JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Ron from Tallahassee, FL

You've probably answered this before, so please excuse me if you have. Talk of C.J. Beathard making the practice squad has me wondering how practice squad contracts work. Since Beathard is already under contract with the team, would being on the practice squad impact his pay and the salary cap at all?

First, let me clarify: I don't know if Jaguars quarterback C.J. Beathard will be on the practice squad. It's entirely possible he will be on the Jaguars' active roster either as the backup to starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence or as the third quarterback behind Lawrence and Mac Jones. If Beathard is on the practice squad, his maximum possible salary would be $21,300 per game – or $383,400 for the season. His projected salary is $1,420,000, so there would some saving were he on the practice squad.

Joe from Fleming Island

John, haven't heard much about Devin Lloyd this training camp, is that a good thing?

Jaguars third-year inside linebacker Devin Lloyd appears likely to play largely in the middle-linebacker role in what essentially could be a 4-2-5 base defense. This is something of a transition, and Lloyd has added about 12-to-15 pounds since last season. That means he's around 252 pounds. It's not odd to hear comparatively little about a defensive player during training camp and it doesn't necessarily mean much. He appears from this view to be transitioning fine, but he only played two series along with the rest of the starters in a Preseason Week 1 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs – and he and most starters didn't play in a Preseason Week 2 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We'll know more here moving forward.

Sean from Oakleaf, FL

If the regular season started today, the Jaguars would be under the 2024 salary cap?

The Jaguars and all NFL teams operate in the offseason under the Rule of 51, meaning only a team's Top 51 salaries count against the cap. The Jaguars by that rule are now under the cap. They also will be under the cap when the regular season begins because all NFL teams must always be under the cap.

Jason from Jacksonville

John, Will you please define what football is? Asking for a friend.

I haven't the foggiest.

P Funk from Murray Hill

Offensive tackle Walker Little seems less and less likely to be in the team's long-term plans. What does The Zone see as his future with the Jags?

I don't know that this is decided yet. Little, a second-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, is entering the final year of his contract. He has been an important part of the offensive line as a swing tackle and also has been valuable when needed at guard. He currently is the swing tackle. There's a 17-game regular season just ahead. What happens during that season will determine how the Jaguars approach the future of many players, Walker included.

GPP from Savannah

Weak link still appears to be the offensive line. Let's hope your optimism holds true.

I'm neither optimistic nor pessimistic about the Jaguars' offensive line. I often this offseason have explained why the Jaguars have taken their chosen approach with the offensive line, and I also often have explained that you can't tell much about a team's offensive line by a few preseason plays. You absolutely can't tell much about an offensive line in a Preseason Week 2 game in which many players playing won't be on the active roster.

David from Chuluota, FL

O-Zone. For the week leading up to the game the Jaguars wear their throw-back uniforms, you bring back the ponytail! Boom! Let us rejoice!

That would mean me donning a fake ponytail. I wouldn't sully the reputation of the original ponytail with such a maneuver.

Fred of Naples, FL

Anyone with questions about mullets needs to see Jeff Lageman. You were obviously being nice when you mentioned Jeff's "questionable" hair style choices last week. You set a good example regarding nice. I am proud of you.

Anyone who saw Lageman's original mullet knows I need to add nothing to the conversation. He clearly has been through enough.

Ryan from Apopka, FL

Everyone has been praising, including yourself, how good wide receiver Parker Washington has looked this offseason and into the preseason so far. But come two weeks, he will be behind Christian Kirk as the slot wide receiver and Devin Duvernay will be returning kicks. How does the coaching staff get Washington on the field in meaningful places?

You're correct that Kirk's return will limit his opportunities somewhat, and that the coaching staff will be challenged getting Washington snaps. Washington has worked in all three Jaguars receiver positions during training camp toward that end, and he continues to earn a more extensive look.

Robert from Elkton

Zone, can you think of any other spectacle like preseason football in the world? What we are watching is something like a real-life version of squid games or survival fantasy stories like Hunger Games. These are very young men, who've worked their entire lives for this opportunity, and they might have 10 or 15 plays to change their lives forever. If they perform well, they can live their dreams and earn contracts worth millions and take care of themselves and their families (maybe for generations). But if they have an off day, or the plays run to the other side of the field, or twist an ankle, or just the slightest bit of bad luck … and in the blink of an eye it all disappears and they are unemployed and could be applying for jobs making minimum wage. And we are watching the course of their lives change before our very eyes. Truly bizarre when you think about it.

It's not always quite so all-or-nothing. Teams take more into account when evaluating young, unknown players than just performance in preseason games. If a player continually shines in practice and has a couple of bad preseason snaps, many teams will keep that player around on the practice squad with the idea that he is worth further developing. But that answer is nitpicking somewhat – and there's a huge element of truth in what you say. The NFL preseason is a major opportunity, and there are cases where careers are made and lost. It's professional sports, and the risk and reward – and the compensation – is such that the drama is very public and very high.

Kathy from Ponte Vedra

Why is it that Luke Fortner is considered a lock to make the team? He can only play one position, and does a very poor job of doing that. Wouldn't it make more sense to keep someone who can play several positions - including center? If you cut Fortner, I believe he would be a safe bet to make the practice squad.

Wow. One not fer Fortner, I guess.

Ross from Mechanicsville, VA

I saw Gardner Minshew was named QB1 for the Raiders. I enjoyed him as our QB and thought he was doing a good job. I'm excited he gets another chance to start (but not when he plays our Jags!). Any favorite memories of your time covering him?

Minshew gave this franchise some exciting moments in 2019, which was in the middle of some otherwise pretty difficult seasons. That was pretty cool for a while.

Anita from Springfield

Lageman recently asked "who" when talking about the Raiders quarterbacks, including now-named-starter Gardner Minshew. I get Lageman was being facetious. But, I'll never forget the magic of the Mania, or how Minshew was the first Jags quarterback in a long time I wasn't terrified to see drop back to pass. All this to say, since we're still awaiting the season, one fer Goatner Winshew and the moxie he plays with and the joy he gave us Jags fans!

OK.

Matthew from Charles City, IA

Seen a report Trevor had been practicing behind multiple lineups on O-line? I understand it's a competition, but doesn't that hurt any group from building a chemistry together??

The Jaguars have worked multiple combinations at every position during 2024 Training Camp. A major reason for this is a desire to get all young players – including rookies – acclimated far more quickly than has been the case in recent seasons. Injuries during training camp also have contributed to the varied offensive line lineups. Bottom line: Most of the chemistry on the offensive line will be developed in the so-called "live reps" in practice, in preseason games and mostly in regular-season games. It's a process, one that won't be completed during training camp no matter how many reps the "starting line" takes together.

Brian from Round Rock, Texas

I've noticed your colleagues often using the word comfortability in their writing. What is the difference in meaning of comfort and comfortability?

I don't know which "colleagues" use "comfortability." If I did, I might politely tell them it's not necessary and a waste of effort. It's also incorrect, because it's not a word. Conveniently, there is an easy word to use in its place. It's "comfort," which needs seven less keystrokes to type.