JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it . . . Mike from Section 238:
Last week's game plan for Blaine involved a lot of quick "bubble screen" type passes. Those work in college, but do you think that can work long-term against NFL cornerbacks? Blaine has a strong arm, but I can see those going for six the other way, too.
John: I've never been a big fan of the bubble screen in the NFL, but I didn't see that being overused last week. There were a lot of short passes, but two were simply quick passes to Justin Blackmon to get him the ball quickly while one on one with a defender. That likely will be something the team does with Ace Sanders and Denard Robinson, too. All three have the ability to gain yards when one on one with a cornerback – Blackmon because of his size and physicality; Sanders/Robinson because of their speed. If you're going to have those players as key performers in the offense, you need to have plays where you can get them the ball quickly in a position for them to make plays.
Dane from Jacksonville:
Word on the street is Gabbert was throwing lefty. How'd he look?
John: Like his right thumb was hurt and he was fooling around early in practice.
John from Jacksonville:
I haven't been able to watch the games in detail, but I noticed LaRoy Reynolds had a few tackles for loss. What does everyone think of him? Do you think he makes the roster?
John: I don't know what everyone thinks of Reynolds, but the Jaguars' coaches and personnel people like him quite a bit. He has worked at outside linebacker and inside linebacker, impressing during the offseason and training camp and consistently standing out and showing up on video. I think he makes the roster, and I think he has the best chance of any of the team's undrafted rookie free agents to eventually start.
Ryan from Orange Park, FL:
Just wanted to say it's J-A-G 'til I D-I-E. Here we go, Jaguars.
John: Yep.
Terrance from Jacksonville:
Do you see the team with the No. 1 pick next year creating an RG3-type of trade since Clowney is coming out? Will a team give up what Washington gave up to get RG3?
John: You have asked an unanswerable question for several reasons. One is while the general assumption is that Clowney will be far and away the best player available in the draft, much can change in a season. A players' reputation among scouts more often than not rises and falls through a season and pre-draft process. It seems ridiculous right now to think that Clowney won't be the most-coveted player in the draft, and he probably will be, but to try to project a mega-trade is impossible without knowing specifics involving teams near the top of the draft. One other thing: Clowney isn't a quarterback, so the chances of a team trading an eye-catching number of draft selections are comparatively slim.
James from Winston-Salem, NC:
"Predictably, Jacksonville came in last, as it does in most power rankings, regardless of the topic." - Ashley Fox, ESPN. 9th Paragraph -*http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/story//id/9576846/seattle-unis-fit-just-just-right-uni-watch-power-rankings*. She's the worst.
John: Actually, she's not.
Frank from Knoxville, TN:
How is Josh Evans looking at safety? Has he fizzled a little since the pads went on or are the Jags strictly looking at him as a developmental player with this being in effect a redshirt year to learn behind Lowery?
John: Evans hasn't fizzled at all. I expect him to start the season as a backup, and play extensively on special teams. He'll factor in heavily if there is an injury, which is often the case in the NFL. People have a tendency to think players who aren't starting in the NFL are forgotten. It's an injury-riddled league and it's rare to go through a whole season healthy at any position. Either way, I see Evans playing a key role this season and possibly starting before long.
Josiah from Jacksonville:
I disagree with your view on Tobaos Palmer. You talk about unpolished talent? He was undrafted, so obviously not enough talent. If we are gonna keep him as a receiver, fine, but until he can do well in practice with returns he needs to be taken off. We are evaluating a whole team, not just one undrafted rookie, and his turnovers cheat other players out of a drive, in which they could showcase their skills; plus his turnovers have led to the other team scoring. And as much as I love u O-man, DO NOT compare Palmer with Cecil. First off Cecil WAS drafted, so he deserved time to develop. But I have seen shorts from the very beginning and at no point was I in a hurry to get rid of him, nor saw any reason too. Our WR depth is deep this year and losing Palmer will not have a negative impact on our future.
John: One of the great things about the internet is people have plenty of room to voice their incorrect opinions.
Keath from Tampa, FL:
John, for every Cecil Shorts III there is a Chad Owens....Just sayin'. Cut Palmer!
John: Exclamation points indicate enthusiasm, but not in this case an intelligent idea. You judge a young player in preseason for what he might be based on many, many factors – not just one or two mistakes. I don't know if Palmer will be on the team or not, but I don't think the decision will be based solely or even predominately on two fumbles.
Fred from Naples, FL:
Any extra motivation this Saturday night for Gus Bradley as the Jags host the team that he interviewed for but chose Chip Kelly instead?
John: No.
James from Jagsonville:
Not hoping – but assuming that MJD leaves the Jags after this season . . . who (in your opinion) on our current roster would be his first-team replacement?
John: I'm not assuming, and I'm not yet thinking it's a guarantee that that happens. If it does, I don't believe his replacement is on the roster.
Joe from Pontypridd, Wales, United Kingdom:
After two weeks of preseason, I've yet to have seen a penalty called for the new rule of runners leading with the helmet. I guess it wasn't such a big deal after all, huh? Also, Union Jax now has over 10,000 Brits signed up and committed to supporting the Jags #moodachay
John: It hasn't been a big deal so far, and as I said throughout the offseason, I don't think it will end up being as big a deal as many believed. As for the Union, it's indeed becoming a force. #Moodachay
Peterman from New York, NY:
What was your name again?
John: Rolf.
Christer from Copenhagen, Denmark:
The stats Steve from Miami are referring to are the ones stating BG is better at passing when the O-line gives him time? I believe that's actually a good reason to keep him. And isn't "Shad's son" actually working for the Jaguars as a statistics expert of some sort? So he would be the right guy to go to, I guess. Most importantly: Can you clear up "#Moodachay" for me? I've completely missed it and it won't go away anytime soon, it seems.
John: The Jaguars used analytics as part of their pre-draft process, and one of the analytics that was used to select right tackle Luke Joeckel was that Blaine Gabbert was significantly better when he had an extra second or two to throw. The Jaguars talked about this a lot after the draft, and it has been used as an example of how analytics is being used to help teams such as the Jaguars make decisions. The Jaguars did not use this information to decide who the starting quarterback will be this season, and it was not the SOLE reason for anything. Anyone around the Jaguars will tell you analytics are a tool to help the team's decision-makers and not the absolute foundation for the team's decision making. And yes, Tony Khan is a big part of the team's analytics department, with the team believing strongly it has a prominent place in a well-run organization. Moodachay also has a prominent place in a well-run organization, with its origins beginning here.
Arthur from Orlando, FL:
I can help Chad from Savannah regarding his boss getting angry when he reads the O-Zone. Go to the O-Zone page, highlight the Q&A's, then copy and paste them into a word document. Then read your O-Zone there, in plain ol' black Times New Roman, 12pt, on a plain white-paper background. The boss will think you're studiously reviewing an actual, work-related document, but really you'll be reading the beloved daily Jaguar chronicle that we all know as the O-Zone. And that's moodachay.
John: #Moodachay
Wade from Charlotte, NC:
It's a broken bone. It really doesn't matter if it is a "hairline" fracture and wasn't seen on initial X-rays. Bones take time to heal. Maybe a 6-year old has the healing capacity to have a broken bone solid enough in 2 weeks to go play, but not a grown man who has to grip a football and throw it 30 times a day. No way he is ready for the opener.
John: I sometimes stay at Holiday Inn Express, too, Doc.