JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it … John from the Southside:
Quite a party.
John: Yep.
Mark from Ponte Vedra Beach and Section 215:
The extra-point tries will move to the 15-yard line for the first two weeks of the preseason. Do you think this will be implemented for the full season next year?
John: I can't see the league implementing extra points from the 15-yard line on a full-time basis – mainly because I doubt moving extra-point attempts back 13 yards will add any real drama or excitement to the play. I can see the league eventually having the tries from further back because it seems as if the idea that Something Must Be Done has taken hold. Personally, I'm not a big fan of moving extra points back because the idea of kickers converting them at a 99-percent rate really doesn't bother me. I haven't talked to a whole lot of fans over the years who say, "Hey, O-Zone, you know what I really hate about the NFL? The extra points!" But yeah, at some point soon I imagine you'll see them kicked from further back and I seriously doubt they'll call me first about it.
Daniel from Jersey City, NJ:
If I were Bortles, I'd check out the O-Zone daily as motivation to get to work. If everyone's expectation is I'm not the best and/or not ready yet to start, I'd work as hard as I could to change that.
John: What's weird is he might actually do that without reading the O-Zone.
Jim from Allston, MA:
Alex Boone is 27 and an All-Pro. The 49ers can't afford to pay him and he is dug in on a hold out. The Jags have money and need to shore up spot. Any way the Jaguars try to sign and trade?
John: The NFL doesn't really do "sign-and-trades," per se, and though I get your point I can't see the Jaguars pursuing Boone. He is a guard and they just spent pretty big money in free agency for Zane Beadles. They then followed that by drafting Brandon Linder to start opposite Beadles at right guard. The Jaguars do have needs around the roster, but on paper for the present, guard wouldn't appear to be a place where they want to spend big equity in either a trade or big free-agency money.
Chris from Mandarin, FL:
How about snow blindness in cats? Does that have any effect on the Jaguars struggles?
John: Ad;fl fkfkfk;fffrrgs.
Terry from Jacksonville:
Now that I think about it more, Tom from Jacksonville is right, dropping Sweet Home Alabama is the only logical reason for our losing streak. The god of football has deemed it our victory song and only our hubris is preventing us from winning. We must play it during the Colts home opener. We must!
John: #DTWD
Michael from Jacksonville:
With the rash of wide receiver hamstring injuries, isn't it time to focus on why. Doesn't seem to be as big a problem elsewhere. Doesn't this suggest deficiencies in our training staff?
John: Let's start by saying your definition of a "rash" is different than mine. I consider it a trend or at least something that makes you say, "Hmmmm … this is unusual … this is spiraling out of control." Right now, the Jaguars have two wide receivers with hamstring injuries, which while far from ideal certainly doesn't qualify as a rash. NFL teams deal with injuries – hamstring and otherwise – all the time; the Jaguars are not immune or more prone to this than any other team. And to answer your final question – NO, NO, NO. Two hamstring injuries do not suggest deficiencies in the Jaguars' training staff. Football is a violent, physical, taxing game in which the best athletes in the world are pushing their bodies at a high level on what is increasingly close to a year-round basis. Players are going to get hurt. Trainers work tirelessly to do what they can to treat and prevent, but their scores aren't going to be perfect.
John from Jacksonville:
Maybe I'm missing something. Has Henne made it through a full season with Miami or Jacksonville? I don't think so. I hope Blake is ready week two or three. I'm leaning towards seeing him Week 2. They better think about getting Tebow in here before he gets involved with ESPN Collegiate commentating. Khan does have the bucks, right? Tim does have a few wins under his belt, doesn't he? He did make that Steelers defense stupid out there in OT, or was that a fluke? I bet he would have looked better than Peyton in that Super Bowl last year.
John: (Sigh.)
Joe from Aurora, IL:
From my perspective, it seems like it will be very hard to cut Allen Hurns.
John: You're right, for a few reasons. One is he knows the offense, but that's a fairly minor reason. A second is that with the injuries at the position the Jaguars are in need of reliable receivers. But the third is the most pertinent: he has been productive and consistent whenever he has been on the field. In other words, he appears to be earning it.
Stephen from Bad Kissengan:
After seeing the scoreboard, I went straight to BestBuy to get myself one. No luck. Couldn't find one at Sears, Kmart or Wally World, either. If I have to order one by mail, I'm gonna get killed by shipping charges.
John: You're gonna need a bigger boat.
Ryan from Duuuuuuuuvaalllll!!:
How many different ways do you think fans can word the "do-you-think-Bortles-will get-a-chance-to-play-with-the-first-team-in-the-preseason?" question before they stop?
John: Four full weeks of the preseason remain, so let's see … seven times four … equals 28 or so O-Zone days … carry the three … well, let's just say there are a lot of days for fans to ask if Bortles will work with the first team. And you know what? That's OK. Fans are supposed to wonder if Bortles will get first-team work and they're supposed to wonder if he'll start. He was drafted No. 3 overall, so the questions are natural. And honestly, the way the Jaguars are going about this is a little out of the norm, so wondering is absolutely normal. The Jaguars' approach on this is logical and is the right thing to do considering the circumstance, but that doesn't mean there won't be questions.
Gary from Centerville, OH:
To answer Redmond's question, would LenDale White or Charles White count. They had some success, but not as much as they expected? James White is currently in camp with the Patriots, so it's too early to tell what type of success, sustained or not, he may have.
John: Good Googling. Impressive.
Dane from Jacksonville:
I'd like to show a little more Jedd Fisch love. I'm hearing players say things like they feel "comfortable" in Fisch's offense and that they are "picking it up quickly." To me this is an indication Fisch has done a great job of tailoring the offense to the skills of his players. I've always been taught that this is the sign of a good coach.
John: Jedd Fisch has shown all the signs in a year and a half with the Jaguars of being a very good coach – and for many of the reasons you cite. He prefers I nod, or perhaps shake his hand when I see him in the hallway, but if you want to show him love … hey, do what you feel is best.
Nate from Visalia, CA:
Injuries happen, right?
John: I've covered the NFL 20 years. So far, I've seen injuries in just about every training camp.
Ethan from Hampton, VA:
I've heard people referring to Red Bryant as a "five-technique" and Chris Clemons as a "three-technique." I was wondering what those terms mean and how they are different from each other.
John: All this technique talk can be a bit confusing. Basically, a five-technique defensive end is typically a big guy – and Bryant certainly is that – whose primary duty is to be stout against the run. He usually lines up on the outside shoulder of an offensive tackle. A three-technique is actually a term used for a pass rushing defensive tackle such as Sen'Derrick Marks, and the player usually is a bit smaller and quicker than a space-eating defensive "nose" tackle. Clemons is a Leo, which means he is smaller and more athletic than a five-technique defensive end and is more of a hybrid linebacker/end with pass rushing responsibilities.
Jeremy from Miles City, CT:
I'm starting to think it's a good thing Ace Sanders is skipping the offseason. At this rate he might be the only healthy receiver on the roster Week 5. Also Red Bryant was the anchor of one of the best D-lines in the NFL last year. I would say that it safe to say he is a difference-maker.
John: I get your point on the receivers, but the situation could be worse. They could be out for the season. And yes, Red Bryant should be a force.
Glenn from Section 146 and Jacksonville Beach, FL:
I think Tom from Jacksonville should go tell Chris Clemons, or Red Bryant they are delicate. I would like to see that.
John: Shadrick tried this at the start of camp. Red took his little Gilligan's Island hat he likes to wear and balled it like a candy wrapper.
Joe from Jacksonville:
Do people ever make fun of you?
John: Not since yesterday.