifth-round, conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2026 (not 2025). Wow, that General Manager guy really knows how to get the best value in his trades. How can you spin this so that it doesn't look like the Jaguars got fleeced? The Vikings are in the hunt for the postseason and in desperate need for a replacement at THE premier offensive line position and they get a (supposedly) top left tackle for a song. This move makes it appear that Trent Baalke has thrown in the towel on this year and is now starting to fight to keep his job. This is not a good trade for the Jaguars. Or is it?
It was neither good nor bad, really. The Jaguars didn't get fleeced, nor did they administer a "fleecing." They were a 2-6 team trading a player who isn't going to be on the roster next season for market value considering the situation. Remember: The Vikings knew the Jaguars were looking to trade Robinson just as much as the Jaguars knew the Vikings needed a left tackle. Leverage works both ways.
P Funk from Murray Hill
This seems to be a small window to evaluate Walker Little as a full-time starter at tackle. If he doesn't show the promise to re-sign him, that is another nail in the Baalke draft coffin? Your thoughts on that? Does he play left tackle or move Anton there with Little at RT?
Walker Little, who could start the final nine games of the regular season at left tackle with Robinson no longer on the roster, has started 18 NFL games. That would be a total of 27 games by season's end, which is a decent amount to evaluate a player. As for Baalke's "draft coffin …" I suppose that means you believe Baalke hasn't drafted well, which is a debatable opinion based on the last few drafts. I'm not sure what the future looks like for the Jaguars at tackle. I wouldn't rule out Anton Harrison moving to the left side. I expect this could be fluid based on the events of the rest of the regular season.
Marcus from Jacksonville
Obviously Doug's Super Bowl win is an impressive feat, and not many coaches get to hoist that trophy. But, is it possible for a mediocre coach to catch lightning in a bottle in a magical season and win a Super Bowl? One of those years where the chemistry on the team is perfect and where everything just seems to fall into place? That doesn't take anything away from the accomplishment, but I think there's a reason there are only a handful of coaches who have won multiple rings, and only one active coach. The more I see Doug's teams, the more I think he's a middle of the pack coach who had a magical run. I know he has won division titles and gone to the playoffs in other seasons, but all those division wins and playoff berths outside the Super Bowl season were with 9 wins. Outside that magical season, he's never had more than nine wins. His career record as a head coach is almost exactly .500. He is a middle of the pack coach whose teams will end most seasons right around .500. In some seasons that will be enough. In most it won't. He has not proven he's the kind of coach that can build a winning culture and have the kind of team that everyone else is chasing for years.
I continue to be amazed at the number of fans who insist on viewing the NFL through a prism of coaching. I suppose it's understandable because so many analysts these days insist on talking ad nauseum about playcalling, schemes and various other off-field goings on. Coaching matters. It does. You can't have awful coaching, schemes or play-calling and expect to win. And there is a difference in coaching. But Bill Belichick and Andy Reid are arguably the best coaches of the last two decades. Both have had success in a variety of circumstances. But Reid never won a Super Bowl without Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and Belichick never won a Super Bowl without Tom Brady at quarterback. I'm not saying to completely discount coaching as a factor. But it would be nice if there was some perspective on the issue, too. Coaches put players in position to win. But the players must go win.
Adam from Round Here
With the constant offensive slow starts, it seems like it's "the scripted plays." After the script runs out, don't they seem to be much more productive?
Maybe it is. Yes, they do.
Art from Glassboro, NJ
Was that the last time we see Kirk play as a Jaguar? His cap hit next year is high and they have a comparable (in theory) player in Parker Washington. Hopefully there will be a new front office to make that call. But One fer Kirk. He has been an absolute pro for this organization.
We live in an NFL era where fans and observers are quick to assume veteran players will move on from franchises before their careers end. This assumption is understandable and fair because the salary cap forces such decisions. But there are also exceptions when players fit well with organizations and teams strive to keep players beyond what would make sense on a spreadsheet. You're correct that wide receiver Christan Kirk – now out for the season with a broken collarbone – has a high salary-cap figure for 2025, but he has a very important connection with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and he's the sort of professional and person you want around. This is a storyline to follow, and it's far from a guarantee that Kirk will be gone after this season. Here's hoping he's not. He's a joy to cover and the sort of player who should be connected with this organization for a long, long time. One fer Kirk? Absolutely.
Gavin from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Dear John, I have been watching this team for years, and, of course, this team is underperforming. Year Three is supposed to be the year where the team vision comes into focus, where the players on the roster are supposed to be scheme specific, the players understand what the identity of the team is, and the fans can tell what the strength of this team is and what the team does best to beat other teams. Thus far, I see no definitive identity on offense or defense. Can you tell me what vision did coach Doug have for this team when he was hired compared to whatever this team is now?
You have to be good at something for an extended period to have "an identity." You also usually need to win. The Jaguars late in 2022 and early in 2023 were beginning to gain something of an identity as a team that forced turnovers, won close games and made big offensive plays when needed. That identity went away when the team started losing. As identities are wont to do.
Gary from St. Augustine, FL
Even with the trade deadline fast approaching, you still suck.
Happy Halloween.
