JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Lane from Winter Garden, FL
John, I know you're not a fan of the Jags, Washington Commanders or any other NFL team. Fans expect you to fan, but it will never happen. Regardless, how do you feel about the Jaguars' future as of today? Do you feel their arrow is pointing up?
First note: While I am indeed not a Jaguars "fan," I am invested observer and want them to win. The reason I am not a "fan" is it's necessary in this job to be relatively unemotional and objective because analyzing in emotional, subjective fashion is the equivalent of not analyzing at all. As an invested, objective observer … I like the Jaguars' current direction very much. A lot of this is because I know Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli very well and believe in how he has approached – and will continue to approach – the job. With Boselli involved in the process, I feel good about the hiring of Head Coach Liam Coen and General Manager James Gladstone – and it feels as if they define what the Jaguars want to be moving forward. Coen is an energetic, bright offensive mind who apparently can reach players and Gladstone appears to be a high-end communicator capable of guiding player acquisition on a high level. There also seems to be some synergy and good energy with Coen, offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. That's a lot to like. Of course, me liking these hires guarantees nothing. I have felt good about previous Jaguars hires at times. But there is a lot to like about this direction right now. We'll see if that leads to success.
Big Jags Fan from Jacksonville
I watched and listened to the press conferences at the combine for both Liam Coen and James Gladstone. I came away extremely impressed with the way they answered questions. John, based on your years of experience covering many coaches and GMs, what is your impression of both Liam and James?
They're both very impressive. I try not to judge too much these days from introductory press conferences and offseason interviews. We know from experience those don't mean much once the regular season begins. But all we have in the early days/weeks of a new regime is what they say in these forums. Within that context, Gladstone and Coen are impressive.
Lane from Winter Garden, FL
John, Is former Interim General Manager Ethan Waugh still a part of the Jaguars organization?
Yes.
Chris from Niagara Falls, Canada
Hey, Zone. How do you think Gladstone will weigh the Jaguars' scouting vs the Rams' scouting? I'm assuming he and the Rams scouting team would've amassed a great deal of information on this year's draft eligibles prior to him arriving in Jacksonville.
Gladstone until last Thursday was a key member of the Rams' scouting process as their director of scouting strategy. I therefore expect him to be heavily influenced in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Rams' scouting because until last week he heavily influenced the Rams' scouting. There's no way he wouldn't be influenced because he lived it for the past year. Now that he is in Jacksonville, his ideas and processes will merge with – and eventually become – his system and his process. By the time of the draft, there likely will be a lot less difference in what he thinks and what the Jaguars' scouting system produces. That's the plan, anyway.
Rob from Pittsburgh, PA
Do you think the Jags will use the franchise tag this year?
No.
Anita from Springfield
Who do you see as the most important "veteran coach" leaders in the current staff? How key do you think retaining Heath will be in that regard? To me, he seems like a "been there, done that" guy the new coordinators could lean on, but I am not sure if special teams is "so different" that his experience is less relevant. Thoughts?
Special teams coordinator Heath Farwell indeed is the most experienced coordinator on the new Jaguars' staff. But while offensive and defensive coordinators communicate with special teams coordinators, there's a limit to how much coordinators in different areas lean on one another. There is experience on the staff, though. Wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett has 21 years NFL experience. Senior defensive assistant Bill Sheridan has 13 years NFL experience. Pass-game coordinator Shane Waldron has 11 years NFL experience. Tight ends coach Richard Angulo has 12 years NFL experience. Running backs coach Chad Morton has 14 years NFL experience. Secondary coach Ron Milus has 25 years NFL experience. I expect the coordinators will lean on those coaches at least a bit.
P Funk from Murray Hill
What are the reasons for and against banning the "Tush Push?"
The reason for banning the tush push is mostly aesthetic. It just doesn't look or feel like a football play when the Philadelphia Eagles' backfield "pushes" quarterback Jalen Hurts forward two or three yards. Another possible reason for banning it is injury risk, but this reason really is more theory than fact. Why wouldn't pushing tushes be banned? Because it's not illegal and because it wouldn't be fair to the Eagles, who run it more frequently and effectively than any other teams. I don't expect it to be banned. I would ban it, but I don't expect it.
Rob from Pittsburgh, PA
Jimmy Smith vs. Hines Ward.
Smith.
Tom from Charleston
Correct me if I am wrong. Being old, I often confuse reality from fiction. Regarding the "tush push," didn't there used to be a rule that prevented offensive players from physically assisting runners in advancing the ball? If so, when did that rule go away? The why is easy, nearly all rule changes in recent times have favored the offensive. Being an old traditional guy, I can appreciate a 3-0 game played by two good defensive squads.
You're not wrong. The NFL for many years did not allow a ballcarrier to be pushed, aided or carried. The league "clarified" in 2005 that a ballcarrier could be pushed, though I don't know that the league imagined the push being made via "tush." Why did the league change the rule? One reason likely was to make the rule easier to officiate. By allowing this, it prevented officials from having to rule whether or not it was happening. But the bigger reason likely was the one you cite. If it helps the offense, it usually gets done.
Bo from Winter Springs, FL
"The step after that is yearly contending/winning with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations in the vein of the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles. That's probably at least a two-to-three-year project." - I laughed at this.
OK.
Michael from Elberton, GA
That thing you nap under is termed a "desk," or so I've been told by folks in the know.
I remember now.
Mason from Palm Bay, FL
You recently stated that we are at least two-to-three years away from being a team that can compete with the Bills and Chiefs, which would be Trevor's seventh or eighth season in the NFL. As a prospect that was deemed "generational" coming out of college, wouldn't you say taking seven-to-eight years to build a winning team around him is concerning? I hope Tony, James, and Liam don't agree with your timeline.
Coen, Gladstone and Boselli can't worry about what did or didn't happen before; they only can focus on the now – and I can't imagine they care about "my timeline." My point – and I think I had one – was that while the Jaguars can improve quickly and perhaps contend for the AFC South title as early as this season, it typically takes longer to build a roster capable of contending year-in-year-out for the Super Bowl. I therefore stated that it will probably be two or three seasons before the Jaguars are established as a team that can consistently be among the elite teams in the NFL. The Detroit Lions have become one of the NFL's power teams under Head Coach Dan Campbell. They were 3-13-1 in his first season, improved to 9-8 in his second season and have been elite the past two seasons. I don't the Jaguars have to have double-digit losses this season, but that sort of steady growth toward being elite would be a good pace for this franchise. I don't know nor do I care if this is "concerning." It's being realistic.
Howard from Homestead, FL
Any chance James Gladstone's middle name begins with the letter A?
God willing.
Eddie from JACKSONVILLE
Regarding players having time off in the offseason, is it really time off or more of work from home? I imagine that players are doing more than sitting on the couch watching daytime TV.
This depends on the player. Many veteran players take a few weeks or a bit more off after the season with minimal training, then begin working out intensely in mid-February or early March before reporting for the offseason program in April.
