JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Chris from Newport Beach, CA

I saw a report from a reputable sports journalist that Baalke is likely to return. This is insane to me. Jags have already been historically bad under Khan's ownership. But keeping Baalke at this point is Dan Snyder-level bad ownership. I just can't believe this can be a possibility. The insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. We've seen this story in San Fran. Enough is enough already.

First, that's not the definition of insanity. Second, reports such as this are common these days and I expect they will be in the coming weeks. When a team is 3-10 entering the final four regular season games, reports and speculation about the future of general managers and head coaches will be rampant. Some will be correct. Some will be incorrect. Here's where we are with this story: Few people – if anyone – not named Khan know the future of General Manager Trent Baalke and Head Coach Doug Pederson following the 2024 season, and I get ZERO idea that anything is remotely decided. That doesn't mean there won't be reports from "reputable" sports journalists. Who knows? There might even be a report some day from someone whose name I recognize. Either way, anything being reported is speculation until we hear from Jaguars Owner Shad Khan. I understand fans' desire to know more. And to want something done NOW. That doesn't change the fact that all is speculation until we hear from Khan.

Al from Orange Park, FL

All the hate on Armstead. Doesn't it typically take a full year for a player to come back fully from knee surgery?

Some types of surgery, yes. Like anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead had meniscus surgery in January, so that probably doesn't apply as much here.

Roscoe from Southside

Zone: Baalke said that upgrading a bad roster to a good roster was easy, while going from a good to great roster was hard. He has had four drafts and free agent classes to bring this roster up from a bad roster. Trent must have told Mr. Khan that this was a great roster because Mr. Khan said it was the best roster assembled "ever" during his tenure. Their record shows that this is not a good roster. After four years, is it wrong to say that the current general manager hasn't done what he called "easy?" Wouldn't that qualify as poor job performance?

I think the Jaguars roster is good. It was certainly good enough in 2022 and 2023 to produce winning records. I wouldn't say it was very good or great.

George from Sharpsburg, MD

HOLY COW! That's a long list of AMAZING PLAYERS who we've drafted. Since we have THAT MANY good players on our roster, how come we're a 3-10 garbage team? It HAS to be coaching, right? I mean, that's clearly a gathering of talent that the other 31 teams are jealous of. Hat tip...no wait: dramatic, sweeping hat doff...to Trent Baalke for drafting so much talent. I mean, that list of players is really, really good.

The Jaguars have drafted some good players over the last four seasons. They have drafted some really good players over the last four seasons. I don't know that there are enough elite, difference-making players on the roster, and I don't know that the lines are stout and physical enough.

Jim from Middleburg

Hey John. Watching Blake Horvath play for Navy reminds me of how the Dallas Cowboys drafted Roger Staubach. Would you invest in a player that had to do active duty and would not be available for five years? It made Tex Schramm look like a genius. GO JAGS.

It's a different NFL world than it was when the Cowboys selected Staubach six decades ago. It would be very difficult to do this again. One fer Schramm, though. But not fer Staubach. I still can't do it.

Zac from Austin, tejas

If I could choose any coach in the NFL to be our current coach, it would be Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin over Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid, because I believe Mike Tomlin is successful to a degree no matter who he has, but Andy Reid seems to have a history of good quarterbacks around him.

I'm a believer that there's often not a significant difference between a lot of head coaches in the NFL, but that there are a few bad ones and a few elite ones in any particular time. I'd say Tomlin, Reid and Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh are on the list of elite ones. I'm not sure you could go wrong with any coach in that group.

John from Jax

Hi KOAGF - I remember last offseason all of the talk about our new free agents being good for the team because of their experience on playoff/Super Bowl teams. Well, in hindsight, it all was Jax squat.

I don't know what "Jax squat" means. I do know it's difficult to buy culture and leadership, and I also know the best leadership in the NFL is from good and strong leaders who you draft and develop. Building a team the latter way is the hard way. It's also the best way.

John from Merritt Island, FL

My wife and I were recently at a country club having a drink. We were sitting at a table by the bar. There were about 15 men watching a golf tournament on the Golf Channel. All were criticizing different golfers for what they were doing. "Why did he lay up?" That was a stupid putt etc. When the bartender came over to cash us out, I asked her if she had to listen to this all day long. She replied, "You mean the wanna be pros giving the real pros advice" and rolled her eyes. Kinda reminds of the O-Zone lately. A lot of "pros" wanna tell the pros what they should be doing.

Fans fan. It's what they do.

Jake from Cary, NC

Teams with poor talent evaluators find themselves consistently picking at the top of the draft. With that in mind, maybe there is a benefit to picking a little later (in the 5-10 range) so that other teams with poor talent evaluators will take off the board the eye candy we would not otherwise be able to resist.

The benefit to selecting later in the draft is you won more games the season before. Other than that, it's better on draft day to select early. This doesn't mean it's good to try to lose to get there. It does mean you have the better choice of players the earlier you select.

Brian from ROUND ROCK, TX

I was surprised to hear that tight end Evan Engram is out for the year with some mystery injury. Based on Head Coach Doug Pederson's comments after the big, illegal hit on quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and his lack of leadership ability, I'm guessing that Doug verbally reprimanded Engram when he got his fine from the league and Engram decided to close it down for the season. Is that what happened?

Obviously not.

JK from NY & Fernandina Beach, FL

John - I had a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past, he showed me a scene from when the Jaguars were not in last. It was Week 16 of '22, a happy time for me and you. I still had a grin from the Dallas win, when R.J. picked off Dak and ran it all the way back. I was in New York City wearing a Jags hat, a stranger approached and stared at the snarling cat. My head gear may have been a bad decision, because the Jets were up next and still alive in their division. As he turned away, I heard him say, "Dougie P. is going to take the Jags to the Super Bowl one day". When he slipped out of sight on that cold winter night, I believed that the stranger was probably right. Two years have gone, and Jax has rarely won. O Ghost of O-Zones Future, when will we have another magical run?

The Jaguars didn't rarely win in 2023. They won more games than they lost. I don't know when they will have another magical run. How about a season with no magic? How about just a solid double-digit victory season and a playoff victory? Isn't it OK to have that?

Zac from Austin, Tejas

"I don't see 10 or 15 minutes a few times a week as glimpses into the soul and character of a man. I understand that some do. It's just not how I see it." This is why I keep coming back.

I laughed at this.

Jordan from Mandarin

There's about 25 top 10 WR's in the NFL.

I laughed at this, too.

Jesse from Texas

Does Shad Khan generally ask you to sit in the room when new head coaches and general managers are being interviewed? How much sway do you personally hold with Khan regarding the hiring process?

Good Lord, did I laugh at this.