JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Nathan from St. Augustine, FL
Hey, John: We all know the difference an elite quarterback can make on a team. Aaron Rodgers makes an average Green Bay roster a Super Bowl contender every year, but what impact does an elite wide receiver make? If Julio Jones had been a Jaguar last season how different do you think Blake Bortles' stats would have been? I have never been a huge Bortles guy, but when you look at the Jags' receivers last season the man did pretty dang good.
An absolute elite wide receiver can have a mammoth impact on an NFL offense – and there's little doubt a player such as Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones would have improved the Jaguars' offense last season. That level of receiver not only can win 50-50 balls and create plays himself, he also draws defenses and makes it easier for quarterback and other receivers. But that's like saying Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald would have improved the defense or Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski would have improved the offense. They're the best of the best – and the best of the best tend to improve things. As far as truly elite receivers, there aren't as many of those guys around as you think. There's obviously Jones, and Antonio Brown of the Steelers. There's Odell Beckham Jr. of the Giants, and perhaps A.J. Green of the Bengals. And Mike Evans of the Buccaneers. And Amari Cooper of the Raiders. And DeAndre Hopkins of the Texans. But few on that list are truly in Jones' league. Had Jones or a few other players on the aforementioned list been on the Jaguars last season it might have made a real impact. But I don't know many other receivers would have single-handedly changed the dynamics of the offense.
Rich from Jacksonville
Could you at least use indent to better separate the question?
That apparently doesn't work, Rich, but we're working on it.
Dave from DUUVAL
Dear Mr. O: Life is too long to let this jaguars.com website redesign ruin it. Stay gold, Johnny-boy.
David from Oviedo, FL
O, you take all of the credit for the website, but take none of the blame for its shortcomings? How can you look at yourself in the mirror?
Easy. Taking credit while ducking blame is an Oehser tradition that has served the family well dating to my great uncle, Rudolph Oehser, who lived a noble life in which he readily accepted blame and credited others unselfishly. Family lore has it that "Uncle Rudolph" lived such a life until saying to his son, Rudolph II, on his death bed, "That was foolish of me. Don't do that." Rudolph being of weak moral fiber did not question this advice, thus moving the family in a less-noble – albeit, also decidedly less taxing – direction. As for the mirror, I last looked in one in the spring of '14. I didn't like what I saw then. I can't imagine it's any better now.
J. Hooks from Fleming Island, FL
So, while I wasn't thrilled that all the hard work and creativity you guys put into jaguars.com was ripped to shreds by corporate regulation, I am realizing that what makes this site so awesome is you goofballs that put the content on there and not much has really changed. So I'm a one fer. Question. Tim Cook. How good is this guy? Could he be the hidden gem at running back?
Hey one-fer fer all the right reasons. As far Cook, we'll see. The Jaguars like him. There's a possibility he could be the fourth back on the roster next season along with Leonard Fournette, T.J. Yeldon and Corey Grant. I wouldn't be surprised if the Jaguars brought in competition for that role, but Cook certainly has a chance to play it.
Nate from Fort Duval in York, PA
I have to say, with the Texans being the enemy, J.J. Watt is a heck of a person with what he did during the Hurricane relief last year and now him covering the funeral expenses for the victims of the school shooting. Here's one for Watt ... until the season starts.
It's permissible to like what a person stands for and dislike him as a player. I've been told by many people that former Dallas Cowboys and Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach is a fine, upstanding person. Interviews I have seen seem to confirm this. Having been a Washington Redskins fan through the 1970s and 1980s, I hated Staubach during that time with a fiery illogical passion that burned deep. I logically can respect Staubach. It doesn't mean I have to like him. I imagine many, many Jaguars fans feel the same way about Watt.
Adam from Lynbrook, NY
I was re-watching the AFC Championship Game again recently. Other than the obvious effect the referees had on the game, I noticed something else maybe more impactful. During the second half it felt like the Patriots gambled on a game plan of passing on so many offensive plays that our players wouldn't have the energy to close out the game. I think that is a big reason we lost. The defensive line was gassed by the time New England made their comeback and being forced into bad field position with little running success, the writing was on the wall.
I don't doubt being gassed had something to do with the Jaguars' lack of pass rush late in the AFC Championship Game. Ends Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue dealing with physical issues didn't hurt, either. But I don't think the Patriots' approach was any well-thought-out scheme to eventually wear down the Jaguars as much as they were trying to do whatever they could to figure out a way to score and get back in a game the Jaguars had dominated for much of the first three quarters. But whatever the reason for what the Patriots were doing, it worked.
Fungi from Duval
They told ya yer gullible and u believed them. Lol.
You're right.
Eric from Jacksonville Currently Spain
John SnowZone, I recall Myles Jack's knee being a hot topic and his longevity in the NFL a concern at the time of the 2016 NFL Draft. Well, fast forward to May 2018 and I haven't heard much about it. Is there still a concern or is the knee issue plaguing Jack during college no longer a concern?
Jack's knee injury really didn't "plague" him during college. What happened was Jack's knee was identified during the pre-draft process as something that could cause him problems for the long term and/or eventually shorten his career. The consensus at the time was that it very probably wouldn't limit him or be an issue in the short term but that it eventually likely would be a significant issue at some point. That wasn't expected to change and my understanding it has not changed. And he wasn't down.
Ralph from Jacksonville
Website organization … better. Johnny O picture ... still handsome.
One fer the new website – and one fer razor-sharp perception.
Jeff from Cape Town, South Africa
I am quite possibly the only Jag fan within a 5,000-mile radius (I checked the map on some website that calculates radial distances). I have been through a lot since I left the USA in 2015. Those first two seasons I was here I had to stay up late listening to the game on internet radio just to hear us get bludgeoned to death by almost everyone. Then last year, I enjoyed every single game. On top of that, with the seven-hour time difference and the 1 p.m. EST games, I got to listen to every single game at a reasonable hour. Anyways, this year I return to the USA after Week One of the preseason. I could not be happier to come back and have hope in my team once more. My question: if I can only go to one home game, which one should I go to? Should I go watch us against the Patriots, a game that will be decided on game day, or should I go see a team that we are more likely to pound on? I might get to go to two, but likely just one. Do I go watch an easier win (it has been a LONG time since I've been at a winning game) or do I go watch the "good" game. Decisions, decisions.
I am the king of all funk.
TouchDown from Festus, MO
I wonder if there was ever a time, in which readers cared more about what was written than the handwriting it was written in?.... The internet is the most powerful thing we've ever created, limitless knowledge at your fingertips! And we use it for hate, and fear, and belly aching. 'Sigh', we have a long way to go...
… "We've got a long way to go … and a short time to get there … I'm East Bound, just watch ol' Bandit run. …"
