JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Tudor from St. Augustine, FL
Damn, Fred sounds spicy! In his defense, I agree with him that he was the greatest Jag. Something needs to be said for the much longer career he had compared to Boselli, AND the larger amount of punishment he took by nature of the running-back position.
Former Jaguars running back Fred Taylor indeed apparently was upset he was No. 2 and not No. 1 on the Jaguars All-25 list unveiled on jaguars.com in recent weeks – and Taylor expressed that disappointment Wednesday on Twitter. Former Jaguars left tackle Tony Boselli was voted No. 1 by the media who voted, with the Nos. 1 and 2 positions unveiled Wednesday and Thursday. As I said here Thursday, I voted for Boselli No. 1 and Taylor No. 2. I didn't waver when voting – and while I'm sorry Taylor is upset about the list, I certainly don't regret the vote. I'm also not going to take a deep dive on why I chose Boselli over Taylor because doing so might sound like a list of things Taylor didn't do. That's not the spirit of the list, and I think too highly of Taylor and his career to do that. I will say my vote for Boselli was very much a vote for Boselli and not a vote against Taylor. And while I understand many fans feel Taylor should have been the choice, I have no question the right player is No. 1. Maybe the most important thing to remember is there is no bad position on this list. Being named one of the greatest players in the history of an NFL franchise is not a bad thing. Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are all good. So are Nos. 4 and 5. And so on. Regardless, I can't imagine that the "punishment of the position" had any influence on any voters' decision. Why would it?
Jaginator from (formerly of) Section 124
Wow. Stay classy, Fragile Freddy. Stay classy...
Taylor is candid. It's part of what fans love about him. He's also a prideful, competitive guy – and as such, he apparently was hurt he was No. 2 on the All-25. But make no mistake: Taylor is a good guy. He is plenty classy. Showing his feelings about this issue in the manner he did will make some question that, but it doesn't change the fact that he's classy. Oh, and cool it with the Fragile Fred thing. It was always and still is an inaccurate moniker.
Don from Marshall, NC
My guess is Calais Campbell would play for the glory. Last year, with all the problems with injuries and losses, he rallied his team to shut down the Colts. That game stood out. The Jaguars had nothing to gain but they came out and dominated. He is this team's leader and the Jaguars best free-agent signing. Go Jaguars!
Sure, Campbell would play for the glory. But he's making $14.5 million this year, so the money ain't bad, either.
Greg from Section 122 and Jacksonville
No question, just a shout out to Fred Taylor. No matter what a list says, Freddie, we will always love you. You are No. 1 in our hearts. Remember: It is just an opinion poll list and nothing scientific about it. As far as I see it, you and Bo are both No. 1s in the fans' eyes. #oneferFreddieT
Absolutely.
Tim from Jacksonville
The last couple of years Coach Marrone ran a very tough training camp, and this year some of your fellow media members have labeled this training camp "Club Med." Is this change a result of the injuries the team suffered last year? Or a change of pace by the coaching staff to get the players' attention for this season?
Wow. "Club Med?" Score another one for media creativity, I suppose. But this isn't an easier training camp from the past two seasons as much as it's one that's better set up to allow players' more time to focus on recovery. As for Head Coach Doug Marrone's reasoning … yes, the idea is to reduce injuries after a slew of them last season, and to better prepare players to be as ready for the season as possible.
Matt from Section 133
Does the Collective Bargaining Agreement or player contract language (whichever we're referring to when we talk about Ngakoue) prevent Yannick from showing up right before his 30-day deadline, participating in training camp for a week, and then resuming his holdout? Does the language just say the player must report within 30 days, or does it specifically say he must report and continuing showing up each day?
The CBA has language that mandates a player not only arrive 30 days before the regular-season opener to accrue a season toward free agency but that the player remain with the team in a playing/participating capacity. The language is sort of boring and tedious – as such language tends to be – but it's there. That's why it seems likely that Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue will report to training camp sooner than later. We'll see.
Sam from Orlando, FL
Okay, in your response to my question about Yanny and Michael Thomas: I hear you. But then I ask, if the Jaguars do not pay Yanny, then who besides Jalen Ramsey would they pay on this team? He's the only one that fits those parameters you suggested – on this team anyways.
Ramsey likely is the only player on the team right now that the Jaguars would pay top-of-the-market money to the tune of $20 million per season. But your question implies that the Jaguars "won't pay Ngakoue." This is not correct. They have made an offer. They would pay him if he accepted that offer. It's apparently not the offer Ngakoue and his people want, but that doesn't mean the Jaguars aren't willing to pay Ngakoue. It means they're not willing to pay Ngakoue want he wants. That's a significant difference.
Chris from Nashville, TN
Let the injuries begin ... see ya in 4-6 weeks, Quincy.
Jaguars rookie linebacker Quincy Williams reportedly will miss 4-to-6 weeks with a slight meniscus tear sustained Thursday. That's unfortunate, but it's fortunate in the sense that he shouldn't miss extensive regular-season time. The NFL is a violent, physical game. Players get hurt. If this isn't something you can tolerate, perhaps you need to follow a different sport.
Scott from Jacksonville
Telvin actually filed for retirement with the league? I must have missed that one.
Jaguars weak-side linebacker Telvin Smith is on the team's Reserve/Retired list. In order to be on that list, a player must file retirement papers with the league.
Robert from Chicago, IL
So bummed to hear of Quincy Williams' injury. He was maybe he most intriguing prospect to me this year. It sounded like he was vying for a start at Telvin's spot, but am I wrong in thinking this could seriously disrupt that possibility this year? Also, I realized we haven't heard much about our other LB, Leon Jacobs, what's the latest with him? Thanks O!
Williams wasn't vying for the weak-side linebacker starting position; he had worked with the starters since the start of the on-field offseason program. Marrone said Thursday on his radio show that he expects Williams will return by the regular-season opener. I doubt the injury will disrupt his starting chances much because I expect he will start relatively quickly upon his return. As for Jacobs, he is competing at the strong-side linebacker position.
Daniel from Jersey City, NJ
O-man, is our offensive line making Allen look like the rookie he is?
This was a better effort than a previous attempt at this question. It's wa-a-a-a-y early after two padded practices to say if Jaguars edge defender Josh Allen is being made to "look like a rookie." He has shown flashes. He looks like he belongs. But he has participated in two one-on-one pass-rush drills at the NFL level, so drawing conclusions from his work thus far is difficult.
Rob from Ponte Vedra, FL
You know what's funny? Jalen didn't look so "detrimental to the team" in all those highlights I just watched on the top 100. Didn't look detrimental at all, Zone. Looked like the best player on our team with a fun personality. One for Jalen.
Hey, one fer Jalen.
Gabe from Chapel Hill, HC
I think I saw that Peyton Manning was at camp Thursday. When he saw you and ran up to say hi, did he keep it classy and shake your hand or go right in for the hug?
Manning indeed attended Jaguars 2019 Training Camp Thursday, attending practice and speaking to the team at the request of Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin. I spoke to Manning briefly after practice, and it was good to see him. I covered Manning closely for 10 years, and we have mutual friends and acquaintances. We didn't hug. It was hot. We were both sweating. A hug would have been yucky.
