JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it … Steve from Hudson, FL:
A young, experienced center/guard for $2.5m for a year? Please tell Dave & Gus well played.
John: Ah, the Wisniewski Afterglow continues … The Jaguars indeed signed former Oakland Raiders center Stefen Wisniewski as an unrestricted free agent on Saturday. This was a remarkably popular signing, and with legitimate reason. The Jaguars' offensive line struggled last season and General Manager David Caldwell entered the offseason wanting to upgrade right tackle. He also entered it wanting to add depth, roster flexibility and competition on the interior. They did the former by signing Jermey Parnell from Dallas early in free agency and did the latter Saturday by signing a player who had started his first four NFL seasons and who is coming off his first contract. Wisniewski certainly makes sense as a way to approach the position. What remains to be seen is where he will play and the nature of his role. He likely will compete with second-year veteran Luke Bowanko at center, but don't rule out him competing with sixth-year veteran Zane Beadles at left guard. The "roster-flexibility" factor in the signing is real. We'll see how it plays out.
Kyle from Ohio:
O-PsychicMan. I remember you stating that Marcedes Lewis and Paul Posluszny would be back on cheaper contracts for this next year, then they both restructure/extend within a couple days of each other. Oh, mister psychic, how do these moves, plus the signing of Wisniewski change the draft plans if any?
John: That's Mr. Psychic to you Kyle, and on a more serious note … that's Mr. Psychic to you. Actually, it didn't take special powers to figure Posluszny and Lewis likely would return. The coaching staff likes both players both were still under contract. Re-signing Lewis and Posluszny won't change the approach in the draft much. It's still very possible the team will draft players at their position on Day 3. Wisniewski's signing probably does change things; there doesn't appear to be nearly as much of a need on the interior now.
Edward from Jacksonville:
In the charity golf video, I noticed that Blake Bortles swings as a lefty. Is he ambidextrous?
John: To my knowledge, Bortles speaks just one language.
Steve from Ponte Vedra, FL:
I know the national media pays no attention to the Jags because we do not win and we are in a small market. So why does Buffalo – which has not been to the playoffs for 15 years and in a small market – get constant coverage on everything? Ditto on Cleveland?
John: I must profess to not paying enough attention to this subject to know just how much anyone does or doesn't cover the Buffalo Bills or Cleveland Browns. I watch the NFL Network and ESPN, but do not keep a Coverage Diary. I do know the teams are pretty compelling storylines this offseason from a national perspective. The Browns first of all are a very popular, historical franchise and the Johnny Football Saga is just one story around that franchise that has had a viral feel this offseason. The Bills aren't quite as prominent nationally, but they have made several high-profile offseason moves – including hiring a high-profile head coach in Rex Ryan. That's going to get you covered and discussed in the offseason. We'll see what it does during the regular season.
Matt from Stroudsburg, PA:
Outside of Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon III, which running back in the draft would you take for the Jags if you could hand-pick one? My mildly-informed opinion would be either Abdullah from Nebraska or Yeldon from Alabama. Do you agree?
John: I like Abdullah and Yeldon, but to be honest, once you get past Gurley, I don't know that there's a tremendous obvious difference between a lot of the top running backs. There are multiple players at the top of the draft that appear to be able to run effectively behind a quality line. Gurley appears to be the one player who could have a chance to perhaps transcend line play. That's rare at the position.
Randy from #DTWD:
If Cooper/White = A.J Green/Julio Jones and Beasley/Fowler/Gregory/Williams = Von Miller/ Dareus/Aldon Smith/J.J. Watt … then any of these players would be an instant upgrade on the team. I just remembered Cam Newton=Winston both went #1 and Gabbert/Mariota have all the skills and could go anywhere from #2-#15.
John: Yeah, I'm not sure what equals what, exactly. I do know sometimes players in the Top 5 or 10 work out and sometimes they don't, and if you hit on a player at that stage of the draft then you get an impact player that can really improve your franchise. If you don't, it sets you back.
Gary from Wesley Chapel, FL:
Great news to have Paul Posluszny's contract extended. One of my all-time favorite Jaguars, and future Pride of the Jaguars member. As the defense continues to improve, which I believe it will, Poz will be recognized and appreciated by more fans around the league as one of those players that comes to mind when talking about great middle linebackers. I already think of him that way as an 'old school' fan.
John: I respect Poslusnzy as much any player on the Jaguars. He is tough, reliable and as professional as any player in the Jaguars' locker room. When Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley talked of Posluszny being a model player and having a "warriors' mentality," it was a perfect way to describe him. He's a pro's pro. Now, I can't honestly say I see Posluszny right now as a future member of the Pride of the Jaguars. At least not yet. He has played in an era during which the team has struggled on the field more than any era in franchise history. That will make it tough for any player whose career is of that era exclusively to be remembered as an all-time great in franchise history. But whatever … the guy is a warrior, a joy to cover and it's easy to see why he's one of the team's most popular players.
Herbert from MidState Office Supply Accountz Receevable:
What teams do Mike Mayock & Ron Jaworski work for? Isn't it routine for teams to lie more often as you get closer to the draft? #smokescreen
John: Jaworski works for ESPN and Mayock works for the NFL Network. And yes, it's pretty much given in my industry that football people such as general managers and head coaches are given to sharing no information or misleading information as the draft approaches.
Doug from Jacksonville:
I get a kick out of the guys who say they watched film. They watched YouTube highlight reels or clips on various blog sites. This is not coaches film. Are they watching their hands or how they affected the play even if they didn't make the tackle? These people who think they are doing what a general manager does sitting at their computer for a couple hours a night Googling players outside of the SEC because they never heard of them before are not doing the same thing.
John: You couldn't be more right, Doug.
Dave from Jacksonville, FL:
If you were the Jaguars which would you consider the ideal situation: 1) The top QB's Winston and Mariota go #1/2. or 2) Winston goes #1 and Leornard Williams goes #2 and Dave Caldwell has the Jets, Browns, Rams and Eagles calling him wanting to trade up for Mariota?
John: The ideal situation for a team early in the draft that is thinking about trading the selection always is to have a quarterback teams covet still on the board when your pick is called. People want quarterbacks and they're often willing to trade and spend in a big way to get one.
Kenny from Rochester, NY:
I was wondering about teams signing the No. 1 pick in the draft before draft day. Are teams still allowed to do this? If so, can you explain the benefits and what the negative aspects of doing it.
John: Teams are allowed to do this. There's not as much benefit as there once was, because there's not much to negotiate with any rookie contract any more – and yeah, that's even true of the No. 1 overall selection. The negative is that signing the No. 1 pick means you're almost certainly not going to be open to trading that player, and unless you are absolutely in love with a player you may as well leave open a trade possibility.
Zack from Birmingham, AL:
Hey O-man, what can you tell us about the future of Ace Sanders? He was a versatile tool (though average) in our offense last year but a mediocre returner. Are the Jags replacing him with Walters, getting a new kick returner in the draft, or giving him a second shot?
John: Sanders struggled as a returner much of the season last season and he didn't get many significant opportunities to contribute on offense. Bryan Walters was brought in to compete for the slot receiver/returner role, and you could see someone added to the mix sometime during or shortly after the draft. Sanders almost certainly will get a chance to compete in training camp, but he needs to perform better to maintain a roster spot.
Charles from Betteroffdeadtown:
Remember that time Boselli helped out Richie, Potsie and Ralph Malph and then he put up his thumbs and said "Ayyyyy"
John: I do. And after that, he jumped the shark. #Sitonitboselli