JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Michael from Middleburg, FL

I watched the pressers closely. What's the matter with T-Law's footwork that makes it so damned important that it get "fixed" and why wasn't this addressed before?

The Jaguars on Wednesday afternoon held three media availabilities around the beginning of the 2025 offseason program – with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Head Coach Liam Coen and middle linebacker Foye Oluokun all speaking. Lawrence's availability predictably was the most newsworthy of the three, with the fifth-year quarterback discussing his health and his offseason priorities under a new head coach and new scheme. The first news involving Lawrence is he will start the offseason on a bit of a "pitch count" as he returns from December surgery on his left – non-throwing – shoulder. Lawrence said he doesn't expect the issue to significantly hamper his preparations and that he expects to be "perfectly good" well in time for the 2025 season. He also said he is focused on pacing himself as he prepares. As your question suggests, he also discussed his offseason focus on his footwork – and he indeed said he knew in recent seasons he had some footwork issues he needed to address. But he and Coen said most of his footwork focus is about learning the footwork and timing involved with executing Coen's offense. "The system is built around timing and tying your feet to your progression," Lawrence said. Big takeaway from Lawrence Wednesday: While he said it will take work and time to learn, he likes Coen's system and feels it will benefit him. His confidence in the potential end result is important as he begins the process.

Sean from Oakleaf, FL

You have expressed confidence this season will be significantly better than last from a win total point of view. Last year we had nine losses by one score or less. Is it as simple as flipping half of those this year into wins by figuring out how to close out games?

There's nothing simple about winning in the NFL, though losing can be pretty simple when your players aren't good. What I have written and said often is I expect the Jaguars to have a chance to get to about eight or nine victories in 2025. One reason I believe this indeed is they lost so many close games in 2024. That shows me that a lot of pieces of this team can function enough to get the Jaguars to a point where they can compete. The counter to that optimism is this: The NFL is a league of close games and many, many franchises can say after many, many seasons, "Gee, we would have been fine if we were better in one-score games." This is not the Southeastern Conference; one-score games – games decided in the fourth quarter by key plays – define the difference between good and bad NFL teams. A ton of OK-to-bad NFL teams can keep games close. Going from close to winning is the hardest thing in the NFL. The "winning part" is the hard part because professional football is supposed to be hard.

Jackson from West Palm Beach, FL

In all of the mock drafts, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is always going No. 7 to the Las Vegas Raiders or No. 10 to the Chicago Bears. Is there a chance that the Jaguars could get him with all the free agent offensive line help?

There's always a chance.

Ed from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

I honestly do not understand when you say the 2025 offense will be more physical and nastier. Was the old regime coached to be not physical and nice? What exactly is going to make the 2025 Jaguars nastier?

It's the Jaguars' offensive line I expect to be more physical and nastier in 2025. I expect this because the new regime expects it to be that way – and because they signed players such as center Robert Hainsey and guard Patrick Mekari to move that direction. This is a major focus. Whether it will yield desired results remains to be seen.

Gary from St. Augustine, FL

I haven't written in a while. You still suck.

Welcome back.

William from Savannah, GA

Didn't you once write about Gene Frenette: "He doth bestride the narrow world like a Collossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves a dishonorable by-line?"

I don't recall writing that about longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist and Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette. I wish I had written it, though. It's "dead on."

Rich from Dacula, GA

Since 2002 the Jags have won the AFC South only two times, 2017 and 2022. Five years apart. If this is the trend we should be good in 2027. That's just about what the new managements needs to build a winning team. Sounds about right. Hang on Jacksonville it's going to be a wild ride. Can't hardly wait!

The Jaguars' decision-makers do not agree with your math. They believe they will be contending for the AFC South far sooner than 2027.

John from Jacksonville

Woody must have been reading my mind when he wrote the question about your streak. I recently spent three days in the hospital and broke my streak of reading the O-Zone every day. Don't you ever get sick and not feel up to answering questions? You don't suck, you rock!

I never in 14(ish) years have felt not up to answering O-Zone questions. If that happened, I would re-think this and do five or six O-Zones per week. Reality: I am among a comparatively fortunate few people who earn a living writing and talking about a subject I usually find enjoyable. Some people find what I do enjoyable enough to read every day. I expect sometime comparatively soon I won't write every day. I don't know when that will happen.

Greg from Section 122, SOTF, Jacksonville

People need to lay off Ivan. He is entitled to his opinion and I share his sentiment. But as a Jag season-ticket holder and lifelong fan I get our ugly reality. The wealthy have exploited the people into this dynamic and if we want their product concessions have to made. I don't like it, I don't agree with it on principle. But I understand it. to me it doesn't seem much different than the extortion game the mafia played. Just more civil and all legal like. The problem I have with this is the idea and premise this new stadium will draw all these events is just a joke. We have no lodging infrastructure downtown which has always been our drawback, even since the Super Bowl. Yeah, the Four Seasons will add like 500 beds but you need another five-to-seven major facilities to get close to housing and stadium full of visitors, thinking the draft or maybe NCAA championship. Anyway, I agree everyone be nice. I like being an NFL city but I also LOVE being a small town. Big city crap ain't all it's cracked up to be. Move to Orlando or Atlanta for that nonsense.

I see much to my chagrin we have given Ivan prolonged shelf life here in the O-Zone. To review yet again, Ivan dislikes sports stadiums being funded by public money – and because of this, he has concluded that I am a greedy, selfish, manipulative thief. Bottom line yet again: Few people love the idea of public money for sports stadiums, but economic realities make it necessary – particularly in smaller markets. As for your thought that a new stadium won't draw any big events, I don't know that this is true. While the hotel situation in Jacksonville indeed makes it unlikely the city again will host a Super Bowl, it absolutely can host major concerts and other major sporting events. The Super Bowl is a multi-day event. Not every event shares that characteristic. But events not-quite as big as the Super Bowl are nonetheless big, important events. They matter, too.

Josh from Atlanta

If you stop writing the O-Zone, I'm done reading it. That is final.

I have no plans to stop writing the O-Zone. This is not to say the Jaguars will allow me to continue writing it.

Don from Marshall, NC

With Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Abru Carter going 1-2-3 and a good likelihood of the Patriots going with Mason Graham which way will the Jaguars go then? You gotta go with T-Mac from Arizona I would say. Those are the five best players in the draft from what I can tell. We get any one of those players and I would stoked! Go Jaguars!

When it comes to seeing the top of the 2025 NFL Draft a little more simply – and perhaps a lot differently – than some draft analysts, Don remains "all in."

Daniell from St Johns

It's not at all meaningless, John! Congrats and well-done, Sir! Let the countdown begin!

I am the king of all meaningless, frivolous funk.