JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it … Brian from Jacksonville:
I realize it must be difficult to answer questions that don't get asked, but an entire O-Zone pertaining to absolutely zero Jags football is such a disappointment. I've been reading you and your predecessor's column for over a decade now daily, and this was the most disappointing O-Zone ever. With that being said, I think if Dante Fowler Jr. can return to full health next year, add another first-round pick and rookie class, and our extremely young offense and secondary can make improvement with hopefully a young cowbell back hitting his groove – we just might have a legitimate playoff-contending roster. Oh, and having the most cap space for free agency next season will be nice as well. Can't wait to see this team take off. #DTWD
John: A few thoughts on your thoughts. First, it's not "difficult" to answer questions that don't get asked as much as it is "impossible;" the O-Zone is a mailbag and if the questions aren't there, they're not going to get answered. Second, it's July 14 and the reality is if we don't go off-topic a bit this time of year there isn't going to be much to discuss; if it's not enough for you or somehow disappointing, I apologize. Third, I agree that the Jaguars might have a legitimate playoff-contending roster by next season. Fourth, of course, it goes without saying that we need more cowbell.
Fred from Naples, FL:
Is the Dead Zone over yet?
John: Apparently this is no longer the Dead Zone. #Disappointedzone.
Tom from St. Augustin, FL:
The iOS app currently shows the July 9 O-Zone as the last one available. Just FYI. Armageddon!
John: Consider this answer today's update on the ongoing "Where's-the-Ozone-on-the-app" drama. The app currently is not allowing stories to be posted. The technical crew is aware of the situation and is working to resolve it.
Pete from Jacksonville Beach and Section 113:
So, the streak ends on July 10. When do you plan to restart?
John: The O-Zone has continued to appear on the jaguars.com website even during Appgate, so consider the Most Overdiscussed, Overhyped Streak in the history of streaks sadly very much intact.
Joey from St. Augustine, FL:
As long as we are on the talk of best sports movies, I will throw in Airplane as the best basketball movie … surely, you agree, right?
John: No doubt – and if I were a weaker man given to the cheap, obvious joke I would follow this up by saying, "And stop calling me, Shirley" … Wait. What?
John from Jacksonville:
I grew up an Eagles fan in Philly. So back then, we shared a hatred for Dallas. One player I liked to watch play was your safety – No. 79, I think – Pat Fischer. I don't know how much quarterback he played. But at Nebraska, Fischer played safety, tailback and quarterback. Fischer joined the NFL as the 17th--round draft choice of St. Louis in the 1961 NFL Draft. He then signed with Washington as a free agent in 1968. He was a 1969 Pro Bowler. You had to admire Pat Fischer; he was a player.
John: Fischer actually wore No. 37, but your memory is correct regarding his career. He was a really good cornerback, particularly for his 5-feet-9, 170-pound size. He actually made three Pro Bowls and played 17 seasons, a long and productive career for any position in any era.
Ed from Danvers, MA:
For sports movies, I liked Bang the Drum Slowly – DeNiro was great in it – and The Greatest Game Ever Played about Francis Ouimet's stunning victory in the 1913 US Open.
John: Yeah, if you can get through Bang the Drum Slowly without a tear or two … well, I never could is all I'm saying.
Stu from Hemel, UK:
Hey O-Man, so I'm a newish follower of the NFL and I've been watching some games from last season and was wondering – what's a "hard" snap count? I get that it's a change in the cadence when you call the snap and you try and draw an offsides call, but why change your cadence versus calling the snap multiple times?
John: Quarterbacks change cadence and use a hard snap count for exactly that reason – to do whatever they can to draw an offsides call. They often do call the snap multiple times as well. It's a subtle thing, and some quarterbacks are better at it than others. Often, it's a skill quarterbacks develop after they have developed other areas. It can be very effective, though, particularly on third -down or passing situations when down defensive linemen are geared up to rush the passer.
Jerry from Jacksonville:
As far as not getting Isaiah Battle, not only would we have to give up a draft pick, but wouldn't we also have to cough up cash in the form of a bid to give to the NFL? I'm sure that also had to be a factor in the decision.
John: This is in reference to former Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle, who was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the NFL's supplemental draft last Thursday. No, the Jaguars would not have had to accompany a "bid" with an amount of cash to the NFL. When people talk about a "bid" in reference to a supplemental draft selection, they simply mean the draft pick the team enters to make an effort to get the player. A team expresses interest in a player by emailing the league the selection they would be willing to give up in the following year's draft for the player; the player is then "selected" by the team submitting the "highest" bid.
Jesse from Islamorada, FL:
Two things, John. First, Johnny Utah never switched positions. He never was the same after that horrific knee injury, either. Second, you were right from the start about the multiple position players. Sammy Baugh. Yes, Patrick Peterson and Deion Sanders played cornerback with a little bit of wide receiver and returner, but Baugh not only recorded a quarterback rating of 109.9 in 1945 and had a six-touchdown game on "Sammy Baugh Day," he for the longest time led the league in punting average (45.1). He also still holds a record to this day with four interceptions in a single game. Add to that Baugh's propensity for great quotes, and he really is in the discussion for one of the greatest to play the sport.
John: A couple of things on your two things. When you play quarterback like Johnny Utah played quarterback, you don't switch positions. Two, I agree with you wholeheartedly on Sammy Baugh. There have been players who have dabbled in multiple positions, but I don't know that anyone ever played three at the same level at which Baugh played quarterback, safety and punter. What he did was all-time stuff no matter the era.
Johnny from Lake City, FL:
Can you find a way to write something useful in the O-Zone? I know it's the offseason but it's been two weeks of "who played quarterback in college" or "what's the best football movie." It's just becoming a waste of my time. I don't know how you've continued this streak of irrelevant questionnaire. Anyway, hoping you can at least get a smirk out of this.
John: If you think this is a waste of time you should see what I do when I'm not writing this.