CHANDLER'S CROSS, England – Let's get to it … Charles from Midlothian, VA:
Let's say we go 4-12 or worse – as that's very probable. Do you see Gus Bradley as the head coach if we go below 8-8 next year? Shouldn't three years be about the end of the youth and roster changeover excuse?
John: The Jaguars' youth and roster changeover is extreme enough and enough of a reality that it's a bit unfair to call it an excuse, but hey … it's your question; use the word you want. I think Gus Bradley will be – and should be – the Jaguars' head coach until the team is not improving over time or until the talent level is such that the team should be winning more games. I'm confident he would tell you the same thing. Neither of those things is the case yet.
Shawn from the Mean Streets of Arlington:
Hey, Mr. O, I have always been wondering … do you get questions like this sometimes?
John: Occasionally. Yes. Wait, no.
Malachi from Valencia, CA:
Since it has been about seven weeks since Marcedes Lewis got injured, has there been any update on him? High-ankle sprains typically take six-to-eight weeks, right? Any chance he makes it back for the Colts game?
John: Yes. Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis is practicing full this week and expects to play against the Colts on November 23. That's the first time he is eligible to play after being on the injured reserve-designated to return list.
Matt from Stroudsburg, PA:
What have you heard from coaches/players about how Aaron Colvin figures to fit into the defensive equation for the rest of the year? Is the feeling around the organization that he can be a contributor early and eventually a special cornerback?
John: The feeling is that cornerback Aaron Colvin will be activated soon. Jaguars General Manager David Caldwell on Thursday said he imagined it would be a week or two, which means he probably will be active for the game at Indianapolis November 23. I'd expect him to be the nickel corner quickly, if not immediately. His role beyond that likely will depend on the development of Demetrius McCray and Dwayne Gratz and how he continues to recover and return to 100 percent from the torn anterior cruciate ligament that has kept him out until now.
Kevin from Jacksonville:
HELP OEHS! I can't deal with all the comments wanting instant gratification regarding the team's progress. I know we're seeing the groundwork for future progress, but how do you deal with the people that can't see the forest because of the trees?
John: I scream, yell, kick, flail my arms and throw empty food wrappers at Jaguars public relations representative Tad Dickman, a rising star in his profession. (Actually, I just open emails, move text into a word document and write answers. It ain't partyin' like a rock star, but ya do what ya gotta do.)
Manuel from Jacksonville:
I haven't heard much of Toby Gerhart. He had a few good touches versus the Bengals and looked much better and stronger than in the first five or six games. Should the Jags split 50-50 the carries between Denard Robinson and Toby Gerhart to get more production from both?
John: Gerhart indeed looked stronger and better against Cincinnati, and Bradley said he anticipates those two getting the majority of the touches Sunday. I don't see a 50-50 split, though. Robinson's play has merited him getting most of the carries.
Tucker from New York, NY:
They say that when you have a cold, you should drink hot tea. Do they have hot tea in England, John?
John: I'll check.
Jerry from Nottingham, UK:
Good to meet you Monday. Are UK fans the same as the U.S. ones? Are you surprised how much we know about the NFL and the Jags?
John: I have been struck not only by the knowledge of the fans here, but the passion as well.
Paul from Jacksonville:
If I understand you correctly, John, you're saying that half an NFL season is insufficient time to correctly assess a young quarterback. Well, I think that the coaches who coached guys like Terry Bradshaw, Steve Young, Troy Aikman might have something to say to that!
John: Yup.
Adam from Section 124:
People frequently ask why Marqise Lee is not contributing at the same pace as Robinson or Hurns. Your replies typically refer to the fact that Lee is a rookie and "young receivers often need time to develop." But Lee is not a young receiver struggling to catch up to veterans. He's pretty much on equal footing with Hurns and Robinson. We have a unique situation where those three receivers were all facing the same obstacles on Day 1. Hurns and Robinson excelled and Lee is struggling. If the answer is simply that Lee may not be as good as the others, I can easily accept that. But can we please put to bed the "he's-a- rookie" excuse when there are two other rookies running laps around him?
John: The answer is young receivers often need time to develop, and I've also written quite often that different young players – especially receivers – develop at different paces. Marqise Lee is developing at a slightly slower pace than Hurns and Robinson. He wasn't helped by missing three regular-season games with a hamstring injury while the others have not missed time in the regular season. He needs to develop more as a route runner. Hurns was helped greatly by having been in Jedd Fisch's offense before and Robinson is helped greatly by size and developing pretty quickly as a route runner. But the reality is we're a half a season into this. It's still a pretty small sample size on all three players.
Eric from Neptune Beach, FL:
John, has the highlight of your trip so far been getting a selfie with the Culligan girl?
John: Wait. What?
Alberto from Harrisburg, PA:
The Jaguars being in London this week made me wonder why don't the Jaguars (or any other team) search for talented football players from there? I would think there is probably lots of undiscovered talent from there, and it would help with our fan base when we travel to London.
John: The Jaguars and the rest of the NFL look for good football players wherever they can find them. At the same time, I don't anticipate scouting bureaus in the UK – at least not soon. There are minor leagues here, but certainly nothing at the level of college football in the United States.
Ed from Danvers, MA:
You may have answered this before but Mike from Mandarin asked about the possibility of sending a preseason game to London. I would love to see Game 4 go there. Is it possible or just too complicated at that busy time?
John: There are several factors working against that idea. One is what you mentioned – that the preseason, particularly the final game, is a complicated time. Front offices are in the process of trimming rosters, which means logistics and players in and out of the building. To throw international travel in there wouldn't make much sense. But mostly it just won't make sense to have a preseason game in London. The purpose of the games being here are to grow the game to a new fan base. To give that fan base games that aren't real would defeat the purpose.
Chris from Mandarin, FL:
With the inflated offensive numbers that have occurred the last 10 years due to rules changes, how will it affect the following quarterbacks' chances of making the Hall of Fame? Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco (leaving out Peyton Manning and Brady as they are overtly deserving). How many players at one position can you put in from the same era? It seems like a delicate situation.
John: If quarterbacks have defined the era – as indeed they have – I don't know that there's a limit to the number that can go into the Hall of Fame. It's the game's most important position, so put in as many as you want. I do think the numbers in the last 10 years will hurt the chances of some receivers. That's the position where players are likely to get backlogged. As for your list, I'd say Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees are in, and Aaron Rodgers will get in if he continues to play at his current level. Eli Manning is iffier and Flacco has a ways to go.
Rob from Jacksonville:
You always hear a franchise gets that one signature win under a regime/coach. Do you think it will be this season and if possible who? Would a win in London against "Americas Team" maybe be that boost this franchise needs?
John: I don't know about the one signature win thing; in fact, I'm not sure it really is a thing. Beating Dallas would be big, of course, because the Cowboys are a good team. It would be the best victory the Jaguars have had under Bradley. But it would also make them 2-8, so it wouldn't be much of a signature of anything.