JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Craig from Jacksonville Beach, FL
Zone: Long-time reader, first-time writer. Wondering if you can tell me how many free agents the Jaguars signed this week and list their names and teams. I can't recall if you've written this yet. Don't think so.
I indeed have been remiss in this area, and I am making a note to be better. The Jaguars this past week signed the following unrestricted free agents at the start of the 2025 NFL League Year: Washington Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown, Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Chuma Edoga, Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Robert Hainsey, Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis, Los Angeles Rams tight end Hunter Long, Baltimore Ravens guard Patrick Mekari, Minnesota Vikings quarterback back Nick Mullens, Vikings tight end Johnny Mundt and Houston Texans safety Eric Murray. They Jaguars like the class. They targeted nine players and signed all nine. One of the reasons this happened was they didn't necessarily target high-profile players who entered free agency on a "top-free-agent" list. They instead targeted players they believed fit their salary-cap structure and fit what this roster needs right now. It was a measured, functional class. And now you have the list.
James from Jacksonville
Are you going to pick Travis Hunter?
Am I going to select Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter? No, I write stories, answer questions and talk about the Jaguars. I don't expect Hunter to be available when the Jaguars select No. 5 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. If he is available, there's a good chance the Jaguars will select him.
Sascha from Cologne
Hey, John. Do you think this will be a good year to trade down in the first round to acquire picks as this class seems not so deep?
If the compensation is right, sure.
Cliff from Orange Park, FL
I know these things are not linear, but I believe we got seven points better in free agency. If those seven points were applied to the 2024 record … 13 or 14 wins. Would you agree that with the draft still to come we should start to believe?
I expect the Jaguars to be better in 2024 than they were in 2025. I expect that to mean they will be competitive and at least push to be around .500 – and perhaps be legitimately contending as November turns into December.
P Funk from Murray Hill
How much did we "raise the floor" of our front office and team leadership this offseason?
It seems from this view the Jaguars raised the floor in this area quite a bit. One reason is that I believe Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli is a high-end communicator and leader. Another reason is my early view of General Manager James Gladstone is that he also is a high-end communicator with a vision for how to structure and build a roster. My sense is he likely is a very good talent evaluator, though that will play out over time. I also like what I have seen from Head Coach Liam Coen in terms of communication. I assume he is a quality leader in whom players can believe. I don't know how to judge that until players are around for him to lead.
Bruce from Saint Simons Island, GA
O, I pray that the current Jaguar leadership knows what they are doing. In most mock drafts I see Hunter taken at No. 4. Do you believe the Jags would be interested in trading up? In my opinion, Hunter is a special difference maker and can play both cornerback and wide receiver.
I hope the Jaguars' new decision-makers know what they're doing, too. It would make life much more pleasant around these parts. The good news: They appear to know what they're doing. The bad news: Knowing what they're doing doesn't necessarily guarantee success, and we won't know if they know for sure if they know what they're doing for a while. I don't expect the Jaguars to trade up to No. 4 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. They like Hunter. I don't know if they like him enough to trade up.
Dave from Jax
Mighty O, With Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp out of the conversation, do you think receiver factors more into this staff's draft plans?
Kupp signing with the Seahawks doesn't change the Jaguars' plans. It does change the conversation for people discussing the Jaguars who didn't understand their plans. I expect the Jaguars to select a wide receiver sometime in the first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ken from Jacksonville
Do you have any concern that Graham could be a T. Bryat 2.0? Is there a safer, high-caliber player you like at No. 5 other than Graham?
I've heard nothing to indicate anyone is concerned about this. Defensive tackle Taven Bryan, remember, was the No. 29 overall selection by the Jaguars in the 2018 NFL Draft. There is a biiiig difference between being selected No. 29 and being selected No. 5 overall. One position is considered premium and the other is a few notches above the second round. Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham is considered a very safe selection – though "safe selection" in an enterprise as risky as the NFL Draft is a bit of a misnomer.
Sean from Oakleaf, FL
We have a Pro Bowl long snapper, a Pro Bowl veteran punter/holder and a young placekicker who was one of the few bright spots on last year's team missing only two kicks all year. Do you believe we will "take the three points" more often than we did last year?
Long snapper Ross Matiscik, punter Logan Cooke and kicker Cam Little are front-line players at their positions. Their skill and reliability certainly will play into Coen's decision-making, but it won't – and shouldn't – sway him significantly to be more conservative or aggressive when deciding whether to kick field goals.
Steve from AB
James Gladstone talks about the new free agents as being ready to contribute to the Jaguar ecosystem. I hope it's not a lot of greenhouse gas.
"Ecosystem" is Gladstone's way of describing elements that make up a football team – and how those elements interact to create an environment. When he discusses players, he focuses on how those players will fit into that environment or "ecosystem." The expectation is that the nine free agents signed this week will contribute positively to the ecosystem. There likely will be some gas in there somewhere. History tells us not all players acquired in free agency – or by any means – work out quite as hoped. If most of the nine fit and raise the level of the roster a bit, it will have been a good week.
Bradley from Sparks, NV
Sean McVay and the Rams are the North Star but he/they did trade seven years of first-round picks to acquire pricey stars in an unorthodox gamble to win the one championship. In retrospect, I wonder if he would play it differently. Of course, the only reason the Rams were in that position was his pure coaching genius; the guy did take the 32nd-ranked offense and turn it into the first-ranked offense his first year. Do you think this new regime will go for broke in a similar fashion if they flip the Jags record in year one?
Build first. Go for it – within reason – when appropriate.
Raleigh from Ponte Vedra, FL
"If any group other than offensive line stood out among Wednesday's acquisitions, it may have been the secondary." What an astute observation. Based on sheer volume of talent, I'd say anyone else would agree.
When I'm good, I'm very good.
Jordan from Mandarin
I just have a feeling our starting running back isn't on the roster yet and is likely to come somewhere between Rounds 4-6.
It wouldn't be surprising at all if the Jaguars select a running back on Day 3 of the draft, which indeed would be between Rounds 4 and 7. It would be really surprising if that player started over Tank Bigsby or Travis Etienne Jr.
Gary from St. Augustine, FL
Even during free agency, you still really suck.
You should see me during First-Tier free agency.
Scooter from St. Augustine, FL
No question today. Thanks for posts in the Mailbag!
Gary, meet Scooter. Scooter, meet Gary.
William from Savannah, GA
So many unknowns and mysteries. Will the Jags be better next year than this past year? Does Bigfoot really exist? Did "Mister" Gene Frenette really give him 3 steps toward the door? The mysteries in life make it more exciting!
So many thoughts on the unknowns and mysteries. I do expect the Jaguars to be better than a four-victory team in 2025. Bigfoot doesn't exist, but the Loch Ness Monster did. And yes ... longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist and Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette one fair summer evening long ago indeed was cutting the rug down at a place called The Jug with a girl named Linda Lou.
