JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it … CTJags from Connecticut:
With Tom Coughlin preaching about toughness and winning matters, wouldn't Leonard Fournette at No. 4 be a mere pipe-dream being he sat out his last bowl game? And what kind of mixed message would that bring to the locker room?
John: I have no idea if the Jaguars will draft Fournette No. 4 overall or not, and there are arguments both ways. But those arguments very much center around whether or not you believe Fournette is worthy of the selection and perhaps around whether or not you philosophically believe in selecting running back at No. 4. What they should not and most likely will not center around is Fournette's toughness or whether he cares about winning. Fournette reportedly played through a bad ankle much of the season regular season last season, then made a decision to not play in LSU's bowl game. And you know what? There was absolutely nothing wrong with Fournette making that decision. LSU was not playing for a national title, so in that sense the bowl game was very much a recruiting tool and for show. Fournette probably could have skipped his entire final season and still been a Top 10 selection; in fact, an argument can be made that playing on the bad ankle might have hurt his draft stock a bit. He chose to play last season at the risk of his draft status. So, he made a decision not to play in the bowl game in order to avoid injury and ensure his financial future and that of his family? I think most players in the Jaguars' locker room would either make the same decision or at the very least absolutely understand why Fournette made the one he made. There would be no message sent with the selection except that the Jaguars believed Fournette was the best option at No. 4 – and that they think he would have a chance to be a dominant player. Anything else would just be so much outside noise.
Davy from Jacksonville:
I also remember the Coughlin days and how out of touch the fan base was then, too. I used to love reading the Monday Morning QB section to get fan reaction after games. I distinctly remember several fans complaining after a certain Ravens game that Brunell and Co. hung 43 or so points on. They were complaining how boring the game was because it wasn't competitive because the Jags whipped the pants off the Ravens. Really? Really? No, Really? These same people are the ones who say Coughlin was boring. Some people just like to complain and others just enjoy their lives. I'll take that boring any day of the week.
John: Be it the 2010s, the 2000s or the 1990s, fans gonna fan. It's what they do.
Andrew from Bloomington, IN:
John, any word on Luke Bowanko and how he could impact our offensive line this year? I know he was injured most of last year. If he comes in and plays well at center, this would allow Brandon Linder to move back to guard and really set us up for better success.
John: This indeed would be a positive for the Jaguars, because it would mean Bowanko playing well enough to justify moving the Jaguars' best interior offensive lineman – Linder – away from the most important interior offensive-line position: center. This isn't likely, but it would represent a pleasant surprise.
Chris from Los Angeles, CA:
O-Man, here's a scenario: Coughlin and Dave Caldwell decide to trade out of the Top 5 to say, Cleveland. They pick up the 12th and the 30-something and grab Forrest Lamp and come back in the first for Joe Mixon. Then at pick No. 35 we could go for a tight end. What say you?
John: I say draft scenarios are cool. People like them.
Sam from Akel:
Maybe Jalen Ramsey adjusted well to the NFL because of the level of wide receivers he goes up against in practice on a daily basis. Just sayin'.
John: Perhaps, but a lot of young NFL corners get a chance to practice against very good wide receivers. Not all adapt to the NFL as quickly or as ably as Ramsey did last season.
Yogi from Billings, MN:
Did you REALLY state that if you could make Bartles look like any quarterback, you'd turn him into that Joe Mantana guy? Why not Steve Yaung, Dan Marina or Aaron Radgers?
John: I'd throw out a line about John Alway and Brett Favra here, but it wouldn't be too funny.
Rob from Brunswick, GA:
John, what would be your way-too-early prediction for "Biggest Surprise of 2017" that we'll be talking about after the season?
John: I think it could surprise people first when Paul Posluszny plays strong-side linebacker to start the season and it could surprise them more when the Jaguars put him back in the middle at some point because they realize he's really, really valuable there.
Bon from Hilliard, FL:
Let's not forget that Tom Coughlin wanted to draft Curtis Enis instead of Fred Taylor in 1998.
John: OK.
Malcolm from Boston, MA:
How does a player become a "restricted" free agent and can a first-round tender be placed on all restricted free agents? Why don't we see more restricted FAs and first-round tenders placed on them?
John: A player becomes a restricted free agent when he has three accrued NFL seasons and his contract is scheduled to run out – and his current team extends a tender offer. A team can offer as many potential free agents first-round tenders as they choose, but it's dangerous in terms of the salary cap. The reason you don't see more restricted free agents is drafted rookies sign four-year contracts, so if a drafted players accrues a season in each of his first four seasons – and most do – then he never becomes a restricted free agent. It takes something comparatively unusual – such as Dallas' second-round selection last offseason, Jaylon Smith, not playing the entire season because he was on the reserve/non-football list – for a drafted player to become a restricted free agent. A player placed on injured reserve such as happened with Dante Fowler Jr. missing his entire rookie season after a minicamp injury typically accrues a season toward free agency.
Herbert MidState Office Supply Accountz Receevablez:
With Scobes back in the fold, can we look forward to a few more "Kickin it w/ Scobes" segments in the future? No offense, but he was really the only reason to watch that trainwreck of a season a few years ago. I look forward to your witty repartee with one of Actionville's favored sons.
John: Who's "Scobes?"
Ed from Jacksonville:
Will Josh Scobee live in Jax in retirement? Can you please make sure that he starts posting videos that make fun of you?
John: Seriously, who are you talking about? Wait. What?
Gary from Wesley Chapel:
I'm glad to see that Josh Scobee will retire as a Jaguar. He got off to a rocky start in Jax, but persevered and became a very reliable part of the team. Hopefully Jason Myers will have the same kind of success after his rocky start as well. Who did the Jaguars acquire with the draft pick they received in the trade with Pittsburgh?
John: Brandon Allen.
Bruce from Green Cove Springs, FL:
Over the last three seasons, the Jaguars have ranked Np. 2 in the number of penalties per game. Only Oakland commits more penalties. Is it due to youth? Coaching? Something else? And do you think that will change in 2017?
John: Yes. Perhaps. Maybe. We'll see.
Bill from Jacksonville:
John, I know how much you love hypothetical questions, so here we go. Your current young quarterback will never be better than the 16th-best quarterback in the NFL, but will also never be worse than the 24th best quarterback in the NFL. Are you looking to draft and develop a quarterback to replace him, or are you going to build around him and try to make a run at the playoffs/Super Bowl? Thanks! Go Jags!
John: This is a very good hypothetical, though you wouldn't in the real world of course ever know for absolute certain that the 17th-best quarterback in the NFL could never ascend and develop into a Top 10 quarterback. If you did know that, you would respond to the information by continuing to try to find a Super Bowl-level quarterback. In other words, you would do what most teams do and have done for years: search and do whatever you can to find an elite quarterback and then build around that quarterback as well as you can for as long as you can.
SeriouslyDude from Jacksonville:
Seriously, Oehser? Ya can't even do something for April Fools'? It's all about YOU. You can't even have your wife, Shadrick, or Jr. do a post on April Fools' Day for once. This is why you should get fired! Don't post if you agree.
John: I'm a fool 364 days a year. I'll leave April 1 to the amateurs.